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« on: May 13, 2015, 01:13:50 PM »
Great article. I totally agree with NX basically being an OS/archtecture. To me this is a really good thing. We should be able to upgrade our Nintendo device but be able to seamlessly keep playing our games with our current save data on them. I don't think this will mean that Nintendo will release replacement hardware every 1-2 years. Nintendo makes games that are meant to last for years and years, unlike Call of Duty and most current developers where they actually want you to stop playing after 1 year. Nintendo's games age well. I feel that Ice Climbers is more highly regarded now than when it was originally released. Nintendo knows that playing their backlog is a huge strength and having the NX be an OS/architecture will allow consumers to experience a great many games day one of new hardware releases. Nintendo thinks in the 5 year and longer span when they design games; they don't want their games to feel old after just a few years, instead they want them to feel like classics and keep their charm. Nintendo won't need to upgrade their hardware every 1-2 years because they don't ride the hype bubble like other developers. A similar 5 year window should still do Nintendo fine.
However, we might see them launch more varieties of hardware with a staggered release every year: small handheld (phone like / DS), large handheld (tablet like), small home console (Wii like), large home console (PS4 like). Buy the system that meets your current gaming needs and you should still have access to a large number of excellent games that were made on the NX platform. This will also allow Nintendo to compete against iOS, Android, and other gaming systems with strength.