Allow me to preface this article by making three disclaimers:

1. The information contained herein (quotes, etc.) cannot be fully credited, as despite much research, I was unable to identify all of the sources.

2. This is not a rumor, as Shigeru Miyamoto himself along with Mr. Iwata have both been quoted from many respectable sources, and snippets of the interviews in question may be found all over the internet.

3. I cannot vouch for the validity of any of the quotes and references (though I strive for 100% accuracy), as I obviously am not the one Iwata, Miyamoto, or any others cited herein spoke with. I can only attest to the fact that I obtained these quotes and references from reputable sources, including the indirectly quoted sources.

Finally, please do not read anything more into this than what is expressly written. I will clarify this later in the article.


Let the buzz begin!

In a recent interview, Shigeru Miyamoto was quoted as saying that Nintendo had began "...working on ideas for what our next console might be." This of course should come as no surprise to most of us as Nintendo is typically known to release a new console every five (in some cases, six) years, and the Wii U is already closing in on the two and a half year mark, so it makes sense that they would be working on a new console already. What was said about the console is where the shock begins to set in...


Official info reveals, rumors, and speculation

The official info reveals
So what exactly did Nintendo representatives have to say about the new system? Not a lot, but what they did say was quite intruiging. Nintendo seems to be cashing in on the idea of hype: Tell them just enough to make them want to know more, but keep it cryptic. And cryptic it is.

Iwata stated that Nintendo had fallen behind and made a mistake with the Wii U, noting that they had failed to keep up with the ever changing game industry*. He also indicated that Nintendo is planning on making up for that with their next console. Other reports that I cannot confirm for certain nor disprove have him saying that Nintendo plans to ensure that it's next console is more in line with the specs and design of other major game consoles.
*Tech Radar

Could this be an indication that Nintendo intends to leave off with "Motion Control" technology for now and focus on more conventional methods for Next-Gen console gaming? Perhaps. One thing we can rest assure is not the case however, is that Nintendo has no plans of abandoning home consoles in favor of tablets and other "Smart devices" as Iwata can be quoted plainly as saying that "Mario" won't be apperaing on your smart devices, and that consoles are not phasing out.* Clearly Nintendo is changing their game, but exactly how remains the question.
*Tech Radar

As games themselves are concerned, Miyamoto compared Mario to Mickey Mouse, and was quoted as saying "With each digital evolution, [Mickey Mouse] was there to usher in the next era.* From early on, I wanted Mario to be that character in the digital world, so that with each digital evolution, he was there to usher in the next era. I think that maybe when we release the next hardware system, you can look forward to seeing Mario take on a new role in a new game**".
*Tech Radar. **Tech Times. Original source uncertain. Emphasis mine.

So now we have Iwata saying that Nintendo is planning on being more on par with other systems in design and power (though only known as a rumor to me as of now), and that the Wii U missed the mark and failed to keep up with the modern game industry (founded quote), and Miyamoto saying that Mario himself will likely usher in the next Nintendo gen --or more precisely, the next digital era-- on their next console, and that he apparently will be adapted to a more modernized form, and take on a different kind of game than usual? That's the kind of stuff that would shake the entire game community, Miyamoto!

The rumors and speculation
Shortly following the announcement that Nintendo is making a console that will be more in line with modern gaming/game comunity, AMD announced that they had landed "Two new major wins" according to extremetech. They are quoted as suggesting that at least one of the two deals centered on gaming, and that they would leave it up to the customer (the company the deal was made with) to reveal that they were using this technology. For those of you who understand the technical jargon and specs, the quote specified "...One is x86, and the other is ARM...*". Now for the rest of you, x86 (I believe it is) is the same tech that the PS4 and XBox One use.
*Extreme Tech

In other words, if this is the deal that pertains to gaming (and indeed his words were not misconstrued), the deal couldn't be with PlayStation or XBox as they made that deal before those two systems began production. This would leave Nintendo as the only "Big" game company that would be using this tech more than likely, and as such we would be seeing a Nintendo system very much in line with PS4 and XBox One. Also of note is that Nintendo's current go-to company for custom made chips is said to be phasing out of that part of the business. If such is indeed the case, Nintendo would need a new company to produce said parts for them, and more than likely AMD would be the people to turn to.

The question here is this: If Nintendo does use x86 in their next console, will they release it in the next year or two at best in order to not be the undoing of their own attempts to be on par with the others, as waiting any longer would make their system's tech considerably more outdated than the other competitors' were when they initially released? Or will they instead hold out for a full five to six years and release with slightly more dated tech than they could, since new, more powerful machinery will be available by then?

Does any of this mean that a new Nintendo console is on the way in the next one to three years? No, it merely seems to indicate such. All is speculation for now, but it seems unlikely that they would be working on a new Mario title --even in concept-- if they're looking at more than a year or two at the most. All we know for certain though is that Nintendo is due for a new console release in 2017 if they stick to five year generations, and that they may indeed be hinting at an even earlier release in an attempt to "get back in the game". And while the Wii U sales have picked up some, they could certainly stand a new console success to really turn things around for them. However if released too soon, a new console could prove to be even more financial distress for them. How will this pan out, and will we see a sneak peek this E3?

What do you think? Is it possible that Nintendo plans a new console for 2015 or 2016? Or will the company wait their typical five years? Perhaps the Wii U will be allowed to ride it out even longer like the PS4 and XBox One most likely will? I personally fully expect a new Nintendo console by late 2017 at the latest, unless the Wii U enjoys some serious changes in sales this year, and I'm hoping for a 2015 or 2016 release, though I'm not holding my breath on it.

Great Article Erinn.

I love these, and even though I'm not always looking at what's going on behind the scenes today, I loved the history on why companies did what with their hardware and products in generations past. It's really interesting, and I would even say educational for one to look up that sort of stuff.

But anyways.

I know people like to talk about graphics and stuff, and it's even sad to a certain degree that a fair amount of people will pick a game or system based off graphics.

I know for a fact that 90% of the games I enjoyed were not enjoyed because of the graphics, but because of the mechanics involved in them.

Important stuff like physics, content, story, music.

This is what makes a good game.



If Nintendo want's to be successful, they can't depend on console power. They should focus on good games first, as that's what people are getting their systems for.


Look at a lot of systems that are released. So many of them take up to 2 years now before a good collection of games is out that is worth playing.


On the Wii, I can name very few games which were original to that system.


I can name, Sonic and The Black Knight, (This is a much better game than people say it is, Think Mario Sunshine, Different, but good. In fact, it's really much more true to Sonic that Sunshine was to Mario.)

And I can name. . . . . New Super Mario Bro Wii.


Those two are literally the only good enough games which came out for that system that I would say were worth playing.


The Gamecube? Let me give you a list:


Smash Bros Melee. (seen it, haven't played it though.)
Luigi's Mansion.
Mario Sunshine.
Sonic Heroes (barely)
Mario Kart Double Dash (Good times, my families first game for the gamecube. Such memories, stop beating me as Wario Dad!)

Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door.
Mario Party 6.
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.


And there are probably more that I haven't either played, or heard enough about to be certain. (Some people for example would say Metroid Prime, or Star Fox Assualt belongs on that list. If I knew more about them, I might include those too actually.)


And the N64:

Star Fox 64.
Mario Kart 64.
Super Mario 64.
Yoshi's Story.
Super Smash Bros.
Bomberman 64.
007. (Well, my dad used to play it a lot.)


Aaaannnndddd the original Mario party.


Good times, good times.

And I almost forgot perhaps two of the best Zelda's ever made.

Ocarina of Time.
And Majora's Mask.

These were all great. I mean, they weren't just good, they were GREAT.








Different color tunics.

Remember that Nintendo.

We loved that.



It' kindof sad really.

Maybe motion controls is what killed the Wii and made so many fans leave. (particularly older ones)


I mean, the Playstation 3, more mature, not so much a focus on motion controls, (or giving them to you when you didn't want them).


Now, the Wii U though, even though it's 2 years in, has shown a large imporovement.


We have:

Mario 3D world.
Nintendo Land.
New Super Mario Bros U.
Mario Kart U.
Smash Bros U.

And apparently that Captain Toad game is good.

but anyways, I'm running short on time, and all I wanted to say is, "Let's hope Nintendo has realized what its fan's want and keeps on doing better like this."

This Wii U is suuuuuuuch a great step in the right direction.

I think that Nintendo should do well now.

Great article.

While I'm super pumped about the sounds of this new console, I do hope they give the Wii U about 5 years before releasing their next. Why?

I know it's been said every year since the Wii U came out, but I do think that 2015 is going to be a good year for it. Already the Amiibos and SSB have given Nintendo a little juice. Zelda is on it's way, and it's already blowing our minds, which is better than most other Zelda teaser trailers did in the past.

I love the game pad, being able to look down at your screen to see the map, items, etc is a great idea, and I hope they keep some form of that in their new console; but I'm also looking forward to what the Wii U has in store now that it's finally accelerating.

Sword legion : Thanks. And I agree entirely on everything except the Zelda comments (TP trumps all of them for me, but nostalgia plays a big role in that) and that the Wii U was such a big step in the right direction. In ways it was, but I don't think it was quite on track with how it should have been, though it was undeniably a big improvement from the Wii. I don't actually see why they even made the Wii. They code named it "revolution" but the PS2 tried that with the eye toy and it flopped. Why do something so simillar and expect different results? Granted it sold like crazy but it was only a "fad" (barely outsold PS3 by way of game sales, despite selling around 16,000,000 more systems. And PS3 is still releasing games and will likely pass it soon. Fad sales) and actually hurt Nintendo in the long run by making many dedicated gamers doubt their every move on the next console they made. The fact that it was a fad is what Nintendo failed to see before releasing the Wii U. Sounds like they understand now though.

Overall the Wii U was a very big improvement though, and if things go the way it seems they will, the next console will be even better. Hopefully we see something more akin to the N64 or Gamecube than the Wii. And while it would thrill me to see a similar system to the PS4 in quality, I don't want them to change their graphics style and game themes. Those are already as perfect as can be in my opinion.



Light Knight : Thank you. And I agree on the idea that the games this year will be amazing (I'm also super excited about the new Zelda title), though I loved the look of many of the titles up to this point as well. I expect 2015 to see more great game releases on both Wii U and PS4 (I know nothing of XBox One lineups) than we've seen in years.

However I don't think a simillar controller would be in their best interest yet (though maybe on future consoles). I think they need a more conventional controller design in order to convince offput gamers who hold the Wii and Wii U in disdain to give them another shot, and let them know that they (Nintendo) are offering a serious console just like everyone else. And if they do nothing else, it's imperative that they NOT give it a name with "Wii" in the title anywhere (No Wii 3 Nintendo! lol).

And I would like to see an earlier release because I am one of those offput customers. lol I do plan to get a Wii U now, but I would love to see a "normal" system from Nintendo, reminding us that their glory days are not behind them yet. Still if they wait the full five years, it will make my future Wii U purchase less of a waste. Also let's not forget that Sega tanked because they kept releasing consoles too close together in deperate attempts to make up for poor sales on their previous systems. Don't want Nintendo to meet the same fate by making exceptions for early releases. That's actually why I expect them to wait until 2017 at least.

Eirinn : This is an interesting article Eirinn, well, to my point of view, if it's like a brand new console, I don't Nintendo will in fact release a new console until the 9th generation which will be not for another 4-6 years to my point of view, but if they do like an updated version of the Wii-U like they did with the 3DS, that sounds a whole lot more possible, like introduce something called "New Wii-U".

I would like to see a brand new console released by Nintendo and I haven't really played the Wii-U as of right now, but I might be buying one pretty soon, because they are a couple of games I want to play on that console such as New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Smash Bros. Wii-U.

I think as for a new console, Nintendo should give a little bit more time, but if Nintendo do something similar to what they did to the 3DS, that sounds a lot more plausible, at least to my point of view though.

Eirinn : Yes! No more "Wii" in the console title. Also, better advertising. It seems like they thought the Wii U would just ride on the Wii's wave without really bothering to clearly advertise what it was for... but I'm getting off topic.

I am excited to see how Nintendo will make a more "traditional" console, while introducing SOMEthing innovative. Nintendo can't, and shouldn't, release a console that doesn't push the boundaries of a gaming a little... and in ways other than simply graphics. So whether they keep a screen on their controller (which I still like the idea of), I don't think that will be the focus this time around, I'm hoping it's just something that "sticks around", like rumbling did. Don't make the controller as huge, but keep some kind of display on it... at least that's what I'd like.

BTW, TP is my favorite Zelda title too. It's not often I meet another fan of it.

Eirinn: Well, Nintendo has confirmed that they are making a new console called the "Nintendo NX" and this also makes this console the first video game console announced in the 9th generation of video gaming.

They said they don't have any information on the NX until 2016 with a possibly showing a prototype on the NX at E3 2016.

I even posted a thread about the new NX console coming up.