Nintendo NX: AAA Titles And Failed Expectations


Nintendo has been building up Nintendo NX since forever. And with its tight-lipped course of action regarding its newest-generation console that’s supposed to outshine even the the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, we are left wondering if its even worth waiting around for it.

To give the Nintendo NX the benefit of the doubt, we are actually not too far from its release date. At a recent investors briefing at Nintendo, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that the new release window for Nintendo NX is March 2017. Asked why Nintendo is missing the year-end sale season, which is expected to rake in tons of purchases, Kimishima explains that they are opting to “release something proper” rather than release just to ride the waves.

“There is no change to our thinking about launch timing. When launching hardware, ‘How much software can customers play?’ is important. Launch timing must be based on that. Customers having more money to spend during the holiday season is one big factor in starting then. But our integrated hardware/software business doesn’t end that year, but is something that can continue to be played for several years so we think that ‘releasing something proper’ is the most important thing. By that, we don’t think ‘holiday season timing is a must’ but rather that we should launch when we can provide something proper. That point has not changed.”

Additionally, Kimishima highlights that the range of titles that will be available for the Nintendo NX upon launch is imperative for the success of the console. Given than Nintendo’s titles are always far removed from the titles launching in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Nintendo’s lineup for the Nintendo NX will make or break the console.

Tatsumi Kimishima Yuriko NakaoBloomberg via Getty Images
Tatsumi Kimishima (courtesy of Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Having a full software lineup when the hardware launches is one reason for the NX launch timing. Also, we must be in a state to release titles not just at launch, but continually afterwards. We are planning for it to be a platform that will be played for a long time.”

One of the biggest reasons why the Nintendo Wii U fell so far behind the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One was its game library. Yes, of course, Nintendo exclusives still hold their own allure. Super Smash Bros. was a phenomenal success and Super Mario Maker was a huge bull’s-eye for Nintendo. Pokemon will always be Pokemon, too. But as long as the Nintendo hardware could not keep up with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One’s superior hardware, and devs will not be able to bring the AAA titles into the Nintendo home console, then Nintendo will have a hard time marketing Nintendo NX.

The thing is, more than cute gimmicks and new fads (hello Wii U GamePad), hardcore gamers want to play the latest AAA titles without having to pick up two or three consoles. While Tweak Town believes that Nintendo NX will bring a new way of playing games, with the rumored portable device and cross-platform integration, ultimately, the sealing deal will fall on the titles that will become available for the device. Will Grand Theft Auto 6 or the next Call of Duty title become available on the Nintendo NX? Because even though Nintendo tries its best to tap a niche of gamers, practicality is always on the top of everyone’s list.

What games will we be able to get our hands on on this device? This is practically why the PlayStation outsells the Xbox everytime—the truth is, the number of PlayStation exclusive titles are far more extensive and varied than those of the Xbox’s.

As of now, the upcoming The Legend of Zelda is our biggest hope for the Nintendo NX. But as Kimishima put it, more titles will come with the Nintendo NX and we’re hoping these titles could save Nintendo’s home console. Anyway, Nintendo’s strongest suit has always been its portables. If Nintendo NX is putting home console and portable together, then maybe, there could still be a reason to add another hardware devise to our living rooms.

Handhelds still Nintendo's strongest suit Tomohiro OhsumiBloomberg via Getty Images
Handhelds still Nintendo’s strongest suit (courtesy of Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

[Featured photo by Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images]

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