| UncleScrooge said: AMD sounds like the logical choice. Being backwards compatible via Virtual Console should be no problem. The system will be powerful enough to emulate games up to Gamecube and most likely Wii. And Wii U backwards compatibility shouldn't be a central focus: the console failed and people ignored most games on it. They can still release Full HD compilations or remake some Wii U games for NX. The bigger question is: Can AMD provide a great chipset for Nintendo's next handheld system? If so, both machines would be highly similar (the handheld being weaker of course) which would make multiplatform releases across Nintendo's systems easy and Virtual Console porting as well. I don't think Nintendo's plan is to produce a "fusion" console, as that would satisfy neither market. Instead, they'll put extremely similar architectures into both consoles and let them run on the same account system. We will still get two versions of Mario Kart, but they'll share some tracks and assets and basically one version will run at 480p and the other at 1080p with added effects. |
Saying "well just make two Mario Karts" isn't so simple. Assuming your expectation is a Mario Kart for handheld that's about Wii U level in power, and then another one that's on a PS4-ish level home console?
Nintendo doesn't have the resources to make games like that anymore, they release droughts would be several times worse than they are with the Wii U/3DS where both Wii U and 3DS owners are constantly bitching about not having enough Nintendo games to play.
Nintendo supporting two discreet platforms was a helluva lot different with the Wii and DS when development costs were much lower and the Wii was basically just recycled GameCube, so there was literally no hardware transition. We've seen this generation that equation fall apart and it would get worse with even more powerful hardware.
And no, Nintendo is not going to increase their workforce by 2x-3x just so Western consumers can have the same games with better graphics. Nintendo values being a small company, that way they can ensure the culture of the company and its specific style of game development can stay intact. That would fall apart if they expanded to be a bloated company the size of EA or something.
And to be fair to Nintendo no one can support two modern platforms like that anymore. Look at how much trouble Sony is having with the PS4 ... this will be their third holiday season in a row without a big internally published holiday season game, and they completely gave up on the Vita, imagine they actually had to support the Vita too. It would be a complete disaster, nothing would get released on time.
If the architectures are too similar and they're basically just assets traded up and down, then consumers will (rightly) start to feel like they're being ripped off, like they're being asked to pay twice to get all the content from the same engine game. That won't go over well either. If the handheld that I own can run the same engine more or less, why should I pay another $200 + $50-$60 to play basically more tracks from the same engine on the TV version. I think consumers would get angry at that.
