GameStop COO Tony Bartel has perhaps given the biggest indication yet that Nintendo NX will be launching in 2016.
At a recent GameStop event, Bartel spoke about company growth and let slip that "console launches" are coming this year:
Although we have not modelled extensive growth for new innovation in this presentation, we are very pleased to see the introduction of technology like virtual reality and rumoured new console launches. Some of which seem imminent.
When pushed on the consoles he was referring to, Bartel replied:
As usual, we know more than we can share.
We already know that Sony is rumoured to be working on a revised PlayStation 4 system, a move which Microsoft has denied it will be following with its Xbox One - despite the rumours. That leaves Nintendo as the other prime candidate for a hardware launch in 2016.
GameStop - like any major retailer - will be given early information on such launches in order to plan for the year ahead. The retailer has been correct with predictions in the past, too.
Are your wallets ready?
[source alphr.com]
Comments 58
I just hope the NX controller has feature parity with the Wii U GamePad, and improves on it with GameCube-like analog triggers!
I love the Wii U and its games and want Nintendo to continue with a touch screen controller with gyroscope motion controls. Splatoon 2 baby!
I'm counting the hours until the official reveal. All the more so if we get some info about its launch catalog too.
My body and my wallet are ready
The rumours of NX being a hybrid machine with a portable gamepad, plus industry trends at the moment (the PS4.5, Xbox 1.5 etc etc) all confirm to me that NX is just a mid generation reboot of the Wii U, by another name.
Id guess the nx is an enhanced wiiu with a gamepad you can play anywhere. It can be played at home or anywhere theres wifi or maybe it be be 4 g compatible
I'm NOT ready for nx yet.
I still have a huge back log of FANTASTIC games to get thru.
As a fan sick the late 80s the WiiU games have been sparse but probably the best quality titles consistently of any other console IMO .
I really hope the rumors that state many developers have not yet received their game developing kits aren't true. Nintendo can't afford another lack of games for the whole year.
Unless we will see a -- 2DS, a new Vita model, a new console maker, or really anything else.
@tysonfury How would you see this as a hybrid? I think that besides you, a lot of people misuse the word hybrid, since if rumors concerning the NX are even remotely true, they don't seem to point to a hybrid system AT ALL.
And besides that, Kimishima VERY clearly stated a definitive move away from the Wii & Wii U line of consoles with NX, so the Wii U reboot comment is also a bit strange.
I also see a more frequent mentioning of the PS4K in relation to NX, with the general consensus being that it will mean that the NX will "certainly" fail. Not saying you are saying that, but you did mention the other systems.
For everyone's information I'll repeat again, and I will continue to do so until the information registers once and for all: The PS4K is no threat whatsoever to the NX. (or the Xbox One for that matter)
Why? Sony isn't going to promote that system to current owners, and they are certainly not going to dupe them, since there are now more than 40 million people owning a "normal" PS4, so it would be unwise for Sony to disadvantage that group of users, and that is putting it mildly...
The PS4K will be primarily targeting new adapters, and especially those people that will want to play VR games and watch UHD media, streaming or disc-based, since the PS4K will be able to offer that.
An important factor however, is that people wanting that will probably have to shell out around a $1000, since they would have to buy the console, the PSVR and the PS Camera necessary for the VR goggles, which makes it a purchase that few are willing to make for their digital entertainment needs, especially since there are reportedly only a few VR titles in production so far, so the added value in upgrading won't be that obvious for all Playstation owners.
Unless they would want to play slightly upscaled versions of the games they already own...
The major part of the games will still be developed with the larger audience in mind, so the normal PS4 will still be the leading platform, still putting it right next to Xbox One and the NX, so contrary to popular belief, the NX actually has a pretty good chance of gaining a healthy audience. Provided that Nintendo doesn't screw up again like they did with the Wii U, obviously.
Interestingly, the NX even stands a realistic chance of being better than PS4K...
Why? Simple: to not alienate the PS4 audience AND to be able to play all the regular PS4 games, the PS4K must still make use of the EXACT same architecture that it's older brother has, only improving on CPU and memory capacity, as this is needed for better operation of the PSVR, effectively making the PS4K nothing more than the PS4's New Nintendo 3DS.
Now, if even part of the rumors concerning the NX's architecture is true, then they will be making use of a considerably newer CPU/GPU chipset (Polaris), with an entirely new set of possible instructions, and that would mean that the NX has absolutely nothing to fear at all of any PS4K or whatever Microsoft is planning with an upgrade to its console, since plans on that are sketchy at best.
I've been theorizing on this ever since the emergence of the PS4K rumors, and I'm more convinced every day that it certainly doesn't have to be a problem for Nintendo. They still have their own work cut out for them, but any mishaps will not be due to weak hardware, if they play their cards right.
Funnily enough, a certain YouTuber is now posting the very same theory. It is still a theory, mind you, but one that is actually quite far from being unlikely, so anything is still possible as we speak.
For those interested, here's that video:
@Toadsfriend Totally agree with you
Nah. Unless the NX is getting Persona 5 exclusively for the first 6 months before it heads to PS4, then I'm going to wait until sometime next year before I buy. Hopefully they'll have some nice first and third party exclusives and I can drop stop playing my PS4 for awhile.
Is everybody just ignoring the words 'rumoured' and 'seem' in the quotes from Tony Bartel? He likes to pretend he knows more than we do. Chances are he knows Jack.
@Toadsfriend Like you I'm not ready for NX yet, having too much fun with Wii U and 3DS, but I still can't wait to see what NX is.
I just want the NX to get announced so all these rumors can be put to rest already.
@Toadsfriend
I feel exactly the same!
@tysonfury Don't you think tho, if it is a mid-gen stop gap, what's the point of ports? and also the likelihood of it not having backwards compatibility?
I think trying to compare it with the competitions consoles doesn't work, if the rumors that the NX and ps4.5 are on par for power then this truly is next gen for Nintendo, and a stop gap for Sony (although I honestly don't know why they need one). Time will tell.
@RoomB31
I read somewhere (can't remember where) it will have backward compatibility through emulation. And I think the ports will be HD remasters (zelda style) that take advantage of the NX gimmicks whatever they are.
@Captain_Gonru "and give us a date already"
Date? How about a name first? (Same goes for Zelda U - due out in 2015 but it still doesn't even have a name yet, WTF?) And I would like to know if it's going to be a Wii U 2 w/ a wider WiFi range, or a PS4 clone w/ the NXDS working separately. And will it be BC with Wii/U games?
So much they could tell us w/o giving us a date, that's down the line. ND in the next couple of weeks w/ the name and general hardware specs and a couple of game name drops, date at E3. Though we will get "holiday 2016" in the ND but that could mean August 2017 by Nintendo standards.
Man I hope Nintendo gives some info next week. This non-secret secret thing is getting really old.
Imminent, does not mean sometime this year.
In the case of the NX, imminent would mean fast approaching, the end of May. Not the end of November.
Starfox release is imminent.
But it makes good headlines.
@TheRealThanos It's like deja vu all over again.
"Interestingly, the NX even stands a realistic chance of being better than PS4K..."
Just no. Though I suppose that does depend on your focus for "better". If NX had the same base specs as PS4k, so it got the PS/Xbox multiplats, but then also got all the Nintendo exclusives - that would make it a better base gaming machine, by far. But I think Sony will always do a better job of embracing multimedia - blu ray, 4k blu ray, PS Vue, PS Now, PSVR, HBO go (I just can't see Nintendo ever putting that "mature" content on NX.) I don't think Nintendo needs VR, I personally think it's a fad, but selling Wii U at $300 w/ no DVD or blu ray next to $300 Xbox One and $350 PS4 makes the Wii U look like a toy. Not to mention the 32GB vs 500GB.
Could Ntinod make a better machine? Sure, no problem. Will they? I highly doubt it. FFXV announced alongside the NX would give me a glimmer of hope in that direction though. If everybody on the planet hasn't already pre-ordered FFXV, I know I have, on the PS4, which I don't even own.
If Nintendo wants to make in-roads into the gaming community, they better do it soon, and not wait until E3 to get this thing rolling. Every day is a lost sale. And Uncharted 4 is looming. They should unveil NX the day before U4 releases to get peoples attention.
@zool Well if you were COO of Gamestop and speaking off-the-cuff about things you know about but aren't allowed to say, and doing so would really annoy the 3 large corporations you have to do business with, what word would you have used instead of imminent? And remember, it's on the fly, he isn't writing a speech.
I know what you mean, most people would use imminent as "imminent arrival" of a plane or train, within the next 5 minutes. Geologists or astronomers may use imminent to mean thousands or millions of years, to mean it's coming, and we know it, we just don't know when.
So while typing this I've tried to think of a better word than imminent to mean - arriving for sure in the next 6-12 months - but I haven't come up with one yet, so I'm leaving this with - we all knew what he meant by imminent, he isn't wrong, it's all about context. For "games" imminent means weeks, for "unannounced hardware consoles" imminent means 6-12 months. The word is proper in it's context.
@rjejr I think you misunderstood: simply incorporating the newer chipset alone will already make the NX considerably better hardware-wise than the PS4 and also still better than PS4K, for the exact reasons I mentioned.
I stand by everything I said in my previous comment and time will tell just how much of that nail I hit on the head, but I'm betting it's quite a bit...
So, I'm not talking about multi-media capabilities or types of games, I'm simply talking horse power and capabilities in the hardware department, and if the move to either x86 and/or ARM is a fact, then that is well within the ball park.
As for your struggle to find a good replacement for "imminent" in the context of consoles on the horizon, how about simply translating that with "this year"?
@rjer and the possibility that it will be better in that aspect is also supported by the wording used in the rumors: "noticeably" better...
Just look at it this way: a PC bought in 2013 and a PC bought in 2016, both with the same amount of RAM, same speed CPU and same architecture. The results will still rule in favor of the newer PC, obviously, since the newer versions of those same chipsets is simply more advanced and/or optimized in comparison.
Now in the case of PS4 vs NX, there possibly isn't even such a comparison, since the NX is supposedly using an entirely new chipset, being an entire generation newer than the one in PS4 (and Xbox One), offering it entirely new options and possible instruction sets.
Now Nintendo might not have opted for that newer chipset, but that still leaves the possibility of them having newer versions of the same chipset that the other two are using, STILL giving them the advantage hardware-wise, and three years down the line, that is anything but impossible...
@TheRealThanos "this year"
No, I think that gets the COO in trouble if true, TMI. Oh, and since you don't spend any time on Pushsquare, I've been saying all along - since Dec in fact - that PS4k will be out next Feb or March, which I think still qualifies as "imminent" for home game console hardware. Sony won't distract from PSVR this holiday. Also gives people time to buy 4k tvs over the holiday. PS4k is just the slim w/ a new 2.0a HDMI connector for HDR, and the slim always releases in late winter early spring.
http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-General/PS4-Hardware-Revision-may-be-sooner-then-later-gt-HDMI-2-0/td-p/45094627
@TheRealThanos I still stand by this -
"Could Ntinod make a better machine? Sure, no problem. Will they? I highly doubt it."
Nintnod made the Wii U w/ a Gamepad that had a ridiculously short leash and battery life. And either 8GB or 32GB of storage. Better tech was available - the Gmaepad should have connected over WiFi for Miiverse, eShop, web browser, Vid chat, streaming medialike Netflix et al. My house wouldn't need 3 tablets if the GMAepad worked outside of my basement. And I woudlnt need both a USB and HDD hooked up w/ more storage.
I bought a 2nd PS3 for my bedroom 16 months ago over a 2nd Wii U b/c it had better streaming channels, DVD, blu ray and better game usage - buy once, use on 2 PS3 at the same time. The Wii U may have been newer with better hardware specs - XCX and MK8 probably couldn't run on PS3 - but I odnt thinnk Wii U was necessarily better than PS3. And while the specs are available I dont think Nintendo will go that route for NX.
They could, and probably should, but I don't think they will. Hopefully I'm wrong and you're right, but I don't predict it happening that way. Of course if there is no PS4k, NX should give PS4 a run for it's money. Maybe.
@Spoony_Tech Maybe that's the line Nintendo told them to say?
"We know more than we can share". With such a statement, from GameStop no less, I flat-out REFUSE to get hyped.
@rjejr the word is not proper in its context, since he has no idea when the NX will be launched.
Near future would have been better, but then we all know that anyway. But that would not be a headline grabber.
@rjejr PS3 vs Wii U isn't a correct comparison, since Wii U was only marginally better and consisted of highly customized yet archaic architecture. Now everybody is on board the x86 train, so it's a completely different ball game, making it impossible to assess the current situation basing assumptions upon previous outings.
Simply said, we're starting from scratch where Nintendo is concerned, if we can take Kimishima's word on it, and he has the reputation to back that up, completely besides him currently working at Nintendo.
If you haven't already, just take a minute to listen to the video I posted. Contrary to earlier rumor vids, it is pretty down to earth with a factual assessment of the possible hardware situations coming up.
As for PS4K, I'm more than a 100, no a 1000% sure that I'm exactly on the money there. Sony can't ignore it's existing user base and making the PS4K completely different architecture-wise makes no sense whatsoever from any perspective, so that is simply not going to happen. It is nothing but a glorified update for a smaller group of VR gamers and/or gamers with a bigger wallet.
@Clownshoes That's not at all what I was trying to explain, but thanks for misreading me. Perhaps I should have formulated it a bit differently to make the exact point clearer, but still...
And if you knew me and have read more of my comments on NLife, then you'd know that I'm anything but "blind with Nintendo love". I like multiple platforms and I own several consoles, and I am certainly critical of Nintendo when it is called for, such as in the case of the horrible marketing campaign for Wii U.
And your assessment of the PS4K is ridiculous to say the least. It is simply not going to happen that way, PERIOD.
Maybe you're this negative because Nintendo has burned you this generation or whatever, but that is no reason to leave sanity at the door.
IMMINENT? Why use that word? Do you know what it means? :-/
Lol - Gamestop! What a source!
"As usual, we know more than we can share."
Except anything at all regarding anything ever.
"Gamestop, when can I expect my pre-order to come in - it's six days past launch"
"Why didn't I get my Amiibo order fulfilled when you went ahead and sold me a preorder?"
"When does ___ game launch? You are selling preorders, do you actually know the release date?"
"When should we expect you to get new stock of ____"
"My preorder supposedly came in and someone from this location called me to tell me it's waiting to be picked up, but no one seems to know anything about it. Where is my item?"
Gamestop:
¯\(ツ)/¯
@rjejr
Im not too sure which architecture Nintendo decided to go with. I think there is a chance they made the machine beefier than the xone and ps4. They lost a lot of business and developer support going with the weaker hardware for the wiiu. Maybe they learned a lesson. Either way, I'm planning to pick one up. I'm just hoping its not an online only system.
I just got PS4 5 months ago, plus I still love my Wii U. I'm in no rush to buy a new console. Nintendo will have to really wow me. Money is not the issue... I just have plenty to play already.
I'm still mad at Nintendo for screwing up so badly with the Wii U.
I just hope this is not true:
Wii U = Saturn
NX = Dreamcast
@Danrenfroe2016 Trust me, it won't be.
@Danrenfroe2016 Completely different situation, totally uncomparable. Sleep easy, not gonna happen...
@rjejr Well, some people are going to sleep more soundly as of today, because among other things, the crazy controller gimmick rumor that was supposedly leaked the other week, is false (again, small surprise.. ) so people fearing a Wii U v2 can stop ranting and raving...
Emily Rogers spoke out on NeoGAF:
Obviously, only time will tell (once again) if Miss Rogers is the one and only truthsayer, but we'll find out soon enough now.
From having done some research today, I myself am ruling out the Polaris cpu rumor, since that would simply make it too expensive and highly un-Nintendo...
@TheRealThanos I disagree with your analysis that says the next PlayStation 4 will not compete with the NX. In fact in my mind it is already competing, I have been with Nintendo since the beginning, I was born in 1980, but I have been getting ever more disgruntled since the GameCube. I have been considering getting a PlayStation 4, and then when I heard there will be a revision, I was a little more interested. Nintendo is in a real hard spot, if they keep backwards compatibility as in power PC architecture, they will always be at a disadvantage to the x86 PC clothes that are Xbox and Playstation, but if the intendo goes to x86, it will require ports instead of true backwards compatibility.
Either solution, really pisses me off.
That's why I would really hope that Nintendo would drop the dual screen thing and go for a traditional console, and if people want to they should should have a non-mandatory portable unit with its own screen.
Of course I will have to wait and see what they actually offer up, but I am still mad but they are cutting the Wii U cycle short and they better not ditch us with the online play like they did for the DS and the Wii.
@Danrenfroe2016 Well, you can disagree with it, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the ball park. Sony isn't going to p*** off the 40+ million current PS4 owners, so that will remain the leading platform for games, no question. So PS4K, if it is actually even coming this soon, will mainly be for PSVR and UHD media, like I said before. And think of the prices of the packages: NOT going to be cheap for the complete VR experience...
Here's a very well thought out article on the options of this updated PS4, that I've quoted in several articles already:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-in-theory-playstation-4k-is-real-but-why-is-sony-making-it
As for backward compatibility: it's already present in the other two consoles, albeit not perfect, but it does show that you can emulate PPC on x86, and if we can for the sake of argument assume that the NX is either as strong or stronger than PS4, then it should also be able to offer that same backward compatibility. And since according to so many sources Wii U games are less demanding than games on Xbox One/PS4, they should run even better on superior hardware, even if it's only 30% more powerful than PS4...
And no one knows if the handheld unit is mandatory, that's all rumors for now, so I'm not going to assume that yet. And there were also rumors that it comes with a standard controller as well, besides the GamePad v2, so all gamers could potentially be provided for. But for now, all rumors, obviously.
I can understand you being mad that Wii U is getting an early retirement, but seeing as you do want a more traditional console and NX might just be the ticket and maybe even be backwards compatible, then why stay angry and just get excited for this year's E3 so you might stand a chance of actually enjoying that?
@TheRealThanos I envy your optimism, but my current opinion of Nintendo recently has been that if there is a pile of excrement in the path, Nintendo will not only step in it, they will actively roll around in it, and then the whole time they will tell us no it's not bad, it's innovation!
You are right though, I need to settle down a little bit, and wait to see what they actually do... but make no mistake, their recent track record is horrible.
@Danrenfroe2016 Oh, I agree and as a sales & marketing guy myself, Wii U's marketing campaign (or lack thereof) was like watching a car crash going on while being strapped into a chair forcing me to look. It really hurt...
But I like to see myself more as having a neutral mindset. I'm a positive person by nature, but I'm not oblivious to reality, so I'll just expect zero and have a cautiously optimistic mindset because I really want to enjoy this year's E3. And not just because of great things coming from the other two consoles...
@Captain_Gonru Nope, don't see it. Name and specs soon, date at E3. Though if the knuckleheads running Nintendo decide and wait on the entire enchilada until E3, then yes, we'll get the date, but I think by then it's too late, too much competition at E3 to start to get people excited.
And I don't think they'll have a date in the next few weeks, that's too far in advance for Nintendo. They only dated SFZ at last years E3 and they still couldn't' get it out in Nov like they said. NX will be in early Nov, but they probably haven't decided which region gets which day of the week yet. I still can't believe Sony released PS4 in the US months before Feb in Japan. Nintendo could go the same route since handhelds are so big over there, but I don't think they can afford to insult their strong home base like that, Sony does well in the US and it needs to compete with MS.
@TheRealThanos re #43
Sounds like NX is going to be less powerful PS4, the controller being fake is less worrisome than specs being "good".
I think we're on the same page about PS4k being a minimal upgrade, I think you're confusing all the people you are having so many disagreements with.
I'm pretty much planning on skipping the PS4, and Microsoft gives me a rash. I have my Wii U and a few hundred games in my backlog of now-retro consoles, plus a burgeoning PC habit, so there's not a lot of incentive for me to grab the NX, certainly not at launch. And when I get Zelda for Wii U, I'll be set for a while. Maybe when the NX is a few years old, I'll look into it.
What I'd really like is a way to play DS games on the Wii U, like the Gamecube/Gameboy Advance converter thingy. That was pretty cool - still have it, actually. Oh, and Okami on the Wii U. And a pony.
@rjejr Yeah, I guess I did. Even the slightest mention of PS4K in comparison to NX makes the steam come out of my ears and I pounce on them...
I'm a Taurus, so that should tell you something...
@rjejr Aaaaannnddd... we were right:
http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/sources-the-upgraded-playstation-4-is-codenamed-ne/1100-5437/
Perhaps that rumor about wisdom having something to do with age actually IS true after all...
@Danrenfroe2016 That link to GiantBomb I posted in the comment above might be of interest to you too...
@Captain_Gonru "I don't even need the day and time. I think the window is sufficient."
OK, sorry, I was just giving you a hard time. I do think they'll give us "holiday 2016" around the same time as a reveal next week. Note - I'll be away on vacation Tues and Wed so expect a lot of news to come out then when I can't comment on it, w/ a ND announcement on Monday letting me know I am going to miss everything.
@TheRealThanos Ok didn't see this until just now, obviously, about 20 minutes after that last post on PS. I guess you can safely ignore that one.
I think you need to make this your new avatar, at least until E3.
@rjejr I saw your post on Push Square, but obviously I wasn't about to register an account there just to reply. Figured you would catch up eventually...
So, I am pink and fat then? I said Taurus, as in bull, not boil...
This would be a more accurate representation of both my inner and outer me:
@TheRealThanos "I said Taurus, as in bull, not boil..."
No, what you said was - "makes the steam come out of my ears and I pounce on them..." - just like Majin Buu.
@rjejr Well, I did say pounce, not bounce...
If I had to choose one character from the DBZ universe, then I would probably be Vegeta. Same anger, same receding hairline...
P.S.
"Note - I'll be away on vacation Tues and Wed"
So they have no internet over where you're going? Must be pretty rural then...
@TheRealThanos Well of course everybody wants to be Vegeta, he's by far the best character.
And I'm assuming WiFi on vacation, but the "on vacation" part means I don't want to use it. I spend way way way too much time on here as it is. Probably even more than that.
@rjejr Well, I like him because he isn't near invincible, and has other shortcomings, so a bit more human than Goku and sons...
And yeah, I know what you mean: I still have vivid (and annoying) memories of people in my holiday group wanting to rush to some internet café during a trip just to check their email and forum posts while I was trying to relax on the beach and NOT think about such trivialities...
And them having the audacity to ask me and my friends if we could watch their bags and towels...
The hype is so real. I can't wait for E3.
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