Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

We all know that within 6 months of the release of the NX, there will be no more support for the Wii U. The Wii U is the Gamecube all over again. A technically competent system that has some amazing games but is seen as an also-ran.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Is it though? Gamecube was more powerful than PS2. WiiU is a distant third behind the PS4 and X1. Still no unified online accounts. Abysmal online service. Non-standard controller.

Until they pack in a standard controller they will always be an also-ran.

:lol:

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

So from a financial standpoint, how is the NX supposed to compete with the Xbox One, and more so, the PlayStation 4? I want Nintendo to do well, but I don't see it happening. Get rid of the gimmicky controllers and would it kill them to reduce the retail prices of their first party games within two years or so?

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

I think the biggest problem Nintendo now faces is simply timing. We are not that far into the shelf life of the current generation of consoles, however i think we are far enough in for most people to have made a choice and are happy to stick with it until the next battle of the next generation consoles. Most people will probably see that next gen being when both Sony and Microsoft release new systems. Nintendo released the Wii-U earlier than the other current gens and whilst i think its a competent machine, i believe most people did not see much of a change between it and the Wii. Right off the bat i think the first mistake was calling it the Wii-U. They should have called it something totally different to differentiate it from the old system. I think most people felt they were just buying a slightly upgraded version of the Wii...which they pretty much were. Nintendo now looks to be trying to release another next gen console at a time when the competitors are concentrating on sales of the machine they have already on the market, and both seem pretty well established, especially the PS4. Its gonna be a hard battle for them i think.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Nintendo has revealed essentially nothing about it, so that's not a question that can be answered right now.

I know I'm in the minority, but when I see people say stuff like "the NX needs to have hardware comparable to the PS4, the same controller as the PS4, and play the same games as the PS4", it makes me just wonder "why don't you just buy a PS4 instead?" Do we really need a third console that's virtually indistinguishable from the other two? I think Nintendo's better off running their own race rather than taking Sony and Microsoft head-on. That's not to say there's not massive room for improvement in the way Nintendo does their own thing, they need to drop that "eh, we're Nintendo; everyone else will fall in line" arrogance, there's a lot they should learn from Sony and Microsoft even if Nintendo puts their own spin on it, and I obviously want whatever makes the NX unique to benefit the console (rather than being a solution in search of a problem the way the gamepad has generally been).

Nintendo has always innovated with their controllers: inventing the d-pad (and putting the directional controls on the left rather than center/right) for the NES, introducing shoulder buttons for the SNES, the analog stick and rumble pack on the N64, the unusual button shapes/layout on the GC, the motion controls for the Wii, and the LCD screen on the Wii U gamepad. I can't imagine that the same won't be true for the NX.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Worked out well for the WiiU. :P

Innovating and making the controller a gimmick are vastly different. Up until the Wii, they innovated. The Wii and WiiU are straight up gimmicks. One worked, one failed miserably.

That's the crux of the problem right there. The "we don't need a standard controller," "we don't need online," "we don't need a CD or DVD based system," etc. They still think the core gamer is in their back pocket when in all actuality they left long ago while Nintendo chased the soccer moms.

They burnt bridges with their biggest consumer base and I think the quickest way to rebuild their consumer base starts with the controller and online. I keep reading that AAA games are costing too much to make and Nintendo wants third parties to make specialized games for their controller? It's a death knell. The NX will be a first party only console like the WiiU. I also have no desire to build a digital library on a Nintendo console because of the abysmal account system.

By no means to I want them to stop innovating, but sometimes the consumer needs to be wooed back into their corner with the basics.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Nintendo completely botching borderline-everything with the Wii U doesn't mean the only solution is to make a PSXbox. Part of the problem is that Nintendo got greedy after the staggering successes of the DS and Wii, following them up with successors with no real identity. I mean, the DS and Wii were something new and unique, and the 3DS and Wii U were the same thing with a hook no one gave a shit about. The Wii overstayed its welcome, all but abandoned by Nintendo after 2010. All hands were on deck when the 3DS stumbled out of the gate, redirecting resources that should've gone towards the Wii U and in turn derailing its launch (not that the Wii U would ever have been a runaway success). With hardware and software development being unified, that shouldn't be nearly as much of an issue, and a platform encompassing handheld and console will have as large, if not larger, a reach than the PS4 and Xbox One have.

That's not meant as a response to you, exactly, but just the general idea that Nintendo needs to release something equally powerful or more powerful than the competition, and that whatever they release should cater to third-parties first and foremost: the widely-held theory that the combination of being at the head of the power race and their selection of first-party games will completely change the landscape. I can't imagine that's how things would shake out. The risk is considerably higher, the payoff will probably be shortlived (since the PS5 and Xbox Next will likely launch in the middle of its life cycle and be more powerful still), Nintendo would be diving into those unfamiliar-to-them waters against two seasoned companies that have been doing this for ages, they'd need to completely rebrand themselves, and a mid-gen launch will always be challenging. That sounds to me like a recipe for failure.

I do agree that Nintendo needs to completely overhaul their account system and approach to all things online, and at least some of that'll be revealed in March. If it does turn out that the NX is a platform encompassing both handheld and console, I don't think the controller could be too wild, although I don't expect it to be completely standard either. I just think that Nintendo is better off defining success on their terms, and that learning from the competition is different than just mimicking whatever the other guys are doing.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think that's exactly what they need to do. We already know they have very strong first party titles (something that both MS and Sony both struggle with), so if they can do that along with the third party support that those companies already have, I don't see why people wouldn't make the next Nintendo console one of their main gaming systems. Just give us a high powered box comparable to the PS4/XB1 with a solid controller and a good UI. What they don't need to do is make more bullshit waggle remotes and game pads that are going to turn more mainstream gamers away.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

In practice, I suspect the number of people who already have a PS4 or Xbox One and would spend another $300 to get a virtually identical console just for Nintendo games is very low, and if Nintendo were to opt for something higher end than what Sony and Microsoft are offering right now, they'd lose that horsepower-conscious base in a couple of years when the competition's next systems come along.

I realize I'm in the vast minority when I say that Nintendo wouldn't benefit (and would probably be hurt) by parroting Sony and Microsoft's playbook, so maybe I'm the one with a poor grasp on the way of the world.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

That's the inherent problem with launching with a mid-generation console. It better be as powerful as the other two (that will be 3 year old systems at launch), or people will shrug it off.

It's a discussion. I get it. :) I still consider myself a Nintendo guy, but it's just hard to watch them fall so far from where they started. I'd love nothing more than to see them regain relevance in the gaming world. I don't want them to end up like Atari or Sega. That's why it's fun to debate

Absolutely they should. The further they go down this rabbit hole of trying to sustain an entire console with first party games only is the day they close up shop.

I'm not dropping $300 on a box for a couple games a year. They put out what, maybe 6 console titles a year, two of those I actually want? That's a bad investment, and I doubt I'm the only one thinking along those lines. Yes, we're all adults here and can afford all three, but I'd say the WiiU barely justified the investment for me and that's including some third party games I bought.

Back to the 'innovation' talk. Where's the innovation on the gaming front? For every Pikmin there are four Mario Party titles, a couple Mario Karts and three Zelda games. Where are the dormant franchises like Waverace, PilotWings & F-Zero? How come Nintendo doesn't compete on the indie front? Do they have any decent indie games on their marketplace? Then again, would I even buy a Nintendo made indie game(back to "why bother with building a digital library")? It's a vicious circle they have created for themselves by half-assing their online structure.

They have a LOT to improve with the NX.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Nope you're right on. That is the dumbest thing they could do.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

I don't have a problem with Nintendo being third banana but if they decide it's too costly to compete directly with Microsoft/Sony they really need to embrace that role, especially on price. I know it's been argued that it wasn't worth dropping the price on the Wii U and taking a loss, which I can agree with since the technology was already built and decided on with that terrible controller for the long run, but whatever new console has to come in at something more appropriate.

Or make the "gimmick" worthwhile. If $300 buys me both a home console and portable one, that would certainly add value.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

If this thing comes with a separate handheld that is going to replace the 3DS, I don't know how it could come in at under $500. You have to remember that the Wii U launched at $350 and $400 for the different skus.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

It's not going to have a separate handheld. My guess is your smartphone will have a NX app and that will function as the handheld. The standard controller bundled will be Bluetooth so you'll have the option for touchscreen controls or traditional buttons.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

I bet it does!

I'm expecting a console SKU and a handheld SKU. There might be an option to get both bundled together, but I'd say there's very, very little chance of that being the default package.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Yes it is


From IGN today :


Nintendo NX / 21 Jan 2016
Nintendo NX Portable Coming in 2016 and Console in 2017, Says Analyst

Portable to cost $200?

By Alex Osborn

Following yesterday's batch of NX rumors hinting at what Nintendo may have planned for its next console, additional information has surfaced by way of Macquarie Capital Securities in Japan.

According the firm's report (via Nintendo Life), Macquarie expects Nintendo to release NX as two separate units, with the portable element launching this November and its "console partner device" arriving in 2017.


The company also speculates the portable version will be priced around $200. No estimated price for the console unit was provided, but Macquarie believes the pair of devices may have some type of AR component as well.

It's worth noting this report is also the source of yesterday's rumor that NX may work with smartphones, PCs and competing consoles, as the firm's Head of Research David Gibson provided the information to The Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki. We've reached out to Gibson for comment and will provide an update when we receive a response.

It's important to note this information is strictly analyst speculation, so take these reports with a grain of salt, as Nintendo has yet to announce any specific details on NX. It won't be long before we get official details from Nintendo, however, as company president Tatsumi Kimishima just recently reaffirmed that we'll hear more about the mysterious console later this year.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

I'll believe it when I see it. Maybe the New 3DS will be able to stream the NX and it'll just be an OS update for the N3DS?

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

I can agree with this. If they don't want to go toe-to-toe with the big boys, fine, but don't expect the consumer to fork over the same amount of scratch for their console.

$300 for a WiiU when there is a $350 PS4 or X1 next to it on the shelf is laughable.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Probably. Me throwing out $300 is certainly wishful thinking. But the Wii U was grossly overpriced at launch given Nintendo's place in the market, especially in comparison to it's competitors, which was my point on pricing and Nintendo accepting that it can't compete with Sony and Microsoft in power. Maybe we'll all be shocked and Nintendo will shock and blow everyone away with some new feature and the handheld integration, but anything more then $300 would be a tough sell for a lot folks when it comes to a new Nintendo console.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

If you take away pretty much all of the portability of a handheld, what's left isn't really worthwhile. Streaming from a console doesn't work if you're on the road, on a plane, or (as things stand now) basically anything other than the same network the console is on.

Are you talking about Canada? In the U.S., the white 8 GB console launched at $300 and the deluxe launched at $350.

Yeah, $300 would be my guess for the launch price of the console on its own, and anything north of that would come as a mild surprise. I could see it maybe being a little less but not more.

I guess it comes down to how much of a lesson Nintendo learned from overpricing the Wii U and 3DS at launch. :)

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

First and foremost, Nintendo needs to fix their online strategy. Fundamentally, their devices aren't seen as online multiplayer devices. Everything about their systems is "local play, and also over here is the Internet." Speaking as someone who doesn't even really care about multiplayer (but does care a lot about DLC), Nintendo sucks at it. They say they're in the process of fixing that, but it's embarrassing and disappointing how long it's taken. They also need to relax on consumer-unfriendly strategies like 1:1 device-content pairing without the ability to download a new profile to a new device.

They could also use a new UI that looks modern and attractive instead of like soap bars.

Power doesn't matter. The GameCube was prettier than the PS2 it failed to compete with that console. They need enough power to make it compelling, but anyone developing for a Nintendo platform should be developing an exclusive. The business opportunity of Nintendo consoles (pre-Wii U) has always been capturing a large segment of a limited market, rather than competing with a thousand other AAA titles. For the developers, the costs are lower, and for Nintendo, they get exclusive titles that take advantage of the hardware. That's actually a pretty good place to be, niche-wise.

For my part, I've been attached at the hip to my 3DS since I bought it. I think if the NX had functionality that allowed a player to take a device (similar to a 3DS) with them and play a game that was compelling on its own but fed into a console title, benefitting them in some way, I think that would be compelling without additional innovation/gimmicks. The console should come with a standard controller, bundled with it.

Making Unity the preferred development platform (as they did with Wii U late in the game) was also a smart move. They should work with Unity to make that the preferred development platform out of the gate. Use their substantial cash reserves to subsidize third-party support right out of the gate.

I don't think they'll hit Wii numbers again (or at least in the foreseeable future), but if they did all of these things, and made the portable tie into the console in some clever way, it would be a lot more successful than the Wii U and allow them to build up a new base of players.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

5 Things Gamers Can Expect from Nintendo in 2016.

1. Unannounced games revealed

We know that Nintendo has a handful of big games in the works, including Fire Emblem Fates, Pokkén Tournament, Star Fox Zero, and The Legend of Zelda Wii U. But that’s a pretty short list when you consider the company has two systems to support in the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

Surely Nintendo has a bunch of exciting upcoming games ready to reveal in 2016. So why is it keeping its cards so close to its chest?

2. Enter the NX

Nintendo has been so hush-hush about its current projects because the games are for a platform that hasn’t been revealed yet. In March 2015, Nintendo made a vague announcement that it’s working on a new “dedicated gaming platform with a brand-new concept” code named the NX. No one really knows NX is yet, but Nintendo has promised to deliver more information in 2016.

The rumor mill has been churning about the NX, and numerous reports claim Nintendo will fully unveil the NX in or around June. When that happens, you can bet we’ll hear about the games Nintendo’s best developers have been working on. It’s quite possible that Nintendo will release the NX by the end of the year.

3. Phasing out the Wii U

To make way for the NX, Nintendo has to shift focus away from the Wii U — and it’s pretty clear that has already been happening. For a company that usually puts out extremely finely crafted games, Nintendo put out a suspicious number of clunkers in 2015.

Over the previous five years, Nintendo published games have averaged out to a score of 77 on Metacritic. That’s a pretty great track record, considering how many titles Nintendo publishes. That kind of performance has earned the company “Best Publisher” on Metacritic several times.

Jump ahead to 2015, and the average score of Nintendo games fell to 70, a full seven points lower than in previous years. The low point came in November, when the company released Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, a game that scored an abysmal 43.

Why the dip in quality? Probably because Nintendo’s most talented developers are working on games that have yet to see the light of day — games that, if the rumors are correct about the NX launching in 2016, we’ll start to see this year.

4. Phasing out of Nintendo 3DS

Although Nintendo’s handheld has sold much better than the Wii U, its success has slowed considerably in recent years. Part of that is because more people are playing games on their phones and tablets than on dedicated gaming devices. But part of it is also because the system is starting to feel a little long in the tooth now that it’s approaching its fifth year on the market.

If the rumors are correct that the NX will have a mobile handheld component, you can bet Nintendo will also begin phasing out the 3DS in 2016. If you look at the relatively paltry offerings Nintendo released for the handheld in 2015, you could argue that the company has already begun.

5. Third-party developer partnerships

One key factor that doomed the Wii U was Nintendo’s poor relationships with third-party developers like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and 2K Games. The Wii U got a few warmed-over third-party releases when it first launched, with games like Batman: Arkham City and Mass Effect 3 hitting the system. But once the Xbox One and PS4 came out, big game makers had to leave the Wii U behind. It simply wasn’t capable of handling the games those companies were publishing on the powerful new consoles.

The lesson from the Wii U was that a healthy video game console needs a sturdy backbone of third-party support. Rumor has it that the NX will be as powerful (or more powerful) than the PS4 and Xbox One. That would make a big difference to third-parties, who could bring all of their games to the platform much more easily.

All told, 2016 is shaping up to be a major year for Nintendo. The fate of the NX will dictate what becomes of Nintendo over the next few years. If the new gaming console is successful, we could once again be looking at a video game landscape with three powerful players instead of two. If the NX is another blunder like the Wii U, it’s possible Nintendo will have to give up on the hardware business altogether and start making software for other platforms. Either way, Nintendo is in for a wild ride — and it all starts in 2016.

http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainm...tml/?a=viewall

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Is This A Leaked Photo Of The NX Controller?

With the Nintendo NX rumoured to be coming this year there’s bound to be plenty of speculation and leaks until the reveal which is expected at E3 in June. Online gaming publication Destructoid has analysed an image purporting to be the NX controller which was originally provided by Dual Pixels.

Destructoid have ran the image through a program often used to tell if an image has been Photoshopped and the publication doesn’t believe it has been significantly altered. The controller matches a patent that was filed a while back, but we won’t know for sure about its legitimatcy until the official reveal.

https://sickr.files.wordpress.com/20...mour.jpg?w=840

http://mynintendonews.com/2016/03/18...edium=facebook

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

I sure hope that's a fake.

Re: Nintendo teases next hardware: the NX
 

Looks comfortable!