@Laoldar, Your statement of "[having the best technology] never mattered in previous console generations either" is very true. Look at the numerous competitors that stepped up to face the GameBoy in the portable market in the 1990s and everyone failed even though almost everyone had better technology. Even the PS2 was the least powerful console last generation and it had a resounding win. One or both of the Nintendo-Sega console competition years had Sega with the better technology in its console, but we all know where Sega ended up with its console business.
I would not expect another Wii-design (read redesign... I had to put that "pun" in there because of the numerous ones like Wii-mote) until 2010 at the earliest. (There may be a model that comes out that bundles in DVD functionality in Japan or something, but I mean a real new model - such as one with HD built-in.) I think it is likely for the Wii to see another model in 2010 because of the fact that it could just add in HD functionality and have total backwards compatibility thru upscaling and older Wiis could always play the newer HD games thru downscaling (simple solutions = easier to justify a new model). Plus, it only makes total financial sense for Nintendo to introduce a new model around that time (when demand has died down from huge levels as of right now).
I would also suspect that Nintendo will be launching a new DS in 2009 or 2010 saying that projected worldwide sales (as of the end of their last financial year) totals are going to hit about 81 million by the end of March 2008 and most likely hit over 100 million or maybe 110 million (depending on sales momentum) by March 2009. I do not see Nintendo doing the launch of two new major pieces of hardware in the same year and another model of the Wii would have to be scheduled with another model of the DS being launched also.
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Your statement of "[having the best technology] never mattered in previous console generations either" is very true. Look at the numerous competitors that stepped up to face the GameBoy in the portable market in the 1990s and everyone failed even though almost everyone had better technology. Even the PS2 was the least powerful console last generation and it had a resounding win. One or both of the Nintendo-Sega console competition years had Sega with the better technology in its console, but we all know where Sega ended up with its console business.
I would not expect another Wii-design (read redesign... I had to put that "pun" in there because of the numerous ones like Wii-mote) until 2010 at the earliest. (There may be a model that comes out that bundles in DVD functionality in Japan or something, but I mean a real new model - such as one with HD built-in.) I think it is likely for the Wii to see another model in 2010 because of the fact that it could just add in HD functionality and have total backwards compatibility thru upscaling and older Wiis could always play the newer HD games thru downscaling (simple solutions = easier to justify a new model). Plus, it only makes total financial sense for Nintendo to introduce a new model around that time (when demand has died down from huge levels as of right now).
I would also suspect that Nintendo will be launching a new DS in 2009 or 2010 saying that projected worldwide sales (as of the end of their last financial year) totals are going to hit about 81 million by the end of March 2008 and most likely hit over 100 million or maybe 110 million (depending on sales momentum) by March 2009. I do not see Nintendo doing the launch of two new major pieces of hardware in the same year and another model of the Wii would have to be scheduled with another model of the DS being launched also.