Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has spoken briefly about the Nintendo NX in an investor meeting designed to clarify Nintendo’s position in both the dedicated gaming and mobile gaming markets. No specific information about the design or the function of the console was given, but Iwata did clarify why he mentioned the NX so early within the company’s history and why there won’t be any details about the system released until 2016.
The question that prompted Iwata to speak briefly on the NX came from an investor asking for more information about the system and whether or not it would become a replacement for the current gen Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. Iwata’s response is rather interesting.
” I intentionally chose to announce the development of NX so early because I wanted to confirm the fact that we are developing a new dedicated video game platform, that we have never lost passion regarding the future for dedicated video game systems and that we have bright prospects for them. Though I cannot confirm when it will be launched or any other details of the system, since I have confirmed that it will be “a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept,” it should mean that we do not intend it to become a simple “replacement” for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U.
The fact that the system isn’t being considered a replacement right now could be clever wording on Iwata’s part, or it could be something entirely new. A hybrid mobile and home console system has long been rumored and with rumors of Sharp making a “donut-shaped” display, many rumors have cropped up about the direction of the NX.
Perhaps the most interesting thing from Iwata in response to this question is the fact that he acknowledges different parts of the world value gaming on consoles more than in Japan. While console gaming has been in decline in Japan for a very long while now, it continues to thrive in the United States and Europe. Previous Nintendo consoles have focused on bringing content to Japan first, but Iwata’s response makes it seem like the company could be more accomodating to the rest of the world’s game habits in the future.
Your question also included the “current notion of thinking about home consoles and handheld devices.” When it comes to how dedicated game systems are being played, the situations have become rather different, especially between Japan and overseas. Since we are always thinking about how to create a new platform that will be accepted by as many people around the world as possible, we would like to offer to them “a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept” by taking into consideration various factors, including the playing environments that differ by country. This is all that I can confirm today.
Either way, all of this is interesting information for the next generation of Nintendo hardware.
