NX already up for pre-ordering

[SoreWristed]

Some of the journalists that attended the press release aren't even back at the office yet and already EB Games Australia has announced pre-orders for the Nintendo NX.[footnote]source : https://www.facebook.com/EBGamesAus/photos/a.119672524737773.8312.107605795944446/874579675913717/?type=1[/footnote]

Nintendo X? Nintendo NeXt? NiXtendo? Whatever...

Thoughts?

 

[Story]

Yikes. I think this is more from EBGames than from Nintendo.
It would be foolish of the company to allow for pre-orders of a new console so early in the WiiU's life cycle.

 

[tilmoph]

I read the link. "More info coming next year. Available for pre-order now". Wait, what? Are they actually trying to sell a thing they know nothing about? I mean, you'd be pre-ordering a thing that only has a project name at this stage. It wouldn't even have an actual name! This is kind of funny, in a stupid way.

 

[J Tyran]

Nintendo news often goes by me, so what exactly is going on here? Is the NX another new console, one thats "next gen" when compared to the Wii U or is it something else?

Nintendo where kinda big about the "quality of life" stuff so is this a new fitness machine or something like that? We know the Wii Us financial performance and sales have been disappointing for Nintendo but would they really launch a new console so quickly instead of riding out the Wii U slump?

Its hard to believe they would pull a Sega with this.

 

[SoreWristed]

Nintendo news often goes by me, so what exactly is going on here? Is the NX another new console, one thats "next gen" when compared to the Wii U or is it something else?

Nintendo had a press conference announcing their partnership with DeNa (mobile game platform and developers) and their new focus on mobile games. They reassured everyone that they aren't leaving the console market and announced the NX.

NX is basically a codename for the new console currently under development. No more info was given for the NX, so it might be anything ranging from a 'next-gen' console to an attempt at VR.

Personally I think it's a manoeuvre to get over the poor sales of the WiiU

 

[J Tyran]

Personally I think it's a manoeuvre to get over the poor sales of the WiiU

Possibly but its one hell of a risk, behaviour like this helped kill companies like Sega and Commodore. Launching one machine and then shortly after launching another, more powerful machine alienates the customers that bought the first machine.

Sega launched a series of stop gaps and new machines and look how well that ended, Nintendo home consoles are unappealing for most consumers it seems. The Wii U obviously lacks the desirability that the Wii had, yet they have still sold millions of them.

Not as many millions as they might have liked and what the machine deserves[footnote]I actually quite like the Wii U for its price, form factor and focus on games[/footnote] launching another console, a "next gen" machine leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of customers that bought the Wii U.

They might not buy the "next gen" hardware thinking that the new machine might get replaced again if its sales are slow, it might be expensive if Nintendo are choosing to go head to head with the PS4 or even try to smash it performance wise.

This behaviour helped kill Commodore as well, customers lost the trust and feel bitter when new machines replace the hardware they bought recently. Can Nintendo risk alienating their loyal fans like that?

 

[Tilly]

No more info was given for the NX, so it might be anything ranging from a 'next-gen' console to an attempt at VR.

Miyamotos response to VR last year (I think it was at E3) makes that unlikely to my mind. It was very much a "we're gonna leave this to you guys and do our own thing" kinda response if I recall.

 

[CrystalShadow]

I think it's just EB games being idiots.

Nintendo has mentioned nothing but a name.

The Wii was announced something like 3-4 years before it's release.

Nintendo announcing the NX now would just suggest they're aiming for the Wii U to have a standard 5 year life-cycle.
Nothing special. 2-3 years ahead of time is nothing at all worthy of worrying about...

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I agree with these piece of news being another games store jumping on the hype train and riding it like Slim Pickens rides the bomb in Dr. Strangelove. The NX's features and production name haven't even been revealed, yet, and the thing probably will not hit stores for at least another year, likely two. Also, I believe EB Games of Australia is owned by Gamestop. EB and Gamstop here in the US merged ten years ago (and then they fired all the corporate office workers and shut down some stores before obliterating the EB name, of course).

 

[Hero of Lime]

Not sure why everyone assumes the NX is the next home console, chances are it's either the next handheld, or the mythical home console/handheld hybrid that Nintendo showed interest in making a while back. Particularly since Iwata was very clear that going into the mobile market does not mean they won't continue to make a dedicated gaming handheld.

 

[Phlap]

Complete and utter stupidity of the highest order.

Nintendo themselves likely don't even know how the final product's going to look.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

I agree with everyone here that this is simply EB Games trying to take advantage of the situation.

However, I will probably Pre-Order the NX; just not now, and not by EB Games. I'll Pre-order it from either Gamestop, Walmart or Target after E3 2016, when we finally know what the thing actually is.

 

[COMaestro]

Personally I think it's a manoeuvre to get over the poor sales of the WiiU

Possibly but its one hell of a risk, behaviour like this helped kill companies like Sega and Commodore. Launching one machine and then shortly after launching another, more powerful machine alienates the customers that bought the first machine.

Sega launched a series of stop gaps and new machines and look how well that ended, Nintendo home consoles are unappealing for most consumers it seems. The Wii U obviously lacks the desirability that the Wii had, yet they have still sold millions of them.

Not as many millions as they might have liked and what the machine deserves[footnote]I actually quite like the Wii U for its price, form factor and focus on games[/footnote] launching another console, a "next gen" machine leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of customers that bought the Wii U.

They might not buy the "next gen" hardware thinking that the new machine might get replaced again if its sales are slow, it might be expensive if Nintendo are choosing to go head to head with the PS4 or even try to smash it performance wise.

This behaviour helped kill Commodore as well, customers lost the trust and feel bitter when new machines replace the hardware they bought recently. Can Nintendo risk alienating their loyal fans like that?

I posted this in another thread, but this timing is almost exactly the same as that between the release of the GameCube and the pre-announcement of the "Revolution" which became the Wii. It's just an announcement that they are working on another "dedicated game system" with more details to come next year. So it could be a console or a handheld, but in any case it is likely years from release, so it's barely worth taking note of at this time.

EB Games is just being idiotic here and trying to cause some hype.

 

[COMaestro]

Not sure why everyone assumes the NX is the next home console, chances are it's either the next handheld, or the mythical home console/handheld hybrid that Nintendo showed interest in making a while back. Particularly since Iwata was very clear that going into the mobile market does not mean they won't continue to make a dedicated gaming handheld.

I think the hybrid is the most likely outcome of this announcement, but I agree it could be a console or handheld. I think everyone is jumping on the console idea because they think this announcement must be in response to the poor WiiU sales.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Not sure why everyone assumes the NX is the next home console, chances are it's either the next handheld, or the mythical home console/handheld hybrid that Nintendo showed interest in making a while back. Particularly since Iwata was very clear that going into the mobile market does not mean they won't continue to make a dedicated gaming handheld.

I think the hybrid is the most likely outcome of this announcement, but I agree it could be a console or handheld. I think everyone is jumping on the console idea because they think this announcement must be in response to the poor WiiU sales.

True, but if the system isn't the hybrid, the 3DS would most likely be the first one to be replaced just by virtue of being older. On the other hand, Nintendo may decide to keep the 3DS going longer due to its success, and bring out the next home console earlier due to the Wii U's sluggish sales. It's anyone's guess at this point.

 

[Charli]

NX? ...Aren't Nexon games going to take issue with this a bit? It's been about 5 years since I checked but I thought that was their virtual game currency.

Or oh, its a code name. Never mind. Seen conflicting reports around the internets today.

 

[Silvershock]

Possibly but its one hell of a risk, behaviour like this helped kill companies like Sega and Commodore. Launching one machine and then shortly after launching another, more powerful machine alienates the customers that bought the first machine.

Didn't stop them making the 2DS obsolete after nine months, or bringing out a new DS model every time they sneeze, or breaking compatibility with the DS range and basically not telling anyone in any significant fashion until the new console's sold ten million units and the punters have all realised too late. Or the Wii Mini.

Yes, Nintendo, I am still mad at you for how you've handled your DS money sponge over the past 5 years.

Nintendo announcing the NX now would just suggest they're aiming for the Wii U to have a standard 5 year life-cycle.
Nothing special. 2-3 years ahead of time is nothing at all worthy of worrying about...

Except that the last console gen was 8 years long, and Nintendo left it early because the Wii was dead on its feet. Plus, announcing the Wii U early annihilated what was left of the Wii's momentum, which wasn't assisted by them shutting down all its online services ridiculously early to prop up the U.

That the other console manufacturers are looking into new hardware would be of no surprise to me, but if Sony were idiotic enough to announce the PS5 now, my jaw would drop.

True, but if the system isn't the hybrid, the 3DS would most likely be the first one to be replaced just by virtue of being older.

It's been replaced. That's what the N3DS is. I keep hearing people talk about them as if they're the same console, but if you define generations by compatibility (the only really reasonable way to do so given some of the naming conventions out there) then the N3DS is a new console - it can play games from the older machines, but they can't play games from it.

That's why Wiki lists it separately, after all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Nintendo_3DS

 

[J Tyran]

Possibly but its one hell of a risk, behaviour like this helped kill companies like Sega and Commodore. Launching one machine and then shortly after launching another, more powerful machine alienates the customers that bought the first machine.

Didn't stop them making the 2DS obsolete after nine months, or bringing out a new DS model every time they sneeze, or breaking compatibility with the DS range and basically not telling anyone in any significant fashion until the new console's sold ten million units and the punters have all realised too late. Or the Wii Mini.

Well a revision is a very different deal to a completely new generation of console in most cases though, it might leave the people that just bought an existing version of a particular device disappointed if they prefer the features of a new revision but thats not the same as if they are actually going to drop the Wii U so soon because of its under target financial performance.

 

[Dragonbums]

This is EB games being completely stupid and trying to pull in ungarnered money. Nintendo only revealed the name of the system, and the one picture I saw of it was on Destructoid and it was an ugly, basic, CG model pic of an idea of what it might look like.
Hopefully upper management cancels that shit before it gets out of hand.

 

[COMaestro]

True, but if the system isn't the hybrid, the 3DS would most likely be the first one to be replaced just by virtue of being older.

It's been replaced. That's what the N3DS is. I keep hearing people talk about them as if they're the same console, but if you define generations by compatibility (the only really reasonable way to do so given some of the naming conventions out there) then the N3DS is a new console - it can play games from the older machines, but they can't play games from it.

That's why Wiki lists it separately, after all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Nintendo_3DS

This is what I was going to respond with. Nintendo just put out the New 3DS, and they pretty much have to support it for a bit to justify its creation, so I can't seem them announcing a brand new handheld when N3DS just released.