Nintendo: An Intervention

Nintendo, it's time to talk.

[shocked686]

Nice article. Nintendo has a lot of work to do to win back their audience. While the NX stuff is still just rumors, a lot of the rumors are pointing in the same direction and it's not a good one. Hope they pull it together because I really think Nintendo is important to the gaming industry as a whole.

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHA]

I think sega should still be in the console buisness and nintendo should have died.... nintendo has almost done nothing that isnt along the same old lines games wise... hey look another mario!

[jcnba28]

Wow.. Nintendo have done nothing? Nintendo is the only company that try new things. The others just make the same console with more power. OMG so innovative! The same technology that has been on PC for years.

And don't get me started with Mario. Please do your research before you spew nonsense.

[-Foxtrot]

@jcnba28

Really? Because their games tell a different story..regardless of quality their games don't change much. It's likle the main reason why their games are always so high in quality...because they hardly do anything new or risky to warrant more bugs and other problems.

Splatoon is the only new thing from them in recent years

Besides when they do new things they never do things people want. Take the Wii U hardware wise or Paper Mario Colour Splash/Metroid Federation Force games wise.

[ChickeyCantor]

> hey look another mario!

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photo...

@fox

> Really? Because their games tell a different story..regardless of quality their games don't change much. It's likle the main reason why their games are always so high in quality...because they hardly do anything new or risky to warrant more bugs and other problems.

LOL that's not how development works, that is assuming you're saying they are copy pasting their code since the n64 days. High quality games come from good designs and creative direction. Bugs and other problems are caused by agile [read : fast/chaotic] development and a harsh deadline. That's why so many triple A games are broken on launch.

As for Nintendo "not changing" much, all developers are guilty of that. You take a formula and add things to it. That's exactly what Nintendo has been doing with their games. It's exactly what others developers do with their existing franchise.
You guys are extremely unrealistic expecting them to be unique in every way. Nearly no developer does that.

Stop pretending to be devs or managers for that matter.

>Besides when they do new things they never do things people want.

So you want the same thing? lol

>Paper Mario Colour Splash
Who said they don't want it?

>Metroid Federation Force
So making a spinoff is a crime? Gotcha. Can't blame them for trying.

When they try new/different stuff you complain it's not what you want. So then when they make what you want you complain they don't do anything new.
pick one.

[Fullmetalevolust]

Not to sound immature, but hey look another Sonic...where are the golden axe, the streets of rage, the phantasy star (for the west), the shining force (for the west) of the old and I could name other titles.
Sega is just a mere shadow of its former self. I loved their arcade games and their innovative IP. Hell, I own a saturn and a dreamcast and I fire them up often. But Nintendo has done well to keep its identity and survive in a maturing market full of sports, racing, and FPS games (and a saturated one at that).
So give me another mario, mario kart and Smash bro. And someone needs to wake Sega the F* up 'cause they're sleeping on golden IP's.

[The 10th Rider]

@Foxtrot,

Nintendo's games iterate on the previous entries, Galaxy is nothing like Sunshine, which is nothing like 64, etc... Breath of the Wild is nothing like Skyward Sword, which was nothing like Twilight Princess, etc... You're also ignoring titles like NintendoLand, Rhythm Heaven, Tomogachi Life, etc...

Besides, Uncharted iterates without significant changes and it's one of the best series out there right now.

jcnba28 was definitely off by saying Nintendo is the only company that tries new things, but to point to their games to try and disprove it is just idiotic.

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

You think Sega would have done better? Tell me what has Sega done in recent years to make you say that? Oh look another Sonic! The last great thing Sega did was release the Dreamcast. If Sega died today I don't think most people would care or notice but the same can't be said about Nintendo.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I mean....I've been pretty outspoken about not liking what the company has done, but I can't really say all that. They've had their rehashes yes, but they still have a place in the industry and they used to make some quality software and still do with certain IPs.

I agree they've fell way off on some IPs, but they still produce some quality titles. Smash, Mario Kart, Zelda etc.

I don't agree with Warnut, but I also don't agree with jcnba28.

@jcnba- no... Nintendo has basically copied many companies and jumped on fads, while remaining dated with their design and approach. Sony and MS are not merely "make the same console" as they are always talking with 3rd party in terms of what to add to better the communty. It isn't Sony or MS job to give developers some wacky device to force them to work with.

Give them the canvas, give them the tools. STOP, THIS is where it ends, they don't need to be shoving devices down developers throats. If they want to support it....they will, but not if its merely the only damn thing going for the device.

Wiimotes could have been options, VR and Kinect are OPTIONS! When you are not progressing and your only answer is a gimmick, something is wrong. VR and Kinect may suck to many, but they are merely OPTIONS to developers, NOT the only damn tools to produce content on a platform.

Mario has downgraded over the years bud, they over simplified the heck out of that game for kids, all you have to do is look at Sunshine vs Galaxy merely just on the controls to get your answer to that BS claim.

Nintendo has done stuff, I can't say "almost done nothing" but I won't say something crazy like "only company that try new things"

Eye Toy released before Wii.
PSVR is coming out this year...
Kinect with voice controls and features
Kinect with AR

Please stop. They are not the only ones bud. Will you continue to say this if NX is merely just a PSP 3000?

We can have both....we don't need this one over the other BS, it makes no sense. Did PSVR need to be a WHOLE console forcing developers to support it in order to have anything on the platform to be a "new thing" to you?

[Segata]

I think SEGA and Nintendo should be the ONLY ones in the console race still.

[link2Dpast]

I agree with the sega part but the Nintendo one is a bit unrealistic. I'll make this about sega though. The big difference was that sega was like Nintendo with out the gimmicks. Sega was for the mature adult, Dreamcast is literally the most underrated console ever but in hindsight sega just didn't have enough and inevitably failed while Nintendo florished because those gimmicky ideas

[_-EDMIX-_]

I don't think they can. I think they can maintain the few they have, but I don't see returning gamers coming back as they are long gone else where.

I think its a good direction.

Put all their gamers on 1 platform.

1 platform, 1 install base, all their teams. They don't have enough to just keep fragmenting their install base with a handheld AND console. They must let console go and focus on handheld. At least we are getting the feature to out to a tv which I feel is all console gamers really want. They may not really care THAT much about power considering....well Nintendo and all.

I see NX having an install base of at least 70 plus million if you add in the Wii U and 3DS base. I think the majority of Nintendo gamers, game on handheld, thus I don't see them losing much sales because of not making it console only when it can still out to a tv to give a consumer what they want in the first place.

What is a console anyway other then something that is playing on the tv? They can market it as both and be fine. Yes, its them quietly ending their dedicated consoles, but its also them for the first time supporting 1 platform FULLY.

Console gamers get to play on the tv, handheld gamers get to play on the go, BOTH install bases get the same games. This is a win / win.

I don't see Nintendo leaving the gaming industry, not even slightly. If NX fails, I do see them going software only though, but I don't see them completely leaving the industry as that is just a bit exaggerative.

[The 10th Rider]

I don't think they should abandon handhelds, but I think they should make a lighter, cheaper, handheld and put all their sidescrollers and isometric games on it, while making the same games playable in HD on their home console.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@10th- "I don't think they should abandon handhelds" Me neither, I think have a strong base and room to grow even if for a bit. I think if they put all their effort in 1 device, they can do very fine.

Even as a 3DS owner, it sucks seeing titles go to Wii U as you feel like you are missing out on content that otherwise could have been on 3DS or even both.

Animal Crossing New Leaf and Smash 4 100% convinced me that a Nintendo with JUST handheld could very much work.

This is where I disagree "while making the same games playable in HD on their home console" As it questions if they can't even move console units, why even produce the hardware? I like the idea of the handheld merely being both ala the PSP 3000 as it saves them LOTS of money and focuses all their attention on 1 platform as suppose to porting to another. Having it in HD will come with a cost.

Making the handheld both gives the user a choice, gives the developer 1 platform and Nintendo less money spent on a dedicated console that can now be spent on making more games.

I felt for a long time that they were going to quietly leave the dedicated console space and this is their chance to do so.

They can't afford to make a console moving 12 million units. I'd rather just see that support for the fans that are actually buying the hardware ie handheld fans. As even though I prefer to play on console ie tv screen, I'll get a device that lets me do that, EVEN if its not a dedicated console.

Best of both worlds, cost effective, gives the user more choice and has all Nintendo development under 1 platform. I strongly feel this could work very well for Nintendo and I'm on board DAY 1 if indeed that is what NX is.

[The 10th Rider]

I was envisioning a more powerful, albeit less portable, handheld that outs to the TV. Then smaller less expensive one could be more akin to a inexpensive touch screen phone. Games for the small one could easily be playable on the main console, but it would provide a more portable option for their simpler games. Think of it as an Android based phone with a d-pad and face buttons, that also plays a few games like rhythm heaven and new super Mario bros.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@10th- I think they should focus on making the handheld as portable as possible simply because with the new chip sets that are out they could make a very slim unit that still out very powerful graphics on TV.

I think they need to absolutely focus on appeasing their base which is there mobile community. It's much more easier to make a slick handout that outs to a TV then a less portable console.

I think anything more powerful than the Wii U will be absolutely fine on a TV and most Nintendo Gamers I do not believe will just abandon the next Nintendo platform simply because it's Graphics are not up to par with PlayStation 4.

When has Nintendo really ever been up to par with the latest competition?

I think if it's more powerful than the Wii U I believe they could still do an absolutely phenomenal job as the core Nintendo fans may not really care I think the most important thing for them right now is to get all their developers Under One Roof developing on one platform full steam ahead.

[The 10th Rider]

Sorry, I was on my phone so I couldn't fully explain myself.

They're not going to get home console performance in something smaller than a tablet or the Wii U gamepad. I think the NX should be around that size and out to the TV. It will be portable, but not pocket sized. They should refocus all of their teams onto that platform. They should be able to fit power similar to the PS4 or Xbox One in there, but it won't be close to the Scorpio and will still fall behind the Neo. That should be fine.

On the side, they should release a $100-150 dollar micro, pocket sized console. Something akin to a small phone with a d-pad and face buttons. (there could even be a more expensive model with phone capabilities.) Third party support for it wouldn't be an issue as it could just run a modified Android and play phone games. It could also sport it's own virtual console of NES, SNES, Gameboy and Gameboy Advance games as well. The only games Nintendo would develop for it would pretty much be isometric and sidescrollers, like gameboy Advance Zelda and Mario games. It wouldn't have to be heavily supported by them, but the games wouldn't exactly be hard to make. 5-6 games a year would be fine. They could be reminiscent of old gameboy/gameboy advance and NES/SNES titles. Also, they could upscale them and put them on the NX eShop as well, so they're still supporting their main console through those games.

Basically it would be a way for them to maintain a presence in the pocket-sized gaming market while lessening the amount of resources they have to invest in it. A more powerful 3DS successor is unlikely because it would divide their development resources too much. Hence, why not make something that emphasis simple games and lower performance in an affordable package to keep their share of the market?

[babadivad]

I'm honestly exited about what Nintendo is doing for the first time since maybe the N64[maybe Gamecube as well]. The new Tegra maybe a mobile chip but it's going to pack a LOT of power. The old Tegra X1 chip released last year already boast 1 TF of power[measures up pretty good again X1 and PS4]. Nintendo is rumored to be using the updated chip Tegra X2[using Pascal GPU]. That should put it in the same ball park of the X1 and PS4[if not surpassing them] and it will be mobile.

They could design it to run slower and cooler when mobile. And when it's on the dock, they can clock it higher since it isn't constrained by battery life. The mobile part could have a 720p screen so you don't loose graphic fidelity when mobile and run at 1080p when plugged into the dock when the chip is able to run at maximum clocks.

I hope Nintendo doesn't screw up in recent Nintendo fashion. This is the first good idea they've had in a while. This could be huge.

[ABizzel1]

The old Tegra only reaches 1TB at it's max clock speeds, which is completely unobtainable inside of a handheld device. That 1TB of performance was only achieved in the vehicles that used the chip, as even the NVIDIA Shield TV used the clocked down version around 512 GFLOPS.

I'm pretty sure we'll be looking at something similar with the X2 / P1 chip which should be around 40% - 60% more powerful with similar TDP than the current X1, putting it in the rang of 700 - 800 GFLOPS, which around 2x the performance of the Wii U at worst and just under 2/3 the performance of the XBO at best.

We can hope the dock allows the system to overclock a good deal and have some amazing cooling as well, in which case it could theoretically be on par with the XBO, but considering it's a mobile chip it's still going to have some drawbacks in comparison to a full laptop grade GPU.

[babadivad]

@Abizzel1

You just basically reiterated what I said. When the device is mobile it will be down clocked but pushing pixels on a lesser display so graphics fidelity isn't lost. When docked, it will be able to up clock and run at it's full potential.

I know the capabilities of the old Tegra X1, you aren't telling me anything new. All that I said is completely achievable with the proposed technology of the Tegra X2.

And for the record, the Tegra X1 can hit 1TF of performance.

[Idiedgoodbye]

I hope Nintendo dies and comes back to life and dies again only to revive and die in an endless cycle until they discover who they trully are.

[_LarZen_]

Nintendo is doing everything right with the NX (if the rumors are true). They would loose if they wanted to join the hardware race.

Nintendo is not about graphics but trying new ways to make gaming fun. Thats Nintendo's philosophy and it always has been.

[MPScrimshaw]

I think you're absolutely right, and honestly, I'd never want Nintendo to change that philosophy (Focusing on Fun, rather than hardware power). That's what makes them so great. I just think sometimes their drive to innovate, rather than make games more fun and accessible, makes them more difficult to interact with. That's when innovation goes from being a great thing to a liability.

[Chuuzuu]

Exactly right. I wanted StarFox to be so great but it's a just a mess with the forced gamepad controls.

[_LarZen_]

I agree. Let's hope the NX will get Nintendo back on track.

[hiawa23]

I thought they did that with the Wiiu which was a huge failure

[ABizzel1]

There are plenty of people who will disagree with you, but I feel the same way.

A powerful console will do nothing but cause another gen of Wii U level sales so the few vocal fans can spend $400 to play Mario with Ratchet and Clank level graphics.

Nintendo's sales come from their handheld division and always have.

NES 62m
SNES 50m
N64 33m vs GB 120m
GC 22m vs GBA 82m
Wii 102m vs DS 155m
Wii U 14m vs 3DS 60m

*Nintendo has 6 home consoles which sold a total of 283m units (avg. 47.1m). They have 4 handhelds which sold a total of 417m units (avg. 104.2m).

*Nintendo worst selling handheld is on track to sell more than all but 1 of their home consoles.

Nintendo needs to focus on their money maker, handhelds.

[jmc8888]

Everyone with a brains knows Nintendo can compete with Sony and Microsoft. They just don't want to.

Personally I think it has more do to with them being in Kyoto, home of the 'climate protocol', then them simply 'unable' to compete.

People keep saying. They can't compete. Why? Because they create their own tech like Sony and Microsoft?

Oh wait... NO! None of them create their own tech. Someone else does. Literally ANY company that can pay money to AMD or Nvidia can create a high end console IF they wanted to. It's that fricking simple.

No matter what level of power or lack thereof in a Nintendo console, they are still competing with Microsoft and Sony. Not just them, but also cellphones.

Even if the NX as rumored powerwise, come in at say $149, it wouldn't be worth it. It's power level is literally last decade, releasing in 2017. Even if somehow gets a Tegra X2 and pushes it's power to 0.8-1 TFlop, that's still last decade's power.

We already have phones faster than a Wii U, it won't take long, like a year or so until it's faster than a NX.

The NX, the power of a phone, not good. You can't simply put phone level power into a handheld with a hdmi port (or the dock having one) and call it a console. You can't create a handheld and say you can take your games on the go. No, you are taking your on the go games and can now play them at home. So the rumored marketing is backwards. It's going to make them look like idiots.

I can't see casuals picking this up because they have their phones and free games. They aren't going to pay $150-300 so they can buy $60 games, when everything is free or cheap right now and built into their phone.

After thinking some more, I think what they're going for is to have the google store so you can literally play your phone games on the NX. 'A better way to play crappy mobile games'. That's not really a selling point. But to be honest, if someone wants to do that they already can on their PC. This way they can release normal games and any mobile games will all be usable on the NX.

On top of this, the rumor is now that the dock doesn't add power, but what it does is, is put the system in high power mode. So it goes into a low power mode when wireless, but when plugged in, it goes back to full power of the X1 or X2 chip. X1 chip is only 0.5 TFlops, so it better be the X2, which still will be last decades power.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

I see this rumor is playing with your brain.

That what rumor does. That what all NX rumor does. Playing with people brains.

[MatrixxGT]

What if I told you.....

The NX has a mobile phone built in.

[jmc8888]

Nintendo can easily make a console people want. They just don't want to. They have the IP's to be a force. Their IP's plus third party can be on top. Why anyone doesn't think that is simply because they haven't seen it or haven't seen it in a long time. But if you could get all the third party games and Nintendo IP's, you would literally have the best device for any family, and that right there places it favorably in the majority of console owners living situation. Whether old or young, most gamers have a family.

Their IP's can also do genres people play more these days. Like FPS. Their first foray, was actually TPS but a fun one with Splatoon. But they can do much better than that. In the past few years, one of the most fun FPS out there has been something right up Nintendo's alley. Something they can spiritually copy and I'm sure it would sell like gangbusters.

What is that? Plants Vs. Zombies Garden Warfare.

Except have it like Mario vs Bowser Mushroom Warfare. There you go. Instead of Plants and Zombies, you have Nintendo characters in Nintendo worlds.

You have 1st party games like these and have all third party games, and you're in business.

Some people think devs won't support Nintendo because it's name is Nintendo. Those people are morons. Devs don't support Nintendo, because Nintendo puts out crap hardware that is hard to support, and if it isn't selling, there is absolutely no reason to support.

They make good hardware, that's easy to make games for, and that is selling... guess what, every 3rd party dev will put EVERY ONE of their games (unless under exclusive agreement) to a Nintendo system.

Nintendo could easily fight a three way battle and be more successful than going handheld only and fail.

If all the rumors and recent leaks are correct, the NX appeals to the dedicated handheld fanbase AND NO ONE ELSE.

They are running away from sales, away from marketshare, away from profitability. Handheld only is the worst place for them to go. Their model of being a 'premium' phone instead of a 'premium' console is going to backfire hard.

[Chuuzuu]

I know Nintendo is an innovator, but is there anyone here that would not sell their kidneys to have a new Nintendo console with PS4/Xbox One graphics power, that had great third-party support, and had a standard controller? Lets get real, people. That's the console that I want. I'm tired of the gimmicks.

[MPScrimshaw]

Droppin' Truth Bombs

I'd even keep the WiiU graphics if we could just have a regular controller and 3rd party support.

[DiscoMan]

So you want there to be three consoles on the market doing the same thing? Nintendo's not gonna compete with Sony and Microsoft; they've already declared this. And even if they wanted to compete, it wouldn't be the wisest method to just have a powerhouse that is more or less the same as the other two.

It's a company of innovation, not photorealistic graphics. Yes, the Wii U did poorly, but it wasn't because "gimmicks" or "lack of power", but because it was marketed poorly. The Wii has shown that a wacky idea can be massively successful without traditional controls and high graphical output.

Casuals are Nintendo's target audience. This is never going to change.

[Christopher]

***So you want there to be three consoles on the market doing the same thing?***

They don't just do the same thing, but that's also how competition works. Look at everything else. Cars, toasters, cell phones, TVs, etc. They all "do the same thing" but it's how they do it that matters.

I don't think anyone is saying they don't want Nintendo to do their thing, but people don't want it just for exclusives but want to be able to buy one to play third-party games they love on them as well.

How is it bad for them to support a much wider group of gamers? All it would do is lead to Nintendo making more Nintendo games and improving their console even more going forward. It also adds competition between a market that is just two consoles + PCs.

[shocked686]

I'm with this guy. And honestly, I'd even lose the graphical power if need be. Just give me a slab of hardware that's easy to develop for and has a standard controller that plays Mario and Zelda and I'll be happy.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Meh. I rather have better performance and great exclusive game library than having nearly identical boxes that only differences is exclusives.

If Nintendo can give me a Ultra Powered 3DS with all the great Third Party franchises the 3DS + With Nintendo franchises and games but more at a faster rate and great performances on all of them and a cost of less than $250. I don't give a damn.

I play games. Not visuals. I want no lag or framerate isues. I won't care if the games are just 720p 60fps or 1080p 60fps.

Having Sonic 2017, Zelda BotW, Pikmin 4, Dragon Quest XI and Super Mario 3D on this on this in 2017 a great library of games to start off with.

[WOLFofWALLSTREET]

They need to bone up and make a damn powerful console already!!!

[ShadowWolf712]

The difference is the PS4 isn't completely built around it.

[3-4-5]

* I think initially it may turn some people off because it's not what they wanted.....but the more we all think about the possibilities and "what ifs" about the games that could be on the NX I think that will excite people more.

I try and stay positive with all gaming related news and console launches.

I'd prefer a standard console but we know it won't be that.

I still want separate gaming libraries though for the handheld & console....That is my biggest concern.

[bleedsoe9mm]

the thing that nobody has said yet , its nintendo exiting the console market . doesn't mean this thing won't sell well as a handheld you can plug into your tv , and its probably smart for nintendo to focus all their studios on one platform , but the media isn't calling it like it is , yet .

[krypt1983]

If this rumor is true I hope Nintendo loose a shit ton of money and are forced out of the hardware business and put there games on all consoles, I have never seen a company so stupid they have the ability to print money with the ips they own all people want is a box to play those and 3rd party titles on wtf is so hard to understand. Nintendo without a doubt had the best ips period it's about time to use them this portable console shit is a joke atleast I hope ...

[hiawa23]

I really don't want a console/handheld hybrid, especially one which may be a little better than the Wiiu, as Nintendo lost me after the Gamecube but I will keep an open mind about the NX. If not then I am fine with the Playstation and Xbox.

[will313]

Nintendo fans have got to take their fanboy shades off soon. Look when someone criticizes them for not being on the graphical par with the other consoles, you guys need to start thinking what that really would do for them instead of saying gameplay is more important. Gameplay is a great factore in a games success but you know what else factors in a games success? The games ability to actually work the way it's meant to. There could have been; no, there should have been a port of Overwatch on the Wii U. You guys didn't get that because the developer likely only saw two avenues to get it made. Ask you core dev team to spend extra months porting it to that machine thus extending development time by months and not patching the 2 versions that already are up and running (XB1 & PS4) possibly killing the community in the process; or, have some second rate team make the game and risk the reputation of the game going down the tank not to mention the loss of money making a sub par version that doesn't sell. This is why they have to get on board with the idea of having better graphics processing in their consoles. When faced with this decisions most companies chose option 3, don't make anything for them at all, the risk is too high. What makes Nintendo stupid is that they could and should be dominating. They have the best first party properties and most beloved franchises under them but you still need to garnish the gamers appetite with other wares in between the first party releases. If they don't get their shit together this will never happen.

[Ravenor]

Because when the GameCube was more powerful than the PS2 they definitely sold more than Sony. The games market is way more complicated than simply boiling things down to power.

Would you like to know what the biggest issue Nintendo has been dealing with since the Wii/DS days? It's the split development between the handheld and console. I would have definitely played Bravely Default or Fire Emblem far more had they been available on the console, things likeLuigis Mansion Dark Moon 3D Land. I just don't live a life that allows for a dedicated handheld.

Imagine Nintendo able to focus all their first parties at a single device, they'll be able to build an amazing line up that you don't need multiple devices for. The NX is a good move.

[Kazru]

Nintendo just does other things. Several developers have been quoted in articles now how they think NX will capture the casual audience again (like the Wii). That's a polite way of saying, it's not going for power for the hardcore crowd.

Nintendo actually has a long history of being the most powerful hardware or close to it until after the GameCube. The GameCube did not sell well and it was the most powerful with the exception of the gpu. Xbox edged it out, but in that time this argument wasn't really a thing. Systems mostly had a very similar experience in terms of visual quality.

Whether NX is fresh enough to be successful remains to be seen, but I am a bit worried. If it is, then hooray Nintendo. If it's not, what then? Back to back hardware failures. They won't financially be out of the game, because they have money to move fail or not. But would it potentially be the end of Nintendo hardware?

[phoenixwing]

I think Nintendo has a chance to get to the market first on a wonderful idea if the rumors are true. However, it needs to be done right. First off, they should have a pad that's pretty decent power wise and uses 2 joysticks for mobile gaming and sell it separately. Then they can have an option to buy the docking station that requires the mobile pad. Then the processors need to be designed to work in tandom with each other on the pad and the docking station, while having a separate console controller once you're docked. Might be a little pricey but the Nintendo die-hard fans were going to buy it anyway and having the handheld pad sold separately creates a cheap buying option for casuals.

This way with having the docking station take in up to 2 handhelds to add power to processing you could have a beastly console that's upgradeable depending how many handhelds you buy.

[jholden3249]

I couldn't be happier. Time to talk? Time to shake their hand and say thank you, FINALLY.

There are people of the mindset that a videogame platform is worthless unless it is the most powerful system it can possibly be and if it doesn't do that then no matter what it's absolutely trash.

Then there are others of the mindset that a video game platform's worth is based on a number of things, power just being one small part of it.

But even if you're talking about power if these rumors prove true this will be the most powerful handheld platform in existence. Who in their right mind would be against that? And you get to play games on your TV also?

Other people can do what they want but this is the most amazing concept I've heard of in quite some time.. Sign me up.

[hemmo1986]

C'mon Nintendo fanboys! Let go!!! Nintendo had the throne in the snes days and could have retained it.

They simply made bad decisions. Losing third party support because of choosing cartridges. That's when the tide started to turn and has continued ever since. Oh wait the fanboys will cry "the Wii sold more last gen than ps3 and xbox". Hahaha!!! Yeah and everyone that bought a Wii stopped using it after a few months because it had no power, crap third party support and was basically a gamceube redesigned with new controllers.

"oh what about the first party games". What? Mario, Zelda and the same titles they've been making for the past 30 years. Yeah nah I'm good thanks. I'd rather buy a console that can support third party games and display them at their prettiest while also using it for blu-ray and other media. Oh and don't forget the fact people actually play online on other consoles

[strayanalog]

I respect the author's opinion here, but waiting until some concrete information is the better option. True, the Big N needs some intervention in some ways, not all, but some. I personally skipped the Wii eras and am ready to come back home, but hey, if I don't like it I won't buy it.
Remember: a control stick, a rumble pak, touch controls were all considered a gimmick when they arrived and now we think nothing about it because it's a norm. If companies, like Nintendo, didn't think outside the box sometimes we would get nowhere, lose interest, or someone wouldn't be able to find a new way to do that one thing better to advance our community as a whole. In our community evolution is everything, but so is waiting.

[ZeekQuattro]

There was a Wall Street Journal article last year that stated that the NX would have a console unit and a handheld unit. Eurogamer just decided to forget that fact and act like the NX is only one unit. A year old rumor they didn't even bother to provide any new info on and people fell for it. Of course IGN knew about it after the fact and not to be outdone Emily chimed in as well. The blind hate for Nintendo is real. Why would they release a console slightly more powerful than the Wii U as if the Wii U was a success. The whole reasoning behind the Wii was because being the more powerful console when matched up to the PS1 and PS2 didn't work out for Nintendo so they tried something new. When the Wii proved to be a success it was natural that they would try to recapture what the Wii did with the Wii U. They failed in that regard and yet I'm supposed to believe Nintendo is just going to do another Wii U. The rumor makes it seem weaker than a Wii U. Probably because its the handheld counterpart not the main console but lets not let little details like that get in the way. Nintendo is doomed and never learns from its mistakes. They have just gotten lucky since the 19th century. They are moving on to something else as the Wii model of thinking didn't work a second time. Its really not that hard people.

[S2Killinit]

There is nothing wrong with Nintendo. Not all console need to be the same. Im glad they are in the console business.

[SSjDomon]

You're about 11 years late. Should have had that talk when the Wii released.

[Intranquil]

The entitlement and blind desire for a transitional console from Nintendo is a bit out of hand. Do they take risks? Yes. Do they break boundaries? Yes. Have they missed a beat or two? Yes.

Bottom line is, no one takes more risks than Nintendo when it comes to developing hardware. Hell, even their software is starting to broaden and dabble in different styles or settings.

Apply that to anyone else making hardware and/or software, and it doesn't fit. OS wise both competitors consoles outperform, and especially in pure power, but nothing about these consoles posses an element of uniqueness or risk. They're just fancier altered iterations of the last.

If you can't give it to Nintendo for at least breaking boundaries and trying new things, then you can never whine again about boring sequels and uninspired consoles ever again. Someone's doing it, you're just not appreciating it.

[Psygnosis333]

The best thing for the gaming industry is Nintendo to go 3rd party

[LastCenturyRob]

I have little interest in a Nintendo console, but a powerful handheld system that is a bit of a hybrid console...that grabs my attention! Loved the 3DSXL! Thought it was one of the best overall systems ever put out...Very interested at what can be expected from the NX.

[Jreca]

Well, for me the last rumors actually make the NX quite interesting. I really want to see what they will do, but I'm very inclined to say that if the idea is well-executed, It's a probable buy for me. I hope it's true.