Nintendo WiiHD?
January 31, 2010 
1 Comment
Many analysts have predicted that Nintendo will soon (some had predicted even before now) ditch support for the current generation Wii and instead bring out a HD version with a similar feature set but just improved graphics.
The Wii was built on innovation, the new and exciting control scheme that promised so much…but as
of yet is still truly to deliver on the original promise, would a simple graphics boost into HD really convince the mass market who have all purchased Wii’s to essentially buy the same system again?
Its worked well for Sony and Microsoft over the years, the gaming experience on PS3 and 360 are similar to PS2 and the original Xbox (multi-player gaming aside) but the Wii audience is different from the traditional gamer who bought those systems. I’m not so sure that the Wii owner cares enough about looks to buy the new system just for upgraded graphics, they bought the system due to the casual nature and accessible control scheme.
So this begs the question, when should Nintendo release a new console? The sales of the Wii have started to slow, though that’s only in comparison to the massive numbers it was previously selling which was never going to be sustainable. Should Nintendo wait until they truly do have a new experience that they can offer consumers which isn’t currently possible on the Wii? If so what would this new experience be?
Microsoft and Sony are both going to be offering their own take on motion controls later this year, where can Nintendo take this next where like this generation they won’t be competing directly against Microsoft and Sony, or has Nintendo done enough to differentiate itself this generation that whatever it releases next the average consumer will know that they enjoyed the Wii and purchase one regardless?
Only time will tell what Nintendo will do next, but i firmly believe that we will see more than just a graphical bump, expect to see the next Nintendo in the fall of 2011.
Nintendo seem set on following the incrimental-upgrade path with the DS line, and it looks as if this has leaked into their home console line as well with Wii being Gamecube technology given a modest power boost and a new control/input paradigm.
Id be surprised if they dropped the stability of incrimental updates for something more risky, I dont expect them to compete on power in the future like Microsoft and Sony have. So WiiHD seems like a natural fit, basically a Wii with better gfx and maybe some additional gaming features, nothing technically ground breaking.
In fact I wouldn’t be to surprised if the competition looked at Nintendo’s example as a method of instilling some stability into their own efforts. Which probably means the advance of console tech’ will slow and become less interesting on a technology level?