Topic: Is it worth it for Nintendo to make their home consoles so compact?

One thing I've noticed is that Nintendo tends to make their home consoles far smaller that the competition in regards to size. While this certainly has benefits, I'm not sure it's worth it. For those who don't know, size and weight is a major factor in the cost of electronics. That's why the cost of a 7lb 17" laptop can be several hundred dollars less than a 4lb 14" laptop. Because of this, I think Nintendo limits the power and capability of their system substantially when they make small systems.

Do you think the benefits of a small home console outweigh that downside?

Personally, I believe the Gamecube is really the only system that does. That system is almost semi-portable with its handle and small size. But the Wii and Wii U don't have the shape or simplicity the GC did.

Nintendo is a Japanese company. In Japan, living room space is very limited. That's why they build small and quiet consoles. And you can fit more consoles on a pallet / in a container etc so you save considerably on shipping and storage as well.

But if the console can stand up vertically, you save space despite how big it may be.

Not always. Besides, it's more dangerous to have a system upright unless you make it a certain thickness.

Yeah but some people like me don't like to set the systems up vertically. I am always afraid that it will fall over some how.

Sony is a Japanese company took the PS4 is still much larger than the Wii or Wii U.

Like I said though, I see the benefits, but are they worth what is probably $50-100?

The 360 fell over for me 3 times, and scratched the disc every time. It's not that hard to believe...

Sony is also not selling games with the Japanese market in mind in even the slightest regard...

The clear stand on the Wii was a brilliant idea.

I believe that Nintendo doesn't create the shape of the console then try to put components into it, like a laptop would need to do. I think Nintendo gets the components they want then design the shape of their console around that. I don't think if the Wii U was bigger it would have had stronger hardware. I think the Wii U is the size and shape it is for its components and ventilation. So making a bigger system wouldn't be worth it. Making a more powerful system could be worth it.

@CanisWolfred & @Tasuki You can get a stand which keeps it safely in place, or put it in between two places where the console can't fall if it tips over.

Again even with the stand I am afraid that it will fall over some how like someone bumping into it or the tv stand that I have it on or one of my cats messing around with it. Maybe I am just being paranoid but I don't want to take that risk with something that costs that kind of money. As for placing it between two things I like to have plenty of space around my consoles so they don't over heat.

I can't speak for the Wii U, but it was stated in an Iwata Asks that Iwata explicitly told the hardware team not to make the Wii larger than 3 DVD cases stacked together. That's pretty indicative that there was at least some prior intention in the size.

Then it takes up more space. Congrats, point proven.

Yes.

What is worse is the usb hdd being connected for me. Chances are it will be pulled out at some point. Be so much better if it just had an empty bay to put an hdd in underneath.

I still stand by the fact of making a console bigger doesn't increase its power. The bigger size can be used to add more power but the size isn't what makes it more powerful. If the Wii U was bigger it wouldn't change what was inside of it.

Well, bigger doesn't always mean cheaper. The laptops you mentioned, for example, suffer the most from their thinness, which requires manufacturers to pull off some crazy, and expensive, tricks to get the cooling right. Not only that, but the demand for larger laptops has collapsed over the years causing lower profit margins.
The Wii U, on the othet hand, is thick enough to hold an adequate cooling system for the components it has, with quite a lot of room to spare. Higher-end components would need more ventilation, of course, but then the console would already be more expensive anyway.
Tl;dr: Nintendo's consoles are big enough to house their components as it is, making them bigger won't make them cheaper.

^That, and I believe a large factor of the difference in costs for bigger laptops is due to the screen size. The Wii U console itself obviously doesn't have a screen, other than the entirely separate gamepad.

I'm not an expert, so don't hold it against me if I'm wrong, but that is what I assume.

I'd definitely like 'em less if they were bigger.