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Nintendo's new platform codename: "Project NX"
- Thread starter Lupin the Third
- Start date
- Status
It wasn't that hard to predict, but at least this proves he is more aware of market conditions in the West than most of NCL was.
The Wii brand is done. It had a long, mostly profitable run, but that ship has sailed.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
The scroll triggers would be so cold in Zelda. Switching through items would be awesome. And using them even more awesome
James Scott
Banned
I could honestly see those triggers being pretty useful. Switch between main and sub weapons without having to reach the d pad. Use the L wheel to scroll through grenades, mines, C-4, etc while the R wheel scrolls through different kinds of guns.
You can probably of ise to platformers too. I imagine it would be satisfying to use it to rev up (sonic?) or do a spin attack.
Maybe that's the new mechanic the next Mario game will use?
You can probably of ise to platformers too. I imagine it would be satisfying to use it to rev up (sonic?) or do a spin attack.
Maybe that's the new mechanic the next Mario game will use?
Licenses seem down across the board though. Fewer bad but also fewer good. You also have companies like WB and Disney pushing in more directly, and publishers who specialized in licenses previously have mostly died off (like THQ) or shifted to original IP (like EA).
PdotMichael
Banned
One makes money again the other one is dead since 1996.
Emperor Bohe
Member
these scrolling triggers sound so godlike. i really hope that Nintendo pulls through with their next console.
Care to explain why Nintendo would need to stop manufacturing their own hardware in order to make facebook games?
I said IF they stop manufacturing hardware, they are more likely to go toward growing and viable markets and not dying ones. Sort of like they're already doing.
I'm not actually entertaining the idea of a third party Nintendo. More trying to crush people's wet dreams of "well, they'll sell SO much more lighthearted family fare on Sony's console!"
Sega's putting put fewer console games today than they have in over 3 decades. You realize Xbox and PlayStation aren't where they're making that money from right?
thisisvlad
Member
Scroll wheel triggers would be great for scrubbing through streamed content.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I'm just going to chime in here and say that honestly, I see this as fair. There's not a ton of concrete facts to discuss, so if we're concerned about people staying on topic here, then my inclination would just be to lock any sort of a megathread and dictate that we stick to new threads for new news, since there really isn't enough substantial information here to merit over 3800 posts of good discussion.
Now, that's not to say "LOL, this thing will tank and then Smash 6 will be on Xbone and PS4, mark my words" is a worthwhile contribution. But non-trollish speculation about Nintendo's trajectory in the hardware market does seem relevant at this stage in the game. How does the NX fit in with their current gameplan. Do people think that this is a stopgap solution, or do they think that Nintendo is going all-in on this idea and sees it as the future of the company. If it succeeds or fails, what's next?
These all seem like fair questions. As time goes on and more details surface, we'll have new threads. And maybe then we'll agree that the business analysis is off-topic and counterproductive. But as someone who checks this thread from my subs once every couple of days, my perusal of the conversation would lead me to be more inclined to just shut it down than to come in and get it on topic.
thisisvlad
Member
I agree with the above.
Reading through these threads, it's obvious that there's a camp of people who want to have a genuine discussion of market size and penetration potential, and have some very wise perspectives to consider. I think we should empower this type of discussion.
There's much more to the modern gaming market and Nintendo's role in that market than just blindly applying previous models. In this case, it generally falls in the following:
- Nintendo should create a near-identical console to Xbone/PS4
This is fueled by the nascent success of these platforms and that 3rd party AAA support is detrimental to long-term success. Thus success means replicating this model.
- Nintendo should sell off their hardware division and focus on software as a 3rd party
This is taken from the classic Sega model. It's what they did after a series of product downturns and thus should be applied to any firm who is facing market pressure.
I bring this up because the NX is seen as a very key product coming at a pivotal moment for Nintendo, and a discussion around its market potential should be encouraged. However we shouldn't watch as the same tired and thoughtless arguments get brought up.
In the whole third party discussion, I think even a "failed" NX saleswise, when executed well, with 30m handhelds and 10m console sales still gives them a platform of 40 million devices (+mobile) to sell their software on. That's still more than N64, Gamecube and Xbox.
Everything more successful brings them in the ballpark of SNES, 3DS and NES (<60m)
Just to say that the idea of NX containing both handheld and console, when executed well can give them a solid hardware base to sell their first party software on, even when their individual sku's won't be a breakthrough success.
Now just imagine if one of those sku's would be a success (let's say the handheld is the defacto next-gen platform in japan like the DS was).
Everything more successful brings them in the ballpark of SNES, 3DS and NES (<60m)
Just to say that the idea of NX containing both handheld and console, when executed well can give them a solid hardware base to sell their first party software on, even when their individual sku's won't be a breakthrough success.
Now just imagine if one of those sku's would be a success (let's say the handheld is the defacto next-gen platform in japan like the DS was).
No, the implication with the Sega comparison is that they would be better off in terms of output if they could have found some way to stay in the market. But obviously they didn't and couldn't.
Also, this comparison comes up whenever someone says "I want Nintendo to go third-party," and I interpret that to imply "I want Nintendo to be in the same situation as Sega was in where they're forced to become third-party because their hardware can't survive," since that's the only reason Nintendo would ever actually go third-party. (For the record, I think Nintendo's hardware very well could still continue to survive in the market)
OmegaSmash
Member
Being able to switch between different FLUDD nuzzles on the fly and manually adjust pressure in Sunshine 2.
:0
James Scott
Banned
Yep. Even if it's a repeat of this gen the home console could mooch off the portable and they can continue to support both.
I mentioned awhile back how if there isn't a Vita 2 the platform would benefit inmensly from Japanese support on both systems. Either way, the portable NX should do well enough there if it gets MH and Pokemon games again. I think the reason you don't see a lot of 3DS games despite it doing so well is because the hardware is fairly limited and it's very hard to up port so you could either make a 3DS game or a Vita+PS4 game. The NX could fix that issue having the 3DS's sales and Vita+ level hardware combined with easier ports to the console could prove to be a huge incentive for Japanese devs.
There are of course potential problems with that like "why would I get the home console if it only plays portable games" or "why would I buy a handheld for worse versions of the console's games" so Nintendo will need to balance that out well.
I think they could go with something alongside "Sun," and "Moon," for them. They're short, easy to remember, and ubiquitous like "Wii" was. They're also easy to advertise. Though they'd probably need something unifying them; maybe "N-Sun," and "N-Moon," and all games for the platforms could just be labeled as "N," games.
Pokemaniac
Member
I think that a high level of inter-connectivity combined with some unique features for playing on either console or handheld could help to alleviate concerns about the one of the systems becoming too dominant. The console has some obvious advantages in the unique features department, what with extra power, inherently better peripheral support, and quite possibly exclusive games. The handheld would initially seem to be worse off based on unique features alone, with it only having portability and StreetPass, but this is where the inter-connectivity comes in. If Nintendo is able to provide a relatively seamless transition between the two for users, then the handheld instantly becomes much more appealing, since it allows you to play the same games on the console at home, and the handheld on the go.
This isn't a perfect solution, but it does ensure that both form factors have purpose.
Yes.
Yep.
Definitely.
Absolutely.
I agree.
perfectchaos007
Member
Was a 2017 launch recently hinted by Nintendo? I remember just a week ago the consensus here was a 2016 launch
All Nintendo had said is that they will talk more about NX in 2016. -- Here is the exact quote from Iwata back in March when NX was announced.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2015/150317/03.html
Much of the consensus seems to be Nintendo might release the handheld NX at the end of 2016 in time for the holiday, and speculate that the home console variant of NX comes out in 2017.
Not to mention that Iwata talked about "returning to Nintendo-like profits" by March 2017.
PdotMichael
Banned
sörine;179177120 said:
Yes, and?
What is your point?
brainchild
Banned
I need this like YESTERDAY!! Such a simple but brilliant idea. The functional potential is damn near limitless. I really hope it doesn't get scrapped!
i think what happens with nintendo after nx depends on what happens to the dedicated market after this gen. i look at the dedicated market and i see it as one that is no longer growing. not just from a consumer perspective, but from a matter of presence at retail, amount of games released, up-and-coming publishers, and new franchises. so what is the lasting effect and what does it mean in five years? what does it mean in ten? it seems increasingly pointless to have a box-to-a-tv setup or a dedicated handheld unless you're part of the main demographic the industry largely targets, you're older, have lots of disposable income, and/or are an enthusiast.
something like steam machines seem like very primitive versions of what the marketplace will be years from now, where first-parties might use their os/cloud services to turn their platform into something that's playable on multiple devices, with perhaps one offered from the first-party directly. sony seems to want playstation now to be that kind of thing, and nx seems theoretically poised to be that kind of platform as well (in a very controlled way).
something like steam machines seem like very primitive versions of what the marketplace will be years from now, where first-parties might use their os/cloud services to turn their platform into something that's playable on multiple devices, with perhaps one offered from the first-party directly. sony seems to want playstation now to be that kind of thing, and nx seems theoretically poised to be that kind of platform as well (in a very controlled way).
I think Nintendo could in some ways thrive on exactly that, the dedicated console market crashing. The PS4 and Xbone have their strengths and weaknesses compared to each other and PCs, but increasingly we see the same game experiences, AAA or indie, across Steam and these two consoles. If there are no PS5s and XBTwos, if those become services or something else, that's when I think Nintendo should stick to dedicated hardware more stubbornly to find themselves operating their niche like a monopoly. When consoles become PCs and PCs become consoles, that's when a traditionally Japanese console experience will stand out the more and attract enough of a specific type of crowd to survive well. Using Nintendo stalwarts, using Japanese third party specialties - there's enough here that you won't find elsewhere. But they do need to offer it in a flexible way, tunnel enough software for it to make sense, and a new OS foundation that all future hardware runs on is a good idea.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I won't lie and pretend that I've read every post in the thread, but I'm not sure who you're replying to here. I've seen many posts refer to the notion that it could be a unified platform across different devices. I won't discount that perhaps some people are focusing more on the traditional console SKU just because that's what they care about more. But that doesn't mean that they're writing off a handheld NX iteration.
I guess I'm just not really sure what the point of this callout is?
I suppose. It's just that 95% of the posts in that thread come off as "the NX will simply be a home console & nothing more".
DaSorcerer7
Member
Perhaps you shouldn't let it bother you, because the truth is, no one but nintendo knows what it is.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
95%? I've been lurking in here since the beginning and the number is nowhere near that much.
Not here, the thread that came up about what people want in the NX Platform.
Always-honest
Banned
Did you actually read the thread? There are all kinds of assumptions.
oh
. maybe post in that thread then?For one thing, I'm pretty sure 95% of people are not fanboys who follow news on the NX obsessively. Even on GAF, you can generally pick the experts out of the crowd, and we're the ones who signed up and post on an exclusive video game message board. Why should you expect anyone to think that the NX isn't going to be the same thing as all the systems before without any press?
Also, just glancing at that thread, it seems like most of the posts are totally general. "Third party support", "great games", "competent hardware", and "no gimmicks" are things that people will want from the NX regardless of whether it's a home console or a platform with multiple forms. Maybe the rest of the thread is totally different, but assuming its not: trying to lord over them with your superior knowledge is kind of weird unless you have psychic powers.
Also, just glancing at that thread, it seems like most of the posts are totally general. "Third party support", "great games", "competent hardware", and "no gimmicks" are things that people will want from the NX regardless of whether it's a home console or a platform with multiple forms. Maybe the rest of the thread is totally different, but assuming its not: trying to lord over them with your superior knowledge is kind of weird unless you have psychic powers.
I've been seeing mostly posts about it being a unified platform with multiple sku's. Most are focusing on the home console sku because that's probably what they prefer to play on, and the Wii U needs more help than the 3DS right now.
For example, this is my last gen of handheld gaming. I just don't care for it anymore; the small form factor and small screens just aren't for me anymore. But I do love the games on handhelds, so I'm looking forward to the NX home console more and if it will share games with the handheld. Pokemon or fire emblem on the big screen? Yes please.
IntelliHeath
As in "Heathcliff"
Don't be hypocrite. I'm surprised that it actually bothered you because you usually made shitload of assumptions on some topics, like no second representative from same third party company, etc in Smash threads. You kept echoing that excuse so much until the karma finally bit you with Ryu.
There are more but I wouldn't get into it. I really appreciative the fact how passionate you are with the subjects. Just lighten up and enjoy the speculation. Let not acting like obnoxious Mr. Know-It-All about anything.
Not many people would follow this thread like we did due to the fact that we don't know ver much about it.
Adam Tyner
Member
While I'm expecting the NX to be a platform rather than a single piece of hardware as well, the idea of the NX encompassing both a console and a handheld is also an assumption.
I too am expecting NX to be a platform. I've not read every post here, but looking at the moves Nintendo has been making lately, I really feel that way.
I believe they are using the Wii U and 3ds as a testing ground. With the New 3ds getting the extra buttons to match the Wii U inputs now, it pretty much is a (extremely) scaled down Wii U. Games like smash and Hyrule Warriors being on both system I also think are tests on development times and perhaps asset re-purposing between the hardware differences.
I know there was speculation at one point of the NX cart based, which if was the case, would means there would be one sku that would work on a home console or handheld version, which i think would be awesome (if cost effective. I know a 64GB flash card is still relatively expensive). and of course the NNID accounts would be cloud based and buying digital wouldn't be an issue either.
The last thing I'm stuck on is the hardware. I was thinking it'll be one package where the handheld is the controller, but it may be a bit too clunky. Or it could be a controller but they have 3 skus where you can get them separate or combined. I'm not a fan of multiple skus, but I do think it could work. The combined sku would still come with a traditional controller, so you'll have the added bonus of two players out the box, something we haven't seen in quite a while.
The issue with hardware though is that it still becomes dated, so who knows. Just fun to think about.
Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts on it just to get it out there.
I believe they are using the Wii U and 3ds as a testing ground. With the New 3ds getting the extra buttons to match the Wii U inputs now, it pretty much is a (extremely) scaled down Wii U. Games like smash and Hyrule Warriors being on both system I also think are tests on development times and perhaps asset re-purposing between the hardware differences.
I know there was speculation at one point of the NX cart based, which if was the case, would means there would be one sku that would work on a home console or handheld version, which i think would be awesome (if cost effective. I know a 64GB flash card is still relatively expensive). and of course the NNID accounts would be cloud based and buying digital wouldn't be an issue either.
The last thing I'm stuck on is the hardware. I was thinking it'll be one package where the handheld is the controller, but it may be a bit too clunky. Or it could be a controller but they have 3 skus where you can get them separate or combined. I'm not a fan of multiple skus, but I do think it could work. The combined sku would still come with a traditional controller, so you'll have the added bonus of two players out the box, something we haven't seen in quite a while.
The issue with hardware though is that it still becomes dated, so who knows. Just fun to think about.
Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts on it just to get it out there.
RomanceDawn
Member
I don't see why not. Seems to me how ever the home console functions the handheld will function largely the same.
I think that there is a strong possibility that it would, because it could be a controller option for the console.
For myself, I think all the indications we have right now point towards a handheld and a console with either an entirely shared library, or a libraries that are mostly shared with a few exceptions. I lean towards the former because that would be just much simpler for customers.
I think Nintendo know that they will not be able to get broad (ie similar to PS4 and Xbox) support from the majority of Western publishers. Bethesda, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, WB, and their ilk will not support any Nintendo platforms to the same extent as they support Playstation, Xbox and PC unless Nintendo are somehow able to command a massive market share. They may give them a degree of support with titles that they think are particularly suitable to Nintendo platforms (skylanders, just dance, call of duty) but not much beyond that until there is a proven sizeable audience who are interested in more than just Nintendo games. Even if Nintendo achieve a decent install base, proving to these publishers that the revenue they generate will be worth the cost of supporting Nintendo platforms will need to be proven in practice before Nintendo can rely on it.
Nintendo have their sights set of different kinds of games.
Their own output from both their internal teams and external games they publish is always going to be their core offering, and it's what is making them the most money on 3DS, and any success the Wii U achieved is primarily down to that. If they could produce it more quickly, and increase the amount of sales per game, they would certainly improve their profits.
Indie devs are easy money for Nintendo. Right now there are technical barriers to publishing indie games on Wii U, and often insurmountable technical barriers to publishing indie games on 3DS. If they can provide a home console and a handheld console that the majority of indie devs are able to access with relatively low difficulty to publish on, Nintendo can make their 30% on far more games, and fill up the gaps in their release schedule much more easily.
The Japanese mid-tier publishers are in an uncertain position. Just looking at the TGS announcements from Sony recently. A lot of publishers are unwilling to leap head first into the next generation of home consoles. The majority of games recently announced for PS4 also have either a PS3 or PS Vita version also in the pipeline. The PS4 has sold OK in Japan, but it's clear that the PS4 is not offering an install base enough to carry a lot of games. At least not yet. The audience for handheld games is much higher proportionately in Japan than either North America or Europe. If Nintendo can provide a platform where for less work than it takes to shift a PS4 & Vita version, devs can ship a game for a handheld console that is market leader in Japan, and a home and handheld console in the rest of the world, they will be an attractive proposition for a lot of games. The effort to ship a game for both PS Vita and PS4 is nontrivial. If Nintendo can offer a similar set of platforms, with greater harmony between the two equivalent devices, I believe a decent selection of publishers in this category could find a viable opportunity in supporting Nintendo platforms.
Whist a lot of mobile/tablet games are pretty specifically suited to these platforms, there's obviously some that make sense to carry over to dedicated gaming platforms. We've already seen instances of this on Nintendo's current hardware. If they can offer a platform that has great support for simple ports of mobile games, both in terms of underlying tech and interface, they will be able to cherry pick from the best of mobile, and expose an entirely different userbase to already proven games.
Nintendo also really need to get their house in order with regards to the virtual console. It was a groundbreaking initiative when it first launched, but it needs to evolve. Nintendo have an unparalleled heritage when it comes to back catalogue, they should be aggressively leveraging it in all their platforms. Establishing next generation version of virtual console would be an excellent differentiator for their platforms, and it would be a decent earner. Nintendo's virtual console should offer me games that follow me to every single future Nintendo platform for the foreseeable future, offer cloud saves between devices and run at least as well as it did on the original platform. They should offer an extensive library chronicling as much of Nintendo's recent and not so recent history as feasible, with meaningful contributions from anyone else applicable. They should also provide some kind of service along the lines of PS+, where in exchange for a reasonable monthly fee, I get a selection of classics from Nintendo's back catalogue, and interesting recent games from outside Nintendo.
Efforts towards building bridges with large western publishers is not a waste of time, but any discussions or negotiations they engage in go far better if Nintendo get new platforms of the ground and into consumers hands better than they have with their current platforms.
So what does this mean? It means shipping hardware that Nintendo have a toolset designed to streamline their development process for, and are able to ship a game once that owners of any NX device can play. It means getting robust support of the most widely used engines, unity, unreal, game maker and more, across both their handheld and home console, and both their handheld and home console to have the horsepower to be able to reach something approaching parity (for their given resolutions), and not require a massive amount of optimisation to support. It also means enhancing the online side of their operation, offering more robust account systems, having devices and infrastructure that make online interactions simpler and faster, and keeping people engaged more in online interactions within their software and within their broader ecosystem.
I think each of these are inside Nintendo's capability, and I think in some way they know that these are their best opportunities, it's probably just going to be a question of execution.
Any kind of backwards compatibility is up in the air. Exactly what kind of horsepower they will aim for is tough to second guess. Trying to predict form factor, controller design, and hardware configuration is all the route to madness, but Nintendo have proven themselves more than capable of both delighting and infuriating in these areas.
I look forward to hearing more about NX, but one thing I know for sure is that betting against Nintendo is a fool's game.
I think Nintendo know that they will not be able to get broad (ie similar to PS4 and Xbox) support from the majority of Western publishers. Bethesda, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, WB, and their ilk will not support any Nintendo platforms to the same extent as they support Playstation, Xbox and PC unless Nintendo are somehow able to command a massive market share. They may give them a degree of support with titles that they think are particularly suitable to Nintendo platforms (skylanders, just dance, call of duty) but not much beyond that until there is a proven sizeable audience who are interested in more than just Nintendo games. Even if Nintendo achieve a decent install base, proving to these publishers that the revenue they generate will be worth the cost of supporting Nintendo platforms will need to be proven in practice before Nintendo can rely on it.
Nintendo have their sights set of different kinds of games.
Their own output from both their internal teams and external games they publish is always going to be their core offering, and it's what is making them the most money on 3DS, and any success the Wii U achieved is primarily down to that. If they could produce it more quickly, and increase the amount of sales per game, they would certainly improve their profits.
Indie devs are easy money for Nintendo. Right now there are technical barriers to publishing indie games on Wii U, and often insurmountable technical barriers to publishing indie games on 3DS. If they can provide a home console and a handheld console that the majority of indie devs are able to access with relatively low difficulty to publish on, Nintendo can make their 30% on far more games, and fill up the gaps in their release schedule much more easily.
The Japanese mid-tier publishers are in an uncertain position. Just looking at the TGS announcements from Sony recently. A lot of publishers are unwilling to leap head first into the next generation of home consoles. The majority of games recently announced for PS4 also have either a PS3 or PS Vita version also in the pipeline. The PS4 has sold OK in Japan, but it's clear that the PS4 is not offering an install base enough to carry a lot of games. At least not yet. The audience for handheld games is much higher proportionately in Japan than either North America or Europe. If Nintendo can provide a platform where for less work than it takes to shift a PS4 & Vita version, devs can ship a game for a handheld console that is market leader in Japan, and a home and handheld console in the rest of the world, they will be an attractive proposition for a lot of games. The effort to ship a game for both PS Vita and PS4 is nontrivial. If Nintendo can offer a similar set of platforms, with greater harmony between the two equivalent devices, I believe a decent selection of publishers in this category could find a viable opportunity in supporting Nintendo platforms.
Whist a lot of mobile/tablet games are pretty specifically suited to these platforms, there's obviously some that make sense to carry over to dedicated gaming platforms. We've already seen instances of this on Nintendo's current hardware. If they can offer a platform that has great support for simple ports of mobile games, both in terms of underlying tech and interface, they will be able to cherry pick from the best of mobile, and expose an entirely different userbase to already proven games.
Nintendo also really need to get their house in order with regards to the virtual console. It was a groundbreaking initiative when it first launched, but it needs to evolve. Nintendo have an unparalleled heritage when it comes to back catalogue, they should be aggressively leveraging it in all their platforms. Establishing next generation version of virtual console would be an excellent differentiator for their platforms, and it would be a decent earner. Nintendo's virtual console should offer me games that follow me to every single future Nintendo platform for the foreseeable future, offer cloud saves between devices and run at least as well as it did on the original platform. They should offer an extensive library chronicling as much of Nintendo's recent and not so recent history as feasible, with meaningful contributions from anyone else applicable. They should also provide some kind of service along the lines of PS+, where in exchange for a reasonable monthly fee, I get a selection of classics from Nintendo's back catalogue, and interesting recent games from outside Nintendo.
Efforts towards building bridges with large western publishers is not a waste of time, but any discussions or negotiations they engage in go far better if Nintendo get new platforms of the ground and into consumers hands better than they have with their current platforms.
So what does this mean? It means shipping hardware that Nintendo have a toolset designed to streamline their development process for, and are able to ship a game once that owners of any NX device can play. It means getting robust support of the most widely used engines, unity, unreal, game maker and more, across both their handheld and home console, and both their handheld and home console to have the horsepower to be able to reach something approaching parity (for their given resolutions), and not require a massive amount of optimisation to support. It also means enhancing the online side of their operation, offering more robust account systems, having devices and infrastructure that make online interactions simpler and faster, and keeping people engaged more in online interactions within their software and within their broader ecosystem.
I think each of these are inside Nintendo's capability, and I think in some way they know that these are their best opportunities, it's probably just going to be a question of execution.
Any kind of backwards compatibility is up in the air. Exactly what kind of horsepower they will aim for is tough to second guess. Trying to predict form factor, controller design, and hardware configuration is all the route to madness, but Nintendo have proven themselves more than capable of both delighting and infuriating in these areas.
I look forward to hearing more about NX, but one thing I know for sure is that betting against Nintendo is a fool's game.
BronzeWolf
Banned
Nintendo almost single handedly saved the videogame industry from its first crash.
Questions:
Is there another crash coming?
Will Nintendo be able to survive?
Will Nintendo be able to survive AND save the industry?
Is the NX, as the NES, the platform that will allow videogames to weather this crash?
I remain optimistic.
Questions:
Is there another crash coming?
Will Nintendo be able to survive?
Will Nintendo be able to survive AND save the industry?
Is the NX, as the NES, the platform that will allow videogames to weather this crash?
I remain optimistic.
I think they'll be on both, to make the platforms as unified as popular.
PdotMichael
Banned
Oh god... are you for real?
Steve Youngblood
Member
My position? It's pessimistic. That's not me saying I hope they falter, because I don't. For what it's worth, my preference for hardware currently is Nintendo/PC. But having said that, Nintendo doesn't have a great track record as of late aside from the Wii/DS era.
Now, that era does suggest that Nintendo does have it in them to think outside the box and innovate something that the market doesn't even realize it wanted. But whether or not they can replicate that magic remains to be seen.
On the console front, if you ignore the Wii (and I realize some will argue that that's a large caveat, which is fair), we've seen a decline in every generation since the SNES. I'm too lazy to look at the SNES vs. NES numbers, so I'm just going to stop there. On the handheld front, while the 3DS and the GBA both did respectable numbers, it's hard to ignore the mobile threat, particularly when Nintendo themselves have finally been forced to acknowledge that market.
The Nintendo fan in me hopes that the NX can stave off the decline and keep Nintendo relevant in hardware. But based on the data available, I'm not sure if that hope is backed up by Nintendo's ability to read and react to market trends.
- Status