David Gibson, Senior Analyst and Regional Head of Software & Services at Macquarie Research Japan, says Nintendo is unlikely to scrap its consoles and instead will focus on opening up its own platform for developers.
I personally expect Nintendo to launch the successor to 3DS in 2016 and the replacement for Wii U in 2017.
Iwata stated, one year ago, that they started a project in 2012 to create a common hardware & software architecture for their next platforms. This will not be a hybrid machine, though. It means two new platforms (obviously a handheld and a separate console) that share similar hardware from an architectural standpoint, but with different specs.
As you might already know from some newspaper reports, we will reorganize our development divisions next month for the first time in nine years. Two divisions which have independently developed handheld devices and home consoles will be united to form the Integrated Research & Development Division, which will be headed by Genyo Takeda, Senior Managing Director.
Last year we also started a project to integrate the architecture for our future platforms. What we mean by integrating platforms is not integrating handhelds devices and home consoles to make only one machine. What we are aiming at is to integrate the architecture to form a common basis for software development so that we can make software assets more transferrable, and operating systems and their build-in applications more portable, regardless of form factor or performance of each platform. They will also work to avoid software lineup shortages or software development delays which tend to happen just after the launch of new hardware.
Some time ago it was technologically impossible to have the same architecture for handheld devices and home consoles and what we did was therefore reasonable. Although it has not been long since we began to integrate the architecture and this will have no short-term result, we believe that it will provide a great benefit to our platform business in the long run. I am covering this topic as today is our Corporate Management Policy Briefing.
I would not be surprised if Nintendo makes a statement with regard to its future platforms at E3 this year.
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: ShyGuy on January 27, 2014, 02:16:29 PM
Third pillar in 2015.
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 27, 2014, 03:02:09 PM
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: Mop it up on January 27, 2014, 07:55:08 PM
From the sound of it, they could make the next console and handheld play the same media, but then have the graphics and such scale to the system on which it's being played, sort of like how PC games are scalable depending on the capabilities of the computer in question. I'm starting to think that may be better than doing one hybrid system that can function as a console or handheld, as such a system would be too underpowered for a console and not portable enough as a handheld.
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: ShyGuy on January 27, 2014, 10:12:31 PM
Third pillar idea: 3DS successor that looks like a Wii U with a smaller screen. It also works as a second controller for the Wii U.
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on January 27, 2014, 10:44:01 PM
GameBoy DS U
there should be no confusions in that name.
On it's own, it's a revival of the GameBoy brand. when connected to the Wii U is works like a DS and also 3rds as a secondary controller for Wii U multiplayer.
IT'S BRILLIANT!!!
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: Eiksirf on January 27, 2014, 11:51:40 PM
Sounds like they want to make it easier for devs to port from their console to their handheld. Might help attract a handful more games, but will probably just make it easier for Nintendo to churn out Mario spin offs.
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: ShyGuy on January 29, 2014, 09:55:53 AM
Wii U Revision: No gamepad, pro controller only, use your smart phone or tablet for miiverse.
Title: Re: On CNBC analyst David Gibson says Nintendo won't quit hardware
Post by: Ceric on January 29, 2014, 09:57:29 AM
