What Does The NX Need To Do To Compete?

Nintendo revealed a while back that they we’re working on the successor to the Wii U, and with what they have said about it having a handheld addition with it that can be taken away and played without the console being there, it sounds like this could also be the successor to the DS series.

But with this what are the main factors that Nintendo need to make possible if they are going to strongly compete with Xbox and Sony?

First factor for me is Third Party Support.

For me this is vital for the consoles survival, and what will be one selling point for gamers. Yes, a lot of gamers will probably already have an Xbox One or a PS4 and they can play most if not all third party games on either of these.

So one thing Nintendo has to do is make sure they can get developers on board with the console and bring all there games to it, as well as make it so people want to play there third party games on Nintendo’s new machine. For me I think this is the most pivotal, having people want to play your console, know the games are coming and creating that buzz.

This for me is where the Wii U failed. The name for a start caused a lot of confusion, and there were people thought that it was just an add on for the Wii. Nintendo with the NX need to make it clear that this is something new and exciting, something people need to be involved in as its going to change the way we game.

If developers say that they are on board with this and we start to see an abundance of third party games being made for the NX before the console launches, and these games are going to be launch games, again this is going to be something that will create that buzz that the console needs.

Another factor is clear information and advertising about the console. As stated above, gamers need to know that this is something new; information needs to be simple and effective for people to understand. There are going to be a lot of families who will look at this for their children, who may not be clued up to tech stuff, so are going to need things in simple terms that they’re going to understand, same when it comes to the games, and we know that Nintendo has had a knack lately of going different.

This isn’t to say that different isn’t bad; it just means that it needs to be put across simply for people to understand. There are some stuff we know about the console already, that it’s going to cover across mobile, PC, Handheld gaming and console gaming. We don’t know how this is all going to fit, but hopefully it will be flawless. We know there are going to be issues at launch, there always is, but beyond that when the console is established, hopefully it will all be working together nicely!

But I guess until we get some information on the system, we’re not going to know how each of the components that make it up work together. You can try and imagine though, especially with idea banding around that the controller will have a screen, such as the Wii U GamePad. Again though, another rumour that is about is that this can be used as a standalone system.

So could this be something similar to the Vita, where it might have its own set of games, or when you take it out and about, is its sole purpose so that you can play your NX system anywhere over a wireless network? One thing I would like to say is that I hope Nintendo moves away from the quirks. Motion Controls, GamePad's - All I want for this new system to be able to play it with a proper controller. I know you could with the classic controllers, but I'm talking about as standard. I don't want to have to pay more to get a normal controller.

We know mobile games are coming from Nintendo, but will the mobile side of it be more than just games? Could there be an app for Miiverse such as Smartglass for Xbox? PC aspect of it, will we be able to stream the NX to a Windows 10 or Mac?

Third factor which people may frown upon is power. The console has to match Xbox One and PS4 in terms of graphics etc. If not, and it’s weaker than those, then I think we’re going to end up with another Wii U on our hands.

I think if the architecture is less than both Xbox One and PS4, then I think developers are going to again question their support for Nintendo. If it’s going to be too awkward for them to port and bring a game to the console, they won’t do it. This will then hurt sales, and any chance of third party support. We know it's coming in March next year and that there have been developers who have had there hands on the development consoles, and I know from E3 that some developers did say that they were supporting it. So fingers crossed, the start looks bright.

But with Neo and Scorpio announced, is this again going to put the NX in the shadow, I don't think it will, if it has the same architecture as Xbox One and PS4, I think the console will be safe, as developers will still be making games for those for years to come. Another point I would like to make is that there are only 7 months until this console launches and we haven't even had any solid information regarding it. Just some dodgy pictures of the controller that is still not even solid information as it hasn't been verified or shown by Nintendo.

[caption id="attachment_12584" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Possible leaked image of NX Controller[/caption]

I hope there is a full reveal soon to get people excited for it. Even if it's just little bit's over a prolonged period, build the hype, don't keep people in the dark. It seems to me, that Nintendo isn't too sure on some of the final details, which is why there has been nothing shown, whether it's the specs of the console, the controller or what, I think there is something that hasn't been finalised which is what is taking so long to get an announcement out. I don't even have any pictures of the console to show in this article, that's how little has been announced and shown.

Nintendo need to pick themselves up with this console and get people excited about the brand again. There are too many people who have been left a bad taste in the mouth from the Wii U. I’m not saying the Wii U is a bad console, far from it, I just think the direction they went with and bringing it out a year before Xbox One and PS4 with less power, graphics etc and then losing the majority of third party support, a lot of decisions were made which caused the Wii U to be doomed from the start.

I think if the Wii U had matched Xbox One and PS4 in terms of architecture, then you may have been reading a completely different article. I would love to get peoples thoughts on the NX and what they think the console will be like.