[Scarlett.]

Nintendo's next home console will launch next year, it has been confirmed.

The firm has announced that the device, dubbed the "Wii's successor system", will also be playable at E3 in June.

"Nintendo Co. Ltd has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011," read a statement.

"We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles."

It was added that sales of the system will not be included in forecasts for the current financial year, hinting at a release after March 2012.

Earlier this month it was rumoured that Nintendo would unveil its next home console at E3 and that it would support Blu-ray and stream entire games to a six-inch screen on its controller.

Other reports include motion controls more accurate than PlayStation Move and that it would cost between $350 and $400 (about £212 and £242).

[Doogle]

Heard about this on the Nintendo3DS YouTube channel.

I have to say, I'm not excited.
Handhelds are always much more exciting for me.

I mean, it'll no doubt be better than XBox 360 & PS3, but in a few years Sony & Microsoft will just make something better and once again this Nintendo console will be for "losers, twats, poor people, saddos" whatever else I hear people saying on a regular basis.

[_Seth]

I'd consider getting it if it was compatible with Gamecube games. (It is compatible with Wii 1 games. )

[Scarlett.]

In 2014/15, Microsoft and Sony will release their new ones, which will most likely take into account some of the Wii 2's features

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

i might sell my wii now if this is backwards compatible

[Doogle]

Originally Posted by Scott

i might sell my wii now if this is backwards compatible

When you say now, when exactly do you mean? Seeing as won't be getting our hands on this until sometime in 2012, probably late 2012

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

now as in like this week

coz i dont really play on it anymore but i could never get rid of it coz of such epic games as okami, resi 4, no more heroes, and mario galaxy 2

[Ramsay]

meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh

[Iceman]

I hope its called wii wii. "Hey wanna come round and play with my wii wii?"

[Patrick]

Wii - Gayest Console ever.

It'll suck, They should put proper games like the ones we get on 360/PS3 onto the Wii and it would be good.

Imagine playing GTA V on the Wii, would be brilliant.

Instead of ******ing catering for American Kids or little Japaneese Girls.
The Wii had so much potential, but it sold out now - the way they release games for the Wii just for the sake of it, instead of getting the most out of the 'Motion' thing.

I agree with the other dude that mentioned Hand Helds, Microsoft need to just give us the Xbox Portable, it would be heaven.

[Stu]

I can't imagine this being anything other than a Wii 1.5 with HD graphics made and sold on the cheap.

It'll be more of the same. Things have gone too far to change now. Serious developers know the money is on the other two powerhouses. The Wii is for casuals and those who enjoy Nintendo's first party output.

[Doogle]

Yeah, this console won't be a step forward.

Heck, even the 3DS isn't a MASSIVE leap forward from the DS. For goodness sake, it's still a DS.

Compare the change from GBA to DS, and then DS to 3DS.

Then again I guess you could say the GBC wasn't a massive leap forward from the Game Boy at the end of the day.

But like, if Nintendo are gonna have a new home console it needs to be something new & interesting, with decent online features and some decent games, not a little change from the Wii.

[Tom4784]

I think it's too early in the day to count them out, the 3DS managed to get a lot of good 3rd party support so if they continue the focus on the core gamers then they have a good chance of doing well I think. They just need to make sure the launch window line up has a few winners in it instead of the duffer that was the Wii's.

I'll be surprised if they stick with the Wii brand name though as from what I hear this new console seems to be vastly different from the Wii.

[Tom4784]

I think it's too early in the day to count them out, the 3DS managed to get a lot of good 3rd party support so if they continue the focus on the core gamers then they have a good chance of doing well I think. They just need to make sure the launch window line up has a few winners in it instead of the duffer that was the Wii's.

I'll be surprised if they stick with the Wii brand name though as from what I hear this new console seems to be vastly different from the Wii.

[Stu]

Nintendo's handhelds have always had massive third party support though. I don't think the two businesses are in any way comparable for the most part. I also think this magical refocus on hardcore gamers is being hyped up too much. The 3DS has a good selection of core games yeah but I wouldn't say Nintendo are pushing it that much.

Plus motion controls continue to be a serious issue. If the new system keeps the motion controller as the primary method of control it will almost certainly stick to the Wii's casual gamer trajectory. Far short of being the revolution it was touted as it's become almost unanimous this generation that proper gamers who play proper games it turns out can't stand doing it with motion control. And developers who want to make serious games certainly aren't doing it with motion control. It's such a non entity.

It's a clunky, expensive novelty that I really can't see Nintendo trading in for to attempt to try to redominate a core market two other companies already have a strangelhold on. The casual crowd they already have sewn up is a lisence to print money.

The battle lines have been drawn and I don't expect the status quo to change anytime soon. When it comes to home consoles Nintendo are in a different business to the likes of Sony & Microsoft.

[Scarlett.]

The casual fans wont be bothered enough about this to shell out £400

[Stu]

Depends how many X-Factor alumni they get to suck Satan's cock and rope in to those horrendous adverts.

[Doogle]

Originally Posted by Stu

Depends how many X-Factor alumni they get to suck Satan's cock and rope in to those horrendous adverts.

Ew, Jedward.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Stu

Depends how many X-Factor alumni they get to suck Satan's cock and rope in to those horrendous adverts.

Yeah that's true, I notice they never show much gameplay in Nintendo adverts, just zlebs going "Oh! this is LOL this is funneh LOL! Oh lol! A fell over"

[Doogle]

I'm suddenly looking forward to this because I just realised this means a new Smash Bros. game sometime

[Stu]

Another thing I hate about game adverts is just showing cinematics instead of the actual gameplay. They done it with Killzone 3 and Halo Reach and I was like WTF? Those are two excellent, lovely looking games. Show the gameplay complete with HUD etc how it would actually look on TV. That's what people want. Not desperate attempts at trying to be Hollywood. Let the games speak for themselves.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Stu

Nintendo's handhelds have always had massive third party support though. I don't think the two businesses are in any way comparable for the most part. I also think this magical refocus on hardcore gamers is being hyped up too much. The 3DS has a good selection of core games yeah but I wouldn't say Nintendo are pushing it that much.

Plus motion controls continue to be a serious issue. If the new system keeps the motion controller as the primary method of control it will almost certainly stick to the Wii's casual gamer trajectory. Far short of being the revolution it was touted as it's become almost unanimous this generation that proper gamers who play proper games it turns out can't stand doing it with motion control. And developers who want to make serious games certainly aren't doing it with motion control. It's such a non entity.

It's a clunky, expensive novelty that I really can't see Nintendo trading in for to attempt to try to redominate a core market two other companies already have a strangelhold on. The casual crowd they already have sewn up is a lisence to print money.

The battle lines have been drawn and I don't expect the status quo to change anytime soon. When it comes to home consoles Nintendo are in a different business to the likes of Sony & Microsoft.

From what I've heard it's all going to be about the touchscreen in the controller this time which I think could be interesting. A lot of game developers used the touch screen effectively with the DS so it could lead to some interesting features here.

I am thinking that the 3DS could be representative of what direction the new console could take but that's just speculation. Nintendo wouldn't be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice by focusing on the casual audience, it sold loads of consoles but it's done nothing for a lot of games that's been released for it and Microsoft's Kinect has been met with a similar reaction. The casual market doesn't make for reliable sales outside a few exception.

Then again, we know as much about this console as Kerry Katona does about Rocket Science so it's too early to say either way.

[Stu]

The bottom line though is that Nintendo are the most profitable gaming company in the world right now. From that cold business perspective the Wii has been an astounding success.

A touchscreen in the controller sounds awful. And very expensive. A touchscreen component along with the console itself?

It just screams gimmickery. What's wrong with buttons .

[Scarlett.]

I can't see touchscreen working on a controller at all, it's too fiddly

[Tom4784]

If the touchscreen stuff is true then there'll definitely be buttons, it just means there'll be a small touchscreen to use for other stuff. Like an instant inventory screen at your fingertips in Resident Evil for example. The touch screen for the DS was more often then not used as an alternative control scheme or as a menu screen rather then forcing the players to use it as the sole control scheme. Some games did do that but they did it in games where it'd make sense.

If they keep up the work the began with the DS then I think a touchscreen could work really well.