New Nintendo console unlikely for some time |
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| BY Lee Bradley Jun. 5th, 2009 | More on: |
Here we go again with the “this generation may last a while” talk. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has taken time out from diving, Scrooge McDuck-like, into his giant money pool to reveal his thoughts on when we’ll see another Nintendo console. His view? There’s no rush.
Speaking to VentureBeat, Iwata outlined his company’s reluctance to replace the Wii, saying, “If we have an opportunity to make a new console, it will probably support HD because it is now common throughout the world. However, as far as the Wii is concerned, we have not found a significant reason to make it HD-compatible at this time.”
It’s unsurprising, really. Wii’s relatively outdated graphical technology hasn’t stopped it taking over the world, sending a clear message to platform developers that improved visuals aren’t necessarily the way forward. “What is the significant meaning to the users?” said Iwata. “I don’t think we should do it unless we find that reason. If we decide for other reasons to make new hardware, then HD is one of the things we would naturally add.”
Iwata added that his developers will decide when new Nintendo hardware needs to be developed, saying, “As long as they are comfortable with the current technology’s ability to deliver meaningful surprises to the users, we don’t need new hardware. However, when… they see the existing hardware can’t provide what they need, then that is when we decide to launch the new hardware. As for timing, it may be three years from now, five years from now or eight years from now.”
Like we said, we understand the reasoning, but eight years? We’ll all be scooting around on hoverboards by then, right?
June 5th, 2009
at 2:35 pm
New consoles don’t make better games, actually I think they help produce worse ones in this current economy of “newer is better”. I think all developers could benefit from getting used to a certain number of consoles, perfecting the fun of the medium - not just the sales or the sheen on the bald protagonist’s head. So, I think 8 years is a decent ballpark figure.
June 5th, 2009
at 4:24 pm
As long as we’ve got the hoverboards, I couldn’t give a monkey’s.
June 6th, 2009
at 4:28 am
8 years would make the Wii a 10 year console. I don’t think that’s possible. Right now people are complacent, but HDTV sets are getting ever cheaper and the difference between a 360/PS3 and Wii in the graphics department is huge. Artwork will only get you so far in a 3D world, and the limits of the Wii have been likely reached for some time now. I’m the first to agree that graphics do not make the game, but at some point the 360 and PS3 will have controllers that emulate what Wiimotes do for the Wii and then all Nintendo has again is Mario and Zelda (and other first party IP).
Kudos to them for doing so well this generation, but I don’t think it will continue to last. MS is trying so hard to eat into their market it’s not even funny. That and MS currently has cheaper hardware. The idea of the Wii sticking around for 10 years (as a main console for Nintendo) just seems far fetched to me. The 5 year mark seems way more likely, but likely in 3 years they will announce a new console to be released in 2013. Two years before the introduction of the hover board.
/BttF
June 6th, 2009
at 5:34 pm
When this console generation started the ten year life cycle stance was a position to show how future-proof those consoles are. It’s like saying,”We so good we don’t need a new console.” Now the ten year cycle is being pushed because it’s foolish to bring out a new product in this economy. Now we’re going to see how creative these companies can be. They can’t wow us with tech anymore so now they must dig deep and give us more than just pretty pictures.