Topic: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

[ShyGuy]

Do we have a predictions thread?

Wii Successor will be mentioned at E3 but not shown
DS Successor will be shown

Zelda will be seen
Retro won't show anything

[BlackNMild2k1]

I consider this our rumor and speculation thread for everything Nintendo (and in special cases other systems too)

So predictions/speculations/guesses or whatever fit in here too, no need for a separate thread.


My predictions:

DS2 revealed, to be release end of year in at least Japan.
dozens of games from Nintendo and 3rd parties revealed for the DS2 launch window.

Wii Relax & Vitality sensor official reveal.

Zelda Wii reveal, internet shuts down momentarily. Google hits the reset button.
Retro reveals what ever it was working on since MP3T. HYPE is too much to contain in the building.
The Last Story & Xeno Gears both shown and look great.
A few surprises from 3rd Parties, but it's all drowned out by Zelda+Retro 1, 2 combo.

Behind closed doors rumors about Wii2, rumored release date of end of 2012.
-----------------------------

Natal underwhelms(mostly the same games shown at the last major event & wiisports/fit/play clones), but Sony shows some very interesting game concepts that might be more the technical feats than actually fun to play.

Nintendo fans mad at amount of 3rd party core game support for Move right out of the gate with no planned Move-->Wii ports for anything of note.

3D gaming looks really cool, but proves to be too expensive for 98% of consumers to care about just yet.

PSP2 is announced, PSP Phone version also announced to combat iPhone and Android.

Some BIG name HD games get announced, most look like very pretty versions of games you already played this generation, others make Nintendo fans wish we had a WiiHD sooner than 2012

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't see the DS2 being unveiled at E3. I think it'll be out in Japan by the end of the year, with a March/April release in the West, but I think Nintendo's going to wait and unveil it at an event of their own in Japan. The mainstream media covers E3, and I think Nintendo is going to want to minimize the amount of people in the West who know about the DS 2 for a while so as not to sabotage the original DS's sales, which are still fairly strong here.

[Stogi]

Zelda and Retro?

It's possible. I'm suspecting Zelda for a December release (if it is not delayed). Assuming Retro's game is almost finished, it could have October all by itself.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Retro has been working on it with SK.

[ThePerm]

SK better come back to daddy, Xbox fans don't treat SK right

[Adrock]

My only prediction is that The Last Story is going to make Square Enix with Sakaguchi was still making Final Fantasy games.

Zelda being at E3 isn't a prediction since Nintendo already said it'll be there.

[Chozo Ghost]

Will the Wii successor support HD?  If we're just talking about the TV standard, of COURSE it will unless Nintendo are the most backwards idiots in the world.  Surely Reggie could state that if the TV standard is the concern that, yes, Nintendo would support it next time.  But he still doesn't.

Jesus christ, man. Nintendo is backwards idiots? Do you really thnk that just because they left out HD? I think the proof is in the fact they are the market leading console this generation. If they left HD out the next time around it probably wouldn't hurt them at all. From a profit sense this is a very wise move. Yet you say they're backwards idiots? Really? Come on! BTW, I think Iwata said (or at least hinted) that the Wii's successor will have HD, but I honestly don't give a **** either way. The vast majority of consumers don't care, or even notice.


The ONLY people who give a **** about HD are the people who spent $600 to get a PS3 at launch. I'm so damn sick of hearing about HD this and HD that. Who gives a ****? really??

[broodwars]

Will the Wii successor support HD?  If we're just talking about the TV standard, of COURSE it will unless Nintendo are the most backwards idiots in the world.  Surely Reggie could state that if the TV standard is the concern that, yes, Nintendo would support it next time.  But he still doesn't.

Jesus christ, man. Nintendo is backwards idiots? Do you really thnk that just because they left out HD? I think the proof is in the fact they are the market leading console this generation. If they left HD out the next time around it probably wouldn't hurt them at all. From a profit sense this is a very wise move. Yet you say they're backwards idiots? Really? Come on! BTW, I think Iwata said (or at least hinted) that the Wii's successor will have HD, but I honestly don't give a **** either way. The vast majority of consumers don't care, or even notice.


The ONLY people who give a **** about HD are the people who spent $600 to get a PS3 at launch. I'm so damn sick of hearing about HD this and HD that. Who gives a ****? really??

By the time the next generation of consoles launch, the HD TV adoption rate will be significantly higher and as a result the percentage of consumers who "care about it" will naturally rise as well.  Nintendo would be foolish to ignore this.  They'd be foolish as well to ignore having a capable and comprehensive online service next time around as well as the entire world shifts further into broadband, for that matter.

And, incidentally, I didn't get my PS3 at launch but nearly a year ago (and I only paid about $350 if I remember correctly).  I had an HD TV, so I did indeed care about my consoles supporting HD output.  It enables my games to look their best on my best TV.  I've had to have my Wii on the larger, but technology ****tier, TV just to make my Wii games not look like slightly better-looking PS2 games (which is what they look like on my HD TV).  I really wish Nintendo had at least supported HD output, just so the really good-looking games look their best on my good TV.

[Chozo Ghost]

Well, I don't know about you but I'd rather have $49 games in SD than have to pay $60 for HD games like you have to do with the other systems. I have an HD tv already, but I just don't really notice much difference. I don't understand the hype. If you ask most consumers if they notice a difference they might a little bit, but they would rather not pay extra for it. Its just too small of a graphical advance to justify the extra cost. The ones hyping HD are the movie studios and companies like Sony that just want consumers to buy their products. They're stirring up hype to make money, but most people aren't interested. Look at the lower than expected adoption rate of Blu-ray as an example.

Sure, HD TVs are being adopted more and more, but that's just because only HD tvs are being produced anymore. If someone needs to get a new tv they'll end up buying an HD one, because that's all that's made anymore. He/she might not notice or care about the difference in picture quality. They might have rather spend a few hundred dollars less to get an SD tv, if one had been available.

Now look, the best selling games on the Wii (or this generation, for that matter) are games like Wii Sports with crappy Mii graphics that could probably have been done on an N64. Games like that are king, and they are apparently so cheap to produce that Nintendo bundles them like candy with hardware, but its a strategy that works. You don't see HD games being tossed around freely like cracker jack toys.  There's a reason for that: HD games cost a ton more to create. The profit margins are slimmer, even though the games cost more MSRP.

[broodwars]

Well, I don't know about you but I'd rather have $49 games in SD than have to pay $60 for HD games like you have to do with the other systems. I have an HD tv already, but I just don't really notice much difference. I don't understand the hype. If you ask most consumers if they notice a difference they might a little bit, but they would rather not pay extra for it. Its just too small of a graphical advance to justify the extra cost. The ones hyping HD are the movie studios and companies like Sony that just want consumers to buy their products. They're stirring up hype to make money, but most people aren't interested. Look at the lower than expected adoption rate of Blu-ray as an example.

Sure, HD TVs are being adopted more and more, but that's just because only HD tvs are being produced anymore. If someone needs to get a new tv they'll end up buying an HD one, because that's all that's made anymore. He/she might not notice or care about the difference in picture quality. They might have rather spend a few hundred dollars less to get an SD tv, if one had been available.

Now look, the best selling games on the Wii (or this generation, for that matter) are games like Wii Sports with crappy Mii graphics that could probably have been done on an N64. Games like that are king, and they are apparently so cheap to produce that Nintendo bundles them like candy with hardware, but its a strategy that works. You don't see HD games being tossed around freely like cracker jack toys.  There's a reason for that: HD games cost a ton more to create. The profit margins are slimmer, even though the games cost more MSRP.

Well, I don't know about you, but if I feel I'm getting my money's worth I'd rather get the nice-looking $60 HD game rather than the typical slapped-together, disposable, and forgettable $49 Wii game.  If more Wii games were made that justified my time spent, I'd agree with you from an economic point of view, though.  At the moment, though, I'm sitting in the midst of one of the best gaming periods I've had in years with Bioshock 2; Heavy Rain; Final Fantasy XIII; Star Ocean 4; and Resonance of Fate.  From my perspective, each of those looks to have been $60 well-spent.

Where I think we reach a critical disagreement, though, is where we feel Nintendo can go next generation.  I don't think they can tap into that same audience that's buying all these Wiis, Nintendo having done such a good job convincing them that all they need is Wii Sports and Wii Fit in their life and nothing else.  Depending on how long Nintendo chooses to drag out the Wii's lifespan, the next console might have to be directed at more "gamer"-type folk like us, who care much more about tech and online.  Of course, if a radical new technology presents itself, history could repeat itself but I'm skeptical.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'd like to see numbers on what percentage of 360/PS3 owners have the console hooked up to an HD TV, and what percentage of those people are actually using HDMI cables. The fact that there are over 10 million 360s not connected to the Internet at all leads me to believe that it's far from ubiquitous.

[Chozo Ghost]

A lot of people don't use online with the 360 because you have to pay for it, or at least that's what they say/believe about it. The 360 has bar none the best online of any system this gen, but you have to pay for it so its something not everyone will take advantage of.

[BlackNMild2k1]

A lot of people don't use online with the 360 because you have to pay for it, or at least that's what they say/believe about it. The 360 has bar none the best online of any system this gen, but you have to pay for it so its something not everyone will take advantage of.

not to mention that not everyone can drag an internet cable to their Xbox360 just to get it online and refuse to pay $100 for a wifi adapter that should cost no more than $15-$20.

[Chozo Ghost]

I honestly don't know why anyone would want to own a 360. Aside from the RROD nightmare, nearly every game available for it is also available on the PC. Why not just play the games on a PC? No RROD, and no paying for online play (usually).

[Stratos]

Zelda and Retro?

It's possible. I'm suspecting Zelda for a December release (if it is not delayed). Assuming Retro's game is almost finished, it could have October all by itself.

What if Retro has been helping make Zelda. How's that for a trippy thought?

[SixthAngel]

I'd like to see numbers on what percentage of 360/PS3 owners have the console hooked up to an HD TV, and what percentage of those people are actually using HDMI cables. The fact that there are over 10 million 360s not connected to the Internet at all leads me to believe that it's far from ubiquitous.

It is a small number.  I can't find the number now but it is small.  Think about it just...

First you subtract everyone who doesn't have an HD tv (a lot of people)
Then you subtract everyone who doesn't have it hooked up to their HDtv (bye bye living room, hello game/ruckus room)
Then you subtract people who don't know what an HDMI cable is, don't know that any new cables are even needed or don't know how to hook it up(a lot)
Then you subtract the people who just don't feel like buying it because they don't care/don't want to spend the money
Now you have your HD gamers.

[Shorty McNostril]

I honestly don't know why anyone would want to own a 360. Aside from the RROD nightmare, nearly every game available for it is also available on the PC. Why not just play the games on a PC? No RROD, and no paying for online play (usually).

Because not everyone has an up to date PC.  Myself included.  Many people just run laptops now.

[broodwars]

I honestly don't know why anyone would want to own a 360. Aside from the RROD nightmare, nearly every game available for it is also available on the PC. Why not just play the games on a PC? No RROD, and no paying for online play (usually).

Because not everyone has an up to date PC.  Myself included.  Many people just run laptops now.

There's also the increasing problem of invasive DRM in PC games, and other such "perks".  For instance, the upcoming Command & Conquer game requires you to always be connected online to progress through the singleplayer game (as well as the multiplayer), as I believe do Ubisoft PC titles now.  I also find that as PC gaming slowly dies a rather pathetic death that I prefer my console experiences...on consoles!  Of course, this is counterbalanced by my complete unwillingness to buy a 360 due to the RROD, so it's just PS3 and Wii for me.

[Chozo Ghost]

I honestly don't know why anyone would want to own a 360. Aside from the RROD nightmare, nearly every game available for it is also available on the PC. Why not just play the games on a PC? No RROD, and no paying for online play (usually).

Because not everyone has an up to date PC.  Myself included.  Many people just run laptops now.

But you could buy an up to date PC for the prices many people are paying to buy and then rebuy 360s over and over again. I've heard stories of people now on their 5th, 6th, or 7th 360 now. Its insane.

Of course, MS's warranty will cover you for awhile, but that doesn't last forever and then it gets costly. Plus PCs can do a lot more stuff, so I'd say they're the better way to go.

[Chozo Ghost]

I honestly don't know why anyone would want to own a 360. Aside from the RROD nightmare, nearly every game available for it is also available on the PC. Why not just play the games on a PC? No RROD, and no paying for online play (usually).

Because not everyone has an up to date PC.  Myself included.  Many people just run laptops now.

There's also the increasing problem of invasive DRM in PC games, and other such "perks".  For instance, the upcoming Command & Conquer game requires you to always be connected online to progress through the singleplayer game (as well as the multiplayer), as I believe do Ubisoft PC titles now.  I also find that as PC gaming slowly dies a rather pathetic death that I prefer my console experiences...on consoles!  Of course, this is counterbalanced by my complete unwillingness to buy a 360 due to the RROD, so it's just PS3 and Wii for me.

Its annoying, but it also makes sense considering how much easier it is for people to pirate PC games than console games. Anyone can pirate a PC game with no hardware modifying whatsoever, so its just too easy to do that and that's why measures like that are necessary. Is it really that hard to be online these days?

[broodwars]

Is it really that hard to be online these days?

Yes, considering how unstable internet connections can be.  I've lost track of the number of times I've been playing a PS3 game and my internet connection just craps out and I have to get up and reset the router.

[Dasmos]

lol PC's are gay. Who the hell wants to sit in a computer chair while playing games? I want to sit in my awesome couch in front of my awesome 52" TV.

[Chozo Ghost]

lol PC's are gay. Who the hell wants to sit in a computer chair while playing games? I want to sit in my awesome couch in front of my awesome 52" TV.

Nowadays its fairly easy to hook a computer up to a TV and just play games or do whatever that way. All you need is a TV with a VGA input, and most new ones have that these days...

There are probably also computers that can output their display to HDMI too, so that's also an option.

[Caterkiller]

I just can't see the DS2 coming out this year with Pokemon Generation 5 coming to the DS around the same time. Just makes no sense.