So, I read every page and every post before I post, I think I'll just read the previous page from now on so I can become part of the discussion. My posts are always days apart, and I'll never get rid of this junior title if I don't.
Wii launch:
So, let me comment on the last 20 pages or so, I was 21 when the Wii launched (same age as ACE who doesn't have this thread posting problem, maybe I should ask him to teach me.) I've played video games since I was 4 (at least by myself) I have 2 older bothers, so there was always a console in my house. I've owned every Nintendo console home and portable, that includes VB. First game I ever beat was Gradius, followed by Zelda 2. I still remember beating Gradius lol don't know if anyone remembers beating their first game, but it was a big accomplishment for me. Anyways I fell in love with games so bad that now I am attempting to make my own, thanks to Android and iOS.
I really think Reversible covers should be standard with games with large fan bases, and hopefully anything from Monolith.
Console Specs: (am I up to date?)
CPU: 3.5ghz 3 cores? IBM power7-based custom /w 32MB edram.
GPU: If 40nm; based on HD4870 ~1.2Gflops / If 28nm; based on HD7770 ~1.2Gflops
Ram: >1GB; most likely looking at 1.5GB GDDR3 (unless GDDR5 prices work out better in the long run as GDDR3 will likely be scarce during this consoles life span.
HDD: Minimum 8GB flash, my best guess however is 16GB flash to ensure Gamecube downloads + DLC.
Wii U market leader:
Wii U or whatever it ends up being named could easily dominate the market this upcoming gen thanks to a year head start, I think this will likely come down to two things, Devs multiplating their games to it early on, and Nintendo getting out their big hitters, if Wii U can sell out for the first 6 months, than there is a good chance the market will expect it to succeed the Wii in all fashions, Sony might even help Nintendo accomplish this by not releasing PS4 before 2014... Think about this, if Wii U has a year head start, and Xbox3 comes out ~10m-15m consoles behind Wii U, and Xbox3 isn't even twice as powerful as Wii U (right now it's ~20% more powerful by our best rumors, ending up only 1.5x stronger if it does, won't push it into looking much different and will end up leaving Wii U as the base console for the generation because PS4 is still a 2014 console.) Devs will likely focus all their engines at working on Wii U- down porting to 360, PS3 and cross porting to Xbox3.
Game industry's future outlook:
I don't think Sony should go third party, there isn't much money there for them, I mean it would make no sense for them to pull out of the hardware business, Playstation while being stained is Sony's strongest brand, so as long as they don't bankrupt I see them sticking it out, however I do see Apple eventually pushing its way into the market more forcibly in the future, between Apple TV (the actual TV we will see this year) and their "i" products, I can see them getting ports of bigger games, hopefully apple creates a classic controller of sorts, or they could really hurt gaming, I think Nintendo putting a tablet in their controller really is the best way to combat Apple's encroachment, and even puts pressure on Vita's better graphics handheld at the same time.
Wii U local multiplayer hopes:
I don't see why Nintendo can't release a 3DSxl in 2013 that would have a widescreen on top that is around the same size as the Upad's 6.2inch screen, all it would really need is to match the resolution with something that is >5" on the top screen, you could even use the Wii U to play 3D versions of your game through the new handheld, it would sync locally only obviously, and when you take it with you, you'd have a large 3DS with a bigger battery, sure it would be a premium model, and sell @ ~$200 but I think it would be a very cool option for a 3rd and 4th player. This should be Nintendo's ultimate syncing goal with their handheld meets home console, and it should be very very big in japan.