Modest Tech: The NX Generation (Nintendo Switch)

[Merus]

Maybe I'm being particularly dim, but doesn't everybody ON EARTH fall into one of those categories?

 

Well, there are also people who don't own one of those systems and will buy a Nintendo console, and I do know a Nintendo fanboy so there is at least one.

 

But yeah, this isn't particularly insightful commentary from Pachter. Nintendo of course needs 3rd party support, receives it on handhelds, doesn't get it on consoles, and they always do okay but obviously where the 3rd party support goes determines how well everyone does. If Nintendo releases a more powerful system than the current consoles, mid-cycle, then yeah, there's going to be some interest, but the room for control innovation is limited because no-one wants to design their game around a system if they can't port it and they can't reliably predict sales. But that stuff's fairly obvious.

[dartmonkey]

Well, there are also people who don't own one of those systems and will buy a Nintendo console, and I do know a Nintendo fanboy so there is at least one.

But they're included in the first category, no?

 

I'd like to see some numbers on third parties. I'm not convinced Nintendo does 'need' them - not if their product is sufficiently atypical. MS and Sony need them because their consoles are extremely similar machines. If the Wii had been a Nintendo software-only console, with zero third party games, I think it would have sold just as many units. Others jumped on the bandwagon and flogged their wares to a massive install base (to varying degrees of success depending on when they jumped aboard), but nobody bought a Wii specifically to play those games, whether they were top-drawer classics, curios or borked ports. Wii U could definitely have benefited from support but mainly because Nintendo failed to show what the Gamepad was and why people should want it. Given a killer app, rather than the gradual accumulation of solid titles with off-screen convenience, it could've got a larger foothold and third parties might have stayed with them - but again, nobody's bought a Nintendo console to play 3rd party games for a decade.

 

The few good ports the Wii U did get that I've played have been mostly great (Most Wanted, Black Flag and Deus Ex, although I've yet to play through the latter), arguably the 'best' console versions. It'd be nice if NX got Director's Cuts/GOTY editions of games like, say, Fallout 4. But those aren't going to be deal-breakers in 12-18 months, and like you say, companies won't bother to do bespoke NX games or even versions of future PS4/Xbone games unless it's SUPER easy. They're more likely to 'wait and see', which may be too late depending on when XbTwo/PS5 start being discussed. I'm sure Sony and Microsoft would like to delay that as long as possible, but tech-wise they're already looking pretty long in the tooth.

 

I agree on your point about limited controller innovation, particularly if NX is backwards compatible, which would necessitate a Gamepad-like controller. But thinking about it, that isn't actually true. All they need is to make the Gamepad play nicely with NX and everyone could use what they've already got. For those millions who skipped Wii U but still want to play Zelda U on NX, there'll be the mythical Gamepad solus pack or the ZeldaU+Gamepad bundle for $99/whatever. The Pro Controller has them covered for 3rd party ports and they can go to town with some doughnut-shaped pulse-sensing Frankenpad.

[dartmonkey]

Reports of Wii U production being ramped down, if true, pretty much guarantee backwards compatibility for NX. I think they'll need to sweeten the pot by transferring all VC purchases over as well (or at least offering a substantial upgrade discount). Although 4 years (Christ, has it been 4 years already?!) is short, I think the 360/PS3 cycle made us forget that 5ish years used to be standard. With the Wii U at about 12 million units (GC ended with 21), it makes sense to move on sooner rather than later.

 

Nintendo patented some projection tech that can project things from the pad, maybe onto your hands. It also included gesture recognition. I guess it could put a pokeball on your palm which you could then throw into the TV?? Though that would require a 'proper' Pokemon game on the TV - which must be on the cards now that they're putting all their consoles into one homeheld basket? IF they're doing that.

 

The projection thingy sounds like a red herring to me. And also:

Discuss!

 

Edit. Also this from reddit!

 

[Professor Video Games]

That thing doesn't seem realistic for a couple reasons, assuming the prior speculation about this being some hybrid home/portable system is true. Mainly, that weird form factor that looks not very portable and also uncomfortable to hold. Also, having that weird display format makes me wonder how it would work with a TV. Like, you wouldn't be able to switch from the handheld display to a TV seamlessly, which I thought was gonna be the whole point of the thing.

 

I guess this thing will be revealed at E3? Pretty curious to see what they do.

[manny_c44]

Yeah those both look fake, still not much information on the system in general so nothing concrete to discuss really. 

[manny_c44]

New pictures look real though, so I'm not sure what to think.

[eRonin]

Real or not, it looks real stupid and I can't imagine it being comfortable. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that it's fake and the NX controller (or NX itself) will look better.

[Twig]

If it is real, it's not final.

[manny_c44]

The patent application showed handles on the controller that make it look very ergonomic, you can probably just snap those on (if this is the real design) so I'm not too worried about that. Some of the reddit comments suggested dynamic physical buttons being a possibility, but I doubt it...that tech looks expensive and is probably not durable.

 

Who knows? We will see if it's real or not...

[Griddlelol]

I really hope it's not real, I loathe touch screen games. Lack of physical feedback destroys every mobile game for me, unless it's incredibly simple like 3s.

[root]

I can't wait to put greasy french fry fingerprints all OVER that pretty, glossy gamepad.

[Griddlelol]

Apparently they're confirmed fakes. 

[melmer]

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1200664

[melmer]

[Kolzig]

Hahaha awesome, so it was "a gaf inside job" in a way.

Official Nintendo hardware just doesn't leak, but that is just magnificiently done fake.

[Griddlelol]

I both love and hate that guy. The amount of effort he went through is just ridiculous, but man, that's some serious commitment. Nintendo inspires some crazy people to do some weird and cool things.

[Ben X]

The NX won't be launching until March 2017:

 

http://www.avclub.com/article/nintendos-next-console-coming-march-2017-and-zelda-235907

[Twig]

Also no NX info at E3. Info will come later this year. (In a Direct, no doubt.)

 

Also Zelda will be the only playable game at E3?! Weird.

 

(This strikes me as yet another death knell for E3 more than it does Nintendo being dumb.)

[Dewar]

Also the new Zelda will follow the footprints of Twilight Princess in coming out for both WiiU and NX. 

[Roderick]

I still find it odd that Nintendo is already releasing an actual new console (as opposed to, say, the follow-up to the 3DS). I get it from their standpoint: the Wii U is a big failure and the dearth of games released on it isn't helping. Makes sense that they'd want to wipe that blot away as quickly as possible and start afresh. I worry, though, that especially the loyal fans of Nintendo will feel a little betrayed at supporting a console that is so unceremoniously abandoned. I also wonder if the average consumer, insofar as they are aware of any of this, won't feel that they can't trust Nintendo to deliver.

 

I guess it all depends on whether they can pull another 'Wii' out of their hats. Personally, it'll take more than new Marios and Zeldas to return to Nintendo. But that probably has more to do with my own evolving tastes than the quality of those titles.

[Kolzig]

Depends on what Nintendo will do with Wii U this year. A load indie games are coming for sure, but from disc games I can think of just Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Paper Mario Colour Splash coming out this year. They need to give Wii U a hell of a swan song year before NX comes next year.

Next year Wii U is 4.5 years old when NX arrives. 3DS is six years old by that point. Gamecube was five for Americans and 4.5 years for Euros when it was replaced by Wii. So there's nothing new there in that sense that the time is "short".

I personally am ready for the next generation to start now that Nintendo is starting it next year. I've received so much good from 3DS and Wii U that I am very satisfied at least. There maybe wasn't hundreds of games, but the games that did come were just absolutely full of fun.

[Griddlelol]

SMT#FE is exactly what I want for the last WiiU game I buy. It looks gorgeous, outrageous, silly and fun. 

 

After that, I guess bring on the NX, if it has games I'll buy it (because fuck PS4.5, I can't get behind that at all).

[Dewar]

If the NX can play Wii-U games (and by extension, Wii games as well) I'll probably buy one. I haven't had a chance to play Nintendo games on a big screen in a while.

[Twig]

I still find it odd that Nintendo is already releasing an actual new console (as opposed to, say, the follow-up to the 3DS). I get it from their standpoint: the Wii U is big failure and the dearth of games released on it isn't helping. Makes sense that they'd want to wipe that blot away as quickly as possibly and start afresh. I worry, though, that especially the loyal fans of Nintendo will feel a little betrayed at supporting a console that is so unceremoniously abandoned. I also wonder if the average consumer, insofar as they are aware of any of this, won't feel that they can't trust Nintendo to deliver.

 

I guess it all depends on whether they can pull another 'Wii' out of their hats. Personally, it'll take more than new Marios and Zeldas to return to Nintendo. But that probably has more to do with my own evolving tastes than the quality of those titles.

 

Lots of the rumors (and facts in the form of patents!) suggest that it's very very possible the NX might be both the console AND the handheld, through various methods. Most notably the idea of a supplemental computing device. You can read a good summary here: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/12/intriguing_nintendo_patent_points_to_supplemental_computing_device_and_cloud_resources_for_a_gaming_system

 

Basically, using this method it would be possible to purchase an NX "handheld" and then attach it to an NX "console" SCD, so that it has more power to play on your TV.

 

This idea is full-on crazytown and so completely not like Nintendo but also like Nintendo that I want it to be real.

 

 

If the NX can play Wii-U games (and by extension, Wii games as well) I'll probably buy one. I haven't had a chance to play Nintendo games on a big screen in a while.

 

Even if it could play Wii U games, there's no guarantee it could play Wii games. It'd have to include both chips. It's unlikely it'll include either. Backwards compatibility is (right, imo) going the way of the dodo.

[Dewar]

I guess my general tactic, when possible, is to buy every other console, so I find backwards compatibility very useful. That's part of the reason I didn't pick up a PS4 or XB1 until I got one as a present.