Malstrom has spoken! Gen 9 should belong to Nintendo!

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The writer of the Birdman articles from last gen is back with a vengeance against those naysayers that speak against his divine wisdom. He has the gift of predicting the outcome of the Game Industry better than Patcher and he has been correct 2 Gens in a row, predicting the Wii to be a runaway success, the 3DS slow start, and the Wii U fallout. As well as Sony making a comeback this gen.

Now he's back saying that Gen 9 can be a complete victory for Nintendo with the new NX and its new mobile strategy and claiming that it could be a modern day iTunes, if done right.

@Wasdie you maybe right about a 2 year life cycle with consoles and handhelds after all

What is really going to be interesting is when they are both used together.

As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename “NX.” It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year.

Next year!? Pshht. I want news now.

The keyword here is ‘platform’. Note that he did NOT say hardware. He also didn’t specify if this was handheld or home platform. The answer is because it is a type of online system which will utilize both Nintendo and non-Nintendo hardware (like smartphones). This is similar to i-tunes.

I have many questions about NX. I do think that while games will be designed around the hardware, the hardware will not be so strict in stone. Look at New 3DS as precedent. This wasn’t just old hardware gussed up to sell more. It was actually beefed up hardware. This points that Nintendo plans an online account type system to unify everything. Hardware could be updated every two years or so. Why should game consoles be stuck in a prison of hardware for half a decade?

Eh, seems way to early to make any sort of prediction. We know nothing about the NX and we don't know how Ninty and DeNa will handle their own partnership.

Don't hype up NX. The last time we hyped up a console we got WiiU.

If you read the great Malstrom's wisdom, he has a better insight on what Nintendo is doing and that's focusing on making a unified account system. Yes, the information of the NX is vague, but the entire presentation is how Nintendo will approach Next-Gen with a Unified Account System. If you buy Pokemon Shuffle on iOS/Android/Windows, it's tied to your Nintendo Account instead of the hardware, meaning you'll be able to play Pokemon Shuffle on the 3DS, Wii U, Smartphone, PC/Laptop, Tablet, and NX as long as you use your Nintendo Account.

No more that games will have to meet strict hardware requirements in a 4 year cycle, as pointed the "New" 3DS family as a new way to keep making new games with better specs every 2 years as an example, not just a new iteration to boost sales. I see that Nintendo may end up going full digital downloads, but will still keep using their proprietary drive for those that prefer purchasing physical copy of games (And for Backwards Compatibility). It seems like Nintendo will look outside the TV screen and probably will try to have users game every where.

Yes, I'm over predicting, but it's a nice business strategy that Nintendo is focusing on now.

This is more than just NX, this is about Nintendo's next business strategy that will take Gen 9 out of the Living room and every where!

Mind you I wasn't here for the Wii U reveal/build up to launch, but was Wii U even hyped?

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2015/150317/index.html

@FireEmblem_Man: Remember that it's Nintendo we are talking about. Any and everything that makes too much sense likely won't happen (or will in some weird/limited fashion that makes no sense) :P

Doubtful, I'm guessing Nintendo will launch their next console without the capabilities of voice chat or party chat, no online account for digital rights retention or rights transfers, no cross-buy rights sharing between systems, little good third party support. Most of the buzz seems to be for Nintendo letting DeNA use their licenses for mobile games, I've no idea how that's supposed to benefit their consoles. Plus, third parties are likely to continue to cater to the PS4 and Xbox One since they'll have a more established userbase that shows they support third party games while Nintendo will have to build there's from scratch, and if the people who buy Nintendo consoles for Nintendo's on first party stuff then third party support will fail to be there in any meaningful way, just like for the Wii and Wii U.

@bunchanumbers: Yes. There was hate too, but amongest us Ninty fans it was hyped. Heck Nintendo even promised 3rd Party Support and had EA backing and Ubisoft backing.

But that's just a dream now. Don't hype NX. Do whatever it is that keeps you ticking, but Hyping NX is just setting you up for Disappointment.

But Nintendo did follow through on their word. The launch was full of 3rd party support. I am shocked how full the Wii U launch was with 3rd party games. Mind you since it is launch the quality isn't perfect, but there was quite a bit of 3rd party games in the first 6 months of the Wii Us life. Its just that people didn't buy the games. If they sold I'm sure that they would still be making Wii U games to this day.

I wouldn't say we should be hyping anything but let's look at it this way. Nintendo has release Wii U ahead of Xbox One/PS4 so they have a great start to release a good system when both MS/Sony stated that there won't be any new hardware until they almost reach there 10 lifespan. So with that, Nintendo needs to take advantage now by making a better console and Nintendo shouldn't be casing 3rd party, let 3rd party come to Nintendo if they see something they like to work on. Yes there was hype for Wii U with 3rd party support but they underestimate the hardware at the same time that didn't match to Xbox One/PS4 quality so they were in a tight situation when money is involve. We don't need to hype NX, just hoping Nintendo can do something radical that will attract 3rd party.

I'm not saying Nintendo didn't live up to it's promises because we are still getting amazing Nintendo games on WiiU.

They however failed to meet the hype.

2011

2012

Couple that up with ALL of the 3rd party offerings from Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, Crisis 3, etc NOT coming to WiiU on it's FIRST YEAR AND the PS4 and Xbox One showing they are LEAGUES ahead of WiiU's offerings in both Graphics and Online experiences, Nintendo absolutely FAILED in getting gamers attention and the WiiU was and still is an Utter FLOP.

With that said. Nintendo still makes Quality games, from Super Mario 3D World, to Pikmin 3, to Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and more. They funded Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101. They brought out Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros for WiiU. and They're giving us Xenoblade Chronicles X.

WiiU is a FAILURE, but the Games are not. Don't hype NX to be some dream console because you're not going to get it.

If they are releasing a physical console I'm glad that they are doing it in a relatively short window. I mean it means that Wii U gets shafted, but I've enjoyed it plenty. The next console will be more powerful than the twins, and the twins still have at least 5 years in their lifespan. So NX has time to build a better user base with better hardware. If they find some way to include BC with Wii U games then almost everyone is square.

Did you even read the blog post? It's possible that Nintendo may redefine console lifespans for game developers as well, in what we see from the regular 3DS to the "New" 3DS. It may sound dumb, but Nintendo might go to the route of upgrading the "NX" specs every 2 years, that would be better than staying with the PS4 and Xbox One same specs for the next 10 years

As for the benefits of the consoles, all purchased games will no longer be tied to the hardware. Nintendo has been heavily criticized by this old archaic strategy since the launch of the Wii U when we had to do long and slow system transfers to get our games from the Wii to the Wii U. We will continue playing our digital e-Shop games on the next console with no issues as long as you're a member of the new account system.

That would require them to have good 3rd party support.

Yes, it's Nintendo, but I have a feeling that they won't stumble this time around. They're doing a huge risk next-gen that will make or break the company.

That's the funny thing about predictions... no matter how many you get right, the next one still has the same chance at being wrong.

^This..waay too early & hardly any info..virtually none. :P

I trust in Malstrom's conventional wisdom more than those "game analyst" like Patcher. He has been right for the past 2 generations, both the Wii succeeding Gen 7 and the PS4 winning Gen 8

Well, anyone compared to Patcher can be right. I don't think he's ever got a prediction right.

Well, I guess more details will come at e3, but I am excited for Nintendo's future now and it is glorious. It's like what Microsoft is doing for Windows 10

I'm excited as well, but to make a prediction this early, without any details is kind of silly.

Well, it's more of trying to Comprehend on what Iwata is talking about in terms of business strategy. Malstrom does a great job comprehending on what he's saying, so it leads to some predictions. If you take the time to read Iwata's transcript and try to comprehend on what he's saying, you too would agree on what Iwata is talking about for the future of the company.

I for one welcome our new mobile overlords.

If Maelstorn was so smart, he'd know that the very concept of generations no longer applies to Nintendo.

Well, he didn't buy Iwata's "Nintendo doesn't compete" statement, why should he buy that?

@nintendoboy16: Because nintendo never said it? It's just something that is evident going by Nintendo's new hardware cycles. It's not just bullshit PR statement, it's something that is happening and pretty clear.

The next gen belongs to sony and PS5

Glad to see a commitment to doing what Sony and MS have been doing for years, it's about time on that end to have user friendly account and rights system. However, I hope in this transition that existing rights are honored and tied to whatever account system in place, rather than saying like "okay, after this releases, then all rights on future purchases will be honored under the new system, but existing right owners can pay to upgrade". Furthermore, Nintendo really botched expanding on existing Wii VC when going to the Wii U, not carrying over all the supported platforms or titles. I hope any new system takes all that into account and honors it, bringing back Genesis, Turbo Grafx, N64 and whatnot, and then expands on it, and hopefully DeNA or Nintendo picks up the pace for e-publishing on Nintendo hardware, especially with VC titles. Nintendo has done a decent job lately with indie titles but seemingly at the expense of it's Wii U VC support.

Furthermore, I don't see anywhere in the original announcement any mention of hardware upgrades, though the OP link brings it up as kind of a stretch, but interesting nonetheless. I don't think a dedicated console would do that, but like the link in the OP speculates he never said "hardware" but rather "platform"... it might just be an interchangeable semantics issue, seems like a stretch to extrapolate on that to the repeat of a 3DS / New 3DS style of upgrades to the NX. Frankly, that seems less like upgrading, like swapping out interchangeable parts in the systems hardware (like swapping out the RAM on the N64, or upgrading a PC with a new video card), and if it's like a 3DS / New 3DS will require the purchasing of entirely new device. At the very least though, the idea of a modernized account system should make a trade-in upgrade to new device more feasible which for me would be good because I don't feel like having to pay full price for a New 3DS since I can't trade it in on purchase due to issues retaining a substantial amount of digital rights tied to my current 3DS and needing both in my possession to complete the transfer.

Again on the subject of not knowing whether the NX is a console, or handheld, or something inbetween... that intrigues me though.

Great response and I agree, Nintendo really did drop the ball when it comes to carrying Wii's VC games to the Wii U, especially Wii Ware titles. They had the chance to create a Unified Account system in the beginning of the Wii U's life cycle, but botched it all over to let Sony and MS ahead of them. Technically Sony is ahead of the 2 right now since PSN games can be played on both the Vita and PS4, but I like where Nintendo is taking their strategy forward with Smartphone titles to their own Platform. I believe more info will come in 3 months at E3, but of course Nintendo will keep "NX" a secret until next year.

@Wasdie has made a great point about expanding console's life cycle every 2 years as well.

....And Malstrom made it clear that Nintendo never intended to abandon making Hardware. All of what he's saying is what indicates the next business strategy for the next gen. "NX" of course isn't just some new Hardware, it's a new Platform, sounds familiar? Let me give you a hint, it's a third pillar that automatically became the first pillar after its success. Nintendo has finally taken notice (and it's about damn time too) that gaming has changed and they can no longer apply to their own rules anymore and it's time for a change. We are going to see them focus more on expanding eShop and make a better Unified System where the software is no longer tied to the console.

People don't use TV's anymore? And thus Nintendo will dominate? Wut. .

Pretty sure his prediction is wrong just based on that.