Does Mr Iwata-san seriously expect us to believe that if Microsoft was to launch a new console in four year's time and Sony were to 'upgrade' the PS3, that Nintendo would remain quite happily selling the Revolution? (Sorry, but I just cannot bring myself to call it by its **** marketing name).

Yeah, riiiiight!

As to the "not suffering from shortage of new ideas". Well, Nintendo might not be, but their fan-base would sure love to play some other games, aside from the usual Metroid, Mario and Zelda crass that keeps getting put out with every single iteration of their boring and bland consoles.

Perhaps if they stopped writing Metroid, Mario and Zelda and so-called "brain training" games, they might actually discover that excelling by not participating is NOT how this market works.

They might as well go back to making dolls, because they're certainly not in the games development market, but more like in the fad (here-today-gone-tomorrow) market.

The VERY fact that they released such an obscure console IS because they're out of ideas and money to compete with Sony/Microsoft.

Interested parties might like to read the whole Investor Relations conference at:

http://www.nintend....html

Zed Zee:

Perhaps if you were the head of 2007's number one selling game publisher, and simultaneously the head of the number one portable games hardware manufacturer, whilst also being the head of the number one home console manufacturer, you might be in a position to explain to Mr. Iwata 'how the market works'.

Until then, you might try appreciating the variety that Nintendo brings to the market (even if it's not to your particular tastes).

I assume black and pink ones are on the way next year then ala the DS and GBA ;-)

As for variety, any variety and originality is encased in a thick veneer of familiarity, keeps the punters happy and the cash rolling in so why mess with a winning formular?

Seems Ninti is warming up the industry to expect to drop the Wii earlier then expected. Well, I don't think its really earlier. Most of us would expect a real next gen console from Nintendo earlier then later (within max 2 years).

@ zebedee:

Being number one in this industry don't mean jack! Just look at poor Sony and see what's happened to them this time round, so I would not have my head too far up Nintendo, if I were you. Unless you're employed by them in some capacity or another.

Then again, Nintendo prefer to employ adults (I hope) who can hold an argument beyond quoting what was said to a captive audience at an "Investor Relations Conference" (you didn't seriously read all the conference boulderdash did you?!) or at the very least, have their own opinion about something and not just tow the company line.

I'm a PlayStation fanboy (yes, and proud of it!) but I've been severely critical of their strategy of the the PS3. So much so, that I've boycotted buying one, because of the unfair way they are treating their UK/European fanbase. So, when you're through with your sales figures and free goody back from the conference, come and see me for a decent debate...

Over & Out.

Zed Zee you don't think that Nintendo could get by waiting around while both Sony and MS moved forward another generation?

Isn't that what you (being self-proclaimed) Sony fanboys say happened THIS generation? That the Wii is nothing more than a gussied up 'Cube? Seems to have worked pretty well for them this go'round...

As for Nintendo "not in the game development market"?

Yeah... Sure. That's why 8 of the Top 10 Best-Selling Games of All-Time are from Nintendo. Yeah, they're really lacking in that department. That's why, despite having the poorest selling console of the last generation they sold more than TWICE the amount of software that the Xbox did -- having more than 20 titles break 1 million units sold, whereas you can almost count the number that the Xbox had on one hand.

And I don't doubt that their fanbase would like to see some new IP, but to doubt the power of the long-lived franchises would be ignorant at the least. Super Mario Sunshine sucked, and Nintendo STILL sold more copies of that than copies of Halo were sold. Only GTA and Madden can rival ANY of Nintendo's long-running franchises. Tired of it? Maybe. But they still eat it up like nothing else on the market. Nintendo not making another Mario/Zelda/Metroid/Donkey Kong/etc would be about as stupid as Rockstar not making another GTA.

And how can you lament Nintendo for being a "fad" and "here today gone tomorrow" while you chastise them for using the same franchises for decades now. Which is it?

And out of ideas to compete with Sony/MS? Have you been asleep the past year? Or do you believe that they, realizing that they couldn't compete with Sony/MS, turned off to do their own thing? Because your initial statement -- that Nintendo would HAVE to play keep-up with Sony/MS implies that you believe they still do compete. And if they still are, then CLEARLY Nintendo found out how to compete... and hw to whoop-*** at that.

And out of money? Please. Nintendo is the second-largest company in the Japanese economy now. It's sitting on one of the largest piles of cash in corporate Japan. It could afford to take Xbox-like losses for more than a decade if that's what it really wanted to do.

And for the record, I do own a Wii... but it's been gathering dust the better part of a year (except I did try Metroid everso-briefly). I'm one of those you mention who'd like something other than the usual from Nintendo.