Topic: IF the Nintendo Code-Name "NX" DOESN'T have backwards compatibility...

@Therad That makes more sense, but iirc Microsoft claimed that they did it using emulation. If true, that's impressive though, but it doesn't really line up with the limited library and need for downloads.

Oh great! First we argued what 'gimmick' means, then we argued what a console 'generation' means, and now we're arguing about what 'BC' means

I have to agree - what I've heard about 360 games on XBone... that's not BC, that's specific games being ported/emulated. BC, in the traditional sense, should allow you to play all your previous generation of games. It's been muddled by the uptake of digital purchases, but it should still enable discs to play too. But if Nintendo somehow came up with a scheme whereby you could prove you owned a disc (with a unique ID that could only be registered once) and therefore qualified for the digital download on NX, I wouldn't mind, and that would effectively achieve the same as what the traditional term of BC meant.

I don't see any significant evidence to say NX won't be BC with Wii U. Sure, the handheld element of NX probably won't be, but who's to say an NX base unit won't include an optical drive and Wii U guts (or at least the option for one, either integrated or as a purchase-separately peripheral)? A base unit could offer BC. Not saying it will happen - I think it's unlikely, but I don't see how anyone can claim to know that NX won't be BC at this stage.

To answer OP's question: Yes, if Wii U games remain exclusive to Wii U, then the system will be more valuable to me than if another system succeeding it has BC with Wii U. Because I can run all my Wii and Gamecube games on my Wii U, and even use the Gamecube Controller adapter, my Wii has become much less valuable to me. I can do everything on my Wii U that I wanted to do on my Wii.

@gcunit Well, I don't think they're going to include a Wii U in the NX dock, that would just drive up the costs too much for something that only a few people will care about. Because that that point they're essentially selling NX + Wii U combo packs. I think it's therefore safe to say that the NX won't play your Wii U games.

@Octane Approx. half the cost of the Wii U was the gamepad, which the NX handheld/controller will supersede. Then take out the cost of the bits that an NX base unit would have anyway (some storage, memory, network connectivity, electronics for streaming to the gamepad, an optical drive [if Nintendo has any interest in overcoming its previous resistance to the console being used as a media device - disc is still King in home cinema]) and you're left with not much more than the cost of the CPU and GPU, which would not only have come down in price since 2012, but Nintendo may well have a few sitting around in unsold Wii Us etc. that they'd like to put to use.

Again I say, unlikely, but I wouldn't rule it out just yet. You suggest only a few people will care about BC, but I think the 13 million Wii U owners would be quite appreciative, and if it weren't for those 13 million Wii U owners, where would Nintendo be now? A lot of those 13 millions customers are hurting right now due to the way Wii U has been cut adrift, and I've recently criticised Nintendo's approach to rewarding/nurturing customer loyalty in some instances, but it's a selling point Nintendo, and other companies, have used in the past, and it would be a positive acknowledgement for what the Wii U library was, which is a better way to end it than by turning its back on it.

Viewing the situation from a purely financial/cynical viewpoint, it makes much more sense for Nintendo to create ports of several Wii U games for the NX. The truth is, I could have played my Wii copy of Twilight Princess at any time on my Wii U (I didn't), but it was only with a remaster did I feel the urge to play it again and complete it this time. Nintendo probably are asking themselves 'why should we give the option for people to buy 2nd hand Wii U games to play on the NX, when we can sell them again?

Although I don't like admitting it, I probably would buy Smash, Bayonetta 2, and Maio Maker again on the NX- and I'm betting both Wii U owners and non Wii U owners would for the NX.

@MrGawain You'd probably already played Loz:TP on your Wii, hadn't you? LoZ:TPHD was a new experience (even if only by a little).

But I do agree, omitting BC does cut out the used market somewhat and creates an environment where remasters are more likely to succeed.

However, I'm sure Nintendo would kill for some strong sales figures in the first 6 months of NX, to give the system credibility. There's a certain logic to the idea of chasing your existing customers first (i.e. the Wii U and 3DS owners) rather than abandoning them (I say this fully acknowledging the planned 2017 releases for 3DS - 'abandon' is a strong word, but I can' be bothered to come up with a softer version). I for one am quite unlikely to dip into NX early due to the size of my unplayed/unfinished Wii U/Wii/3DS/DS library. I've spent too much money without outcome to allow myself to shun all those games. But if NX is BC, and has an account system that allows me to download (for free) all of my existing Wii U eshop purchases, then I'm more likely to consider NX early and be part of the movement.

@gcunit Hey, I don't disagree; I don't think it'll double the price or anything like that and in theory it's definitely possible. But it's Nintendo, they're going to find ways to bring the costs down. I just don't see them include all the hardware that is necessary for Wii U BC. I'd love it though and I think that the idea of a continuous stream of consoles that are all BC is the best way to go. I can't see it happening with the NX unfortunately.

It's also true that some Wii U owners do care about BC, but since Ninty already had no problem with dropping Wii U support earlier this year, I don't think they really care about us unfortunately. Although, yeah, technically it's still possible. Just don't get your hopes up, the chances of that happening are extremely slim. I think that remasters and/or digital ''Wii U'' VC releases are much much more likely knowing Nintendo.

I think BC is all but dead as far as Nintendo is concerned. It's cheaper to exclude it and as a huge bonus, you can sell games even just a year old as a remaster and people will buy it in droves, further making BC undesirable for them. And I wouldn't blame them, honestly. It's just what we as an industry have shown to be successful

I think even VC may be dead, given how Nintendo treated it for 3DS and Wii U I wouldn't be surprised if they decide that you need Nintendo Classic Mini to play your favourite games on a post-2012 system and then every 6 months or so there's a new one (e.g. SNES in May 2017).

@Grumblevolcano That wouldn't be a bad idea if the NES Classic Mini could take downloads or updates but if it can't then Nintendo will still need some kind of VC support even if it isn't using the same name and takes on a different form factor.

I don't think the VC is going anywhere, it's just too easy for Nintendo to make money with it. The fact that they're making actual hardware for retro games now? I don't think that's a sign of the end of the service either. If anything it's a sign that they're more committed to it than ever.

Also, if the NX is what we think it is? I think we're going to see the VC get the same boost as first party software will. Nintendo don't need to split themselves anymore. As it is they have two entirely different VC services with different games and different systems. With the NX it'll be one service. It'll be either double the content, half the effort or something in the middle for everything on NX.

@gcunit

I'd played TP for about 9 hours on the Wii, then fell off of it to do other things. But I did want to go back to it- just not through the Wii U Wii emulator... I don't know why but it felt like a lot of effort? I know from watching an IGN discussion about BC, that it's something people always say they want, but very few people use- and I can attest to that.

As for chasing Wii U and 3DS owners, I would suggest ff you were a Ninty hardcore to buy a Wii U, then you are probably at least open to considering buying an NX, backwards compatibility or not. The truth is if you want Mario, Zelda, and all the others, you aren't going to get them anywhere else, or even a close approximation of something similar on the PS4/XB1.

The only thing I would say is that 3DS compatibility would seem more possible than Wii U, if only for the whole game card portability thing- it's also a gateway into having all those Wii U to 3DS ports on the NX as well. But then it would seem sensible to have an entirely different Cart form to slow down pirates as well.

I think it all really comes down to this: if Nintendo can launch the NX with 6 or so must play games, then chances are a lot of people are more than likely to drop everything else their playing and adopt. But if the lineup is 'meh', then were going to stick with what we've got, and I personally am likely to but LOZ:BOTW on the Wii U.

If the NX is not BC, then I think Nintendo will make a "Wii U Hits" line for the NX while they'll continue the 3DS and NX alongside each other.

Someone needs to tell these "News" sites that Xbox One is not backwards compatible... http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-09-09-bayonetta-joins-...

They are just using the same term ms are using. But it is still not backwards compatible. Most games don't work on the xbone. Otherwise you could say Wii U is bc with SNES, nes, n64 etc. Or mp3 players have BC with CDs...

I don't get the whole music comparison. Also I wouldn't say Wii U is BC with anything other than Wii. VC requires you to purchase those games again. BC means your old purchases can still be used on the new system. Xbox One just has a different kind of BC than Wii U.

@DefHalan Sure, but at this point we're just arguing semantics. At least if we go back to the original NX - Wii U BC argument. I doesn't matter what you call the Xbox compatibility program, but it's not the same as the Wii U BC. I think that's the main point. Microsoft is crazy enough to port individual games over to the Xbox One, I don't think Nintendo will do that.

Anyway my problem with calling the Xbox backwards compatible with the 360 is that it's essentially the same as VC on the Wii U. The only difference is that Microsoft is giving away the games for free, while Nintendo isn't. Is that what defines BC? I define backwards compatibility by its technical meaning, the definition what it used to be before MS started calling the One BC. If a system or device is able to read and run the inputs meant for and older device, then it can be considered backwards compatible with that older device. That's not true for the Xbox One. Sure, Microsoft may be emulating BC, and it looks like BC at first glance, but it isnt.

@Octane agree that this is just arguing semantics, but I also know I would rather have Xbox One style Backwards Compatibility than no Backwards Compatibility.

@Octane Nintendo will clearly create a bunch of remasters to sell at around $60 each. Probably even the same regarding NX remasters of 3DS games simply because they can get away with it.

@DefHalan I agree. It's always better to have something than nothing at all. However, if I'm honest, I don't think we'll get any form of Wii U BC. Most likely scenario is what @Grumblevolcano said. They will port some popular games, charge 60 bucks and call it a day. They could do something for the people who went digital, but then they'd be screwing over the people with physical purchases.

If the rumours are true, we have to look at the NX as a handheld in this regard and accept that it's not going to be a home console. I can see 3DS BC if they're going for ARM. However, I don't know if that would require a separate card slot or not, depends on the type of cards they're going to use. So even 3DS BC isn't set in stone yet. It's a bummer, I know, but it was bound to happen. PPC is kinda outdated. It was either going to be x86 or ARM. Turns out it's probably the latter.