You're demonstrating a lot of ignorance there. Saying that the 3DS is just a DS is basically the same as saying the PS1 and PS2 are the same because they have nearly identical controllers. In both cases, the architecture and capabilities are completely different.

Lololol, my Pentium MMX Windows 95 computer is the same as my Core 2 Quad Windows XP machine because they are both superficially similar! They both have mice and keyboards!

Nintendo are guilty of what you said in the difference between the DS/DS lite and the DSi/DSi XL in that DSi games are still pretty much just DS games that can access the DSi's extra hardware (cameras and so on). The 3DS is a completely different system though, as different as Gameboy Color was from the Gameboy Advance.

I don't think we're getting new XBoxes or PSes for awhile (even though the graphics suck by the standards of what an average PC can do with a 80 dollar graphics card these days).

Nintendo does need a HD console, but I'm just not up for anything else gimmicky from them. Knowing them any HD they actually do will be ass and launch with 3 Donkey Kong game variations, 5 party games, and some crappy Mario sequel.

Actually, they will just make 1 game initially with all of those.

BTW, I'm not sure how this got slightly derailed into a discussion about next gen Sony/MS consoles. I said they were in development and that Nintendo is likely doing this to stay competitive for when they are eventually released. It's no secret Sony has come out and said they have already started R&D on the next gen console.

For reference, the PS1 was released in 1994. The PS2 released in 2000. The PS3 was released in 2006. The trend points to a 2012 reveal at least. Likewise with MS, the Xbox was released in 2001 and the 360 released in 2005.

A lot of industry people are saying the old release cycles won't hold true. This last gen was a huge investment and didn't pay itself off very quickly. As well Sony and MS just made 2 huge investments in Move and Kinect, which will likely extend the life of existing consoles. Sony is like MS, they have a large research division, I wouldn't put too much stock in rumors of them doing R&D on PS4, they probably started that before the PS3 was out the door.

Don't worry, even if they do release a HD console, it will still likely have those stupid friend codes they insist on using.

What's the problem with friend codes?

you mean apart from the fact you can't choose to just play against random people you must have the friend code to play online with someone

After the wii all I have to say is: Nintendo better pull something VERY impressive out of it's ass if it even wants to get close to my money

That is in both hardware wise and Online structure

And most important: A good, varied and exclusive game selection worth buying the system for, some people are content with Endless Zelda/Mario/Metroid rehashes

I'm not

I've played plenty of DS/Wii games against random people with no friend code swapping involved. You obviously haven't played many DS/Wii games online.
TBH, I'd kill for a Metroid rehash. There hasn't been one since 2004 on the GBA.

There is a rumor that the Wii will be getting a price cut to $150 soon.

Article here.

The fact that they exist. Why should you have to enter a long code, when other systems don't have this requirement at all? Next we'll be entering long passwords to resume our progress like in River City Ransom. (Awesome game though.)

Or putting bullets on a grid to build a 2-dimensional code, like in Megaman 2.

I don't see how it's any different than swapping a username, phone number or email address.

Not many people are going to instantly remember a numerical sequence. Even phone numbers are often forgotten. User names make much more sense, and the rest of the world uses them already.

The problem with FCs was that they were game-specific so you had different friends lists for each game. It should all be centralized in a single account like Sony and MS do it.