This is how Nintendo would have CRUSHED the competition

[iceblade]

1) Don't make a profit from the console. Just sell it at production cost (no gain, no loss)
2) Incorporate a 2Ghz or better Power PC Equivalent Processor. 729 is not enough. This isn't 2001.
3) Include a GeForce 7 equivalent graphics adapter (or equal implementation from Ati)
1+2+3 = Console with the BEST Gameplay and capable of 720p. Total cost around 300$ (Heck Microsoft sells 360 at 300$ with way better specs). Make the console a little bigger, noone will mind.
If this happened Wii Sales = 6x PS3 sales instead of = 2x PS3 sales which is the current situation.
and finally
4) Include online gaming out of the box (at release)
If these 4 were true, there wouldn't even have been a console war to begin with

 

[MrT]

If you sell it at production cost, then who is going to pay for the years of R&D that go into making the console?
That makes absolutely no business sense whatsoever! How are they going to keep shareholders happy if they are not making a profit. :wtf:
Just bumping up the processor speed does not make 'BEST Gameplay', you still need 3rd party devs to come up with the game ideas in the first place. We would probably still have the same games, just with better graphics etc...

Mind you, the online gaming thing i agree with, cant believe it took this long to get an online game (not including the intenet channels..)

 

[iceblade]

If you sell it at production cost, then who is going to pay for the years of R&D that go into making the console?

The people who buy the games for the console.
How do you think PS3 and Xbox360 are sold? The are sold at a price lower than the production cost.

Just bumping up the processor speed does not make 'BEST Gameplay', you still need 3rd party devs to come up with the game ideas in the first place.

Bumping processor speed and the GPU is not for better gameplay. It's for better graphics. It's to support 720p. If the Wii had better graphics (not as good as PS3 or 360 but on a level it can compete with them) it would win hands down.
Gameplay is the most important thing but it is not the only thing in the gaming experience. I'm not suggesting the Wii having the best graphics, I'm saying it had got to be at least on par with current technology. It takes two steps forward with controls but one step back with it's tech specs.
Mind you, It's so good that it made me buy it and I don't like consoles, It's lots of fun but I have to admit it has flaws

 

[ottoman]

good ideas, but easier said than done...

 

[Squall7]

1) Don't make a profit from the console. Just sell it at production cost (no gain, no loss)

The reason Sony and Microsoft don't need to make as much profit, is because they're in other industries too. Gaming is the only industry Nintendo are in, and any profit is good. The price of the console is sufficient atm, as the sales figures agree.

2) Incorporate a 2Ghz or better Power PC Equivalent Processor. 729 is not enough. This isn't 2001.

That would be fine for all the supposed "hardcore gamers", but Nintendo is going a different route. You sound a little bitter about the lack of leap in power for Nintendo. Gamecube graphics pushed to the maximum is fine, Zelda and Resident Evil 4 still look great, and with the little extra juice under the hood of the Wii, things are getting graphically better, but not to the point where people will have to fork out even more just to see the difference.

3) Include a GeForce 7 equivalent graphics adapter (or equal implementation from Ati)

Same greivances as above.

1+2+3 = Console with the BEST Gameplay and capable of 720p.

The 720p thing for a lot of people that purchase the Wii is completely optional. There's still tonnes that wouldn't benefit from it, and there's no point upping the price for no gain for some.

Make the console a little bigger, noone will mind.

There are many reasons for a smaller console. Unobtrusive, easy to hide away somewhere, easy to carry around to a friend's house etc... Personally, I would be hard pressed to find space in my living room for the PS3.

If this happened Wii Sales = 6x PS3 sales instead of = 2x PS3 sales which is the current situation.

Probably not actually. Many people find Wii accessible, because it doesn't try to simulate reality, it's just allows you to have fun. Add in the extra graphics may appeal to some, but it may start to hinder the "family audience" target (if every game had "Realistic" graphics - it would encourage more "adult" themed games). Besides, the Wii is still very popular atm. The way to increase the margin of Wii's sold to PS3's is to increase the production rate of the Wii's, which is what Nintendo are currently trying to do.

4) Include online gaming out of the box (at release)

If Nintendo were to try this, either one of two things would happen.
1, The Wii would have a delayed release, allowing the PS3 a head start. Or
2, The online component would have soo many bugs in it, that playing on it will be a nightmare.
Of course, the online component could have been ready before hand, but unless you believe that they've spent all this time sitting on their hands doing nothing, then they've been trying to perfect it as much as possible so that it will be instantly good when it's released, rather than a bad to mediocre service. I still believe Nintendo could pull out an amazing online service, expectations of it otherwise is just seeing the glass half-empty.

If these 4 were true, there wouldn't even have been a console war to begin with

Actually, it would have pushed the PS3 and 360 to compete in different terms. We're already seeing motion control from PS3, despite pre-E3-2006 claims that it was "just a gimmick". It's either adapt or die in the console industry (in many indusrties in fact), and Sony and Microsoft aren't going to die - they'd prefer to adapt.