At a recent Tokyo press conference, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced some of the details of its next video gaming console. Currently, the console has the hardware code name of NX. More information about the console is supposed to be revealed next year, in 2016. Hopefully, Nintendo will wait until around E3 2016 or so to release more details about the NX console. Nintendo should really take as much time as possible to develop the new console and not rush it to the shelves.
One of the biggest problems of the Nintendo Wii U console was that it was rushed out for its release in 2012. The console came out well ahead of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, the head start did not do the Wii U much good. Not only that, but the console did not have much in the way of third-party developer support. The other major problem is that it took quite a while before the Wii U started producing some hit games. Sales for the console were very slow until 2014. In the past year, things for Nintendo picked up a great deal with the releases of Mario Kart, Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros. Coupled with the launch of the Amiibo figurines, things have been looking up for Nintendo as of late. 2015 sees a new installment of The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U and a new Star Fox game. These games are bound to be great sellers for the Wii U console. Essentially, Nintendo still has a good two years left to roll up its sleeves and put more support behind the Wii U.
I realize that Nintendo likes to do its own things and not always follow the trends of competitors of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. However, after hitting some stumbling blocks with the Wii U, Nintendo really has to start thinking outside the box and breaking from its usual traditions. That means sacrificing antiquated ideas like region locks. Nintendo should make its next console more accessible to third party companies. Nintendo simply needs to avoid releasing this new console into the market without some really solid titles and a robust library to back it up. After the launch of the Wii U, the wait was too long for successes such as Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.
The new console will be some sort of “brand new concept.” That concept remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to ultimately find out.