What if nintendo releases another console in 2011

[Flux]

What if by 2011 nintendo releases another game console that targets the hardcore gamer? I mean by then the Wii would have sold 90-100 million+ going at the rate they are going. So the non-gamer/casual out-number the niche hardcore gamer and when nintendo secure the casual market they can now milk.... eh..profit off of both audiences. I mean it doesn't matter if hardcore gamers want ultra-expensive simulations/or video game, they are safe because they can buffer thier losses with the casual audience's steady revenue. Example:.....


Wii:Casuals/non-gamer (introduction and intermediate interest platform)

N6: Hardcore/Dedicated (ultra high end platform) Unlike the Wii, it is a high end console but like the Wii they undercut thier competion by adding older more conventional hardware to lower development costs.While more powerful than the PS3 by a wide margin N6 is less advanced compared to the Xbox 720(?) or PS4(?) comes out the N6 will still be less advanced but sell at a profit.

Do you see this happening?

Discuss...

 

[liolio]

I could see Nintendo do this earlier.
And while dominating the market taking away technical advantage of both ps3 and 360 when they will have reached low price==> capturing hardcore gamers.

 

[archangelmorph]

What if by 2011 nintendo releases another game console that targets the hardcore gamer?

What's the incentive for them..?

Nintendo spent that last 10 years trying to prove to the hardcore market that they understand what they want... & failed..

What makes you think they'll succeed in re-capturing them now?

It seems to me that nintendo won't ever target the hardcore market again & instead steamline there vision against a market that they should be able to sell to consistently whilst strengthening their brand.. Sure they'll still sell to the hardcore market but their focus will never be there IMO.. It's just not important enough for nintendo's business nor for their bottom line..

Personally I see the next generation being a continuation of this with a movement into the heart of the era of tiered gaming..

You'll have the casual, nintendo experience on one side (cheap-&-cheerful-&-nintendo-charming..) & on the other hand you'll have the high end, technology-strong, all-singing-all-dancing multimedia-master-machines coming out of Sony & MS with both sides co-existing quite comfortably on higher traditionally-sourced revenues, additional revenue streams (DD & Home-like services for example..)

My biggest question would be where nintendo decide to go next with respect to bringing another new novelty into the gaming experience.. Now that waggle has taken off I think the vast majority of Wii gamers won't just accept an increase in power & HD resolution with the same old waggle coming back again.. They'll have to bring in something different to really entice those casuals into purchasing a new box IMO since many of them probably only bought a Wii because it offered something different of which there PS2s didn't (graphics being irrelevant..)

 

[vazel]

Eh, I don't see Nintendo doing this. They know what they are and they're happy with it. They've never done anything major to attract the hardcore even when many thought their survival depended on it(even though it didn't because they've always been profitable despite what many hardcore thought in the Gamecube days). They only ever threw Conker and Eternal Darkness at the hardcore. I suppose the Metroid games can be counted as hardcore too, can't imagine many casuals being thrilled with all the backtracking and exploration in those games.

 

[pocketmoon66]

But why the desire to capture hardcore gamers ? If wii tells us anything it's that as far as the console market goes hardcore is irrelevent as is technical advantage. It's hardly more advanced than last gen MS and Sony offerings.

Wii2 with bluray and a proper online experience - that's what I want

 

[vazel]

But why the desire to capture hardcore gamers ? If wii tells us anything it's that as far as the console market goes hardcore is irrelevent as is technical advantage. It's hardly more advanced than last gen MS and Sony offerings.

Hardcore is relevant to game sales. Look at how poorly 3rd party games are selling even gems like Zack and Wiki and NiGHTS. Nintendo consoles are mostly profitable only for Nintendo games. Now look at the high attach rate of the x360.

Wii2 with bluray and a proper online experience - that's what I want

The only thing I care about in Nintendo's next console is backward compatibility and the ability to bring over my VC games.

 

[Readykilowatt]

Do you see this happening?

Yes. It will happen at the same time when you'll see pigs flying.

*Edit* BTW, what do you define as a hardcore gamer? If it is the loony PS3/Xbox 360/PC/PSP fanbase that stares at textures instead of "playing games", then hardcore gamers are irrelevant, just like the majority of third party developers and publishers. The DS doesn't need them and the Wii doesn't need them either.

Spoiler

My definition of a hardcore gamer is someone who will buy and play anything, i.e. they'll drool over Halo 3 and Wii Fit at the same time.

 

[pocketmoon66]

The only thing I care about in Nintendo's next console is backward compatibility and the ability to bring over my VC games.

Goes without saying (hopefully!)

 

[Corwin_B]

Hardcore is relevant to game sales. Look at how poorly 3rd party games are selling even gems like Zack and Wiki and NiGHTS.

Nights is hardly a gem, going by reviews. And Z&W would have tanked on any platform (don't get me wrong, I have the game and love it, but point&click adventures are really a dying breed). There have been some extremely successful 3rd party games on the Wii, including both RE titles, GH3, Red Steel, Mario&Sonic, Carnival Games... Meanwhile, there have been hardcore-targeted games that have suffered horrible sales on competing platforms (with probably worse consequences for the publishers, considering development costs).

I agree that the 3rd party situation on Wii could be a lot better, but painting the situation as "only Nintendo games sell on a Nintendo platform" is over-simplistic and factually wrong.

 

[vazel]

NiGHTS was a gem. The superfluous levels they tagged on were mediocre but the main course levels with NiGHTS flying around the main courses and boss battles were just as great as in the original NiGHTS.

I agree that the 3rd party situation on Wii could be a lot better, but painting the situation as "only Nintendo games sell on a Nintendo platform" is over-simplistic and factually wrong.

Don't twist my words. I said 'Nintendo consoles are mostly profitable only for Nintendo games'. Are you really going to argue with me on this? This was a widely known problem for Nintendo consoles since the N64 days. Suda 51 has even recently complained about that when he saw No More Heroes' sales.

"Whilst the sales weren't as high as I hoped, other titles for Wii aren't selling so well either. Only Nintendo titles are doing well. This isn't just because of the current situation in Japan, as this is happening outside Japan."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=179648

 

[Readykilowatt]

I agree that the 3rd party situation on Wii could be a lot better, but painting the situation as "only Nintendo games sell on a Nintendo platform" is over-simplistic and factually wrong.

I disagree. The third party situation on the Wii is perfectly normal and expected. The third party devs do not have the expertise (with maybe the exception of Capcom) or the skill to create games tailored towards the Wii controller. Their expertise lie in pushing more polygons and displaying fancier textures, so it is no surprise that third party devs are struggling on the Wii. Look at the PS3 controller... it is the same as the PSone controller from 1995. Therefore, the devs that had supported Sony for so long don't have a clue what to do with a radically new controller or the Wii. As a result, some will go under (like Akklaim) and some will get bought/merged (like Namco), while others will become niche players.

 

[Zassk]

Hardcore is relevant to game sales. Look at how poorly 3rd party games are selling even gems like Zack and Wiki and NiGHTS. Nintendo consoles are mostly profitable only for Nintendo games.

Why would Nintendo see this as a problem that needs solving? In an ideal world (for Nintendo), every game would be a 1st party game.

You point at X360's attach rate as being something Nintendo should aim for, but the first-party attach rate almost certainly favors Nintendo over MS.

 

[vazel]

Why are people twisting my words???!!! I never said Nintendo should aim for the x360's attach rate. Nintendo consoles have been for Nintendo games since the N64 and I'm perfectly fine with that.

but the first-party attach rate almost certainly favors Nintendo over MS.

That's why I said 'Nintendo consoles are mostly profitable only for Nintendo games'.

 

[archangelmorph]

I disagree. The third party situation on the Wii is perfectly normal and expected. The third party devs do not have the expertise (with maybe the exception of Capcom) or the skill to create games tailored towards the Wii controller. Their expertise lie in pushing more polygons and displaying fancier textures, so it is no surprise that third party devs are struggling on the Wii. Look at the PS3 controller... it is the same as the PSone controller from 1995. Therefore, the devs that had supported Sony for so long don't have a clue what to do with a radically new controller or the Wii. As a result, some will go under (like Akklaim) and some will get bought/merged (like Namco), while others will become niche players.

R u being serious..?

Why would Nintendo see this as a problem that needs solving? In an ideal world (for Nintendo), every game would be a 1st party game.

You point at X360's attach rate as being something Nintendo should aim for, but the first-party attach rate almost certainly favors Nintendo over MS.

Attach rate is irrelevant.. However software revenue isn't.. & MS is comfortably making more money from software sales than Sony + nintendo combined..

So regardless of how nice nintendo's first party attach rates maybe, Nintendo have it in their best interests to encourage third party sales on their platform less you end up with a situation where MS can make more money against a 40+million install base than nintendo can male with a 100+ million one..

Then any advantage of selling more hardware is lessened (not mooted however considering nintendo make most of there money on hardware..)

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

2011 wouldnt be a strange date at all right? if they launch late 2011, wii would have lasted 5 years which imo is pretty normal for a console.

 

[zed]

Attach rate is irrelevant.. However software revenue isn't.. & MS is comfortably making more money from software sales than Sony + nintendo combined..

any facts to back that up, perhaps in the US alone theyre making more than say the wii (but not wii+ps3+ps2, look at the NPD numbers for evidence) but certainly not worldwide, in fact ild be willing to bet that ms are trailing the pack (look at the thread 'reliable eurpean sales data')

 

[Zassk]

Attach rate is irrelevant.. However software revenue isn't.. & MS is comfortably making more money from software sales than Sony + nintendo combined..

Do you have a source for this? We know MS's platform sells more software than the others combined, but that doesn't translate to making more money than the others combined. If first-party titles are the most profitable, then Nintendo is in a favorable position.

 

[pocketmoon66]

Now look at the high attach rate of the x360.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/847/847472p1.html

"Wii Tie Ratio at 8:1 in December
Players bought eight games for every Wii sold in December. That number is better than Xbox 360 and PS3."

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

Hardcore is relevant to game sales.

Why are game sales relevant?

 

[Corwin_B]

Don't twist my words. I said 'Nintendo consoles are mostly profitable only for Nintendo games'. Are you really going to argue with me on this? This was a widely known problem for Nintendo consoles since the N64 days.

You also said "Look at how poorly 3rd party games are selling even gems like Zack and Wiki and NiGHTS."

To which I answered that those niche games were probably not going to sell anywhere, so blaming their tanking on the Nintendo platform was inaccurate. In addition, I listed several extremely successful 3rd party games.

Regarding profitability, it is not only a matter of sales. Development cost is also part of the equation, and the Wii is at a definitive advantage here.

Suda 51 has even recently complained about that when he saw No More Heroes' sales.http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=179648

Suda clarified his comments later :
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=230502&highlight=suda

Besides, NMH (a niche title anyway) is on its way to become Suda 51's most successful release so far. Killer 7 didn't exactly light up the charts, in spite of being on the allmighty, 3rd-party heaven PS2...