But if they still maintain operating profits and maintain creative control of their IPs by allowing hardware to evolve in different ways than just higher specs than I'd say there's still some pretty significant relevance. Self dependance vs co dependance.

I mean, what good would a subscription service and third parties be if they were bleeding money?

Nintendo also having amount of revenue from third parties, thing that Wii U has only few 3rd parties doesn't change that fact, for instance Wii sold almost 1b of software, do you realise how exactly money is that for Nintendo like platform holder!? You basicly assuming that NX will not have 3rd party at all similat to Wii U, and that is wrong. You can't really break Wii U exclusive just because i failed, one failed console doesn't change anything.

Nintendo always have good profit on its hardware (actually Wii U is first Nintendo console that was sold with small loss at launch), great profit for addons for that hardware and great profit for their games. They dont need 60m+ consoles sales for NX to make sense to maintain exclusivity, they will probably made much much better profit with hardware with sales 20-30m, with profit on that hardware, profit for addons for that hardware, their game of that hardware, Virtual Consoles games, Amiibos, DLCs, revenue from 3rd party like platform holder...then they would if they would ditch all that and instead start relasing games on PS4/XB1. We would need to add and potential sales numbers of next handheld, because you can't really go 3rd party and still have handheld hardware.

Like I wrote, Wii U is Nintendo biggest fail, of course those people didn't disappear most of them are now on mobile platform. You are wrong, people buy PS4/XB1 beacuse GTA5, CoD, Fifa, Fallout, Batman, StarWars, Destiny...just look lists of best selling games PS4/XB1 games here on VGC, in best 30 selling games you don't have anything nearly similar to any Nintendo game. So no, MK8 most likly wouldnt pass 10m on PS4/XB1 combine.

It doesnt have anything with brand, Wii U is very unappealing product for market and in most cases only Nintendo fans bouthe Wii U.

Thats very normal, some time you have popular product some time you dont, Nintendo will definitely quite hardware only because Wii U (even Wii U made them profit). About Wii U software, I am pretty sure some most popular Wii U games will be released on NX is some way.

But like I wrote, Nintendo will definatly not do that, they can have own hardware and games for it, they can have specific games for mobiles, they can have Amiibos and toys, theme parks, movies...and thats exactly what they doing now, Nintendo is expanding the business not shrinking by leaving hardware market. Saying that we will always have some kind of dedicated Nintendo hardware. Nintendo strength is they have own software and hardware (own platform) and because of that basically they can make whatever they want and to have all doors open on market.

I'm just gonna go ahead and repost this because Aquamarine sums up my thoughts perfectly. If the NX does not perform Nintendo will step away from dedicated hardware. It would be the right decision.

Yes, Wii U is faile, but despite its most worst selling Nintendo console ever it made profit for Nintendo. NX will sell better than Wii U in any case (it cant sell worse), but if NX fails also, Nintendo will just try again.

You relly dont understand Nintendo, that is very traditional Japanese Kyoto based company,they are very proud about their business, and they as company that play safe, their also always want to have full control of their business, IPs, opportunities, they dont like to depend on anyone, thats company that didnt had any debt in their long history, and thats why so imporatant for Nintendo to stay on hardware bussines even they make small profit. Much smaller profit this gen is actualy reason why they decided to expand their business, not to leave hardware market, that is not option for them.

Far more bigger chances are that you will play MS games on Nintendo platform or that Sony will go bankrupt, then you will play Nintendo games on PS console.

NX will sell better than WiiU I believe, but no if the NX fails Nintendo will not try again. They have new leadership, they are evolving the company and expanding into multiple different sectors, if the NX fails, it will be cut as Aquamarine says.

Guess how well this worked for Sega, being third party is not what many people who push this argument think, the reason for the quality of the IPs Nintendo has is because they're designed to push their hardware. Some people here seem to misunderstand the whole mobile thing, they're not moving away from dedicated platforms they're making mobile one of their own platforms to compliment their hardware and IPs.

Like I wrote, you relly dont understand Nintendo, that is very traditional Japanese Kyoto based company,they are very proud about their business, and they as company that play safe, their also always want to have full control of their business, IPs, opportunities, they dont like to depend on anyone, thats company that didnt had any debt in their long history, and thats why so imporatant for Nintendo to stay on hardware bussines even they make small profit. Much smaller profit this gen is actualy reason why they decided to expand their business, not to leave hardware market, that is not option for them.

Nintendo seems wasnt that they were not to much upset even with Wii U faile (not to mention that Sony and espacialy MS would leave hardware market in that case), they were more like "OK, Wii U is faile, we will work more on NX".

Yes, they expanding business not cutting down business, they don't and they want cut hardware market if it making profit for them.

Nintendo isn't going to give up making consoles even if the NX fails like the Wii U did. Their hardware, even when it doesn't sell that well, still earns them a ton of profit just from software alone because their games sell that amazingly. There was an article a while ago as well that even said about how even if Nintendo took a loss every single year they would still be able to survive and be fine until the year 2052, that's how much money they have. I don't think you can say the same thing about Microsoft or Sony, especially Sony considering all the debt they owe.

http://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-doomed-not-likely-just-take-look-how-much-money-its-got-bank/

Yes, they are evolving the company and expanding into other things such as amusement park attractions, films, some mobile games, etc but their first and foremost means of profit will always be from their games division, the rest of it is just extra. The only reason it would make sense from a business perspective for them to stop making hardware is if all the other things their doing started making a ton more money than their consoles, but that type of thing wouldn't even be able to be seen until a few years from now at earliest. As of right now it would make no sense and is too early to say something like that.

That point most people dont realise that want "Nintendo games on PS4". Reason why Nintendo games are so special care because they are on Nintendo hardware, Nintendo almost always make that hardware with they 1st party teams and their IPs on their mind (pretty different situation from Sony/MS that make hardware with 3rd party on mind). Also Nintendo like platform holder does not depends from anywhere, they can do and make wherever they want, and that also have huge effect when they making their games. So yes, quality of Nintendo games like 3rd party games definatly wouldnt be same, you can compare quality of Sega game like hardware holder and quality Sega games like 3rd party and see how huge difrence is.

Definitely, Nintendo is just realising mobile versions of their IP for mobile platforms, they not moving from dedicated hardware.

I believe so, yes.