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[AniHawk]

Ah, if we're talking portable then yes, I would expect it next year too. I assumed we were on the subject of home console seeing as that was the topic of Y2kev's earlier posts.

It's strange talking about "NX" in a way, because we're not sure if that's the codename for hardware or an OS or what.

it'll be an os with different form factors. again, from january 2014:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140130/03.html

The way in which dedicated video game systems and their software are sold has not changed significantly since the business model of dedicated video game platforms was first established 30 years ago. Dedicated video game systems are sold for two hundred or three hundred dollars, on which standalone software titles are distributed for 30 or 50 dollars. This simple model received widespread support from consumers that enabled us to create today’s market. The decision to change it is the manifestation of our recognition that we cannot expect this model to work forever amid dynamic changes in people’s lifestyles.

 

[Koren]

BC compatible with WiiU(+Wii+GC) and New 3DS (+3DS+DS).

Depends on how it's done. They may want to make the U Pad an option at best to avoid higher costs for their next console, which can be an issue. Same for dual screen and touchscreen for 3DS...

PC-like easy to program for powerful (at lease something comparable to XBO/PS4) hardware to get modern/future ports and multiplatform games from PS4,XBO,PC. [...]
Would have a home console version with exactly the same hardware, games, cross-buy in all games, cross-save in all games, cross-play in all games. Or that portable would be allowed to be connected to TV to play.

So, a portable PS4? Not a single chance to happen, I'd say.

 

[Clefargle]

If they are talking right now, then it's clear to me that the NX shouldn't launch until 2018. It's a bad idea to launch halfway through a gen again. Ninty needs NX to be there alongside PS5 and XB2 to be taken seriously. People are aware of "next gen" when it happens. People will research the differences and debate with their friends. Nintendo needs to be a part of that discussion. The Wii did it and was underpowered, so the system doesn't have to outperform the new ones, just not be seen in a lower tier this time. Nintendo needs this, so they should take their time. They will also likely release their handheld before this, and it could now have some room to breathe. 2018 may seem like a long way away, but the need to have loads of games ready at launch. In game Dev time, two and a half years isn't shit. 2018 is the earliest they should launch this thing.

 

[GhostTrick]

Restarting every platform cycle and having a division of resources against two revenue streams.

Oh yes, I agree. I though you meant bigger budget titles.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

Exactly, Wii U's first party support is really lacking.

Where is my Metroid Prime 4, my F-Zero, my Paper Mario and my 3D Adventure Mario? Also, there is still no new Zelda for the console.

I so regret buying that thing. They just produce games nobody asked for and games which are easy to make (even though they are not bad)

I have nothing against stuff like W101, Splatoon and Nintendo Land, but how about pleasing the main IP fans first and then try to do something experimental?

Exactly my opinion.

On the Wii U, we got the kind of NIntendo games I am not so interested in, and somehow the stuff I waited for never happened (a true adventure mario game) or got delayed (Zelda U) to oblivion..

 

[Frodo]

Can't wait for more info to start to leak.

Most of Wii U stuff was leaked before the announcement, and even though we imagined things slightly differently than what was leaked, most of the stuff was right on track.

 

[GhostTrick]

Exactly, Wii U's first party support is really lacking.

Where is my Metroid Prime 4, my F-Zero, my Paper Mario and my 3D Adventure Mario? Also, there is still no new Zelda for the console.

I so regret buying that thing. They just produce games nobody asked for and games which are easy to make (even though they are not bad)

I have nothing against stuff like W101, Splatoon and Nintendo Land, but how about pleasing the main IP fans first and then try to do something experimental?

WTF. You must haven't played TW101 to put it in the same league as Splatoon and Nintendo Land.
But yeah, I agree on the other part: I mean, there's no problem to produce things no one asked for... if you produce things people wanted.

 

[Fourth Storm]

Because it would be suicide. A lot of their audience is young. Parents wont hand their credit card to buy a 40 to 50 dollars game. They just won't. Not only that, they'll also piss off retailers... which aren't their best friends since Wii U.

I think it's going to happen and is exactly the transformation that Reggie was alluding to. They would eliminate inventory risk and control pricing so that games don't hit the Wal Mart bargain bin and hurt the brand perception.

Iwata recently ended a Q&A talking about how physical media, even in movies and music, are no longer selling. He clearly sees digital as the future, if you read the question

I think that the demand itself for entertainment is increasing rather than decreasing. Now that smart devices are a means of entertainment consumption for a number of consumers, I think the total time and consumption of entertainment is increasing. However, the tough issue for this platform is that the platform holders are not so interested in maintaining the high value of the content and instead feel that the cheaper the content, the better or even that the content should be free. On this point, I can empathize with Mr. Kawakami, the chairman of DWANGO Co., Ltd., as he often uses the expression to describe the situation of the content for smart devices with "the eggs are on sale at the supermarket."

...

Observing these transitions, we can say that the digitalization trend presents not only a promising chance but also a huge crisis for us, so it can be said that we are faced with both an opportunity and a dilemma at the same time. Without thoroughly considering our business approach, the value of our content will instantly be damaged. I have strongly realized the importance of this point from around 2010. At GDC (Game Developers Conference) in 2011, I said that we should think about maintaining the value of game content. At that time, I could not make myself understood well enough as I am afraid my choice of words may not have been appropriate, but now I believe the number of people who understand the point I was trying to make at GDC is increasing. Therefore, this is a big challenge for us to maintain the value of our content, while the demand for entertainment is increasing. If consumers commonly expected content to be free or very cheap and as a result, if a price and service competition occurred on the similar-looking products, we would not have a bright outlook. Therefore, the most important points will be how we produce original content, how we create a way for value of our offerings to be well accepted and how we invent payment methods for new consumers.

Therefore, the demand for entertainment is not small. Rather, in our view, people are richer than in the past as they search for the ways to spend their leisure time more fruitfully. In a broader sense, they are having fun in their spare time in various ways in order to improve their QOL, I think. The ways to have fun have expanded. At the same time, since distribution costs are becoming very close to zero due to digitalization, the number of consumers who do not focus on the value of the content is increasing, based on their idea that content can also be free. How we deal with this situation where there is the pressure to decrease the value of any digital content will be the key point for us. If we find the right answer, Nintendo will prosper as a company that creates content. If we make a big mistake, on the other hand, our business structure will collapse. We know there is criticism that our decision-making or transformation is slow in this field or our activities are not sophisticated, but we would like to take forward steps by considering everything thoroughly and with confidence that our future approach will work. Thus, we have spent time on this, and I believe my current mission is to provide the answers to this question this year, next year and the year after.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/150217qa/03.html


Likewise, Sakurai, one of his close friends, was recently on record as saying how much he admires Steam.

The NX will see much more variation in pricing for not only 3rd party titles, but Nintendo's own games. We've already seen them experimenting w/ different models. Nintendo will get around the credit card issue by expanding "amiibo" to other products and introducing more and more limited edition gift sets w/ software launches in store--they just won't include a disk or Game Card. Besides this, I expect Nintendo's structure w/ the new loyalty program and cell phone apps will keep parents/kids in the loop.

Losing the disc drives not only makes cross-platform play more natural, but it could make for a slicker console design w/ more airflow.

I believe the preparations are under way already with Amiibo and expanded licensing to both appease retailers and keep Nintendo fresh in the public eye as their games physically start to disappear from store shelves.

 

[lo zaffo]

I agree with euphemism, NX-home-console-side should launch whenever a new generation is about to launch, alongside Microsoft and Sony and whichever hardware maker would like to enter the market.
On the other hand Nintendo is legit to do whatever they want in the portable dedicated game machines market, because they are the king of this realm, but beware other mobile devices. New machine can enter any time soon.
Regarding EAD software department, they can reharsal as long as they want and prototype games for whichever paltform belonging to past or future generations, as long as they can do porting from a machine to another. If they constuct hardware agnostic software, they no longer will be impared by machine shifts during developments.

 

[bachikarn]

If Nintendo wants third party support, they have to help create a market and fanbase for them to succeed. Shooters sold well on N64 and Xbox because Goldeneye and Halo were really good. Similarly, party games from third parties were really successful on the Wii because of Wii Sports etc. Of course Nintendo can't shoot themselves in the foot too by poor branding (like with the GCN) and lack of compatibility with he other two (graphics, architecture for easy porting, controller and online infrastructure).

Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn't really have any Western developers except for Retro. They let that skill set die during the GCN era. Nintendo might have to get creative and fund port development at least early on for some key games. Ideally Retro would have some AAA launch title that appeals to the Western market that would draw people in.

We have seen there is very little loyalty in the Video Game market. So it is feasible for Nintendo to do well in the 'red ocean' again, but I'm not sure Nintendo has the skills anymore to do so nor the leadership to get those skills back.

 

[VorTeX Raptor]

My dream is to see Nintendo games on the PS4 and XB1. I wish Nintendo gone third party

 

[Clefargle]

I agree with euphemism, NX-home-console-side should launch whenever a new generation is about to launch, alongside Microsoft and Sony and whichever hardware maker would like to enter the market.
On the other hand Nintendo is legit to do whatever they want in the portable dedicated game machines market, because they are the king of this realm, but beware other mobile devices. New machine can enter any time soon.
Regarding EAD software department, they can reharsal as long as they want and prototype games for whichever paltform belonging to past or future generations, as long as they can do porting from a machine to another. If they constuct hardware agnostic software, they no longer will be impared by machine shifts during developments.

Yeah, they have some time to get their home console ready, and they should embrace that. But the handheld needs to replace the 3ds sooner than that and it needs to answer the mobile question. Maybe the software you mention will be ready by late 2016/2017, I don't see the next handheld releasing after that.

 

[bachikarn]

If they are talking right now, then it's clear to me that the NX shouldn't launch until 2018. It's a bad idea to launch halfway through a gen again. Ninty needs NX to be there alongside PS5 and XB2 to be taken seriously. People are aware of "next gen" when it happens. People will research the differences and debate with their friends. Nintendo needs to be a part of that discussion. The Wii did it and was underpowered, so the system doesn't have to outperform the new ones, just not be seen in a lower tier this time. Nintendo needs this, so they should take their time. They will also likely release their handheld before this, and it could now have some room to breathe. 2018 may seem like a long way away, but the need to have loads of games ready at launch. In game Dev time, two and a half years isn't shit. 2018 is the earliest they should launch this thing.

It's possible with the NX platform that Nintendo intends to be more Apple like and release revisions to the hardware more frequently. Also, there is no guarantee that XB2/PS5 will release in 2018. They could go longer too. It could be way more harmful for them to keep the Wii U on the market and sell poorly. There could do irreparable damage to their brand.

This all also intends Nintendo is trying to compete with the other two and not shape their own blue ocean again.

 

[ArchedThunder]

If they are talking right now, then it's clear to me that the NX shouldn't launch until 2018. It's a bad idea to launch halfway through a gen again. Ninty needs NX to be there alongside PS5 and XB2 to be taken seriously. People are aware of "next gen" when it happens. People will research the differences and debate with their friends. Nintendo needs to be a part of that discussion. The Wii did it and was underpowered, so the system doesn't have to outperform the new ones, just not be seen in a lower tier this time. Nintendo needs this, so they should take their time. They will also likely release their handheld before this, and it could now have some room to breathe. 2018 may seem like a long way away, but the need to have loads of games ready at launch. In game Dev time, two and a half years isn't shit. 2018 is the earliest they should launch this thing.

Launching alongside PS5 and XboxTwo would be suicide.

Also NX isn't just a new console, it sounds like it is more their new platform that will be both their new handheld and console, with the handheld half absolutely coming out in 2016 and because of that they would likely want to get the console half out around a year after that, so we are probably looking at a holiday 2017 release for the console. I don't think Nintendo is going to bother going after the PS5 and XboxTwo's market either, they will likely be aiming more at mobile, so trying to be taken seriously by being favorable to those platforms would be worthless.

 

[QaaQer]

The NX is definitely coming out next year. To suggest otherwise means the 3DS will be on the market as the flagship until 2017.

Idk about definitely, but barring delays, I can see them wanting new product in 16. whether it is qol, 4ds, wiiu2, or some combination is the the real question I suppose.

 

[Jarsonot]

NX could be awesome, powerful, great online, etc. but now they're coming in mid-gen when most people have already made their decision and bought a console. Why will people buy a NX?

My situation, I have (among other things) a PS4, with most of my friends also having PS4. I think Sony has a pretty good trench dug out and the ps4 should be pretty solid on 3rd party titles for the rest of this generation. The PS4 is still relatively new, still has a lot of legs.

Let's say the NX comes out and is more powerful. Not a lot more powerful, but more powerful - it can produce more consistent frame rates at 1080p on most titles or something. It has free, non-shitty online. (I mean, God help them if they try to charge for online) It doesn't suck, Nintendo made good decisions, and catered to 3rd parties.

But... Who is going to replace their ps4 or xbone for an on-par current-gen console? I'd only need it for nintendo games, and I have the Wii u for that. The idea of shelving the Wii U certainly doesn't endear me to buying another nintendo console...

Ah, I'm bitter. I will probably end up buying it because I'm an idiot and I don't think I can pass up a Nintendo console. #partoftheproblem

 

[Syntsui]

The WiiU had a receptive response, the third party studios were excited, remember the unprecedented partnership with EA?

I don't trust them to be competent, they are entirely disconnected with their public. They are the blackberry of console video games.

 

[blu]

At 100GB, SDXC cards at the highest speeds cost less than $1 each to manufacture. Again, a custom configuration could come out to be much cheaper, so long as it's close enough to an existing standard.

Where are you getting those prices from? Or are you referring to assembly alone?

 

[ArchedThunder]

NX could be awesome, powerful, great online, etc. but now they're coming in mid-gen when most people have already made their decision and bought a console. Why will people buy a NX?

My situation, I have (among other things) a PS4, with most of my friends also having PS4. I think Sony has a pretty good trench dug out and the ps4 should be pretty solid on 3rd party titles for the rest of this generation. The PS4 is still relatively new, still has a lot of legs.

Let's say the NX comes out and is more powerful. Not a lot more powerful, but more powerful - it can produce more consistent frame rates at 1080p on most titles or something. It has free, non-shitty online. (I mean, God help them if they try to charge for online) It doesn't suck, Nintendo made good decisions, and catered to 3rd parties.

But... Who is going to replace their ps4 or xbone for an on-par current-gen console? I'd only need it for nintendo games, and I have the Wii u for that. The idea of shelving the Wii U certainly doesn't endear me to buying another nintendo console...

Ah, I'm bitter. I will probably end up buying it because I'm an idiot and I don't think I can pass up a Nintendo console. #partoftheproblem

I don't think Nintendo is even looking to try and be a replacement for the PS4 and Xbone, but be more of a supplement by being something different.

 

[Storm Kyleis]

it'll be an os with different form factors. again, from january 2014:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140130/03.html

So much speculation for something that has been known for over a year.

My dream is to see Nintendo games on the PS4 and XB1. I wish Nintendo gone third party

What you wish for is closer to a death sentence for Nintendo and their teams.

 

[QaaQer]

nintendo's concept for nx was established in late 2013 and explained in very early 2014. http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/3/537...-integrated-development-platform-satoru-iwata

Nintendo does move with the speed and inertia of a supertanker hauling lead, so no doubt this has been planned for years. I'm not sure where you got the idea that it had only been decided upon in 2013 though. I'm betting it was earlier, as in before the wii u launch, when they were struggling with hd development and 3ds support.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Doesn't matter. I'm in no hurry to buy the NX or whatever they call it. Just bought a Wii U not that long ago, so I'm staying put.

 

[krillehhh]

What you wish for is closer to a death sentence for Nintendo and their teams.

This. Nintendo can't compete with PS4/XB1 developers.

 

[dampflokfreund]

My dream is to see Nintendo games on the PS4 and XB1. I wish Nintendo gone third party

Yeah, me too. Their consoles just suck, but they are great in games making. Why not just ditch the console market and deliver the games to PS4? A Zelda on PS4 would sell in 2 weeks like crazy more than the Wii U in 2 months, thats for sure.

And no, their games are not better on their own consoles. The GamePad is pretty much useless in many games.

 

[Ahnez]

Nintendo does move with the speed and inertia of a supertanker hauling lead, so no doubt this has been planned for years. I'm not sure where you got the idea that it had only been decided upon in 2013 though. I'm betting it was earlier, as in before the wii u launch, when they were struggling with hd development and 3ds support.

Well, R&D must be a constant work after all. Just like Nintendo had the concept for the Wii U shortly after the Wii release, the NX concept was probably decided shortly after the Wii U release.

The same applies with any tech company. Sony probably already have the concept for the PS5, or apple with their next phone, or MS with Windows 11

 

[QaaQer]

I think it's going to happen and is exactly the transformation that Reggie was alluding to. They would eliminate inventory risk and control pricing so that games don't hit the Wal Mart bargain bin and hurt the brand perception.

Iwata recently ended a Q&A talking about how physical media, even in movies and music, are no longer selling. He clearly sees digital as the future, if you read the question (I'll try and dig it up if I can). Likewise, Sakurai, one of his close friends, was recently on record as saying how much he admires Steam.

The NX will see much more variation in pricing for not only 3rd party titles, but Nintendo's own games. We've already seen them experimenting w/ different models. Nintendo will get around the credit card issue by expanding "amiibo" to other products and introducing more and more limited edition gift sets w/ software launches in store--they just won't include a disk or Game Card. Besides this, I expect Nintendo's structure w/ the new loyalty program and cell phone apps will keep parents/kids in the loop.

Losing the disc drives not only makes cross-platform play more natural, but it could make for a slicker console design w/ more airflow.

I believe the preparations are under way already with Amiibo and expanded licensing to both appease retailers and keep Nintendo fresh in the public eye as their games physically start to disappear from store shelves.

2 things:

1) JPN loves physical and that will be a hard sell.

2) x1 launch.

& the reason movies and cds have disappeared is because it is dead simple to dl for free, youtube is free, spotify is free, and netflix is almost free; not because kids and teens are buying them digitally. Moving expensive handheld and console game sales to all digital would be a very bad move and a textbook example of a company making a product for their needs over their customers'.

 

[LoveCake]

It is always positive at the start.

With the issues at the launch of 3DS & WiiU, why would anyone buy a (Nintendo console) NX at launch?

Because this is going to be Nintendos problem, after getting a 3DS & WiiU at launch i'm going to wait a couple of years & pick a NX up cheap, the 3DS Ambassador program & the Nintendo Network Premium reward programme added nothing to the initial costs of buying day at launch, i know the NNP was not because of launch issues, but to encourage people to buy sooner rather than later though.

 

[Maztorre]

There is nothing they can do to gain major 3rd party publishers at this point through traditional "build it and they will come" methods. The AAA publishers are making decisions years in advance about titles costing tens of millions of dollars, they aren't going to arbitrarily decide to throw their hat in with Nintendo when there is no accurate way to predict Nintendo's hardware sales anymore. Especially when Nintendo keep attempting to catch lightning in a bottle lately, instead of building a sustainable customer base.

If nobody can predict hardware sales, nobody can make accurate software predictions. With that in mind, why would 3rd parties support Nintendo when they have 3 other platforms where they have 10+ year relationships with platform holders and thus far better insight into predicted sales and demographics? The risk is too high at a time when AAA publishers are incredibly conservative.

Nintendo's best bet is simply to assume that AAA 3rd parties aren't coming for the ride next time around. If the rumours are accurate and we're getting both Android compatibility of some kind and the ability for games to run across console/handheld form factors, that will be enough of a draw for extensive support from the major Japanese publishers (both traditional and mobile), the major Western mobile devs, and all interested indie devs. The only way AAA publishers will come back is after approx 3 or 4 years of Nintendo showing they can reliably sell hardware and software to a growing base of customers, rather than cycles of explosive growth followed by failure.

 

[Warm Machine]

What they're planning is something along the lines of the iPhone & the iPad. The architecture will be the same across both, but how powerful each system is will vary. They'll mostly share the same games, but there will be some games that only work on one or the other. For example, Pokémon may only work on the portable, while Zelda or Xenoblade only works on the console. They aren't doing a hybrid.

Why would you do that if the games are super easy to port? You are just turning off a profit avenue.

The iPhone/iPad analogy makes sense but performance across two specs isn't the same. Right now a new model iPad Air and a iPhone 6 are pretty close but it wasn't always that way. You are doubling your testing requirements and therefor much of your performance and optimization coding if they deviate too much.

I fully expect them to have the same internals and a 1080p panel for the display (mostly due to cheaper manufacturing cost as every display factory is knocking those things out right now)

Doesn't matter. It is still going to be a hybrid though.

 

[ArchedThunder]

2 things:

1) JPN loves physical and that will be a hard sell.

2) x1 launch.

& the reason movies and cds have disappeared is because it is dead simple to dl for free, youtube is free, spotify is free, and netflix is almost free; not because kids and teens are buying them digitally. Moving expensive handheld and console game sales to all digital would be a very bad move and a textbook example of a company making a product for their needs over their customers'.

Mobile gaming has exploded in Japan and that is all digital, so that's not really a valid argument.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

I think this is the only thing that would make happy most 3rd party

• BC compatible with WiiU(+Wii+GC) and New 3DS (+3DS+DS).
• PC-like easy to program for powerful (at least something comparable to XBO/PS4, maybe even more) hardware to get modern/future ports and multiplatform games from PS4,XBO,PC.
• Unity 5 and Unreal Engine 4 support from day one to get modern/future ports and multiplatform games from PS4,XBO,PC.
• Android support of some kind (maybe not OS based, in a separate level) to run both 3rd party specific mobile games curated and approved by Nintendo and Nintendo mobile games.
• Propietary (no Google Play) marketplace with 3 main sections: NX specific games, Nintendo mobile gamesplatform, VC, available in both NX, app/web shop for mobile and PC.
• Decent on-line infrastructure with achievements, on-line chat at least with friends, etc.
• Price of maximum $350
• Amiibo support even for selected 3rd party titles.

Two options for the form factor (they may sell both, they may not be announced at the same time):

• A portable, imagine a phablet/iPad Mini with buttons and analogs: something like a 2DS mixed with a WiiU Pro controller. It may even be a phone with calls and so on. It wouldn't run disc based games, only digital and maybe some medium size games retail games would be sold in cards in a 3DS fashion. You would be able to play on the TV.
• A home console version with exactly the same hardware, games, cross-buy in all games, cross-save in all games, cross-play in all games. The only difference would be that would accept discs for bigger games.

No way for that price again.

Nintendo needs to do the "affordable side console" thing for exclusives you don't get on the other two big platforms.

That worked for the Wii.

If the amount of money you need to pay is the same as for a PS4 or XB1, I really don't see the NX having any more success than the Wii U.

The NX needs:
* affordable price (<250 Euro/Dollars)
* a really incredible launch line up (Metroid, Zelda, Mario).
* graphics that are a visible step up from the PS4 and XB1.
* architecture that is easy to program for if you are already unto PS4 and XB1
* at least a couple of western 3rd party devs giving some shit about the system

They really need to give it all.

reality will be though:

* price that nobody wants to pay who is not 100% into playing this gens version of Nintendo franchises (>350)
* launch line up that leaves people scratching their heads. Early promises about games that take years no materialize.
* underpowered hardware yet again.
* weird ass architecture that will make 3rd partys flee in droves.
* Reggie excited about fireworks in Nintendoland

 

[Hermii]

Why would you do that if the games are super easy to port? You are just turning off a profit avenue.

The iPhone/iPad analogy makes sense but performance across two specs isn't the same. Right now a new model iPad Air and a iPhone 6 are pretty close but it wasn't always that way. You are doubling your testing requirements and therefor much of your performance and optimization coding if they deviate too much.

I fully expect them to have the same internals and a 1080p panel for the display (mostly due to cheaper manufacturing cost as every display factory is knocking those things out right now)

Doesn't matter. It is still going to be a hybrid though.

I really doubt 1080p. I mean its still hard to find a laptop thats above 768p

And its not going to be a hybrid.

 

[GhostTrick]

I think it's going to happen and is exactly the transformation that Reggie was alluding to. They would eliminate inventory risk and control pricing so that games don't hit the Wal Mart bargain bin and hurt the brand perception.

Iwata recently ended a Q&A talking about how physical media, even in movies and music, are no longer selling. He clearly sees digital as the future, if you read the question

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/150217qa/03.html


Likewise, Sakurai, one of his close friends, was recently on record as saying how much he admires Steam.

The NX will see much more variation in pricing for not only 3rd party titles, but Nintendo's own games. We've already seen them experimenting w/ different models. Nintendo will get around the credit card issue by expanding "amiibo" to other products and introducing more and more limited edition gift sets w/ software launches in store--they just won't include a disk or Game Card. Besides this, I expect Nintendo's structure w/ the new loyalty program and cell phone apps will keep parents/kids in the loop.

Losing the disc drives not only makes cross-platform play more natural, but it could make for a slicker console design w/ more airflow.

I believe the preparations are under way already with Amiibo and expanded licensing to both appease retailers and keep Nintendo fresh in the public eye as their games physically start to disappear from store shelves.

I wouldnt read into Reggie's comments to be fair. And to be fair, your comment about pricing and stock already have a solution : making specific titles DD only. Trust me, they want their Mario games to reach the widest public possible.

 

[Fourth Storm]

2 things:

1) JPN loves physical and that will be a hard sell.

2) x1 launch.

& the reason movies and cds have disappeared is because it is dead simple to dl for free, youtube is free, spotify is free, and netflix is almost free; not because kids and teens are buying them digitally. Moving expensive handheld and console game sales to all digital would be a very bad move and a textbook example of a company making a product for their needs over their customers'.

Yet companies like Square Enix are putting more and major franchises on mobile. The expanded audience are pretty much done w/ carrying around cards to play games, and Nintendo is still hoping for a "big hit" outside their core fans.

Just because others have failed, doesn't mean Nintendo will. They might, but X1 and PSP Go were alternatives to a better model for consumers. Nintendo is "transforming" more out of necessity at the moment, but they can do it right for cosumers. What they could do is pair this "digital only + amiibo, nfc cards, etc" with a big launch and gradual expansion of legacy software distribution. Virtual console for everything up to Wii U, and if you registered via NNID or Club Nintendo, you get at least a discount to download, if not the rights carrying over fully. Promise that these games are attached to your account and will be playable on future devices.

 

[GhostTrick]

Also, I'll say it again: Anyone expecting something more powerful than Xbox One is set for disappointement.

 

[jimi_dini]

I'm wondering if they aren't going all digital w/ the NX. They're crazy enough to try it, and Iwata's recent comments could be taken that way.

We all saw how well that went for Microsoft /s


Nintendo can do almost anything they want and I will probably buy their new system. Almost everything. Except for this.
Digital only is an instant dealbreaker for me. Has always been. And will always be.

I won't buy Yakuza 5 because of this policy of mine.

They can surely improve their digital storefront though. More sales and so on. Would be nice for people that don't care about not owning their games.
And they can of course improve Virtual Console, cross-platform for everything, cross-save, cross-generation, yada yada.

 

[Ahnez]

Also, I'll say it again: Anyone expecting something more powerful than Xbox One is set for disappointement.

It really depends on when it will release.

If the console side is released in 2016, then it probably won't be more powerful than XBO, but if it in 2017, then there's a chance

 

[Warm Machine]

I really doubt 1080p. I mean its still hard to find a laptop thats above 768p

And its not going to be a hybrid.

It is getting hard to find a cell phone that isn't 1080p.

Totally a hybrid.

Also any doubt it is going to be android based? They get a pile of apps like Netflix without needing to do much.

 

[ArchedThunder]

Also, I'll say it again: Anyone expecting something more powerful than Xbox One is set for disappointement.

I don't know, for $250 in 2017 they could probably do it just fine, not a "Noticeable step above PS4 and Xbox One" but something that fit snuggly between the two, maybe with a few things better and worse than both here and there. The only way I see it being absolutely weaker is if they are shooting for a price point closer to $199 or lower OR they have some costly gimmick.

 

[diaspora]

2 things:

1) JPN loves physical and that will be a hard sell.

2) x1 launch.

& the reason movies and cds have disappeared is because it is dead simple to dl for free, youtube is free, spotify is free, and netflix is almost free; not because kids and teens are buying them digitally. Moving expensive handheld and console game sales to all digital would be a very bad move and a textbook example of a company making a product for their needs over their customers'.

The JPN gaming market outside of mobile is on a fucking death watch.

 

[Interceptor]

It is getting hard to find a cell phone that isn't 1080p.

Totally a hybrid.

Also any doubt it is going to be android based? They get a pile of apps like Netflix without needing to do much.

If we know anything about the NX it´s that: Not a hybrid.

 

[Y2Kev]

2 things:

1) JPN loves physical and that will be a hard sell.

2) x1 launch.

& the reason movies and cds have disappeared is because it is dead simple to dl for free, youtube is free, spotify is free, and netflix is almost free; not because kids and teens are buying them digitally. Moving expensive handheld and console game sales to all digital would be a very bad move and a textbook example of a company making a product for their needs over their customers'.

I agree with this and think the migration to digital is happening but the speed is dramatically overstated. Top tier titles do what, 20% of sales via digital? The mainstream is not yet substituting. I think a digital only console in 2016 is suicide.

I will revive BG&E2 if Nintendo doesn't release something in 2016. And not QoL. That's...whatever.

 

[Warm Machine]

If we know anything about the NX it´s that: Not a hybrid.

If I was Nintendo and I was building a hybrid as my super clever ground breaking gimmick this go around Id totally tell you that it wasn't a hybrid.

The WiiU is already a crappy version of a hybrid. Crappy because it can be used as a handheld, just not far from the home base and it is disparate from their actually handheld hardware and software. All they need is to take that idea the logical step further and they are there.

 

[Ahnez]

It is getting hard to find a cell phone that isn't 1080p.

Totally a hybrid.

Also any doubt it is going to be android based? They get a pile of apps like Netflix without needing to do much.

Except we know already its not a hybrid

Also, there is that rumor about the NX not being Android based, but will be able to emulate android. That source was right about other rumors before

 

[blu]

If I was Nintendo and I was building a hybrid as my super clever ground breaking gimmick this go around Id totally tell you that it wasn't a hybrid.

Ok, let's play along.

How would you justify one less income stream? What would make me buy two copies of MK? Two copies of DK? Two copies of NSMB?

 

[Y2Kev]

I don't know what it means to "emulate" Android. Like try and run Android apps? Didn't Blackberry try and do that recently too? How would games run through an emulation layer?

 

[lwilliams3]

We were "positive"... til Nintendo shipped us the WiiU. Was not exactly what they promised us. Lets hope Nintendo actually hears what publishers say and understand why they say it.

Thanks for the input. I think they had to cut certain things due to the expenses of the gamepad (and they still couldn't get the cost down, and they set-up what they initially envision a Next-gen Wii would be instead of considering the experience of third-party developers. They did work with companies to get their software engines to work, but that was a challenge and it didn't ultimately didn't go well. I believe Nintendo will be less exotic with the set-up to avoid that mess.

WiiU was meant to be a 2011 console.


As mature as the wiiU technology basis was, one of the Iwata Asks was saying nintendo had late-in-the-development hw issues due to the fact their MCM was multi-vendor (IBM, AMD, Renesas), and that setup was a hurdle to debug*. I think this time we will be looking at a strictly one-vendor design (per NX tier).

* And if we are to trust fail0verflow's analysis, nintendo still ended up with a production-silicon bug in the CPU cache-coherency (MESI) protocols.

That sucks. The development of the Wii U has been reportedly troublesome. I don't believe Nintendo will not have as much trouble to meet their hardware goals with the NX. All of those issues gave them grief.

 

[GhostTrick]

Ok, let's play along.

How would you justify one less income stream? What would make me buy two copies of MK? Two copies of DK? Two copies of NSMB?

If their goal is to make you buy two copies of the same game, they're set to hit the wall pretty hard.

 

[Sendou]

If their goal is to make you buy two copies of the same game, they're set to hit the wall pretty hard.

This. Why not focus on delivering a good entry in each major franchise per a generation to be supported by a sensible DLC plan?

 

[Warm Machine]

Ok, let's play along.

How would you justify one less income stream? What would make me buy two copies of MK? Two copies of DK? Two copies of NSMB?

They are already doing that. Strict handheld sales have been dropping. Their console hardware is as bad as it ever was while maintaining two development groups. Your MK analogy in the reality of modern Nintendo and the modern gaming environment has MK selling less now across their 2 platforms than it did across one in the past.

Traditionally I doubt their handheld and their console customers crossed over than much. Especially given the disparity on hardware sales.