Topic: Kimishima affirms NX is next home console

@Therad: The handheld market is just as big as the home console market. I don't see it being replaced anytime soon*.

edit: *replaced by mobile games

Yeah. Mobile has had a fair crack at flattening the portable market and portables are smaller than they were at the peak of the DS era. But I don't see the portable market getting much smaller than what it is now. The mobile space is relatively stable, I don't think it's going to grow that much more.

If anything Nintendo is going to have an easier time with their next portable than they had with the 3DS. Purely because Sony isn't going to even bother competing. And with Sony adding to the long line of companies who failed to topple Nintendo's portable dominance I would be surprised if anyone else would be lining up.

I think it depends on how much of an impact nintendo does in the mobile space. People must see value in their portable products. If they are not careful, they might actually destroy their own handheld market.

Also, I am quite certain the kids demographics has shrunken considerably.

I think one thing we can definitely conclude is NX will certainly not be a Wii branded product. I think the DS and Wii brands will be retiring.

Going off topic a bit but I think Apple and Google are in the same boat with tablets. With non-mobile CPUs getting cheaper and more efficient it's now possible to build a laptop that's as portable as a tablet. Stuff like the Surface and the MacBook are only going to get more powerful and more affordable. Why buy a laptop and a tablet when you can get one device that does both?

I wonder at what point people move back to Windows and OSX for that sort of form factor. I'm also curious about what impact that will have on mobile gaming if people suddenly have Steam as an option on their "tablets".

@skywake: And therein lies the problem: the comparison with the DS. I cannot stress this enough, but the seventh generation was an anomaly. The total numbers of both handheld and home consoles sold was insane. Compared to this generation, but also compared to the generation prior to that one. When people say handheld gaming is declining, they're only looking at the DS and 3DS. Not at the where the market was before the DS. I think we're currently in the same situation as we where before the seventh generation. Pretty high sales numbers and nothing to laugh at, but nowhere near the success the DS was thanks to the mass appeal that attracted a lot of "casuals".

@skywake: There's also the fact that the phones are getting bigger (kinda funny considering how many years companies spent trying to make phones smaller and smaller), so people are finding less reason to own a tablet.

@IceClimbers: It's pretty logical actually. Since the introduction of smart phones, they have gotten bigger again. Before smart phones existed, you only used your phone for calling and texting, no reason to carry a rather large device for that. Since the introduction of smart phones, they are used for a lot more than just calling and texting; browsing the internet, watching YouTube or other media, taking pictures, gaming, etc. Bigger phones = bigger screens, and bigger screens are a lot more convenient when you're doing all those other things on your phone.

OP: "I solved it. Everything is one way and that's the way I say it is."

Context is everything. NX is spoken of in the context of the Wii and WiiU (and the WiiU's failure)-- it's a home console. The only people in the whole game industry that are arguing still that this is a portable are those with the bias against NX being a console.

It makes no business sense to replace the product (3DS) that is keeping you afloat and start over from scratch with that audience before releasing a product for the console market that isn't an overwhelming failure. The console market is where they have missed out on around 45 million consumers over the past two years. You don't sell your car on the same day that you put your back-up vehicle in the shop. This is common sense.

Because you're not bias for the NX being a home console right?

Of course, that's why they released the DS, despite the fact that the GBA was commercially doing a lot better than the GameCube (80 million vs 20 million lifetime sales respectively). Both were released in 2001, but they decided to support the GameCube for two years longer than the GBA.

Lol, release a product that isn't an overwhelming failure? Your clairvoyance astounds me. Seeing with such clarity a successful future for Nintendo's unreleased console, why, such a power is usually reserved for the gods. Tell me, what does my future hold? I'm a Cancer by the way. I've got my fingers crossed for a harem and lots of money.

If you insist on adamantly taking Kimishima's word as gospel, then the Wii U isn't a failure. He said he was misreported.

It makes perfect business sense to replace the 3DS. It will be in its sixth year soon and Nintendo needs new hardware on that front to keep momentum. That's why they released the n3DS. The 3DS isn't just "keeping them afloat." It's their main product. Stagnation is the worst thing that a company can allow to happen to their flagship product line.

But it's kind of a moot point anyway since I think it's pretty clear at this point that the NX is intended to replace either both or neither the Wii U and 3DS, not one or the other.

To be honest I think the DS was released earlier than anticipated due to the pre-launch threat of psp and bad GameCube sales.

Does it matter what NX is? Because whichever it is, both 3ds and Wii U likely won't be getting many Nintendo games after it launches if any.

@WebHead: Agreed. Bottom line is both handheld and home space need a refreshing.

@rallydefault: I think they just won't accept that 2016 is likely the last year that Wii U AND 3DS get major titles.

As one of the "them" I think you're shrinking the box that my opinion sits in once again. It's not that I don't think the Wii U and 3DS are winding down. I don't even disagree with the thought that the last of the major titles will be in 2016. All I've ever said is that it's not a forgone conclusion that the NX is a home console that's launching in 2016.

The main reason I push the "NX may be a portable" idea is because some people act as if it's confirmed it's a home console. I also push that idea because in terms of the hardware itself the 3DS needs a proper revision far more than the Wii U does but I still mostly push it because some people have ruled out the possibility. I only push the "it might not be 2016" bit for the same reasons, it's far from confirmed and people act like it's a forgone conclusion. The only thing I push against because I think it's a dumb idea is the theory that the NX is a hybrid..... especially when people say it's going to be a PS4 you can pocket

@WebHead: well we kinda have Nintendo saying specifically that the Wii U will continue to be supported post-NX launch, so there's no accepting of any facts or statements that we're in denial of or anything. If you're talking about the non-accepting of what is largely baseless conjecture and rumours, then I'm happy to not be a part of such an acceptance. Until Nintendo say otherwise I'll look forward to the near two dozen titles I'm excited about on Wii U and 3DS and I'll be happy to wait for more announcements, rather than accepting rumours as fact.