The Next Wii Won't Dazzle Or Amaze, Says Analyst

But it will at least catch up with the PS3 and Xbox 360

Dec 15 2010, 10:52am CST | by Mark Raby

The Next Wii Won't Dazzle Or Amaze, Says Analyst

Regardless of sales numbers or quality of games or whatever, there's an indisputable fact in the current video game race - the Wii is technologically outdated. But even when Nintendo releases a successor to the console, one analyst says it won't do anything to improve the current-gen technology.

The Wii sold like gangbusters when it first came out, and paved a path for Nintendo that brought it back from a near-death situation during the Gamecube era. But then something funny happened. Technology caught up with it.

Even though the Wii received praise for its different approach of less sophisticated but more creative technology, it couldn't escape the fact that it was still built on the old strategy of video game consoles being replaced every five years. As the Wii was released in 2006, its maturation period has come and gone.

But here's the problem. The PS3 and Xbox 360 were built on a completely new strategy - the "future proof" strategy. Through firmware upgrades and Internet connectivity they have been able to sustain themselves longer than their predecessors. No one is looking at the PS3 or 360 and thinking they need a hardware makeover.

Meanwhile, the Wii does not have HD capabilities, has poor online integration, and has a very small hard drive. These are things that need to be addressed, and a "Wii 2" is the only solution. Nintendo has said there is a successor on the way but won't give any further details.

So will Nintendo wake up and make the Wii a 3D-enabled online powerhouse? To some, that seems unlikely.

In an interview with IndustryGamers.com, highly regarded video game analyst Michael Pachter said, "I think that [Nintendo's] next console will be on par technologically with the current PS3 and Xbox 360, and don't expect them to advance technology at all with their next offering."

Perhaps that's enough, but perhaps not. Nintendo has to have an equivalent "wow" factor to what it achieved with the Wii. Motion controlling is passe now, so it better have something up its sleeve, or it will never be able to play catch-up with the PS3 or 360.

Via Industry Gamers

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Mark Raby
Based in New York City, Mark follows the consumer electronics industry like a hawk. A published book author, he has a particular affinity for 3D technology and video games, and as such will surely be in the market for a new pair of glasses soon. Mark can be contacted directly at mark@i4u.com.