Topic: Is Nintendo saving Gamecube, Wii Virtual Console for their next console?

I simply don't see a point to forcing the consumer to buy an HDD. It you don't download games, a bit of flash memory is plenty.

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To be fair the Wii U doesn't have the power to "emulate" Wii games. Which is why this thread has probably got it backwards. If anything the Wii U will continue to get Wii games and will probably eventually get some GC titles. Purely because it's the same architecture and therefore doesn't have to emulate them. Their next console? There's a fair chance it might be an entirely different architecture. In which case GC? Maybe if it's pushed, Wii? Probably not.

Point being, who cares if the Wii U can 'emulate' Wii games...it can already play Wii discs and Wii downloadable titles.

I don't understand why that guy would care about the Wii U's ability to emulate Wii games when the Wii hardware exists inside the console itself. Emulation is not necessary.

I honestly support the idea of remastering the GameCube games in HD rather than releasing them on VC. I really don't know if we are going to see more Wii titles on the Wii U. Europe and Japan have DKC Returns and Return to Dreamland (And Japan has some exclusive horror game as well). I want Pokèmon Colosseum HD.

I think people should stop focusing on the next hardware gen. I suspect after the issues they had with both 3DS and Wii U launches they won't be in a hurry to risk a failure that could sink the company. I expect New 3DS is a preview of the future: copy Apple and release incremental upgrades over time to gradually grow and keep a userbase and attract developers to a platform who can expect a prolonged period of sales. This would also save them having to re-release a virtual console stable just because they made a new machine.

@Sean_Aaron
A couple of things. For a start I'd agree the 3DS and Wii U were rushed out of the gate, particularly the 3DS. But Nintendo are a lot stronger than that and the Wii U is more of a Gamecube than a Virtual Boy, profitable and only average in sales relative to everything else. I doubt we're going to see a Wii U successor soon but mostly because they have plenty of content lined up not because another "mistake" would "ruin" them. Also you could easily argue that Nintendo were too slow releasing the Wii U even though they weren't ready.

Regardless, next-gen hardware speculation is perpetually a thing and participating doesn't mean you think it's imminent. We can talk about what they'll do with Wii content on the console after the Wii U without knowing what it is. Just like I can speculate about whether or not putting a HDD in the thing instead of flash would actually matter by the time they release. Because by 2018 flash storage will cost about as much per GB as 2.5" HDDs do now.

.... and personally I reckon the 3DS is probably going to get a real successor within the next couple of years. The New 3DS is a nice little upgrade but I don't think they can keep that up for too long. The gap between what the 3DS does and what you can do on even fairly cheap phones/tablets? It's getting pretty insane. But the Wii U? That thing has plenty more life in it. It has a nice little niche and there's plenty more content that could be made for it.

I think remastered gamecube games are a great idea! If they don't resell them for 60 bucks.... 40 to 50 sounds decent.

@Skywake Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those strange people who wants to police what people are talking about. It just occurs to me that the launch of both Wii U and 3DS were fraught experiences for Nintendo and it's management. If they continue to take a position which is apart from other console makers, then there's really no point in continuing to follow a similar release schedule.

The Wii U and 3DS are arguably platforms that can expand both in terms of OS and capability, e.g., your reference to enhanced internal storage, the addition of a second control stick on New 3DS. I suppose the could still do a full hardware refresh, but unless they're doing something quite a bit different, is it a worthwhile gamble in this age of smartphones and iPads? I wouldn't blame them for playing it safe.

Personally I find the idea of an upgrade to my existing Wii U (or my daughter's 3DS for thst matter) that doesn't require me to do more than migrate my NNID and reconnect my hard drive a lot easier to justify than a brand new machine that may not run my old games. But maybe I'm in the minority there.

@Sean_Aaron
Well the Wii U has heaps of life left in it and the only reason people are pushing for a revision is purely because of sales in relation to it's competitors. A new console should be released when they run out of momentum and their software is starting to become stale. The Wii U has a lot of life in it in that regard. It's gaining momentum, slowly, and has plenty of content to deliver. Plus if they were to make a revision now it wouldn't be that much more powerful or cheaper.

The 3DS is an entirely different story. If they released a true 3DS successor at the end of this year and priced it at around $200US to $250US? It could have a 720p top screen and 360/PS4 levels of power behind it. If they wait too long and if Sony still aren't too burnt on the portable idea Sony could get a nice jump on them for the next gen of portables. And personally, I'd want that. But I'd want what Nintendo could deliver on a HD portable more. Just imagine some of what they're doing on the Wii U now scaled down to a portable console....

They'd get very, very close that and at that resolution on a 3DS successor. They can't do it with the 3DS or the New 3DS.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case

Want Double Dash HD with online multiplayer and extra maps, karts, and characters?

There's a lot of reasons why they aren't on there, actually. One, they don't want to flood the eShop with older titles that they know people would probably blow all their money on. I know that may seem like a stupid reason, but just imagine if Nintendo DID get every VC game on there right now. You'd probably buy something like Resident Evil Remake, Eternal Darkness, Paper Mario, etc. for $15-20 a piece, and if you don't buy newer games and stay entertained with the older ones, then they will lose out on money from newer stuff that actually matters more than a VC game, as far as supporting what is current. It's artificially liquiding the market so you buy other stuff; new software like indie games that may get beat out by a decade old game, just because it's "rare" or some s***, and now it's $15 instead of $1000.
Two, even though (I'm pretty sure) they do liquidate the selection, it isn't exactly all easy to even get the games on there in the first place. They don't just port Wii VC to Wii U and add stuff. They have to go back to the original files and convert them somehow to run in 1080p and clearer audio, but we don't know what the process is, and it could be a case by case basis for all we know.
Lastly, they may be lazy, but how are we supposed to know that? Someone just needs to call to Nintendo to ask if they are being lazy, so we can finally know the truth.

I think you're on the money SCAR and that's why they do these slow release schedules that annoy some people.

Not really sure where to say this, but here might be good. If consoles ever go the DVD Player route where they are all generic machines, I think Nintendo should adopt Disney's strategy with the Vault. Every few years a game comes out of the Vault and is available for purchase for a limited time. Then the game is taking out of stores and put back in the vault. It could also work with VC games. It could also help with marketing so everytime a new zelda comes out a different one comes out of the vault a month or so before. It would be a great way for Nintendo to keep the eShop uncluttered and promote newer games, while still having classics be available. Just an idea I had while at Disneyland this weekend.

Or they do like they have been and Disney does on iTunes: have a premium price and discount it periodically to drive a spike in sales or a related title. I bought a lot of NES titles I otherwise wouldn't have because they went on sale to cross-promote NES Remix and Smash Bros.

TBH of all various approaches to digital content I'm not sure if any option is the best. When stores don't have a lot of content we'll complain because it doesn't have that bit of content that we in particular want but we'll look more closely at each release. Though when you're given everything you become like a rabbit in the headlights and get nothing but the stuff you know. Then there's the thing with sales, if there are no sales ever you never really take a risk and buy something you're not 100% sold on. However when they overdo the sales you start to not buy anything unless it's on sale even if you know you'll like it.

I reckon Nintendo has got the sale thing about right at this point while Steam by comparison is kinda breaking things. For them, not for us. And for content I'd say that Nintendo is way too slow to release content especially given the size of their back catalogue. At the other end of the spectrum iTunes is insane, there's no way anyone can understand even slightly what's on there. That said all of these services work so clearly there is more than one "solution".

Yeah iTunes is way overcrowded. I only buy stuff there if I'm looking for something specific I hear about via word of mouth; most of my game time is on my Wii U and again, I use Nintendo Life to determine what might be of interest.

Nintendo could use a both a traditional hard drive (or heck even have an empty bay for a 2.5" hard drive for storage) and smaller SSD integrated for the operating system. However, SSD can fail as well....

Nintendo making a console after the Wii U?
This must be a fun-thread.