Okay Geek Farm
Nintendo Gaming Forecast
Ricardo Trejo
It's been 4 years since the official start of our current "Next Gen" generation and it's been quite a ride. Who would've ever known that the little engine that could, Nintendo, who was thought of nearly getting out of the console market, would make an inferior system (spec-wise) and still somehow get on top and pummel the competition into submission. And then we had our ever confident PS3. Its launch came and went, and years have come and gone, and still nothing big has wow'd us even to this day. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. What about the 360? Well, the Microsoft console newcomers have in relative terms become the central hub for hardcore gamers this generation. With its steady schedule of hit titles for the hardcore, classics re-imagined and remade for the Live arcade, and not to mention the ever expanding Xbox Live, the Xbox 360 has become the staple for anyone who considers themselves a serious gamer.
So what's next? What can we expect from the big three in the upcoming years? Console cycles have usually lasted about 6 years, but everyone of the current participants have said that they wish to last longer and give the consumer more bang for their buck.
I'm going to start off with Nintendo and what I expect them to do in the next few years:
Nintendo Wii: The Wii is the one system among the three that needs to change ... and fast. With a lack of proper HD support, and visuals that are lightyears behind the other two consoles, the Wii's specs are getting outdated too quickly. And let's not forget that just about everyone and their grandma (literally) already own a Wii. Nintendo is going to have to do something drastic to gain more popularity among the hardcore if they wish to survive once the casual market begins to wain - they can't keep counting on people to buy updated versions of Wii Sports and Wii Fit, which may be a working strategy, but not a viable longterm one.
My forecast: Nintendo either comes out with a new console or some sort of hardware addition to the Wii that will be sold alongside the original Wii to give it HD capabilities. Selling it as a separate system is done to not confuse or force consumers to purchase the updated system. "Wii HD" will still play Wii games, but will focus on its new HD software. Removing the Gamecube aspects of the Wii, the new Wii HD will boast a 120GB built in hard drive to tend to a single platform rather than two (Wii and GCN). Wii HD games will have 1080i support and will take advantage of a new online system similar to PSN and Xbox Live. Nintendo will offer a visual update to its UI, the Channel system - creating a more robust way for casual players and hardcore players to navigate around Nintendo's new online world - you could compare this to Xbox's current new dashboard.
As for the motion controls - yes, the new updated system (Wii HD) will come packaged with a Wiimote and also a Classic Controller Pro. The Wiimote: for casual games in which motion is necessary for play, and the Classic Controller for hardcore titles which have played a certain way for countless years. (The controller will sync up with the system itself rather than being tied to the Wiimote by way of batteries.) Also, by including a standard controller with an upgraded hardware, the Wii will be able to bring in third party multi-platform games, for example Call of Duty or Madden, without visual or gameplay changes done to them.
With an emphasis on nostalgia, and a return to the classics for the hardcore, we should expect new iterations of Star Fox, Super Mario, Donkey Kong Country, Pokemon, Earthbound, and Kid Icarus. A new IP will be released with the launch of the system and show off what the new hardware can accomplish. And with a fully operational free online service games such as Pokemon Online and Animal Crossing can finally be what fans have always dreamt of.
The Wii HD is the most practical way, I think, Nintendo can get back its "street cred" with those who have turned to the PS3 and Xbox 360. Nintendo will tend to both the hardcore and casual markets fairly and give each their own particular software made especially for them.
I'll post up my predictions for the 360 and Natal a bit later.
Stay tuned
