From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with features they enjoyed the first time around. Today we have Anthony's reaction to the news regarding Nintendo's next console - dubbed the NX - which was first confirmed back in March.
When Nintendo today announced its partnership with DeNA, which focuses on "smart devices" (mobile phones and tablets), it was wise to also include a statement of intent around its current business - dedicated game systems.
As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename "NX." It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year.
We expect this announcement was included to reassure fans that Nintendo is not abandoning its existing business; in fact it helps us to understand its mobile strategy, as a whole, as they will be designed to complement each other in the long term.
Whilst we don't have any further information on what "NX" is, or will do, there are a number of things that Nintendo has done over the past few years that, we feel, shows a likely path forward. We would like to make it clear that from this point on we're speculating - educated guesses, if you will - as to what NX could be.
It's important to note that Nintendo did not state whether this new NX platform is a successor to Nintendo 3DS, Wii U or both. However, looking at the slides you can probably interpret it in two ways - 1) NX will be a new third pillar in addition to 3DS and Wii U or 2) as the natural successor to both devices.
Nintendo also concentrated on the phrase 'game platform', rather than device, which would suggest a unified platform that can be used on one or many devices - similar to how iOS works at the moment with apps working across both it's iPhone and iPad devices. Nintendo would solve a number of development issues if this is indeed the plan going forward.
Given the strength of the now-aging 3DS system in Japan and the disappointing sales for Wii U, a late 2016 release for new Nintendo hardware is not out of the question and would make sense for a new single platform to replace both existing systems at the same time.
There are a number of other indicators that also point towards the same conclusion, not least the fact the company merged its handheld and console divisions back in early 2013. The company's latest hardware release, the New Nintendo 3DS, also added a few new control options with ZL/ZR and a pseudo right analogue stick which identically matches the control scheme of the Wii U GamePad. Both platforms already share amiibo functionality, too.
So, essentially we could already see games that work with the same controls across both existing devices, though due to the nature of the systems would still need standalone development. NX as a unified platform on the other hand, could allow singular development across multiple devices, saving a huge amount of development resource and simultaneous releases.
The gulf in technical capabilities between home console and handheld has drastically reduced in the past decade with the rise of smart phones and tablets pushing the technology forward. This means console-level games on a handheld are far more realistic than ever before. It's possible Nintendo would opt for a change of architecture at this point too, with x86 and ARM being the logical options. This could open further doors to more development tools being available for Nintendo's platform and start to lure back third party developers and more Indies; not to mention that it would help Nintendo focus its efforts on producing more games without worrying about separate hardware setups. These will surely be considerations for the big N's senior management.
Super Smash Bros. is another example of how this could be advantageous to both Nintendo and the consumer - the latest edition of the game required Nintendo to develop two slightly different variations of the game due to the different hardware constraints; this meant the player had to purchase two versions of essentially the same game if they wanted to play at home and on the move. This approach also imposed limitations on the online functionality as players were unable to compete against other players on the other version of the title. If NX is indeed a single platform it would provide the opportunity for 'Smash 5' to be a completely unified experience across all devices.
We've also seen a few popular Wii games ported over to Nintendo 3DS first, with Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and more recently Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. These releases could demonstrate that the company is already testing the waters with console-level games on handhelds. Games have also travelled in the opposite direction, with the likes of Resident Evil: Revelations, which was first released on 3DS and later ported to Wii U and other home consoles by Capcom. Its recent foray into cross-buy initiatives also could be further research into whether players like the flexibility of having content they can freely move between devices.
As for how this would work on a very practical level, there's scope for multiple SKUs (purchasing options) in a theoretically unified platform. Nintendo would have to consider the realities of each market - portable gaming is dominant in Japan, home consoles rule the West - and could accommodate its offerings accordingly. There could be a portable only solution, perhaps with an inexpensive 'dongle' to plug into a modern TV to allow it to stream to the TV. There could be a home console-style unit, too, with its own dedicated control options for a genuine living room experience. Take a blend of the GamePad and New 3DS ideas, and there are options where gamers can enjoy the same batch of games on the hardware setup of their choice or budget.
Whilst we can't rule out Nintendo doing something completely different to what we're suggesting here, the evidence is starting to pile up and all pointing to the same thing: there is no advantage in having two different dedicated gaming platforms going forward.
Do you think Nintendo NX will be a completely unified system? Or something completely different? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 302
Sounds perfect to me. Even Nintendo are not big enough to put out enough quality games on both a home console and handheld on their own. Don't get me wrong, when they get it right they're amazing games, but they're stretched too thin, and we're seeing the result of that with the mediocre review scores games like Rainbow Curse, Tipping Stars and Codename S.T.E.A.M are getting.
I liked the "Nintendo Fusion" rumours that did the rounds. I would prefer a complementary handheld and console than two completely separate systems. I think the Wii U would have been much better as a powerful standalone console that could tether with a 3DS to make games like Nintendoland. They've teased us with the feature since the GBA/GC days.
Better indeed.
I like to see fanboys argue that Wii U is not doomed now
I commented in another article that with all the other branches Nintendo is pushing (amiibos, QoL, and now the DeNA partnership), it seems like they're trying to get a foot-hold on new ways to make money when consoles and portables [inevitably] merge together.
I really hope the speculation of the NX being a unified system is true. I cant see many reason why they shouldn't do it from a convenience standpoint.
This thing better not come out until 2018....I just bought a Wii U
I would love to buy a Nintendo system capable of TV and portable gaming at the same time, although the price should be at $500 or less...
@DualWielding If it helps, most folks have said that by the time the NX is actually going to release, the Wii U will have already lived the "average" console cycle (4-6 years). This probably also explains the N3DS being a stop-gap until the next gen (many folks have mentioned this too).
Really, it all just seems par the course.
Interesting. This kinda reminded me of the DS when they announced it, saying that it wasn't there to replace either the GB or consoles but it was a third pillar...
...but we all know how that ended (RIP GB)
I am interested. Tablets have disrupted PCs and closed the gap between computers and mainstream customers even more than PC's ever did. It was a matter of time they will influence gaming console.
I hope they announce more of this platform this E3
@blujay1524 it is coming around in 2018.
Sounds great to me. There will be no more confusion between 3DS, XL, 2DS, New 3DS, Wii, Wii U, etc. as technically any game would play on any system.
Still odd that they announce it like that when they are not ready to show anything. So I also think it could be a Nintendo branded device for playing their upcoming mobile games, since they mention it the same day they are going into mobiles.
I find myself inrigued by the concept, but there are still many questions that will need to be addressed before I can really decide where I stand on it.
I too wonder about the distinction between platform and device. Is Big N contemplating an internet based game site (like Steam) that is accessible via console, PC, phone, tablet and handheld? I am (still) a fan of the tangible over the intangible, so I hope that is not the case. But for now, just happy Big N is continuing to modernize.
I hope there isn't a Nintendo Direct until next week now, I'm burned out
End of 2016 seems a little too soon to replace Wii U, Wii U owners might feel burned and not want to buy another console. And "new" 3DS should last a couple of years. End of 2017 seems a better bet to replace both consoles w/ 1 new one if it is a new home console. If it's just a "3rd pillar" tablet then end of 2016 would be ok.
I'm guess my point is it depends on price. If it's a $400 home console it better wait until 2017, a $200 tablet and next year is ok. Though why even bother w/ a tablet after the deal w/ DeNA?
I feel like we're past the point of speculation on "fusion", when not if, but I still don't know how they'll manage it. I see price and multiplayer as the 2 biggest issues to deal w/, followed by screen resolution.
1. All-in-1 Wi U and Gamepad but the Gamepad is portable and self sustaining (like the Dreamcast VMU, only w. the full game, not Chao raising)
2. 3DS w/ HDMI out, but then how does multiplayer work? Gamepad "finally" sold separably or everyone needs a 3DS?
3. Wii U and 3DS sold separately (Wii U comes w/ Pro controller) but they play the same games
I don't see this as a good thing, I see it more as the next big flop from Nintendo since the Virtual Boy Being a handheld, console, and going into mobile just seems like too much for Nintendo to handle, especially when they can barely get people to buy their console. I say make a new home console that can actually compete against the X1 and PS4 and stop with these stupid gimmicks.
First thing I thought: NX, the "tenth", after nes, snes, n64, cube, wii, wii u, game boy, ds and 3ds
I hope it's a unified platform of some kind that adequately combines the portable and home consoles into one device.
But Nintendo has a lot of hurdles to conquer before then. Getting back 3rd party support being the biggest one. Without third party support, it won't matter what the NX is, it'll fall flat on release.
Essentially, they need to get their competitive edge back--powerful hardware, 3rd party support, robust account-based user profiles, some kind of new reinvention of the Achievement/Trophy systems, powerful online presence, exclusive partnerships, etc.
The NX will most likely be revealed as a third tier--despite the obvious fact that they clearly struggle to support two tiers by themselves--and when and if it takes off, it'll replace either or both the 3DS and Wii U.
@sinalefa Except that it was specifically mentioned as an example of how Nintendo is not abandoning dedicated gaming systems. Making it for playing mobile games seems an odd way to show that.
@DualWielding How is it doomed? It was obvious from day 1 that the Wii was going to be replaced one day with a new platform. Maybe the Wii U's issues in the marketplace forced Nintendo to get a successor ready quickly, but it's not like the Wii U is being discontintued immedality.
We won't get any new on the NX for the rest of this year, or at least that's what Nintendo said. So, 2015 is still the Wii U's year to shine, and the Wii U will still have 2016 as well since the NX is unlikely to launch until later in the year.
The Wii U most likely won't even be off the market till 2017 or even 2018. Meaning, the Wii U despite its issues will have a lifespan of 5 to 6 years on the market. Not that bad for a console that has struggled to find its footing.
I'm with @rjejr . I just can't see this as one device.
I see the appeal, but not the practicality.
I mean, I guess if you want to stand still performance-wise again so that this next device has roughly the same performance as a Wii U (360/PS3) it could be one reasonably priced device, but that is not going to satisfy my console hopes, that's for sure.
I'm calling it for gaming tablet - essentially a £150 Wii U gamepad you can take out of the house and works with Wii U
We can but dream!!
@Quorthon
I hope it can make me breakfast in the morning, too.
A device like you are hoping for is possible, but completely unmarketable. You aren't getting third party support without performance comparable to XB1 and PS4 and you aren't getting that into a handheld device in two years time at a price point that matters.
I'm highly skeptical of the one-device theory. I can see Nintendo trying it, but it can't be everything many seem to want.
I agree with most of what you say it needs to have, just not that it can be reasonably done in one device.
I love it. I would love to play my portable games on my HDTV too.
I missed the last 12 hours... there's a lot to take in. I'll let it rest for a while.
@aaronsullivan one platform, not one device. There is a difference
The article hinted at a more plausible direction for me.
NX means one platform but with devices of two or more flavors:
NX
NX Go
NX mini
The X represents the cross-hardware nature of every game. You buy it once and it plays on all of them (through a download).
@antdickens I'm aware of that and I'm specifically addressing those who are calling for or speculating one device.
@aaronsullivan yep, that's the kind of thing we have in mind.
@sinalefa I don't think that's odd; Iwata used that as reassurance for people like us that they very much intend to support more dedicated gaming platforms in the future. Smart choice of words, too, because the amount of doom and gloom would be simply unbearable otherwise.
@rjejr To be honest, now more than ever I think a Direct this week would be a smart move. It would be throwing loyal fans a bone after the potentially intimidating mobile announcement.
There are TOO many concerns for me.
First, I cannot see this being the power of a PS4, for both home and on the go. If it can't achieve that then no one will care.
Second, if this does manage to achieve the specs of at least that of the PS4 then it also has to be cheap to produce and then sell to the consumer. And by cheap I mean in line with what ever the PS4 will be, otherwise people will ignore it and again go to the PS4 making it redundant at launch. Assuming it seen that way already due to not being more powerful.
Thirdly, I somehow can't see third parties supporting it. They won't want to waste resources porting video games to a system where they have to make it scalable for on the go.
NX = NintendoPhone. Nuff said.
Its a large single screen tablet. Maybe with a folding screen, that can be play 2d or 3d games. And can connect to a TV to play the wii u type games.
With a smaller screen available for mobile gaming.
Can't wait.
Actually, I think their work with DeNa for smart devices can be seen as their 'third pillar', as it's the third major platform they'll be supporting with their games and apps.
Hoping NX is a handheld with TV streaming capability.
First, I doubt anything would be released in 2016, only announced with little info, then E3 the following year with release the year after that, like others have said, 2018 possibly.
Second, like others have said, you won't get the power you desire in a one console for all system.
There's a big difference between "over platform" and "one system". Windows 10 is a platform, you can make games that work on any windows 10 device, or you can make games that only work on Xbox. Same could be done with a handheld system and a more powerful home console counterpart. Some serves could develop a game with low enough sources to work on both, others may only work on the home console version.
Lots of rumors will fly now but it's too early to even speculate at this point, though admittedly it's fun to imagine.
This would be pretty awesome but could end up being expensive. If the price is right, that could be a winner. A nintendo phone wouldn't be unlikely tho. Saying that, what's stopping it from being something like the virtualboy, now that technology has improved considerably.
@Peach64 Rainbow Curse got mostly positive reviews, so take that off of your list.
@aaronsullivan
I think it can be reasonably done--but I have doubts if Nintendo will actually do it.
As far as I'm concerned, what would seem to be most ideal is for NX to launch in phases. In 2016, release a new handheld that also happens to be the controller for the home console part. A year later, people with the handheld can pick up just console and have the complete package. This would encourage people to buy early.
At that same point, Nintendo could launch the full device, with the portable and home console packed together. If they're smart, it could be built and sold for $400~$500. If they build everything largely with commercial off-the-shelf parts--such as mobile hardware and PC architecture, just like Sony and Microsoft now, they could deliver everything for a better price. The XBO and PS4 are both notable for being sold slightly above cost, instead of losing $126~$250 per console sold as the X360 and PS3 initially were. MS and (especially) Sony dropped overly complicated or specifically designed hardware for more reasonable PC-like design.
I'm confident that Nintendo could release a portable on-par with the Wii U and a home console on-par with the XBO/PS4 in this capacity for a good price. Catch people with the portable first, and then bring 'em in with the home console. If people want to start with the portable, they can--once hooked, pick up the console.
It's imperfect in the layout I have right here--I'm not addressing everything, but I think it could work. If they can make the portable version cheap enough, they can do it.
That said, again, there are a lot of issues not addressed here.
Perhaps the home console is largely a shell with extra CPU heft, RAM, storage space, and a disk drive, but everything runs off the portable by attaching it, thus splitting the cost of the entire thing in half where the console has a separate "Pro" Controller.
Frankly, that idea actually sounds workable--and affordable. The primary OS and so forth built into the portable, and the console merely being the added power expected for a home system.
Damn, I think I like that idea.
@antdickens Who is we? People who think it will be one device think it will be three? I don't understand. Maybe we are just cross commenting.
Just to be clear: I'm a programming instructor and have developed games for multiple platforms, I know what a platform is.
While I agree with most points, a 2016 release date is out of reality. 2017 Christmas or 2018 fall is MUCH more likely.
Hm...it could be interesting. Don't think it'll be released until 2017, though. But let's not repeat past mistakes, though. They need to market it, and get third-party developers on board.
The "Nintendo is doomed" comments are comical.
@Quorthon
It's a decent idea. I had a similar notion before (continued in post #46):
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/11/genyo_takeda_discusses_nintendos_hardware_future#comment2702387
so far im expecting a tablet-esque device that will have apps with smaller budget games (as in eshop only and VC) with an eventual unified scalable os for console and dedicated hand held.
@Octane
I'm with you. I didn't check in here til after my first break and was a bit overwhelmed with everything that has happened. Can't even take it all in but what I can so far it doesn't sound like it's a bad thing.
If it is done well I can't see how this would be a bad thing since you can have both your portable experience and your home console one without the need to buy a second device.
@ricklongo
Good point. Because Iwata not only has to clarify "We will not turn into a mobile only company" but also "Wii U is not going anywhere anytime soon", both potential blows to their current customers.
@Quorthon
I really want that too, but I think it will be difficult for Nintendo to earn back third party support while trying to develop a piece of hardware that is in essence still very different from its competitors' consoles. I think technologically speaking we're still pretty far from seeing a console/portable hybrid that functions the way we would want it to. It would be quite a feat if Nintendo could pull it off and still stay competitive in price. But I concede that technology could advance enough to make it possible in the next couple years.
Regardless, I hope Nintendo uses this NX as an opportunity to reinvent their brand and headline the games industry again, not merely make a "secondary console" as many people have used them for. Nintendo hasn't exactly been at the forefront of the games industry lately.
@sweetiepiejonus As long as they stay focussed on their handheld and home consoles, I don't see the problem either. It's still too early to say anything about it I think. NX is just very vague, but I'm curious, I also wonder what kind of games will end up on the mobile platform. And there's QOL as well...
@aaronsullivan yes, I think we cross commented. It's was just your second comment that threw me - out of context it sounded like you thought I wanted a single device. You are definitely on the same page!
@Robotron2084
Right. I was trying to write more about it, but having difficulty getting it out fast enough.
The challenge would be exactly what you suggested: Make it scalable enough to work on those multiple devices easily. There's so much more to consider, though. You can't just slap a fullscreen interface onto a 5-inch screen and say done. Still, hitting basically two hardware specifications (figuring NX mini is just for kids hands and smaller, cheaper screen and materials), seems very doable.
This way there are less compromises in each device, as well, hopefully.
Well, my mind is racing with thoughts on this but no time to discuss right now.
@antdickens cool.
I personally don't know how I feel about this ,.... it could be a great thing for Nintendo and the consumer, but they could fall to their death if they do it wrong ...
The fusion concept in itself is nowhere near as rosy as some make it out to be and if they opt for the wrong things this device could be done before it even hit the market ...
If they create 2 seprate devices with one OS/architecture and different specs they will kill one of their consoles by making their librarys exactly the same.
If they make a handheld with a docking port they could brick this device by using the wrong kind of conector or using one that is too slow or even make it highly unpractical if it requires a great ammount of time to get it inside/out of the dock.
If they go with one device which trys to be both, they will end up with something to big for a handheld and to weak for a homconsole.
All I'm saying here is, that Nintendo HAS to nail this concept without makiing any errors or else this thing will fail horribly and I really don't want to see this .... I hate purchasing 2 consoles just to play all the Nintendogames I like (cause dem moneys being so rare), so this concept naturally pleases me .... I'm just a little bit scared for Nintendo's well being ^^"
No. No streaming, no cloud-based gaming. My internet connection is already choking enough. The insistence that cloud gaming might not be a bad thing is precisely why I'm skipping the non-Nintendo consoles entirely this generation. (I usually at least get one from the PlayStation line, but I'm skipping the 4.)
I don't want to have to eschew the next generation of games entirely, but I will if that's where the cards fall.
I purchased most of Nintendo's home consoles day one most of them were great, but the Wii U really was a ok console but has gotten worse over the years, So from now on I will be holding out on purchasing any Nintendo products day one ever again. Also I hope that Nintendo doesn't combine the handheld and home console together because not everyone want's another gamepad style controller for there home console. Plus I still haven't purchased a PS4 or X1 yet so I would more than likely pickup one of them over a new nintendo console since I done have a Wii U.
I hope this is correct. The opportunity for an all one one system is great. Make it 3rd party friendly, add in different controller options, and make it more powerful than the PS4/Xbone, and you'd have a popular system.
Nintendo should make it's own Phone, the NINTENDPHONE! Maybe that's the NX!
@Agent721 Really more controller options? I think that Nintendo need's to get rid of all the controller option and just have 2 option's instead like for the home console mode should be Wii U Pro Controller style on and for portable something like the new 3ds or gamepad style and no other options.
People are reading quite much into this.
NX could simply stand for
Anyway, the wording "dedicated game platform" gives room for many interpretations.
I do hope they stick with the distinct home console and portable console duo, but unify the architecture and the OS, so that cross-everything will be possible.
@mowerdude
I want them to keep the wiimotes, plus a pro controller and tablet support via whatever you take on the go that replaces the 3DS. The more choices the better, with the pro controller being the #1 option for the majority of games.
@Quorthon
I don't think they can fix the problem with 3rd parties on the Wii U and 3dS. Generation-behind consoles compared to the PS4/X1, different architecture, inferior account system, etc. If they could fix anything, it'll be with the NX. They just implemented an account system with the NNID on the Wii U. I didn't expect Nintendo to get it right the first time. As I said before they're testing and learning. That's why I'm confident going digital with my Wii U games. I expect (hope) it'll carry over on the next system (at least in VC form).
@rjejr
Nintendo of Korea will have a Direct on the 19th. Quick-scanning their previous Directs, they are mostly the same dates as Europe's and US Directs. I hope we get one on Thursday since it's my day-off.
http://nintendo.co.kr/main.php
Anyway on the resolution issue, they could do two settings/resolution for every games they make. Handheld resolution/settings and home console resolution/settings. It's like low/medium/high settings on PC.
.
.
.
Also F-Zero NX confirmed as a sequel to F-Zero GX. (I'm kidding)
i like 3D gaming and i don't hope this unified thing means an end to portable 3D games. really. but i love my WiiU as well. it's a great machine with great games. but unified into one device. i'm not sure, i have to see it first…..
I just hope its as simple as making a Beefy 3DS which will connect to a TV for big screen play or still have the clamshell for just popping it open and playing. Also will need to connect to bluetooth controllers for local multiplayer on TV. From here I'm sure the big boys at Nintendo can figure out the rest of it. Motion controls will be a thing of the past and good riddance. Just what I'm hoping for anyway.
A handheld type device that can output to a TV and comes with a wireless controller?
As long as it comes in both Standard and XL sizes this time.
I see people saying "Problems" with 3rd partys ... I know that nearly no AAA 3rd party games are coming to WiiU but Nintendo and Ubisoft both said that their relationship is better than ever .... I don't know how that goes together with not making games for WiiU but I digress ,,,,,
EA is a really different thing ... I hope it dies though ...
This all sounds potentially cool in the future but Nintendo needs to also get this working on 3DS and its currently flopping Wii U system asap so that its current consumers and just gamers in general are left fully pleased and satisfied with what it is doing now; otherwise most of them won't give a crap what it's doing x years down the line. Nintendo needs to show it knows how to fix current issues effectively and not just be able to do the same kind of thing other companies are already doing but a whole generation down the line. It needs to make the people that have recently lost interest in the company or become frustrated with it care about the brand and services again and now.
@DualWielding
Well if we don't see anything more until 2016, that would still put us at a minimum of 4 years after the Wii U's release before new hardware releases. Even if this is shown off in 2016, it could still be as long as 2017 before we see an actual hardware release. If you don't think Microsoft and Sony are already planning their next console releases, then you don't understand how this industry works.
Exciting stuff.
But I'm in no hurry- I'm having the time of my life with Wii U and 3DS right now. This is by far the best generation I've ever seen from Nintendo, and I'm really not in a rush to see the next quite yet.
To be brutally honest here... it was about time they announced something about new hardware. The Wii U is climbing into its grave slowly, SSB and MK8 didn't save it. They're last trump card is Zelda, if that doesn't get it off the shelves, I think that's it.
Unified hardware is a good idea, being able to have a home console and a portable in one, but it also comes with its own problems. The Wii U had a good idea with the Gamepad it's just been horribly utilized for the most part, even by Nintendo.
Also, I hope to the love of god they ditch the "Wii" name all together, that and the 3DS name has caused them nothing but problems with marketing and getting the point across that it's a new console.
They also need to step up their online presence, sort your network out already and make it a fully functional hub. And make our purchases universally tied to an account system, not hardware that can and will be chopped and changed over the years, especially handheld.
About time Nintendo got their act together, it's actually rather embarrassing compared to every other platform on this planet. So archaic and behind the times, seriously... they act like a bunch of technophobes.
All of this seems pretty good to me. Then there is QoL, so Nintendo is just throwing cash around to expand their business in a very short amount of time.
@Robotron2084
Wouldn't that be something if Nintendo had the first console with no hard copies of games? That's okay, though, you could alway collect (some) amiibo!
@Chris720 "online presence": You may have missed it, but I'd say the DeNA partnership is going to get this part mostly taken care of.
I'm still not convinced that this is the best idea at the moment. My biggest worry is that hardware performance on the home console will need to be sacrificed in order for the handheld to be able to play the same games.
Sure, the most important thing is the gameplay experience. However, if the power isn't competitive compared to Sony's or Microsoft's offerings, then this may stop third party developers from returning to Nintendo, as well as putting off customers. The only way I can see this working is if the next handheld is ridiculously powerful, but this would probably be far too expensive.
Still, Nintendo could surprise me here and create something truly spectacular if done correctly.
I have to agree with your analysis that Nintendo is pushing for unified hardware and architecture, it seems pretty obvious. I don't think making it a third pillar is a good idea because it would likely cannibalize sales and make game development even more difficult by keeping the 3DS and Wii U around more. At best they could keep them around a few more years after release like Microsoft and Sony did with the 360 and PS3, but they would probably get more limited support while the focus is on NX.
The idea of a single scalable platform makes more sense to me than a portable you can hook up to your TV - I just don't think Nintendo could deliver something like that and still have a mass-market price point.
Regardless of what it ends up being, unless it's got backwards compatibility I simply cannot see coming along for this ride. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface with my Wii U; there's no way I'm buying a new console in the next couple of years. I just have other priorities. I had hoped Nintendo was going to make their move to platform status with Wii U, but it looks like they might be a generation late for me. I'm not ready to say goodbye until there's hard facts, but it does feel like I might be sticking with the current generation and sitting out the next one or two as I did with the PS2/Gamecube era.
I don't think NX will be a single unified system to replace and combine both home consoles and handhelds, what with Iwata stating last year that they should look to Apple and Android as examples to follow. He specifically talked about having handhelds and home consoles, and didn't rule out even more systems, in fact talking about a 'family of systems'. A single unified account system, yes, but on multiple devices.
Agreed with most of your points except for 2016.
1. The Wii U is still too young to be replaced
2. The new 3Ds is barely a year old
3. Nintendo promised lots of new games for 2015 and 2016.
4. This NX unified system requires thousands of man hours to build and tested. The 2016 deadline is simply unrealistic.
I think the realistic date we can expect new systems with unified platform is late 2018 early 2019. They need to make this right and I honestly think they will.
I think it sounds awesome from a convenience standpoint, but there will have to be some heavy hardware enhancements to get the console game to perform the same on the handheld, which would bring the price up to smart phone levels, i.e. $600+ just for the handheld. Remember the only reason smart phones are actually affordable is because they are bundled deals with carriers. So if the console is $500, and we put the same specs in a handheld, I'm betting it's over $500. So you are looking at potentially paying for a Gaming PC Rig for the console. I'm probably crazy enough to do that, but I don't think it will fly with the general public.
@JaxonH
Yeah, I'm having a blast with my Nintendo console this generation and am really just looking forward to Splatoon, Zelda, and even Star Fox. I'm in no rush for a new console. Like most of the portable devices from Nintendo, though, I'm impressed with the games but never really enjoy them because they are on such a cramped device with an ugly screen that I can't share. :/
I can certainly see 2016 needing some sort of giant boost to keep any momentum for Wii U sales going. I'd say there is a 100% chance of a price drop sometime this year, for instance. Maybe a new Metroid?
I find it fascinating how so many people seem to believe in a 'unified platform', whereas this would mean that all games would've to work for both the home console and the inferior handheld/streamer. Obviously a bigger, more expensive console is always going to have 'stronger' hardware than it's portable, smaller counter-part. Unless of course you make the portable incredible efficient power-wise, but that would mean it'd probably have to cost more than the home console.
Unified account system, sure, but sharing between devices is nothing different from what Sony already does between the PS3/4 and Vita.
@crimsontadpoles
One thing to note is that Microsoft and Sony won't be making a new console anytime soon. If Nintendo comes up with something in the next year or two, they could easily suppass the power of the current offerings of Sony and Microsoft while having a cheaper price tag than either system currently has.
Personally, I miss the days when Nintendo was the hardware leader as far as power and technology goes.
When I saw the specs for the Xbox One and PS4, I laughed because each was basically the equivalent of a midrange PC from six years ago. Then I cried, because once again most PC games would be limited in scope due to the crap specs of the new consoles as they were for the previous generation.
Ultimately, I am happy with my WiiU right now, however if Nintendo can push out some new hardware that is more powerful than either offering from Sony or Microsoft, they are going to gain a lot of marketshare, as Sony and Microsoft aren't going to be replacing their current consoles before making back the losses they took in selling them. Nintendo could see years ahead of these two companies and enjoy stealing marketshare from them with a more powerful system by getting their hardware out years before Sony and Microsoft can.
I honestly don't see this ending well, Nintendo's consoles never fare as well as their handhelds, and a unified platform would surely be seen as a console first, handheld later. Not to mention the problem of power supply and other issues I'm missing but don't have the time to mention at the moment.
@aaronsullivan
Oh definitely. We know Nintendo said last E3 that they were "pursuing both a 2D and 3D Prime style Metroid" and we know Retro got to choose between DKC and Metroid and DKC is now finished, and we know they started development on a new game over a year ago.
So yes, Id be shocked, no, AMAZED if we don't get a Retro Studio-developed Metroid reveal this E3
@hydeks I kinda agree, while getting Nintendo IPs out where more people have access to them in more convenient ways certainly can't hurt, the best way to compete and have more games on a home console is to have a powerful enough console that can compete or surpass the competition. That means your games will look, play and run the best (PS4s advantage over everyone at the moment) and as Nintendo owner you wouldn't feel burned buy your last gen quality 3rd party games vs the superior versions on the competitions consoles. While I prefer gameplay over graphics any day, in today's envioronment it's more about power to sell consoles. It's just my humble opinion but a consoles power and its controller are more important than a gimmick to draw in 3rd parties and not limit your own first party developers to thinking they must use your gimmick touch screen. (Not that they are utilizing it much anyway) that said I feel this move could benefit Nintendo but is not that necessary. They just need competeing hardware to have the better versions of 3rd part games and Nintendos own IPs will set them apart. Ok long comment done
@Moshugan I'm inclined to agree. The notion that the "portable" part of the system is the controller for the main console is just beyond silly.
Interesting stuff going on with Nintendo today. Looking forward to see how this all turns out.
@aaronsullivan I'd MUCH rather see something like that than some merge between portable and non-portable. The non-portable aspect be restricted by the portable aspect. And if one was x86 say goodbye to GC/ Wii/U backwards compatibility. And it'd be worse than on disc DLC if they released a $400 console and then a $200 portable and then made it so you'd only get the full experience with the handheld and console.
@Monkeh, This is pretty much what I see.
Nintendo said it would reveal further details about its gaming platform/system next year, so there's no chance of a new gaming system coming before 2016 and likely probably not for a couple of years imo...and thank God I say. The very last thing Nintendo needs to do; is a SEGA. You all know exactly what I mean by that
@blujay1524 Iwata already commented & said, the only reason for the NX announcement is to let consumers know they are not stepping away from consoles. We'll see unity this generation & probably a better iteration when the NX arrives (years from now).
@The_Dude_Abides Sure. And Pepsi should make Coca-Cola.
@The_Dude_Abides: I will make sure to forward that on to Nintendo right away. I'm sure they will change their entire operation for you.
@Hy8ogen 2018 is a bit late, releasing it then gives Microsoft and Sony the opportunity to steal the show and bury Nintendo even further. 2017 is the latest I can see them launching NX.
The fact that they've already discussed it and confirmed it'll be revealed in 2016 also implies that they're nearly ready for it to be released to the public, so I wouldn't worry there. Plus now that they've announced it, Microsoft and Sony are going to want to respond, so they can't just sit there and twiddle their thumbs.
@aaronsullivan I mean their own online configuration, sorry for the confusion. DeNA will definitely give them a good online presence on Android and iPhone. But they need to sort out their online, it's so old and outdated.
@SupremeAllah
There's some good points there, and I'm starting to feel a bit more relaxed about what Nintendo may be doing, though I'm a llittle concerned about whether Nintendo care enough about the power of the console.
Still, I'm loving this part of the system life cycle where people are interested in the next console, but nobody knows what it is or whether it will be a success.
Crazy stuff but sounds cool. Im particularly excited with the phrase "brand new concept" in regards to NX. I love the Wii and DS families but I think we are in the last phase of them now. If the NX innovates for the gaming world how the Wii did, its going to be very cool! My mind is racing thinking what that could be. Also...I agree that people saying this will be upon us anytime before 2018 are crazy. Nintendo needs a good amount of time to flesh out the idea, test it, market it efficiently and then produce it and finally launch it. What I am most curious to see however, is if Nintendo will finally fix the problem that has always ailed them and that no matter how much they say they will do it right next time, they never do: HAVE A STRONG LAUNCH WITH AAA LAUNCH TITLES.
I'd rather have Nintendos handheld and Console be separate but can join together like the handheld can be a gaming screen or a controller or both. I don't want a unified system with the same games.
@invictus4000 If NX needs that much more time, then why did they think it was ready to be announced in 2015 and revealed in 2016, with 2 more years before release? Surely if they needed until 2018 to finish it they wouldn't be talking about it this soon, revealing it so soon gives Microsoft and Sony plenty of time to respond and leave it in the dust. It's pretty clear based on this announcement that it's coming in 2017 at the latest.
@Chris720 Well, I hope I don't make this more confusing and maybe you know this but DeNA isn't just about iPhone/Android, that company's strength is what used to be called Mobage. It was a portal and social network for games. Nintendo is using them to get its accounts and loyalty program in order to have one unified account system that covers all needs on consoles, handhelds, mobile and PC. The deal to use Nintendo IP to make mobile games is the other half of it which is getting the most press.
@Bolt_Strike They only 'announced' it in 2015 to rest assure people that they'll continue making dedicated home consoles. That's like if Sony mentioned a PS5 during a conference then people start saying it must be ready to release then. they mentioned it, NO details at all were giving other than wait until 2016 (mind you, that's at LEAST 9 months away).
I think Nintendo realizes that the Wii U is seeing it's peak. I know StarFox and Zelda are coming but if you don't have a Wii U now, you're probably not going to get one. Not bad really, Nintendo is making enough off of it's games plus the VC for both Wii U and 3DS. It'll be interesting to see what they are planning for the future.
I don't really care what they do, as long as they keep developing amazing quality
games.
As long as the power is superior to whats out now so they can lure 3rd parties than Im set. I'd like to stick with one console and not get a PS4. I dont care for Sonys exclusives anyways.
@Revolution909 The Wii U is more powerful than the PS3/XBox 360 and it didn't lure 3rd parties.
If it is a unified device when it comes to naming it they should go full circle and go back to the beginning and call it after the NES
NX - Nintendo Xtra? Nintendo Xtreme?, Nintendo X? , Nintendo Xylophone?
Or maybe it represents a cross - merging both platforms
Either way it looks like Nintendo have just entered the 21st century. Buckle up, it's all or nothing now.
@Monado_III Again though, they wouldn't wait 2 whole years after showing off the consoles before releasing them, that's too early. And in fact, Nintendo usually shows off their new hardware, Wii was shown off in 2005 then released in 2006, 3DS was shown off in 2010 and released in 2011, and Wii U was shown off in 2011 and released in 2012. And Microsoft and Sony didn't even announce their consoles until the year they released (2013), so a 2016 reveal implies that NX will be releasing no later than 2017.
@icedude545 That's what I mean, Microsoft and Sony are probably going to copy their ideas pretty easily and reduce Nintendo's appeal. They've already done so several times.
I trust Nintendo knows what they're doing, especially since they're making a gamble. It also confuses me why people in this discussion are jumping to conclusions when we know so little about the successor. But I'll speculate anyway.
If the successor is a hybrid, then here're my best guesses:
1) They could be two devices that have the same hardware where one is much more powerful than the other. They are both connected by a user account and it'd enable consumers to get buy one game to play on both devices. I'd seriously doubt that developers have to develop a game for both platforms. Rather, it'd be optional. The main issue is which hardware setup to use. If they use a mobile-based hardware setup, the console won't be able to rival even the PS4 and X1 (possibly the Wii U). If they use a PC/console based setup, the new handheld would be an ABSOLUTE power hog.
2) They both use streaming video and the actual game will run on a server at some company. Perhaps the devices themselves will also run games. This makes the device require a broadband internet connection. Doubt this approach, but it is possible nonetheless.
3) They have similar hardware setup (just not identical). So that makes the game binaries incompatible and requires developers to port their games. However, the company could heavily invest in cross-platform tools for developers wanting to develop cross-platform games. Think of Nintendo Web Framework and Unity, but with more attention and investment. This would only really work for indie developers (doubt this would attract publishers funding AAA-game projects).
I'm honestly interested in this hybrid platform. But the company has also messed up in the past. We'll see...
@Bolt_Strike not to be mean but you clearly have no idea how big of a project this NX platform is. A unified platform throughout all devices is gigantuan. 2016 is for sure a no way and 2017 seems a but early.
We can speculate all we want but only Nintendo's engineers know how ready this project is. You made a good point on Microsoft and Sony stealing the show and I agree on that. But I wouldnt want nintendo to rush it out because of that.
If the NX I'd what I think it is, we're looking at a whole new generation of gaming.
Well, whatever scenario I cook up comes with massive compromises.
First of all, so many people want to ditch the "gimmicks" from previous console platforms but I bet few would want to sacrifice backwards compatibility. Well, that's good and impossible right there.
How about third party support? To get that, it seems the console needs to compete on performance with the XB1 and PS4, at least, otherwise it is too difficult to port. No way this works with a single device that can also be portable.
All I can come up with is separate devices for console and portable using the same development platform. They have many similar games on both some that are almost identical with obvious differences for screen size and performance. They eschew perfect backwards compatibility to embrace whatever the new concept is and simplify things back to a nice controller that works for every game.
My problem with this is that I really, really like the second screen and asynchronous play. Just like the Wii controls didn't get great uses in Nintendo's richer games until much later and Motion Plus almost never had a chance, I feel like the GamePad is going to fail to have its potential realized as well.
Maybe that one perfect controller can point, has excellent gyroscope and motion detectors, a speaker, a microphone, an NFC reader, a large touch-sensitive, haptic-feedback screen that has instant radio transmissions with the console without compromising the comfort grip and feels as nice and intuitive in the hand as a GameCube controller and only costs about $40 so you can buy at least 4.
@Hy8ogen They didn't just start today. This has been worked towards since the Wii U launched and huge parts of the process have been in motion. The integration of hardware teams happened long ago, for instance.
@aaronsullivan Oh really? Didn't realise that. Thanks for that info, I thought it was just mobile games and apps etc.
@Monado_III That's because it came out too late. During the Wii's time, people like Michael Pachter called on Nintendo to make a platform that was at least on par with the 360 and PS3. They did exactly that with the Wii U.
NX NEEDS to release in 2016/2017 and be more powerful than PS4/XB1, even if it is a hybrid. Release any later and the NX will automatically become another stopgap console as the PS4 and XB1 will be at least half way through their lifespans, meaning 3rd parties and games outside of Nintendo's fanbase will just wait for those system's successors that will blow NX out of the water.
Essentially, if they don't release in 2016/2017, they might as well wait until the XB1 and PS4 are replaced and have NX be on par those systems (the successors to XB1/PS4). Problem is, they can't drag out the 3DS and Wii U's lifespan that long.
@Quorthon The big problem with the hybrid: will 3rd parties want to support such a thing? Will they want to support with games that have to be scaled down a bit for the handheld part? They might see NX as still being too different from the competitors and not worth their time, especially with the buying habits of Nintendo fans.
@mowerdude
I'm with ya on the whole combining idea. I don't want another gamepad remote at all, plus how is that portable? Huge screen with terrible battery life and having to charge it with a power brick isn't practical. I'm worried about the games, handheld and console games are two different beast. How do people expect a game like Xenoblade Chronicles X with 25gb to fit a handheld? They just need to make a system thats made for gamers of all types. A pro controller thats better than the one or ds4. A wiimote that kids and non gamers can use that has all the functions with the pointer function. Then from there build their new handheld around the NX.
@Nintendobro Any link to that statement?
I'm not sure what to think about this yet. I can't say I'm thrilled with the concept by itself, but it's interesting to see this 180 degree turnaround from publicly showing little or no interest in the phone/tablet arena to suddenly recognizing it's current significance. The unified platform combined with phone/tablet market aspects reminds me a little too much of Apple's strategies, which is nice for investors and fans of those products, but it worries me personally.
The thought of a DRM-laden digital only console from Nintendo sickens me, as someone who grew up throughout Nintendo's classical era. I've accepted that Sony and Microsoft are going that route as multi purpose electronics companies who have a vested interest in doing so, but it would disappoint me to see Nintendo go down that route.
I'm also worried about the recycling/refurbishing accountability and environmental standards sustainability of a hybrid style device, since Apple's devices are notorious in the electonics recycling field for being a lot more difficult (or even economically undesirable) to work with than traditional PCs and consoles, depending on the product. Apple phone/tablet products also tend to be almost impossible to work with in the nonprofit sector for refurbishing, by contrast to traditional PCs and consoles, an aspect which I find morally questionable due to disabling possible services for the needy and handicapped. I would be greatly disappointed if Nintendo's engineering for their new product(s) follows the same path.
Living through all the ongoing net neutrality stuff and seeing what it means to be DRM-free has changed my opinions on this matter. I won't judge the situation at this time, but I'm not feeling so hot about all of this. A changing environment isn't a bad thing, it's perfectly natural- I'm just worried now that Nintendo will eventually forget their roots and embrace the temptations of the modern market.
Well i'm just going to say this if this thing is a new home console.Bring back third party Nintendo come on!Everyone has at least some kind of support,but you're just there on your own.Now for two more things,make it strong at least stronger than the competitions!I think you can do that,maybe cause right now i have no faith in you as of right now.Lastly don't you dare bring back that stupid tablet! It was so annoying i would rather have the pro controller as the main controller,not a giant tablet.
I will agree that it would be nice for them to be able to focus on one console, but this in itself will present a problem. "Due to limitations" I expect that to be an overused reason for game limitations for this all-in-one console.
I really hope this new console somehow combines the 3DS and Wii U. I'd really like to see that. However, I'm not interested in Nintendo's attempt to make mobile games. They are a video game company, and I don't want them to focus on making mobile games.
There Will Be Screens, starring Satoru Iwata.
I bought into Sony's version of this when the Vita first came out--they touted games that would have versions for the PS3 and the Vita under one purchase. I haven't turned on my Vita since November. Of 2013.
@mowerdude I agree. I think it was completely stupid to have Wii mote nunchuck classic controller pro GameCube controller Gamepad and pro controller all as options of playing a game. Cmon! That's ridiculous. I like how nintendo is innovative with introducing a new style of playing but then again. What's great about PlayStation is their controller has more or less been practically the same since the first PlayStation. People like iphone and android because the controls are essentially the same as the gen before. People are accustomed to it. It's familiar. And familiar is good.
@Hy8ogen Well again, if they didn't think NX would be ready around that time, they wouldn't be announcing it now. They've been working on this for a while (IIRC, Miyamoto said they've been working on 9th gen as early as 2012), so it's probably close to ready. And they've been taking steps in this direction gradually over the course of the last few years, so it's not as if this project is going to take that long.
I'll tell you this I could care less about this quality of life B.S. Just make games.
I hope it's not a third separate console because how can nintendo support three all by themselves if they can't support 2 or at least are having a difficult time doing it. Especially without third party support. Don't get me wrong they're doing amazing on their own all things considered. And I doubt the other two could do what nintendo does alone. But let's be real. This next console will replace one or the other or both wii u and 3DS. I'm excited. These are exciting times. Real changes. This is big guys. I feel a shift coming. A big change. I can smell it in the air. I can feel it in the ground. A new era is approaching. A storm a brewin. Mmmmmhmmm. And I got thirst for somebody's milk shake.
I'm in the 3rd pillar camp and I think it's a standalone VR headset.
@Bolt_Strike Bur they didn't show it off, they said, "yes we're staying in the hardware business, to prove it, we're going to show off a console in 1 year."
@IceClimbers And leave Wii U owners, who will have just got their first original Zelda game (DS had 2 original, Wii had 1.5 original, 3ds has one new 2 remakes), in the dust? That is what Sega did and look what happened with the Dreamcast.
@Purple What 'controls' on a smartphone, they all have touch screens, they can't really have anything else even if they wanted to.
@Monado_III But they will show it off in 2016, that implies a 2016/2017 release date.
I'm fairly confident it's a portable. Just because they included both the 3DS and Wii U on that slide doesn't mean that they must be replacing either both or none. And just because their portable and non-portable divisions are working together doesn't mean the devices will literally merge.
Also think about this from a technical standpoint. If they were to create a "hybrid" it would have to be a portable. Now mobile hardware has improved a lot over the last few years but not quite that much. If it's out next year then assuming they don't want it to be like lava in your hands and they want decent battery? The thing will be somewhere between the Wii and 360 in terms of horsepower. Now I don't know about you but.... I won't be replacing my Wii U for such a device. I would probably retire my 3DS however.
The interesting thing about that level of power however is that it would be powerful enough to play Wii U -ish games. Which if their portable and non-portable guys were talking to each other? Could mean quick and easy porting. And cross-buy
whatever may come. it needs buttons,
@Monado_III Did you honestly expect to get more than 1 original Zelda? Even then, you could argue that Hyrule Warriors was one original Zelda game (even though it's a spinoff) and Zelda U is two. A 2016/2017 release date would work, putting the Wii U's lifespan at around the average 5 years.
@Bolt_Strike
As they said in the article, the sole reason they made a point to mention NX was to reassure the masses that thier new deal with the mobile company wasn't going to interfere with their traditional game development. They needed the prematurely announce the development of NX to keep the share holders and fanbase stable.
@premko1 I actually think that this might be the case..
NX is a pretty cool name. Hope they stick with it. Wii U was a bad branding from the get go.
At this point a dedicated home console with a 'gamepad' style controller that can be taken on the go as a self sufficient handheld would be my guess.
Eh, I'm not going to jump on the hype train right now - I'm just going to enjoy what's on my 3DS and Wii U (and worry more about how to get amiibo figures before all the scalpers do).
At this point, I don't know whether to be excited or not. But I hope things turn out well in the end.
Interesting to see in action how a popular opinion of yesteryear (no mobile involvement and no consolidation of hardware/game resources) can become a dissenting opinion of today... The value of being well grounded and sticking to one's strengths/traditions is not as high as the value of being malleable enough to change one's tune with the passing of a breezy gust of wind, in this case...
@IceClimbers I'm using Zelda as more of an example, I could also use Mario games, (Wii had 2 3d games and one 2d game). And 5 years isn't average, it's tied for the shortest with the GC and the JP GBA. (excluding the VB of course)
As long as it's still a handheld, sure.
@Monado_III No, 5-6 years is the norm for Nintendo platforms. GameCube launched in 2001. Wii launched 5 years later in 2006. Nintendo 64 launched in 1996, 5 years before the GameCube did.
Lol, don't check the site for one day and come back to all this news. Now how am I supposed to sleep tonight?
I'm mostly excited and a little scared but it's good to see Nintendo taking such bold action. I hope they get it just right and the gambles pay off.
I'd love the idea. Imagine the 3DS and Wii U libraries combined that just sounds awesome. Plus, it's just easier for Nintendo to develop all their games on one platform.
I'd imagine most people would be happy with a unified platform. I see too many comments here on NL and other sites complaining that a certain game is exclusive to 3DS or Wii U and not on both.
Nintendo announces 3DS exclusive: "Ah man I'd rather have this on Wii U!!"
Nintendo announces Wii U exclusive: "Ah man I'd rather have this on 3DS!!"
Those kinda comments annoy me sometimes. So yeah, unified platform would be cool.
If this thing can do WiiU, 3DS, Steam, Andriod and iOS games i'll be very impressed, it would be my dream to have something that could actually outplay my PC. This is something no console has done in a very very long time. Since pentium 500mhz actually and that's what 1990's lol.
Exciting. Nintendo is life.
@TwilightAngel The Wii U was released in 2012 so right off the bat Nintendo started working on their next consoles. Wii U's lifespan is up to 5-6 years so by then we will know about Nintendo's next console.
@TwilightAngel Third parties could care less about the hardware that Nintendo systems have. Heck Nintendo could make the most powerful device on the entire planet and still third parties will refuse. They only go where the money goes that's all they care about is money. The hardware stuff is just their excuse they use to get out of a hole and blame customers for their poor sales.
I want the 90's back...
I'm all up for an all in one hybrid console along a it's really powerful, saves me having to buy 2 systems and 2 lots of the same games.
It could be that nintendo still release 2 systems one portable and one home console but both using the same OS this would be like android or ios, the home console would be more powerful and play games with graphics turned up to the max, the handheld would play the same games but with the graphics and stuff turned down a bit.
This would make sense for nintendo as they would make more money buy selling 2 lots of hardware.
@antdickens
Nice article. Just one lil thing, and I'm sorry: compliment = complement... Unless mobile games will literally tell console games that they are beautiful and still relevant, not matter what people say
Whatever it is it will happen without me or my money.
All you guys thinking they will 'unify' anything, look around. Making people buy the same crap again and again has basically been Nintendo's business model for the last 15 years (or more even). How likely is it that's going to change? Especially now that they just decided to charge people for the same stuff again on mobile?
When they say 'unify', all they mean is the same credit card will be registered to numerous platforms.
@invictus4000 If it were that premature, they wouldn't even be showing it off in 2016.
Just look at how well having console style games on a portable worked out for the Vita.
If they're showing it off next year I'd expect an early 2017 launch for handheld; late 2017 launch for console version (if applicable). Depending on how much of the farm is being bet on the latter we may well see parallel game launches on Wii U as a hedge - hold stuff back to maintain interest; if no one boards the NX train say the home version is a premium add-on and keep supporting Wii U until software and hardware sales drop off.
Honestly there's nothing to stop them continuing to support Wii U for longer than other platforms because of the strong eShop - you could well have it coasting along for years after a new console launch with eShop support only, even if they stop selling the kit.
They won't have two device's, I think we will still get a hand held and a home console, power is just not there for mobile tech yet, what you will probably get is the two systems running on scalable hardware using the same or similar architecture, where the same tools can be used to make the home console version and scale it down to the portable without having to change assets and code between versions.
@icedude545: absolutely agree. Ditch this motion sensor alltogether and give us proper controller (like the next generation of the Gamepad pro).
http://img.hexus.net/v2/lowe/News/Nintendo/wiiupro.jpg
I hope Mr. Iwata is reading all of your comments
Did they say they are going to show something next year, or just provide more info next year? I think this is late 2017 / early 2018
One device will mean two things:
1. It will be underpowered. Not matter what anyone thinks, and unless Nintendo is planning to develop two flavors of every game, a handheld with the power of the PS4 wiil have to be sold (today), for 600 bucks or so. In 2 years, the price might be lowered down to 250-300 dollars.
2. Say goodbye to dual screens gaming. his doesn't matter much as the implementation of dual screens have been underwhelming for most games (I can think of maybe 10 games, among DS and 3DS titles where it works). You just can't watch the portable screen and the TV at the same time: the Wii U proved it.
@SPEtheridge
Mostly agreed.
Maybe they can come up with something like a handheld dock that provides extra processing power...
@Boerewors oops, thanks for the spot!
There will still be handheld and home console, just now with same OS, same architecture and heavy integration (something they didn't achieve with 3DS and Wii U).
Sounds pretty good.
Probably one of them coming 2017.
This would be a good decision for them...a mobile and stay-at-home console. It would be nice to have a console system that you can play on the TV, but also take on the go with you, but I could only imagine the price of having to do something like this, and I really hope they don't create something that would cost more than $400. If they have the better graphics and release it with some major games (Mario, Metroid, Zelda and some more goodies), I think they can come back and dominate again...I just hope that this will not be another 'gimmick'. Guess we'll all have to wait and see in the coming years! I also hope this doesn't mean that they'll stop making the titles for the 3DS and Wii U next year (Wii, Gamecube, N64 never had any games come out the year before their next console was released), but time will tell.
The NX actually is a great name! It lends itself to the Japanese term for 'x' which is crossover. The nintendo crossover. NX!
Im in!
I have been saying this for years now: combine both the handheld and console to stop the fudge awful software droughts I am done with that crap, seriously.
its the best solution! more games, less downtime, more fun. The only thing standing in the way is price.
@Quorthon By late 2016-early 2017, the tech to compete with XBONE/PS4 shouldn't break the bank for graphics/processing power. That said, if I was Sony/MS I'd announce our next console (coming 2020!) just before nintendo's launch if that happened, just to get buyers wary.
I wonder if Nintendo are going down the same route as alienware has with there gaming laptops and graphic amplifier, where you can take a devise on the go but then when you return home you can crank up the graphic power by plunging it into some sort of dock?
I'm all for it.
NX sounds like it will be a hybrid tablet capable of playing mobile games but with the added capability of being an off-tv play controller with buttons and analogue sticks for Nintendo's next console. The successor to Wii U will still need a tablet controller for backwards compatability so that is my bet.
I like the idea but it's funny that all those people that were mad at people saying that Nintendo should develop for tablets and smartphones, now they say it's a great idea. You know, kind of "Nintendo is always right whatever they do or say but people suggesting something different than what Nintendo is doing at the moment are always wrong".
an hint at the unified approach is the fact that only the NX reveal date matches up with the nintendo home cycle, when surely the 3DS would need a successor
assuming the reveal one year release the following holds true this would put the Wii U at 5 years old, Nintendo typically releases a new system every 5 years.
The 3DS would be 7 years old, which links nicely to the N3DS theory that it exists to delay the next handheld closer to the (now) NX launch
@VanillaLake The site is called "NintendoLife", so a certain... fanatical devotion to Nintendo is pretty much a given.
@aaronsullivan here's one way it could look and be both technically possible and appealing:
There would still be a box under your TV with the power to drive the latest console graphics. The "gamepad" would be upgraded, redesigned, and downsized a bit. The subscription service allows access to all of Nintendo's VC games from past systems and the gamepad has hardware that can handle playing any of them on the go. To play modern Nintendo console games, you've got to be at home with the set top box.
@FLUX_CAPACITOR
You know before you wrote that lame-ass post that the Wii sold on a gimmick, and then died an early, pathetic death because nothing came of it--and third party support arrived, did what they could with the limited power, and walked away when they felt there was nothing more to the console than the gimmick. A gimmick that consumers tired of by 2010 when it's sales dropped off sharply.
@aaronsullivan
Thinking about this, it's starting to make more sense for Nintendo to find a way to integrate the portable and home console. Without third party support, they're clearly struggling to support two different platforms at once.
If they make a unified one, where half the power is built into the portable piece (which can operate as a stand-alone), and half is in the console base, with the operating system (and all those uses) built into the portable, this would drastically reduce their development costs and greatly increase the number of games that can operate on both devices while still allowing exclusives to both.
In this regard, the portable wouldn't be a replacement GamePad--it would be a physical part of the console that attaches to it, and once attached, the CPU, RAM, and storage space "sync up" and become one much more powerful device.
That could be very affordable, they'd still have the portable that could be sold alone in higher numbers (as their portables always are), and it would allow them to create a powerful, competitive console. This way, they could even totally one-up Sony in the way the Vita connects to the PS4.
I have a hard time believing that Nintendo will keep trying to sell the GamePad concept. It isn't selling the Wii U, they aren't using it for anything truly interesting or groundbreaking, and it's just a big blemish that turns off consumers. I don't think the next console will have screens in the controller. For the specific notion I outlined here, the only way it would work is for the portable to not be used as a controller at all, but either a stand-alone portable, or half the home console itself. The system would just use regular "Pro" style controllers for everything.
There's an exciting option with this, though, and that would be multiplayer games where extra portables could be used as their own screens and controllers--and the added RAM and CPU could allow for far more players and far smoother multiplayer gameplay.
If, and this is a huge, massive IF that I don't expect to be remotely true, this concept would change the history and give Nintendo a technical edge they simply haven't had since the GameCube or SNES.
@MysticX What you are saying is true. I love Nintendo but I am not blind though. LOL
I wonder if a completely fused system can work. Japan and North America have very different markets w/r/t portables and consoles, so there is a certain logic to it. But as someone who plays 90% on portables, I don't want to have to buy an expensive, overpowered machine to make couch play also possible. There has to be a way to leave that choice in there.
I definitely want a unified platform. It would simplify and streamline just about everything, especially everything. Have three options: console-only, portable-only, and a bundle of both.
I definitely want a unified platform. It would simplify and streamline just about everything, especially everything. Have three options: console-only, portable-only, and a bundle of both.
VR headset in 2017
Nintendo need to have one unified machine imo as they don't have the development resources anymore to support 2 consoles. The general lack of games on my Wii U and 3DS in the last year or two has proven that...
While it is possible the NX could be a new device and it may drop at the end of 2016 I hope it actually has the software ready before it releases. We dont need a repeat of the Wii U launch.
I think this may be a successor to the 3DS.. though I doubt they're rellacing the Wii U JUST yet.....
@hydeks
that goes against every grain in Nintendo's body. They'll never concede, and making something like everyone else is conceding to Nintendo. They are a try try and try again company, and they will forever try something new, whether it works or not. So this new platform will be just as experimental but even more thought out. Like it or don't this is who Nintendo is.
@Quorthon
"--it would be a physical part of the console that attaches to it, and once attached, the CPU, RAM, and storage space "sync up" and become one much more powerful device."
This is some serious magic you are counting on.
I don't even understand the reason to hook this up to the console if you aren't going to use the screen and controller on the portable. It seems to me it would be less expensive to just include more RAM and a faster CPU than to support a connection with the bandwidth necessary to make that useful. Certainly it would be less hassle.
Now, your other notion of letting the portable act as a GamePad for the new console is what I was hoping for when I suggested a similar idea. I'm far more happy with the GamePad than you seem to be though I'll agree it isn't utilized enough (Nintendo Land couch asychronous games are as fun and new to me as any previous video game innovation I can think of).
My thought was that you have two hardware options for the NX when it launches. One has a sleek new (much more ergonomic) GamePad for home use only, the other less expensive one requires you to bring your own NX Handheld to use as the GamePad controller.
That way, the second screen is still a requirement and traditionally handheld players have a nice lower cost entry point to getting a console.
There are more possibilities with this option, but this post is long enough.
I could be out to lunch, but I do not think that NX will be a specific device. Rather, it will be Nintendo's equivalent of IOS. It will be a unified development environment that can be used to create games that will run across a number of different devices either created or licensed by Nintendo. With this model Nintendo can provide different devices that can all run the same games with some compromises made for the quality of a particular game on a particular device.
I don't think it is possible to make one device that can meet the expectations of both console gamers and handheld gamers. It would be better to provide two devices that run the same software and can sync data between them. Start playing the latest Mario game on your home NX machine which is connected to your 4K TV. When it is time to go, you sync your save data with your handheld NX device and head out. Later that evening you sync again so that you can continue at home.
Early on I expect that Nintendo will want NX games to also run on the Wii U and New 3DS. I think that is why the New 3DS has the extra controls added (C-stick and extra shoulder buttons) and the upgraded processor. It needs to be able to play games that are designed for both it and the Wii U. They will launch the NX platform on their existing hardware first and then bring out more powerful devices that use NX down the road. Of course, there will still be games that are developed from the ground up for either Wii U or 3DS. On those platforms NX will mostly be a good way to entice more indie and 3rd party games, which will have the added benefit of being available from day 1 on dedicated NX devices when they start to appear.
Wouldn't this basically mean in essence that my wii u successors gamepad would replace my 3ds, or vice versa? So instead of having a base unit, a gamepad and a mobile device I just have the decode and the base unit? Also means multiple devices can connect to one base unit unlike wii u? My hd games library on my base unit but can take away with 3ds successor?
All games playable on both machines with one purchase?
Yes please. End of 2016 please
@dkxcalibur "VR headset in 2017"
Plz no, Nintendo can't do VR as well as the bigger companies.
I'd actually like for Nintendo to try their own internet-based digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer, and social networking platform (such as Valve's Steam is).
I mean, I would gladly forego buying a dedicated Nintendo device if I could play the same games. This kind of platform would allow Nintendo to focus on software and game experiences and online services instead of developing costly hardware, but still let them keep all rights and give them full DRM.
This wouldn't even have to replace their own consoles, but be a "third pillar" just like this mobile deal is.
@8bitJack - Did not see that. Good spot.
@ricklongo - "a Direct this week would be a smart move."
My personal burnout aside, w/ Mario Party 10 releasing on Friday (in the states at least, I don't know about worldwide) history suggests Nitneod will wait until next week so as not to draw attention away from the release. Whether it would draw attention away or put a spotlight on it I don't know, but I'm guessing that's their thinking.
But if it's not next week, then it''s April, which seems too late to me, though maybe thats the perfect spacing before E3 in June?
Nope. It won't be.
Nintendo will seal its fate with never getting multiplat games.
What a joke.
@aaronsullivan - "I just can't see this as one device"
In all honesty I don't know what to expect anymore. Between the 2D 3DS variant game player w/ no 3D screen and the Wii Mini that ships w/ Mario Kart Wii but no online whatsoever (even though it's colored Netflix red it doens't support Netflix) who knows what Nintnedo will come up w/ next?
I really did like your NX explanation though, N for Nintnedo, X for cross platform. All I kept seeing for NX is uNiX and Steve Jobs NeXT cube. (That's what happens when your old.) Reading it as "Nintnedo cross-platform" makes more sense. But please, no N Mini, see above. N Home, N Pocket, N Tablet. (No Nvidia Shield either, where portable, tablet and home all have the same name Shield. Who came up w/ that?)
I really hope this is the replacement for the 3DS with a release in 2017 and I hope that Nintendo do go for the unified system with a replacement for the WiiU in 2019. For quite a while now Nintendo have tried new things on their portables then refined them for the console, NSMB, MK7, SM3DL this seems like the logical next step. With a Unified system all portable games would be playable on the home console but the home console could have exclusive games like Zelda U that require the better specs. The main thing would be display resolution on the portable. Mobiles now have 2K screens but I think a 1080p screen would be sensible with it up scaling to 2k for the home console.
@outburst - There's a Nintendo of Korea? That just strikes me as so odd.
If there is an ND Thursday I'll be sure to give you credit in my first post on the topic
What happens to all our digital purchases from previous generations? i am only on board with NX if you can bring thing to it. if not, they are asking some people to throw away hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of content. millions if you consider everyones purchases.
@rjejr
Those issues (2DS, red Wii) are with later life stages in those devices, though. That will probably happen again. It's just about meeting the longer term cheaper market which is always so odd looking to us enthusiasts. It's best just to ignore those, but some of us want multiple consoles in different rooms.
Since you mentioned tablet, one thing I haven't decided yet is compatibility with the mobile games. Will the next Nintendo portable also run all the mobile Nintendo games that work on Android/iOS? Seems to me like, "why not?"
Examining again what Iwata said about all this:
"a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename "NX." "
That word platform is so loaded. A single hardware device can be considered a platform in the video game space. I wonder if there is a translation that clarifies this or if it's all just the same word. I'm assuming he means the development platform they've been talking about for a long while that brings the development of both handheld and console software into the same architecture or at least APIs. That way he is reiterating here that it's a separate platform dedicated to gaming and not directly related to the mobile strategy. Or, he could be talking about one piece of new hardware.
Either way, it tells exactly as much specifics as he wants us to know about. None.
For those that want it to mean the Wii U will be replaced in 2016/2017 I'm sorry to say it could just as easily be the first hardware using this new platform: a handheld replacement for the 3DS line. Also, NIntendo only previously admitted that a "fusion" option has been considered. We may learn nothing at all about a new home console in 2016.
I love my Wii U since day one, so I'm ready for a late 2016 or 2017 replacement console with all these new platform improvements. There's just no definite suggestion of that unless there is something we aren't getting from the translation of what Iwata said.
Are we sure the next dedicated game console and NX are the same thing? Do we have any quotes from Iwata confirming that assumption?
@aaronsullivan - "It's best just to ignore those"
But I can't. I get what your'e saying, they're not real products, they're throwaways, understood. But they are still coming from Ntinedo, and any company that can market such wacky stuff - and marketing the Wii Mini at $99 while they were trying to sell the Wii U on the shelf next to it at $349 was stupid as well - I have no hope of predicting their future products, even the good ones.
And selling the Wii U w/ a Gamepad w/o Wi-Fi was stupid as well. I get game lag is an issue, but what about Netlfix, Amazon and Hulu? eShop? Miiverse? Internet browsing? Why can't they work over my home Wi-Fi network? Or at least a direct wi-fi link to the console for non-gaming? We have 3 tablets in our household, we'd only have 2 if the Gamepad worked outside of my basement.
Oh, and I bought my 2nd PS3 for Christmas for my bedroom about 5 years after buying the first, so I understand mutliple consoles for multple rooms. but it wasn't completely neutered, just 12GB, which I quickly and easily upgraded to 80GB If Wii Mini worked w/ a Wi-Fi adaptor then maybe
Funny you should mention tablets. Just replied to @eLarkos in another thread about cross platform. I was of the same mind as you, app games on 3DS and Wii U w/ cloud saves. He very succinctly changed my mind. Nintendo dilutes the 3DS' worth if it has the same games as smartphones. Of course that thinking goes against NX, so maybe next gen things are differnet. but for now it might be best if they remain separate. But who knows, I'm still wishy-washy on it.
Anyway we're posts 13 and 16 i this thread:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/03/dena_dreaming_of_100_million_daily_users_on_future_nintendo_mobile_downloads#comment2915697
@VanillaLake
Do you keep a list of which people said it was a bad idea so you can compare it to the people who now say it's a bad idea? Otherwise, it's very likely they aren't the same people.
Also, people change their minds.
Also, time changes circumstances, so what is good now wasn't necessarily good then.
Also, anonymity leads to people just saying stuff they don't believe or care about just to see reactions. (Troll)
I don't know, I just see posts like you made and wonder if people who make them realize all that.
@rjejr
Wifi on GamePad would also reduce battery life and increase cost which are two sore points already, but I guess it would be kinda cool to have for when latency isn't an issue... a bit confusing though, I guess everything but streaming channels would go off limits once you reach wi-fi only range? I was definitely disappointed in the distance it could travel. I'm not sure it would have made a single extra sale, though, so I can't call it stupid, myself.
About mobile games also being available on the next Nintendo handheld: I get that Nintendo might not want to "dilute the quality", but I just can't see them limiting the handheld that way. Many kids get one device and don't have a phone or a hand-me-down tablet yet, so it just seems like a weird limitation. Especially if the new handheld still has a touch or stylus method of input... or maybe even multitouch. Wouldn't it be very weird for it not to be able to play all Nintendo games? It still leaves the mobile devices lacking compared to Nintendo's dedicated handheld. In fact if the Nintendo device didn't have those games it would be a strike against it compared to a mobile device.
It might not be easily possible, but if it is a possibility, I think Nintendo should make it happen.
@Akira_1975 It was used as an assurance that Nintendo is not giving up on dedicated gaming devices just because it is also allowing mobile games on different platforms, so it has to be a dedicated hardware device or platform for dedicated hardware devices, right?
Based on what Iwata said, "a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename "NX." ...
Could it be just the successor to the 3DS? Yes.
Could it be just the successor to the Wii U? Yes.
Could it be both as two new devices (with a single development platform)? Yes.
Could it be both as a single unified device (fusion)? Yes.
Could it be some other combination of the above? Yes (?)
Could it be a "third game pillar"? Yes. (Personally, I find that unlikely, however)
Could it be that Quality of Life platform? No, that is not a gaming platform
@aaronsullivan - "reduce battery life and increase cost"
Well the battery life is already pretty bad, how much more could 1 chip drain it over watching Netflix or doing anything else over whatever dedicated chipset is in there? The Wii U itself already has a Wi Fi chip it in, so you only need 1 for the Gamepad. How much more could that be buying them in bulk? Just use the same chip they are buying by the millions from the 2/3DS.
You are probably right about it not affecting sales any, I still bought one. I still think not having one is stupid though, and maybe it could have been a selling point using the Gamepad all over the house as a tablet.
Just for a test I once played SSBU w/ a 3DS as a controller and the 3DS continued to work while I was on the 2nd floor of my house - the Wii U is in the basement - so however the 3DS connects to the Wii U its plenty adequate.
So maybe it's not a major over-site, but I view it as a mistake. One they'll hopefully rectify next gen.
@aaronsullivan
It's not really magic, it's simple technology. The base would be nothing more than a disk drive, extra horsepower, and the HDD. The portable slots right in to activate the whole thing.
Sort of like this:
But functional, not just for storage. It'd mean only one OS is needed, one profile, no wireless syncing--basically in the same way the 32X used the Genesis for much of it's abilities--but not nearly so cumbersome or archaic as the Genesis-32X combo.
I seriously don't think Nintendo is going to continue the GamePad concept. It's flat, dead, unused, and an embarrassment. At best it's either off-TV play or a damn map. Consumers hate it, the rest of the industry doesn't care, and even Nintendo hasn't used it for anything meaningful. It's a wasted and expensive concept that has done more damage than good.
It's fine that you enjoy the GamePad for what it is--but for Nintendo, it's clearly a step in the wrong direction and a massive blunder. They need to leave the GamePad behind, and they need to do it right quick.
The Wii U has tarnished the Wii brand, and the sooner Nintendo moves away from this system and concept, the better. It would be a major marketing mistake to allow any consumer to think the NX is anything like the Wii U or related to it in any way outside of the "Nintendo" logo on the front.
In the same way Nintendo abandoned almost everything about their identity with the launch of the Wii, they need to do the same with the NX. The Wii looked different than the GameCube, was named clearly differently, was focused differently, and everything about it aside from it's backwards-compatibility was a new identity. Hell, even the GameCube controller ports were basically hidden behind a door on the system. Nintendo didn't want to obviously remind anyone of the poor-selling GameCube with the Wii, and I have little doubt that they will approach the NX the same way.
As I've noted elsewhere to Yorumi, it's clear now that Nintendo has no plans to "right the Wii U" or try to repair this sinking ship. They are planning to replace it, not fix it. And over the next two years, software development will move from 3DS and Wii U to NX and mobile as Nintendo rebrands itself.
It's pretty safe at this point to note that upon retirement, the Wii U will--if lucky--peak at 15 million in sales, but may more likely end closer to 12.5 or so. It's an embarrassment, and years back, Nintendo said that if the Wii sold worse than the GameCube, they'd consider it a failure. I doubt very much this feeling has changed.
@rjejr Your 3DS is only sending itsy, bitsy control data through wifi, you are talking about sending streamed video constantly. Like you say, just for video streaming would be okay, though.
Unfortunately, adding wifi to a device is not just about a little chip. It also needs an antenna and a place to put it that does not interfere with your other wireless technology (in this case the much more important one). That gets tricky on smaller devices and puts constraints on other parts of the device. It's not impossible, just probably more work and cost than made sense for a specific non-gaming feature.
Maybe it's been said already, but I see NX as a comprehensive and ever-present "entity" that ties our Nintendo accounts, e-stores, Virtual Consoles, downloads, retails, etc. into a system that is accessible from any device and will enable cross platform play. Examples I envision are:
All speculation, but considering how much of an advantage this would give so we can stop rebuying games for multiple platforms, or, Nintendo won't have to produce multi-platform versions of games (or even $ 3rd parties spend on multiple versions of a game/porting), this only makes perfect business sense. I'll be looking forward to Nintendo revealing more details.
@aaronsullivan - "not interfere with your other wireless technology"
Well I'll give you that one. I always assumed some type of screenshot would come up asking if you would like to switch to Wi-Fi as the dedicated connection weakened, and you would be warned that lag may occur for gaming, but the system wouldn't really try to use both at once, just during a paused handover from one to the other, so interference would be limited.
As for space - the Gamepad is MONSTROUSLY HUGE compared to a smartphone that contains a battery, cell connection antennae, wi-fi chip and antennae, bluetooth chip and antenna, and GPS chip and antenna. Surely there's room in the Gamepad for Wi-Fi.
I got a sinking feeling in my stomach when I realized: we'll probably have to buy our favorite titles AGAIN when NX gets released... "Coming soon, Majora's Mask Remastered for NX !...."
@hydeks And then have it flop anyways? because people who want games like on X1/PS4 would've just bought those systems.
@quorthon
You may be right about the perception of the GamePad. It certainly didn't sell many consoles. Not sure the second screen is what made the GamePad a failure however. It just looked uncomfortable as a main controller and the primary showcase game for it had many marketability problems. That coupled with the already questionable performance of the Wii U and the fact that games utilizing the GamePad best (Racing, Cooperative) took a performance hit just added up to a poor perception overall.
Nintendo has a "new game concept" but I wouldn't rule out its unique devotion to backwards compatibility.
As far as that combined-devices concept and your idea, I don't understand how hooking up a portable to a home console is going to boost performance. Sure there are laptop configurations that can run themselves OR let a smartphone overtake their screen and keyboard or let the computer use some features of the smartphone, but they don't boost each other performance-wise, they replace functionality. The 32x just used the ports of the Genesis/MegaDrive didn't it?
Again, why not just take all the money and engineering needed to connect the two through some fabulous uninvented high-bandwidth connector suitable to the constraints of a handheld and just get better suited chipsets for each device? Seems like it would cost less and be less of a hassle for the consumer and make each device more suited to what it needs to be first.
Now if you had a multiplayer asynchronous game where you are offloading the graphical display to each handheld while the game is also running on the console: that makes sense to me. At least, then, you are using all of what the handheld and the console can offer.
@rjejr Well you got me on interference because it wouldn't be simultaneous most of the time. I was thinking more about where you put the antenna, too, but it is monstrous.
@MeloMan While all those things may (hopefully!) be true about Nintendo's account management plans and overall approach to games, that is not what NX is.
In context, NX was brought up as an example of how Nintendo is still focused on dedicated hardware gaming platforms as contrasted to the other initiative of using it's IP in games for what it considers the more limited platforms of mobile devices.
The network account initiative that Nintendo will be utilizing DeNA for was also discussed in a way that was completely separate to both NX and Nintendo IP on mobile.
@aaronsullivan Thanks for the info. Also, there are people that get mad when somebody says something that make clear that Nintendo is not perfect. They are called fanboys.
Fortunately, I'm not in any of the two groups.
NX is a platform guys. Not a product. So don't be surprised if there is NO hardware to go with this. Forget about specs and WiiU or DS replacements.
Think iOS or Android. Once they have a platform, all future games will be written for the platform.
Then as long as someone can write drivers or a runtime, this could run on anything. PC. Mobile. WiiU. 3DS. PS4.
Once this is working, Nintendo is free to release and iterate as many hardware models be it handheld or console as they like. Think new iPhone releases every year. All run the same software.
This is the end game for ninty, and could lead to massive profits if done properly.
@maceng yeah interesting idea, but then still the dock would have hardware in it making cost go up, so it might as well be it's own system, I think eurogamer did an article on this last year saying they will have two systems on scalable hardware.
@SPEtheridge
If Nintendo can come up with a 250 dollars handheld (not advised, though) and a 250 dollars dock, then the price could be manageable.I see people willing to have both type of consoles for about 1.5x the price of a home console.
Hmm yeah but me thinks that will turn out like the xbox one or wii u, price was putting people off not to mention the 3ds was dead till it had a price drop. Plus it'll be hell on developers having to have a game that has to scale all the time, you could never really push the dock hardware as it has to run smooth when detached on the handheld.
@FLUX_CAPACITOR
I actually don't fire off insults, but hey, I guess if you aren't going to actually pay attention to what I actually say, maybe I don't need to pay attention to you.
I pointed out that your post was lame, because it was. And it seems to have been deliberately so.
Per your silly attempt to claim 3rd party content was "never" a part of selling Nintendo hardware, I guess you just up and forgot that franchises like Contra, Mega Man, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Final Fight, Street Fighter, and the like were third parties.
Also, the N64 box hilariously proves you wrong.
Or do you think Nintendo owns Star Wars? Or Killer Instinct?
I guess, per that matter, if Nintendo's way of doing things was so carefully constructed as you believe, they'd be faring much better instead of having the worst-selling console since the Saturn, and their worst-selling portable ever. If you think Nintendo is doing just fine with their "business as usual" approach, the marketplace clearly makes you wrong.
In truth, Nintendo has no idea how to reach new audiences, and they have no idea how to get dedicated gamers back, and about the only thing they do understand is how to remake Zelda games because their fans will always pay full price again for something they already own or have cheaper access to (like Majora's Mask on the Wii). They didn't make the Wii to show off their creative chops, they made it believing the gimmick would sell--and they got lucky when it did. They clearly think the same way now--but it sure as hell didn't work for the Wii U. So much for the fabled "we make the hardware for the games we want to make." Unless they really, really just wanted to make another Mario Kart that didn't take advantage of an expensive controller, but wanted you to have to buy the controller anyway. Donkey Kong Country sure made revolutionary use of the GamePad, didn't it?
Clearly, even Mario and Zelda don't sell consoles anymore. Because without third party support, for a lot of gamers, Mario and Zelda are not worth the price of entry alone.
EDIT: It dons on me that you aren't even right pertaining to me on this. I regularly buy 3rd party for my Nintendo consoles and 3rd party games grossly out-number 1st or 2nd party on all my Nintendo devices. Hell, the reason I loved the GameCube so much was because the third parties were back. For that matter, the game that finally pushed me to buying a 3DS was Contra 4.
@aaronsullivan
The portable wouldn't "boost" the power, it would literally be half (or a third, depending on what is financially realistic) of the total power of the console. That means cost of the console is split--the console itself would not have the OS, for instance. It would be a hardware base.
Say the portable has 4 GB of RAM and the base has 8 GB of RAM. When the portable is docked, the actual console has it's full compliment of 12 GB of RAM.
That's all. Same with CPU processing, etc. The console itself would basically be "empty" hardware that only works when the portable is attached. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It seems pretty obvious to me.
Ideally, this kind of set-up might allow Nintendo to make a unified console that is powerful, unique, and affordable. It would also ideally speed up game development--having to appeal to only one OS and user profile, and allow game development using established engines easier. Build for the NX, and choose your setting--Portable or Full Console.
I'm pretty certain the GamePad is one of the biggest problems with the Wii U. The money spent on that and the way it's used, and the way it looks have been nothing but detrimental. It forced Nintendo to charge current-gen prices for last-gen hardware, it becomes a headache for many developers if pressured to use it in some unique way, it eats up processing power streaming to it (meanwhile, the different screens on the DS and 3DS had dedicated processors), and consumers generally hate it.
Hell, for about a year, the biggest complaint I heard (during my GameStop time), besides that people thought it was just a stupid add-on for the Wii, was that it looked like a stupid concept that was both uncomfortable and in which they didn't see the point. People hate the GamePad. It would be a mistake for Nintendo to continue using this thing, or to make an update to it for the NX.
Frankly, if the NX is initially intended to be a "third pillar" in the hardware, I'd highly doubt Nintendo would risk making a third pillar that looks almost exactly like the other two.
If Nintendo go with a unified system (which after a few days of thinking about, I find unlikely), I will go away from Nintendo forever. And that will be a shame. A "handheld/console" will not be powerful enough to house any of the latest/greatest games. I do NOT think it's a good idea. If they do this, it will be a risk they will regret.
Yes, yes, this is all well and good, but I've just invested in a Wii U and New 3DS XL, so Ninty, please keep pushing those hard in the meantime. It feels way too early in at least the former's 'game', and I'd for one feel bummed to see it snuffed so soon.
@blujay1524 I hope it comes out next year
@TheRegginator Not true at all. The DS was the third tier, remember? 150 million sold and your statement was proved wrong before you said it. Have some faith if you're going to use a Nintendo-esque name.
I envision a 3DS like device on a charging platform (like the one that came with the original). You use the device like any old 3DS, but when you plug it into the platform, it becomes "the console" for playing on TV or with the post-wii controller family they have to keep alive for legacy's sake.
Ooo, maybe have it able to local connect with new 3DS for portable multiplayer.
At this stage I will be surprised if NX isn't a unified platform
I saw the words "Reaction" and "NX" in the headline and thought there was new information, but ended up being disappointed
Originally, I was very negative of idea of having the NX as both a handheld and home console since it would either need to be an expensive handheld or a low powered home console. Since then, I've warmed to the idea and I believe it's possible for this approach to work, though it could also easily backfire.
I'll post this here again: https://inceptionalnews.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/heres-the-gist-of-my-idea-for-nintendos-nx/
But at this point I think Nintendo is probably just doing its own thing entirely, possibly something that isn't either a "traditional" console or this hybrid idea that many of us kinda expect and/or want, and I'm not sure it will be for the best.
I definitely think the shared ecosystem is the way to go.
@blujay1524 that's your own fault for buying it so late. You should have until holiday 2017 anyway.
@Quorthon
Streetpass has achievements, but when it's just "you did this" without any points for it, it seems less rewarding.
Maybe they could tie achievements into their point system as a way of rewarding the costumer for playing their games and giving an incentive to unlock achievements beyond bragging rights.
Of course it makes sense. It's something that could have been done on the Wii. Nintendo could see its benefits back on the Gamecube and yet it's taken them until 3 generations to implement it.
@crimsontadpoles "I saw the words "Reaction" and "NX" in the headline and thought there was new information, but ended up being disappointed "
Disappointment is a nice way of saying it. I was all like - s... what'd I miss!?!
Well at least AD edited in the explanation. It is a short Christmas week, probably not a lot of news until after the new year. Though a really great sale for Christmas would be nice. A good sale on Nintendo's own 1st party games, not all those $1.49 games on sale for 99 cents.
Still was a rude awakening though.
3 weeks ago I wrote on this site:
"Now onto the console itself... Turns out it's almost how I imagined my perfect console. A portable, like a 3DS a Vita or otherwise that you can take anywhere or plug it to a dock at home that expands its capabilities and lets you play the same games on a TV with better graphics, performance or additional features. Imagine Smash for 3DS was the only Smash but you could connect the 3DS to the -optional- dock and get at home a version like that for Wii U. One console, one game... an optional dock and two ways to enjoy the same game."
And later:
"It seems they want to merge the two platforms, home and handheld, so they only have to make the same game once, reducing development times and production, distribution and marketing costs. Not a bad idea. Let's say in the future there won't be 2 Smash or 2 Hyrule Warriors games, one for the handheld and one for the home console, just one Smash or one Hyrule Warriors that you will be able to play in either console, with the home console version's output being enhanced thanks to extra power (better resolution or framerate, better models or textures, whatever)."
It'll be an ipod dock looking device where you plug the handheld unit into & can resume on the tv. Not sure I like it, but hey what do I know. I just want the SNES 2
So basically, Nintendo wants to do their own version of PlayStation's very own "Remote Play" functionality, but better?
I think Nintendo are really going to surprise us with NX. Will have to wait and see.
@DualWielding who says this?
@John_Enigma remote play never really worked tho
Everybody's speculating about a unified platform between handheld and console... And while I feel that may be the road we're headed towards, let's not forget how Nintendo ALWAYS shocks or surprises us with something we never even thought of.
I'm hoping this is the case, that something completely new is introduced that isn't a "gimmick" in the truest sense of the word. A "gimmick" is fine, so long as gameplay and 3rd party support aren't compromised.
The news articles floating around a couple months ago from industry insiders were telling us that Nintendo is doing something completely new and innovative. Naturally, the Internet is going to speculated wildly, that's what Nintendo fans do LOL.
2016 is gonna be EXCITITNG
@mushroomer can I play all my digital 360 games on my Xbox one or all my digital PS3 games on my ps4. Notice the word all. I expect to be able to transfer some like you can with those machines. I plan to keep my Wiiu personally.
@faint I know, but look at it this way. PlayStation's Remote Play is good, yet it has flaws. Now Nintendo has the time to do their own version of Remote Play so they can perfect it and tweak it, fix the flaws the PlayStation had with it, and succeed in where PlayStation failed with their Remote Play.
@John_Enigma I'm inclined to agree with you here. Look at the wireless/streaming technology they implemented into the Wii U. It's actually quite impressive lag-wise. Nintendo loves finding emerging and developing technologies and finding ways to implement these technologies into their games. Case & point with analogue sticks, motion controls, touch screens, etc.
I'm thinking we will see some updated version of "Remote Play" like you're mentioning, coupled with the free-form screen patents we saw just recently (with the connected LG rumors prior to that).
The biggest part of the equation is having a HEALTHY gaming ECOSYSTEM for gamers tho. Whether that be true cross-buy, or having access to older purchases, or a unified account. I think that's actually one of the biggest things that needs to be done.
Lastly, on the topic of the Club Nintendo rewards program... Take the "achievements" model from PS & Xbox and implement it into actual, physical rewards or digital discounts rather than just trophies. THAT WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER.
I do hope that they release the new console and a new handheld at the same time. So that they can leverage any unified functionality between the two. Since Iwata-san had spoken about a unified OS ecosystem I think Nintendo has the best chance of creating a console/handheld experience rather than it being an afterthought. Even moreso with the My Nintendo refresh. Having that integrated from the get go will make a compelling and fun and hopefully less clunky interface. (I gotta say after owning all three I really really hate sony and microsoft's interfaces. Takes me ages to find or do anything while its super quick on the wiiu)
You know what? I really do hope the Nintendo NX becomes handheld/home hybrid because having a handheld that would also function as a reliable controller would be nice. The way they made the 3DS function as an extra controller in the Super Smash Bros. game was awesome.
I feel like Nintendo has stated many many many times that it is not replacing the Wii U and 3DS. It will continue to support both of those systems for awhile. It's even in their diagram from that DeNA briefing awhile back. http://cdn.geekwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/28l.jpg
Ya'll are gonna upset yourselves again just like the Wii U's announcement by not listening to Nintendo about all the details they've been sharing with us.
Let's stick to the facts:
1. Nintendo is not replacing the Wii U for a good while.
2. The system will be able to run a new Metroid Prime game. (Kensuke Tanabe confirmed this)
3. It is a new concept that we haven't seen before. So it probably won't have a gamepad, have motion controls, and won't be a traditional gaming system with a normal controller either.
That is all we know and we have no reason to assume anything else. You guys are setting Nintendo up to fail with all this speculation because when your assumptions don't play out you will get all upset.
I don't know I'm just really getting tired of people throwing stuff out there that Nintendo has never even hinted at.
Oh, good Lord. When I saw the title I thought the NX had been revealed last night or something!
Having a unified console would be awesome considering the fact that I'd like to experience great handheld games even though I've grown out of the DS line. Make this a reality, Nintendo!
Who even plays on consoles anymore? Pathetic.
There's one crucial element that isn't being discussed here (and yet one that ALL consoles are conspicuously moving away from): local multiplayer. Assuming that the NX will indeed possess functionality both in front of your TV and away from home, that infers a UI that would have its own display similar to the Wii U's Gamepad...which famously was too expensive for Nintendo to justify selling as a standalone accessory. And with such a focus on being able to play a given game at home or on the move, would that actually undermine features like local multiplayer the same way that previous industry moves have eliminated entire gameplay modes or genres (example: look at what online capability has done to single-player campaigns and offline features, especially this console generation; we're paying more for less and less).
Think about a Mario Kart or Smash Bros. where you and your friends/family need to have your own NX and copy of the game to play together. Sound far fetched? Not if you look at current titles like Destiny on competing platforms. And that would absolutely KILL any buzz about cross-compatibility for many, MANY potential users, including myself.
I don't wish to make any assumptions on this matter; we'll see what Nintendo's plan is when the official announcement is made. But they can't afford to throw aside the key elements that fans already love their games for in order to push their latest business model (and that's what this is about from their corporate perspective; make no mistake). The history of the gaming industry is rife with more than enough abandoned things that no one wanted left behind already.
I can see Nintendo making the official NX reveal during February or March time, like they did with the 3DS. It would snuff out any potential leaks (which is why they did it prior to E3 for the 3DS if memory serves me well) and would be perfectly in line with the launch of the My Nintendo account and rewards system they are launching in March.
In addition if the NX launches in 2016 then it gives them time to properly hype it up with E3 being full on NX launch games, like Sony and Microsoft did. However if the NX launches in 2017 then it allows Nintendo to go dead silent on the system for a whole year and use E3 to focus on Wii U and 3DS games like Zelda U which is their big title of 2016 so far.
@Sci-Fin Wow....
@Sci-Fin
I hope you're being sarcastic. Of course you are. Surely nobody would actually think such a thing.
As much as I would like to see a unified console thing, that is a very sensible step to take. And good ol' Nintendo has not been very strong at taking very sensible steps in design or business practices. Especially as of late.
@ningeek185
"I'd like to experience great handheld games even though I've grown out of the DS line."
How does one "grow out of" a series of platforms? I think you may want to reconsider- I can recommend several console-quality 3DS games for you even now:
Xenoblade Chronicles- it was one of the best console games of 7th gen, and it's definitely one of the best handheld games this gen. This game is the penultimate handheld gaming experience.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate- a console-quality game you can only get on handhelds. MH3U is one of the best games on Wii U, but this entry blows it away in every aspect. 400 hours in, still as fresh as day one
Fire Emblem Awakening- this is considered by many to be one of the best handheld games ever made, and for good reason. Try your hand at this and see if you don't start sleeping with your 3DS next to your pillow at night
Fire Emblem Fates*** Definitely gonna want this when it drops in 60 short days
Other recommendations
Tales of the Abyss
Resident Evil Revelations
DKC Returns
Kid Icarus Uprising
Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon
Those are but a few examples, most of which were actually released on consoles or are direct sequels to console entries.
Don't write off the 3DS as an extension of DS. The two are completely different animals.
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. If this new "NX" console, or whatever it ends up being, isn't as powerfull as the XB1 and PS4, Nintendo is doomed.
I hope you're being smart right now Nintendo.
Now is the time to change things if they aren't right.
Look at this from Nintendo's failure and success.
The failure was the gamepad. Not developing it, but not dropping it early on when it was obviously failing and holding back the Wii U progress. The BIG success is the stable 3ds.
Going into the mobile market would leave Nintendo with 4 platforms to developed games for. Wiiu, 3ds, gamepad and mobile. Churning out a back catalogue of games for the gamepad, while not producing enough Wii U games was like giving Wii U owners a consolation prize while waiting for the NX.
Anything less that a console that will rival PlayStation and Xbox will be doomed to fail. The Wii was a one off.
An added bonus would allow some games to transfer to a 3ds for portability.
Extra screens will but the price of the console up beyond what a lower price to under cut the Xbox would be.
Nintendo Xtra. The x being a powerful console that allows games to be transfered to a portable device. As the gamepad should have been.
Next year cab't come around soon enough, I literally can't wait for more details on this.
I'm not sure if I really want a console that unites Nintendo's handheld and home console branches. Let's say, the console that united both branches fails, what then? I don't think Nintendo's future would be that bright then.
However, what I'd love to see is the possibility of releasing the same game on both, the home console and the handheld. What I mean is not a 1:1 port but more so a possibility of enjoying the games you are enjoying on your tv on the go. Like save data transfers and all that good stuff. You see, I'm a busy university student and rarely have time to play console games outside of weekends. For example, have a Handheld NX port of Mario Maker and let me create my levels on the go and publish them online at home. And if the game is too big to fit on a Handheld NX cartirdge, don't make certain portions home console-only, let me instead transfer like a certain sized portion of the home console game onto the handheld port and let me keep playing.
I'm not saying every game should be released on both consoles and some games certainly should use the home console and handhelds-specific features in order to have potential customers feel buying both consoles justified. But just bring both console branches closer together.
What I don't need, though, is some sort of cheap, mandatory gimmick like Wiimotes or Gamepads. The exclusive games justify buying a console, not some gimmick that "hasn't been done before".
@JaxonH I'll have you know that I have a 3DS, thank you very much.
What I'm saying is that I don't find that playing on a handheld console is necessary for someone my age, as I normally play on my Wii U, Xbox One, and my phone.
I've been stupid enough to buy 3DS and WiiU at launch, but I won't be so stupid to do the same with whatever NX will be.
The WiiU has all the power it needs to live other 2 years if only they release the games people want to play on it: F-Zero, Metroid, Zelda, Paper Mario ecc. but they prefer to support 3DS.
@andreoni79 I don't think you were stupid to buy on launch days. I also did this and I've had more fun out of my Nintendos than people who didn't buy in launch... You did the right thing! Yay!
I'm not saying a "unified platform" couldn't have its advantages, but looking at the way Microsoft did it, by forcing their PC OS to be like a Smartphone OS, and trying to appeal to the very casual market while outright disregarding and arguably ostracizing the already existent PC market in favor of the casual market, it was a disaster and Windows 8 a laughing stock.
You want to "unify" the platforms fine, but don't do it at the expense of the more advanced platform.
@Minotaurgamer I keep seeing this in comment sections, but I have never seen this in an actual Nintendo source. I have seen Nintendo say, that the DS was a new line, and not part of the Gameboy line, but I have never seen them say that the DS is a third pillar and they will keep producing new Gameboy consoles. I thought it was pretty obvious given the DS backwards compatibility with GBA games, that the Gameboy was done and the DS would be taking over.
I love my portable consoles, so a unified console sounds nice. I play my 3DS way more often then my Wii U. Though my Wii U is down a floor while my 3DS is in my room. Could just be a matter of location XD
@jbopatrick It was first announced as a 3rd pillar, but quickly just became the replacement for GB/handheld line of devices.
I hope so paying twice for games ain't fun.
@Peach64
None of those 3 games are bad games.
Rainbow curse was disliked for graphical style and being too similar to the DS games.
Tipping Stars was disliked for being "stale" and not innovating the Minis series.
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. was disliked for it's gameplay and graphical style because yeah games like those never review well, despite nothing wrong with them.
Iwata and others have already confirmed that both the next handheld and console run the same OS and use a unified development architect which allows most code, assets and engines to run on both.
This should allow you to port most games and apps between the 2.
I mean Apple allows you to port ~90% of code, assets, and engines between OS X, iOS, WatchOS and tvOS.
This is allows easy porting of most software to each of their OSs.
This is the best way going forward, which in turn will free up a lot of Nintendo's resources.
There is no need to create a "hybrid" system, because it put off both the console market and the handheld market, due to it not being built for either market.
There is no way the West would go for a "hybrid" device in place of true console that is filled to the brim with console specs.
There is no way the East would adopt a "hybrid" that lacks handheld features at a handheld price.
It's the same set of reasons that have prevented tablets, laptops and desktops from unifying into one device.
It is the same set of reasons why tablets and phones haven't merged into one device either.
My prediction (want) is that NX is actually two systems, a console and a handheld, the handheld continuing with the dual screen format. They would be separate purchases to keep individual costs down. They will share the same basic architecture which will make it easy to port games between both systems. The main console will come with a standard controller, but will support legacy controllers (Gamepad) for backwards compatibility as well as being able to use the handheld as a controller for the console. For games available on both platforms, the handheld would display the touch interface for the game as well as the option for offscreen play (games made for only console could support offscreen only). Games made only for the handheld could stream the feed from the handheld to the console, though it would likely be at a lower resolution than your TV.
The whole point is synergy, making everything work together effortlessly, but at a price cost effective to the end users (maybe they only want or can afford one of them). Will this happen? To early to tell, but it is what I would shoot for if I ran Nintendo.
@TechJunkie69
That's what Iwata was talking about the past three years.
Granted I doubt you will be able to stream from handheld to console, though I could see you being allowed to move save files with great ease.
Nintendo has been working towards making a unified system since the SNES, if you think about it. SNES has Super GameBoy which allowed you to play GameBoy games on your TV. N64 didn't have any of that, but GameCube had the GameBoy Player which allowed you to play GBA games on your TV. Not to mention you could hook your GBA up to the GCN as a controller which was required for a few multiplayer games. And now with Wii U the gamepad is an even bigger step in that direction, being able to play the game on the gamepad screen or on TV. I really think it will be a unified platform, and really that's the absolute best thing they could do for themselves and for the fans. I'm tired of buying both a console and a handheld every generation. Sure I don't have to buy both but then I fear I'm missing out on great games if I don't. I really think a console that has a portable component is the best scenario. One system that can be played anywhere - on the go or on TV.
@Xenocity
There is no technical reason it couldn't work both ways (video streaming). And save files could be as simple as a 'sync data' option on either console assuming that the games themselves don't do it automatically when using both at the same time (or possibly cloud saving).
@HawkeyeWii
Power is irrelevant. Wii wasn't nearly as powerful as 360/PS3 and did fine. The average consumer doesn't understand nor do they care.
The only people who care about power are message board trolls or own a PC capable of running every title at 1080/60. Console warriors talking about power is the most ridiculous thing I ever see on the internet, considering console ownership proves specs mean nothing to you.
@JRPGHurtsWallet Power doesn't matter? In todays market? sure let tell Nintendo that and let them release a 3rd console ina row thats just as if not barely as powerful as the generation before and see what happends.
I hope the NX is a unified platform thats in line with the times and is actually modern.
I have theorized that NX will not be one singular home console-handheld hybrid, but rather a family of different devices that all share similar/same OS, architecture, and software library. Iwata (RIP) has made a similar comment roughly 2 years ago:
"What we mean by integrating platforms is NOT integrating handhelds devices and home consoles to make only one machine. What we are aiming at is to integrate the architecture to form a common basis for software development so that we can make software assets more transferrable, and operating systems and their build-in applications more portable, regardless of form factor or performance of EACH platform."
Nintendo's studios could each essentially develop differentiated versions of the same game, with one version for the NX handheld and the other version for the NX console. Code and assets could be transferred from each version of the game as needed to streamline development, thanks to the unified architecture. Each version of the game would also have some exclusive feature and content not featured in the other version (once again, think Smash Wii U vs. Smash 3DS) to take advantage of the specific hardware it is being built on.
Of course, so games that are too ambitious for a handheld (like a new open-world Zelda or another Xenoblade Chronicles game) could stay exclusive to the NX console. Games that rely on socializing and that have little actual gameplay (such as a Tomodachi Life sequel) could stay exclusive to the NX handheld.
Also, I mention NX handheld and NX console, but there could be other NX form factors as well.
Why is this old article being brought back up again?
But anyways, after some lurking on Neogaf, I'm convinced that NX is the multiple form factor ecosystem - an NX Handheld and an NX Console. They share the same OS, the same or similar architecture, the same services, and most of the same games.
The games would be developed so that they scale down depending on the hardware they're being played on, similar to PCs.
As far as 3rd party support goes, western 3rd party support is NEVER going to happen past what they have now.
There's no audience for those games on Nintendo, so there's no reason for the western 3rd parties to support them. The audience isn't there because the games aren't there. It's a perpetual cycle that Nintendo will never be able to break.
Edit: Ah, missed the explanation at the top of the article.
I really, really, really doubt its going to be a singular device. The key point is price, Nintendo's handheld systems is always bigger than their home consle userbase. Atleast ~50%(DS) bigger and at times 400%(3DS) bigger than its console userbase. During this generation we'cw have learned that neither Nintendo or Sony can sell to their basic handheld effectively with a price tag of £200 for the UK or $250 for the US. I think anyone can realise this means their next handheld cannot be substantially more powerful than the WiiU. Additionally their handhelds sold best in the past when they reached £79 or $99 if that is not their original price, people who want a cheap system or families with multiple children would not want to pony up the price of a console multiple times for a handheld.
I'd take a guess for what might work best for Nintendo is for the NX to be the shared operating system like Iwata mentioned in 2014. but also for them to launch not two but three SKUs. One console(high end), two handhelds; a premium Handheld(think 3DSXL) and a low-range(Think 2DS) at each launch.
*High end NX console: £300/$349 (most powerful, hopefully most powerful system on the market, full VC can play all of the games designed for the handheld at a higher resolution/framerate)
*Premium NX Handheld: £179/$199(Able to play the less intensive console games in addition to the handheld library can and VC just with lower resolution, FPS)
*Economic NX handheld: £129/$149 (Just as capable as the premium handheld, just designed like the 2DS e.g. mono sound, no hinges to minimize cost, designed so that it can be cheaply manufactured and quickly reach £79 or $99).
Rather than making one device and hoping its price appeals to the entire market. They should aim to have devices out as quickly as possible that allow for a flexible range of prices so there's a price tag that at the very least all of their 8th gen customers can be happy upgrading to the new systems ASAP.
I think it'll eventually be a home console unit that comes with a handheld portable device that have the same exact hardware. Console unit will just have more storage and you'll be able to send games back and forth between the 2 devices depending on whether ya wanna play in the living room or on the go.
Hopefully it'll support Wii remotes and the Gamepad. I'm thinking it'll be sold as a home console unit w/handheld device or the handheld device sold separately.
@ningeek185
Didn't know age had anything to do with it.
@HeroOfTime32 I'm looking for an actual source, a quote from Nintendo, if you have please share it with me. I remember the announcements when the DS was first being talked about. But I never saw Nintendo saying they will continue developing new Gameboy systems along side DS systems. I only remember them saying that DS was a new line, not part of the Gameboy line. I don't remember them saying they would keep 3 teirs going at the same time. I have only seen this said recently in comment sections when people discuss the NX. I think it's a bit of revisionist history. Nintendo said the DS wasn't part of the Gameboy line, and now they have announced NX as separate from their console and handheld lines ad that it will be a third tier.. Now people are saying Nintendo said this in the past. As far as I know though, Nintendo never said 3 tiers up until the NX, they simply said the DS was not replacing the Gameboy. Two similar things, but not the same.
Another thought, if it is in fact a dual-solution: Maybe the Home unit streams the content to the handheld unit via Internet?
@renaryuugufan92 Power isn't important, @JRPGHurtsWallet is absolutely right with this. Thinking that computing power alone would achieve anything for Nintendo is very naive, you have to consider the realities:
1. Console hardware is already outdated the day it is released, it is not really powerful.
2. No matter how powerful a Nintendo console is, it won't be able to beat the Playstation because that one will be powerful too.
3. Even if the Nintendo console would be the most powerful, many people would still assume that the Playstation console is stronger, because most people hang on to the images/biases in their heads (and don't look up the actual facts), that's just how the brain works.
4. The Gamecube was a powerful console and look what it achieved with that... nothing, it got crushed by the PS2.
5. Modern != powerful hardware. In fact, apart from built-in streaming and multitasking, the Wii U is even more modern than the PS4, because it offers a touch-based second screen, a built-in browser, etc. And both consoles lack an SSD, so technically they're both not modern.
Really, I could just respond with that giggling gif to your post, because you seriously believe that more computing power would do anything for Nintendo. That's really shortsighted.
@HeroOfTime32 Hmm after doing some research, I couldn't find any direct qoute from Nintendo saying that they would continue the Gameboy line after the launch of the DS. The closest I could find was Iwata saying "It could be possible for the DS to be a third pillar next to the GBA" (Which in fact it was for a few years), but nothing about Nintendo continuing Gameboy after the GBA. Only the media blowing it up and speculating whatever they want, like they do with every Nintendo announcement. And then fans turning speculation into "fact" and history.
A single platform would be great, but not in the way some people are wanting it here.
A platform as in iOS or Android or even Steam, except with all the hardware coming from Nintendo is what I want. Not the 'one device for everything' route that some Nintendo fans have been wanting.
It'd be great if Nintendo could release a home console, a DS-type portable with whatever expensive gimmick they'd like to shove in next, and a more powerful, modernized Game Boy-type portable (as in one screen and little-to-no expensive gimmicks to drive up cost; basically this would take the Vita's place in the portable power spectrum since Sony is out).
And then, build an API that allows for easier porting and publishing across all three systems (or more) no matter what their specs are. And of course have them all be able to communicate with each other like using the handhelds as controllers (especially that Game Boy-type I mentioned, since if it has sticks and multiple shoulder buttons like modern devices do, it'll make a replacement to the Wii U Gamepad for those who want it).
@shani
4. PS4 is a powerful system, and it's destroying the Wii U in sales, what's your point? It's not always the weaker system that sells best. Look at the Dreamcast; it's the weakest console of its generation but was a complete flop. What matters is marketing, third party relations, brand image (Wii sold well, but it was regarded as the casual or Wii Sports machine by most), public opinion and game community opinion, VALUE, and sometimes WOW factor. Nintendo mostly sold the Wii on WOW factor alone, along with value since it was a relatively cheap console even though it offered almost no multimedia functionality. Their problem now is that they're trying too hard to continue selling on WOW factor.
Also
5. This is a joke right? Aside from the streaming technology they're using, Nintendo's Wii U is in no way more modern than the PS4. Providing a device with a second screen in the box doesn't make the Wii U more modern; it just makes it slightly more convenient (disregarding the horrid battery life and the fact that the GamePad could be considered to be taking up 1/3 of the console's and yet not being premium in any way). The other consoles can do just fine connecting to other devices with second screen for auxiliary information, including those that people already own like phones and tablets. Also built in browser has been standard since last gen, that's not something that makes Wii U special or "modern". Even Wii had one. And finally, the Wii U DOES NOT have an internal SSD. It uses a basic eMMC for the internal memory, like a smartphone or tablet. And they're not even using a fast one for that matter, so there's no real advantage against the way bigger HDDs inside the other consoles.
@Xenocity
"Code Name S.T.E.A.M. was disliked for it's gameplay and graphical style because yeah games like those never review well, despite nothing wrong with them."
In terms of gameplay, Valkyria Chronicles is extremely close yet reviewed very well. Graphical style wise, I'm sure there are plenty of comic-book looking games that reviewed well as well. I don't have the game yet, but there's gonna be some other reason for it not doing well. Probably the overly stereotypical American presentation.
@AVahne Did you read my comment properly? I stated that none of the current consoles have an SSD built in, which means none of them can really be considered to be "modern" (whatever this term means to anyone).
And the PS4 doesn't have a built-in browser, I looked for that in the PS4 of a friend (who also has a Wii U and is a console collector) and he couldn't find it either. Later I found out that you have to manually download it somewhere.
You still haven't explained what makes the PS4 and XB1 "modern", apart from the built-in streaming possibility? Just to be clear, my point isn't that the Wii U is more modern than the PS4 (it isn't, as I mentioned in my previous post, e.g. because the PS4 has streaming). My point is a) that none of them are to be considered modern, whatever that means and b) that you haven't declared what "modern" is supposed to mean and it's a really soft term.
From my standpoint, if they were modern, they wouldn't have physical copies (or at least not on optical discs), they would have built-in SSDs (none of them has it), built-in VR, built-in streaming support (which PS4 and XB1 have), built-in second screen (which only the Wii U has - I know you can use a PS Vita but a) not in the same, consistent way as a standard device and b) you first have to buy a Vita for that), built-in stereoscopic 3D-function, built-in browser (only Wii U has it from the start), built-in music and video player (none of them has that to save costs, PS4 has only streaming services like Spotifiy and both have video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc) and apps (which both have already) and a lot more.
And the PS4 is more or less "powerful" (compare the games to their PC versions and it's immediately clear that they are not), but that's not why it's selling so well, it does because the Playstation brand is established so well that people will buy anything with the Playstation logo on it, because PS+ is working really great, because of some other benefits and because of the best marketing in the business. It would sell equally good with weaker hardware.
As I said before, thinking that the hardware is the main reason for Sony's success is really naive.
And the PS4 is not crushing the Wii U, it's crushing the XB1 (PS4 and Wii U aren't even really competing with each other if you consider the target audience). Just look how few units MS has sold despite their desperate advertising efforts - they've only sold about half what Sony has sold and only ~ a few million units (no one really knows, so we have to assume a fictional estimate of 15 million, which could be more or less accurate) more than the Wii U although Nintendo has almost zero advertising. Just look how many PS4 and XB1 ads there are in TV and online and tell me if and where you have seen a Nintendo ad ANYWHERE. Nintendo's advertising is bascially nonexistent.
And one other point I forgot to mention in my previous post: More powerful hardware in combination with innovation would make the next Nintendo console too expensive and then it would sell even less than the Wii U has. Without innovation Nintendo's consoles would soon become meaningless (ask the leaders at Sony or MS and they will tell you the same, Nintendo has to stay different) and Nintendo has to keep their consoles affordable because otherwise even more people would switch to Sony/MS. Only the die-hard Nintendo fans would stick with them and that's not enough.
NX is already in production. It will be sold soon after the announcement at E3 2016.
Why do I get the feeling that the NX isn't going to be released next year? Maybe because its still too early to release it after announcing more Wii U games?
A unified platform is perfect - it alleviates Nintendo's resources to create games for two different platform. There isn't as many good games on Wii U as in 3DS.
Love the concept... I love playing console games in bed/on the go!! Odd.... Everyone still swears the reason the Vita failed is because people don't want to play home console games on a handheld... Just not true...
@Socar
Umm... what Wii U game is not coming next year? Wii U has such a small userbase that it's not really practical to support it anymore. NX will hit the stores in November 2016 and the Wii U Zelda will have the same destiny as Twilight Princess: it'll be a launch title on NX and also available on Wii U.
@DualWielding Why would we bother? We got our moneys worth. Time to move on.
@aaronsullivan That's what I was worried about. I don't want to see their handheld and console have similar spec performance. As nice as it would be to take console games portable, I'd like to see the NX be a powerful machine. Maybe it could be a remote play option for playing the console on the go kinda like what Sonys done.
@SupremeAllah Sounds like a good plan. That seems to be the likely scenario. Meanwhile Sony wants to push VR which gives them time with their system and I guess Microsoft will just always have loyal followers that just want the next Halo, Gears and hopes for Rare.
Nintendo need a unified system if only because they don't have the resources to develop for 2 HD systems as proven with Wii U.
Shows how much the world listens.nx is a console.it's a console.what it does I don't know.but I do know if you call nintendo they will tell you this much info.its a console and is more powerful them ps4_xbone.call nintendo they will tell u that much.
@Peach64 yep and that's why you missed out on games.why do people I I won't but the game because everyone says it bad.lol so lame.I would have missed ouT on a cheap load of games of I listen to the next person.btw and fyi nintendo makes the best first party games.that's just facts
@datamonkey hmmmm I think you should use your head when you speak.lol I know your trolling.it's all good.lol nintendo only has one hd console and that's Wii u
3's was never meant to be hd and isn't.lol try harder to troll.don't hate because you will be able to play the hand held and the new nx games on one console.
@shani I agree with most of what you're saying, only I do think Nintendo should see Sony and Microsoft as direct competition. If Ninty wants to be the market leader once more, they need the big third party support. This automaticly means they'll be working in the same realm as it's competitors. And Ninty needs to provide the hardware third party is also able to work with. That doesn't mean however they have to abandon innovation, but they need a clever combination. And don't forget, Nintendo is already different in the games they offer. Imo they should focus on innovation in games, not necessarily on motion controls or an gamepad.
And think about this: If Sony and Microsoft don't see Nintendo as direct competition, why do they copy or integrate a lot games, hardware function's, etc.
@JaxonH How does one grow out of using the DS? Your hands get bigger, you don't have spare time to whip out a game device without being rude to others around you or look like you aren't doing your job. As an adult you probably have your own entertainment center to yourself that is comfortable and doesn't require you to clamp your hands around a shrunken awkward controller. Even with kids it's more enjoyable to interact with a shared screen instead of sequestering off into individual experiences. There's more reasons... To me the 3DS is a horrible cage for some great games that I can't fully enjoy and rarely return to because the physical experience is so bad.
@Sci-Fin millions and millions and millions play consoles... And that's just the Wii U. Lol
@Order2Chaos Yeah that's true, Nintendo does often inspire the others. And of course they should still see them as competition somehow, but I what I meant was Nintendo shouldn't desperately try to do what MS and Sony are doing and beat them on their own field, but instead - like it happened with the Wii - try to do something new, something "Nintendo" and be so good at it that they'll beat the others automatically.
What I'm saying is: Sometimes you try too hard and fail, but if you stay relaxed and go your own way, you might end up being on top of things just because you did what you thought was best.
So I think motion controls and the Wii U Gamepad were good decisions and Nintendo should continue to go this route. If they have great success again, the third parties will come because of the success. I don't believe that the hardware is the main reason for third parties not to develop for Wii U - the real reason is the fear of a small userbase (which in turn becomes a self-fullfilling prophecy). It's the risk. And it's the fact that your typical AAA games just don't sell well on Nintendo consoles because the users are used to something else, something with more quality and less averagenss. I don't need AC or CoD etc. And if I want to play Far Cry, GTA, Witcher etc. I will do it on PC anyway.
But most and foremost, I doubt that Ubisoft etc. can't develop their games on the Wii U hardware. It's just an excuse. The Wii U is slightly more powerful than the Xbox360 and there were many AC, CoD etc games on that console. You can develop in Unity for Wii U, which is a very common developing platform for games. And games like XCX - despite the weak draw distance - show that you can deliver big worlds with decent (not up-to-date) graphics. Remember, GTA V on PS3/Xbox360 also looked terrible and also had small draw distance, but offered you a great open world. I bet Zelda U will be even stronger and looking better than XCX, with a world that is a bit smaller than that of XCX.
The thing is: Third party always were incapable of using the (limited) power of Nintendo consoles efficiently. Skyward Sword on Wii U also showed that - it was one of the most beautiful games on Wii U and had the best graphics on that platform, no third party game came even close to it. But of course it looks even more beautiful when you put it in an emulator with HD resuolution and AA, no doubt about that.
In the end, I'm all for improved graphics, but it shouldn't be the main focus and it surely shouldn't lead to a console that's too expensive. Nintendo will fail if they try to sell a 500€ console that has better graphics than the others.
But as long as they can keep it in the budget of 300€, I'm all for any hardware upgrades + innovation.
Nintendo needs to release a better console, I'm done with their failed attempts to bring new, modern ways to play and seeing them lack great titles that everyone else can enjoy (don't get me wrong, I don't care about Glitchissin's Creed, Fap of Duty or anything like that, but I hate that I can't play FO4, Witcher 3, FF XV, Bloodborne or any other title like that on a Nintendo console since the Gamecube). If Nintendo releases yet another underpowered console or this unified "platform" to play the same games on WiiU and 3DS then I'll sell my WiiU and buy a PS4. I love Nintendo's games, but as I said, sometimes you want to play something that is not colorful, family-friendly and happy and Nintendo lacks those titles...yes, there are titles like those on Wii U, I know, but they are like 4-5 that are really worth it.
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