Topic: Nintendo Convertible Console Idea

So this is just an idea of mine that I think is fairly likely in terms of what Nintendo is going to do in a few years with their next device. The reason this is in the Wii U forum is because this device would be a successor to both the Wii U and the 3DS. I don't think they're going to want to separate the market like they have in the past, and this way they can focus all of their development to one device.

The idea came from this:

That is a Lenovo Yoga convertible laptop. I have one and it's actually really convenient. Most of the time it's just a laptop, but it's a tablet when I want to show off, or I can prop it up in tent or stand mode on those occasions where me and my friends want to watch something and there's no TV around.

So imagine if the 3DS had a hinge like this that allowed it to fold all the way back until the screens were facing in opposite directions. For one, you'd never have to worry about the hinge breaking, because it DOES bend that way. This also allows for entirely different gameplay experiences. If the top screen is also a touch screen, then you have a tablet with added shoulder buttons, able to play anything that Kindles or iPads can. Turn it around and it's still good for basically anything up to the Gamecube.

Speaking of which, this sort of device would be fully capable of emulating ANY past Nintendo console or portable. It has all of the necessary controls for NES, SNES, Gameboy, GBA, N64, Gamecube, DS, and 3DS. The only ones that it would have problems with are the Wii and Wii U, which are solved by adding in Bluetooth for Wii Remotes, and hooking it up to a TV for Wii U games.

Speaking of that, you could feasibly hook this up to a television and plug in the charger and you'd have a perfect console. Or you could just put it in stand or tent mode and plug in another controller. Oh yeah, and unlike most portable consoles, this one would support local split screen multiplayer through the addition of multiple controllers. Nintendo wouldn't even have to release new controllers. Just add support for the Wii U Pro Controller and the Wii Remote. They may even add support for more Wii U Gamepads so that people can all have their own screen without owning another device entirely.

As for power, I would fully expect this thing to have as much power as a modern laptop, which would be significantly more powerful than a Wii U. Given that this sort of thing wouldn't be released for a few years, it might even beat out the PS4 and Xbox One despite being mainly a portable device, and all of this with a reasonable price point (probably around $300-$350). Don't expect to see it soon though, as there is obviously nothing on the market right now with that kind of price/performance.

Finally, there's new games. This thing would have so many configurations that Nintendo could reasonably keep making games for a very long time, capitalizing on each configuration in turn. Would you want to play Mario on your lap, or turn the screen around all the way and just play on the bottom screen? Metroid on the go, or hook it up to your TV and play on the best screen in the house? Touchscreen Zelda, or Wii Motion Plus?

What do you think?

No.
I already said this in another thread, but the very worst thing Nintendo could ever do in their entire existence is trying to compete with smart devices and/or tablets. It's a suicide mission.
They need to, no, they HAVE to keep the innovation route, otherwise they're going to give up what keeps them so successful. Your idea might be well-meaning, but it's completely ignoring the tension going on in the console market which originates from the high pressure of mobile gaming.
While being nowhere as dedicated as Nintendo, it hits a spot. People waste a lot of time on social networks, and long-lasting games would distract them and ruin their imaginary schedule. That's why mobile games are often short bursts of casual entertainment.
Nintendo is the only console manufacturing company which commits themselves entirely to gaming, and they know more than well enough that picking the wrong competition will only lead to ruin. Instead, they truly think about ways to enrichen one's gaming experience - it's stuff we wouldn't have seen coming that makes Nintendo stand out to this day.

Also, keeping handheld and home console gaming separate is an important marketing aspect. Handhelds tend to be cheaper, and are well-suited for younger players. They also allow for gaming on the go. Making such a handheld extremely expensive would eliminate way too many kids from the evaluation.
On the other hand, combining the two markets would also force game series like Pokémon to accomodate for the high performance prematurely, which goes against the very idea of Pokémon.

Overall, it's a plain no. You have an idea, but this idea would never work out. Not for Nintendo, not for anyone else - it would be wasted effort.

....Yeah no.

The moment Nintendo goes to the dark side and starts creating smart devices instead of proper game consoles is the day I become a PC-and-retro-only gamer (I'm assuming the Vita will be Sony's last handheld, considering how they've effectively dropped almost all first-party support for it at this point, and are marketing it as a supplement to the PS4).

Nintendo already said no hybrid consoles, but they are trying to bring handheld and consoles closer together. Honestly, as long as we get account based ownership, crossbuy, and crossplay, I'm happy.

I agree that Nintendo probably won't do to well in the mobile market, but it seems to be reaching a point where they might have to choose between PC, mobile, and irrelevance. People are losing interest in dedicated gaming devices now, they want the all-in-one package, which Nintendo doesn't really deliver very well. Innovation can only help them so much if the market isn't interested in where they're going, and unless this whole blue ocean strategy creates a new market where they can survive in long term, I don't think they can survive as hardware developers for very long.

Nothing says that they need to take advantage of the console's power and make only large scale, super-expensive games all the time, in fact the insistence on doing this is part of the reason why the console market is failing in the first place. Nintendo would be better off having a range of different games, from small scale indie and mobile games all the way up to full scale AAA games.

No. The idea of Pokemon is that the games can be taken anywhere and played on the go, as long as that's satisfied it doesn't matter what they do with graphics and performance.

I think it would work out better than you think. It'd probably be a very expensive idea at this point (I can't see it being sold for under $500, and that's only if Nintendo cheaps out on the hardware), but it would probably be very popular. So it probably wouldn't be profitable, but I don't think it would be an utter failure like you're implying.

Why is it a suicide mission? It's not like Apple's going to bring out a corporate machine gun and mow down the advancing Nintendo army. If Nintendo has a reason for people to buy this thing that people can't get anywhere else, then it will sell. Right now, that's high quality Nintendo titles, which is a pretty good reason if you ask me. Not to mention, focusing all of their development muscle on one device would mean that rather than the trickling drought we've seen recently, games would come out more frequently. As long as that's true, it doesn't matter what Nintendo's publishing to, the device will sell.

They need to, no, they HAVE to keep the innovation route, otherwise they're going to give up what keeps them so successful. Your idea might be well-meaning, but it's completely ignoring the tension going on in the console market which originates from the high pressure of mobile gaming.

And this isn't innovative? All that I'm changing about Nintendo hardware is make it bigger, give it a unique hinge, and increase the hardware power. This doesn't ignore the tension in the mobile market. In fact, releasing another DS line piece of hardware would be ignoring the tension in the mobile market. What people by and large are saying nowadays is something along the lines of "Why would I carry around this thing in my pocket just to play games, when my phone already does that?" The DS line will not have another success like the 3DS. The Wii line will not have another success either, because they're competing with the Xbox One and PS4. What they need is something different. Something between the two that fills a niche that isn't well developed yet. When it comes to tablets, a lot of people think they're cool, but not necessary if they already have a laptop. So there's a little bit of ambiguity I think that Nintendo could take advantage of there.

While being nowhere as dedicated as Nintendo, it hits a spot. People waste a lot of time on social networks, and long-lasting games would distract them and ruin their imaginary schedule. That's why mobile games are often short bursts of casual entertainment.

This isn't a phone, your argument is invalid. Though feasibly with a decent internet browser it could totally play Facebook games, appealing to that audience as well.

Nintendo is the only console manufacturing company which commits themselves entirely to gaming, and they know more than well enough that picking the wrong competition will only lead to ruin. Instead, they truly think about ways to enrichen one's gaming experience - it's stuff we wouldn't have seen coming that makes Nintendo stand out to this day.

And nobody saw it coming that the next handheld would be a more powerful DS with an analog stick. Really the unpredicted element of the 3DS is the 3D screen, which many users ignore entirely because it's not very well implemented.

Also, keeping handheld and home console gaming separate is an important marketing aspect. Handhelds tend to be cheaper, and are well-suited for younger players. They also allow for gaming on the go. Making such a handheld extremely expensive would eliminate way too many kids from the evaluation. On the other hand, combining the two markets would also force game series like Pokémon to accomodate for the high performance prematurely, which goes against the very idea of Pokémon.

It's a dated concept that isn't sustainable for the future. The next Nintendo handheld is expected to be in HD, meaning it's going to have the same development difficulties that the Wii U is having right now. That is, unless they skip that generation and go straight into x86 architecture like the PS4 and Xbox One, which would mean that development for it would be easier than PC game development. You can still have Pokemon in HD. They don't even have to update the models... Also, remember that the 3DS was $250 at launch, and Nintendo could always sell at a loss in order to gain back with game sales and licensing like what Sony and Microsoft have been doing. They could also sell a subscription service that allows access to the entire virtual console library, a move that on it's own would generate billions I'm sure. And what kid wouldn't want this thing? I see more and more kids with their own tablets nowadays, and those things are expensive! My 6 year old niece has a Kindle Fire... I personally think that's ridiculous but that's the way things are going.

Overall, it's a plain no. You have an idea, but this idea would never work out. Not for Nintendo, not for anyone else - it would be wasted effort.

I just don't see why this is a bad idea. Even Sony or Microsoft could make this happen, though I think with them it would be a portable version of their current consoles, rather than a new device.

Nah...unless we get shovelware on it for just 0.99 cents

and freeware junk filled with ads.

Don't forget in-game purchases ranging from $10 to $100.