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[PdotMichael]

"Just" make an appealing product for everyone? Sounds easy to me!

Hardware wise it's pretty easy. Make a powerful console for a reasonable price without trying to push a not gaming related business strategy (Kinect and conquering the living room stuff) and at the end you would get something like the PS4

Software is Nintendo's problem. It's a dilemma that their own successful software output and strategy pushed them in a small niche market with shrinking hardware sales and third party support.

 

[Sandfox]

Hardware wise it's pretty easy. Make a powerful console for a reasonable price without trying to push a not gaming related business strategy (Kinect and conquering the living room stuff) and at the end you would get something like the PS4

Software is Nintendo's problem. It's a dilemma that their own successful software output and strategy pushed them in a small niche market with shrinking hardware sales and third party support.

If anything I would say SW is a small issue since that's a relatively simply thing to adjust if you want to appeal to a different audience or approach with a different philosophy. The real problem is perception with certain groups of people, but that can be fixed with the right moves.

 

[Father_Brain]

Hardware wise it's pretty easy. Make a powerful console for a reasonable price without trying to push a not gaming related business strategy (Kinect and conquering the living room stuff) and at the end you would get something like the PS4

Software is Nintendo's problem. It's a dilemma that their own successful software output and strategy pushed them in a small niche market with shrinking hardware sales and third party support.

Oh, yeah, it'd be easy enough for them to surpass PS4 performance with the console, if they wanted to. (Though at what price point is another question.)

The much bigger problem is their abysmal third-party relations outside a handful of Japanese publishers and franchises on 3DS, and their myopic approach to Western first-party development, which together mean they have no readily apparent way to effectively reach beyond their existing fanbase. Splatoon is the most successful new non-casual IP they've launched in ages, and it's at least a step in the right direction, but it doesn't appear to be selling many systems.

 

[Father_Brain]

If anything I would say SW is a small issue since that's a relatively simply thing to adjust if you want to appeal to a different audience or approach with a different philosophy. The real problem is perception with certain groups of people, but that can be fixed with the right moves.

Given how much time and money it takes to develop games, and that they clearly have no (currently known) studios capable of developing many of today's most popular genres, how exactly is this a small issue?

 

[AzaK]

Oh, yeah, it'd be easy enough for them to surpass PS4 performance with the console, if they wanted to. (Though at what price point is another question.)

The much bigger problem is their abysmal third-party relations outside a handful of Japanese publishers and franchises on 3DS, and their myopic approach to Western first-party development, which together mean they have no readily apparent way to effectively reach beyond their existing fanbase. Splatoon is the most successful new non-casual IP they've launched in ages, and it's at least a step in the right direction, but it doesn't appear to be selling many systems.

And I doubt Splatoon is attractive to a lot of the Western "mature" gamers who play Uncharted, CoD etc. The aesthetic is not right for those types of people.

Nintendo has a MASSIVE job ahead of them to get any sort of decent third party support, and therefore any decent "core" audience. So massive that I am struggling to see how they can, especially not in one generation.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

They're not going to in one generation. It is not possible. The best they can do is make inroads toward it.

Which, you know, to be realistic about it, that's not nothing. They can and should look at this as a transitional generation where they won't do well, they can only work toward doing well. Nintendo fans need to make similar peace with it. This is Nintendo Physical Therapy after the painful car crash that was the Wii U.

If they play their cards right, yeah, maybe they can do well in the market after next gen and react to changing market structures. Maybe they'll catch on to the way the industry is changing in a way Sony and Microsoft might not. But it won't happen this gen, at very least not in the way people hope.

 

[Doctre81]

x86-64 sounds like a terrible choice if they intend to release NX in 2016. The Bulldozer-derived cores are on their way out and were never that great to begin with. And a Zen-based semi-custom chip for 2016 is highly unlikely. After all, the real Zen is slated for late 2016; they're not going to have a semi-custom design based on Zen ready before releasing Zen itself.

The system is likely to come out at the end of 2017 though.

 

[Deleted member 465307]

Oh, yeah, it'd be easy enough for them to surpass PS4 performance with the console, if they wanted to. (Though at what price point is another question.)

The much bigger problem is their abysmal third-party relations outside a handful of Japanese publishers and franchises on 3DS, and their myopic approach to Western first-party development, which together mean they have no readily apparent way to effectively reach beyond their existing fanbase. Splatoon is the most successful new non-casual IP they've launched in ages, and it's at least a step in the right direction, but it doesn't appear to be selling many systems.

Splatoon has been effective at bumping up system sales in Japan, but you're right about everywhere else.

I'm curious how this reveal goes. It seems Square Enix is already more interested in NX than they were the Wii U (or even the Wii, which got a number of games, but all of them smaller spinoffs). I hope the NX reveal has some proof of interest in the console from both western and eastern third parties that goes beyond old ports at launch. We shall see.

 

[Pokemaniac]

The system is likely to come out at the end of 2017 though.

Nintendo has been dropping hints for a 2016 release pretty hard. Plus, the other evidence we have, including this devkit news, seems to line up with that.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

It seems Square Enix is already more interested in NX than they were the Wii U (or even the Wii, which got a number of games, but all of them smaller spinoffs).

...like Dragon Quest X?

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

Given how much time and money it takes to develop games, and that they clearly have no (currently known) studios capable of developing many of today's most popular genres, how exactly is this a small issue?

There is a multitude of Western developers with pitches and concepts always looking for an interested publisher. Nothing beats the funding of first-party high profile project. Of course the problem is I doubt Nintendo has a scouting team that's perusing through candidates.

So possible yes. Is Nintendo looking and ready to drop money on a Western conceived IP? Like they did in the 90s? Dubious.

 

[Deleted member 465307]

...like Dragon Quest X?

Well, yes. Plus Dragon Quest XI. I see two games being publicly considered before a system has been officially revealed as an improvement over releasing one game.

Edit: Then again, considering that the DS and 3DS have been Dragon Quest's home for a while, getting a mainline announcement for a system that may be Nintendo's handheld successor perhaps isn't that big of a deal at all. From a Wii( U) perspective, I see the "announcements" (whatever you want to call that weird statement/retraction sequence) as a positive sign. From a (3)DS perspective, it seems par for the course.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Smash Bros and Pikmin came out two weeks later.

Ohh, yeah something seemed weird...

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

And I doubt Splatoon is attractive to a lot of the Western "mature" gamers who play Uncharted, CoD etc. The aesthetic is not right for those types of people.

Nintendo has a MASSIVE job ahead of them to get any sort of decent third party support, and therefore any decent "core" audience. So massive that I am struggling to see how they can, especially not in one generation.

TBF Splatoon was never aimed at those sorts in the first place, so it can't be a "bad" or "not right" fit for them if they were never in the intended audience to enjoy the game.

Nintendo needs their Western 2nd-parties and alliances back, like in the N64 days. If they don't go with a stupid storage medium decision this time, and manage to bring stuff on the caliber of Turok, Goldeneye etc. (or if talking modern games, Halo and Uncharted) onto the platform, and they'll be really successful with those sorts.

 

[primasaurus]

Nintendo has been dropping hints for a 2016 release pretty hard. Plus, the other evidence we have, including this devkit news, seems to line up with that.

No they haven't, and no it doesnt

 

[AdanVC]

Nintendo next year will face probably the most difficult challenges since the NES days. Challenges like how are they going to reach customers and try to be relevant again with NX. How are they gonna convince the masses that their new machine is worth it when everyone right now is more than comfortable with their PS4/X1/PCs. Those people (the majority at least) are not going to spend $300+ for the NX if ends up being weaker than PS4. And more importantly, how are they gonna reach 3rd parties so NX can't have game droughts like Wii U, because seriously, releasing a Wii U game every 4 months is simply awful. Time to go big or go home with the damn NX, Nintendo!

 

[Father_Brain]

They're not going to in one generation. It is not possible. The best they can do is make inroads toward it.

Which, you know, to be realistic about it, that's not nothing. They can and should look at this as a transitional generation where they won't do well, they can only work toward doing well. Nintendo fans need to make similar peace with it. This is Nintendo Physical Therapy after the painful car crash that was the Wii U.

If they play their cards right, yeah, maybe they can do well in the market after next gen and react to changing market structures. Maybe they'll catch on to the way the industry is changing in a way Sony and Microsoft might not. But it won't happen this gen, at very least not in the way people hope.

Inroads with the Western core market? I honestly don't see how that's possible without spending like MS did a decade and a half ago, but perhaps you mean something else.

My sense right now, from talk of "Nintendo-like profits" and some of Miyamoto's comments, is that Nintendo's expectations for NX are much less realistic than yours, and that they expect it to actually rejuvenate their hardware business - not to Wii/DS levels, obviously, but to more than the combined ~70M they're likely to have eked out at the end of the current gen. But I suppose I could be wrong.

There is a multitude of Western developers with pitches and concepts always looking for an interested publisher. Nothing beats the funding of first-party high profile project. Of course the problem is I doubt Nintendo has a scouting team that's perusing through candidates.

So possible yes. Is Nintendo looking and ready to drop money on a Western conceived IP? Like they did in the 90s? Dubious.

Right, they could make such investments if they wanted to (or rather, have made them a while back - it's far too late for any such games to be ready in time for NX launch, I'd think), but there's been no indication that "how can we win back the 17-35-year-old males in Western territories currently buying PS4 and XB1?" is a question anyone in Kyoto is seriously pondering.

 

[Doctre81]

Nintendo has been dropping hints for a 2016 release pretty hard. Plus, the other evidence we have, including this devkit news, seems to line up with that.

Not really. Nintendo said they will unveiling it next year. AMD said the same. Maybe dev kits are going out now because Nintendo wants to have quality 3rd party games at launch and not rushed ones.

 

[antonz]

Not really. Nintendo said they will unveiling it next year. AMD said the same. Maybe dev kits are going out now because Nintendo wants to have quality 3rd party games at launch and not rushed ones.

AMD has stated they are shipping out the chips in the 2nd half of 2016. Chips do not go out and sit around for half a year or a year. They go out for immediate use.

 

[Sandfox]

There is a multitude of Western developers with pitches and concepts always looking for an interested publisher. Nothing beats the funding of first-party high profile project. Of course the problem is I doubt Nintendo has a scouting team that's perusing through candidates.

So possible yes. Is Nintendo looking and ready to drop money on a Western conceived IP? Like they did in the 90s? Dubious.

I'm curious in seeing what Nintendo response to the western market is this time around since the company knows that they haven't been paying enough attention to it and know its an important market.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

AMD has stated they are shipping out the chips in the 2nd half of 2016. Chips do not go out and sit around for half a year or a year. They go out for immediate use.

Which chips are these? I feel like I've missed something here...

 

[Hcoregamer00]

All this Vita talk is making me wonder, is there a chance NX handheld will have an OLED screen?

The OLED screen adds unnecessary costs, which is partly why they kept memory card prices high. I am sure OLED doesn't have the incredible reliability and life of an LED Backlit LCD screen.

To keep costs down, and to have a system with a screen that is playable after 60,000 hours. I rather have an LED Backlit LCD screen.

 

[Father_Brain]

since the company knows that they haven't been paying enough attention to it and know its an important market.

Source? I recall Iwata et al. making noises to that effect before Wii U launched, and we all know how that turned out, but I don't think I've heard anything like that from Nintendo execs in a while.

 

[AzaK]

I'm curious in seeing what Nintendo response to the western market is this time around since the company knows that they haven't been paying enough attention to it and know its an important market.

We're all interested to see this too. However everything we've seen the last year or so is showing us that they are increasing their Japanese partnerships. That's their home territory and where they want to make sure they dominate first and foremost.

 

[James Scott]

I imagine the next Sonic game could likely be a NX launch title. Here's SEGA's first comment on how the next game will turn out.
http://wp.me/pMKGJ-1jCF
Classically inspired

 

[Azure J]

The next Sonic game could likely be a NX launch title. Here's SEGA's first comment on it http://wp.me/pMKGJ-1jCF
Classically inspired

The part that sucks about this is that Lost World was on the right track but needed a bit more time in the oven. I hope "return to heyday" means more polish and not "abort everything, hit the 2D button asap!"

/tangent

 

[jmizzal]

Splatoon has been effective at bumping up system sales in Japan, but you're right about everywhere else.

I'm curious how this reveal goes. It seems Square Enix is already more interested in NX than they were the Wii U (or even the Wii, which got a number of games, but all of them smaller spinoffs). I hope the NX reveal has some proof of interest in the console from both western and eastern third parties that goes beyond old ports at launch. We shall see.

Also I hope Nintendo does not give anybody spotlight unless they are 100% have a game in development for NX

Like showing Kevin Levine and the EA bs where is that Battlefied WiiU game John

Get some western devs like Disney, WB, Activision and UBisoft who will always come back to show some games

EA will port there games but after the WiiU Nintendo EA situation I dont think they will do stage shows together like that E3

 

[antonz]

Which chips are these? I feel like I've missed something here...

They have specifically teased they have at least one Semi-custom design for a gaming device for 2016

 

[jmizzal]

We're all interested to see this too. However everything we've seen the last year or so is showing us that they are increasing their Japanese partnerships. That's their home territory and where they want to make sure they dominate first and foremost.

Which is smart, Nintendo cant afford to come out with a western focused console like Sony, remember Sony started off very slow in Japan for about a year.

Nintendo needs to be able to get the western games, but make sure they continue to dominate Japan

 

[Aroll]

Also I hope Nintendo does not give anybody spotlight unless they are 100% have a game in development for NX

Like showing Kevin Levine and the EA bs where is that Battlefied WiiU game John

Get some western devs like Disney, WB, Activision and UBisoft who will always come back to show some games

EA will port there games but after the WiiU Nintendo EA situation I dont think they will do stage shows together like that E3

What, you mean that madden and fifa games that were the exact same as the prior years version with updated rosters don't count?

I'm with you though - right now we've got some nice talk, but we need to see a tangible result from this talk.

 

[Mory Dunz]

The next Sonic game could likely be a NX launch title. Here's SEGA's first comment on it http://wp.me/pMKGJ-1jCF
Classically inspired

I don't see the NX part...

 

[Sandfox]

Source? I recall Iwata et al. making noises to that effect before Wii U launched, and we all know how that turned out, but I don't think I've heard anything like that from Nintendo execs in a while.

Iwata made those comments last year about msireading the market and how sales are higher in Japan than the US and Europe so I would think that was a concern for the company in response to the Wii U.

We're all interested to see this too. However everything we've seen the last year or so is showing us that they are increasing their Japanese partnerships. That's their home territory and where they want to make sure they dominate first and foremost.

Examples? The only thing I can think of is the DeNA deal.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

We're all interested to see this too. However everything we've seen the last year or so is showing us that they are increasing their Japanese partnerships. That's their home territory and where they want to make sure they dominate first and foremost.

But they aren't. Nintendo has always formed partnerships with large Japanese publishers (SEGA, Square-Enix, Konami, Namco) and companies (Panasonic, Dentsu) since the GameCube. The only thing different in the last year is Nintendo venturing into Android/IOS, QoL, and theme parks.

 

[Hero of Legend]

The next Sonic game could likely be a NX launch title. Here's SEGA's first comment on it http://wp.me/pMKGJ-1jCF
Classically inspired

Hopefully Sonic is first in line for 3rd-party support, aka, the 25th anniversary game will be at launch as you said, and not a hand-me-down version by Dimps also (curious how those will turn out depending on how they utilize the NX console and handheld).

I'd like them to finally stop making 3D/2D hybrid games and go back to making their own separate 3D and 2D games. Dimps were at their best when making their own Sonic games like Advance and Rush, not terrible handheld versions of console games.

Spoiler

Maybe Nintendo will make a new exclusivity deal and this time be on Sega like glue making sure they don't screw up.

 

[Griss]

They're not going to in one generation. It is not possible. The best they can do is make inroads toward it.

Which, you know, to be realistic about it, that's not nothing. They can and should look at this as a transitional generation where they won't do well, they can only work toward doing well. Nintendo fans need to make similar peace with it. This is Nintendo Physical Therapy after the painful car crash that was the Wii U.

If they play their cards right, yeah, maybe they can do well in the market after next gen and react to changing market structures. Maybe they'll catch on to the way the industry is changing in a way Sony and Microsoft might not. But it won't happen this gen, at very least not in the way people hope.

I don't see this gen that way at all. I think this is the gen where they realise that major console 3rd parties are gone forever, and it's time to see if they can make it work on their own, with indies and other options.

Essentially they have to prove that there is still a market for a Nintendo handheld supported by Nintendo software, and that said market is big enough to support a company Nintendo's size. If they can't do that then all the core assumptions of Nintendo's business come under scrutiny. They have always relied on their handheld business. They need to make that work again, to prove that it can work. That absolutely has to be their focus this gen. They believe they can succeed in a big way doing that. It's certainly possible. It doesn't have to be a transitional gen at all.

What they do with the console is of entirely secondary concern, imo.

If it doesn't pan out, then long-term I can only see a mobile and 3rd party future. Fortunately I think they'll make the handheld work, I really do.

Nintendo next year will face probably the most difficult challenges since the NES days. Challenges like how are they going to reach customers and try to be relevant again with NX. How are they gonna convince the masses that their new machine is worth it when everyone right now is more than comfortable with their PS4/X1/PCs. Those people (the majority at least) are not going to spend $300+ for the NX if ends up being weaker than PS4. And more importantly, how are they gonna reach 3rd parties so NX can't have game droughts like Wii U, because seriously, releasing a Wii U game every 4 months is simply awful. Time to go big or go home with the damn NX, Nintendo!

Again, I really don't think Nintendo should give a single shit about the market that's playing PC/PS4/XB1. They need all of the 3DS owners, and a lot of the kids on mobile, and they need to make a handheld device that will appeal to these people. And yes, that is their most difficult challenge since the NES days.

If they have a good idea on how to do that, then fine, go ahead and have a run at selling console versions of the NX.

 

[Blood Diamonds]

chasing after the kids on mobile is a giant waste of money and time. Even if they do somehow manage to catch the mobile audience, they will drop Nintendo as soon as the NX is done just like Wii -> Wii U audience.

 

[Griss]

chasing after the kids on mobile is a giant waste of money and time. Even if they do somehow manage to catch the mobile audience, they will drop Nintendo as soon as the NX is done just like Wii -> Wii U audience.

My friend, you and I have viewpoints that are literally 100% at odds. And that's fair enough.

That's what makes this so fascinating. Everyone has their own take as to what Nintendo should do, and one day we'll have answers as to whether they got it right.

 

[James Scott]

I don't see the NX part...

Just speculating. Makes sense

 

[AzaK]

But they aren't. Nintendo has always formed partnerships with large Japanese publishers (SEGA, Square-Enix, Konami, Namco) and companies (Panasonic, Dentsu) since the GameCube. The only thing different in the last year is Nintendo venturing into Android/IOS, QoL, and theme parks.

I'll have to try and find the sources of the information that gave me that impression, but it was, I think Iwata who was talking about new partnerships they were forming. At the time the Wii U was really getting slammed and looking bad. About the time when I felt they needed to build their western side and talk to the gamers they seemed to go the other way and become more insular.

 

[4Tran]

My sense right now, from talk of "Nintendo-like profits" and some of Miyamoto's comments, is that Nintendo's expectations for NX are much less realistic than yours, and that they expect it to actually rejuvenate their hardware business - not to Wii/DS levels, obviously, but to more than the combined ~70M they're likely to have eked out at the end of the current gen. But I suppose I could be wrong.

I suspect that they're no longer thinking about massive profits off of NX, but they may still be trying to pull that off.

Right, they could make such investments if they wanted to (or rather, have made them a while back - it's far too late for any such games to be ready in time for NX launch, I'd think), but there's been no indication that "how can we win back the 17-35-year-old males in Western territories currently buying PS4 and XB1?" is a question anyone in Kyoto is seriously pondering.

That was a market segment that Nintendo seemed to disdain, so it's going to be very telling if their attitude towards it changes. But I do agree that it's looking like it won't. A shame really, because I'm sort of curious as to how Nintendo would go about it.

Again, I really don't think Nintendo should give a single shit about the market that's playing PC/PS4/XB1. They need all of the 3DS owners, and a lot of the kids on mobile, and they need to make a handheld device that will appeal to these people. And yes, that is their most difficult challenge since the NES days.

How would trying to do things on the NX console affect what they're going to do on the NX handheld? Besides, the handheld market is probably living on borrowed time anyways.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Just speculating. Makes sense

It probably does make sense, but I didn't see anything that points to a Nintendo console or really any console. Just stuff about classic gameplay.

 

[James Scott]

It probably does make sense, but I didn't see anything that points to a Nintendo console or really any console. Just stuff about classic gameplay.

I didn't mean "This article points at Sonic coming to NX" but I can see how some could read it that way. Sorry.
Just think the next Sonic is very likely coming to NX maybe skipping Wii U and 3DS

 

[Trevelyan9999]

Inroads with the Western core market? I honestly don't see how that's possible without spending like MS did a decade and a half ago, but perhaps you mean something else.

My sense right now, from talk of "Nintendo-like profits" and some of Miyamoto's comments, is that Nintendo's expectations for NX are much less realistic than yours, and that they expect it to actually rejuvenate their hardware business - not to Wii/DS levels, obviously, but to more than the combined ~70M they're likely to have eked out at the end of the current gen. But I suppose I could be wrong.


Right, they could make such investments if they wanted to (or rather, have made them a while back - it's far too late for any such games to be ready in time for NX launch, I'd think), but there's been no indication that "how can we win back the 17-35-year-old males in Western territories currently buying PS4 and XB1?" is a question anyone in Kyoto is seriously pondering.

No, Nintendo did ponder and tried to answer this question with Wii U, but they only gave the Wii U a slightly more amount of power than Xbox 360. They put one step forward in this case and wanted to satisfy the Wii audience (that left for Smart Phones in 2011) and the other step in just getting decent low cost HD graphics to try to satisfy core gamers.

Nintendo failed in satisfying both the previous Wii audience and the core gamer they wanted to get back with Wii U. Not causal enough and too bulky/slow for a smart phone user, not powerful enough and missing lots of features that the core gamer wanted.


Last year in 2014, consider this, Miyamoto basically said "Fuck casual gamers and good riddance" here:

“[These casual gamers are] the people who, for example, might want to watch a movie. They might want to go to Disneyland,” Miyamoto told Edge. “Their attitude is, ‘OK, I am the customer. You are supposed to entertain me.’ It’s kind of a passive attitude they’re taking, and, to me, it’s kind of a pathetic thing. They do not know how interesting it is if you move one step further and try to challenge yourself [with more advanced games].”

“In the days of DS and Wii, Nintendo tried its best to expand the gaming population,” said Miyamoto. “Because of the spread of smart devices, people take games for granted now. [That’s] a good thing for us because we do not have to worry about making games something that are relevant to general people’s daily lives.”

http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/27/mario-creator-shigeru-miyamoto-preaches-to-the-hardcore-calls-passive-entertainment-pathetic/

Before the Wii, Nintendo was being very competitive with the Gamecube, in fact in many aspects the Gamecube far exceeded PS2 in it's technically achievements. They knew that the console would not sell and not get game parity with the other consoles if the Gamecube was considered "weak" and difficult to port games to. The Wii was a commercial success that the $ made by Nintendo blinded them in thinking they could do it again with Wii U and bring back core gamers that couldn't stand the Wii's low res graphics......

So now going forward to 2016 with the NX, Nintendo has now openly admitted that casuals are not going to buy their hardware, they addressed already the Wii U's technical short comings (CPU mainly but the overall architecture goes with it), and developers who had open talks with Nintendo at E3 (they were witnessed having a lot more meetings than normal this year) are saying to publications like the Wall Street Journal that with NX, they are putting "Industry Leading Chips" in the system in direct response to the Wii U not being able to compete with competitors.

This would be the first time since Nintendo 64 that Nintendo has been touting graphics and processing power so early in development. Even with Gamecube they downplayed the specs (even though Gamecube was a beast), and with the Wii they talked basically only about revolutionary new gameplay and interaction.

Earlier this year, Iwata almost gave away what we have been getting leaks about when he said:

"I intentionally chose to announce the development of NX so early because I wanted to confirm the fact that we are developing a new dedicated video game platform, that we have never lost passion regarding the future for dedicated video game systems and that we have bright prospects for them. Though I cannot confirm when it will be launched or any other details of the system, since I have confirmed that it will be "a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept"

"Your question also included the "current notion of thinking about home consoles and handheld devices." When it comes to how dedicated game systems are being played, the situations have become rather different, especially between Japan and overseas. Since we are always thinking about how to create a new platform that will be accepted by as many people around the world as possible, we would like to offer to them "a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept" by taking into consideration various factors, including the playing environments that differ by country. This is all that I can confirm today."

http://www.gamnesia.com/news/iwata-hints-at-nintendo-nxs-new-concept

This "brand new concept" is looking very much like the leaks we have been getting about a console that can have a mobile unit play the same games away from your home. However I do believe that this new console, since it's going to be dedicated to gamers and not casuals, as was specified by them, will in fact be Nintendo going back to being competitive with the Tech they put into the console. A "Gamers Console" needs to have all the bells and whistles to have game parity and get an edge over the other gaming consoles to be successful.

I think Wii U = "Ok, ok I get it now" for Nintendo with the NX.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

Splatoon has been effective at bumping up system sales in Japan, but you're right about everywhere else.

I'm curious how this reveal goes. It seems Square Enix is already more interested in NX than they were the Wii U (or even the Wii, which got a number of games, but all of them smaller spinoffs). I hope the NX reveal has some proof of interest in the console from both western and eastern third parties that goes beyond old ports at launch. We shall see.

Square Enix could be talking about the NX handheld, I mean Dragon quest X is already on 3DS.

 

[GrandiaX]

No they haven't, and no it doesnt

How about an explanation?

 

[Mory Dunz]

I didn't mean "This article points at Sonic coming to NX" but I can see how some could read it that way. Sorry.
Just think the next Sonic is very likely coming to NX maybe skipping Wii U and 3DS

gotcha.

Yeah, I feel it definitely should. It could benefit from being in launch hype window.

 

[Father_Brain]

No, Nintendo did ponder and tried to answer this question with Wii U, but they only gave the Wii U a slightly more amount of power than Xbox 360. They put one step forward in this case and wanted to satisfy the Wii audience (that left for Smart Phones in 2011) and the other step in just getting decent low cost HD graphics to try to satisfy core gamers.

Nintendo failed in satisfying both the previous Wii audience and the core gamer they wanted to get back with Wii U. Not causal enough and too bulky/slow for a smart phone user, not powerful enough and missing lots of features that the core gamer wanted.


Last year in 2014, consider this, Miyamoto basically said "Fuck casual gamers and good riddance" here:



http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/27/mario-creator-shigeru-miyamoto-preaches-to-the-hardcore-calls-passive-entertainment-pathetic/

Before the Wii, Nintendo was being very competitive with the Gamecube, in fact in many aspects the Gamecube far exceeded PS2 in it's technically achievements. They knew that the console would not sell and not get game parity with the other consoles if the Gamecube was considered "weak" and difficult to port games to. The Wii was a commercial success that the $ made by Nintendo blinded them in thinking they could do it again with Wii U and bring back core gamers that couldn't stand the Wii's low res graphics......

So now going forward to 2016 with the NX, Nintendo has now openly admitted that casuals are not going to buy their hardware, they addressed already the Wii U's technical short comings (CPU mainly but the overall architecture goes with it), and developers who had open talks with Nintendo at E3 (they were witnessed having a lot more meetings than normal this year) are saying to publications like the Wall Street Journal that with NX, they are putting "Industry Leading Chips" in the system in direct response to the Wii U not being able to compete with competitors.

This would be the first time since Nintendo 64 that Nintendo has been touting graphics and processing power so early in development. Even with Gamecube they downplayed the specs (even though Gamecube was a beast), and with the Wii they talked basically only about revolutionary new gameplay and interaction.

Earlier this year, Iwata almost gave away what we have been getting leaks about when he said:

http://www.gamnesia.com/news/iwata-hints-at-nintendo-nxs-new-concept

This "brand new concept" is looking very much like the leaks we have been getting about a console that can have a mobile unit play the same games away from your home. However I do believe that this new console, since it's going to be dedicated to gamers and not casuals, as was specified by them, will in fact be Nintendo going back to being competitive with the Tech they put into the console. A "Gamers Console" needs to have all the bells and whistles to have game parity and get an edge over the other gaming consoles to be successful.

I think Wii U = "Ok, ok I get it now" for Nintendo with the NX.

First of all, I think you're reading way too much into those Miyamoto/Iwata quotes and setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

Secondly, even assuming that "industry-leading chips" means exactly what you want it to mean, specs are by far the easiest part of developing a core-oriented console. Nintendo hasn't even remotely hinted at addressing their software weaknesses in that regard.

As had been said many, many times in this very thread, specs alone will not get NX "game parity," not even close.

 

[Trevelyan9999]

First of all, I think you're reading way too much into those Miyamoto/Iwata quotes and setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

Secondly, even assuming that "industry-leading chips" means exactly what you want it to mean, specs are by far the easiest part of developing a core-oriented console. Nintendo hasn't even remotely hinted at addressing their software weaknesses in that regard.

As had been said many, many times in this very thread, specs alone will not get NX "game parity," not even close.

They need to compete pure and simple. To do that they need the specs to have the chance to get the ports from other consoles. That is what they have seemingly told developers at this early stage.

I never said they didn't have a lot of work to do, they have a lot of proof of concept and proof of development ahead of them. If you don't think they can do it, that's cool, but I definitely believe they can, especially after the "Wii U proving ground" is coming to an end.

Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros Wii U are some of the finest examples of HD developed games by Nintendo, in a technical aspect, their online/DLC features and value they offer.

 

[Deleted member 465307]

gotcha.

Yeah, I feel it definitely should. It could benefit from being in launch hype window.

If Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed's sales are anything to go by, I think SEGA will agree with you about being there for the launch. I hope that the lackluster sales of the Sonic Lost World and Sonic Boom are overlooked by SEGA or that they understand that the mixed reception of LW and poor reception of Boom likely discouraged many from purchasing them. Wii U could have been a great home for Sonic if the quality had been there, and I hope that Nintendo continues to be included in SEGA's plans for the hedgehog.

 

[Snakeyes]

Not accroding to the NPD... Or Media Create.

So unless the US and Japan do not count, this is not true. In fact the PS4 seems to have a very weak children/young demographic in these regions.

DI 3.0 with a PS4 marketting deal was the worst platform for the title. That says a lot.

Ok, I stand corrected on the PS4 in NA for the time being. Either way, ever since the PS1 days, home consoles that were marketed towards a broader age group while focusing more on young adults have been more successful with younger audiences than Nintendo's kid-friendly consoles (this is even true for the Wii to an extent), and I expect the trend to continue this gen as the PS4 and Xbox One become a bit more affordable.

Forgot about Japan, but that market is not even worth discussing when it comes to home consoles.