Post by: Robageejammin on September 28, 2006, 06:42:04 AM
The first thing that comes to mind for the successor to Wii would just be an even more immersive experience. Possibly more compact methods of control like ankle straps, wrist bands, head band and the like, all with motion tech installed. Maybe even, dare I say it, a VR helmet? Then again, these can pretty easily become new accessories for the Wii. Overall, I really think Nintendo can bring us closer to the brink of virtual reality better than anyone else can.
Anyway, share your ideas here. Cause whatever we can come up with, is probably something Nintendo is thinking about right now.
Post by: JonLeung on September 28, 2006, 06:49:55 AM
If the Wii is successful, Sony and Microsoft and anyone else who might dare to enter the console market will have to come up with new things since they see an increase in power isn't the only answer. I personally hope Nintendo remains the leader of innovation, but no doubt everyone will try to do new and different things.
That said, controllers like the WiiPointer may not become standard - because everyone will be trying to find the next new weird disruptive thing. Motion sensing probably will still be involved for a while, though.
Post by: jasonditz on September 28, 2006, 07:02:51 AM
Post by: ginx619 on September 28, 2006, 07:17:50 AM
Now Nintendo hasn't made that huge leap this time with the Wii but I expect them to catch up with their next console.The only real improvements I can see taking place in the next generation to really differentiate these consoles from this generation will be imrpoved physics and AI.
For the Wii specifically I expect even better accuracy and perhaps some expansions to the Wiimote,HDTV support, and an improved online service.
Post by: Smoke39 on September 28, 2006, 07:28:24 AM
Post by: MaryJane on September 28, 2006, 07:40:19 AM
Post by: couchmonkey on September 28, 2006, 07:57:20 AM
If Wii is not successful, then expect Nintendo to release another system just like it, only totally different. Something that is unexpected. If Wii is successful, then a plain upgrade is possible, but don't expect more than one generation of plain upgrades.
Sony and Microsoft are already reaching the limit of what graphics can do, Nintendo has successfully found a solution to the problem they would have faced in five years anyway - once graphics are almost photorealistic, will people pay $500 to make them slightly more almost photorealistic? Sony and Microsoft will have to either try to emulate Nintendo, or try to come up with something brand-new,.
Post by: Ian Sane on September 28, 2006, 07:58:03 AM
But the Wii is almost literally a Gamecube. They didn't even bother to upgrade the sound options for it. Nintendo can't just start working on the new hardware because they're not considering the safe option anymore. Hardware upgrades aren't the priority. But the Wii is too weird to just continue in a similar direction. Nintendo has to wait and see how the Wii is accepted. It wouldn't do them any good for example to start thinking of how to improve the remote is the remote totally bombed, would it? They have to see how the Wii does so they can decide to expand on the Wii concept, go back to the old way of doing things, or try something else that's completely different from both.
What I'm wondering though is what happened to the original Revolution concept. When they started working on the Cube successor I really doubt they were thinking about what the Wii became. I'd assume there's some sort of original design sitting that more resembles the X360 or PS3 in that it's just more power.
Post by: Nick DiMola on September 28, 2006, 08:06:47 AM
Post by: willie1234 on September 28, 2006, 08:36:09 AM
Post by: Ceric on September 28, 2006, 08:39:00 AM
I'm going to throw this out now. The next Console I think they'll keep backwards compatibility by an accessory. In fact I take back what I said and I think they'll get it down to one DVD case thickness. Why do I believe this. In the Iwata Developer interviews the mentioned that if it wasn't for the Optical Drive they probably could have done it. With the projected price, speed benefit, and available size of Flash based Media I could see them going back to this. Recently, I think it was Samsung, made a 64 Gig piece of flash memory. The alternative would be HD-DVD and Blu-Ray at the moment. The Flash base would give them Cart functional, like saves on the game itself, extremely fast read times, and a Size benefit. A whole came could be stored on a disc smaller then a DS Cart. Though I don't think they'll go smaller then a DS Cart because it wouldn't be ergonomically sound for consumers, like I think MicroSD is to easy to lose. I believe this would be a good move for them. Sort of full circle. Then you just add the Wii Drive or the Wii itself as an accessory and you have your back compatibility with the Wii, GCN, and everything else is VC. In fact you might just ditch that in favor of putting it all on the VC.
I've got to get back to work but I do have more ideas.
Post by: BigJim on September 28, 2006, 08:40:59 AM
There will almost definitely be motion/position sensing involved from here on out, so Nintendo will continue to develop their pointing technology to eliminate the sensor bar, be more accurate, etc. Not sure what form factor the controller itself will take, but the motion aspect is a given.
HDTV standards and costs will be ironed out.
The Channels will continue to develop, and they and the VC will transition over. The HD will make for a much better browser, too.
And, um.... hmm, Wii backward compatible. And uh.... Hmm.
Well there are a number of easy things they can add to the channels, so they're not necessarily next-gen. Such as the traffic reports, podcasts, streaming radio, movie tickets, etc.
Post by: Ian Sane on September 28, 2006, 08:50:23 AM
So they cut down the console lifecycle from 5 years to 2 or 3? Well I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo did that considering how they shortened the GBC and GBA lifecyles. I would be pretty irritated if they did that though. I really hope they don't. With graphic leaps getting smaller console lifecycles should be getting longer not shorter.
Post by: Nick DiMola on September 28, 2006, 09:08:43 AM
Well its not that I think that Nintendo in general would cut down the life cycle of gaming systems, but in this particular case they chose to innovate in a different way and I think sooner than later Nintendo fans are going to want some nicer graphics to accompany their new HD sets, which are standard by what 2010?(3 years and a few months) I can see them at that point switching over to the high def graphics and offering an upgrade to the Wii so they can keep their customers from investing in a 360 or a PS3 and getting the graphical prowess they desire with Nintendo. In 3 years I don't think I would have any qualms about dropping another $250 for a graphical update to the Wii.
Post by: Spak-Spang on September 28, 2006, 09:23:32 AM
The experience could bring the two controller aspect even further by creating it without wires. I however, do not want them to create 3D projection graphics, or headsets to wear...those are too limiting in a home environment. If you went to an arcade amusement park it could work.
Finally, we know graphics will be improved upon by next generation. If Nintendo just brings a new tighter Wii experience with graphics upto or surpassing the PS3 then I would be happy.
Also I would love the technology to get to the point a sensor bar isn't needed.
I think that is really all I am looking for. Perhaps an even more expansive Virtual Console experience that brings home true arcade games. The killer App being Trog.
Post by: couchmonkey on September 28, 2006, 09:32:22 AM
Why? Nintendo doesn't consider graphics important anymore, and neither will we after Wii has been around for a few years and has a far superior game lineup to Xbox 360 and even the awesome PS3.
Post by: JonLeung on September 28, 2006, 09:40:28 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smoke39
A VR helmet? I doubt it. That seems like something that would scare away non-gamer types. Maybe if they could implement the same functionality in something closer to a pair of shades.
A whole helmet is scary, and should soon be unecessarily bulky.
I remember hearing about how VR "goggles" could actually be much more like a pair of glasses. They would shoot laser beams directly onto your retinas. (Naturally that would have to be tested out for years before we could see them in consumer products.) Such a direct method would create images as sharp or even sharper than anything you would see normally. Anyone who normally wears glasses wouldn't feel any difference if it's truly as light as a pair of glasses (and their poor vision doesn't affect what they'll see) and would surely feel in the game. There wouldn't even be blind spots or an "outside of glasses" view because the lasers are fired right at your retina, so you'd have a perfect view all-around.
I could see Nintendo holding off on such a thing for long though, even after the technology is proven. Survival horror games could be capable of killing people with weak hearts at that level of immersion.
Post by: Adrock on September 28, 2006, 09:48:33 AM
The controller will evolve, but won't be a radical change. Perhaps more face buttons. The ease of use is established with Wii so another button or so won't be threatening to the user who got into games with Wii. Many regular remotes have dozens of buttons, having 4 buttons instead of 1 big A button shouldn't be too complicated. The analog stick will likely have rumble though I'd love to see forced feedback in both pieces. Not simply rumble. I mean, the controller pushes against you. Say when fishing in Zelda, you pull the freehand controller back and the controller feels like its pushing forward. Who knows what else they're planning though? Nintendo has brought things to gaming that no one ever even thought of a couple years ago.
I don't think Nintendo will have to worry about Sony and MS stealing their ideas. Based on history, they simply look to copy Nintendo while Nintendo works on new things. The way i see it, Nintendo always seems ahead of the game in terms of innovation (barring online multiplayer), especially controller innovation, so they'll likely have something that Sony and MS don't next generation.
Post by: BigJim on September 28, 2006, 09:51:02 AM
I don't think an HD system could get much smaller due to thermal issues. At least not with any manufacturing processes coming in the next few years. But MAYBE 2 DVD cases thick.
As for media, not sure but it wouldn't surprise me if they went with proprietary HD-DVD, since (at least today) HD-DVDs are cheaper than BRDs. In a few years from now, I dunno. But I think they'll stick to discs. One day digital distribution will take over, but we're probably not gonna have that kinda bandwidth yet.
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 10:03:21 AM
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: antman100 on September 28, 2006, 10:10:41 AM
Post by: Ceric on September 28, 2006, 10:12:48 AM
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 10:37:33 AM
Another interesting thing to think about is that with the PS3, Sony is stuck into a 5-year business model because they don't make money for the first 3 or 4 years. Microsoft, of course, is always losing money anyways so they can do what they want.
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Guitar Smasher on September 28, 2006, 11:01:15 AM
Judging from the difference between GC and Wii, what with the mainstreaming, I'm going to guess that Wii2 will be getting closer to the 'PC in the livingroom' concept. It's a logical evolution, given how Wii is capable of internet browsing, and weather checking. I would not be surprised at all if Wii2 was capable of some sort of IM/communication function, likely involving cameras and the Wiipointer.
Post by: wandering on September 28, 2006, 11:04:14 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Starting on the new console right after the old one was released made sense for the old way Nintendo did things. The main change was superior hardware which could be worked on immediately and stuff like the new controllers could be worked on later. The upgraded hardware was the safe bet. Something like the analog stick might have bombed so the controller can't be worked on right away but you can always assume that improving the hardware will go over well.
I would assume the opposite. Nintendo was working with IBM on the chips that went inside the Cube for four years? I doubt it. I would guess new concepts take up alot more of their time, especially early on. For the N64, they had to figure out how they player would control things on a 3d plane. The analog stick was central to the whole system, and they almost certainly didn't save working on it until the last minute. As much as it may not support your position that graphical improvements are more important than what you perceive as sparkling innovations, the overall concept and philosophy of a system will always be Nintendo's central focus when designing a new system. At least, that's how I see it.
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 11:20:57 AM
The reason I say lifestyle is because we need to look at the Wii's major points: It can show us our photos, it can show us the weather quickly before we leave, it can show us some of the latest news at a glance, it can let us leave notes for family members refridgerator style... compare to the DS' big points: it can improve our memory/thinking, it can read recipes to us out loud, it can teach us english, etc.
These aren't things that dominate the living room, these are things that dominate our lifestyles!
The point is NOT to bring the PC to the living room, the point is to bring useful functionality to all members of the family so that they can learn to interact in a game-like fashion with the console, and every once in a while to buy games that appeal to them.
Today: Photo/Video jigsaw puzzles on the Wii ............................ Tomorrow: Tetris
Today: Mii character avatars ........................................................ Tomorrow: Animal Crossing
Today: Point & Shoot user interfaces ........................................... Tomorrow: Battle Clash 3
The Wii2 will, in my opinion, NOT become a PC in the living room, but instead better work as a lifestyle helper device.
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 11:24:09 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ceric
I'm going to re-mention that I believe the next time they will ditch optical to favor Flash based game storage.
I just realized the BIG advantage to this: If they can get high-capacity cheap flash memory... then they no longer need a thick, hot, highly-fragile, big optical drive. The console can get even smaller!
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Ian Sane on September 28, 2006, 11:39:36 AM
I don't think that's ever going to completely take over. People like having something physical. Otherwise it feels like you don't really own it and with all these piracy issues the companies selling you the product will ensure you never really own anything they can't change or take away at will. If it ever does take over I don't think it would be until our generation has died out and no one alive has ever experienced a world without internet.
Post by: Ceric on September 28, 2006, 11:43:50 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: KaironQuote
Originally posted by: Ceric
I'm going to re-mention that I believe the next time they will ditch optical to favor Flash based game storage.
I just realized the BIG advantage to this: If they can get high-capacity cheap flash memory... then they no longer need a thick, hot, highly-fragile, big optical drive. The console can get even smaller!
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Yep. I mentioned that in my original post in this thread. It also means that there wouldn't really be a need for memory cards of any sorts because saves can go back to being on the game. Also Patches, extra content, and the like could go with the game. You could have it all even at a friends house.
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 12:08:47 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ceric
It also means that there wouldn't really be a need for memory cards of any sorts because saves can go back to being on the game. Also Patches, extra content, and the like could go with the game. You could have it all even at a friends house.
W-w-w-WOW. Solid state memory rocks!
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: BigJim on September 28, 2006, 12:49:47 PM
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 12:54:23 PM
It's only a matter of time...
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: BigJim on September 28, 2006, 01:01:10 PM
Notice that NAND technology will replace and/or become a hybrid part of the hard drive... hardware that is only purchased once and absorbed as part of the platform price.
Nobody's talking about it being a viable replacement for the actual media of software, DVD, HD-DVD, or BRD movies. Because even 30GB HD-DVD discs will cost pennies on the dollar before too long.
It's estimated that the 4GB NAND in an iPod Nano costs Apple $46 today. There's zero chance of increasing capacity 8x and reducing the cost to $1 in 5 years.
It'll have good applications in platforms as an HDD alternative, but not yet as a media alternative.
Post by: Kairon on September 28, 2006, 02:21:11 PM
/sad
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Shorty McNostril on September 28, 2006, 08:03:35 PM
Post by: JonLeung on September 29, 2006, 05:41:50 AM
I read about how they can now fit like twenty GBs of data or more on these things that are the size of sticks of gum...and they kind of look like sticks of gum! At least if I remember correctly and they weren't just showing some gum. But I know there's some biological process to grow this gunk that memory can be saved on so it wouldn't be surprising. Soon we could have iPods that have, like, lots of terabytes or yottabytes or whatever.
