Nintendo forecasts disappointing profits over the next year. That’s why the company used its earnings report to share some news about Nintendo’s future to reassure investors. As expected, the company’s next console is coming soon. But you won’t be able to play it during the holidays as Nintendo plans a global launch for March 2017.
And that’s about all we know. One more thing, the next Zelda game is going to be released simultaneously on the Wii U and Nintendo NX (or whatever it’s called) as a launch title for the new gaming system.
Nintendo has been saying that the NX is a brand new thing. And rumor has it that the NX is going to replace both the Wii U and the 3DS. The console would come with a gamepad that you could use as a portable console when you’re not in front of your TV.
It would make sense as both the Wii U and the 3DS need a successor. The Wii U is now selling poorly, well behind Sony’s Playstation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One. Third-party game developers are also focusing more on Microsoft’s and Sony’s platforms, as well as the PC.
The 3DS has been successful, but was also launched five years ago — and sales are slipping. Five years ago, smartphones were very different. Now, smartphones are capable devices and many people are playing games on their phones. Sure, you won’t find Mario Kart and generous RPG games on your phone, but players are still spending a lot of time playing freemium games on their phones.
The idea that you want another portable device to play games in addition to your phone seems dated. Nintendo knows it, and it’s going to be interesting to see whether the company can convince old fans as well as kids who have grown up with Minecraft and iPads that they need an NX.
Are we going to see the NX at E3 in June? It seems unlikely that Nintendo will showcase the NX well before its launch. Nintendo is still selling the 3DS and Wii U after all. And the NX is a big deal, Nintendo doesn’t need an industry event to catch everyone’s attention.
