There's been a lot of talk lately about what Nintendo has done wrong so I've been thinking lately of how to improve things for Nintendo's next home console.
I'm hoping this can start a nice discussion. A few things before we get started:
1. Please keep negativity to a minimum. If you hated motion controls, we've probably all heard it before. This is not the thread for that. Just accept that every future hardware from Nintendo is going to have it for legacy support.
2. Explain why you think something should be and why you think it would work.
3. Don't be a dick.
There will be a lot of blocks of text so I separated them into sections and put the main idea in bold.
Pick A Boring Name
Ideally, Nintendo would be wise to pick a name that doesn't start a discussion. It doesn't need a convoluted philosophy behind it. And don't confuse people. The name should exist just so people have something to call it. Honestly, I would just call it "Nintendo." If it really needs an identifier, put a 7 at the end of it. Nintendo 7. Or M for Machine. Nintendo M. Something simple.
The Operating System Shouldn't Be Slow Ever
Especially on day one.
Deep And Immediate Integration With 3DS' Successor
This should be done day one. We're already kind of seeing this with Nintendo combining their console and handheld teams and Miiverse being brought over to 3DS. They need to "talk" to each other. I would even go as far as having "4DS" function as a controller. That means it requires near parity with the new console's controller. Also, it means Nintendo must...
Unify The Virtual Console Between Handheld And Console
This is on everyone's wish list and it never should have been a issue to begin with. Since it is, here's how I propose handling it:
1. All Virtual Console games are tied to your Nintendo Network ID which are then transferable from Wii U and 3DS to their successors and their successors' successors. For free. And forever.
2. If a customer bought multiple versions of the game, they get 1/2 credit returned to their Nintendo Network eshop account on what they paid for the lowest priced version. For example, say someone bought Super Mario Bros. for $5 on Wii U and $3 on sale on 3DS. They would get $1.50 in credit.
I know some people will say that full credit for each additional version should be given, but I counter that with the fact that no one forced them to purchase more than one copy so getting something back is pretty fair.
Transition To x86-64
Nintendo is currently the only console maker that isn't on this instruction set. That is pretty much the best reason to drop PowerPC. Also, it means Nintendo can use off-the-shelf parts though I could see Nintendo having Intel or AMD customize the CPU for their purposes. There are many implications of this transition. For example...
Drop Hardware Backwards Compatibility
This means no previous discs or peripherals (namely the GamePad and Wii Remotes) will work on the new console at all. Put down the torches and pitchforks. It's for the greater good. Nintendo would need to include the Wii U chipset in the new console which ultimately would drive up the price. Nintendo will want to keep costs low for everything that's not directly affecting new software. I'm getting to that. Software emulation is key.
Start Writing Emulation Software Today
There should be full support on day one for every single legacy Nintendo platform. No exceptions. The emulation software should be universal instead of per game. Honestly, it would be ideal for Nintendo to have universal emulation software for other platforms ready as well, but Nintendo definitely needs to get their **** together on their own legacy platforms.
Digital Downloads Of Wii U Games Can Be Downloaded On The New Console For Free
It's only fair.
People Who Bought A Physical Copy Of A Wii U Game And Registered The Game On Club Nintendo Get A Discount On The Digital Version
Why only a discount? Because they can resell the physical copy and no one is forcing them to sell their Wii U. I feel like this would be a nice gesture. It's a privilege, not a right. Sony and Microsoft didn't and couldn't do this. And if they bought the discounted digital download, it would be tied to their Nintendo Network ID forever.
Of course, this would lock out most third party games, but you know, what third party games? There would be a silver lining I'll get to later.
Drop Discs Entirely, Use Cards Instead
This way no one is trying to ram a Wii U disc into the console since it won't have a disc drive. If Nintendo isn't ever going to support Blu Ray/DVD playback, they aren't taking advantage of the main benefit of a disc based system. Discs are cheaper, but we are moving into a digital future whether or not people, such as myself who prefer having physical copies, want this to happen so physical media is, unfortunately, becoming less important. Moving forward, I think cards are a better choice and prices for higher capacities are dropping even if they'll never match discs. There are additional benefits to adopting cards: faster loading, no moving parts (the fan notwithstanding), and studier media (plus whatever else I'm forgetting). If people want a physical copy, it's available, but the digital version should always be available the same day as well.
My understanding (and I admit, I could be wrong) is that PS4 requires users to install the entire game onto the hard drive which makes the game faster than reading it off the disc, but you still need the disc even though it's running off the hard drive. It's more like a digital download that allows easy lending which I guess is nice (even though they also need to install). It just seems like the Blu Ray Drive is mainly there for movies. I think it would be better for Nintendo to nix it.
Include A User Replaceable 4TB Hard Drive
Overkill? Maybe. We're entering a digital future. The price of such a hard drive should not be that expensive by the time a successor launches. Don't leave this up to consumers.
GamePad Pro
The new console needs to be able to support four of these simultaneously and at 60 frames per second. That means it's essentially functioning as splitscreen multiplayer in our hands. The console also needs to be able to run video streaming software like Netflix and any game simultaneously which shouldn't be a problem because Netflix isn't that taxing.
Naturally, improving battery life and shaving off as much weight as possible are givens.
And it should work as a universal remote. That's for you, BlackNMild.
Make All Controllers And Peripherals As Cheap As Possible
This is especially integral if no Wii or Wii U peripherals are compatible. This also means there would be no issue with consumer confusion. People would know what to buy and no one would ever think the new peripherals were for Wii U.
More importantly, Sony (and Microsoft) gained market share from Nintendo by changing the rules. Nintendo should consider doing the same. It's tempting to turn a major profit on controllers because people need those to play the games. Instead, take a smaller profit. Nintendo makes most of their profits as a publisher. Any way they can get more consoles into people's homes ultimately means more games can be sold. Nintendo likely priced the Pro Controller for parity with Sony and Microsoft's controllers even though it actually includes and does less. I think they can improve consumer perception by keeping costs low. It helps them stand out. What's more important is how the actual console is perceived which brings us to...
Ian's Favorite Topic: Specs
In a previous post, I mentioned that Nintendo traditionally chooses hardware they sell in the $200 to $250 range. If you do the math, that's pretty much where Wii U is when you take the GamePad and selling at a loss into account.
Let's say Nintendo launches a successor in 2017, five years after Wii U. While I'm not sure how true this is, I've read that PS4's specs are the equivalent of a mid-tier 2012/2013 PC. It's not cutting edge technology for its time like PS3 was. The bill of materials is estimated at $380 so they're losing money but a far more modest amount. That said, I'd like to see Nintendo's next console in the range of a mid-tier PC in 2017. That would be noticably more powerful than PS4/One. I'm not a spec whore and I'm content with how games look today. I thoroughly enjoy my Wii U so this isn't a commentary on its specs. However, I am going to suggest something in the next section that makes better specs more of a priority.
Before that, here's how I'm going to justify a $400 Nintendo console in 2017 with a greater loss per unit than Nintendo has ever taken: I'll be 30 next year. So? This means I've been a Nintendo fan and have been playing Nintendo games for most of my life. While my parents, who didn't really have videogames growing up, would have laughed at the idea of spending $400 on a videogame console, I might not. It may take some time to save that money, but for Mario and Zelda, I'd probably find a way. I feel like Nintendo hasn't completely considered the fact that people who were raised on Nintendo games most likely still play Nintendo games as adults. They can buy their own consoles and games now. And when they have kids, even if their kids want Halo, the kids always have exposure to Nintendo games. Nintendo fans have shown themselves to be a pretty devoted bunch and what people are willing to spend on videogames has increased over the years. I like saving money, but I also like Nintendo games. The latter usually wins eventually. Nintendo likes keeping prices down, but they can probably get away with a more expensive machine based almost entirely on the fact that they're Nintendo. The key is that people have to think the hardware is worth the money. Many people didn't buy into the idea that 3DS was worth $250. If Nintendo ever launched a $400 console, it has to be worth $400.
I would never advocate Nintendo take the several hundred dollars worth of losses on hardware that Sony and Microsoft did last generation. I'm a little apprehensive about suggesting they take a larger one than they did on Wii U, but since they've taken a loss before, maybe this is not such a bad idea. Hiroshi Yamauchi once said that people "do not play with the game machine itself. They play with the software, and they are forced to purchase a game machine in order to use the software. Therefore, the price of the machine should be as cheap as possible." The hardware should be affordable for what it is and the types of games people are trying to play. As previously stated, Nintendo makes most of their profits as a publisher. When a consumer buys Nintendo hardware, 100% of the time they're buying it for Nintendo software (and maybe something like Monster Hunter). Nintendo will make that money back and will do so sooner if they sell more consoles. Of course, they're going to have to find a way to make the console more attractive to a greater number of consumers. They need better public perception which comes from having a wider selection of games. How do they get that?
Run Steam
Hear me out. And I understand that this is easier said than done. I don't know how they would implement it though I would think it would involve SteamOS somehow. It would require Nintendo to do a lot of things they either have been too stubborn to do or haven't figured out how to do effectively.
There has been talk of some kind of Steam support in the past, rumors before launch and that Toki Tori 2+ thing. The way I imagine it is that consumers link their Steam account to their Nintendo Network ID and access a joint Nintendo-Valve developed eshop. The only way this works is if it's under one umbrella. It can't be like Wii U's Wii Mode where you have to access it separately. This brings with it a few implications:
1. Nintendo's OS always runs in the background. The console automatically and seamlessly recognizes a Steam game.
2. Steam games on the eshop are labelled "Brought to you by Steam." Nintendo games are labelled "Only for Nintendo."
3. "Steam on Nintendo" functionally performs as Steam on anything else. All sales and bundles are available. Steam users can download any game already on their account as well as new games on their Nintendo console. Any controller compatible with Steam can be used with Steam games (compatibility with Nintendo's controller is, of course, imperative). Steam users who buy a Steam game on their Nintendo console can also download the same game on any other device they own that can play Steam games.
4. Steam games can be played using off-screen play.
5. Not sure if third parties would support this, but it would be awesome if a third party digital download (including Virtual Console) was purchased on Wii U and it's also available on Steam, linking a Steam account will allow that game to be downloaded on any other device they own that can play Steam games.
There would be one notable and obvious caveat: Nintendo's own games are not sold through Steam. They will always only be available and playable on Nintendo hardware which is what Nintendo wants. The reason why they have their own hardware is so they can control their software. There would be two stores for digital downloads masquerading as one store.
Essentially, Nintendo would be building a lower tier Steam Machine that also plays Nintendo games. That's why they should transition to x86-64 and include more powerful hardware. Better specs alone is not going to bring third parties back to Nintendo consoles. That could involve months of negotiations and possibly payouts and incentives. I think Nintendo can just skip that process by having a machine that can run past and current Steam games. More importantly, it would be beneficial if it was powerful enough to run future games decently. Eventually a few years down the road, games won't run as well on it, but isn't this still better than what Nintendo has now? They would have a wealth of content right from the beginning. Not every third party game on PS4/One comes to Steam, but this improves Nintendo's selection of games exponentially and perhaps more third party PS4/One games would come to Steam sooner rather than later.
This also brings Nintendo up to speed with the rest of the industry with what Steam provides as long as voice chat and stuff like that is also integrated into their own games.
Third Parties
Let's get this out of the way: Nintendo MUST reach out to third parties and keep them informed. That has to change.
If Nintendo adds some weird new thing, let them know as early as possible. That way they can do something about it. I'm curious what it could be since Nintendo's additions such as touch, motion, second screen, and 3D are all based on ideas they wanted to implement earlier but couldn't due to technology not being where they needed it to be. Maybe 3rd parties wouldn't use it, but they should know it's there.
The most obvious question is: Why would third parties ever pay Nintendo licensing fees or for physical media when they could just release a game on Steam? The short answer is: the vast majority of the time, they wouldn't. Nintendo would be taking the stance of "Make games for us if you want and we'll support you in any way we can. If not, also fine." Technically, third parties wouldn't really have to deal with Nintendo directly; they would be under Valve's terms and conditions. Perhaps some third parties would like to take advantage of Nintendo's own exclusive features like Miiverse or GamePad support. Or they could be trying to reach the strictly physical media people, but realistically, that would be Ubisoft and Activision if they would even do it at all. Otherwise, through Steam, a metric ****-ton of third parties' games would be available on a Nintendo console without them technically paying Nintendo a dime. Maybe Nintendo could get a cut through a deal with Valve.
The second most obvious question is: Why would Nintendo ever do this? Besides "they probably wouldn't," they stand to benefit greatly through Steam implementation. The more consoles they sell, the more software they sell, the more money they make. Third parties could pay Nintendo to advertise their games available through Steam on Miiverse. This enables a lot of possibilities. Nintendo still gets to keep complete control of every aspect of their hardware and the distribution of their own titles by relenting control on what third parties do. The hardware just needs to be capable of running Steam. Nintendo would get third party support without really having to deal with them. They lose out on licensing fees, but how is that really different from today when support is so anemic? Sure, sometimes PC games are released late. So what? Most of the time, Nintendo isn't even getting those games. Ultimately, I think Nintendo can live with all of that. What Nintendo would really be doing is continue to exist in their bubble while letting everyone else do whatever they hell they want but doing so on the same console.
Origin
No.
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Do I think Nintendo would ever do all of this? Absolutely not. They're too worried about total control and policing how people use their products (e.g. Swapnote). Still, I find it fun to think about.
Topic: Something Something Wii U Successor Somethng (Read 53245 times)
