25 replies to this topic

[Keviin]

Every new console is better than the previous one.

[10k]

So we have 16 days until nintendo officially unveils the final version of the Wii U. So my question is can the Wii U beat out whatever you may think is the best nintendo console of all time? For me I think its the SNES. Now there was a pre E3 2011 rumor that nintendo wanted to replicate the success of the SNES with the Wii U. Basically wanting a modern day SNES. I have very HIGH expectations for this console. I believe over time when developers and gamers have years to play with this controller its going to revolutionize gaming. I can totally see microsoft or sony copying this controller. There are already rumors off apps being created for games given an advantage over other console and making Wii U the must have version of games that are coming out. I do think that nintendo needs a 3rd party exclusive trilogy a la gears of war for 360. Not like the exact same kind of game that gears of war was. Just a hardcore 3rd party game with superb visual and addictive gameplay that has room to grow the story but also try and outdue the previous game and top it. Truthfully I'm not worried about the visuals or online for the Wii U. I do truly believe this console is going to be the best overall console nintendo ever releases. What are your thoughts?

The SNES days will never exist again. Not until third parties forgive Nintendo and Nintendo loses their ways. Also, unless Nintendo makes consoles that are on par with their competitors (Genesis and SNES were not that far apart) the SNES will never happen again.

The NES and SNES were like the PS1 and PS2 for Sony. It came into the market, provided some new experiences, awesome games, and won the gamer crowd over, which lead to higher console sales and more developer support (third party, exclusives, etc.) The third console is when both got cocky (N64 and PS3) going for powerful hardware and banking on developers to utilize it, when instead, they flocked to your competitors for various reasons.

But, do I think the Wii U can become Nintendo's most successful console of all time? No. The market has changed too much since 2006. I don;t think we will ever see a 100 million selling console again, thanks to tablets and smartphones, etc. The casuals are pretty much gone now, it's just the core gamers left imo. Do I think the Wii U can lead the market next gen and sell a high number of consoles (say 70 million like)? Yes.

I mean, lets take a look at all of Nintendo's innovations they have provided in the industry so far, hardware wise.

• D-Pad (NES)
• Shoulder Buttons (SNES)
• Four Face Buttons (Adding X and Y to SNES when the Genesis only had ABC)
• Analog Joystick (N64)
• Analog+Digital Trigger (GameCube)
• Dual Screen Gaming (DS)
• Touch Screen Gaming (DS)
• Glasses free 3D (3DS)
• Motion Controls (Wii)

The Wii U is poised to have all these features (minus the 3D, it will support it if the TV supports it, but the tablet won't have it) plus NFC, possibly the vitality sensor, the ability to stream content to the screen and play on the controller without a TV. Just the controller alone is the most innovative thing the gaming industry has seen. It has all of Nintendo's innovations packed into it, and I can see it selling.

Nintendo always has the software to sell it's hardware, so we know the games will be there, the question is if third parties will be on board (the one's that ditched them during the N64 days) and the answer to that depends on the hardware specs (which based on Epic, Gearbox, and Vigil games comments, is next-gen and powerful enough).

The Wii U will use the same media format as it's competitors (25GB discs, like Blu Ray), so no excuses for production costs, plus it will support external HDD's and SD Cards (something you can't do with Xbox and PS) which will save gamers a ton of money.

The Wii U is also rumored to have a full app store and be the first social console, so I believe it can win back some of the casuals that only bought the Wii as a toy.

Overall, I think the Wii U will end up being a success for Nintendo and will see the gamers who left them for the PS1 and PS2 come back. It may be the best console in hardcore Nintendo fan's opinion, but I stand by my fact that it won't sell well just because it's Nintendo, and the last two core consoles they made that had the same gimmicks as their competitors flopped (N64 33 million, GCN 21 million). I would consider 40 million in sales a success for the Wii U, but I don't see it selling the same numbers as the Wii or 360 did this gen.

If you ask alot of Nintendo gamers what they think the best Ninty console was, many say it was the GameCube because of it's exclusives, graphics, controller, etc. But the fact is, it is the worst selling Nintendo console. So, our opinions on success don't factor into sales for Nintendo.

TL:DR If by successful you mean sales, no I don't think the Wii U will be a sales success. If by a Nintendo fan's standards of games and features you think it will be a success, and winning some core gamers back, then yes, I think it will be a success.

[Generic Hero]

Every new console is better than the previous one.

That is a true to a point, but I don't think it is a certainty. Sure graphics always improve, but the console experience can be a lot worse. For example I really loved the PS2 but the PS3 didn't interest me in the slightest, so in my opinion the PS2 is a better console.

[10k]

Every new console is better than the previous one.

Nope. Hardware wise yes, but in terms of games, controllers, nastalgia, features, etc. it's hard to say that.

The GameCube was my favourite Nintendo console, followed by the N64 and SNES. Despite the Wii having many exclusive games (Galaxy 1 and 2 and Zelda:SS and TP are in my top 10 games) it is one of my least favourite Nintendo consoles.

The PS1 had awesome JRPG's that the PS3 didn't, so I like the PS1 over the PS3.

[MorbidGod]

If you use that anolgy, it fits. The NES set a path for Nintendo. The SNES continues it. The DS set a path for handles and the 3DS continues its. The Wii started a revolution, and the Wii U continues it. Expands, really.

Yeah, it's safe to have high expectations. Nintendo will meet them.

[birdmaster21]

If you use that anolgy, it fits. The NES set a path for Nintendo. The SNES continues it. The DS set a path for handles and the 3DS continues its. The Wii started a revolution, and the Wii U continues it. Expands, really.

Yeah, it's safe to have high expectations. Nintendo will meet them.

Great analogy!!!!!

[Usman Mohammad]

Nintendo have already failed to deliver once, sales wise it won't beat the Wii, that was a culture phenomenon which then Nintendo just became stupid.

For Nintendo to be succesful they have to capture the other core back. We are already part of Nintendo, the people they want to entice are people that love Nintendo content and third party titles that are available on other consoles.

However this is not for the social gamers, the ones who have invested into PSN and Xbox Live. I don't think they will leave a service for the Wii U, I most likely will be wrong since we don't know what will be shown and what can the system achieve fully.

The first year the target audience is us and new console buyers, if they get the numbers they wish with this console then they had a successful launch. This doesn't totally leave out the possibility of non Nintendo fans that own another console to buy the new console.

The general concensus is that the Nintendo name doesn't go well. When something Nintendo is mentioned they think of past generations, and back in those past generation consoles the core gamers now were kids, so this is a psychological barrier to some of the other console owners that Nintendo is kids brand, which it sort of is, however you could argue that Nintendo has a wider appeal that makes it possible cor younger games to like those games.

I've moved away from the tangent, but sales wise it won't be the best console. In terms of content and relationships between gamers and Nintendo, it quite possibly could.

Then again it could be another "People only play Nintendo games on Nintendo consoles" scenario

[dagwood dang]

If you use that anolgy, it fits. The NES set a path for Nintendo. The SNES continues it. The DS set a path for handles and the 3DS continues its. The Wii started a revolution, and the Wii U continues it. Expands, really.

Yeah, it's safe to have high expectations. Nintendo will meet them.

Right.

Wii made Nintendo lots and lots of money, so this is Nintendo's system-splurge-season! haha! Yet, I'm still a bit concerned, cause I don't think there has ever been this level of anti-Nintendoism before.

In the past, Nintendo made several 'unpopular' decisions from the perspective of "core" gamers and it started with:

Nintendo 64 - Although is was more powerful than Saturn & PS1 (in some ways), Ninty's decision to stick with cartridges, wasn't favorable among many critics, and to them, a disk-based console seemed much more appealing. CD music playing, more data space, and simply, the "fancy CD aesthetic" won many ex-nintendo fans over and haven't looked back since.

Gamecube - Well, Nintendo finally decides to ditch the whole "cartridges are more durable" argument, and decides to embrace the disk, but only, it's smaller? The average joe just saw that as inferior right off the bat, compared to PS2 and XBox. Technically they weren't wrong. GC disks held 1.5GB, while Sony and M$ were playing with full sized DVDs, storing more space (on a single layer, 4.5GB, I think?). Plus options like DVD movie viewing and a robust online infrastructure (at the time) weren't available on GC. "Core" gamers continued to bash.

Wii - I don't even have to remind you of what they've been saying about this one. Although it sold very well, words like "toy" or "last gen" hover around the Wii name.

All 3 of these Nintendo systems have had AMAZING, INNOVATIVE, GROUND BREAKING games. but that didn't matter to the ex fans. to them, it seemed like Nintendo didn't get it. The brand lost it's luster to them.

...sigh...
even though Nintendo may never see the SNES days again, I sure hope they push the Wii U with the same ambition as the SNES.


I think that if Nintendo puts a strong emphasis on "social" and "app" style gaming and incorporates it into the blueprint of the Wii U, I think they can maintain a pretty wide fan base. It's gotta be done right tho.

Edited by dagwood dang, 20 May 2012 - 11:39 PM.

[Joshua]

I'd say it has the potential to, yes.

[Deadly Virus]

Definitely has the potential, sure. But in my opinion, all the Wii U has to do to take the crown of best Nintendo console is to be relatively on-par with other next-gen systems. Which means, be actually within the same power range and have many of the same features, rather than the Wii which could have honestly been described as not even on par with the original Xbox is many ways.

So yeah, Nintendo wouldn't have to do much to sway me. Great graphics, great games and great online are all I need.

[Plutonas]

Definitely wii U will be the best console, nintendo ever made..

[Keviin]

That is a true to a point, but I don't think it is a certainty. Sure graphics always improve, but the console experience can be a lot worse. For example I really loved the PS2 but the PS3 didn't interest me in the slightest, so in my opinion the PS2 is a better console.

True, in that regard the SNES is my favourite because of the games (nostalgia) and GC a close second (controller, power)

[Waller]

Hell no. SNES shall forever be the best game console ever. Period

[Hinkik]

Every new console is better than the previous one.

Only true on consoles with virtual console capabilities that are good.

Definitely has the potential, sure. But in my opinion, all the Wii U has to do to take the crown of best Nintendo console is to be relatively on-par with other next-gen systems. Which means, be actually within the same power range and have many of the same features, rather than the Wii which could have honestly been described as not even on par with the original Xbox is many ways.

So yeah, Nintendo wouldn't have to do much to sway me. Great graphics, great games and great online are all I need.

Xbox:


Wii:


Omg, you're right xbox graphics are actually quite good compared to wii. But the wii is still better graphically,

[Caius Casshern Sins]

The Wii U can be, but it need great first party games (that shouldn't be a problem), great third party support ( this is where we have to worry). This means the Wii U needs to be on par with the next gen or be the most attractive platform for developers. It needs to have a variety of games on the system from different genres. It should be able to attract gamers of different types with a good balance. It needs a great online platform that will be great for devs and the end user. If it can do that Nintendo will have a great system and I am sure they can do it.

[Deadly Virus]

Omg, you're right xbox graphics are actually quite good compared to wii. But the wii is still better graphically,

Yeah, there are plenty of Wii games that look better than pretty much every Xbox game, sure. Super Mario Galaxy definitely comes to mind. But in terms of hardware, the Xbox is in SOME WAYS technically better. Shaders and stuff, y'know.

Posted it before, but I honestly doubt the Wii could do this for example:

[Hinkik]

Yeah, there are plenty of Wii games that look better than pretty much every Xbox game, sure. Super Mario Galaxy definitely comes to mind. But in terms of hardware, the Xbox is in SOME WAYS technically better. Shaders and stuff, y'know.

Posted it before, but I honestly doubt the Wii could do this for example:

Then xbox also had some very unimpressive games (Still talking about gfx)


But I think this was a launch title...