With the announcement that we will hear more about dedicated hardware next year there are plenty of rumors around that the wii u era is coming to a close. I propose a different scenario.

1. The NX is the next handheld. It will be near wii u power and share a few games with the console allowing both to have bigger librarys, similar to the PS3/VITA setup. The NX will also be able to act as a gamepad and it will be released at the end of next year.

2. Nintendos next console will only release when the PS5 and XB2 come out. Nintendo has no reason to jump the gun again and lose more money on a console that will quickly be underpowered.  They also have no reason to make a dedicated console without attempting to get third partys on board. To get third partys on board they wil need to have a console comparable in power and structure to the other to minimise porting costs. If they don't want third party games then they might as well just stick to the NX only and allow it to play through TVs.

What do we think?

This is a good idea, but the question is: why bother? Nintendo doesn't really *need* more horsepower than they have right now to make their games. Sure, some games like Xenoblade X would be better for it, but is it really going to change how the games are made? Doubt it.

So then one would suggest that the only need parity for the other platforms to get third party multiplats. But then the question comes as why anyone would buy this hypothetical console that gets the multiplats, when you have a Wii-U level handheld that has a large library of Nintendo games.

What Nintendo wants above all else is to be able to make 1 game rather than 2. No more Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8. It's redundant and a strain on resources, when you could make Mario Kart 9 and Animal Crossing, instead of having to make Mario Kart 9 and 10 and no Animal Crossing (while the former draws in more diverse crowd)

Interesting theory... but I highly doubt that they will hold off until the PS5/XTwo is released....

Though continuing to support the Wii U would be great, I don't really see them having the need to hold back the next console. The Wii U already had many major hitters released and sales didn't improve to the extent that Nintendo wants. In fact, I'd think that they would push for the next console as quickly as possible so though it would be 'underpowered' it could rival against the PS4/XOne. A somewhat fresh start with a new console is better than holding off.

I don't think the Wii U can be saved at this point.

There are other issues I suspect at play too like Renesas is the only firm that can make the Wii U's eDRAM and Sony owns them now.

So maybe Nintendo feels like they're not going to be able to make the system indefinitely anyway. If Sony chooses to stop making that type of eDRAM ... Nintendo is basically f*cked.

Yea that makes sense! Nintendo needs to get those third parties in their platform and the only way they can do it is by having it close to the ps5/x2

Nintendo's best bet in competing against the PS5/XB2 even if they wanted to go that route (which I doubt) would be having a 1-2 year headstart honestly.

No one is going to choose Nintendo just because they launch at the same time as PS5/XB2, people trust the Sony/MS brands for a certain type of gaming, Nintendo saying "me too" would ellicit a lot "yeah I dunno about that haven't owned a Nintendo console since forever" type thing.

Nintendo's repeatedly said they see their role in the console business now as offering something different. Iwata has also said that Yamauchi would always tell him that Nintendo can't be doing the same thing as others, in fact I think that may as well been his real final directive with regards to the company before passing away -- don't follow others, don't just do the same thing as other companies. 

The next Nintendo console I think will be more like the Wii ... wacky, without maybe the overemphasis on casuals (since iOS covers that) but more of a focus on completely new ways of playing. Like I suspect the controller will make people say "what the hell is that" when they first see it. 

Because as the PS4 and Xbox one show there is still a market that wants better graphics, mulitplats and bigger games than a handheld can really produce. If Nintendo don't want to tap into that market then they don't have to, but if they do then they need parity. Third party games can still net a tidy profit for the hardware maufacturer.

I don't see sony or Microsoft releasing consoles with tech so good that it leads to losses like they did in the PS360 era. If Nintendo can make a console with off the shelf parts thats pretty much profitable from day one ala PS4 then it wouldn't be too risky a venture if they choose to do so.

I agree there's no reason to drop the Wii U quickly. Nintendo need to take their time getting online and accounts working nicely (Smash and MK8 work pretty well but overall still not as good as Xbox 360's online experience). The fusion concept is cool but who knows with Nintendo. I think they should wait until after they establish a strong smart device presence and then use that to market the next console.

If the first mobile games start releasing this fall, I'd guess it take about a year for Nintendo to dominate the games market on iOS and Android. Then they can use the next two years to develop a strong launch lineup and build third party relationships. So I think they should release the next console by fall 2018. They have to market the console like crazy especially through their mobile games.

I want NIntendo to have a strong launch lineup for their next console and also support the Wii U for a long time still. Maybe this is all too much to ask of Nintendo, they don't get third party support to help take some pressure off of them. I feel bad for their employees actually, the next 5 years for them will probably be hell :(

"Nintendo has no reason to jump the gun again."

What? Nintendo has THE reason to "jump the gun, again." The Wii U is an anchor. The Wii U is actively losing Nintendo money. Whether people like it or not, the Wii U's out of here and fast, and the NX announcement is proof.

And aside from that, there's no way Nintendo is tethering their ambitious, hopefully successful, new handheld to the anvil that is the Wii U as its revolutionary new selling point. "Hello. This is Satoru Iwata, presenting to you the Nintendo NX. For the first time ever, we will blur the lines between console and handheld by allowing you to play our failed system no one wants anywhere you'd like! In fact, the Wii U is pivotal to this handheld."

Come on.

This