For a long while, Nintendo has managed to find success based on its innovative ideas, both in the console and handheld market. Unfortunately, as it separated itself from its competitors, Nintendo also lost a lot of third party support; an essential factor in selling consoles to consumers. With the upcoming release of the enigmatic NX, a new Nintendo console, the company could be looking to repair its relationships on that front.
One thing that is immediately odd about the NX project is how soon we started hearing about it after the 2012 release of Nintendo’s Wii U. As console generations extend towards a 10 year cycle, news about another generation of Nintendo hardware a couple years after a console’s release definitely piques one’s curiosity. Is Nintendo becoming desperate? Is the system really going to be released sooner rather than later?
According to a report by the Wall Street journal, Nintendo has already started sending out development kits to game studios. In the same article, analyst David Gibson of Macquarie Capital Securities was quoted as saying, “We are increasingly of the idea that Nintendo might launch the NX in 2016 because of the softness of 3DS and Wii U.” If this really is the case, and Nintendo is both ready and willing to release the NX in 2016, there are a few logical conclusions we can draw.
First, the console will need to have third party titles available at launch. If studios are only just now receiving software development kits, then it is unreasonable to assume that they’ll have time to cobble together anything original worth buying by launch. It’s also unlikely that Nintendo wants to see their launch tainted by games that feel rushed. What is far more likely is that developers will port older titles over to the NX, now that Nintendo might have a system capable of running the same games that have done well on its competitor’s platforms.
We can also assume Nintendo already has its own games in the works for NX. This fact could create an interesting mix in the market. At present, the Wii U serves as a second system for many gamers who don’t want to miss out on Nintendo’s exclusive titles but find a more consistent supply of games on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If one console could fulfill both needs, many might be enticed to switch.
With a new console, Nintendo also gets a chance to redeem themselves for the shoddy job they did of marketing the Nintendo Wii U. A large portion of the consumer base was under the impression that the Wii U wasn’t a new system at all, but, instead, an add-on for the already existent Wii. This time around, Nintendo can avoid ambiguity and get Nintendo Wii fans properly excited for a new Nintendo system. Hopefully, they will be able to grow their install base, which will also attract third party developers. Again, this is essential for Nintendo. They need a platform that appeals to both consumers and developers, and failing to provide for one of those groups loses them the interest of both groups.
Details remain scarce, and much of this is speculation. But the simple fact that we’re hearing about it and studios have begun developing for it does indicate that something interesting is going on at Nintendo. As ever, it’s hard to say what the creative minds at that company are thinking, but we can hope that they’re finally giving in to consumer demand for a console that more directly competes with Xbox and PlayStation without sacrificing the things that make Nintendo special. Nintendo fans shouldn’t have to be excluded from so many third party titles just because they adore Mario and Zelda.