Strider77 wrote:Is anyone even remotely excited about their new console?
I don't think there will be another "console" - both the Wii U and the 3DS will be the end of their respective lines and the "old Nintendo" is done. "NX" is simply the NeXt strategy for Nintendo consumer hardware but the core of the company is shifting it's focus to game software and software to support the gaming business - and as they are targeting the "casual market" (people who don't "live" on Xbox live or PSN) they are developing games for the Android and iOS platforms (rather than Xbox One or PS4 system software). Nintendo's timing is a bit off for the Japanese market as the smartphone market has been stagnating and there
has been a resurgence of dumb phones (garakei).
So a smartphone is all you need to partake in the new Nintendo Network and next generation of Nintendo games (and of course the inevitable ports of old ones) - and unlike with those other gaming networks the experience is ultra-portable.
Now Nintendo is quite aware that gaming on a smartphone is constrained (i.e. it often sucks) - that is where the "NX device" comes in, a "reasonably priced" gaming-optimized (e.g. physical controls) wireless smart device with some (optional) run-of-the-mill smart phone features and "NX station" integration features. It could be entirely Android based or run some nxOS/Android hybrid.
The "NX station" wouldn't be a standalone console but instead a "booster pack" for the "NX device" to enhance the "at home experience" - imagine having to own a PS Vita before you could use your PS4. The obvious feature would be the game display on the TV (with more resolution detail) with supplementary information on the "NX device" display - multiple players will require multiple "NX devices". Nintendo seems to plan to offload some of the game computations/communications to the "NX station(s)" whenever possible - probably to keep hardware costs on the "NX device" side down - though I don't see how that wouldn't compromise the portable experience.
In essence Nintendo is trying to remove the demarcation between mobile and "at home" gaming. Portable gaming is perceived as their strength so that is where they are launching from. The "Xbox Live" experience isn't portable and Sony failed to leverage the PS Vita to make "PSN" feel more portable. So Nintendo is hoping to gain market share by "unifying" the the portable and "at home" experience.
Personally I have my doubts that Nintendo will be able to motivate "casuals" to ditch their current smartphone for an "NX phone", much less acquire an "NX device" to pair with their regular smartphone AND then convince them to also buy an "NX station". So "NX" could spell the end of Nintendo hardware but Nintendo gaming software could still survive independently in the mobile space.
