Fans queue outside GAME Westfield Stratford City
Image: Matt Alexander/PA

The boss of the UK's only remaining major gaming specialist has stated that the release of the Nintendo NX will be a "major event" in the retailer's 2017 calendar.

UK chain GAME has good reason to be hopeful about the console's commercial chances - it has seen its own profits fall 81 percent over the past year due to "prevailing trading conditions".

Speaking to MCV about his predictions for the year ahead, Martyn Gibbs said:

In terms of looking forward, we are positive because we have new consoles coming to market. We have PS4 Pro in November and Project Scorpio for peak next year. And then we have the new Nintendo NX console, which on the back of seeing the appetite around Pokémonafter the success of Pokémon Go, we see that as being a major event.

We don't have any numbers around NX in our budgets yet, because we don't know enough about the product. But when Super Mario Run comes to mobile... if that does for Mario what Pokémon Go did for the Pokémon franchise, then there will be numerous things that we can capitalise on in the market.

Nintendo is launching a special reveal trailer for the console later today, which will end months of speculation regarding the system.

[source mcvuk.com]