Topic: Switchmas Eve Rumors and Speculations Thread

[ShyGuy]

Warner Bros sounds like it will support the NX.

GamesBeat: How do you start making decisions now about which of the new consoles to support? Microsoft’s already announced theirs. Nintendo is coming.

Haddad: We have great relationships with all the console platforms. We believe we play a role in each of them. What I saw with the announcements that were made at the show — I’m fairly bullish about he console cycle, about gamers spending time on them and finding great content, about publishers being able to find returns on increasing investments in that space. We’re constantly deciding how to navigate that, but supporting them is not a question for us.

http://venturebeat.com/2016/06/22/warner-bros-is-still-racing-ahead-on-internally-produced-console-and-pc-games/

More Lego for all!

[Shaymin]

Lego is a given. What I want to know is where's, I dunno, the next Shadows of Mordor/Injustice 2/Mortal Kombat Next.

[ShyGuy]

Lego is a given. What I want to know is where's, I dunno, the next Shadows of Mordor/Injustice 2/Mortal Kombat Next.

Would you settle for a Shadows of Mordor with an unoptimized frame rate, an Injustice 2 with no DLC, and a Mortal Kombat Next with with sweat instead of blood?

[Kairon]

Lego is a given. What I want to know is where's, I dunno, the next Shadows of Mordor/Injustice 2/Mortal Kombat Next.

Would you settle for a Shadows of Mordor with an unoptimized frame rate, an Injustice 2 with no DLC, and a Mortal Kombat Next with with sweat instead of blood?

I'd take it.

I still think it's a shame that FarCry for the Wii got overlooked for it's horrible screen tearing issues, because it was hands-down the BEST launch FPS on the Wii.

[ShyGuy]

As a long time Red Steel fan, I have to buy Far Cry Wii now.

[Kairon]

As a long time Red Steel fan, I have to buy Far Cry Wii now.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

[Stratos]

Screen tearing? Is that a graphics issue?


How did it control? I might go check it out.

[ShyGuy]

NX has a Lemon Lime Twist

http://gonintendo.com/stories/260297-miyamoto-teases-a-special-element-to-nx

"In terms of NX, there's an idea that we're working on. That's why we can't share anything at this point, and I don't want to comment on the other companies. If it was just a matter of following advancements in technology, things would be coming out a lot quicker."

In before Motion Controls with 3D and built-in double touch screens on the Wiimote.

[Soren]

C'mon, people actually thought there wasn't going to be a gimmick controller...

[ShyGuy]

C'mon, people actually thought there wasn't going to be a gimmick controller...

Maybe the gimmick isn't in the controller. Maybe it's a hologram projector.

[ShyGuy]

Also, why doesn't the PS4 get flack for it's controller? It has a big fat gimmick touch pad right in the middle with a glowing light in the front. Is it because it's roughly the same size and shape as previous controllers?

[Soren]

More or less. Most of the space it occupies was previously empty space on the previous Dual Shocks. I only notice it because of the terrible placement of the "options" button. Never really used the track pad thing.

[BranDonk Kong]

Track pad is more or less just the select button now, and options is start.

[nickmitch]

Sounds like NX is definitely not VR?

Kimishima, in response to a question, said that Nintendo was researching VR and preparing the NX.  It was a response to a compound question, and the statements weren't that close, and I'm looking at a translation, and (insert RFN siren). . . But it sounded like separate statements.

[Soren]

[Ian Sane]

Also, why doesn't the PS4 get flack for it's controller? It has a big fat gimmick touch pad right in the middle with a glowing light in the front. Is it because it's roughly the same size and shape as previous controllers?

It's how it's marketed.  Nintendo's approach with the Wii and Wii U promotes the philosophy that the new videogame experiences that the new generation is going to provide you with are going to come from the features of the controller, instead of specs which are a generation behind the other consoles.  So the controller comes under much harsher scrutiny because it carries on these expectations and it's the tradeoff for better specs.  The PS4 controller is just a controller, expected to do the things controllers do and nothing more.  Maybe new experiences will be provided by controller features or improved specs or both.  Nintendo puts themselves in a situation where if the controller doesn't deliver, the whole console comes across as completely unnecessary and out-of-date.

I have no beef with the Wii U controller itself.  Unlike the Wii controller it has all the expected features plus some unique concepts.  It's the fact that the controller is the sole thing that makes it a "current" console that I find ridiculous.  If the Wii U had up-to-date specs and the Gamepad (and somehow didn't cost more than the PS4) then I would have no problem with its design.

Will the NX have a gimmick controller?  It's Nintendo so I would assume "yes".  If they had changed their tune then a game like Star Fox Zero wouldn't get made this close to the NX's release.  Unless that was Miyamoto getting his gimmick controls out of his system in one last hurrah before he can't do it anymore.  Nintendo seems to feel that they need something unique to make their product stand out (which actually shows a really lack of confidence in their own games.  Mario and Zelda need gimmicks?  They don't stand out by just being really good?).  I just hope it's more of the DS/3DS complimentary approach and not the Wii/Wii U tradeoff approach.

[sudoshuff]

I just hope it's more of the DS/3DS complimentary approach and not the Wii/Wii U tradeoff approach.

This is why I took so well to the 3DS.  It was more powerful and the additional gimmick was totally optional, but also pretty cool when implemented well.  As it matured, developers (even Nintendo) got even better at designing for a 3D effect (Kirby Triple Deluxe, SM3DLand) and the handheld itself implemented it better with "super stable 3D".


Not sure how NX could mimic this.  Maybe a pretty standard controller with one little twist--like the analogue stick on N64 or the C-stick on Gamecube?

[ShyGuy]

Have you guys heard about these heart-rate monitor and/or VR rumors?

http://www.designntrend.com/articles/81022/20160719/nintendo-nx-spec-rumors-console-games-open-source-virtual-reality.htm

http://www.enstarz.com/articles/167397/20160719/nintendo-nx-news-updates-recent-leak-suggest-upcoming-console-focus.htm

[NWR_insanolord]

Heart rate monitor? They're bringing back the Vitality Sensor?

[Soren]

That all sounds very legit.

[Ian Sane]

The thinking behind ideas like a heart rate monitor is just so damn crazy.  How many people in the world are going to be swayed into buying a console for something like that?  Is it even 10?  It's just such a minor feature.

But if Nintendo puts it in what are they taking out to accommodate it?  That's been their MO for over ten years now.  Neato gimmicks don't go in unless something else is sacrificed to accommodate it in order for the maintain an acceptable price point.  And there's the classic Wii and Wii U problem where important stuff gets compromised and cut in favour of novelties.  If you can put in heart rate nonsense essentially for free without impacting anything else, go for it.  They'll be like two games that use it and the novelty will have worn off by year two but there's no harm.  But that's not been the trend with Nintendo.  And how much does an idea like this improve games?  Is it going to improve games more than better specs would?  Is the experience of owning the console going to be better if Nintendo neglects on important stuff like storage or online support to focus on gimmicks?  How would potentially poor third party support affect the experience?

That's what I feel Nintendo failed to realize with the Wii U and I fear that they will do again with the NX.  They get this tunnel vision on some novelty and don't take into account the overall impact of the tradeoffs needed to accommodate it and then they scratch their heads when their very flawed product fails to sell.  It's because it turns into tradeoffs vs. gimmick.  The Gamepad vs. weaker specs and all the flaws that come with it.  And I don't want to become heart rate monitor vs. a bunch of compromises and tradeoffs.  Maybe this rumour is all nonsense but the approach for designing a console should take into account the whole package.  Cool little novelty features aren't worth anything if important stuff has to be compromised.  It's focusing on the garnish at the side of the plate over the main course.

[Shaymin]

Just taking the temperature of the room here... neither Sony or Microsoft is trotting out the dogs and ponies at Gamescom this year. They have booths, but no live conferences.

There's no way Nintendo would debut a new system in their weakest market, is there?

[Ian Sane]

I don't really expect Nintendo to debut the NX at a public event.  I figure they'll have something like a direct.  It's more their style as of late.

[ShyGuy]

The besieged king of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot, has mentioned the NX. Growing the market, bringing back casuals? Sounds like Wii 2017, or Pokemon Go in hardware form?

“On the NX, what we have seen is really great, so we think having a new machine coming is going to help the industry to continue to grow and to take lots more casual players back in the industry.�

http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/07/19/ubisoft-ceo-talks-nintendo-nx-what-we-have-seen-is-really-great-really-excited-about-new-xbox/

[Adrock]

The thinking behind ideas like a heart rate monitor is just so damn crazy.  How many people in the world are going to be swayed into buying a console for something like that?  Is it even 10?  It's just such a minor feature.

Is there any reason to believe that would be the major selling point of NX and not, you know, just an extra thing it has?

If you can put in heart rate nonsense essentially for free without impacting anything else, go for it.

I like how we don't even know what it is, if it's even implemented into the hardware, or how it relates to games and you're already calling it nonsense. Fine.

The Gamepad vs. weaker specs and all the flaws that come with it.

This literally did not happen. It was Gamepad vs. nothing. Nintendo raised the price to accommodate the Gamepad. We wouldn't have gotten $80 worth of better hardware. Nintendo would have sold a $250 box which may or may not have helped it sell better. Considering Wii U's greatest sin was its lack of software, a lower price tag would have helped it sell better but still not well.