Alright I'll preface this by saying that this is in no a way a rant about the Wii being a bad console (because it isn't). It's more of a wish for the future that would benefit the end users.   
 
So the thing about the Wii is that it is an inferior piece of hardware. Let's be honest. It just can't support the kind of games that the PS3 and Xbox 360 can. Because of that, the only reason to own a Wii is for the brilliant first-party games that Nintendo develops: your Zeldas and Marios etc. I think Nintendo has a lot to offer us in terms of IPs.  
 
But all of those games could run just as well, or even better on the other consoles. Imagine a Metroid game running on modern hardware! It's true that Nintendo used to have the trump card of motion controls, but that has changed with the advent of the Move and Kinect. Thus I think in a perfect world, Nintendo would not produce a new console and would instead begin developing games for other platforms. They could create games that aren't inhibited by their poor hardware and frankly sometimes baffling choices of service (friend codes anyone?). I think this would be a great thing for us the users.
 
Will this happen? No. Why? Cause Nintendo likes money. And you can't blame them. Their business model has served them well. But still, we can dream right?

I've been thinking this for a while, but, like you said, it won't happen. 
 
I have not bought a Wii, but I'm hoping that the next system they make will step up the technology like the 3DS is doing.

Don't ever go in to business, seriously.

Nintendo could make a powerful console in the next generation.  They aren't stupid and they probably will figure out, if they haven't already, how to make more powerful hardware while also maintaining high sales.

Yeah I really wish they took the sega route for home consoles. They still can make a mean handheld, but dude I dunno...

Or maybe their next console will just have cutting edge hardware along with the motion control. I hope.

I thought this was going to be an interesting thread where you pin-point why Nintendo should stop making consoles and focus on the handheld market since they are dominating it... I was wrong. 

" Yeah I really wish they took the sega route for home consoles.

I would love love love if Nintendo became just a publisher/devloper because they have great franchises and characters but I don't want to buy a crappy console to play their games. Also I'm not going to play a game in 2011 in 480p. That's no good.
 
You're right though. They won't stop making consoles, I think, for the coming future. It's just so profitable for them. Their business model is make a cheap system, make money on each system and come up with a new gimmick that gets people to buy it. I garantee the Wii2's new thing will be a pair of sandels or something that you have to wear and move about to play games but the tech will just essentialy be 2 wii remotes stuck to some shoes so they save money on that. Then they just get the CPU/GPU out of an iPhone and use that to run the games.

They obviously won't because of the position they're in but man oh man it would be something else if you could get Nintendo developed games for the platform of your choice.

Great post, I've also thought of this as well before Wii came out, but due to the Wii's worldwide success (as well as the DS') I don't think it will happen anytime soon, if ever.

" Alright I'll preface this by saying that this is in no a way a rant about the Wii being a bad console... So the thing about the Wii is that it is an inferior piece of hardware. "

I'm happy your post didnt go the "Lets hack and slash at the Wii." I really never understood why people had to sit around and bash a console.
 
While I do agree the Wii has some weird quarks and that they do make great hand healds, I think the Wii is ...was (I haven't checked system prices recently) a way for people who didn't have money get a slightly updated system. It also has a more family feel in general, I think older people and the video game challenged feel less threatened by it. The Wii lives a lot because it can appeal to that audience that Xbox and PS3 probably wont regardless if they have fancy motion controls.

" @Dtat said:

" Alright I'll preface this by saying that this is in no a way a rant about the Wii being a bad console... So the thing about the Wii is that it is an inferior piece of hardware. "

I'm sensing conflicting ideas here. "

I would hate it if Nintendo did take that route, 
also the more console makers there is the better for the customer

 You're just assuming that Nintendo won't be able to come up with anything else after motion controls. That's a poor assumption to make given the glorious history of Nintendo.

The Wii is not an inferior piece of hardware. I'll give you underpowered, but the inferior piece of hardware goes to the Xbox 360. I had that thing for two years and it broke, my launch day Wii still runs fine. The old argument that the Wii is only good for 1st party games is absurd. I've played some great 3rd party games on the Wii. Because of the Wii, Nintendo has put themselves in position to be a console leader not only this generation but next generation as well. I see two consoles living in a midlife crisis by adding motion controls in an effort to compete with the Wii. Long live Nintendo and long live my little motion box. Maybe one day, we'll go HD together.

i think next generation they go with current current graphics. i mean by that is when the new consoles come out it will be current hardware. i think it would be cool doing that. there can actually be a system wars with all three again. the best example is comparing dead rising for wii and xbox 360. the wii version had far less zombies and graphics weren't good. the xbox 360 version it just had more zombies and graphics are good.

I think Nintendo purposely stepped back and didn't go to hell with power as to keep it cheaper and simpler...and it worked very well

" Alright I'll preface this by saying that this is in no a way a rant about the Wii being a bad console (because it isn't). It's more of a wish for the future that would benefit the end users.    So the thing about the Wii is that it is an inferior piece of hardware. Let's be honest. It just can't support the kind of games that the PS3 and Xbox 360 can. Because of that, the only reason to own a Wii is for the brilliant first-party games that Nintendo develops: your Zeldas and Marios etc. I think Nintendo has a lot to offer us in terms of IPs.   But all of those games could run just as well, or even better on the other consoles. Imagine a Metroid game running on modern hardware! It's true that Nintendo used to have the trump card of motion controls, but that has changed with the advent of the Move and Kinect. Thus I think in a perfect world, Nintendo would not produce a new console and would instead begin developing games for other platforms. They could create games that aren't inhibited by their poor hardware and frankly sometimes baffling choices of service (friend codes anyone?). I think this would be a great thing for us the users. Will this happen? No. Why? Cause Nintendo likes money. And you can't blame them. Their business model has served them well. But still, we can dream right? "

• After the success of the Wii in the mass market when it comes to sales, this will only put Nintendo on stronger ground. 
• The Eighth Generation will have Nintendo back again with a brand new console.You can bet on that.
  
• Even if we did take your theory, what is going to happen to Original IPs like the one's you mentioned? Develop/Sell them to rival companies? Or use them to produce more powerful games on new hardware?
• Nintendo will learn from their mistakes, and this goes to online play that is a stupid mess with its current form and many others.
  
• What makes you think Motion will still be their main "trick in the box"? I highly doubt that.
  

Yes I totally agree.  Nintendo should stop making consoles, and just stick with games for other consoles.  The two major players in the console wars are Microsoft and Sony.  Just let those two duke it out for the championship for best console and leave it at that.

" I would hate it if Nintendo did take that route,  also the more console makers there is the better for the customer "

" Nintendo could make a powerful console in the next generation.  They aren't stupid and they probably will figure out, if they haven't already, how to make more powerful hardware while also maintaining high sales. "

" The Wii is not an inferior piece of hardware. I'll give you underpowered, but the inferior piece of hardware goes to the Xbox 360. I had that thing for two years and it broke, my launch day Wii still runs fine. The old argument that the Wii is only good for 1st party games is absurd. I've played some great 3rd party games on the Wii. Because of the Wii, Nintendo has put themselves in position to be a console leader not only this generation but next generation as well. I see two consoles living in a midlife crisis by adding motion controls in an effort to compete with the Wii. Long live Nintendo and long live my little motion box. Maybe one day, we'll go HD together. "

Right, because it's not like they're making oodles and oodles of dough as it is.  
 
OWAIT

 It just can't support the kind of games that the PS3 and Xbox 360 can

Because of that, the only reason to own a Wii is for the brilliant first-party games that Nintendo develops: your Zeldas and Marios etc.

" @Dtat: 3 letters:   3DS "

" @Kjellm87 said:

" I would hate it if Nintendo did take that route,  also the more console makers there is the better for the customer "

The video game crash of 1983 says hello.  "

Wow, I feel like I have been reading this topic since 2006.
 
If you want, I can make a long reply on this topic with some of my opinions.
Otherwise, I'll just say this: "Turkey Sandwich"

I really wish a scenario like this would play out, although I know it never will.

The Wii Defense Force still lives dammit or god be damned.

I have also thought of how things would work if Nintendo became a third party developer. If Nintendo focused less on making systems every five years, and more on games, there would be more quality and quantity from Nintendo's IPs. All that time and money spent on making and maintaining consoles, we wouldn't have to wait 3-4 years between installments of series like Zelda or Mario. 

Maybe Nintendo should just go back to making Hanafuda cards. Because that's why we love Nintendo, right?

The hardware is their bread and butter. Of course their IPs sell well, but that's nothing compared to hardware sales.

" @Claude:  Too many of our members have been assassinated. "

You know, at this point I basically consider Nintendo to be in the toy business. That's basically what the Wii is, a toy. it doesn't really have features that most gamers want. The folly everyone seems to be a part of is thinking Nintendo wants to be like Sony and Microsoft. They are #1 in sales because they make products for the biggest and easiest sales demographic: kids. Its easy to get kids to buy games, and that's why so much shovelware exists for the platform. Every once and a while they throw out a quality title for actual gamers, but for the most part their business model works just fine. They can survive on kids games and kids sales alone because Sony and Microsoft can't crack that market.

You talk about the end users but "core" fans of Nintendo only make up a small portion of Nintendo's consumer base now. I think a lot of people forget that "casual" consumers have just as much of a right to enjoy games as we do. If Nintendo did drop everything to start making first-party games on non-Nintendo platform they'd be letting down the majority of their customer base. I'm also a little sceptical of any console being removed from the market because the less consoles there are out there the closer the market gets to a monopoly.

" @Claude said:

" The Wii is not an inferior piece of hardware. I'll give you underpowered, but the inferior piece of hardware goes to the Xbox 360. I had that thing for two years and it broke, my launch day Wii still runs fine. The old argument that the Wii is only good for 1st party games is absurd. I've played some great 3rd party games on the Wii. Because of the Wii, Nintendo has put themselves in position to be a console leader not only this generation but next generation as well. I see two consoles living in a midlife crisis by adding motion controls in an effort to compete with the Wii. Long live Nintendo and long live my little motion box. Maybe one day, we'll go HD together. "

Quoted for truth.  Nintendo is sitting at the top of both the home and portable markets this generation.  They're not going anywhere.  No matter how much, for whatever reason, you think they should.  Microsoft and Sony both brought out motion controls 3/4 of the way through this generation just to compete with the Wii's sales.  Just because you don't like the Wii, or think it's inferior, does not mean Nintendo should call it quits and never learn from whatever mistakes they might have made. "