Report: Nintendo's NX Will Run Android

[Steven Bogos]

Report: Nintendo's NX Will Run Android

According to a Nikkei insider [http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO87370000Y5A520C1000000/], Nintendo's upcoming NX console will run Android.

Up until now, all of Nintendo's consoles and handhelds have run off their own proprietary operating systems. But, an insider from leading Japanese business newspaper NX console [http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO87370000Y5A520C1000000/], which he claims will use Google's popular mobile OS: Android.

The insider explained that the usage of Android "would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board." He added it would also mean that development could be expanded to smartphones, tablets, and other devices, something Nintendo is currently experimenting with [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131421-Updated-Nintendo-Considering-Smartphone-Games-Restructuring].

If true, rather than simply running the same Android that is on your phone, the new console would run an OS that is based on Android, just like everyone's favorite Android-based console: the Ouya [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129214-Ouya-2-0-Planned-for-2014].

The newspaper reports that the reasoning for the chance also stems from Nintendo's traditionally poor third-party support. The Wii U is not compatible with other consoles, which makes cross-platform development quite difficult (something that devs such as Ubisoft and Activision have no qualms lamenting).

Nikkei has had a pretty good track record with Nintendo rumors before, most recently correctly revealing Nintendo's plans to enter the smartphone sector earlier this year.

Source: Kotaku [http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO87370000Y5A520C1000000/]

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[Mr.Mattress]

I doubt it (Someone somewhere else pointed out that IOS is one of the easiest systems to pirate stuff with), but I wouldn't be surprised if they honestly do it. The NX Might be a Phone or Tablet for all I know.

Still, I won't believe it until it's proven. And it won't be proven until next year.

 

[aceman67]

The console will be Rooted and running custom Roms that are indistinguishable from the official OS to Nintendo probably before the console hits store shelves.

The Android community is VERY good at what they do.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Maybe, it would be a way for the games to easily work on not just the NX, but a majority of mobile devices. Though maybe this is hogwash, and the NX is somehow compatible with Android devices (and Nintendo either has yet to start or bother to work on iOS/Win Phone or this source hasn't seen that work) but runs a custom OS.

There is the issue with Android being popular to tinker with. It took two generation for Nintendo to make a home console that used standard 12cm discs, when everyone else had already dropped expensive cartridges. That was for paranoia of piracy. It would be very out of character for Nintendo to do this.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I'm pretty sure this is just Nikkei making stuff up. Again. Haven't people realized by now that insider tips just don't happen with Nintendo?

 

[EHKOS]

Then what would be the ruddy point? You can already run Pokemon Gold on a smartphone. Not to mention "would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board." when has Ninty EVER been focused on third party? I don't believe a word.

 

[Travis Fischer]

Running an android based OS doesn't really mean a whole lot. It's not like it'll be running Jellybean and you'll be able to sync apps to it with your phone.

The Sega Dreamcast operated on a custom version of Windows. This is probably the same thing. Unless you are a game developer, this won't affect you.

 

[marioandsonic]

I kinda doubt this. I'm pretty sure Nintendo would want to run their own OS on the NX.

Then again, at least they aren't running iOS.

 

[CrystalShadow]

This seems... Rather unlikely.
I mean, if you're going down that road, you could just as well do what apple did when they made OSX.

OSX is a system built on top of something called Darwin, which is largely a BSD derivative.
Which is to say, OSX is a custom OS built on top of a bunch of code taken from various BSD distributions.

Android is the linux kernel combined with mostly proprietary stuff (I think... Not sure what google actually did with the android source code), (unlike a typical GNU/Linux distribution which combines the Linux kernel with a haphazard collection of open-source stuff that doesn't always work together all that well. most of it typically comes from the GNU project, hence the typical convention of calling it GNU/Linux)

I really can't see a good reason for Nintendo to do this though.
Even if you expect easy porting of android games...
Why would any sane person want that? >_<

 

[CrystalShadow]

Then what would be the ruddy point? You can already run Pokemon Gold on a smartphone. Not to mention "would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board." when has Ninty EVER been focused on third party? I don't believe a word.

Uhm... They delayed some major Wii U first-party titles by close to a year SPECIFICALLY because 3rd party devs whined about not being able to compete with Nintendo 1st party titles... (yeah, that backfired spectacularly, given that third parties still dropped them at the first sign of trouble, AND they were now left with a system with no proper first-party launch title.)
They keep changing their Dev kits and system architecture in an effort to make it easier to work with, largely due to ongoing 3rd party complaints...

None of it has helped them, but it's quite wrong to say they haven't in fact bent over backwards, and even done things which are arguably detrimental to their own success in an effort to appease 3rd party devs...
None of it works as intended... But that's a different kind of problem.

 

[Doom972]

To all the doubters: This actually makes sense, because Nintendo already confirmed their partnership with DeNA to create Nintendo games for Android. In that case, it would make sense for them to make their own Android device that would be 100% compatible with their games, so in case someone doesn't have a compatible phone or a tablet, he'll know which one will definitely work.

 

[Dead Metal]

BS, android is so easy to crack and make to run pirated software on. Within a week of this hitting the shelves there will be a rooted version of the OS, that runs all non Nintendo android games, plus all the Nintendo games without anti piracy checks, and they will also run roms of all the old game.
This is a terrible, terrible idea, and I do not think it has anything to do with reality.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Then what would be the ruddy point? You can already run Pokemon Gold on a smartphone. Not to mention "would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board." when has Ninty EVER been focused on third party? I don't believe a word.

Like this generation when they are literally paying 3rd party developer to make games for the WiiU?

OT: I don't believe that they will use Android as their primary OS. I could see them have a separate android OS or an android emulator on the console in order to allow their future smartphone/tablet games to run on it. This could work well if they also make the Wii U tablet controller usable with the NX since I doubt they will make another console with a mandatory controller like that (although I really really really love it and the off-screen play I one of the best things that happened to video games).

But as the main OS? Nah, maybe, just maybe as a base but then heavily modified to the point where it's not even a bit like any android version we have seen in order to prevent people from doing the usual android tinkering.

 

[Colt47]

Well, Nintendo sees the writing on the wall (or has seen it for quite some time). The way games are being made has morphed since the early 2000s thanks to kickstarter and indies, which is forcing them to reconsider how they are handling their operating system. The real question is if they can catch up to Sony and Microsoft.

I mean, no offense to nintendo but their strategy seems to be to ignore the outside market, run their own beat, and move like a piece of drift wood on the ocean currents in regards to everything else.

 

[xaszatm]

...AND SHOT DOWN

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/06/02/will-nintendos-nx-adopt-android-company-says-no/

...of course, go to any other gaming forum and everyone is saying "They denied it, so it MUST be true!!!" ...I just think people want Nintendo to finally fall in some sort of vindictive attitude.

 

[fix-the-spade]

If this is true, then Nintendo have learned nothing from the DS/DSLite and the years (and hundreds of millions of dollars) they lost to flash carts and piracy.

As much as I loved having a DSLite MP3 player and Colors, 95% of flash carts were nothing but little piracy boxes.

 

[CaitSeith]

As far as I know, this was just a R U M O R! Are we making news on gossip articles now?

 

[EHKOS]

Then what would be the ruddy point? You can already run Pokemon Gold on a smartphone. Not to mention "would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board." when has Ninty EVER been focused on third party? I don't believe a word.

Uhm... They delayed some major Wii U first-party titles by close to a year SPECIFICALLY because 3rd party devs whined about not being able to compete with Nintendo 1st party titles... (yeah, that backfired spectacularly, given that third parties still dropped them at the first sign of trouble, AND they were now left with a system with no proper first-party launch title.)
They keep changing their Dev kits and system architecture in an effort to make it easier to work with, largely due to ongoing 3rd party complaints...

None of it has helped them, but it's quite wrong to say they haven't in fact bent over backwards, and even done things which are arguably detrimental to their own success in an effort to appease 3rd party devs...
None of it works as intended... But that's a different kind of problem.

Wow. I knew...none of that. Looks like they might have been better off staying the xenophobic first-party powerhouse I knew back when. I miss Super Metroid. *looks over at Mario 3D World* ehhh, you know what, I'm good.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

As far as I know, this was just a R U M O R! Are we making news on gossip articles now?

Gossip which has now been proven patently false. Then again that seems to be the norm with Nintendo due to how legendarily hard it is to get any info from them. And because of that people will latch onto ANY rumor regarding Nintendo no matter how ridiculous it is. Like how a few months ago we had people claiming Nintendo was partnering with Netflix to make a Zelda series which turned out to be false. It happens all the time. And you'd think people would learn to just wait for Nintendo to announce stuff before believing insane stories like this one.