So by now any self-respecting gamer will know that Nintendo’s new console, the NX, is on its way. Isn’t it exciting? All those things we’ve been told by Nintendo about how great the console will be are finally coming to fruition. Like…erm. Oh and…nope. Okay, at least we know the new Legend of Zelda is coming out on it, implementing an open-world idea that has been done to death by practically every game of this generation, so that’s something, I guess.
Other than that, all we really have from Nintendo is a load of rumours and supposed leaks. The console is supposed to be coming out in the first quarter of 2017 and yet we still know practically nothing about it.
For me, this is a worrying turn of events. Granted, Nintendo don’t really need to dig into the details of their console in terms of the launch being potentially impacted by a rival launch. But what they do have to go against is two consoles – namely the Xbox One and PS4 – that have already been out there for a couple of years and have built some pretty solid user-bases.
By contrast, the NX really feels like a panicked response to the fact that the Wii U failed to carry over the fad started by the Wii. They are called casual for a reason, as these are the people who are going to jump all over a fad until it’s no longer the cool thing and then move onto whatever else comes along. However, the reports seem to suggest that this is the market that Nintendo are going to be chasing again.
Chasing The Casual
It is in this chasing the casual fan that Nintendo seems so determined to do that I start to develop my worries. Ever since the runaway success of the Wii, which sold a ton of consoles but comparatively few games when put against the PS3 and Xbox 360, Nintendo has been determined to market its console to the portion of supposed gamers out there that Sony and Microsoft’s offerings don’t appeal to.
The problem I see with this is that this portion of gamers only exist when conditions are right. The Wii succeeded because it brought something completely new to the table and made it very affordable. Gamers could buy the Wii and have it as a companion piece to the console that they spent most of their time on, while it also made a great present for Nan for a few months, until it inevitably ended up back in its box and buried in storage.
Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot has speculated about the console and reckons that it could be a powerhouse in terms of attracting the casual fans that Sony and Microsoft apparently miss out on, which only goes to further my worries. Is the console going to be affordable enough for them? Will it have some amazing innovation that perks up interest? Will it feature games that will attract actual gamers so that Nintendo can achieve some sales if whatever they have up their sleeves doesn’t attract casuals?
None of these questions are getting answered, as Nintendo seems pretty determined to keep a tight lid on everything.
Do We Know Anything?
While nothing has really been confirmed, there have been a bunch of leaks that may act as hints of what Nintendo has to offer.
The most recent seems to be that the console will be based on the X86 architecture that forms the basis of the PS4 and Xbox One, but even then there are rumours that the console could just as easily lean towards the nVidia Tegra. The former would be a good idea in my estimation, as having a similar hardware set-up to the established consoles on the market may at least make porting games to the console a little easier.
Also, there’s apparently going to be a camera built into the console, which is being touted as an industry first. It would be an industry first because it’s practically worthless in a world where cheap webcams are easy to access, but still it’s totally innovative guys! I guess it could be used for streaming, but it hardly appeals as the supposed killer feature of the console.
Nintendo have spent a lot of time talking about how the console will bring a brand new concept to gaming, which is why nothing is being shown yet. The company believes that its rivals will jump immediately onto the bandwagon of whatever it is they have up their sleeves, much like they did with motion control in the immediate aftermath of the Wii’s success.
What we’ve had from sources is the possibility that the console has detachable controls and the rumour that the console can be used both at home and as a handheld. Nice ideas, for sure, but certainly not something so revolutionary that the gaming world will claw off each other’s faces just to get their hands on the console. Or maybe I’m just out of touch and this is what we’ve been waiting for all this time.
There are even rumours flying around that the company will be looking to use a cartridge-based system, which just seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Why use a format that is outdated and provides potentially huge challenges to developers?
So What Am I Trying To Say?
I guess what I’m shooting for here is that I miss the Nintendo of old. The company has always gone against the grain. The Wii, the Nintendo 64 and the DS line are all examples of that. This has allowed them to set themselves apart, but it also lines them up for potential failure, especially if their ideas don’t catch on. But in days gone by they also delivered some of the greatest games ever made. The release of a new Mario game is no longer accompanied with the fanfare it once had, especially seeing as there are so many of them now. Metroid is struggling and it’s only Zelda that is generating buzz at the moment. Third parties are now just as capable of creating gaming greatness as Nintendo are, which can make what they have to offer even less appealing.
I’m worried this is going to happen with the NX. I no longer really look forward to hearing what Nintendo has planned for its consoles and that’s a damned shame. I’m even struggling to build excitement for an open-world Zelda, likely because the market is so saturated with open-world games that I’d prefer something a little tighter and more concise.
I’m also worried that Nintendo could be neglecting the third-party developers that have been so instrumental in the successes that Sony and Microsoft have enjoyed, especially if this cartridge rumour turns out to be true. Why create a medium that is potentially going to be very difficult to develop for if it means restricting access to developers?
I really hope that I’m wrong. I hope that the NX comes out and it turns out to be a revelation. Nintendo deliver on all of their promises of innovation and greatness and I can feel excited about something that the company is doing for the first time in a long time. Unfortunately, for some reason I just don’t see it happening. When I think of Nintendo now I get all doomy and gloomy. I can’t help but think that the company, despite being more profitable and having smarter people on top, may eventually head the way of SEGA or, even worse, place all of their focus into mobile gaming. That would be a travesty. Perhaps I’m overreacting and just yearning for the days of old when Nintendo actually meant something to me.
I guess we will discover the truth next year when we finally find out just what the NX actually is.
Always a huge fan of gaming and it would definitely make a change. I hope for it come in Jan 2017 and then gaming is oN!
I agree. I miss the old Nintendo. It is tough with the technology driven generation now where gaming is not only the gameplay anymore. Graphics and effects play a key part into what gaming is today. It has gone from gaming interaction with yourself and friends in the same room, to online MMO gaming where the interaction in the same room becomes less and less.