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Soundwave on 05 October 2015
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UncleScrooge said:
spemanig said:

It will be because of the unprecidented focus on firmware, UI, OS, and platform ecosystem that will put them in a completely different tier of consoles from the other two. And honestly, a lot of it will just be doing what Steam OS does now. The reason why it will feel like a big deal is because of that platform's relationship to the hardware. If Steam OS is like Android, Nintendo NX is like Apple's iOS. It's doing that for a much more mainstream console audience with, hopefully, a more modern UI and OS that doesn't only focus on making games run well, but that makes the user experience of interacting with your library of games as convenient as currently possible.

Digital only is convenient. A unified platform where you can play at home and then seemlessly play on the go is convenient. Streaming video games (seriously, Nintendo will be fools not to capitalize on this) is convenient. All the UI, OS, firmware, and platform stuff they will be implementing will be done to make the NX consoles the most modern, accessable, and convenient premium gaming experiences you can possibly get. That's what their MO will be, and that's what they'll be selling their platform on.

And that's why the membership program releasing any day now is so exciting. That is our first tangable, cunsumable glimpse at this ecosystem. If NX is iOS, this is a combination of Apple IDs and a Steam account. This is what will tie you to the NX. This is the key to that platform's doors, and as Nintendo has specifically quoted:

"This membership will form one of the core elements of the new Nintendo platform that I just mentioned." - Iwata


I agree with the things you said and I also think it is going to be very exciting. Being able to purchase a large chunk of newly released titles, Virtual Console games and indie titles once and play them on both devices (with my save file being transferred between the two) would be awesome.

What I wonder though ist this: How will Nintendo do this in a way that respects the different jobs handhelds and home consoles perform? What about input methods? We have seen multiple times that people do not want to play home console games on a handheld (at least outside of Japan). The next Nintendo handheld has to get better at competing with smartphone games: Quick, pick-up and play titles that can be played for 5 minutes during a bus ride for instance. If "all" we get is a home console + a handheld with the same control scheme Nintendo would be severely limiting its mass market appeal. The DS and Wii took off because they lowered the barrier to play games and right now Smartphone games are popular because they have a low entry barrier, as well. What I'm saying is: Nintendo's sales situation is not going to change if all we get for NX is a traditional controller (think a Gamepad without a screen) and a PS Vita-like handheld. Bundling two failed uproaches together with a unified account system is not going to make those into a success. It would just spread existing 3DS and Wii U sales more evenly across both devices or even worse make their handheld sales implode. 

iOS makes it easy to release one App for all devices because those devices have one common input method. But so far Nintendo's approach has been to introduce new input methods whenever possible. Buttons and sticks will be present in both devices of course. But how can you replicate the DS's touch screen (assuming there won't be another gamepad) and dual screen on home console NX? What about Wii (U) motion controls on a handheld NX? Is Nintendo going to just throw those things that made their most popular home console and handheld unique out and focus on buttons? And if so, what would stop Sony and Microsoft from making even better unified platforms in the future? In the end, both Sony and Microsoft are larger companies than Nintendo and this sounds a lot like direct competition. Also, third parties will still prefer to release games on their platforms if they offer a similar service. 

I'm not saying your argument is flawed or anything. I totally agree with what you said. I just wonder how Nintendo is going to take on these problems. Because taking away what made the DS and Wii successful for a unified system that features exactly the same input methods as every other console and handheld on the market doesn't seem like a very smart move to me. 


Lets be honest though ... assuming the 3DS actually could run Wii U engines ... which Wii U game that Nintendo has made wouldn't work on the New 3DS at least? It's not as streamlined as Apple, but it's not so different that games would have to be completely reworked. 

I think they are just going to offer Android apps full stop through their own eShop and OS (like Blackberry and Amazon Fire do). 

Which I think is fairly smart. Games aside even there are a ton of Android apps that would greatly broaden the user experience on a Nintendo portable. Video players could allow people to watch movies/TV shows/cartoons, drawing apps could allow people to create art, Facebook-Instagram-Twitter etc. give people their social networking, email apps, music apps, etc. etc. etc. and best of all Nintendo doesn't have to waste any resources developing this functionality.