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[QaaQer]

What if the NX is only a handheld with a Wii U architecture? I say this because iwata said the NX is a dedicated gaming platform, not platform(s) and he talked about NX aboard bing the Wii U architecture. So what if they plan on keeping the Wii U as the mainline console and the NX has the portable Wii U where cross platform gaming is possible?

Couple this with the new rewards membership they're planning and Matt's post about the handheld resolution (which means a handheld sku is coming), and I'm seeing the NX as just a handheld that shares an architecture, library, and OS with Wii U. There may be some tablets or phones, but I don't see Nintendo replacing the Wii U, just making more devices that share architecture with it.

I may be totally wrong lol.

I don't think this is crazy, assuming they can emulate the wiiu with non-ppc cpu since amd is the vendor. I do have to admit, that would actually be what the vita said it was going to be, console games on the go. Is there a market for that?

 

[Plinko]

Nintendo loses money for the first time after almost a century of existence, and all of sudden armchair business men here think a PS4 clone is the answer to their woes. Hilarious I say.

As if the PS4 and Xbone don't share enough already.

That is what is so mindboggling to me. The PS4/XB1 market cannot be who Nintendo targets. It can't. They won't succeed. It would be throwing money down the toilet.

 

[Jorok Goldblade]

But the problem is that the market for those games don't exist on Nintendo systems anymore (well, Minecraft has a market on Nintendo systems, but that's it of the examples you gave). Anyone who would want those games have already gone elsewhere for them & are perfectly happy with what they have. It's too late to change that.

There used to be no market for franchises such as Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, and Tomb Raider on Microsoft systems.

There was no market for Resident Evil on Nintendo systems until the best game in the series became a timed exclusive.

There was no market for games with blood or violence on Nintendo consoles, then they became the FPS genre king, then pissed away that market a generation later.

Launching a new console is like moving to a new town. It's an opportunity to establish a new identity.

 

[Scum]

What if the NX is only a handheld with a Wii U architecture? I say this because iwata said the NX is a dedicated gaming platform, not platform(s) and he talked about NX aboard bing the Wii U architecture. So what if they plan on keeping the Wii U as the mainline console and the NX has the portable Wii U where cross platform gaming is possible?

Couple this with the new rewards membership they're planning and Matt's post about the handheld resolution (which means a handheld sku is coming), and I'm seeing the NX as just a handheld that shares an architecture, library, and OS with Wii U. There may be some tablets or phones, but I don't see Nintendo replacing the Wii U, just making more devices that share architecture with it.

I may be totally wrong lol.

3DS & WiiU -> 3DS WiiU & "WiiU" Handheld -> WiiU "WiiU Handheld & New NX console

 

[thefro]

But the problem is that the market for those games don't exist on Nintendo systems anymore (well, Minecraft has a market on Nintendo systems, but that's it of the examples you gave). Anyone who would want those games have already gone elsewhere for them & are perfectly happy with what they have. It's too late to change that.

Every PS3/360 owner has already bought a XB1/PS4? Funny, I don't think those numbers add up yet. I'm not even counting PC gamers, either.

Not what I have said.

Middle generation launches are a no-no in my book, and betting on power makes it even harder to me believe it will have a success.

I am all in for a Nintendo powerful console, but the timing is not good for it.

Which scenario would be better for Nintendo?

- They release a cheap console "Nintendo box" In 2016/17. They go on to release a console that mildly outclasses PS4 at roughly the same time as when PS5/XB4 launch.

- They release a cheap console "Nintendo box" in 2016/17, and a premium version that outclasses the PS4 at the same time. This box is cheap by the time the PS5/XB4 come out.

 

[GhostTrick]

I don't think this is crazy, assuming they can emulate the wiiu with non-ppc cpu since amd is the vendor. I do have to admit, that would actually be what the vita said it was going to be, console games on the go. Is there a market for that?

There is. Although, if you think that console games on the go is what killed Vita, you're wrong. Lack of exclusives, lack of support from Sony did.

 

[Herb Alpert]

It won´t happen overnight because it will never happen.

Tell us what you know, man from the future

 

[Plinko]

Which scenario would be better for Nintendo?

- They release a cheap console "Nintendo box" In 2016/17, then a box that outclasses PS4, but gets stomped by PS5/XB4 whenever those new consoles come out

- They release a cheap console "Nintendo box" in 2016/17, and a premium version that outclasses the PS4 at the same time. This box is cheap by the time the PS5/XB4 come out.

And third parties will continue to not support the console, giving a range of excuses including unfamiliar architecture, low userbase, and/or cost/time for development when so much of their staff is doing PS4/XB1. What, then, is the point of all that power?

 

[QaaQer]

Launching a new console is like moving to a new town. It's an opportunity to establish a new identity.

you don't even need a new console to do that as the perceptual turnaround with x1 shows. Although that came with losses no doubt.

 

[Scum]

I don't think this is crazy, assuming they can emulate the wiiu with non-ppc cpu since amd is the vendor. I do have to admit, that would actually be what the vita said it was going to be, console games on the go. Is there a market for that?

I would say no. But then again, Nintendo has the added bonus of being able to make games that suit a handheld platform.

 

[Fourth Storm]

My take is they're not trying to cut it down for wattage and form factor but they're not aiming for PS4, either.

I think what will hold it back, assuming the priority is a shared library, is the power draw for the handheld part. Even if everything is scaled down significantly in the handheld, we're still talking about a huge power draw, more so if you increase the screen size and the resolution. A bigger battery won't just solve the problems, especially one that gets as hot as Li-On cellphone batteries do, and could increase the costs more than they would like. A loss leader strategy on a contracting market would murder them unless they tried to make up for it in ways like memory cards, which would probably be bad on its own, too.

Basically, I am not expecting the moon. I think simply dropping the Gamepad and fixing the Wii U's architecture should allow it appreciably better graphics, but anyone hoping for something competitive will not be happy.

How are tablet sales in Japan these days? I just do not see how they will get to 3DS size with AMD parts. Maybe they will start at tablet size and shrink down later?

Maybe they will go bigger just to appease that crazy shareholder who wanted a 3DS with a double-sized extendable screen. Lol

 

[Jorok Goldblade]

Hoping for another Wii isn't the answer.

Sony and Microsoft are investing in commodities.

Nintendo is buying scratch tickets.

 

[AmFreak]

They will just try the "gimmick" road again. Neither will a high power console sell (at this point in time) nor will a low power one.

 

[Tigress]

Launching a new console is like moving to a new town. It's an opportunity to establish a new identity.

Not when you've let your reputation solidify amongst multiple consoles... this isn't a rep they just got from their last console. This isn't like PS3 (Which still managed to get third party games in the end btw).

THis is a reputation Nintendo has been building along several generations. It's going to take more than just putting out a new console and claiming this time they will get third parties.

It's not going to be as easy as just putting out a new console. I'm not saying it will be impossilbe, but it's not going to be near as easy as you seem to think. And the reward probably isn't going to be worth the risk and money Nintendo would have to put in to try to reverse their reputation.

This is like asking Chrysler to reverse their reputation with just one car. When they've been known several times to say, "We improved" and never did. So people at this point don't even trust when Chrysler tries to claim they improved. They'll have to do more than just make one car that is reliable/well made. But, not impossible. After all, Hyundai is now considered a pretty decent cheaper alternative to the cars they compete with. And they had a reputation as bad as Yugo when I was a kid. They also had many years of not selling cars in this country in between that reputation and their current one (so time for people to forget the reputation).

 

[QaaQer]

There is. Although, if you think that console games on the go is what killed Vita, you're wrong. Lack of exclusives, lack of support from Sony did.

smartphones made a sony handheld a non-starter before vita was released. it was doomed. They have nothing with the draw of Ninty's ip, so aside from giving it away...

 

[Pachinko]

Did anyone really think they would try and compete with MS and Sony in the power game ? it's simply not profitable enough and as many have said - it adds to the development cost of nintendos own games which means less profit.

Nintendo always has been and always will be a company that makes toys for people to buy from THEM. If others can also make a few bucks - great ! but that's not what Nintendo wants. The Wii U is actually almost a perfect execution of the nintendo eco system , it's just that thanks to poor marketing and going to far into the realm of making something no one wanted , it didn't sell enough to convince third parties they could make any money themselves.

Japanese gamers still buy portable electronics - the 3DS and Vita have sold much better compared to their home console variants , Nintendo is a japanese company ergo they will make a portable to succeed the 3DS line to keep their home country profitable and viable in the marketplace.

I've long been of the opinion that the N-X is a codename for nintendos entire future business strategy - New Xperience / Nintendo Xperience.

Amazing technical prowess just doesn't really gel with this idea - they need to make a very cheap device , especially with the new portable. As well , the wii U strategy of including that screen controller is a major part of it's undoing BUT if the future portable could pair itself with a console just a bit more powerful than a wii U (a console that just had a regular controller in the box) you could still generate the same Xperience.

The NEW 3DS is little more than a stop gap , much like the DSi was prior to the 3DS launch. It's the best version of a 3DS but it's still just a 3DS. So obviously a new portable isn't going to set the spec world on fire - it will be about as powerful as it can be for a build cost of around 100 USD. That way they can sell these things damn cheap .

The actual home console replacement ? it will be to the wii U what the wii was to the gamecube - a cheaply built overclocked replacement with more memory. I could see them replacing the wii U's processor with roughly the same jaguar CPU that's in an xbox 1 or a ps4 but only because it's one of the cheaper components in those 2 and it's now a 3 year old design. The GPU will NOT be anything special though - they will want this home version of the NX to be cheap to build and cheap to sell as well - I'm thinking , honestly here - 149.99 USD is the maximum sensible pricepoint for a new portable - if Nintendo is serious about fast adoption rates, likewise the home console version can't be priced higher than 199.99 USD - I don't think it will be available for purchase until late 2017 either so it will need to look price competitive against a 4 year old PS4/XB1 , the latter of which could be marked down to 249.99 for a barebones console by that christmas. So really, even 200 USD is going to be a bit much.

Nintendo will almost have to build a portable that costs 75$ to make and sell it for 99$ and then build the home console for 125$ to sell it at 149$. Thus, buying both is worth about the same as a wii U is now. That's going to be impossible if they don't simply go for the lowest price point which means the cheapest parts to get the lowest build cost. It's even entirely possible that they're designing a custom APU that will go into both machines but the home version will be overclocked a bit and have double the memory with no other differences.

 

[GhostTrick]

How are tablet sales in Japan these days? I just do not see how they will get to 3DS size with AMD parts. Maybe they will start at tablet size and shrink down later?

Maybe they will go bigger just to appease that crazy shareholder who wanted a 3DS with a double-sized extendable screen. Lol

This was AMD mullins in a small form factor. 4 x86 cores, 2CU so 128 alu GCN GPU, 28nm.
I could totally see them working with 1CU so 64alu for a handheld at 14/16nm. Well.. it would work. But I doubt Nintendo would use something this "high end".

smartphones made a sony handheld a non-starter before vita was released. it was doomed. That have nothing with the draw of Ninty's ip, so aside from giving it away...

No, it's just that Sony didn't tried. Do you remember Vita's first E3 after release ? It had 5 minutes time at the conference, with 2 JPG displayed. Less time than Wonderbook. Expensive memory cards and lack of exclusive killed it imo. Say it would have release with a bigger support from Sony and some funded 3rd party exclusives, such as a GTA title or MGS title, it would have done better by a wide margin.

 

[Nightbird]

Let's play this out...

1. Nintendo releases a powerful console
2. Third parties like the power available, but they're apprehensive about there being a market on the console for their games, so they don't support it.
3. Hardcore gamers are happy with their existing systems since they have guaranteed third party support, & they see Nintendo consoles only as a means to play Nintendo games.
4. Even if Nintendo prices the console version of the NX aggressively, Sony & Microsoft can easily screw Nintendo over by lowering the price of the PS4 & XB1 respectively, and play up the online community angle & say "we're guaranteed third party support" in advertising.
5. 2 years later (minimum), Sony & Microsoft releases the PS5 & the Next Xbox, further leaving Nintendo in the dust.
6. Nintendo ends up with a console that sold even worse than the Wii U due to its higher price tag & trying to cater to an audience that was already satisfied with what they have.

There is a way to fight this. Two Words: Proper. Marketing.

If Nintendo goes out their way to show to the World "Look, this is the most powerful System in the World, Multiplatform Games will be the best in here, and nowhere else", then people will come. Maybe not a lot, but certainly enough to make it more of an success than the WiiU. And if they are satisfied, more will come. There are always a few Multigames in the first year, so advertize the heck out of them. Make people think that they'll only get the full experience on a Nintendo System, and they will be there.

This Gen has proven that brand loyalty is not as strong as expected. Gamers will go where they feel they get the best for their Money. If Nintendo can make them think they will get the best for their Money, then they'll come.

 

[Tigress]

There is a way to fight this. Two Words: Proper. Marketing.

If Nintendo goes out their way to show to the World "Look, this is the most powerful System in the World, Multiplatform Games will be the best in here, and nowhere else", then people will come.

I'm sorry, no they won't. They'll remain skeptical that third parties will come and wait until they see it. Third parties aren't going to come because they have a reputation of not selling games on the Nintendo console (which won't be helped when people who want third party games are holding off to see if they actually come). Nintendo is going to have to pay third parties to take the risk off, do this for a while until the skepticism gets removed.

I mean when the guy told me at the game store when the Wii U came out that Nintendo had changed and was courting and trying to get third party games and was more powerful than ps3 (which I was like it better be since it's much newer), I pretty much thought I'll believe it when I see it (and I didn't know much about how powerful or weak the Wii U console was. I took for granted it was powerful enough since it was new so don't think I was thinking this cause I thought it wasn't powerful enough). I just pretty much already equated Nintendo with no third parties and wasn't willing to just take them at their word. And to give you perspective, at that time I wasn't reading forums like gaf or even going to IGN so much so you could say I was more the casual market that they need to bring back (not the hardcore that pay more attention to what's going on).

Nintendo will have to prove it this time and not just claim it. Which is going to take a lot more money than just some marketing (like paying off third parties so they don't feel like it's a huge risk putting the money into a port for wii u).

 

[Neoxon]

There is a way to fight this. Two Words: Proper. Marketing.

If Nintendo goes out their way to show to the World "Look, this is the most powerful System in the World, Multiplatform Games will be the best in here, and nowhere else", then people will come. Maybe not a lot, but certainly enough to make it more of an success than the WiiU. And if they are satisfied, more will come. There are always a few Multigames in the first year, so advertize the heck out of them. Make people think that they'll only get the full experience on a Nintendo System, and they will be there.

This Gen has proven that brand loyalty is not as strong as expected. Gamers will go where they feel they get the best for their Money. If Nintendo can make them think they will get the best for their Money, then they'll come.

Again, had this been the beginning of the generation, you'd be right. However it's the middle of the generation, the PS4 being the industry leader has already been set in stone & there's no amount of marketing that Nintendo can do to change that. If people haven't bought a PS4 or XB1 already, they're likely waiting for a price drop to follow their friends into their respective online communities. Plus there's what Tigress said...

I'm sorry, no they won't. They'll remain skeptical that third parties will come and wait until they see it. Third parties aren't going to come because they have a reputation of not selling games on the Nintendo console (which won't be helped when people who want third party games are holding off to see if they actually come). Nintendo is going to have to pay third parties to take the risk off, do this for a while until the skepticism gets removed.

I mean when the guy told me at the game store when the Wii U came out that Nintendo had changed and was courting and trying to get third party games and was more powerful than ps3 (which I was like it better be since it's much newer), I pretty much thought I'll believe it when I see it (and I didn't know much about how powerful or weak the Wii U console was. I took for granted it was powerful enough since it was new so don't think I was thinking this cause I thought it wasn't powerful enough). I just pretty much already equated Nintendo with no third parties and wasn't willing to just take them at their word.

Nintendo will have to prove it this time and not just claim it. Which is going to take a lot more money than just some marketing (like paying off third parties so they don't feel like it's a huge risk putting the money into a port for wii u).

 

[cyberheater]

Let's play this out...

1. Nintendo releases a powerful console
2. Third parties like the power available, but they're apprehensive about there being a market on the console for their games, so they don't support it.
3. Hardcore gamers are happy with their existing systems since they have guaranteed third party support, & they see Nintendo consoles only as a means to play Nintendo games.
4. Even if Nintendo prices the console version of the NX aggressively, Sony & Microsoft can easily screw Nintendo over by lowering the price of the PS4 & XB1 respectively, and play up the online community angle & say "we're guaranteed third party support" in advertising.
5. 2 years later (minimum), Sony & Microsoft releases the PS5 & the Next Xbox, further leaving Nintendo in the dust.
6. Nintendo ends up with a console that sold even worse than the Wii U due to its higher price tag & trying to cater to an audience that was already satisfied with what they have.

.

So how does it play out if NX is a WiiU performance wise handheld gaming device. Do you think that would more successful?

 

[ShockingAlberto]

There is a way to fight this. Two Words: Proper. Marketing.

If Nintendo goes out their way to show to the World "Look, this is the most powerful System in the World, Multiplatform Games will be the best in here, and nowhere else", then people will come. Maybe not a lot, but certainly enough to make it more of an success than the WiiU. And if they are satisfied, more will come. There are always a few Multigames in the first year, so advertize the heck out of them. Make people think that they'll only get the full experience on a Nintendo System, and they will be there.

This Gen has proven that brand loyalty is not as strong as expected. Gamers will go where they feel they get the best for their Money. If Nintendo can make them think they will get the best for their Money, then they'll come.

I would attribute that less to the PS4 being perfect forever and more to, you know, the major alternative imposing a damning new regime.

 

[Fourth Storm]

This was AMD mullins in a small form factor. 4 x86 cores, 2CU so 128 alu GCN GPU, 28nm.
I could totally see them working with 1CU so 64alu for a handheld at 14/16nm. Well.. it would work. But I doubt Nintendo would use something this...

What is that device exactly? I have only seen Mullins demoed in a 10 inch tablet. It draws 4.5w and I believe 300w gpu was considered "turbo."

Also, I have become concinced recently that next year will still be 28nm for their APUs, including Nintendo.

 

[QaaQer]

This Gen has proven that brand loyalty is not as strong as expected. Gamers will go where they feel they get the best for their Money. If Nintendo can make them think they will get the best for their Money, then they'll come.

qtf.

IDK why people think a quality box sold for a reasonable price that has the advantage of exclusive Nintendo games wouldn't sell or that 3rd parties would put games on it.

 

[dano1]

If true. It's game over for Nintendo!

 

[Plinko]

If true. It's game over for Nintendo!

Exactly what people said when the Wii specs hit.

 

[GhostTrick]

What is that device exactly? I have only seen Mullins demoed in a 10 inch tablet. It draws 4.5w and I believe 300w gpu was considered "turbo."

Also, I have become concinced recently that next year will still be 28nm for their APUs, including Nintendo.

I think it was a nano PC running Mullins. And they made a slim form factor with a 256GB ssd. Also, I doubt they're going for AMD though. Too much power draw for a handheld.

 

[Neoxon]

So how does it play out if NX is a WiiU performance wise handheld gaming device. Do you think that would more successful?

1. Nintendo releases a cheap Nintendo Box (that's basically an overclocked Wii U) alongside a portable that's not too far behind in power.
2. Most of the gaming community responds with a resounding meh, & the Nintendo faithful are the ones who buy the system Day 1.
3. As time goes on, Nintendo releases great game after great game now that they don't have to worry about making games for two separate systems, but instead two systems that can share each other's games.
4. A number of people start to realize that the NX has a great library of games with a low price point, so they bite the bullet & make the NX console (or handheld) their secondary console for their Nintendo needs.

The difference here is that, unlike with a powerful console, there's at least a glimmer of hope for success.

qtf.

IDK why people think a quality box sold for a reasonable price that has the advantage of exclusive Nintendo games wouldn't sell or that 3rd parties would put games on it.

They won't. Nintendo has built up a negative reputation for themselves amongst third parties & they have to prove that they're serious (they can't just say it). As Tigress said, Nintendo will have to pay for those third party ports until they can be convinced. Unless they do that, Nintendo will be on their own either way. The "Nintendo consoles are only for Nintendo games" stigma has long since set, & it will take a long time & a lot of money to get rid of it.

 

[Bitch Pudding]

Nintendo loses money for the first time after almost a century of existence, and all of sudden armchair business men here think a PS4 clone is the answer to their woes. Hilarious I say.

As if the PS4 and Xbone don't share enough already.

Your're absolutely right. Nevertheless, "enough power" is a hygiene factor for home consoles these days, it is a "must have". True differentiators are exclusive games and - maybe - the input device.

Nintendo doesn't seem to share my opinion on that, though.

 

[gamerMan]

I really think what we are going to get with the NX is a fully portable Wii U tablet that is not tied to a console. Unless Nintendo is looking to bring 3rd parties to the platform, I don't think the system will be much more powerful than the Wii U.

 

[Decado]

So it won't even be as powerful as the Wii U?

 

[op_ivy]

shame, but not unexpected.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

qtf.

IDK why people think a quality box sold for a reasonable price that has the advantage of exclusive Nintendo games wouldn't sell or that 3rd parties would put games on it.

Like the Wii U?

Quality box, reasonable price, Nintendo titles, third party titles... but the vast majority of people just don't care.

People don't care about Nintendo titles in the way Nintendo fans think they should and most don't think they're worth buying a Nintendo console for.

Nintendo making another console that doesn't compete in power with the current generation of consoles will, forever, make them forgotten by third parties and solely a Nintendo machine that sells to Nintendo fans and no one else.

 

[Hakai]

Every PS3/360 owner has already bought a XB1/PS4? Funny, I don't think those numbers add up yet. I'm not even counting PC gamers, either.



Which scenario would be better for Nintendo?

- They release a cheap console "Nintendo box" In 2016/17. They go on to release a console that mildly outclasses PS4 at roughly the same time as when PS5/XB4 launch.

- They release a cheap console "Nintendo box" in 2016/17, and a premium version that outclasses the PS4 at the same time. This box is cheap by the time the PS5/XB4 come out.

I hope they have more scenarios cause both of those are bad ones.

qtf.

IDK why people think a quality box sold for a reasonable price that has the advantage of exclusive Nintendo games wouldn't sell or that 3rd parties would put games on it.

Yeah, remember the GameCube?

 

[nib95]

Nintendo loses money for the first time after almost a century of existence, and all of sudden armchair business men here think a PS4 clone is the answer to their woes. Hilarious I say.

As if the PS4 and Xbone don't share enough already.

Wii was their only true success in decades, and that was more lightning in a bottle than anything. The N64, Gamecube and Wii U have all had relatively underwhelming commercial success. I think the third party issue is a recurring one.

 

[GhostTrick]

Like the Wii U?

Quality box, reasonable price, Nintendo titles, third party titles... but the vast majority of people just don't care.

People don't care about Nintendo titles in the way Nintendo fans think they should and most don't think they're worth buying a Nintendo console for.

Nintendo making another console that doesn't compete in power with the current generation of consoles will, forever, make them forgeten by third parties and solely a Nintendo machine that sells to Nintendo fans and no one else.

Let's be serious, that's not even remotely true. Wii U was an unappealing device, expensive, and so few titles from Nintendo. As for 3rd party, except for some late expensive ports...

Not only the games were lacking in term of quantity, but they also were on general appeal.

 

[Snakeyes]

Nintendo has never tried, during their entire existence, to be truly third party friendly.

They did genuinely try with the original DS and it became their most successful system to date by far. Who would've thought?

 

[Tigress]

This Gen has proven that brand loyalty is not as strong as expected. Gamers will go where they feel they get the best for their Money. If Nintendo can make them think they will get the best for their Money, then they'll come.

Brand loyalty has never been *that* strong (I mean PS2 to PS3 shows that). But staying away from a toxic brand cause it's repeatedly shown not to get the games... that is stronger. It's a lot easier to lose customers than bring them back. And Sony put in a lot of effort trying to fix what they did wrong on PS3 to bring them back... and they hadn't even gotten near the bad reputation for third parties Nintendo did. Nintendo's been fostering this reputation for generations. Sony just had one "bad" console (That still was more succesful for third parties than the last two Nintendo consoles and many people will point out that Nintendo has been downsliding longer than that, it's just more apparent on the last two). Sony still got third party support for PS3. Maybe not as good but it was there. Plus the Playstation name had two generations of consoles building its name up and I think without that build up PS3 might have brought Sony down. Name brand still was not totally tarnished basically. Nintendo's last two consoles don't have good third party support and it's only been weakening. This isn't a PS3 > PS4 level of change they need. They'd need to do a lot more. A *lot*.

1. Nintendo releases a cheap Nintendo Box (that's basically an overclocked Wii U) alongside a portable that's not too far behind in power.
2. Most of the gaming community responds with a resounding meh, & the Nintendo faithful are the ones who buy the system Day 1.
3. As time goes on, Nintendo releases great game after great game now that they don't have to worry about making games for two separate systems, but instead two systems that can share each other's games.
4. A number of people start to realize that the NX has a great library of games with a low price point, so they bite the bullet & make the NX console (or handheld) their secondary console for their Nintendo needs.

The difference here is that, unlike with a powerful console, there's at least a glimmer of hope for success.

Exactly. I think Nintendo is smart to go along these lines. If you make it cheap enough and it has enough good, distinct games you can't get some where else, it will eventually be appealing to buy just for those games alongside your third party machine. It just has to be reasonably cheap and not priced so close to the machines that can get the third party games (as well as their own exclusives). Basically so people don't look at the price and go, "but for 50 more I can get an xbox one/PS4 that has exclusives and third parties".

And bonus, Nintendo is not only then making money on the hardware, but getting the full profit from the software (as it is their games).

 

[Gleethor]

I think this gen proves that your competitors fucking up big time is more of a game changer than changing up your own strategy in a meaningful way.

 

[Father_Brain]

There is. Although, if you think that console games on the go is what killed Vita, you're wrong. Lack of exclusives, lack of support from Sony did.

Perhaps in Japan, but in Western markets, absolutely not. Mobile ensured that it was dead before it even launched; in fact, you only have to look at the underwhelming sales of PSP's 2010 software lineup to see that the market for "console on the go" core gaming had already collapsed well before 2012.

 

[GhostTrick]

Perhaps in Japan, but in Western markets, absolutely not. Mobile ensured that it was dead before it even launched; in fact, you only have to look at the underwhelming sales of PSP's 2010 software lineup to see that the market for "console on the go" core gaming had already collapsed well before 2012.

Sales of PSP software were mainly due to high piracy in west.

 

[Ōkami]

Wii was their only true success in decades, and that was more lightning in a bottle than anything. The N64, Gamecube and Wii U have all had relatively underwhelming commercial success. I think the third party issue is a recurring one.

That hyperbole.

Its as if the GBA and DS didn't exist.

 

[PtM]

Exactly what people said when the Wii specs hit.

"It's over, Nintendo is finished."

 

[Nightbird]

Nintendo will have to prove it this time and not just claim it. Which is going to take a lot more money than just some marketing (like paying off third parties so they don't feel like it's a huge risk putting the money into a port for wii u).

Yes that's true, but if the only Alternative is to completely rely on your own small Audience, wich shows no real signs of getting larger, they might as well give it a shot, don't you think so?

Again, had this been the beginning of the generation, you'd be right. However it's the middle of the generation, the PS4 being the industry leader has already been set in stone & there's no amount of marketing that Nintendo can do to change that. If people haven't bought a PS4 or XB1 already, they're likely waiting for a price drop to follow their friends into their respective online communities. Plus there's what Tigress said...

The Goal is not to etablish yourself as Generational Leader, everyone aiming for this would be crazy. The Goal is to make your Name respected again in the Industry. To not associate the Brand Nintendo with weak Hardware with a limited choice of Games, but with a strong Company wich cares for Gamers. My Idea is not try to win this Gen, but rather to clean your reputation, and have fresh new start with a higher sucsess option in the next Gen, when everyone starts at "0" again.

I would attribute that less to the PS4 being perfect forever and more to, you know, the major alternative imposing a damning new regime.

Yeah, and Sony used that. They took the DRM-Drama of Microsoft and used it advertize their own Console even more. They did exactly what i wrote in my previous post: They showed to the Gamers that their consoles gives them what they wanted (in this case no stupid DRM), and people celebrated this.


Sure, Nintendo has no similar opportunity like Sony had, but there are a few things that people want from Nintendo, and if they implement this, and "shout it out to the World", people will become intrested. I can even promise they will be more intrested in the next console based on that alone than they have ever been for the Wii U.

 

[Father_Brain]

Sales of PSP software were mainly due to high piracy in west.

Oh, this old chestnut. Denial, something something, Egypt.

Even Uncharted sold poorly at launch, and while AC and CoD had obvious quality issues, name recognition alone should have ensured they sold far better than they did if the "console on the go" core market still existed.

Vita, much like Wii U, was a badly misconceived product that was fundamentally out of touch with the market as it existed in 2012.

 

[Tigress]

I think this gen proves that your competitors fucking up big time is more of a game changer than changing up your own strategy in a meaningful way.

To an extent, yeah. At this point MS and Sony are so entrenched you already have a lot of people who are biased towards one or the other so Nintendo would have to work hard to win those guys back (even after they get third party support). More likely to win them back if one of them f's up and pisses off their fanbase.

I mean I admit I'm biased PS and I'm more likely to change if Sony f's something up unless MS does something pretty awesome (it would have to be pretty remarkable for me to choose them over Sony). Here's something Nintendo also has a point in... I don't really see a huge difference in Sony and MS and the games they get so I'm not bothered in just staying with who I prefer (yes, MS has some games I find pretty cool but so does Sony and I prefer Sony so I stick with them). Nintendo is smart in thinking it is better to make themselves different rather than try to compete in a "we're similar" game to try to convince a market that *two* other players already have a pretty good stronghold on.

Oh, and I'm a lot more likely to go to MS over Nintendo even if Nintendo plays the "get third party games". I just don't trust them for that and I personally am not interested in Nintendo games (not saying they are bad, just not my thing). Maybe if they build their rep back next time I might think about it (I mean honestly, as companies go I prefer Nintendo over MS, they seem a lot more "good guys" to me. They've done some stuff I admire like trying not to lay anyone off and the CEO instead taking a pay cut. I don't see MS as being all that "good guy" honestly. The crap they pulled with xbox one at the start was very typical of them imho and while they are playing good guy now it's only cause they have to. But I will say they are doing a good job of it. MS can be good as long as they have competition and feel threatened but I would predict they go back to telling the consumer deal with it when they think they have no competition). And that's what I'm talking about, Nintendo has made such a strong rep just making claims ain't going to cut it. They're going to have to use time and actually putting their money where their mouth is and hoping people notice (and it is enough to get them away from the PS /xbox they already are biased towards).

 

[10k]

Honestly, what could be more disappointing than another Wii U?

An over clocked Wii U without a gamepad sold for $199 like the NX seems to be.

 

[GhostTrick]

Oh, this old chestnut. Denial, something something, Egypt.

Even Uncharted sold poorly at launch, and while AC and CoD had obvious quality issues, name recognition alone should have ensured they sold far better than they did if the "console on the go" core market still existed.

Vita, much like Wii U, was a badly misconceived product that was fundamentally out of touch with the market as it existed in 2012.

Userbase was too small for this to allow that. As I said, Vita's flaws were also little marketing and expensive memory cards.

 

[DrROBschiz]

An over clocked Wii U without a gamepad sold for $199 like the NX seems to be.

Im ok with this

If Nintendo systems are only going to be for Nintendo software then at least make it cheap and easy

 

[mrklaw]

If the home console is 2017, they could bring out a strong machine which is more powerful than PS4, in an attempt to be first of the next gen in a way