Will Nintendo's Next Console Be Competitive?

power has nothing to do with the fact that if Nintendo wants to move out Wii U losses quickly they will have to release two consoles in the same gen. By that point One and S4 will be way ahead.

Having 3 of the same console is pointless

Will Nintendo's Next Console Be Competitive?

"Will Nintendo's next console be crap like the wii u and wii or will it actually be a big step above the ps4 and x1?"

LOL@TC calling the wii uncompetitive. Did you already forget how it destroyed the PS3 and 360? If the wii wasn't competitive then wtf is? Lawl

Honestly unless the leadership changes I don't have much hope for Nintendo's next console. Nintendo currently is more a controller company than a console company. Nintendo also needs 3rd party support nobody can support a console by themselves. The online also is way behind Nintendo seems to have little interest in the future of gaming.

Nintendo's next console will most likely be 1080p with a new controller and no features with crappy online. Most likely no 3rd party support either and crappy storage.

Can't see it being competitive because the same problems are still there. They've lost hard core fans, and they are going to have to outdo Sony and Microsoft to get them back. Outdo them from way back in the field. And get all the third party on board from the offset and prove to them that they will sell games. And sort out the online. And come up with some new franchises which click with people.

Basically, it's not just a mountain to climb, it's a mountain to climb without a rope and a broken leg and your competitor is in a cable car already on the way to the summit.

I don't think Nintendo needs to "directly" compete with Sony or MS. I know I personally wouldn't enjoy having three consoles that are exactly alike.

But they still need to better implement their ideas. They need a proper online infrastructure given that it is the year 2014, and as far as hardware goes they could have better designed the Wii U gamepad, and perhaps gone with x86 architecture in the Wii to make developers more willing to work with it (obviously they went the PowerPC route for backwards compatibility).

There is a potential the Wii U will never meet because Nintendo botched it up so much.

I can't see them even attempting to be competitive unless they release a console every 4-5 years like they used to. These planned 10 years console cycles that really last 7-8 years are kinda shitty, but I can understand the point.

So my answer is no unless they really ride out this gen and release a "back to basics" console with Sony and MS. Doubtful that they will though and will enjoy a Dreamcast-like lead in tech for a couple years with their new console. By then the PS4 and X1 will be established though.................

Then of course to sell a new console it would have to cost $200-$250 and will have specs only marginally better than a PS4.

Nintendo is so unpredictable its hard to say. But I sure hope they are. If their next console struggles as much as the Wii U currently is, it could be disasterous.

Nintendo's not going to release a super powerful console.The next nintendo console will have way better online features compared to former nintendo consoles if we look at what Iwata said recently and whatever else they have planned to test on the wiiu and 3ds will be used in the next console.

It's tough because of how young this current generations of consoles is. If I were making decisions at Nintendo right now, I'd be nervous, because I wouldn't know how to re-capture the love of console gamers in any meaningful way.

So no one wants a WiiU, it is not attractive to many people, does that mean that there is only enough room for two consoles on the market? Nintendo sees what you are saying and have been directing their console to another market separate from those of Microsoft and Sony, but now that market doesn't exist. Either they compete and try and gain some marketshare in the same space as Microsoft and Sony, or they die in a market that doesn't exist.

It could go two ways-

1) Nintendo repeats the failures of the WiiU by launching a new system in 2017 that is only on par with or simply has double the RAM of PSX41DVR9000

2) Nintendo releases a new console in 2017 and actually realizes they can build it with parts that are 4 years more advanced than those in the PSX41DVR9000

I hope that Nintendo does build a console that exploits the advantage they will have; with the competition committed to their current hardware through 2020, and don't just use the tech gap to release a cheapo version current hardware. Nintendo has to show that their next system is actually new hardware that can do things that the PS4/X1 cannot (in 2016/2017). Consumers need to be able to take one look at the games and say to themselves, "This is next gen." The WiiU's lack of graphical power is causing as much confusion with consumers as the name of the console. The advancement is not visible.

Pretty much what you said^^^. Gamers have two powerful options and if Nintendo wants a piece of the pie they better step their game up in the console market. We have been telling Nintendo for years what we want but they have been doing their own thing.

It will be another console that relies too heavily on some sort of gimmick that nobody asked for, or wanted. There will be massive game droughts and they will tell you how so sorry they are about the lack of games and poor third party support. It will also be criminally underpowered. You will get even more Mario games shoved down your throat, because Nintendo doesn't care about new IP. Also, the online infrastructure will still be behind the times. Nintendo's next-gen console will probably be another failure.

Well, being different with the Wii U isn't really helping Nintendo now is it? Just because something is unique doesn't make it useful.

Develolpers dont believe in Nintendo no matter what console they get out, unless it is handheld:P

Why are people so determined to have all of the consoles the same?!

I do not think Nintendo has to take a hardcore hardware approach to be successful. Yes they need to be able to provide some similar functions as competitors, but jumping into the carbon copy game that Sony and Microsoft do with each other would not be productive for them.

Nintendo screwed up with the name of the Wii U to begin with. Hell Wii 2 would have been a better, yet unimaginative name.

Nintendo is notorious for not being a dev friendly platform. They need to fix this.

The Wii U has wifi, use it! How many games actually have any form of multiplayer. It would be hard to roll out a dedicated online service at this point, but start heading in that direction, They seem to be set to live in the past in a lot of ways.

Advertise better. Utilize the systems strengths and develop games that use them.

Pointing to next gen when this one has just began makes no sense, they need to make this one at least somewhat successful.

@crashnburn281:

Exactly what market should Nintendo focus on? There isn't 50+ million die hard Nintendo fans out there anymore. The casuals have long since moved on to mobile devices.

So, Nintendo should only focus on the 15-20 million loyal Nintendo fans? You really think that's a wise business move? They can appease all those loyal Nintendo fans while also capturing the interest of core gamers. Why are they so reluctant to try and go after both markets? All they seem to care about is the Japanese market when they should equally be caring about the western markets as well. Nintendo needs to pop that bubble they live in and go after that core crowd whilst not alienating their loyal fanbase.

Games sell platforms. You can have the most advanced hardware on the planet and if it runs nothing, you have nothing.

Nintendo has no third party, and a big part of that has to do with the attitude towards outside development on their platform. The Wii U has been thrown a couple of bones, and has pretty much had to lean on its first party for games.

Nintendo games are fantastic, but when you look at which platform to get, games are going to matter. Nintendo can not pump out enough games by themselves to sell the system.

There is a margin of modernization that needs to completed by them; however striving to be a carbon copy is dumb.

The Wii U is out, they need to focus on making it successful. Dropping it now would pretty much secure future platform failure. No one would trust them after a move like that.

As far as the future. Nintendos hurdles are not only a hardware problem. The core crowd looks for compelling games to play. A third party is a must. If Nintendo had enough must have games, the Wii U and whatever their next console is would sell itself.

I don't trust Nintendo at all when it comes to consoles. They seem to be okay with being many steps behind when it comes to power and online gaming/features. So sick of hearing how they didn't include online gaming because of "insert lame excuse here". There is no reason why they can't offer local and online co-op gaming. Or how they don't "get" basic features like unified accounts and a universal voice chat system. If they really can't figure out something that has been around for years then go hire people that do smh.

As for 3rd party support..........the only way I see them ever getting strong support again is if they were the only company making game consoles.

Nintendo are screwed. Their arrogance will not allow them to become a major player this gen. They need to drop the gimmicks and concentrate on getting core features to at least on par, if not ahead of the other two consoles. So far this gen is all about horsepower, something the WiiU and Xbone both lack.

As long as Iwata and his cronies are managing Nintendo, they will tuck tail and run whenever they discover that they may have to actually work hard and fight for their position and success. Nintendo will remain a passive, unagressive, wimpy company as long as they remain.

And for all those saying, "having three exact same consoles would be boring", let me ask: would Nintendo exclusives not differentiate their console enough? I just love this "I hope Nintendo continues to wallow in mediocrity, as it makes them so different!" excuse.

Right. Exclusives make each console different and I have no idea why this even needs to be stated it's so obvious.

I don't think so, they were trying that direction with the Wii U. If it was more popular it would have many more core games on it I think.

The 3DS is competitive against the PS4 and Xbox One right now. If Nintendo's console has the same library, you bet it'll be competitive.

The types of games on there you can't find on PS4 or Xbox One.

Some of you don't get it. Hardware is not what makes a console unique. What makes a console unique are it's exclusives of which Nintendo has plenty. Hardware is what makes a console competitive. Hardware is what makes a console able to play multiplats. Exclusives are great and can be system sellers but EVERYONE plays multiplats. If you have a console that only offers exclusives then you are starting behind the 8ball right out the gate. This is why hard-core gamers who don't have a hard on for Nintendo exclusives have for the most part rejected the wii u. Why buy a new wii to play exclusives that you can play on your old wii and not be able to play multiplats? Core gamers like exclusives but they want to play big budget multiplats too. So naturally they will choose a ps4 or xbone over the wii u.

For their next console Nintendo has to release capable hardware or they will be completely left behind. Hardcore Nintendo fans can only sustain them for so long. They have to start appealing to the average core gamer and that means multiplats which means strong hardware. Or else they have to hope and pray to catch lighting in a bottle with another novelty item like they did with the wii. But as they are finding with the wii u, it's hard to get lighting to strike twice and that just can't be a sustainable business model.

No. They will just incur a massive R&D expense trying to find some untapped market away from the competition. Then they pray for success.

I think the better question is if nintendo will even have a next console? They may have to go all in on their handhelds.

Probably not so much a way more capable system than X1/PS4 but one that can still play everything to a decent level without so much sacrifice and hard work. That is probably one of the biggest problems that they have so far.

*sigh*

THANK YOU!

Someone with some common sense, finally.

Even if Nintendo releases another console, this still wouldn't fix the problem of them NOT having games worth playing. They need more of a gamecube approach than their new age kiddy garbage. Like seriously, why isn't nintendo creating another Kirby game or something different? Why Mario all the time?

Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft will continue to spank Nintendo because of their shitty games and overrated exclusives.

Against Sony and MS? Nope.

I think Nintendo will ONLY be that Niche Nintendo 1st party games only console. It's happening right now.