Forums

Topic: The New Nintendo Wii U

Posts 21 to 40 of 92

jariw

Grumblevolcano wrote:

I think it could be either, remember when Nintendo said Smash 3DS was going to be in summer 2014 or Zelda U and Xenoblade X in 2015...

Software delays is the exact opposite to things appearing despite Nintendo denying it.

jariw

skywake

UGXwolf wrote:

@CaviarMeths Rumors DO say that. Just the problem that they're rumors and generally come from sources with dubious credibility and sometimes even people with absolutely no reason whatsoever to know more than anyone else. (And by "sometimes" I mean almost all of the time.)

There's a difference between "rumours have said" and "people have speculated". The only source there has been for any information on what the NX could possibly be is Iwata himself. The only times he's talked about "merging" portable and non-portable he could just as easily have been talking about structural reform within Nintendo.

Whatever it is, if it was as imminent as some are thinking I'm impressed with how well they've run it. Very impressed. Surely if there was a huge hardware announcement at E3 this year there'd be a leak by now. It's only a couple of weeks away and if they were to announce something that big it'd be at E3. That alone has me trusting them when they say "nothing this year". And if it's not that soon then there's no way anyone has any idea.

CaviarMeths wrote:

On hybrids, it's just a bad idea anyway. Companies should want to expand their product line, not contract. There's a reason why Apple still makes iPods even though an iPhone is basically just an iPod that can call and text. And even after bleeding money for years, it was only with great reluctance that Sony finally sold off its failing PC division.

I agree more generally but I think it goes both ways. With your iPod example I think at this point nobody really cares because a phone does it well enough. Plus with a phone you also have services like Spotify and Pandora. But then there are other functions where people still want a dedicated device. The cheap digital camera market has shrunk since the smartphone explosion but there is still a market for DSLRs. Most new TVs have the ability to stream media and so on but people still buy media boxes like the Chromecast.

With the "hybrid console" idea I think people miss the point. The most important thing about a portable console is the battery life. The selling point of a home console, even the Wii U, is the ability to display decent visuals for the price. You can't have both. A hybrid console could be a good portable but it'd be a very unimpressive and poor value home console. It could be a good home console but it'd be a horrible portable. Sometimes a dedicated device gives you an experience that's so much better that convergence is a joke.

Edited on by skywake

Some playlists: Top All Time Songs, Top Last Year
"Don't stir the pot" is a nice way of saying "they're too dumb to reason with"

UGXwolf

skywake wrote:

With the "hybrid console" idea I think people miss the point. The most important thing about a portable console is the battery life. The selling point of a home console, even the Wii U, is the ability to display decent visuals for the price. You can't have both. A hybrid console could be a good portable but it'd be a very unimpressive and poor value home console. It could be a good home console but it'd be a horrible portable. Sometimes a dedicated device gives you an experience that's so much better that convergence is a joke.

I'd agree with you, but this last point of yours just screams out "change and progress don't exist." The way advancement in technology works is by finding ways around problems like this. How do you make a system with a good battery life AND good visuals without jacking up the price so much that you lose all credibility? If I knew the answer to that, I probably wouldn't still be dealing with college, right now. Or I'd at least be finishing up, soon. With that said, it seems to me that the simplest solution is to present two separate devices that work together to form this hybrid, rather than one device that does both. A system that has weak visuals on its own, but good battery life and a cable or enhancer of some sort that allows the device to display far better visuals without putting a strain on the system's batter, as it'll be hooked up to a power source. It's an extremely vague idea, sure, but that's how these things start, isn't it? Someone has a vague idea and in figuring out how to make that idea work, they come across tons and tons of problems and it's their job to work out those problems until their idea becomes reality. I'm just saying, don't count out the possibility of a hybrid just because you don't know how it would work. It's Nintendo's job to figure this sort of thing out, and if they can't, I trust they won't make a hybrid until they can.

A nifty calendar (Updated 9/13/15)
The UGXloggery ... really needs an update.

ZuneTattooGuy

Two facts:
1.) THE NX IS NOT COMING OUT IN 2016 or 2017
2.) PROJECT CARS IS NOT A GAME TO LOSE SLEEP OVER

Gamertag: GoingTheDist

skywake

UGXwolf wrote:

I'd agree with you, but this last point of yours just screams out "change and progress don't exist." The way advancement in technology works is by finding ways around problems like this.

Name one hugely successful tech product in the last twenty years that wasn't simply a clever use of existing tech. The Wii when you think about it was nothing more than a clever way to use accelerometers and an IR camera. The Kinect is largely the same deal just refined. The iPod was basically the first product in an already existing market to gain mass appeal. Largely because Apple tied it to a more palatable version of what was done with Napster. What none of them have been is somehow magically well ahead of what was technically possible at the time.

Some playlists: Top All Time Songs, Top Last Year
"Don't stir the pot" is a nice way of saying "they're too dumb to reason with"

CaviarMeths

Quinnsdaddy11 wrote:

Two facts:
1.) THE NX IS NOT COMING OUT IN 2016 or 2017
2.) PROJECT CARS IS NOT A GAME TO LOSE SLEEP OVER

What reason is there to believe it wouldn't be out in 2017? That would mark a 5 year life cycle for the Wii U or 6 for the 3DS. Iwata also said that they would release information in 2016 and historically, Nintendo products almost always launch the year following their official reveal.

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

Sean_Aaron

I'm with Skywake, I cannot see a hybrid device working right now. We need an advance in battery technology that is assuredly coming, but possibly not for another few years (likely this will be the only thing to get me to upgrade my iPhone again).

As far as the idea of putting two devices together that make one better device for home use, well, we've seen examples of "upgrades" in the past like the awful Sega 32X or bus expansion ports (like the one on the bottom of the NES) that were never used for anything, probably because of performance issues as much as splitting the market. It's not like you see laptop docks that offer anything beyond extra I/O.

But who knows, Nintendo might be willing to stand still performance-wise in exchange for a portable with acceptable battery life and the ability to output 720p to a TV. Is that going to excite the marketplace or ensure an improvement in 3rd party support? I certainly can't see Nintendo going the other way and putting out the Rolls Royce of consoles and pricing themselves out of the market, which is what would need to happen to keep up and make the machine portable (and even then you'll have the battery issue).

BLOG, mail: [email protected]
Nintendo ID: sean.aaron

gcunit

I'm pretty sure there's a separate thread for NX talk. This is specifically about the prospect of Nintendo releasing a beefed-up SKU of the Wii U, similar to what happened to the 3DS. The assumption is that the NX is a completely separate project.

Edited on by gcunit

You guys had me at blood and semen.

What better way to celebrate than firing something out of the pipe?

Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

My Nintendo: gcunit | Nintendo Network ID: gcunit

skywake

Sean_Aaron wrote:

As far as the idea of putting two devices together that make one better device for home use, well, we've seen examples of "upgrades" in the past like the awful Sega 32X or bus expansion ports (like the one on the bottom of the NES) that were never used for anything, probably because of performance issues as much as splitting the market. It's not like you see laptop docks that offer anything beyond extra I/O.

Well there's actually been somewhat of a push for that sort of thing in the PC space for a while. A thing that you can "dock" your laptop onto for a desktop graphics card. But it's the sketchiest thing, experimental as all balls and expensive enough that it has to be very high end to be worth it. The problem is you have to have a decent CPU in the laptop to drive the high end desktop GPU. And at that point.... why not just have a lower end laptop and a mid-range gaming PC? It's a bit stupid really.

That said I could see us getting to the point where you could dock a portable console into a thing that gives power, I/O and HDMI out. Not unlike what the Vita TV is but just a dock. But as possible as that is people would seriously have to lower their expectations. It would still be "portable graphics" blown upto a big screen TV. Something which in the future may be impressive compared to what we have now but... it'll be a good generation or so behind what you could do with a home-console

gcunit wrote:

I'm pretty sure there's a separate thread for NX talk. This is specifically about the prospect of Nintendo releasing a beefed-up SKU of the Wii U, similar to what happened to the 3DS. The assumption is that the NX is a completely separate project.

It's the same discussion.

Edited on by skywake

Some playlists: Top All Time Songs, Top Last Year
"Don't stir the pot" is a nice way of saying "they're too dumb to reason with"

erv

Erm, if portable, you don't need the processing power, but while integrated, you do. Makes the client on your tv less thin, that's all. There's lots of possibilities of making a hybrid functionally speaking. How to go about it technically is just the next choice to make.

CaviarMeths wrote:

On hybrids, it's just a bad idea anyway. Companies should want to expand their product line, not contract. There's a reason why Apple still makes iPods even though an iPhone is basically just an iPod that can call and text. And even after bleeding money for years, it was only with great reluctance that Sony finally sold off its failing PC division.

Which was a sad day. Both of my Vaio laptops are fantastic products.

Lol, citing apple as expanding products? If anything, they want to keep their product lineup exceptionally small. No fragmentation, great user experience, seamless integration, services that work for humans and boom, they grew like weed.

Nintendo has that same goal: no fragmentation in their user base, becoming a platform for everyone to connect to. Ever tried finding the right razor, microwave, tv, anything? Could you tell the difference in the jungle of product numbers? Nintendo wants to increase their footprint, like all companies, but only cheap management translates that to blindly increasing the product lineup.

Not to say they won't want multiple products, they just want to avoid fragmentation.

Oh and the new 3ds has some more legs to it compared to the default 3ds. This fuels the hybrid speculation - it's like nintendo is trying to make it live a bit longer, so some sort of converging could happen upon the next hardware release which would be a more ideal point for both handheld players and console players as we know them now.

The hybrid is nothing but speculation, but it's not limited by technicalities in terms of execution. Only if you expect the client that hooks up to the tv to have no processing power, which is easily solved. Buying a wiiU to extend your 3ds, so to speak? That would work. @skywake would now have all the technical dilemmas solved. It's all in execution for nintendo now, and of course, finding the right pricing and expenses and whatever consumers are willing to pay for it. But something is going to connect somewhere.

But who knows - nintendo has always stated that it would love to get rid of the tv altogether. They might be building a hololens type of thing right now; goodbye hardware as we know it. I wouldn't bet on it as of today, but one thing is clear: nintendo wants to avoid fragmenting user bases too much. A new wiiU would not make that much sense.

But whatever they will release, they will need to design it very well in order to make it easy for the masses to love it. And they'll need better services connected to nintendo as a brand, but they've got some love with dena going for that sort of boost.

Switch code: SW-0397-5211-6428
PlayStation: genetic-eternal

Nintendo Network ID: genet1c

skywake

erv wrote:

The hybrid is nothing but speculation, but it's not limited by technicalities in terms of execution. Only if you expect the client that hooks up to the tv to have no processing power, which is easily solved. Buying a wiiU to extend your 3ds, so to speak? That would work. @skywake would now have all the technical dilemmas solved.

Well that would fall under the "good portable but a very unimpressive home console" side of the equation. How well did the Playstation TV do again? Such a move wouldn't solve the "Project Cars" style of problem. Essentially what they'd be doing is abandoning the idea of a home console and instead start giving us portable consoles which happen to have a HDMI out.

Edited on by skywake

Some playlists: Top All Time Songs, Top Last Year
"Don't stir the pot" is a nice way of saying "they're too dumb to reason with"

CaviarMeths

Quinnsdaddy11 wrote:

CaviarMeths wrote:

Quinnsdaddy11 wrote:

Two facts:
1.) THE NX IS NOT COMING OUT IN 2016 or 2017
2.) PROJECT CARS IS NOT A GAME TO LOSE SLEEP OVER

What reason is there to believe it wouldn't be out in 2017? That would mark a 5 year life cycle for the Wii U or 6 for the 3DS. Iwata also said that they would release information in 2016 and historically, Nintendo products almost always launch the year following their official reveal.

Project Dolphin was announced 4 yrs prior to the Gamecube officially coming out. So a simple announcement of their next system does not means they will be coming out with a new system immediately.

In no version of reality is this true. The SoC was being developed as early as 1997, but that is standard for any console generation. Project Dolphin was announced via press conference in 1999, officially announced as the GameCube in 2000, showcased at E3 2001, and released later that year.

"NX was announced via press conference in 2015, officially announced as the ______ in 2016, showcased at E3 2017, and released later that year."

Does that still seem like a farfetched statement to you?

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

WebHead

I think a cheaper Wii U Mini is more likely. I might buy a New Wii U if it happens but I don't thik it'd be worth it honestly. the main system is selling bad as is, and would we really buy a New model to play a car game?

WebHead

3DS Friend Code: 4296-3217-6922 | Nintendo Network ID: JTPrime

ZuneTattooGuy

Project Cafe - Wii U
April 2011
Nov 2012
1 yr 7 months

Project Revolution - Wii
May 2005
Nov 2006
1 yr 6 months

Project Dolphin - Gamecube
May 1999
Sept 2001
2 yrs 4 months

Project Reality - N64
August 1993
September 1996
3 yrs 1 month

Here is far back on the announcements of the new systems to when they were actually released. So even if we take the latest time frame, if they announce it at E3 2016 then that would mean it would be announced June 2016, and released 19 months later in Jan 2018, however I will give it Dec 2017 to be nice.

Gamertag: GoingTheDist

gcunit

skywake wrote:

It's the same discussion.

How so? If the NX is different to the Wii U and 3DS lines, how is it the same discussion?

You guys had me at blood and semen.

What better way to celebrate than firing something out of the pipe?

Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

My Nintendo: gcunit | Nintendo Network ID: gcunit

CaviarMeths

Quinnsdaddy11 wrote:

Here is far back on the announcements of the new systems to when they were actually released. So even if we take the latest time frame, if they announce it at E3 2016 then that would mean it would be announced June 2016, and released 19 months later in Jan 2018, however I will give it Dec 2017 to be nice.

You're being intellectually dishonest. It's already announced as NX.

Project Reality/Ultra 64 was officially named Nintendo 64 in 1995 and released in 1996.
Project Dolphin was officially named GameCube in 2000 and released in 2001.
Revolution was officially named Wii in 2005 and released in 2006.
Project Cafe was officially named Wii U in 2011 and released in 2012.

Also, the collaboration between Nintendo and Silicon Graphics for Project Reality began in 1993, but wasn't announced until 1994. Here's the announcement video.

So Anakin kneels before Monster Mash and pledges his loyalty to the graveyard smash.

ZuneTattooGuy

CaviarMeths wrote:

Quinnsdaddy11 wrote:

Here is far back on the announcements of the new systems to when they were actually released. So even if we take the latest time frame, if they announce it at E3 2016 then that would mean it would be announced June 2016, and released 19 months later in Jan 2018, however I will give it Dec 2017 to be nice.

You're being intellectually dishonest. It's already announced as NX.

Project Reality/Ultra 64 was officially named Nintendo 64 in 1995 and released in 1996.
Project Dolphin was officially named GameCube in 2000 and released in 2001.
Revolution was officially named Wii in 2005 and released in 2006.
Project Cafe was officially named Wii U in 2011 and released in 2012.

Also, the collaboration between Nintendo and Silicon Graphics for Project Reality began in 1993, but wasn't announced until 1994. Here's the announcement video.

NX is its codename so nothing has been announced as far as the final product name or even what it is. So to say the announcement could come as early as E3 2016 and then be release Holiday 2017 is not being dishonest that's speaking the truth.

Also if something is announced Jan 2016 and released Nov 2017 that is 1 yr and 10 months later or almost 2 yrs. So you are cutting off the months to state that Nintendo releases it new products only 1 yr later when given my chart of information is historically not true.

Gamertag: GoingTheDist

erv

skywake wrote:

erv wrote:

The hybrid is nothing but speculation, but it's not limited by technicalities in terms of execution. Only if you expect the client that hooks up to the tv to have no processing power, which is easily solved. Buying a wiiU to extend your 3ds, so to speak? That would work. @skywake would now have all the technical dilemmas solved.

Well that would fall under the "good portable but a very unimpressive home console" side of the equation. How well did the Playstation TV do again? Such a move wouldn't solve the "Project Cars" style of problem. Essentially what they'd be doing is abandoning the idea of a home console and instead start giving us portable consoles which happen to have a HDMI out.

Almost. A great portable, just the portable, would be a sub-par console but a great portable. Hook that up to a tv and, well, you're not exactly a match in terms of technical prowess.

Unless, of course, whatever is hooked up to the tv is something with lots of processing power. Then it becomes quality stuff again. How good would a 3ds game look on my hd tv now? Not good, of course. But if the 3ds talked to the wiiU, which would have that game installed with the hd assets and processing power, how good would that look? Far better of course.

I'm not saying it's the way to go, and still agree with you we're most likely talking about a portable future and not a newWiiU, but just because you can't see it work with the setup you had in mind doesn't mean you can't be surprised by a setup you didn't think of yet, like this one.

Of course, will it sell? Or will it become too expensive? That's all for nintendo to find their place. New wiiU would seem like either the worst idea, or the strangest market experiment for them.

Switch code: SW-0397-5211-6428
PlayStation: genetic-eternal

Nintendo Network ID: genet1c

Peach64

Nintendo has never had a console sell as badly as the Wii U, so for me all previous timelines go out the window. Do you think the guys in charge are saying "Oh, we can't release a new machine until 2018 to match our Gamecube timeline"?. I strongly suspect something is coming holiday 2016. Wii U is making them nothing and 3DS is nowhere near enough to make up for it.

I also think the OP's suggestion of a new model quite soon is feasible.

Peach64

WebHead

Peach64 wrote:

Nintendo has never had a console sell as badly as the Wii U, so for me all previous timelines go out the window. Do you think the guys in charge are saying "Oh, we can't release a new machine until 2018 to match our Gamecube timeline"?. I strongly suspect something is coming holiday 2016. Wii U is making them nothing and 3DS is nowhere near enough to make up for it.

I also think the OP's suggestion of a new model quite soon is feasible.

Certainly feasible but would it really be worth it to get a multiplat or 2 that won't sell?

WebHead

3DS Friend Code: 4296-3217-6922 | Nintendo Network ID: JTPrime

This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.