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Sunday, December 4, 2011

pikaby asks: Which console next?

Ketteiban, if the name is implying the correct meaning, is the final Wii Taiko game. That means there won't be any more games made for the current SD consoles as Taiko is moving to HD screens. The franchise could potentially go anywhere from here. Namco did not ask which console players want the next Taiko to be on in their Wii4 survey, meaning they are either 1) being forgetful or 2) already have something in mind. Which console do you think it will land on next?

PS3? PSVita? 3DS? Wii U?

Of the four, the first and the third are the more probable ones in the immediate horizon, as both are already released. For the first HD Taiko however, it would have to be the PS3 that is most likely, even though the console has never had a Taiko game before. After the waning popularity and market saturation of Wii, PS3 now has the more dedicated userbase of gamers and with a large audience comes potential buyers. The HD-ready console would be perfect to debut the 3rd graphic interface on a console, and not to mention the potential for downloadable songs too. And the disc itself; there's a huge chunk of storage for songs. How high do you think the number will go?

At the same time the Nintendo 3DS is slowly, but surely, gaining ground in Japan, and what better way to continue the DS legacy by putting a Taiko game here? It won't be HD, but a portable Taiko always sells like gangbusters. Always. Need proof? Portable DX, DS3, even DS2 all outsold the larger song volumes of the Wii Taikos in their first week on sale. Japan loves portables and touchscreens. It's region locked, but that's none of their concern, sadly, the overseas market for Taiko is negligible to them.

Of course, PS Vita also looks like an interesting prospect, and by the looks of it the number of people who will buy into a HD portable console is larger than the ones going for glasses-free 3D. Who knows? Maybe there will be a PSP DX sequel launched here. And as for the Wii U, it's not even close to being released yet, but like I said in the E3 article a few months ago, the potential here is huge, the flexibility in choosing control methods is massive, and it's also HD. It remains to be seen how large the potential userbase will get, but if a HD Taiko were to be released next year it won't be on Wii U, it would be on PS3 because of the late release. I still think Wii U will get a Taiko in some form or other though. Where else would Namco put their Nintendo related songs? (Pokemon OPs, Mario etc)

Now, enough about me, let's hear your opinion!