Topic: The 3DS successor is gonna have mobile/tablet features

I just felt like stating an obvious fact. It's the most inevitable thing possible.

I think with Wii U's continued interest to actually be a video game console and how 3DS' 3D is optional, Nintendo can still make it a valid gaming platform with the mobile/tablet features as a blatant marketing thing. And yes, even Nintendo totally knows that, unless you want to tell me the NSMB sequels were made for the art.

I don't consider this an issue or something to be worried about most likely, Nintendo has proven it's willing to stick to focusing on gaming. I dunno if it's straight up gonna be a hybrid of an HD DS and a smart phone or whatever, but something like that. And hey, if it gets Nintendo fighting back against the increasingly horrendous mobile gaming scene (aka the "your best shot is to have no morals or dignity" scene), I consider this for the greater good. Because what money obsessed corporate bs has turned mobile gaming into is the worst thing in gaming. THE WORST THING. Like the EA article was just a reminder that someone needs to stop this, it is just so depressing. And the fact that quality franchises and developers are forced into all of the worst trends, mostly via some misguided idea that its the only way to actually make money on handheld gaming, is just the saddest thing, and I'm really sick of it.

Define "mobile/tablet" features, because I'm not sure what Nintendo could add that would be worthwhile. They've already got touch screen features. They've already got digital games. They've already got F2P games. They've already got multimedia apps (although they could certainly be improved). I don't think they're going to add phone service. What else do they need?

There are people wanting cellular data on Nintendo's next handheld, but I wouldn't find it useful.

I don't know, I think Nintendo has been savvy enough to know that the mobile market is extremely volatile. Yeah, it seems lucrative at face value, but not when you look at how many people are trying to break into the mobile market. Literally thousands of developers are releasing games on iOS/Android right now. Maybe 10 of them will still be in business next year.

There are components you could take away from mobile gaming and apply to a dedicated handheld. I think Nintendo would try to work that angle. I don't think Nintendo is going to be thinking "how can we make the next handheld more like a mobile?" They're going to be thinking "what have mobiles done that can be successfully applied to a handheld?"

One of the biggest things they have to retain is quality control. Yes, a lot of eShop titles blow hard, but it's nowhere near the scale of the mobile market. There is a sea of unplayable garbage on smart devices, because anyone and everyone can release a game on iOS or Android. Nintendo learned in the 80s that that's a very bad idea.

They said they would be marketing on Phones. That sounds like the opposite to me, and more like Animal Crossing plaza on Smartphones. And reminders about games to get gamers off their phones and onto the 4DS. There is endless potential there.

They probably will make a handheld and console combination and release some apps to go hand and hand with software.

Yeah, this sounds more like what Nintendo is thinking for their next handheld. They're definitely not going to make a device that directly competes with smartphones and tablets, that's a fool's errand right now. Especially considering Nintendo's company culture, the mobile market probably does not really care about innovative games and might even be turned off by lower tech compared to competitors.

The question remains though, what can Nintendo take away from mobile that could improve their next handheld? Legit question because IDK mobile gaming that well.

Well, it worked for Vita...

maybe all the connectivity between handheld and console will be like Gameboy Advance and Gamecube, but wirelessly

The quality of those features from Nintendo won't be good enough to interest me.

I think that Nintendo will just be forced to push more features onto their next handheld. Cross-buy, cross-play, connectivity with the home console, expansive Virtual Console, even more freedom for indies and loads of apps along with multitasking. If they go the smartphone way it could easily speak real doom for them, as people who buy a 600$ phone really think that they spent enough money to get everything for free and won't care for 30$ games.
I just hope that Nintendo expands their product line with toys and original stuff, keeping handheld as it is - a dedicated gaming machine. Seeing how cheap new stuff is I'm pretty sure that they can make a quite powerful console at 100-130$ (production costs) so that many could afford it.

They might put data features on the new handheld, but I doubt we'll see a Nintendo phone/game console. Doesn't anyone remember the N-Gage? Blending your phone with a gaming device loses it's novelty after a while, especially to an avid gamer.

Cellular Data (or Mobile Data as I call it), is one of the biggest mistakes ever, since Frieza blew up Krillin.

If mobile/cellular data is in so much demand it makes me wonder why Sony has completely dropped it from the PS Vita - the slim versions are all wi-fi only & I doubt it's just a case of price cutting, It's more likely a lack of demand. We can already access the internet on our mobiles (cell phones) and handhelds offer and escape. Let's not forget that unlike an app, we can continue playing Animal Crossing while still taking a phone call.

I see the future where there is bigger devision in personal technology - we'll have smartwatches which allow us to make calls & receive texts, tablets for our basic computing needs/apps. There will still be space for a dedicated gaming hendheld as long as gaming is an escape for people to relieve their stress. I have a Nexus 7.. the only game I have is the Alpha version of Minecraft PE 1.0 & that's just for testing purposes... I still pull out my 3DS for my relaxation on the move.

I'm pretty sure the next 3DS/Wii U successor is a console and handheld hybrid.

"I'm not sure if handhelds and consoles will merge, but they will become like brothers."

Doesn't sound like a hybrid console is in the cards just yet.

I agree with you and have felt for quite sometime that Nintendo has been pushed into a tablet type of situation. I bet they would do it right. Who knows at this point. Nintendo is well known for surprises maybe they will bring something that blows the world away. I'm more worried abjout the Eshop and its allowance of buggy android type games lately. Nintendo needs to squash anyone who tries to upload a game which obviously crashes. Its their shop it makes them bad.

EA will be right at home in the android market. Buggy broken games. I play quite a bit of android games and even though I do almost every game has a bug or crashes in one way or another. That is what I would hate to see Nintendo come too.

And here I thought this was official. >.>

Fellow Nexus 7 user here I actually play quite a bit on mine but its not close to my main gaming system but it is #2. I love my 3ds so much I'm going to be bummed when Nintendo moves on. I was telling a Friend on Skype that if anything happened to my 3ds I would be heartbroken.

The rise of free to play stuff coming out on 3DS helps my theory. Especially since again, it isn't disgusting like a lot of "free to play" stuff on iOS.