Topic: New Patent with rotary shoulder buttons (possibly NX handheld)

"An example operation apparatus includes: a direction input operation section provided on a front surface of a housing of the operation apparatus and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with at least one hand of a user, the direction input operation section is allowed to be operated with a thumb of the hand; and a rotation operation section which is provided on a surface different from the front surface of the housing and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with the hand or the other hand of the user, the rotation operation section is allowed to be operated with an index finger of the hand or the other hand and which is an operation section capable of being rotationally operated."
http://abload.de/img/patent_app_1wqkcy.png
http://abload.de/img/patent_app_2zlkp1.png
http://abload.de/img/patent_app_4vmkem.png

sources:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1113452
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2015/0261321.html

Hm. I would hope it has the traditional buttons. And it would be sad to see their handhelds get rid of the clamshell design. But it's just a patent so far so I'm not particularly worried yet

Yeah, this looks more like a proof of concept they registered just to be sure they own the patent if they or some other company ever introduces it in a product.

Reggie Fils-amie has reffered to the NX as a console, so unless he was being clever with his words, I doubt NX is going to be multiple multiple platforms. However, this may be the controller for the NX as the last patent that (supposedly) showed the NX showed the controller having a screen.

That can't be comfortable to play with I'd imagine. Buttons that rotate and can be pressed?

I don't think it would be that bad, I just don't know how any games would use this...

@MrMario02: source?

@Trapleton https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/08/new_patent_sparks_ta... Look at the image of the controller. It has a section that says "display unit".

@MrMario02: I think he was asking for the source of Reggie referring to the NX as a Console.

I love how when a patent gets filed immediately people assume it's for the NX.

1) People file patents all the time just to have them
2) The NX is more then likely in production now so any new patents probably do not pertain to the NX at this point.

@Tasuki: these are old patents. They are just surfacing months later.

@DefHalan oh.
@Trapleton: http://nintendoeverything.com/reggie-indicates-that-nx-is-a-h... There you go.

Oh, didn't see that one. Thanks!

@Tasuki: I should of copied and pasted what I said in my OG post on the thread I made in the IGN boards, so i'll repost it here:
"P.S. Nothing confirms this is the NX and the lack of Y and X buttons should not be a concern considering this is only a example design focusing on the shoulder buttons and nowhere does it state the specialty of the lack of those two buttons."

@MrMario02: I agree with you in thinking that the NX isn't a platform but the first one in the "family", and don't worry, I also firmly believe it is a home console. I just hope that if they use the touch screen again that they make it unique and different from the gamepad, but then again, the past two patents may of been just using the game pad as a placeholder for their ideas (i.e. disc-less device and rotary shoulder buttons). BUT THEN AGAIN, NOTHING SAYS THESE ARE THE NX ¯(ツ)/¯ For all we know, this can be the NX:
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTMIp-hR...

"In the embodiment described above, the case with the hand-held game apparatus is taken as an example. However, the configuration described above is applicable to general operation apparatuses such as a game controller connectable to a stationary game apparatus or the like. In addition, in the embodiment described above, the hand-held game apparatus 10 which is operated while being held with both hands is taken as an example. However, the configuration described above is applicable to, for example, an operation apparatus which is configured to be held with one hand. In this case, the operation apparatus is operated with either the right hand or the left hand. Thus, only the one wheel type operation section 24 and the one analog operation section 23 described above need to be provided. The analog operation section 23 only needs to be disposed at a position which the thumb reaches in a state where the operation apparatus is held with one hand, and the wheel type operation section 24 only needs to be disposed at a position which the index finger reaches in this state."

Just posting this here for the argument on what console this is used for and, as I said, it is just a concept that can be applied to whatever device.

@Paulthevgnerd: I personally don't think that NX is going to be a family of platforms.

It seems to be just relating to the rotary buttons. I wouldn't read too much into the design in the picture. Probably just a very quick mock up to indicate where the shoulder buttons are and what they do.

@CaviarMeths: I agree, and with the piece of text from the patent that I posted, you can tell they just wanted to get the idea of the rotary buttons on to paper, and handheld seemed to be most convenient for the concept or something.

The more I think about this though, the more I think it's a really good idea. It's one of those things that are so obvious (scroll wheels have been on PC mice for 20 years) that I'm surprised no console manufacturer has done it before. With good implementation, it could be the best thing since dual analog sticks on PS1.

I found this in the patent (mainly the last sentence):
"In the embodiment described above, the wheel type operation sections 24 which rotate planarly (that is, rotate a disk) are taken as an example. Instead of each wheel type operation section24 described above, for example, a trackball may be provided. In such a case as well, various operations are enabled to be performed by operating the trackball with the index finger. In addition, instead of each wheel type operation section 24, a small-size touch sensor (touch panel) may be disposed."
So it kinda confirms that this may not be a gamepad 2.0, as some previously thought.