Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@skywake:
We actually know a bit more than that.

“To cite a specific case, Apple is able to release smart devices with various form factors one after another because there is one way of programming adopted by all platforms. Apple has a common platform called iOS,” Iwata stated. “Another example is Android. Though there are various models, Android does not face software shortages because there is one common way of programming on the Android platform that works with various models. Nintendo platforms should be like those two examples.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2014/02/03/future-nintendo-devices-...

“It of course does not mean that we are going to use exactly the same architecture as Wii U, but we are going to create a system that can absorb the Wii U architecture adequately,” Iwata clarified. “When this happens, home consoles and handheld devices will no longer be completely different, and they will become like brothers in a family of systems.”
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2014/02/03/future-nintendo-devices-...

This was from February 2014.
This is how we know of the unified OS and development architect.

Hmmmm..... Interesting... Well, I hope the handheld and console are very powerful.

@Xenocity:
I'm aware of that, but that's not what the NX is. I wouldn't at all be surprised if there is a way to develop for the NX and the Wii U or the NX and whatever comes after it. I assume that's the way they're headed. But that's not what the NX is. The NX is a specific piece of hardware in the same way that the iPad is a specific piece of hardware. They've made that much very clear.

I know I'm probably being pedantic here but I think it's a point worth making. I don't think that they're going to come on stage next year and point to a slide saying "here's the software platform and hardware ecosystem NX". They haven't said anything that would lend itself to that. From what we know they're going to pull the NX from under a jacket. Because the NX is hardware.

@skywake: If it's just a standard console, then it's DOA. They should have that in the beginning of this gen. What will be the incentive to that? Playing Nintendo games that people tend to overestimate in this current gaming market? The "X" means something. Most associate it with "Cross" like cross-purchase, cross-platform, cross-multiplayer, cross-save, etc.

'System' does not have to mean 'hardware'.

Let me throw it out there - NX could be absolutely no hardware and just a big firmware/OS overhaul for Wii U and N3DS.

Here's another quote:

I know you guys will probably be pedantic. You'll probably argue that them calling it a "dedicated game system" and a "platform" that they have to start from 0 with. Even when they're comparing it to the Wii U and 3DS which have install bases. You'll probably not be happy unless I can find a picture of someone from Nintendo pointing to an NX with a press release saying "this hardware is the NX".

..... but I think there's more than enough to say that it's hardware. It's pretty damn clear. Unless they're being incredibly tricky with their wording. Which I doubt. Because even though they have been pretty vague in general about the NX they haven't been at all vague about the fact that it's hardware. They literally announced it so they could show investors that they're still in the hardware game. That's the one thing we can be pretty damn sure about.

@skywake: keep in mind that there's always trouble in translating comments from other language sources. A videogame system itself could be far less hardware centric when spoken by a japanese ceo. It could also have always been "hardware" as you put it.

It is not that clear cut at all. They announced it so they could tell everybody they are still in the hardware business. That doesn't by definition isolate the NX to being hardware - that's just a logical fallacy.

It's likely to be associated with hardware, but comments from iwata himself hinted at more than that a month before the dena release when we were all posting how nintendo is so clever not to be on smart devices and how they told us that was not what they were going to do and most of us agreed on that oh boy so confirmed that all was.

Just saying.

I think we are highlighting just how little we actually know about the NX. We don't anything but we are takong some very broad statements a d trying them like they are giving detailed information.

@erv:
Well the quote I got were the official English translations from Nintendo's website. I also found a few quotes from some people at NoA who said it was dedicated hardware but that's NoA so they're just repeating what Japan says. I think the big thing that backs the idea that it's actually hardware though is this slide....

A slide which, from what I can tell, illustrates pretty well the bit about the NX being in a similar "group" as the Wii U and 3DS. I don't know any other way you could interpret what they are saying. At the very least I think it's fair to say that the NX is at least a new hardware platform. Whether or not it's a range of hardware or not I suppose you could debate. But I think this other slide suggests that they have been thinking about the next portable and next home console as seperate things....

All I'm saying is that the NX is most likely one of either of those two orange boxes on the right... and that everything they've said points to that. If you're reading anything else into it I think you're taking a bit of a leap.

I think it is, too. But that doesn't isolate NX to being just that - if I look at the stuff iwata hinted at before, like what apple does with iOS, I consider whatever the new hardware is to be driven by the software or architectural change that is done. Hence, NX to be more than that piece of hardware we'll see first.

Of course there is hardware involved. There's also almost no possibility of NX being a software update for current hardware. So I expect hardware to be NX driven, sure. The quotes from @Xenocity are the most obvious hints that nintendo has seen the light in terms of uniformity and change being mostly software driven with hardware being scalable within boundaries nintendo themselves apply.

So I don't consider the jump to NX as a platform as far fetched at all - I consider it more logical and reasonable than alternatives. But yeah, it'll involve hardware for sure. Consider it likely that the change - and its subsequent strength - is more than just hardware and could well extend into architecture and software, though. And because of those statements, "NX is hardware" is a correct assumption, just not a complete one.

I hope it doesn't look like that orange box though. Or that blue circle

@erv: It could always be the case that the ''NX'' is just hardware, but will share a similar OS with other devices. That OS doesn't necessarily have to called ''NX''.

@Octane: Not unlike how the iPhone launched as the iPhone with the "iPhone OS". Then when the iPad launched down the road they changed the name of the OS it ran to "iOS". They announced hardware and a new software platform under the same banner. Then down the road when they had another product they renamed the software platform.

Really this argument is a bit of a "chicken and egg" thing. Whether the NX is a piece of hardware or an ecosystem of products probably doesn't matter. Because odds are whatever the NX actually is we'll likely get a piece of hardware and an ecosystem of products. Either way we can be fairly sure that we are getting hardware

@skywake: Yeah, I agree. Unifying their hardware products seems to be the next logical step.

@Octane:
There is no need to unify the hardware products.
Both handheld and console serve two different markets at heart.
Apple still has iPad, iPhone, iPod(all models) IPod Touch, Mac line
Google still has Chrome books, tablets, phones and Android OS
GM still produces trucks, cars, SUVs etc...

The technology doesn't exist yet to make a cost effective "hybrid" for Nintendo, not does it make sense to combined two profitable markets into one unhappy market.

it's also much better to make a full handheld and full console that use the same OS, architect, assets and development tools.
If one hardware fails to gain market traction the other can off set it.

It has been "leaked" by NeoGaf and others that Nintendo's new system (hardware) is near completion and the specs were shown to key 3rd parties at E3 this year.
Even S-E mentioned it at the DQXI unveiling.

People at Nintendo have regularly used the phrase "dedicated handheld", dedicated system and dedicated hardware.
Reggie since E3 has said the word "console" to instead of the above when talking about the NX.

Wii U will continue to receive the games that are finishing development (ala PS1) for it and maybe some eShop titles that can easily run on it and NX.

NX OS will be the basis going forward like iOS is for iPhone, or OS X is for Mac, or Windows is for PC.
It should mean no hard rest each generation going forward.

@Xenocity: I meant the OS. An actual ''hybrid'' of home and handheld console is just an expensive handheld, it doesn't work. They'll probably continue to make different systems for both the home console and the handheld market, but a similar OS and unifying the account system would be appreciated, allowing for simple cross-buy for eShop games and such.

@Octane:
That's what I've been taking ab out a unified OS and development architect will make development that much easier and streamlined allowing for them to easily make many more games.
it should also allow for 1 Mario Kart, 1 Smash Bros, 1 Animal Crossing and the like to be played on either system.

Whether or not they allow cross-buy of full games is a different story.

I think the argument was whether the NX is just a OS or also new Hardware.

I keep seeing people saying that a "Hybrid" system won't work, but I've yet to see any reasonable argument (I'm not saying there isn't one, I'm just saying I haven't seen one) as to why that is.

What I see however, is that the reasons for having both handhelds and home consoles, are no longer valid issues.

Yes, it would basically be a portable system you could plug-in (dock) at home (although that part could be optional, and sold separately), and then be no different than a normal home console. Every "problem" I've ever seen about such a system, is so easy to address, it's hardly worth mentioning; so I won't.

I will say though, I do enjoy reading others perspectives on what issues they think are relevant; because I'm always looking for new view-points.

How would they sell this Hybrid machine? If it is both a Home Console and a Portable Console, how would they sell it? 1 box with all the components to make it both a Home and Portable system? Separate Boxes, one with everything for the home system, one with everything for the portable system?

My biggest issue with a Hybrid machine is that it is very difficult to deliver that message to the public. They want 1 machine that does its job. They don't want multiple machines to do 1 job.

@FattyWhale_42: Define ''hybrid console'', I've seen various people talking about different setups, but none seem to be reasonable products.

Many people think of a Wii U with a GamePad that you can take anywhere you want, effectively acting as a handheld. However that's in no way feasible. I think we can agree on that. The controller would have to contain all the hardware if you want it to work like a portable, the main ''console'' would therefore not be necessary, and you end up with a handheld that can stream games to a TV. The problem is that graphically it would be nowhere near as good as an actual home console. The only option that would be plausible is when both the controller and the main console contain all the hardware necessary to play games, the console would ''upgrade'' the graphics so that they would be on par with other consoles when played on a TV (I actually don't know how easy it is to achieve, but let's assume that it's possible). Anyway, now we're left with both a controller that plays games (effectively a handheld console), and the main console that plays games (effectively a home console). They would be selling two systems as one. At that point, why not sell both systems separately and give consumers the option to play handheld games on a TV if they own both systems, like how the Vita and PS4 work. I don't see any reasonable way in which it wouldn't be easier to just sell both systems separately, it is cheaper if you only want one and consumers have a choice and are not forced to buy both products.