Global NX Speculation Thread

What do you want the NX to be? Currently the possibilities are endless, as Nintendo hasn't announced anything besides a name and date to discuss it in detail.

This the the major thread to speculate about the NX, and as such will be stickied until actual information is available.

If we're being honest, I'm currently concerned about the NX, mainly because of the way it's being presented. Let me lay out my reasoning.

If it's a "3rd pillar" console, then that means it'll still be an 8th gen console (along with the 3DS, Wii U, PS4, and XBONE). Plus, if the QOL platform is coming out soon, depending on how that turns out, that could be another pillar. Why is this such a problem? Well, it looks like Nintendo is trying to make a bridge console, if that makes sense; it'll bridge the 8th and 9th generation of gaming hardware. This means the Wii U's sales could cannibalize on the NX's sales for a while; those that have been picking up a Wii U as new big hits like Splatoon, Smash Bros. for Wii U, (and later on) Mario Maker, Xenoblade X, and Star Fox Zero could feel somewhat cheated even if the Wii U will still be supported. Even if they don't feel cheated, many users would be content with only the Wii U for a while until deciding to take another console.

Along with it being a bridge console comes its power. It's been rumored that it's not going to compete with the PS4 for power, which some think means it'll have a higher power but I think it'll mean lower. I know power isn't everything in video gaming, but at this point, Nintendo's consoles do need a bit of a boost in power in my opinion. I think they could get more 3rd party support (and I mean large 3rd party support, not just indies (I love indies, the thing is their games more often than not don't sell consoles)). If Nintendo has the right new gimmick, it could work, but I'm not sure at this point if it'll be anything more than the fact it's a fusion of handheld and console. If that actually works, it'll get sales, but anything below that won't cut it.

Going back once again to being a bridge console, this puts Nintendo in a kind of middle ground I don't believe many people will go. People will have already bought an 8th generation console, but this won't be a 9th generation console most likely, especially with the amount of power there is. And if this is releasing in 2017, that means it'll take probably another half a decade at least for a 9th gen console from Nintendo, putting Nintendo even further behind. Now, if the NX is still in development and will get more power, the NX could be a great 9th gen console. I think pushing the NX back would be a great business decision and would give more time for a higher quality console that comes out perhaps even at the start of the 9th generation and not just the end of the 8th generation.

If the NX isn't a solid console people are sold on from the initial pitch, no one will buy it day one. Why? Nintendo has had a bad track record in the 8th generation. The 3DS got had very few solid games and was expensive for the first half year. It got a significant price drop later in the year, along with Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land later on in the year too. The Wii U had a few great titles from launch but as time went on it had very little support for up to a year after it launched. Plus, it got price drops and better bundles soon after its release. With that in mind, many potential customers probably won't get an NX at or around launch unless there's a very solid selling point. Nintendo HAS to nail the NX for it to stay relevant.

I think the best possible way the NX could work is if it is a true fusion console that comes out at the right time and the marketing is done correctly. Alternatively, if the NX is a cheap console that's a fusion console, it might work as a bridge console. If it has any other gimmick, it really has to work; I don't feel like the Wii U's GamePad has been being used to its full potential, especially by 3rd party developers. It does seem like even Nintendo is struggling to find a way to use the Wii U GamePad sometimes.

tl;dr - I don't think Nintendo has much leeway for success with the NX as a result of the little info Nintendo has disclosed or that which has been rumored.

Dash wrote:

If we're being honest, I'm currently concerned about the NX, mainly because of the way it's being presented. Let me lay out my reasoning.

If it's a "3rd pillar" console, then that means it'll still be an 8th gen console (along with the 3DS, Wii U, PS4, and XBONE). Plus, if the QOL platform is coming out soon, depending on how that turns out, that could be another pillar. Why is this such a problem? Well, it looks like Nintendo is trying to make a bridge console, if that makes sense; it'll bridge the 8th and 9th generation of gaming hardware. This means the Wii U's sales could cannibalize on the NX's sales for a while; those that have been picking up a Wii U as new big hits like Splatoon, Smash Bros. for Wii U, (and later on) Mario Maker, Xenoblade X, and Star Fox Zero could feel somewhat cheated even if the Wii U will still be supported. Even if they don't feel cheated, many users would be content with only the Wii U for a while until deciding to take another console.

Along with it being a bridge console comes its power. It's been rumored that it's not going to compete with the PS4 for power, which some think means it'll have a higher power but I think it'll mean lower. I know power isn't everything in video gaming, but at this point, Nintendo's consoles do need a bit of a boost in power in my opinion. I think they could get more 3rd party support (and I mean large 3rd party support, not just indies (I love indies, the thing is their games more often than not don't sell consoles)). If Nintendo has the right new gimmick, it could work, but I'm not sure at this point if it'll be anything more than the fact it's a fusion of handheld and console. If that actually works, it'll get sales, but anything below that won't cut it.

Going back once again to being a bridge console, this puts Nintendo in a kind of middle ground I don't believe many people will go. People will have already bought an 8th generation console, but this won't be a 9th generation console most likely, especially with the amount of power there is. And if this is releasing in 2017, that means it'll take probably another half a decade at least for a 9th gen console from Nintendo, putting Nintendo even further behind. Now, if the NX is still in development and will get more power, the NX could be a great 9th gen console. I think pushing the NX back would be a great business decision and would give more time for a higher quality console that comes out perhaps even at the start of the 9th generation and not just the end of the 8th generation.

If the NX isn't a solid console people are sold on from the initial pitch, no one will buy it day one. Why? Nintendo has had a bad track record in the 8th generation. The 3DS got had very few solid games and was expensive for the first half year. It got a significant price drop later in the year, along with Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land later on in the year too. The Wii U had a few great titles from launch but as time went on it had very little support for up to a year after it launched. Plus, it got price drops and better bundles soon after its release. With that in mind, many potential customers probably won't get an NX at or around launch unless there's a very solid selling point. Nintendo HAS to nail the NX for it to stay relevant.

I think the best possible way the NX could work is if it is a true fusion console that comes out at the right time and the marketing is done correctly. Alternatively, if the NX is a cheap console that's a fusion console, it might work as a bridge console. If it has any other gimmick, it really has to work; I don't feel like the Wii U's GamePad has been being used to its full potential, especially by 3rd party developers. It does seem like even Nintendo is struggling to find a way to use the Wii U GamePad sometimes.

tl;dr - I don't think Nintendo has much leeway for success with the NX as a result of the little info Nintendo has disclosed or that which has been rumored.

To be honest, I'm okay with the NX being an 8th gen platform if it has a gimmick. Should Nintendo introduce a new, high power console in the next 2 years? No, this would not be a good time. I'd rather they get any gimmicks out of their system now. If NX doesn't sell well, they might just realize that Gen 9 needs to be a little more serious. There's room for innovation in gaming, but innovation comes in software as well as hardware. With some solid hardware I'd love to see how they can innovate Gen 9 (or even with NX).

But if Gen 9 is a gimmicky console and Gen 8 add on is a powerful(ish) NX? That'd be backwards for the reasons you said above- they really should start a generation strong.

Well, my reasoning was that if they launched a console in, say, 2017, not many would buy it because they would have (somewhat) recently bought an 8th gen console and are waiting for the 9th gen consoles to come out. The NX wouldn't start the 9th gen strong, it'd finish the 8th gen. The NX could be a great thing, but without the sales, it won't do too hot.


As I said though, either I think the NX should be put off for a longer development and come out in the 9th gen or be a cheap console in the 8th gen that doesn't annoy people already owning a Wii U or 3DS.