Support NeoGAF

[PdotMichael]

Please let the handheld and console share the same game cards, allowing you to purchase just one system and play the entire Nintendo library.

How easy would it be for developers to design a game with this in mind? With the same games running at higher settings on the console compared to the handheld.

Do people really think you just need to increase resolution, add some better texture filterung and thow some extras shaders on a game designed for a handheld which is mostlikely not even so fast as the lastest iPod Touch and you have suddenly a game that can compete in the console space?

 

[The Elite]

The NeoGeo X the Nintendo X? Hmmmm

Something like this I wonder?

Street Fighter on that screen is odd.

 

[Oersted]

When the Civil War hype train when into full swing. I'll probably switch back to Chris Pratt when get more Guardians Vol. 2 info.

On-topic, this may imply that the shared platform theory is indeed real (as Iwata alluded towards). But at the same time, the press release & Nintendo's Facebook page referred to a singular system, so I'm not 110% sure.

It is not a theory. Iwata stated that as the plan.

 

[Chittagong]

It sounds like the basic 'architecture' from user point of view will be similar to Wii U - a console with a screen-based controller.

But from a technological architecture it will be different, and the controller will double up as a standalone handheld. Buying NX, you get both a console and a handheld = controller. And somehow, by magic, both can play the same software.

So, in a sense it's an evolution of the Wii U, but in a way which actually provides value for the user.

 

[MuchoMalo]

Most interesting thing is that he said they'd discuss the specs later.

Spoiler

They'll just say 'They're good'.

That doesn't mean anything. They said the same thing about Wii U in 2011.

 

[Teknoman]

Do people really think you just need to increase resolution, add some better texture filterung and thow some extras shaders on a game designed for a handheld which is mostlikely not even so fast as the lastest iPod Touch and you have suddenly a game that can compete in the console space?

This.

 

[GRIMREEFZ]

Spoiler

VR Glasses.

I hope not.

 

[thuway]

Sounds like cloud based gaming.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

Do people really think you just need to increase resolution, add some better texture filterung and thow some extras shaders on a game designed for a handheld which is mostlikely not even so fast as the lastest iPod Touch and you have suddenly a game that can compete in the console space?

I think it would mostly work the other way if something like that does pan out.

Games are designed for the console (think reasonably high PC graphics setting), but the portable can play all of them as it will just automatically scale down (think relatively low PC setting).

Portable games will be playable on the console, but get much if any upscaling. Basically like playing a Vita game on PSTV. Just an option for people who want to play those games, but don't like portables.

Pure speculation on my part though.

 

[benedictm]

I just don't think internet speed availability, and the existence of data caps (mines 300GB a month) are at a point to make that viable yet.

And I say that as someone who longs for that future as I'm tired of buying and selling physical games after beating, or pissing away money on digital games I can't resell. I'd much rather a streaming media future where I can just pay a monthly fee to play everything, or rent individual games to stream for a set period of time etc.

All good pints. ill pack this idea up for another 5 years

 

[CHC]

Wonderful, more vague and confusing allusions. I pretty much have no confidence that Nintendo has any kind of real game plan with this thing, sadly.

 

[Neoxon]

It is not a theory. Iwata stated that as the plan.

Of course, I only said theory in terms of if it'll be executed this gen or not. I do believe that Nintendo will be headed in that direction in the near future. How near that future will be is the question.

 

[Ansatz]

Is a successor to both.

Yes, it has to be.

Do people really think you just need to increase resolution, add some better texture filterung and thow some extras shaders on a game designed for a handheld which is mostlikely not even so fast as the lastest iPod Touch and you have suddenly a game that can compete in the console space?

Nintendo wants the mass market i.e. mobile/social gamers, the console is just there as an option and many fans would double dip. I don't think they will actively pursue the PS4/XBO multiplat gamer next gen.

 

[liquidtmd]

The more they hype in it such non descript terms, the more it just comes across as desperate at this stage

Its been a decade since the Wii was a bona fide public smash. Theyve made consistent mistakes and been as elusively coy in the interim. 'Nintendo don't do it that way'. 'Please Understand'. 'A good game delayed...' Miyamoto quote...

All of which are fine sentiments but they've got to understand theyve lost a hell of a lot of the people who would be give a shit at this point from their long term audience.

 

[MuchoMalo]

Please let the handheld and console share the same game cards, allowing you to purchase just one system and play the entire Nintendo library.

How easy would it be for developers to design a game with this in mind? With the same games running at higher settings on the console compared to the handheld.

The console would have to be no more than 3-4x as powerful as the handheld, since any better would be a waste of money. As a result, it would be a gen 7.5 system in terms of power at best and would receive zero western third-party support outside of indies and the occasional mobile port.

 

[SuperSah]

I don't believe the "handheld" and "console" will share games.

As mentioned, the handheld can't be as powerful as the console without serious compromises and if the games upgraded when moving from one or the other, I can't imagine it being a huge enough leap to work out well.

 

[Mik317]

Nintendo has said this about a lot of things. Its rhetoric at this point. The third pillar thingy again.

 

[Neoxon]

The console would have to be no more than 3-4x as powerful as the handheld, since any better would be a waste of money. As a result, it would be a gen 7.5 system in terms of power at best and would receive zero western third-party support outside of indies and the occasional mobile port.

Not necessarily. Handheld tech has come a long way since the 3DS/Vita days. If Nintendo keeps the native resolution at around 540p, they can get visual fidelity at around the ballpark of the Wii U (give or take).

Keep in mind, I don't think that every game will be shared, just a good chunk of them (across both first & third party releases). But I do think that most of Nintendo's games will be shared if they execute Iwata's shared platform plans this gen.

 

[Atheerios]

sort of like how DS wasn't a successor to GBA. or wii wasn't a successor to GCN, ect

No. This time is different. DS was clearly a handheld console (but not a GBA successor). This time they say it's neither a handheld or a stationary console.

 

[udivision]

Do people really think you just need to increase resolution, add some better texture filterung and thow some extras shaders on a game designed for a handheld which is mostlikely not even so fast as the lastest iPod Touch and you have suddenly a game that can compete in the console space?

I don't think the same cart thing will happen but...

Indie games, download only games, "Retro" games like Shovle Knight can do very well on consoles. Graphics don't really matter, as long as you're not pretending a port of a handheld is a AAA game.

A sloppy seconds port of a Pokemon RPG would probably sell better than Xenoblade, TMS FE#, and maybe Paper Mario combined.... and it wouldn't' cost as much to make.

 

[DomsPlaying]

To me this reads like it won't be only a console or a handheld, but rather something separate SUCH AS a hybrid type of device that combines console, handheld and/or mobile potentially.

Sure, jumping a bit to conclusions, but what other direction might they go? VR? AR? Something we haven't thought about?

 

[maquiladora]

They're not ready. That's it.

If they can tell us the exact month that it will be on sale then they really should be ready enough to at least describe what type of a system it is.

 

[Oersted]

The more they hype in it such non description terms, the more it just comes across as desperate at this stage

Its been a decade since the Wii was a bona fide public smash. Theyve made consistent mistakes and been as elusively coy in the interim. 'Nintendo don't do it that way'. 'Please Understand'. 'A good game delayed...' Miyamoto quote...

All of which are fine sentiments but they've got to understand theyve lost a hell of a lot of the people who would be give a shit at this point from their long term audience.

There was one home and one handheld console in between. And the latter was pretty well improved.

Nintendo has said this about a lot of things. Its rhetoric at this point. The third pillar thingy again.

You need pillar one and two for a third pillar.

 

[Roo]

I don't believe the "handheld" and "console" will share games.

As mentioned, the handheld can't be as powerful as the console without serious compromises and if the games upgraded when moving from one or the other, I can't imagine it being a huge enough leap to work out well.

They definitely will share some games but those expecting them to share every single one of them (at least from the first party front) are just delusional.

 

[OryoN]

Is a successor to both.

The only interpretation that makes sense from a comprehension standpoint.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

It's a streaming service - they will sell a home box the games stream to and a handheld the games stream to. You will also be able to stream to PC/Mobile/Tablet. The 'catch' will be you ca only play the games with a nintendo controller paired to the device if its not the handheld.

The fits with the mobile culture of Japan and it means that speca are never an issue for the machine as its being rendered somewhere else.

This is my line of thinking, but with multiple units. A dedicated console and handheld will be available for hardcore gamers. They will have a shared library that won't depend on streaming technology, but will have streaming capabilities. I also believe a cheaper streaming box will be available with a controller that has a dock for smartphones. NX Nintendo content can be streamed to the box/smartphones/PCs at a downgraded resolution/frame-rate. Content must be bought before it can be streamed, obviously.

My off the wall prediction is that nintendo will also offer a payment plan service which allows full access to a virtual console Netflix-like service. This service will also be available on smartphones/PC/game consoles. I also believe this service will include online and free game perks for NX consoles, similar to psnow and xbox gold.

 

[Steejee]

Standalone 'portable' unit + docking port with supplementary processing?

Sorta meets the 'not a hybrid but sorta is a hybrid' lines they seem to give off.

Granted that's straight out of my arse but hey it sounds neat.

 

[Doctre81]

He said he wants to talk about the specs later this year. Def a new nintendo.

 

[Menitta]

The NeoGeo X the Nintendo X? Hmmmm

Something like this I wonder?

I wish that thing was good. I almost bought one, but then thought "No wait, that's fucking stupid." and bought a PS3.

If the NX includes a freaking arcade stick, Day 1 purchase.

 

[muteki]

Honestly for me if this skews more handheld than console, I'd be more interested. Having kids will do that to you.

I have been wanting a 3ds with better performance than a vita for a long time.

 

[outunderthestars]

I still think it will be that games work on any device that can access the NX platform. Handhelds will come in a variety of sizes and options, and there will also be a home system. Why would Nintendo make one piece of hardware when they can sell you two pieces of hardware?

 

[SuperSah]

They definitely will share some games but those expecting them to share every single one of them (at least from the first party front) are just delusional.

If anything, eShop titles maybe, sure.

I just don't see them for example selling a full 3D Mario Galaxy style game which works on NX in its full, high fidelity glory and running on a smaller handheld.

If this was to happen, I'm guessing the "handheld" would merely be a screen with a streaming function built in.

 

[ozfunghi]

It's gonna be an OS you can install on your PC just like Linux or Windows.

Spoiler

Or not.

 

[Alienous]

It's a game console in a backpack hooked up to a mobile phone-like screen.

 

[Razzorn34]

Wonderful, more vague and confusing allusions. I pretty much have no confidence that Nintendo has any kind of real game plan with this thing, sadly.

Why? Because they have told you nothing? Considering what we know so far from vague testimony, and all of the new patents, this thing won't just be a home console with a bit more power. Otherwise, we'd have seen it by now. Showing your cards too early is a real risk. Especially when the past shows that everyone loves to copy what Nintendo does tech wise.

Also, when has Nintendo not been secretive about their hardware? This is far from a new thing.

 

[test_account]

I just don't think internet speed availability, and the existence of data caps (mines 300GB a month) are at a point to make that viable yet.

And I say that as someone who longs for that future as I'm tired of buying and selling physical games after beating, or pissing away money on digital games I can't resell. I'd much rather a streaming media future where I can just pay a monthly fee to play everything, or rent individual games to stream for a set period of time etc.

Is there any info on how much data such streaming takes? Like PS Now for example. 300GB a month seems like a lot to me, cant really see this cap being reached.

 

[Nabae]

It sounds consistent with the things they said before. Given that they only messed up in one gen since I became a Nintendo fan, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they learned from the Wii U's failures.

 

[FunkyDealer]

He's just saying that it's not a follow-up in the DS or Wii family.

 

[jonno394]

"It's not merely a succssor....we don't actually know what it is, hence no info"

 

[Macka]

Do people really think you just need to increase resolution, add some better texture filterung and thow some extras shaders on a game designed for a handheld which is mostlikely not even so fast as the lastest iPod Touch and you have suddenly a game that can compete in the console space?

I was thinking it would work mainly the other way around, with the exclusive 'handheld' games like Pokemon only having slight improvements through texture filtering.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

He said he wants to talk about the specs later this year. Def a new nintendo.

He probably doesn't mean "specs" like we think.

 

[K' Dash]

It's a Sega Nomad.

 

[Insane Metal]

I hate to be negative but all the news today give me the impression that Nintendo is going to be gimmicky again and drop the ball.

Me too. I'm hoping they will do something nice and all, but this is the same impression I have.

 

[Neoxon]

He's just saying that it's not a follow-up in the DS or Wii family.

If that's the case, then referring to Nintendo ditching both the DS & Wii branding could indicate that the shared platform plans could be executed this gen. Though the singular console mention on Facebook & the press release does kinda throw some doubt over the possibility of it happening this gen.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

The more they hype in it such non descript terms, the more it just comes across as desperate at this stage

Yup, answering questions with cryptic answers before their official reveal is "desperate"

 

[RibMan]

What should we/can we read into this?

He's saying that if you think the NX is a traditional successor to their current hardware then you're probably mistaken. "Traditional successor" is typically a product that just improves upon the specs and functionality of the current product, e.g. iPhone 6 to iPhone 5. It doesn't rewrite the rules or disrupt the script -- just business as usual.

If it's not "merely" a "handheld" OR "stationary console," what the hell is it?

My theory is that the NX is a joint venture between Nintendo and another company, wherein Nintendo governs the software and handheld component and the other company governs the console component. In other words, the NX isn't a specific piece of hardware, rather, it's an ecosystem of devices that can play Nintendo software. I think the hook/gimmick that the NX has will be that the console component can stream full console games to the handheld via remote play, ensuring that Nintendo has a library of software that eclipses anything else they've done before. Basically, this is how they solve the third-party problem for good. This is also why I believe Nintendo won't be talking about NX at E3, because the other company will do the talking for them.

Questions you should be asking yourself are as follows:

1) Is the future videogame market going to support more consoles or less?

2) If my theory is true, who do you think Nintendo would partner with?

3) Is there an opportunity for Nintendo in the VR space?

4) Is the current Nintendo leadership opposed to making a huge shift to their business model?

5) If Nintendo were to partner with another company, who would you want them to partner with?

Anyways, I'm probably wrong, but sometimes, being wrong feels so right. Exit, stage left.

 

[Sapiens]

The controller is going to be a slightly more sophisticated pair of ultra-hands.

I'm calling it.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I don't believe the "handheld" and "console" will share games.

As mentioned, the handheld can't be as powerful as the console without serious compromises and if the games upgraded when moving from one or the other, I can't imagine it being a huge enough leap to work out well.

I'd think for sure at least all the portable games would be playable on the console. No idea how much, if at all, they'd get scaled up.

It just increases the attach rate potential since you can sell them to console-only owners. Especially in the west where portables are rapidly declining.

Getting console games playable on the portable is harder, unless they're just done entirely with chasing graphics and keep it underpowered. And that's important for the Japanese market as consoles have rapidly declined there.

It's a tough spot as they need a successful console in the west to maximize game sales potential there, and a successful console to maximize potential in Japan. And the Wii U and 3DS show they can't really support to separate platforms well enough to satisfy more than their diehard fans.

Is there any info on how much data such streaming takes? Like PS Now for example. 300GB a month seems like a lot to me, cant really see this cap being reached.

Well keep in mind it's not just the gaming streaming that's the issue. We've gone over our 300gb cap the past 3 months (and thus are out of grace months and will have to start paying more next month), mostly from my fiance streaming a lot of Netflix/Amazon and me downloading big games/DLCs.

The issue is adding real time streaming games to the bandwidth usage of households that already struggle to stay under their caps.

 

[Orniletter]

So the AMD design win for an ARM platform that goes beyond gaming may be for Nintendo afterall.

This is pretty exciting.

 

[OmegaFax]

Vague comments that lead to rampant speculation have never, ever worked in Nintendo's favor or been able to outshine negative publicity on the Wii U, localization changes, marketing/releases, or their entire digital storefront.

The comments made by Kimishima echo statements Iwata made about the DS being a third pillar to the GBA and GameCube prior to its release. The NX is replacing something.