COEXIST: Wii and Cafe

[Peachy]

Project Cafe, to me, appears to come across as an additional pillar in Nintendo's arsenal of machines. I think they'll announce a redesigned, physically smaller Wii bundle with a very attractive price, like US$129 or even US$99. They could market the redesign as their dedicated casual system that will co-exist along side their hardcore system, the Nintendo Cafe.

8 Wii REDESIGN FEATURES:

1 - PRICE: An attractive price point, somewhere between US$99-US$129.
2 - SMALLER: Perhaps slimmer rather than a shrinkage of the consoles existing form.
3 - BUNDLE: WiiMotionPlus controller with Wii Sports & Wii Sports Resort.
4 - COLOURS: The system could launch with new colours.
5 - COMPATIBILITY: Backwards compatibility with GameCube games will still exist but will require a Classic Controller to be played as the GCN ports will be removed.
6 - DISC DRIVE: It will be able to read DVD movies (As promised by Reggie years ago).
7 - MARKETING: This will be marketed as a casual gaming platform for anyone who doesn't already have a Wii in their home.
8 - RELEASE: Launched worldwide by Thanksgiving 2011.

If the Wii redesign was to become a reality, what do you think they should name it?

[opnickc]

1 - PRICE: An attractive price point, somewhere between US$99-US$129.
They *just* dropped it to $150. I wouldn't count on another price drop for at least a year, and even then, how many people will buy it at $129 or $99 who wont buy it at $150?

2 - SMALLER: Perhaps slimmer rather than a shrinkage of the consoles existing form.
Not a chance. A redesign would cost money for both R&D and new manufacturing. Combined with the fact that it's already the most compact and power efficient console on the market, and there's no reason to do it from a consumer perspective, either.

3 - BUNDLE: WiiMotionPlus controller with Wii Sports & Wii Sports Resort.
They already had this. They replaced it with Mario Kart when the price dropped to $150, which was a smart move IMO. The cheaper the system, the more enticing it becomes to parents looking to buy a system for their kids. Combine this with a big picture of the gaming equivalent to Mickey Mouse covering the front of the box, and parents aren't even going to consider that $200 xbox or $300 PS3 for little johnny. Plus, Wii Sports is well enough known in its own right that adults buying the system for themselves will likely want to pick up Wii Sports along with it, which will now cost an extra $20. They wont mind, though, because the system is still cheap and they still get a free game with it. Win-Win.

4 - COLOURS: The system could launch with new colours.
This is a possibility. Using a different color of molded plastic isn't nearly as expensive as doing a full system redesign.

5 - COMPATIBILITY: Backwards compatibility with GameCube games will still exist but will require a Classic Controller to be played as the GCN ports will be removed.
Nope, because they have no reason to redesign the hardware.

6 - DISC DRIVE: It will be able to read DVD movies (As promised by Reggie years ago).
Why? This is the casual console. If they're going to finally support movie playback, it'll be on the "hardcore" console. Also, you do realize adding DVD video playback would require paying a licensing fee, right? This is why, when it was announced for the Wii (was it still Revolution at the time?), it was announced as a paid software download (so you would be paying the fee when you bought the software). Why would Nintendo go through the trouble of offering this when it hasn't hurt the system's sales, at all?

7 - MARKETING: This will be marketed as a casual gaming platform for anyone who doesn't already have a Wii in their home.
Can't argue that. Pretty much guaranteed.

8 - RELEASE: Launched worldwide by Thanksgiving 2011.
Again, why would they waste money making a Wii redesign? The only things that need to be redesigned with the Wii are "hardcore" features that should be implemented into the next home console. It would be a distraction from the 3DS during the 3DS's first holiday season. Plus, casual consumers would confuse it for Nintendo's next home console (how many people think the 3DS is just another version of the DS?).

Might we see Wii and Cafe coexisting for a while? Sure, especially if the Cafe launches at $350-$400. But a redesign (beyond basic things like colors)? Not a chance. If Nintendo launches a redesigned Wii, I'll buy you one.

[Peachy]

I think that you have a very educated pulse on the industry and I think a lot of what you mentioned is correct. Perhaps the timing of a Wii redesign release is the issue. I do feel it’s inevitable though as the people who purchase Wii’s in the coming years are not going to want to pay for components that they simply won’t use such as the GCN ports, so once you remove them you instantly have a more affordable console to produce and a much smaller console in size, also the components used to build the Wii will become smaller and more affordable to make.

So I believe it’s a matter of 'when' rather than 'if'.

[Devil_Rising]

The problem is, the Wii doesn't really need a re-design, especially this late in it's life cycle. And I don't really think that the "Cafe" is going to be considered their "hardcore" console. I think it's going to still have a good share of "casual" titles, because those titles make them a lot of money, and many of them are fun. I don't seriously think they're going to work all these years on building up that "expanded audience", just to turn around and veer into "let's please the uber hardcore crowd and no-one else" territory.

[KingBroly]

Common misconception about the Wii: It can play DVD's. But not out of the box.

[thresholdXCI]

Common misconception about the Wii: It can play DVD's. But not out of the box.

Which, to the people who are actually buying the system nowadays, basically means 'it can't play DVDs'.

I'm sure the Wii can continue to sell, just like the DS probably will. Look at the last console to cater to the casual gamer, the PS2. And the Wii has achieved a far larger, and arguably more casual audience. If that can co-exist with the PS3 for years, the Wii could certainly coexist for a while with Cafe.

[Peachy]

http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=160427

looks like Nintendo is going to have Wii co-exist with Wii U, hopefully they will release a redesign.

[Gulshog]

The Wii is being abandoned...think about it. Why would they waste money with Wii projects when there is more money to be made on Wii U? They won't, and it is just lip service to the traditional Nintendo gamers, who they don't want to piss off with no new games. The Wii is dead, just face it and move on...we have Zelda, and very little else to look forward to, until Wii U is released. I mean, how many DS games will Nintendo be releasing? Don't delude yourself into thinking the Wii situation is any diffefent.

Nintendo still wants casuals. They want them to buy the Wii U, and forget about the Wii. That is why they kept the Wii name, kept the system color white, focused on what the controller can do differently, and didn't focus on the console specs, and graphics.

Anyone thinking Nintendo changed anything is crazy. It is still casual first...

[cortjezter]

sadly, i have to agree.

the wii has a few titles coming yet this year, but then nothing for home consoles for up to a year. the next time we might hear something about new software would probably be gdc or e3 2012.

during an interview with one of noa's execs, rmc and i asked if the wii was going to be supported. their only response was with the stuff on the show floor...for this year. nothing for wii owners next year or beyond.

[MAGNUS-8M]

sadly, i have to agree.

the wii has a few titles coming yet this year, but then nothing for home consoles for up to a year. the next time we might hear something about new software would probably be gdc or e3 2012.

during an interview with one of noa's execs, rmc and i asked if the wii was going to be supported. their only response was with the stuff on the show floor...for this year. nothing for wii owners next year or beyond.

Ouch. If that's true, it's really going to suck for people like me who paid into the Wii, and now look to get nothing after Wii U launches...because the thing will just be too darn expensive, especially if I'm able to get a 3DS(because all my extra money will have gone to that). At least PS2 was well, WELL supported after it's "death". Oh well.

5 - COMPATIBILITY: Backwards compatibility with GameCube games will still exist but will require a Classic Controller to be played as the GCN ports will be removed.

I don't believe this is possible, actually. When the Wii clocks itself down to Gamecube speeds and runs Gamecube games, it more or less BECOMES a Gamecube. And Gamecube can't access the more advanced stuff like bluetooth, WIFI, or SD cards, so unless Nintendo made some serious changes to the Wii internal hardware(and not just push things around to make it 'smaller' if it were possible), there's no real way to make GCN games compatible with CC or CC-PRO. It won't have any ability to recognize them.

Besides, if what Cort said is seriously what Nintendo is going to do, we probably won't get much for Wii anymore except for meager 3rd Party support for Wii. Really, they should look at it as a gold mine...lower development costs, massive install base, plenty of kids and some adults as owners....but who knows.