What do you think the next Nintendo console will be like?

What I imagine the next Nintendo console will be like:

Heavily inspired by PS4, but with their own unique ideas
Less casual focused, with a mix between family and hardcore games
Will offer unprecedented console/handheld functionality, but not to the point where they are dependent
More new IPs from Nintendo mixed with some classic ones
A much bigger effort on third party
Free online
Compact as usual
A cool controller that isn't gimmicky

What are you envisioning, SW?

I think you're pretty much on the right track with your ideas, with the one caveat that I would add is, the Wii U, at least its lineup, is already pretty heavily core focused, and I don't think Nintendo will ever be more core focused than they are with Wii U's lineup.

If you meant the console design/mentality/UI itself, then yeah, I agree with you, but as for lineup? I think it'll be like Wii U, mix of old and new franchises, first and third party collaborations, and hopefully, some actual third party support this time.

What next Nintendo console?

The one they have confirmed on three separate occasions that they are working on.

Probably be kind of rectangular and play mario games

I am hoping that they go 3rd party. I would LOVE to get my Nintendo games off of Steam!!! I love Nintendo and I love steam. Nintendo + Steam sounds like pure secks to me!

Nintendo will be the last console manufacturer to go third party.

@SolidGame_basic: PS4/Xbone graphics (slight boost I'm sure) with some sort of new gimmick (Nintendo VR?) we can't conceive because we aren't Nintendo. It will launch first.

Graphics won't be the emphasis and it will be fine with plenty of PS4/Xbone ports, although people will rave about the PS5 and Xbox Two upcoming graphics. Those machines will release a year later.

I'll buy one at launch. It will be for Nintendo exclusives. Same as the N64, Gamecube, Wii, and Wii U. If 3rd party support becomes major, I may buy some of those, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Watch them make it a sphere just to spite you.

Nintendo already offers the Pro Controller, which is supported in about 90% of the Wii U's games.And I'm not sure about you, but the tablet controller is just a regular gamepad with a touchscreen in the middle. It's ergonomics are entirely the same.

Yeah I know they will not go 3rd party, that does not keep me from wishful thinking. Nintendo makes the very best games in the world aside from building games (in my opinion), I want everyone to be able to play them on any system. If I had my way my hungry man dinner would be able to play Nintendo games!

Sorry, not everyone hangs on every bit of news out of Nintendo as if it were the word of God as you seem to do. I missed those confirmations.

Yeah, it's cool, it's why I answered your question.

If they've learned anything it will be powerful and will run games that third party devs are producing at that time. But Nintendo are just arrogant and believe all the world wants is their own games. None of their execs has said anything at all to indicate that will change. Their next console may be their last if they don't put decent hardware in it.

Nintendo is on the right track. Their online stuff is better, and there is little connectivity problems. The eshop is excellent and all that is missing is a centralized account system that is on par with XBL. Otherwise their online game has been spot on. I'm hoping they wait until the rumored specs announced for the ps5/X2. Then Nintendo can outmuscle them both and we won't hear any more people crying about Nintendo being underpowered.

@charizard1605 said:

Love this! was hoping gen 8 would have more interesting design...but not to be, all the rectangular box..well there's some design to PS4. :P

Nintendo's next system:

region free

games locked to account not hardware..so I don't have to call Nintendo if the system shit itself..I can just goto a store get a replacement or buy a new & log into my account & tada get my games.

no weird controller - standard controller works! don't try to fix/change what's not broken..and if you do, don't make it awkward.

Don't just go for the minimum specs that "only their devs" can make game with..look at bigger picture. :P

@charizard1605: Well you sort of half answered it...do you have information on the confirmations you're talking about? Links or something?

Vita TV done right: Next gen Nintendo will merge their handheld and home console into either one portable box with an HDMI port or two pieces of hardware, a handheld and a TV box, that play the exact same library. Making different games for two entirely different pieces of hardware does not make business sense for them anymore.

There were three instances- one was back at their investor meeting in January or March (I forget which one) where they talked about the next Nintendo system, and introduced the Fusion concept for the first time (i.e. shared architecture between their handheld and console);

The next time was a few months ago, when Nintendo put out a job listing for an SoC engineer in Redmond to develop a next generation system;

The final time was yesterday, when Miyamoto confirmed that Nintendo is working on new hardware, and that a new Mario game (along the lines of 64 or Galaxy) will launch with it.

I'd give you links, but I am sick with the flu, bedridden, and honestly don't have the energy to make the effort right now. If you want, I'll update this post with links tomorrow, in the meanwhile, hopefully I've been specific enough that you can hunt the links down yourself if you want them now.

Another bad joke.

Nintendo with investor intergrated handheld & console

Nintendo looking for lead SoC engineer

Miyamoto confirms work underway for new console

Think these are it..hope this helps @mikhail

They will not pursue better tech or enter the arms race, as with their business model/philosophy and the position they've put themselves into over the years with respect to third parties they cannot afford it. It will be more powerful than the U for sure, but if anyone's hoping for it to approach the other two they're setting themselves up for a fall. As Iwata has noted, the architecture will be similar between it and the handheld for easier ports, and more than likely remain BC. Third party I fear will be minimized even further due to the power (and whatever unique spin they wish to do, which this is Nintendo....it will happen). Online will more than likely remain free as they will continue to give gamers no impetus to pay for it. Digital accounts may finally reach the 21st century if they are to be believed, but this is a big if.

In all, I don't see it being all that different from the U frankly. Nintendo has taken steps to streamline and make more efficient its software development pipeline and to expand. Why? They don't want to have to cater to third parties wishes for what they want for their games in terms of hardware/online/DLC, etc. As I'm seeing things now, Nintendo's not doing things to help them, but is taking steps to create and nurture and fully self-sustaining, all Nintendo capable ecosystem when needs be.

And considering how well they are managing to support their systems pretty much all on their own this gen, if these changes they're working on bear fruit, we're going to see them become "solely Nintendo" company that only (or at least predominantly) offers their products. This I suspect is what we're going to see with their next machine.

hope they go back to a more conventional controller.. the gamecube controller was perfect

@charizard1605 said:

@lostrib said:

@charizard1605 said:

@lostrib said:

Probably be kind of rectangular and play mario games

Watch them make it a sphere just to spite you.

that looks like a great name for a console.

Nintendo will never go third party. I believe they've even said they'll take all their IPs down with them if it comes to that.

Yea but its battery life unfortunately blows.

Are you talking about the tablet controller or the Pro controller? Because one has shit life, the other has amazing life.

Nintendo not putting out a gimmicky controller?

LOL

What fucking gumdrop land are you living in?

@bunchanumbers:

and it will end p like the N64 or Gamecube ... a way more powerfull consol that still isn't as popular as Sony brand. Having 3rd party support didn't help the Gamecube.

What I think will happen is they'll do another consol with unique feature that will appeal only to Nintendo fan and at the same time Sony and Microsoft will battle each other to have the best version of 3rd party shallow games that will be graphicly better on PC. Then PS5 and X2 will be quite a running gag of useless since they are the same.

Saddly probably that Nintendo will stop making games and system since they are sinking money in it and they aren't in the same mentality, they also started to put money in other stuff than gaming. Sony tested the water for 100% digital and indie. Next step is pretty much the iPad and mobile stuff.

Tablet. I like it, but the battery life suffers.

Hopefully not one gen behind the competition.

Terribly. I got barely two hours out of a full charge yesterday playing Smash.

I'm just glad it comes with a wall outlet charging cable so I don't have to put it back into the cradle and wait to play (that and I have a Pro controller, so when it goes down for a game that I don't need it for, it's an easy switch).

From my experience with it playing NSMBU and Smash 4 (one at my cousins house, the other at Best Buy), I'd say it is.

Two hours? Wow I've heard it's bad, but not that bad. Maybe Smash is extra harsh on it. It usually lasts at least 4 for me though that's always with Pikmin 3. I'd be looking for a replacement battery if I were you.....2 hours is ridiculous.

Expensive.

It might not have been fully charged, but who knows (or I was playing longer than I thought). Either way, I can just plug it in if I want to play for longer than it lasts.

You have hit the nail on the head, this is what I predict Nintendo will do. Only bad thing is they will be essentially getting rid of an entire product line, no separate console and handheld market.

See, here's the thing with this thinking.

I do think Nintendo has learned. The thing is, I DON'T think they are going to use those lessons and take the course of action everyone believes. Many seem to think that after the U Nintendo will somehow capitulate to third party demands and mold their business around their wants (much greater hardware strength, a more similar online to PS/MS, a more contemporary interface, etc). But it's important to remember that Nintendo does their own thing. They always have, and this is an immense point of pride to them as a business.

I'd wager that what we're NOT going to see is Nintendo compromise what it values in order to appease third parties or anyone else, but more so a strengthening to their core ability to stand upon their own two feet independent of any outside influence and interference. Hell, they're already pretty much already doing this, it just took some time to get rolling. It affords them the ability to continue to do what they want, **** everyone else, while at the same time having third parties and anyone else still at their mercy with the ability to to them to take a hike or welcome them with open arms.

Really, Nintendo is its own company and people should realize how important this is to them. They are not going to run their business and make it in anyway dependent on outside factors, that predominantly being third party support.

A good console that actually has games unlike the indiestation 4.

You're probably right and I have no issue with this. One's gaming needs can easily be fulfilled with a Nintendo console for Nintendo games and a Sony/Microsoft console for everything else.

@MirkoS77: Thanks for your posts, they were very well written, and provided a lot of insight.

Correct me if I am wrong here, but you are foreseeing Nintendo basically going the 1990s Apple route from here on forth- technically still a part of the larger industry, but basically existing to provide their own hardware and software ecosystem bubble within it that separates independently and separately from everything else- do I have it right? Essentially Nintendo becomes the 1990s era Mac of the gaming world.

3rd party support is the only thing that matters at this point.

If it's not stellar there's no need for a new console ever again and they can keep making games for WiiU for another 6 years atleast.

If it is there, then I'd say keep the free online and advertise that as an advantage over the others.

Pretty sure others have said this but I like the idea of a 'Fusion' console.

Take what made the WiiU and 3DS awesome and combine them in a way: you have the home console that comes with regular controller. Then a Fusion DS that can function as its own portable, or like a Gamepad for the system. And when you buy a game for one, youre buying it for both. That way you can go from playing the game on the system to playing the game on the go seamlessly

This is pretty much a realistic approach of what Nintendo will do. However, it is rather disconcerting to hear and unfortunate when it comes to their relationship with 3rd party support.

I imagine it will be a shitty console that I'll be forced to buy because there will be great exclusives.

Then again, Nintendo has been feeling the fire with the WiiU, maybe they'll put out something awesome.

Jeez Nintendo...their next project is not even a gaming device, Sleep tracker lol

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/29/7130229/nintendo-qol-sleep-tracking-device