Nintendo NX is officially launching in March 2017, won't be shown at E3

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I'm really curious as to what they plan to do with NX. I feel like this announcement basically confirms the Wii U is dead. It's gotten a number of lackluster releases (Star Fox, Pokken) after a few good initial ones (Smash Bros, SM3DW, Bayonetta 2, MK8) and Zelda was really the one remaining high demand title. I think Paper Mario is also coming this year but not too excited for that since it seems like it's gonna be another one of those backburner games. 

Really don't see the need for it to be released on both consoles at this point... seems like that would cannibalize the sales of one or the other. Seems like it would have been better to just piss off the Wii U base (which isn't exactly great, don't think it's even expected to beat GC sales #s) and hope to have a top notch NX launch exclusive. And who knows what third party support will be like (not good, I'd assume). 

Still, it's exciting to see a new console. Wii U will be almost 5 yrs old by the time NX is slated to release. 

 
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I hope the NX does something radically different yet something that isn't gimmicky. I will probably buy a NX but the thing for me is while I like Nintendo, they really need to do something to really up their game. The WiiU had great games but most of them were sequels. It lacked original games IMO.

I have the same problem with the One and PS4. More power does not equal better games for the most part imho.

 
I am interested to see what the NX turns out to be. It's definitely odd that Nintendo has announced a release date before even showing the system off in public. We know very little details about the console and considering Nintendo's track record it's not a good look for them to keep the details under wrap for this long and then come out and say they won't be showing it at E3. I think we all expected the Zelda delay and it being a duel release for the NX and Wii U, so that isn't any surprise. I bought my Wii U a couple of years ago and while I don't regret the purchase I can say that I play my Wii U considerably less than the Xbox One or PS4 and it's due to the poor online and general lack of games compared to the other consoles. Aside from Nintendo games I just don't have anything to look forward to on the Wii U and when I look at my collection it's 95% Nintendo published titles and only about 2 or 3 are from other publishers, which oddly enough is mostly UbiSoft with ZombiU, Rayman Legends, and Splinter Cell Blacklist. I think the only exception is Shovel Knight and everything else I own is published by either Ubi or Nintendo. 

 
I heard that the new president of Nintendo was the one person on the board who voted against the wii u (one of the main reasons he's killing it).  I have a bad feeling there will be no backwards compatibility since, you know, no screen.

 
Gden said:
I heard that the new president of Nintendo was the one person on the board who voted against the wii u (one of the main reasons he's killing it). I have a bad feeling there will be no backwards compatibility since, you know, no screen.
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I could technically imagine Nintendo selling the WiiU Gamepad separate just for the WiiU games.

 
Well, much like the Wii to Wii U, they integrated peripherals from the past console generation without bundling into the core system, assuming you already had access to them.  I would imagine the NX system supporting the Wii U Gamepad from the start and potentially selling it separately, but if that was the case I don't think it would be supported much more beyond BC.

Not sure what Nintendo is going to push for this holiday season, though I'm still hopeful PM Color Splash won't fall into the Sticker Star trap and secure at least one Wii U game for me to look forward to this year.

 
I'm cautiously super-optimistic about Color Splash (I put cautiously and super in there because I am actually super excited about the game, but I'm not going to be pissy if it turns out like Sucker star)

 
Of course, this is disappointing news, but I don't think anyone is super surprised by this.  The Wii U - putting aside what one thinks about how good or bad the console's games are -- is undoubtedly NOT salvageable.  Sales are dead, and nothing Nintendo could do at this point is going to change the direction of the machine.

I admit the Big N has been a frustrating company of late.  It seems like in many ways the company has been its own worst enemy.  The good news is that this kind of corporate public "admission" (which is what this essentially is) is rather unprecedented, and hopefully, a sign that the company has learned some key lessons, and that it intends to use the NX as its course to redemption.

Frankly, I hope Nintendo uses NX to cut everything from its previous consoles.  No backwards compatibility, no more wii-motes, no nothing. Start over and use it as a fresh start.  It's the best way to make sure customers understand that NX is NOT connected or related to what came before.

The Wii U was a solid system, IMHO.  It has some amazing games, but of late, Nintendo has cared too much, or at least has spread itself thin, on rather pointless nostalgic toys and trinkets (yes, I'm looking at those amiibos).  I get that those things make money, but they're a game company, and hopefully the NX returns their attention to that focus.   

I'm a Nintendo gamer - I have every system since the NES, and yeah, even stuck through during the Gamecube and Wii eras.  I did NOT like the Wii, but I appreciated what Nintendo was trying to do (Just couldn't get into Skyward Sword - really wanted that to just work with a regular controller).  I'm not one of those gamers who cares at all about the console war.   I do care that Nintendo continues to make games I want to play, and in that sense, the Wii U was fun, but not quite great.  

I do feel burned by it, but I'll support the NX.  That said, the Big N better really go BIG for that launch because many of my friends have now moved on or have said they'll get in ONLY if Nintendo proves itself again.  Nintendo may not be in any fiscal trouble (and they won't be anytime soon, even IF NX bombs), but I'd like to see them get this right so I can get a great set of new Nintendo titles.

 
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romeogbs19 said:
I do feel burned by it, but I'll support the NX. That said, the Big N better really go BIG for that launch because many of my friends have now moved on or have said they'll get in ONLY if Nintendo proves itself again. Nintendo may not be in any fiscal trouble (and they won't be anytime soon, even IF NX bombs), but I'd like to see them get this right so I can get a great set of new Nintendo titles.
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I think the problem Nintendo has is they are putting too much faith in the different hardware and not focusing on the games. Nintendo has of late become a sequel machine and nothing much else. Yeah games like Splatoon exist but for the most part it's the same Mario Kart, Party, 3D World, Zelda, Smash, etc. Nintendo is lacking what made them great, the originality and the crazy ideas they did before. Now with the Wii and WiiU it's but you can play it with waggle or on this giant gamepad which doesn't make the game much better if any. The ONLY game I have played where the game pad makes the game better is Xenoblade for the map.

What the NX needs to be is a down to earth gaming system. It can have it's odd peripherals but ship it with a bare bones controller. It needs to also support the innovation of new games. Right now Nintendo can literally destroy the market if they keep releasing highly innovative and fun games like Splatoon because being an One and PS4 owner, your not going to find much creativity in gaming besides indies.

 
Sir_Fragalot said:
I think the problem Nintendo has is they are putting too much faith in the different hardware and not focusing on the games. Nintendo has of late become a sequel machine and nothing much else. Yeah games like Splatoon exist but for the most part it's the same Mario Kart, Party, 3D World, Zelda, Smash, etc. Nintendo is lacking what made them great, the originality and the crazy ideas they did before. Now with the Wii and WiiU it's but you can play it with waggle or on this giant gamepad which doesn't make the game much better if any. The ONLY game I have played where the game pad makes the game better is Xenoblade for the map.

What the NX needs to be is a down to earth gaming system. It can have it's odd peripherals but ship it with a bare bones controller. It needs to also support the innovation of new games. Right now Nintendo can literally destroy the market if they keep releasing highly innovative and fun games like Splatoon because being an One and PS4 owner, your not going to find much creativity in gaming besides indies.
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Have to disagree with you there, have you played Mario Kart 8. Sure Party, I mean all Mario Party games are the same cheap tricks mini/board game and each Zelda is vastly different as well. The Mario Galaxy and then Mario 3D World have all been incredibly inventive so don't even use that in your argument either. Way off.

I've found playing Pikmin 3 with the gamepad to be enjoyable, mainly due to the map and apps on there while play.

 
Spybreak9 said:
Have to disagree with you there, have you played Mario Kart 8. Sure Party, I mean all Mario Party games are the same cheap tricks mini/board game and each Zelda is vastly different as well. The Mario Galaxy and then Mario 3D World have all been incredibly inventive so don't even use that in your argument either. Way off.

I've found playing Pikmin 3 with the gamepad to be enjoyable, mainly due to the map and apps on there while play.
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I own Mario Kart 8, it's a great game and it's better than most games coming out but to me it's still another Mario Kart game. Hell I even own the DLC for it. I guess for me I am looking for new ip's to play. I been playing Mario games for 25 years now, and while I love them and will continue to buy them because they are great games, I also feel like I want something new out of Nintendo. Like Splatoon was something brilliant and I want to see more fresh stuff like that. They are the one of the few companies to try odd stuff like that and I want more of it.

I realize I will buy an NX, but I just want to see fresh ip's and characters. I do own most of the good WiiU games published by Nintendo and I am totally happy with the system, but seeing how awesome Splatoon was makes me want more original ideas.

 
I've played all the Mario Karts, Double Dash the exception, and no sorry Mario Kart 8 is vastly innovative and fresh (track design, weapon balancing and additional content being a few of those bullet points) - while not veering too far from what makes a great MK game. I believe Mario has been pimped out to every genre, every category and all the while still being pretty f'n great in the process. A new IP doesn't sell because other than the hardcore the regular audience of said casual console goes squid kids that fire ink, nah I'll pick up Mario 3D World. That doesn't do as well as Mario so yeah of course Nintendo will produce a Mario, Zelda or Donkey Kong title. It would be nice to have new IPs in the sense of the other two major companies but in the end I don't see that happening. Besides, every title that Nintendo has produced that's helmed one of their beloved franchises is quality stuff, super grade game development. New IPs review around ehh it's pretty good and the Nintendo classics that are revised for each platform and time are reviewed as excellent, don't miss out on this one.

 
The only reason I want to buy an NX is tradition.  My friends and I have camped out for the release of every Nintendo console relese since the GC.  I haven't touched my Wii U in almost a year.  It absolutely needs more social features and an achievement like system.  Miiverse is dumb and the stamp system is hardly appealing.  The new console also shouldn't be horrendously underpowered.

What will we actually get?  Something completely underwhelming.  Nintendo consistently fails in everything except for SOFTWARE.  The games are the most important part and are habitually excellent.  This has trailed off recently though, but every Nintendo systems has a handful of great exclusives.

 
Spybreak9 said:
I've played all the Mario Karts, Double Dash the exception, and no sorry Mario Kart 8 is vastly innovative and fresh (track design, weapon balancing and additional content being a few of those bullet points) - while not veering too far from what makes a great MK game. I believe Mario has been pimped out to every genre, every category and all the while still being pretty f'n great in the process. A new IP doesn't sell because other than the hardcore the regular audience of said casual console goes squid kids that fire ink, nah I'll pick up Mario 3D World. That doesn't do as well as Mario so yeah of course Nintendo will produce a Mario, Zelda or Donkey Kong title. It would be nice to have new IPs in the sense of the other two major companies but in the end I don't see that happening. Besides, every title that Nintendo has produced that's helmed one of their beloved franchises is quality stuff, super grade game development. New IPs review around ehh it's pretty good and the Nintendo classics that are revised for each platform and time are reviewed as excellent, don't miss out on this one.
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You should play Double Dash. Double Dash was the freshest MK I've ever played. Having two players on the same kart changes strategy dramatically. The Wii version had to be the most boring for me ever. Was entirely forgettable, IMHO.

 
Seems Nintendo wants in on VR.

"Sources from the related upstream supply chain pointed out that the delay was because Nintendo wished to enhance the game console's video-game/handheld-game-integrated gaming experience and add virtual reality (VR) function into the system to gain advantages in the upcoming video game and mobile game competitions." (via Digitimes)

The article doesn't say what the VR functions are, but, if this is true, it makes sense.  Whether it's good or bad, VR is where alot of the money is now.   Nintendo bought into the mobile game trend and, if this report is true, they want to get into VR.

 
midlifecrisisMkII said:
Seems Nintendo wants in on VR.

"Sources from the related upstream supply chain pointed out that the delay was because Nintendo wished to enhance the game console's video-game/handheld-game-integrated gaming experience and add virtual reality (VR) function into the system to gain advantages in the upcoming video game and mobile game competitions." (via Digitimes)

The article doesn't say what the VR functions are, but, if this is true, it makes sense. Whether it's good or bad, VR is where alot of the money is now. Nintendo bought into the mobile game trend and, if this report is true, they want to get into VR.
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Oh dear ...

 
Could be possible with Polaris 10. Or hell, even 11 which would fit into Nintendo's theme of low power consumption hardware.  But Nintendo has already said they're turning a profit on the hardware right out of the gate. If that's true and we're talking a VR headset + a polaris gpu to power it just how much $$$ are we talking here?

 
Gden said:
I'm cautiously super-optimistic about Color Splash (I put cautiously and super in there because I am actually super excited about the game, but I'm not going to be pissy if it turns out like Sucker star)
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There are stickers saw a screen shot of one
 
New Mario E3 2017

1. Bayonetta 3

2. Metroid Prime

3. Super Mario Galaxy 3

4. Mario Sunshine 2

5. Mario Party 11

6. Mario Kart 9

7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition

8. New Kirby game

9. New Yoshi game

10. Pikmin 4

11. Splatton 2

12. New Fire Emblem

13. New Donkey Kong Country

14. Super Mario Maker 2

15. Mario & Luigi's

16 . New Luigi's Mansion

17. New Animal Crossing

18. Hyrule Warriors 2

19. Mega Man Legend 3

20. New Kid Icarus

21. New Duck Hunt

22. New Wario Game

23.  Zelda

All coming out in 2017 & 2018 :)

 
Masterkyo said:
New Mario E3 2017

1. Bayonetta 3

2. Metroid Prime

3. Super Mario Galaxy 3

4. Mario Sunshine 2

5. Mario Party 11

6. Mario Kart 9

7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition

8. New Kirby game

9. New Yoshi game

10. Pikmin 4

11. Splatton 2

12. New Fire Emblem

13. New Donkey Kong Country

14. Super Mario Maker 2

15. Mario & Luigi's

16 . New Luigi's Mansion

17. New Animal Crossing

18. Hyrule Warriors 2

19. Mega Man Legend 3

20. New Kid Icarus

21. New Duck Hunt

22. New Wario Game

23. Zelda

All coming out in 2017 & 2018 :)
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So are you just covering all of your bases, so you're right, somehow? Also, you forgot an here-to-fore unknown new IP.

 
Masterkyo said:
New Mario E3 2017

1. Bayonetta 3

2. Metroid Prime

3. Super Mario Galaxy 3

4. Mario Sunshine 2

5. Mario Party 11

6. Mario Kart 9

7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition

8. New Kirby game

9. New Yoshi game

10. Pikmin 4

11. Splatton 2

12. New Fire Emblem

13. New Donkey Kong Country

14. Super Mario Maker 2

15. Mario & Luigi's

16 . New Luigi's Mansion

17. New Animal Crossing

18. Hyrule Warriors 2

19. Mega Man Legend 3

20. New Kid Icarus

21. New Duck Hunt

22. New Wario Game

23. Zelda

All coming out in 2017 & 2018 :)
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Sadly, that's pretty much the same lineup on the Wii U, and it didn't work.

If this is what Nintendo does, then NX will fail just like the Wii U. It will take more than the usual Nintendo franchises to get Nintendo's console sales up. This lineup will probably move just around the same number of units the Wii U did - ~10-15 million.

If Nintendo wants to grow its base, it needs a whole lot more than Mario and Zelda. The rest of that lineup's IP is old, and frankly, most of the younger players don't care.

Exciting folks like me isn't getting Nintendo anywhere. Don't get me wrong; I want to see another Metroid and Mario Galaxy, too, but I don't think any of these can get Nintendo to be relevant among gamers younger than 25/30. I sure hope we see more new IPs like Splatoon on NX.

 
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If all of those games came out in the first 12 or 18 months, then it will be ok. With WiiU it took 4 years to get all of those. Also, it was the marketing of the WiiU more than anything else that doomed it. Selling lots of units at launch means more 3rd party support, and it will feed on itself.

 
soonersfan60 said:
If all of those games came out in the first 12 or 18 months, then it will be ok. With WiiU it took 4 years to get all of those. Also, it was the marketing of the WiiU more than anything else that doomed it. Selling lots of units at launch means more 3rd party support, and it will feed on itself.
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I'm not convinced that marketing alone doomed the Wii U. There have been significant industry changes in the way players play and what kinds of games are successful. The Wii U never had the power out of the gate, never had any third party support (no EA = no success; same reason that the Dreamcast failed), and had a controller that had no justification for existing. When the only game that people can point to for justifying it is Mario Maker, and really - that's the ONLY one - I don't think any level of marketing would have saved it.

If the console actually delivered on its promise, the gaming community would have embraced it, but the fact is Nintendo never could figure out how to make the gamepad worth the price of admission. When Super Mario 3D World came out and it let players use the pro controller, I interpreted that to mean Nintendo had no idea what to do. Every Mario flagship game finds ways to fundamentally incorporate the unique controls, but not so with the Wii U. Mario Maker was too late, and admit it, that game caters to the 30 something nostalgic Nintendo player - just like most of Nintendo's recent games. Satisfying your core fans is fine, but Nintendo lately can't seem to do more than that. I'm mildly interested in Zelda: BotW; I'm happy to see the company trying to do something new, but I'm not as excited as others are. I think the gaming media (Who are all around my age) are excited for Zelda, but I don't think the general gaming public shares the same view. Most of my younger cousins don't give two cents for Mario or Zelda.

I don't see any reason at this point to think Nintendo can quicken its pace of game development. If anything, everything the company has shown thus far further evidences Nintendo can't seem to get games done with any level of speed. Also, I've noticed that the company's games are becoming more and more derivative. There is less innovation in the last crop of Mario and Zelda games. Pikmin 3 is a prettier Pikmin 2. Even 3DS titles like Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon is essentially the same game. I loved Link Between Worlds, but let's face it, that's basically Link to the Past redux.

I'm honestly concerned for Nintendo; and I know people have discounted them before and they've proven them wrong, but there are more shifts that are taking place now than ever before (e.g. VR, the pervasiveness of cheap mobile games, and the spectre of Scorpio and Neo), and I've seen nothing to suggest Nintendo understands what it needs to do to regain its footing.

May be the Big N will prove everyone wrong again, or may be not. What's clear is that another Wii U userbase of ~10 million won't get the job done and we know in this crazy videogame business, your reputation is only as good as your last game. We gamers are a fickle crowd, and you don't even really get second chances in this industry. If NX doesn't come out shooting on all cylinders, then I'm afraid this may indeed be the last of Nintendo's proprietary consoles.

 
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Nintendo has enough money to fail many years to come so I don't see the NX as a potential last Nintendo console if it does indeed share the fate of the WiiU. The biggest thing against the Wii U, other than the ridiculous name, was the huge success of the Wii and casual gaming. Tons of people got a Wii. Why would they again go out and get a Wii U when they're still happy with using the Wii from time to time. Just my 2 cents.

 
But Romeo, you glossed over the fact that I said those games had to come out earlier. That would include Mario Maker coming out much earlier to show a good "reason' for the gamepad. And also that would drive adoption numbers which would help the 3rd party aspect. Ubisoft was on board early and I'm sure others were ready to jump in, but the poor sales numbers a year later didn't push the 3rd parties to do it.

The biggest thing I agree with you, though, is the slow pace of Nintendo's game development. On the one hand, I like getting polished games and I enjoy almost all of their 1st party efforts. But if they're too slow and no one else is producing games for your system, then it's a battle that is very difficult to win.

 
soonersfan60 said:
But Romeo, you glossed over the fact that I said those games had to come out earlier. That would include Mario Maker coming out much earlier to show a good "reason' for the gamepad. And also that would drive adoption numbers which would help the 3rd party aspect. Ubisoft was on board early and I'm sure others were ready to jump in, but the poor sales numbers a year later didn't push the 3rd parties to do it.

The biggest thing I agree with you, though, is the slow pace of Nintendo's game development. On the one hand, I like getting polished games and I enjoy almost all of their 1st party efforts. But if they're too slow and no one else is producing games for your system, then it's a battle that is very difficult to win.
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I don't disagree with you that had at least some of those games, critically Mario Maker, come out earlier in the Wii U's lifecycle, that the console might have sold a bit better. I say, "might" and "a bit," because I'm not convinced at all that the Wii U was positioned to succeed from the get-go. From the confusing name to the oversized and uncomfortable gamepad to the significantly underpowered engine, the Wii U had so many strikes against it out of the gate that I don't think any amount of Nintendo first party games would have made much of a difference. I also stand by my feeling that Nintendo had no idea HOW to even leverage the second screen when it launched the Wii U.

The fact that Mario Maker stands as the defining example for that console, and the fact that most of Nintendo's games coming out closely after the Wii U either let users play on the Pro Controller, or use an adapter to the Gamcube pad (seriously - if THAT wasn't a signal, I'm not sure what is), or just flat out let didn't do anything with the second screen reaffirmed to me that the Big N just jumped the cliff with the Wii U without having internally figured out what they intended to do.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I think the Wii U firmly shows Nintendo's base is no longer much larger than ~10 million players. If the NX doesn't do much more than what I am expecting, I anticipate that number will get even smaller.

Now, in no way do I think Nintendo is closing its doors or filing bankruptcy. I'm well aware (as Spybreak9 comments) that Nintendo has plenty of cash reserves. What I meant is that Nintendo's days of releasing a proprietary console may be numbered if the NX performs roughly the same as the Wii U.

Proprietary consoles are risky and expensive ventures, and I can't imagine Nintendo's shareholders would love the idea of going at it again if the NX falls to a lukewarm reception, and then fades into oblivion similar to the Wii U. Many analysts have insisted Nintendo's videogame business would be commercially better off without making consoles. You don't need a business degree to think that.

And that gets me to my point - while Nintendo can certainly hobble along with ~10 million players, the business of videogames won't let it. Konami is probably done making console games for a long time. It's not because the company can't afford it; it's because its shareholders see little point in taking risks when it can monetize its franchises like Metal Gear and Castlevania with Pachinko machines and cheap mobile games. Disney pretty much followed the same logic in shutting down its toys-to-life figures and games. The company was making money, but nothing so spectacular that it was worth the price of investment.

I fear Nintendo's videogame business may be on that slow march. Justin Davis on GameScoop recently commented that he felt Nintendo's videogame days may already be over. The company missed its chance to capture young players; it's relied almost exclusively on 30-something gamers by selling them plastic figures, t-shirts, and downloads of the same games over and over again.

But that model can only go so far. I like that Nintendo intends to branch its characters out to movies and theme parks; may be the Big N can use those vehicles to introduce those beloved characters to kids and bring them to a Nintendo console, rather than simply rely on its games and older players to make the case to kids who prefer characters like Ratchet and Angry Birds over Yoshi, Luigi, and Samus.

We'll find out very soon. Like I said before, I'm skeptical the NX will deliver. My skepticism has only risen now that Nintendo has to contend with the likes of Neo, Scorpio and VR. I'm not sure whether even the entire roster of Nintendo's characters could fend off such a massive hype train.

 
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romeogbs19 said:
I don't disagree with you that had at least some of those games, critically Mario Maker, come out earlier in the Wii U's lifecycle, that the console might have sold a bit better. I say, "might" and "a bit," because I'm not convinced at all that the Wii U was positioned to succeed from the get-go. From the confusing name to the oversized and uncomfortable gamepad to the significantly underpowered engine, the Wii U had so many strikes against it out of the gate that I don't think any amount of Nintendo first party games would have made much of a difference. I also stand by my feeling that Nintendo had no idea HOW to even leverage the second screen when it launched the Wii U.

The fact that Mario Maker stands as the defining example for that console, and the fact that most of Nintendo's games coming out closely after the Wii U either let users play on the Pro Controller, or use an adapter to the Gamcube pad (seriously - if THAT wasn't a signal, I'm not sure what is), or just flat out let didn't do anything with the second screen reaffirmed to me that the Big N just jumped the cliff with the Wii U without having internally figured out what they intended to do.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I think the Wii U firmly shows Nintendo's base is no longer much larger than ~10 million players. If the NX doesn't do much more than what I am expecting, I anticipate that number will get even smaller.

Now, in no way do I think Nintendo is closing its doors or filing bankruptcy. I'm well aware (as Spybreak9 comments) that Nintendo has plenty of cash reserves. What I meant is that Nintendo's days of releasing a proprietary console may be numbered if the NX performs roughly the same as the Wii U.

Proprietary consoles are risky and expensive ventures, and I can't imagine Nintendo's shareholders would love the idea of going at it again if the NX falls to a lukewarm reception, and then fades into oblivion similar to the Wii U. Many analysts have insisted Nintendo's videogame business would be commercially better off without making consoles. You don't need a business degree to think that.

And that gets me to my point - while Nintendo can certainly hobble along with ~10 million players, the business of videogames won't let it. Konami is probably done making console games for a long time. It's not because the company can't afford it; it's because its shareholders see little point in taking risks when it can monetize its franchises like Metal Gear and Castlevania with Pachinko machines and cheap mobile games. Disney pretty much followed the same logic in shutting down its toys-to-life figures and games. The company was making money, but nothing so spectacular that it was worth the price of investment.

I fear Nintendo's videogame business may be on that slow march. Justin Davis on GameScoop recently commented that he felt Nintendo's videogame days may already be over. The company missed its chance to capture young players; it's relied almost exclusively on 30-something gamers by selling them plastic figures, t-shirts, and downloads of the same games over and over again.

But that model can only go so far. I like that Nintendo intends to branch its characters out to movies and theme parks; may be the Big N can use those vehicles to introduce those beloved characters to kids and bring them to a Nintendo console, rather than simply rely on its games and older players to make the case to kids who prefer characters like Ratchet and Angry Birds over Yoshi, Luigi, and Samus.

We'll find out very soon. Like I said before, I'm skeptical the NX will deliver. My skepticism has only risen now that Nintendo has to contend with the likes of Neo, Scorpio and VR. I'm not sure whether even the entire roster of Nintendo's characters could fend off such a massive hype train.
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Hopefully Nintendo doesn't go that route now that they've seen what a hit Pokemon Go has become. I'm sure they could just make some mobile games here and there with their IP's and make tons of money too.

Regardless, what the NX needs is a launch commercial as good as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mml7DOsBS_8

I still get chills when I hear that song.

 
encendido5 said:
Hopefully Nintendo doesn't go that route now that they've seen what a hit Pokemon Go has become. I'm sure they could just make some mobile games here and there with their IP's and make tons of money too.

Regardless, what the NX needs is a launch commercial as good as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mml7DOsBS_8

I still get chills when I hear that song.
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Sadly, I hope you realize that the success of a mobile game like Pokemon Go simply furthers shareholders' feelings that Nintendo is better off as a software developer and dropping proprietary consoles.

If NX doesn't hit much harder than the Wii U, then Nintendo is going the way of Sega.

 
romeogbs19 said:
Sadly, I hope you realize that the success of a mobile game like Pokemon Go simply furthers shareholders' feelings that Nintendo is better off as a software developer and dropping proprietary consoles.

If NX doesn't hit much harder than the Wii U, then Nintendo is going the way of Sega.
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Except that Pokemon Go is licensed, not developed, by Nintendo.
 
RedvsBlue said:
Except that Pokemon Go is licensed, not developed, by Nintendo.
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LOL - yeah, okay, every shareholder knows that. And well, it's not like all the news is saying this game is made by Nintendo (Sarcasm).

Hardly anyone in the press or public is making the distinction you're making, and frankly, it's a worthless difference when it comes to Nintendo. While I get that Nintendo didn't have their mitts all over Go, the Big N typically is all over games where it licenses them to another studio (see Capcom's Legend of Zelda; Namco's Star Fox Armada). In fact, I recall there being even developer stories about people at Capcom and Namco who were less than amused/thrilled that Nintendo was SO all over their dev teams.

Yes, I'm aware the Pokemon Company is not Nintendo, but Pokemon in the eyes of the average shareholder, media, and people IS Nintendo, AND btw, the game says (C) Nintendo on the title screen.

 
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romeogbs19 said:
LOL - yeah, okay, every shareholder knows that. And well, it's not like all the news is saying this game is made by Nintendo (Sarcasm).

Hardly anyone in the press or public is making the distinction you're making, and frankly, it's a worthless difference when it comes to Nintendo. While I get that Nintendo didn't have their mitts all over Go, the Big N typically is all over games where it licenses them to another studio (see Capcom's Legend of Zelda; Namco's Star Fox Armada). In fact, I recall there being even developer stories about people at Capcom and Namco who were less than amused/thrilled that Nintendo was SO all over their dev teams.

Yes, I'm aware the Pokemon Company is not Nintendo, but Pokemon in the eyes of the average shareholder, media, and people IS Nintendo, AND btw, the game says (C) Nintendo on the title screen.
Click to expand...
You're argument was that Pokemon Go should be proof to shareholders of Nintendo's capability as a developer. They had no involvement in the development of Pokemon Go, they may have had some oversight or approval based on the licensing but that's probably about it.

If anything, it would be an indication to shareholders that Nintendo's intellectual property is a goldmine for licensing (which they're already doing anyway, been to any stores lately and noticed how many more plushes, action figures, etc based on Nintendo properties).
 
RedvsBlue said:
You're argument was that Pokemon Go should be proof to shareholders of Nintendo's capability as a developer. They had no involvement in the development of Pokemon Go, they may have had some oversight or approval based on the licensing but that's probably about it.

If anything, it would be an indication to shareholders that Nintendo's intellectual property is a goldmine for licensing (which they're already doing anyway, been to any stores lately and noticed how many more plushes, action figures, etc based on Nintendo properties).
Click to expand...
I don't think anyone really doubts Nintendo's development prowess, and my point is that shareholders really don't look that closely to distinguish a game's developer vs. license, and that the media has treated Go's success as a Nintendo game vs. pointing out that the Big N wasn't behind it.

You raise the point that I think Nintendo will make to those investors/shareholders who will push the company to drop proprietary consoles and go it as a developer - i.e., Nintendo hasn't yet made a game that has really stuck with mobile gamers. Miitomo was Nintendo's first effort, and that fell off pretty quickly, though I recall it did quite well financially.

I hear you on the licensing. I'm all for Nintendo making toys and other nostalgic nonsense, but I do have some concern that the company seems more interested in milking nostalgia these days vs. making games. If it has any intention of growing its userbase and succeeding with the NX, the Big N will need to devote much more dedication to getting great/good games out the door. Otherwise, as I've said before, the NX won't gain enough traction and will fade into oblivion like the Wii U.

And with each uber-successful mobile game from the Big N, there will be a growing chorus among shareholders and board members that it makes little business sense to keep taking console risks, and unfortunately, as a public company, Nintendo may have little choice if its NX can't make a bolder statement to warrant its existence.

 
romeogbs19 said:
I don't think anyone really doubts Nintendo's development prowess... <snip>
Click to expand...
Oh yes they do. How do you explain:

Star Fox Zero
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Mario Party 10
Wii Party U
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival
Pokémon Rumble U

To name just a few. Nintendo's "development prowess" is a pale shadow of what it used to be, these days the company releases plenty of mediocre games.
 


chimpmeister said:
Oh yes they do. How do you explain:

Star Fox Zero
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Mario Party 10
Wii Party U
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival
Pokémon Rumble U

To name just a few. Nintendo's "development prowess" is a pale shadow of what it used to be, these days the company releases plenty of mediocre games.
Click to expand...
Super Mario 3d World
Pikmin 3
DKC Tropical Freeze
Captain Toad
Mario kart 8
Smash bros.
New Super Mario/Luigi u
Splatoon
Yoshi's Wolly World
Xenoblade chronicles X
Etc...

That is not mentioning the stellar 3DS lineup. I think they are fine. I admit there's less quantity of great games on the U than on other Nintendo consoles, but even with their gimmicks and whatever, they still have released the best exclusives this gen (in my opinion).
 
RoytheRobot said:
Super Mario 3d World
Pikmin 3
DKC Tropical Freeze
Captain Toad
Mario kart 8
Smash bros.
New Super Mario/Luigi u
Splatoon
Yoshi's Wolly World
Xenoblade chronicles X
Etc...

That is not mentioning the stellar 3DS lineup. I think they are fine. I admit there's less quantity of great games on the U than on other Nintendo consoles, but even with their gimmicks and whatever, they still have released the best exclusives this gen (in my opinion).
Click to expand...
The Wii U has been out for almost 4 years, but you can only list 10 games that are "great" (and several games on your list are not really that great)? This really illustrates why Nintendo has become largely irrelevant to the gaming industry and community; they have very little to offer based on the amount of time the Wii U has been out.

It's fine if you think they have the "best exclusives this gen", but for the majority of gamers, it's been a far different story. They really need to just drop the gimmicks and substandard hardware, and focus on just games; they don't understand how to make good gaming systems anymore, and haven't for many years.
 


chimpmeister said:
The Wii U has been out for almost 4 years, but you can only list 10 games that are "great" (and several games on your list are not really that great)? This really illustrates why Nintendo has become largely irrelevant to the gaming industry and community; they have very little to offer based on the amount of time the Wii U has been out.

It's fine if you think they have the "best exclusives this gen", but for the majority of gamers, it's been a far different story. They really need to just drop the gimmicks and substandard hardware, and focus on just games; they don't understand how to make good gaming systems anymore, and haven't for many years.
Click to expand...
It's hard to support 2 systems (3DS, Wii u) on your own and the quality of games is subjective. I would rather see Nintendo disappear than having their games follow the current trends of the industry. They should be different than sony / microsoft.

The problem as you said is the hardware, gimmicks and features. It's their fault for the lack of third party support and subpar console features, but the games are still excellent fun and relevant (see Zelda: BotW).
 
chimpmeister said:
Oh yes they do. How do you explain:

Star Fox Zero
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Mario Party 10
Wii Party U
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival
Pokémon Rumble U

To name just a few. Nintendo's "development prowess" is a pale shadow of what it used to be, these days the company releases plenty of mediocre games.
Click to expand...
Seriously? I admit the Big N has had some mediocre releases, but Nintendo has always released some average (and on occasion, below average) games (e.g. Mario Party, Mario Basketball, Chibi Robo, Brain Academy). It's part of any publisher's lineup - every company releases some below par games to offset costs or because a project just isn't coming together. It happens.

It's no different than a major studio releasing some average films. Not every game can strike lightning or gold, and it's just unrealistic. Even Pixar/Disney release plenty of duds in between masterpieces.

Line up and compare any publisher/developer over the last 2-3 console generations and Nintendo easily owns the critically best games. Neither Sony nor Microsoft's internal studios can compare with Nintendo's.

But I agree to the extent that the Wii U has seen some issues, and I agree with RoytheRobot that at least some of this is because of the gimmicks Nintendo keeps forcing on its players. Rainbow Curse would have been a better game without the touchscreen; Star Fox Zero absolutely would have been better off without Miyamoto's strange obsession with the gamepad.

Has Nintendo laid some bricks? Sure. Is it still among the best publishers/developers in the business? Absolutely. No one has the track record and pedigree that Nintendo has. A Nintendo developed game still speaks to high quality and high technical craftsmanship.

That said, Nintendo needs its studios to converge on the NX, and drop the two-system support. Hopefully, rumors of a merging between the handheld and console systems are true. It will certainly do Nintendo good to bring its excellent handheld studios to the NX. Games like Luigi's Mansion, Fire Emblem Awakening/Fates, Zelda Link Between Worlds can't be isolated to a handheld next go-around. It has to all-developers on deck.

 
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Facing amateur financial analysis from message board posters across the Internet for years, Nintendo now has a market value higher than Sony...


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-19/nintendo-market-value-passes-sony-on-pokemon-go-frenzy-chart?cmpid=yhoo.headline&yptr=yahoo

Keep in mind, this is a company whose primary business is video games, not like a Sony who is diversified into many different areas of entertainment and electronics. So, maybe, just maybe, the directors and officers of Nintendo do know what they're doing when it comes to games. It also goes to show you that you don't actually need to sell the most systems to make yourself a profitable business.

Also, just because I feel like being that guy, does this mean that Sony should give up the console business and go third party now?
 
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romeogbs19 said:
Seriously? I admit the Big N has had some mediocre releases, but Nintendo has always released some average (and on occasion, below average) games (e.g. Mario Party, Mario Basketball, Chibi Robo, Brain Academy). It's part of any publisher's lineup - every company releases some below par games to offset costs or because a project just isn't coming together. It happens.

It's no different than a major studio releasing some average films. Not every game can strike lightning or gold, and it's just unrealistic. Even Pixar/Disney release plenty of duds in between masterpieces.

Line up and compare any publisher/developer over the last 2-3 console generations and Nintendo easily owns the critically best games. Neither Sony nor Microsoft's internal studios can compare with Nintendo's.

But I agree to the extent that the Wii U has seen some issues, and I agree with RoytheRobot that at least some of this is because of the gimmicks Nintendo keeps forcing on its players. Rainbow Curse would have been a better game without the touchscreen; Star Fox Zero absolutely would have been better off without Miyamoto's strange obsession with the gamepad.

Has Nintendo laid some bricks? Sure. Is it still among the best publishers/developers in the business? Absolutely. No one has the track record and pedigree that Nintendo has. A Nintendo developed game still speaks to high quality and high technical craftsmanship.

That said, Nintendo needs its studios to converge on the NX, and drop the two-system support. Hopefully, rumors of a merging between the handheld and console systems are true. It will certainly do Nintendo good to bring its excellent handheld studios to the NX. Games like Luigi's Mansion, Fire Emblem Awakening/Fates, Zelda Link Between Worlds can't be isolated to a handheld next go-around. It has to all-developers on deck.
Click to expand...
Is this what you wanted then?

nx-mockup.jpg


Eurogamer has a new report on NX – the first concrete rumors about the system since its announcement last year.

The site claims that “NX will be a portable, handheld console with detachable controllers”. That information comes from “a number of sources” speaking with the site.

Eurogamer goes on to say that “NX will function as a high-powered handheld console with its own display.” What makes it more unique is that “the screen is bookended by two controller sections on either side, which can be attached or detached as required.” The system will then be able to connect to the television when at home. There’s also a base unit/dock station “used to connect the brain of the NX – within the controller – to display on your TV.”

As for technology, Nvidia’s powerful Tegra mobile processor is rumored to be behind NX. Nintendo is apparently “not chasing graphical parity” in order to “squeeze all of this technology into a handheld”. It will also not offer backwards compatibility because of “the radical change in hardware design and internal technology”. Another technical tidbit: NX will run a new operating system from Nintendo rather than Android, which is something some had speculated could be possible.

Aside from that, Eurogamer also mentions cartridges as physical media. The site has “heard the suggestion Nintendo recommends a 32GB cartridge, which is small when considering the size of many modern games.” Nintendo supposedly thought of making a system which supported digital downloads only, but decided against that.

So when will we finally hear about NX? Eurogamer pegs the reveal for September. The company is said to be pursuing “a simple marketing message for NX – of being able to take your games with you on the go.”

SOURCE: http://nintendoeverything.com/rumor-nx-is-a-portable-console-with-detachable-controllers-nvidia-tech-cartridges-sept-reveal-more/

MAIN SOURCE: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-07-26-nx-is-a-portable-console-with-detachable-controllers

RUMORED SPECS OF THE NX: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-nintendo-nx-mobile-games-machine-powered-by-nvidia-tegra

 
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