Topic: Square Enix's CEO Expects New Wii by 2011

[Crimm]

Despite the overall weak economy, video game sales have done comparatively well.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=20009

 In an interview with the Financial Times, Square Enix Chief Executive Yoichi Wada spoke on the future of the video game industry.  Wada began by discussing the major role Sony and Microsoft's upcoming motion control solutions are taking at the annual Tokyo Game Show this week.  Complementing Microsoft's upcoming Project Natal, Wada noted that while it is a good product and could become standard as a user interface, it is unlikely to move the industry much.  Â“Present gaming machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-Ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine.  Compared to these three pillars, [the new] motion controls are quite limited.”    

Wada also said he believes Nintendo will release their next console by 2011, and that he expects it to have functionality closer to that of the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360.  He noted that it is possible that this new system may even come with a new input device.    

Speaking on the state of the industry, Wada stated that despite the global recession and softer industry sales, year-on-year sales are only down 16 per cent as of this August.  He points to the slowdown in sales for Nintendo games this year as the biggest contributor to the weaker sales numbers, noting that Nintendo has not released many major titles in the first half of 2009.    

By comparison, Square Enix has already had a strong year.  Dragon Quest IX for Nintendo DS has sold four-million copies in Japan, and Batman: Arkham Asylum (co-published by Square Enix subsidiary Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive) has also experienced strong sales.  Wada expects another strong showing when Final Fantasy XIII releases in Japan later this year.

[KDR_11k]

Yeah, in 2011 Nintendo will finally see the folly of their profitable ways and copy notes from those who fail to make money...

[Deguello]

What puzzles me is why third parties care about the future of a platform that they never make their best games for. 

What's in it for Nintendo to upgrade?  Will there be an FFXIII Special Edition waiting for them?  Will there new games that use the Wiimote to it's fullest potential?  Will being the market leader actually mean something this generation after it meant something every generation preceding?

And what happened to the market segregation?  I though it was 360/PS3 over here and Wii over there with all those unwashed casual gamers.  Why does Nintendo matter to those pre-invested and integrated into high-priced, DLC, full-priced demo machinations that came with the "shift" to HD?

[NWR_Lindy]

I can't wait for the Wii port of Dissidia Final Fantasy.

[Sundoulos]

What puzzles me is why third parties care about the future of a platform that they never make their best games for. 

...or at least their most expensive games.  Nothing they've published on PS3/Xbox 360 has wowed me recently.  I didn't really enjoy Final Fantasy XII on PS2; from what I've seen of XIII, I don't think I'd really be into that one either.  The Shiva bike kind of killed it for me.

I've enjoyed their DS offerings a lot more, but I'm kind of an old-school rpg guy, anyway.  Still looking forward to seeing what DQ X will look like on the Wii, though.  It would be nice to hear something soon.

I could see hearing rumblings about a system upgrade of some sort in 2011, but any new console is a little further out, I think.  It doesn't seem like any company is too eager to get a new system out the door.  The HD twins are still trying to make their current hardware profitable. 

[Deguello]

Thing is, they (third parties in general) are going to have to offer more than platitudes and spinoffs to get Nintendo to bend.  If they offer real, tangible, high-caliber, A-Team, First string, support locked in for launch or launch Window... I could See Nintendo curbing their Wii-run short for their concerns about graphics and such.

But as long as it remains an "unfunded" or "unsupported" mandate, then Nintendo would be in their right to tell them to "piss off," or rather just politely ignore them.  Maybe if they spent the last few years trying to make good games instead of dumping garbage on the system and laughing at its users, they'd have more clout.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well since Wii came out in 2006 and Nintendo systems usually come out in 5 or 6 year cycles that can make sense in terms of how Nintendo traditionally rolled out consoles. I think Wii will have a slightly longer life cycle than that even if Nintendo launches a brand new console in 2011 or 2012.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I know that SE is banking on FFCC:TCB to do good because they are already looking towards doing another sequel. It's even been rumored that FFCC has taken on more priority than FFXIII and if it sells, the sequel could be a launch window game.

Also a lot of 3rd party support is coming. Wii is just about to end it's 3rd year on the market and 2010 is looking strong as far 3d party support. It takes time to make good games and most 3rd parties were caught off guard with the Wii success and some even tied to write it off as a fad (missing the boat). But alot of them are coming around and 2010 will finally see the 3rd party support that the Wii should have had 2 years ago. It's better late than never, but its coming.

[NWR_pap64]

I can't wait for the Wii port of Dissidia Final Fantasy.

And the port of Crisis Core, and the port of Soul Calibur PSP, and Tekken 6 PSP... :p

[BlackNMild2k1]

Well since Wii came out in 2006 and Nintendo systems usually come out in 5 or 6 year cycles that can make sense in terms of how Nintendo traditionally rolled out consoles. I think Wii will have a slightly longer life cycle than that even if Nintendo launches a brand new console in 2011 or 2012.

You also know that it's guaranteed that the WiiHD/Wii2/SuperWii will be 120% backwards compatible with the current Wii. So I wouldn't be surprised to see the regular Wii still on the charts (@ $99) years after the new Wii is on market like the PS2 is to the PS3.

[Deguello]

Also a lot of 3rd party support is coming. Wii is just about to end it's 3rd year on the market and 2010 is looking strong as far 3d party support. It takes time to make good games and most 3rd parties were caught off guard with the Wii success and some even tied to write it off as a fad (missing the boat). But alot of them are coming around and 2010 will finally see the 3rd party support that the Wii should have had 2 years ago. It's better late than never, but its coming.

They better be prepared to have to work to get good sales.  Would you buy another hamburger from a guy who handed you a dead rat in a hotdog bun last time, no matter how good it looked or how he says he's learned his lesson and that this time, he'll really, truly, cross-my-heart won't sell you another bad meal again?

I know that SE is banking on FFCC:TCB to do good because they are already looking towards doing another sequel. It's even been rumored that FFCC has taken on more priority than FFXIII and if it sells, the sequel could be a launch window game.

I could tell the game is important to them.  That's why he mentioned it by name in the article.  And why they've chosen the best possible release dates in both regions for the game.

[KDR_11k]

Well since Wii came out in 2006 and Nintendo systems usually come out in 5 or 6 year cycles that can make sense in terms of how Nintendo traditionally rolled out consoles. I think Wii will have a slightly longer life cycle than that even if Nintendo launches a brand new console in 2011 or 2012.

Famicom to Super Famicom was longer than that AFAIK and Nintendo only made the SFC reluctantly, wouldn't surprise me if they tried to go FC with the Wii and keep it around for as long as possible (especially since developers haven't even come close to utilizing the motion controls to their limit).

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo has been spending bucket-loads of cash on R&D for something, so I would assume that they would want to get it to market in working order as soon as possible after the competition reveals their plans for next-gen.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Nintendo has been spending bucket-loads of cash on R&D for something,"

Constructing a bigger money vault to swim in.

[broodwars]

This isn't any big surprise.  Many analysts I've seen (including Michael Pacter) are pointing to an HD Wii coming at the end of 2010/early 2011, so this would be just around the expected time.  It also isn't a big surprise hearing this from Square-Enix, who (given their love for tech) love having the latest toys to work with.  The Wii HD is the system the 3rd parties actually want to work on, so it's not surprising to see them try to goad Nintendo into announcing it.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo will not make their next move until they have to, which will either be once the Sony/MS announce their next-gen platforms with release dates or sales slow to a crawl.

The possibility of a stop-gap WiiHD to push the sales of the existing Wii well into the life of the Wii2/SuperWii just seems rather unlikely, but possible. If it were to happen though, I wouldn't expect it no later than Xmas 2010.

[Caterkiller]

So whats going to be the new thing? Motion will be in no doubt, but another camera like device from natal? But it'l be old news by then. What could nintendo possibly do to inovate this time around since everyone else is getting into motion now?

[BlackNMild2k1]

So whats going to be the new thing? Motion will be in no doubt, but another camera like device from natal? But it'l be old news by then. What could nintendo possibly do to inovate this time around since everyone else is getting into motion now?

I'm glad you asked that question.....
Official Wii Rumor Thread

[Deguello]

Many analysts I've seen (including Michael Pacter) are pointing to an HD Wii coming at the end of 2010/early 2011, so this would be just around the expected time.

Michael Pachter is an idiot.  He's basically gotten everything wrong THIS generation, why should anybody trust him for the next?  So he's predicting a new Nintendo system with a Graphics card that will be able to output 1080p or so?  DURRRR  I can get one of those for $60.  Of course Nintendo will have one in 201X.  What a prediction. 

[BlackNMild2k1]

Many analysts I've seen (including Michael Pacter) are pointing to an HD Wii coming at the end of 2010/early 2011, so this would be just around the expected time.

Michael Pachter is an idiot.  He's basically gotten everything wrong THIS generation, why should anybody trust him for the next?  So he's predicting a new Nintendo system with a Graphics card that will be able to output 1080p or so?  DURRRR  I can get one of those for $60.  Of course Nintendo will have one in 201X.  What a prediction. 

I think Pachters been predicting and revising his prediction for a WiiHD from late 2009 to early 2010 to late 2010 to sometime in 2011. I can throw darts a board of things that will eventually happen too.

[TJ Spyke]

The guys at the CAGcast brought up a good point when they talked about this, they joked that Pachter keeps saying a Wii HD is coming with the hopes that Nintendo will do it and prove him right.

At least Square Enix has been giving good support to Wii. If this was THQ (who AFAIK have not done anything significant for the Wii), I would be wondering why they care.

[Plugabugz]

Many analysts I've seen (including Michael Pacter) are pointing to an HD Wii coming at the end of 2010/early 2011, so this would be just around the expected time.

Michael Pachter is an idiot.  He's basically gotten everything wrong THIS generation, why should anybody trust him for the next?  So he's predicting a new Nintendo system with a Graphics card that will be able to output 1080p or so?  DURRRR  I can get one of those for $60.  Of course Nintendo will have one in 201X.  What a prediction. 

I think Pachters been predicting and revising his prediction for a WiiHD since 2009 to early 2010 to late 2010 to sometime in 2011. I can throw darts a board of things that will eventually happen too.

I predict in the next 24 hours you will either eat, drink, blink, inhale, or communicate verbally. I might be off for a few of them but i should be right?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

THQ sent Deadly Creatures out to die (new IP, insignificant advertising, not even to kids and creepy-crawly lovers).

[TJ Spyke]

That was a shame too because Deadly Creatures looked good and was getting decent reviews. It's not good enough to make a good game if you are not gonna bother supporting it at all or try to really advertise it.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Many analysts I've seen (including Michael Pacter) are pointing to an HD Wii coming at the end of 2010/early 2011, so this would be just around the expected time.

Michael Pachter is an idiot.  He's basically gotten everything wrong THIS generation, why should anybody trust him for the next?  So he's predicting a new Nintendo system with a Graphics card that will be able to output 1080p or so?  DURRRR  I can get one of those for $60.  Of course Nintendo will have one in 201X.  What a prediction. 

I think Pachters been predicting and revising his prediction for a WiiHD since 2009 to early 2010 to late 2010 to sometime in 2011. I can throw darts a board of things that will eventually happen too.

I predict in the next 24 hours you will either eat, drink, blink, inhale, or communicate verbally. I might be off for a few of them but i should be right?

I predict I might download pr0grams later today.  I'm under pressure from the 3rd parties and the market to do so.  It's also assured that I might download HD pr0grams this holiday season, to ensure I maintain my momentum.