The WiiU just got Dreamcasted.
In the midst of announcing an initative to expand into mobile gaming, Nintendo drops a nugget:
Iwata then dropped the bomb about the brand-new console, currently code-named NX. There’s absolutely no other details on that platform, with more information forthcoming in 2016. The early announcement is Nintendo’s way of showing that it’s still committed to dedicated game consoles for the foreseeable future.
As far as I understand it, it isn’t entirely clear if this is a WiiU replacement or a 3DS replacement. The 3DS is actually getting towards the end of its cycle, and details in 2016 for a release in 2017 wouldn’t be an unreasonable a life cycle for the 3DS (original DS launched 2004, 3DS launched 2011).
The new 3DS complicates things a little, but Nintendo did release the DSi weirdly late in the life of the DS.
My understanding is that Nintendo intends to unify its systems, at least at the tech & development tool level, if not making the same software playable on both mobile and console. That’s probably a good idea, since one of the reasons the WiiU took a huge hit from third parties (other than the Wii hangover) was due to it being older tech with immature development tools.
I don’t think Nintendo plans to unify their systems more than account management. I’d be very surprised if their output with DeNA extended to much more than backend services and mobile game creation on par with what DeNA has done with Disney or Yahoo in Japan.
Better development tools are probable, but I doubt we’ll see games that transfer 1-to-1 between NX and mobile. Maybe linked stuff, like a Dr. Mario game on mobile linking to Amiibos and Mario Party 12 or whatever on NX.
Along with what CLWheeljack said, NX in 2017 wouldn’t be unreasonable if it’s the new home console either. That’d put the Wii U’s lifespan at five years, same as the GameCube, which only seems short because the generation currently on its way out started almost ten years ago.
It seems short since there have barely been any games for the WiiU. Hopefully they don’t move Xenoblade and Zelda to the new console.
Xenoblade is out next month in Japan. They aren’t moving it.
What if NX is a new console AND the new handheld? The WiiU controller is already pretty close to a handheld. What if they just merge the 3DS and the WiiU where the controller can actually be a fully functional handheld game device?
They’d finalize the dream they had with that ridiculous Zelda multiplayer title on the Gamecube that could only be properly played if you had four friends, for GBAs, and four link-cables?
Shush Armando, don’t give them any ideas!
We had five GBA’s in the house but only one of those cables sadly.
Possibly, but I don’t know if they’d ever do back to a single screen handheld. The Wii-U and the 3DS are already pretty close to each other as it is, with both having dual screens with touch on the bottom screen.
I imagine they’d keep it that way, and increase cross-platform compatibility?
A self contained tablet gaming machine with the ability to wirelessly “throw” an image to your TV using an HDMI dongle is the obvious way forward. It could even be a different image from what is displayed on the Unit if the game requires that. I’d just be happy if it means an end to Nintendo’s days of using the most out of date hardware they can get someone to build. I mean, if they’re creating games for the latest Apple and Android phones it would be pretty stupid if their “next gen” hardware was too slow to run them.
It’s gonna be something crazy like a neural jack directly into your brain.
I’m not going to buy a Nintendo brain jack. You just know it will be built from components that were top of the line in 2009.
I’d rather have outdated hardware with games from devs that actually care about making things run properly than top-of-the-line hardware with games that can’t even maintain 30fps, let alone 60+.
Luckily, that’s not a choice anyone has to make!
It’s not too much to ask for both. Everyone squeals over how good Mario Kart and Kirby look in HD, but conveniently ignore that it is Nintendo’s own pigheadedness that prevented us from getting that 8 years ago.
A HD Wii would have cost more money, so they would have had to ditch the motion control stuff? Would it still have had the mass consumer appeal it did then? Hard to say.
They were selling the Wii way above cost. They could have pretty easily sold an HD Wii with the same motion control for $299 in 2006 had they wanted to.