Topic: What hardware innovation do you want to see in Nintendo's next home console?

I want a "meh" button that lets me "meh" things whenever something makes me "meh".

...oh, I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about Life. (Nintendo's latest upcoming console)

I want visors!

I want them to make a console that pleases everyone, which really hasn't been done since the Super Nintendo/Famicom.

By the time the next console comes out though, I want a console that has equal features as its competitors.
Region Free
Non-tied to the console accounts (this should be implemented on the Wii U and 3DS as it stands) like XBL & PSN
System wide voice chat again should be on the wii u

Hardware that matchs or comes very, very close to the next set of Micro/Sony systems with the same architecture and RAM specifications.
Drop the Wii name

As for innovations, as long as it isn't something that causes marketing issues i.e the gamepad disclaimer: I love the controller but still you cannot deny that this with the name were hard to sell i don't care what they do, as long as the next console ends up pleasing the gamers and the developers. All and all I just want Nintendo to go all out next time, take risks, and do what Reggie said once "take names".

Think Nintendo's next console will come out too soon for this to become a reality, but for there to be no console. I'd like to see a streaming based system where Nintendo produce the games and controllers but it can be run from any smart device and the content is streamed to it. (puts on future predicting hat)

From a UK perspective. We're already there with bandwidth, fibre internet is able to stream 4K content easily, latency needs to drop a bit (in the UK's FTTC offering, getting a ping of around 10ms to gaming servers will likely be needed) IMO before it's fully feasible (probably will come when FTTP starts getting rolled out in the UK) and then we need good market penetration of good broadband connections. Of course this needs to happen across most of the developed world (although the UK is behind the curve compared to a lot of countries).

When we're there the idea of a console is gone (people just load up the games they want from their TV) and there are just software publishers who either produce client side software (run on the smart devices) or server side software (entirely streamed). There is never a need for new hardware generations then as upgrades can be done on the server side and the only hardware beyond the smart device is the controller. I think this'll be a reality in 10 years at most judging by how fast home broadband has come along in this time. So I think there'll maybe be one more proper console generation, then the idea of consoles will go the way of the dodo.

Nintendo then has complete control over their server side hardware and controllers and access to a much bigger market. Potentially could be a massive opportunity for them.

EDIT: I expect those who don't like digital purchases won't like this since it goes one step further and turns the whole console into a digital thing.

I think you, me, and Nintendo say the same thing on this subject. The Wii was ridiculous in ramming motion control down our throats in all of their games. They realized this and went back to a more traditional gaming mechanic with the Wii U. To be honest, I wouldn't have bought the Wii U if it adapted more gimmicky motion control games. The best example is the Metal Slug Anthology. You HAVE to shake the controller to throw the grenade. REALLY?

What I'd like to see the smae with the next gen Nintendo console would be amazingly simple, fun games. What I'd like to see different is a better incorporation of friends. Easier and faster menu switching. Multitasking applications that can be switched too instantly.

It's almost as if they need a mini OS running alongside the games instead of this "one at a time" system they have now. Imagine hitting the home button while in game, seeing an overlay with all of your friends, you can highlight them and invite them into the game. if they accept they join in on your level of Super Mario 3D World or whatever.

No innovations. Just don't make it underpowered for once. That way third-party developers might actually, you know, want to develop games for it.

That's a stupid thing to do lol!

Agreed! No more physical copies would somehow ruin the experience. I like to have some games on the shelves!

IMO they should add an ethernet port the next time. Would make things easier I guess... or at least usb lan adapter into the pack

i dunno. the gamecube was more powerful than the playstation 2, but...you know it ended. most 3rd party games were on xbox and ps2 but not on gc. i never understood why. glad i had a xbox back then TBH.

History repeats itself,... SEGA's Master System was more powerful than the NES but most 3rd party games were on Nintendo (They bought them), SEGA releases a more powerful system with a lot of awesome games from SEGA's own IPs and retrocompatible support with the previous generation but 1 year later Nintendo releases a slightly more powerful console and most of the third parties went back to Nintendo's side and everyone thought Mega Drive/Genesis sucked because it didn't have as many colors or wasn't capable of certain special effects even though it was perfectly capable of good adapatations when developers put the effort ...I only hope the next Nintendo console isn't a Dreamcast.

The only difference was that at the time, SEGA was hardcore on a "Kiddies" market and now Nintendo is trying to focus on "Kiddies" on a hardcore Market.

Yes, unfortunately there is a trend. It all started in the N64 days in my opinion. - Nintendo is basically doing what they think is best but then it turns out to be a false decision.

In the days of PSX vs. N64 they made the mistake of using cds as a medium. This made games a lot more expensive... besides the N64 came out long after the PSX. Many people either had a PSX or Saturn and probably saw no reason for another console. Besides PSX was offering not only way more games than N64 but also a lot of unique games that you didnt have an alternative for on N64. Besides it took a long time until the games started rolling for the N64. Finally people started burning PSX games - I think that was the most appealing aspect of the PSX in the end.

The Gamecube might have been more powerful than the PS2, but it also came out a lot later than the PS2. Sony already had a huge fanbase due the PSX and introduced the PS2 with a DVD player. DVD was relatively new back in the day. So it made sense for a lot of people. Again the installbase increased and many people saw no reason to either buy the xbox or the gamecube. - I still wonder why Nintendo sold Rare to Mircrosoft during those days. That was a bad decision IMHO. Compared directly to the xbox, the gamecube could play DVDs or even Cds. Third parties probably realized that it was becoming expensive port games to the gamecube when they didnt sell, or at least they sold way better on PS2 or maybe even xbox.

With the Wii Nintendo had alienanted itself from the core gamers. I understand that Wii games can be a lot of fun but IMHO the motion control games should have been an option and not the main dish (much like the MS kinect or sony move). The Raw power was small and HD gaming was completely left aside. Hardcore or core gamers chose the x360 or the ps3 during those days with wii's being bought mostly by casual gamers. In effect this decision paid off. Nintendo made a lot of money during those days, but those days had ended and Nintendo brought out the Wii U to finally catch up with HD gaming and bring back some traditional control schemes only the forgot about the raw power of their console and that they had lost a lot of fans during the years. Besides they didnt come up with a tremendous launch line up, in fact they only had a couple of games that simply werent convincing. Marketing was also slow or even non-existent, they probably thought that all those who had bought a wii will update to the wii u almost automatically. The gamepad as an innovation wasnt really that attractive and its usefulness is still up to debate two years into the game.

Thats just my opinion why third party developers arent too keen on making Wii U games.

I think Nintendo's next platform is going to be the Fusion

Close, but you make it seem like core gamers dictate the market, and they don't. Core gamers are a small fraction. Most sales come from different kinds of casual players. Some play CoD and AC. Some play Mario and Pokemon, and some play Wii Sports and Wii Party.

Also, consider how many games there are on PS3 that should have move support but don't. Or how many games supported Wii Motion Plus. If motion controls were "just a side dish", it would be the same was as Move or Wii Motion +. You would see games like Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, No More Heroes, Pandora's Tower, etc. omit motion controls in favor of traditional schemes.

I want to see Amiibo used to replace traditional optical media for physical purchases. All the benefits of physical with no need for a disc drive. Plus, Amiibo are awesome in and of themselves.

Drop the stubberness and make it powerful enough for other developers to develop for it. Make it future proof so a little more grunt than the PS4. Keep the nintendo inovation as far as controls go, and they will sell like hot cakes!
Oh drop the WII name and simply call it... Nintendo.

Is that why there are so many indie games out there...power? Games are games, and it isn't why the WiiU is in the position it is in. I really get tired of saying it over, and over.

But, the real innovation will be with cross-buy, and a unified architecture between the handheld, and the console. They already said it's coming, so people really need to stop wondering what the next console is going to be like. The handheld will handle WiiU level graphics, and the home console will be akin to the PS4. That way both games will look similar enough to not have people turn their nose up at either version.

It's coming, and it won't be BC, and it won't be called Wii something. I do agree with you that using the Nintendo name in the next console/handheld would be a good idea.

There is a lot of false information there.

i really wanna see a console named "Nintendo Core". a black or white box with a big red point in the middle.

Eh that statement about indie games is a fallacy. You can't point at indie games and say that because they exist and are successful we shouldn't seek adequate power in a console. It's weird that people make similar power arguments every generation. They did it with the Wii, but if we still had 480p graphics would the majority consumer base be happy? Of course not.

We're supposed to move forward and progress, we shouldn't just stop and say well it's good enough, if we took that advice every time someone likes you brings up that age old argument, we would have stopped progressing ages ago. Seriously, I remember people making this argument back when the gamecube was in it's launch state, it's a bad argument then and it's a bad argument now.

Also, to address that indie games statement again, you failed to mention that because they do not have marketing, or a big name company to back them up and are generally low budget, they need unique and innovative gameplay to stand out against the endless sea of other amature developers trying to get noticed with no marketing budget. A big name developer generally doesn't want to try anything risky, because often they drop millions into development and they'd be entering
uncharted waters. An indie developer is a one man or small group who often has to be new and unique to even get noticed.

While graphics obviously don't make a game, we can;t continue to say it's good enough and tell people who think it should have been better to basically shut up.

Kill the gamepad and make a single platform, so you buy a game and you can play it at home on your TV and on the go in a portable. Of course the handheld version should run with simpler graphics (lower resolution to begin with), I don't know if it's doable but maybe yes if both consoles shared the same architecture?

I love the gamepad, really, I love it, but we don't need it if the handheld (New/3DS or whatever comes next) can be used as the gamepad. Imagine how less would the console cost without it, bundled with a Pro Controller instead. In fact, for about the price of a gamepad (if I'm not wrong) you could actually get a handheld console that can have the same uses at home (controller, second screen, asymmetrical gameplay, off-TV play/stream...) and then lets you keep playing the same games anywhere.