News - Nintendo not ready to shelve Wii just yet

[HEXUS]

Still going strong, insists Nintendo.

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[Brewster0101]

I said last week the Wii's days are numbered. If Nintendo had any sense they would have a new wii ready for launch at Christmas. One that is compatible with the current wii but has alot more horse power under the hood. The DS has now had two upgrades since its launch, time the wii was replaced by the wiii.

I think for christmas the motion devices for the 360 and ps3 will be expensive but after the christmas period has gone , Microsoft and Sony will drop prices heavily to soak up all of the market Nintendo will loose. I think Sony maybe more aggressive than Microsoft as they haven't sold that many units of the PS3 compared to 360's and wii's - this will be their chance to catch up with sales.

[Saracen]

I said last week the Wii's days are numbered. If Nintendo had any sense they would have a new wii ready for launch at Christmas. One that is compatible with the current wii but has alot more horse power under the hood. The DS has now had two upgrades since its launch, time the wii was replaced by the wiii.
...

Perhaps, but as for more horsepower, there's still that old adage .... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Wii isn't aimed at the same buyers, or market, as Xbox or PS3, and doesn't aim to run the same style of games. If it's not seeking to run the power-hungry type of graphics of the others, it may well not need the same raw grunt.

Someone said in another thread recently something to the effect that many modern games are all about stunning graphics at the cost of actual playability, and that great graphics doesn't equate to great games. I agree. The Wii is aimed at a different type of gaming and the Hexus article said it ... the casual gamer. I'm not convinced that Wii-type games need a huge power boost.

[watercooled]

Someone said in another thread recently something to the effect that many modern games are all about stunning graphics at the cost of actual playability, and that great graphics doesn't equate to great games. I agree.

That might have been me. I think the new input devices for the 360 and the PS3 (Kinekt and the PS3's Wii controller rip-off, respectively) will steal some of the market share from the Wii, especially considering how cheap the 360 is now. People might have been buying the Wii for its lower price and different control method but that will no longer be the case - the 360 is now cheaper (albeit without Kinect) and the other 2 consoles will soon offer that sort of control.

[cheesemp]

That might have been me. I think the new input devices for the 360 and the PS3 (Kinekt and the PS3's Wii controller rip-off, respectively) will steal some of the market share from the Wii, especially considering how cheap the 360 is now. People might have been buying the Wii for its lower price and different control method but that will no longer be the case - the 360 is now cheaper (albeit without Kinect) and the other 2 consoles will soon offer that sort of control.

But isn't that the point the 360 needs a hundred pound plus add on to get motion control on top of a £100-200 console. Nintendo only need to drop the wii to £100 and it looks a bargain. Everyone was was writing nintendo out of the console wars until the wii came out and they've made lots more money per unit than Microsoft/Sony because the wii is so cheap to produce. I wouldn't count them out yet either.

[Percy1983]

The biggest problem a "Wii 2" would face is the Wii.

EG my parents bought one, my other halfs parents bought one... after the novelty worn off did they play it? will the buy another? the answer is no.

[shadowmaster]

Actually in the current climate, Nintendo should just cut the price by £50 or so on the Wii, just before Christmas. I agree its a bit of a novelty, I have one and tbh I dont play it much but the kids enjoy it and its good fun occasionally.

[abaxas]

Since the Wii has sold almost as much as the 360 + PS3 combined, I'd hardly call it a dead console.

The only issue nintendo has is the ease of piracy. Apart from that, it's still the best of the current consoles for people who are not natural gamers.

Wor lass loves it!

[TooNice]

I said last week the Wii's days are numbered.

Going by currently week-by-week sales figure, I wouldn't say so. Sure it has much diminished, and no longer higher than the Xbox360 and the PS3 combined, but the only time it is ever overtaken is during the odd significant title launch on the Xbox360/PS3. Otherwise, it's still ahead than either.

I think Sony maybe more aggressive than Microsoft as they haven't sold that many units of the PS3 compared to 360's and wii's - this will be their chance to catch up with sales.

I think that it's only in the US where the PS3 is lagging behind the X360. The PS3 is ahead in Japan (no surprise) and Europe (surprised?).

[kalniel]

Someone said in another thread recently something to the effect that many modern games are all about stunning graphics at the cost of actual playability, and that great graphics doesn't equate to great games. I agree. The Wii is aimed at a different type of gaming and the Hexus article said it ... the casual gamer. I'm not convinced that Wii-type games need a huge power boost.

True, but they will probably want to ride on the HD bubble - add in some more of the iplayer like features and they've got the simple unobtrusive box that they'll argue should be next to every HD TV out there.

The general public do seem quite willing to buy something all over again just for the next model in so many cases.

[snootyjim]

If they could find a decent reason to put an extra-large DS on sale, then I can't see why they wouldn't introduce a Wii HD.

I suspect they will do, in time. Thing is, they've got no interest in announcing it any sooner than they have to since sales of current Wii hardware will plummet.

[Funkstar]

My £0.02: Nintendo will wait until the 3D standards are settled out and release a Wii 2 that is fully HD and 3D capable. They can control the hardware fo the DS, but not the TV a Wii is plugged into. I suspect Nintendo would like the non-glasses 3D tech to take off before committing to the technology.

[ipwiz]

Needs to be a Wii HD - graphics on ours are pretty poor