With the announcement of not showing the NX at E3 and simultaneously announcing full blown Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing games on mobile I'm starting to think Nintendo is just stringing along the hard core fans while they make the move to mobile.

This move would quiet the massive outcry hardcore Nintendo fans would make about them going fully mobile. If Nintendo delays the NX again in March 2017 then they would have convinced me they in fact are leaving the console business altogether.

Yep, not even counting the great exclusives on Xbox and Playstation there was so much multiplats and indies gems that Nintendo gamers missed because Nintendo, as a greedy corporation, wanted to sell cheap hardware gimmicks (while making a lot of money on them): All their consoles after the Gamecube and now those expensive piece of plastic called Amiibos.

They never said Animal Crossing for mobile was going to be a full blown game akin to the other games in the franchise nor did they say the same thing about FE. They even said that AC mobile would connect to the console games in some shape or form. Read all of their Q&As and their announcements carefully before saying that they are "full-blown" games. 

We're reading way too much into things. Nintendo wants to be ready with NX and they just didn't think a 2016 release would be sufficient from what I've heard. Plus, they probably want all the worldwide attention to themselves instead of sharing and fighting for attention at E3, which kinda has been weird for Nintendo. From what I've heard, one of the reasons they did directs instead of press conferences is because they want to control how their message is being sent instead of having inaccurate quotes or misunderstandings that the press tends to do with Nintendo. I don't know exactly, but that's what I heard.

Nevertheless, they have not shown signs of going full on mobile, nor signs of going out of the console market. They want to use it as a platform to raise awareness of their IPs. Like the theme parks, anime/tv shows, films, amiibo, and other merchandise. I'm guessing they want to be a more multimedia company since video games are the main thing, and for almost 30 years, only thing, they've done as a business.

From Nintendo's website:

• Nintendo’s Next Mobile Apps: Building on the positive consumer reaction to Miitomo, Nintendo announced that its next two mobile apps would be based on the familiar and beloved Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing franchises. Nintendo plans to release both of these applications this autumn. As for the former app, while making it more accessible in comparison to the Fire Emblem games for Nintendo’s dedicated gaming systems, Nintendo aims to offer the great value of a role-playing strategy game. Nintendo will design the latter game so that it will be connected with the world of Animal Crossing for dedicated gaming systems. By playing both Animal Crossing games, users will find increased enjoyment. Both of these are pure game applications. Compared to Miitomo, they have more prominent game elements, and the game content will tie closely into Nintendo’s dedicated games business. Nintendo will provide more details about these applications closer to their launch period, and aims to have multiple types of apps that appeal to different audiences and different groups of players.

I don't know if I agree with him about how releasing games in the first half of the year is bad, or not really a thing. A lot of games get released in the first half of the year and it is good to release some big titles at a less crowded time. Sure in quite a few cases those releases are because a planned holiday release the prior year had to be delayed, but still there are some significant games that get targetted at first half of the year release.

In terms of Zelda U specifically. If that was Wii U's only value proposition for the holidays then yeah, it's basically destroyed Wii U's holiday prospects.

There is excitement for NX among Nintendo fans. But is there any buzz outside of this group? I think Nintendo wants to expand its audience. I don't think Nintendo will be too happy with only selling to the current 3DS and Wii U install base. Particularly given a decent % of 3DSLL and N3DS sales will have gone or original 3DS owners, so the install base is quite a bit smaller than the sales.

I upgraded my 3DSXL to the New 3DSXL so your right, the installed base numbers take me (and many others) into account twice. So what is the real installed base numbers for 3DS? How many people double dipped? I bet it's a large number.

I reckon it could be between 10 and 20%. My son has a 3DS but pretty much stopped playing any 3DS games before any large or New skus came out, so he still has his original. And even if he was still playing 3DS games he doesn't have the money to upgrade and I would never fund an upgrade even as a birthday present. So I suspect there are a lot more people (kids) in my son's situation than in yours. But still, dropping the user base by 6-12 million out of a total of ~70 million combined Wii U and 3DS sales is a pretty big chunk.

But its not like they're going to make the next main installment of FE for mobile. Remember accessibility, FE made it's comeback because Fates and Awakening were more accessible. In the end, the mobile game will do it's job that Nintendo has intended for it, and its other games that will be on mobile, to do, expose the IPs to wider audiences and raise awareness. 

A joint console? Why would we want that? Just have Nintendo put their games on the next Playstation.

I can't think of anything Nintendo could add that would improve apon the Playstation formula hardware wise.

Enjoying my PS4 at the moment, but I've gotten better quality gaming out of the Wii U so far this gen.

I'll probaby be getting an XBO next year too... after the NX, of course.