The official Nintendo NX rumours and wild speculation thread

[Lil Frier]

Ugh, this is a new low for Nintendo. Wii U is definitely a failure, and I have a hunch that's why we're seeing a dearth of games for it.

See, I don't agree with this. I think the lack of games is just long development times, which is a typical occurrence with Nintendo. Metroid, Pokémon, and Fire Emblem are the biggest franchises missing from the platform. The former, we don't know. The second, it's primarily a handheld franchise, so its absence isn't all that surprising (regardless of how badly people would like a console Pokémon RPG or a Pokémon Stadium release). The last is getting a hybrid/crossover game, and it's also mostly a handheld franchise. At the same time, the Wii U got the nee Splatoon IP and a Star Fox reboot. It's gotten several Mario character platformers (NSMBU, SLU, YWW, and CT:TT, in a manner of speaking), it's gotten Mario Party, Kart, Smash, and Donkey Kong. It's about to get Mario Tennis (though not Golf sadly), and Zelda's supposed to still be a Wii U title.

I don't think there's any real lack of software releases from Nintendo. There's just 0 third-party support (minus Platinum Games), and there aren't enough developers at Nintendo to crank out games as fast as consumers beat them. It's why third-party offerings are so crucial on the other consoles as well--how much better shape would the Wii U library be with Ubi, EA, Techland, Activision, and so on involved? How much worse would the libraries for the PS4 and Xbox One look without the third-party assistance?

That's not a Wii U defense, by the way. That's a statement of caution for the NX. It doesn't seem that Nintendo has held back IP, and it even sounds like they intend to prioritize the Wii U as they wind it down. That means the NX is in some serious trouble out of the gate. IF WE'RE LUCKY, the NX will be that hybrid experience, and some key things to help it succeed.

The first is Nintendo's standard backwards compatibility. They can support the Wii U with software if the games play on the NX. Keeps the current install base happy, and doesn't castrate the new platform with software woes. The other hope of magic would be that the reason we didn't get a Pokémon handheld in 2015 (something I find very surprising) is that they're going to build a massive Pokémon game we've been dying for to launch with the NX, potentially next fall.

That's actually something, as I think to myself, that could be REALLY sweet. Imagine if they stitched together all of the old Pokémon regions, and tightened up leveling across them. So, rather than each place ending around level 60/70, maybe Kanto stops around 10 or so. Basically, stay in that level-100 area, but make the grinding longer to make the leveling last across all generations' regions. Then, rather than iterative Pokémon re-releases, they could do expansions, where they do a DLC update to the game for $20, which adds in new Pokémon and the new region for that iteration. I'd love that.

 

[Sonikku]

I read on gamespot that the console is already going into production in October. It feels strange that a system who's specs and hardware we know so little about is only a few months away from being made.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I read on gamespot that the console is already going into production in October. It feels strange that a system who's specs and hardware we know so little about is only a few months away from being made.

I doubt that's happening and if it is, it'll be more underwhelming than the wiiu is.

 

[ImpulsE69]

If it is, I'm guessing it isn't an upgrade from teh Wii U, but more an advanced iteration of it, much like they do with the gameboy/3ds line.

 

[cmdrdredd]

If it is, I'm guessing it isn't an upgrade from teh Wii U, but more an advanced iteration of it, much like they do with the gameboy/3ds line.

Which helps them how? It doesn't. Nintendo doesn't have a friggen clue in the world.

 

[Lil Frier]

Which helps them how? It doesn't. Nintendo doesn't have a friggen clue in the world.

Maybe they're just going to pump it up to the PS4/One, in terms of power. Maybe they'll go crazy and throw in x86 stuff so third-party companies will support it. Maybe it's as simple as giving it a minor power boost, but focusing on building a better UI/UX that promotes networked gaming.

Waiting for the Bono lawsuit on the impending Wii U2.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Maybe they're just going to pump it up to the PS4/One, in terms of power. Maybe they'll go crazy and throw in x86 stuff so third-party companies will support it. Maybe it's as simple as giving it a minor power boost, but focusing on building a better UI/UX that promotes networked gaming.

Waiting for the Bono lawsuit on the impending Wii U2.

I doubt it. Their install base is too low to attract the big 3rd parties unless they do something to entice them back. I don't see them changing their business model to do so.

They need to hire more programmers for their games so it doesn't take 4 years for one game, hire more people to localize North American and European versions quickly, hire someone to bridge the gap between their HQ and the 3rd party developers worldwide and entice support, get their network system more streamlined and functioning properly with all the modern features intact (voice chat, party chat, messaging, trophies/achievements etc). Basically they need to copy what Sony did for the latter part of the PS3 and for the PS4. Then they need to look ahead, far ahead...so they have a console released at or near the time of the PS5 and XB2(whatever it'll be called) that matches or exceeds their capabilities. Then they might get the support again. If Nintendo gets the same games that the Playstation and Xbox do but also offers the Mario and Zelda titles and doesn't have any disadvantages (lower graphics, lack of good online play etc) then they can steal marketshare back in the home console space. Less gimmicks, more of everything people buy an Xbox or PS4 for. Honestly that's the only way I see they can stage a come back. I think many people, given the choice between an XBOX One, PS4, or Nintendo console with all having roughly equal power and the same 3rd party games and full network support that many people would go Nintendo to have Mario and Zelda too. At least it would be a tougher decision for people who only want or can only afford one console choice. For those who would buy them all it might not make a difference, but there's probably a lot of people who choose a PS4 or XB1 based on the exclusive library(do you want Uncharted or do you want Halo). Give them the option of Nintendo IP and they might go there instead.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Which helps them how? It doesn't. Nintendo doesn't have a friggen clue in the world.

I have no idea, and not saying it would. I do not think they've had enough time to create an entire new powerful console though.

 

[darkswordsman17]

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-nx-manufacturing-to-begin-in-october-repo/1100-6428596/

That's not mass production for October, it's basically just setting the line up and doing early testing of the manufacturing. Would go into mass production in May or June of next year allegedly, and Nintendo wants to ship 20 million the first year, so they must have something planned. That or it's going to be a cheaper mobile focused system (maybe something like a larger Vita or the Wii U tablet controller with smaller bezels with like a 7" 1080p display). Or maybe Nintendo is willing to take a hit on hardware to get sales going. They've got the money to be able to do that, and if they come out swinging with something like the Wii U that has PS4/One like power in the home part, and includes a 3DS like portable, for say $300-400 it would be pretty compelling (the home system would be able to do ports/multiplatform games with the other two).

Also they're allegedly winding down Wii U production (in which case, that sounds like they're definitely abandoning it ASAP, despite them claiming they're going to keep it and the 3DS going after the NX launch).

If that's the case, I expect Zelda to be scrapped from the Wii U and made an NX launch game (and the reason they haven't been showing it off is they don't want to tell people this yet as that'll completely nail the coffin in the Wii U once they do). If they have a bunch of Virtual Console ports (work to make all the portable and home versions available at launch), ports of PS4/One 3rd party games, and maybe ports of Smash Bros, Mario Kart 7, and/or Splatoon, I think it could be popular. Or maybe even bigger, like HD releases of Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Metroid Prime games, Mario Galaxy or Sunshine.

Not sure why I'm getting my hopes up since I'm sure it'll probably be the opposite and it'll just be more disappointment from Nintendo, like a $300 ARM tablet that they expect people to use as a home console as well (so like a bigger Vita or the Wii U tablet controller with newer ARM innards of what the 3DS has).

 

[purbeast0]

haha wow nintendo is delusional.

according to that article, they have sold 9.5 million wiiu's since launch in 2012 - yet they plan on shipping 20 million NX in year 1?

i don't know if even the nintendo fanboy is strong enough to hit those numbers. although, it is so painfully obvious to everyone on these boards what nintendo needs to do in order to have a chance, yet the past decade they have shown they simply are out of touch with reality, so i have no hope that they will.

 

[darkswordsman17]

See, I don't agree with this. I think the lack of games is just long development times, which is a typical occurrence with Nintendo. Metroid, Pokémon, and Fire Emblem are the biggest franchises missing from the platform. The former, we don't know. The second, it's primarily a handheld franchise, so its absence isn't all that surprising (regardless of how badly people would like a console Pokémon RPG or a Pokémon Stadium release). The last is getting a hybrid/crossover game, and it's also mostly a handheld franchise. At the same time, the Wii U got the nee Splatoon IP and a Star Fox reboot. It's gotten several Mario character platformers (NSMBU, SLU, YWW, and CT:TT, in a manner of speaking), it's gotten Mario Party, Kart, Smash, and Donkey Kong. It's about to get Mario Tennis (though not Golf sadly), and Zelda's supposed to still be a Wii U title.

I don't think there's any real lack of software releases from Nintendo. There's just 0 third-party support (minus Platinum Games), and there aren't enough developers at Nintendo to crank out games as fast as consumers beat them. It's why third-party offerings are so crucial on the other consoles as well--how much better shape would the Wii U library be with Ubi, EA, Techland, Activision, and so on involved? How much worse would the libraries for the PS4 and Xbox One look without the third-party assistance?

That's not a Wii U defense, by the way. That's a statement of caution for the NX. It doesn't seem that Nintendo has held back IP, and it even sounds like they intend to prioritize the Wii U as they wind it down. That means the NX is in some serious trouble out of the gate. IF WE'RE LUCKY, the NX will be that hybrid experience, and some key things to help it succeed.

The first is Nintendo's standard backwards compatibility. They can support the Wii U with software if the games play on the NX. Keeps the current install base happy, and doesn't castrate the new platform with software woes. The other hope of magic would be that the reason we didn't get a Pokémon handheld in 2015 (something I find very surprising) is that they're going to build a massive Pokémon game we've been dying for to launch with the NX, potentially next fall.

That's actually something, as I think to myself, that could be REALLY sweet. Imagine if they stitched together all of the old Pokémon regions, and tightened up leveling across them. So, rather than each place ending around level 60/70, maybe Kanto stops around 10 or so. Basically, stay in that level-100 area, but make the grinding longer to make the leveling last across all generations' regions. Then, rather than iterative Pokémon re-releases, they could do expansions, where they do a DLC update to the game for $20, which adds in new Pokémon and the new region for that iteration. I'd love that.

That might be why there aren't games for it, but if that's the case then Nintendo is in even worse straights than thought. Fact is, if they can't get games out for the system it'll doom the system just like it has the Wii U.

And, because it's made the Wii U a failure they can't justify releasing more games on it, which is why we're seeing the games we have and it seems like Nintendo is trying to move on from it ASAP. Starfox is basically an HD remake of Starfox 64 it seems like. Splatoon and Captain Toad aren't that in depth of a games. And who knows what else will even show up on it (I'm guessing anything too big is being delayed and moved to the NX, and maybe they have enough assets and other stuff from the games that they could do quick ports so they could have most of the Wii U's good games ready at launch of the NX).

I don't see Nintendo sticking with the Wii U's architecture as that's been a big part of why it's a failure, and will insure that 3rd part games will still struggle, so they'll likely go to something like the PS4/One, or they're going to just jump to ARM (or something in between, like the small AMD CPU cores, a small but bigger than typical mobile GPU, maybe some ARM cores for 3DS/DS/etc ports). They have more to gain from getting multiplatform ports from the PS4/One than from backwards compatibility with the Wii U. Plus most of those games they'll have sequels of (Smash Bros, Mario Kart, probably Splatoon, New Super Mario Bros, etc). Best thing they could do is offer Wii U owners a trade-in thing where if they trade in their Wii U they'll get a nice discount off the new system. Maybe the tablet controller can be used as well so they can salvage that.

I definitely have a hunch that Zelda is being moved to the next console to try and start it off on the right foot. And if they change architectures I kinda doubt we'll see a Twilight Princess like launch (where it comes out on the Wii U and the next system, the Gamecube and Wii were very similar architecturally).

 

[darkswordsman17]

haha wow nintendo is delusional.

according to that article, they have sold 9.5 million wiiu's since launch in 2012 - yet they plan on shipping 20 million NX in year 1?

i don't know if even the nintendo fanboy is strong enough to hit those numbers. although, it is so painfully obvious to everyone on these boards what nintendo needs to do in order to have a chance, yet the past decade they have shown they simply are out of touch with reality, so i have no hope that they will.

Absolutely. They didn't expect the Gamecube to be such a failure (or the backlash over the risky moves they took with their big franchises, although that actually ended up being a good thing, but it hurt the Gamecube). The DS and Wii they didn't expect to be the successes they were (and Nintendo didn't really fully understand why they were). And then they screwed up with the 3DS (the 3D aspect, which I think the sour grapes over VR is partly because no one really cared about 3D on it, maybe some Virtual Boy angst as well) and the Wii U. They're basically bumbling around and lucked into success to keep making money and don't know what the market actually wants (other than that the market wants Nintendo, but there are limits to how much they want Nintendo, or maybe limits on how much Nintendo games Nintendo can provide).

If they expect to move that many, I'm thinking it almost has to be a portable focused system. That or Nintendo is basically going to eat the hardware cost a ton to come in at a lower price with an equal or more powerful system than Sony and Microsoft (and have a bunch of popular multiplatform ports). And on top of that they'd have to basically let Wii U owners trade in their systems for a big discount to try and get most of them to move to the new system. That's about the only ways I see them getting 20 million units the first year.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I bet if they move Zelda from the wiiu to the next system that it will be even longer until we see it. Unless it uses the similar hardware anyway but then they will probably be back where they are now.

 

[dagamer34]

No, no, no. No one "abandoned" Sega.

Not one of you guys have taken a business class, huh? Learn to read balance sheets and do case studies.

Sega did a lot right when it came to appeasing its audience, both developers and gamers....as you pointed out...so your last paragraph doesn't even align with Sega's story. Sega failed due to mismanaged business practices, pure and simple. The Dreamcast was well received, sold well, and had a bright future. McDonalds can have as many sales per day as people in the United States, but bad business and financial decisions can put anyone out of business. Never had an uncle that had a decent amount of cash flow and somehow managed to lose it all?

For the rest of you who think its "weird" that Nintendo is still around...yeah, they're still around...with 18 Billion USD on hand and 0 debt. Sony's entire net worth is 17.7 billion (including their electronics, entertainment, and various other divisions). Nintendo isn't exactly the underdog when it comes to resources on hand.

Nintendo's "problem" is that they play it safe, and truly, LEARNED from Sega's mistake. Nintendo takes very careful, calculated decisions, putting out consoles and games that will turn them a profit even *if* they don't sell in the multi-millions. Why would they go appeasing gamers and developers if all of their employees go home with raises and bonuses year after year? They're not catering to *you*....but they're stable, and they're not going anywhere. Will they relive their past glory of golden age gaming? Doubt it. That kind of magic won't return as Miyamoto gets older, softer, and more out of touch with western tastes.

Sony is bending over backwards, deciding to continue to sell hardware at losses, gambling with game sales to reap profits...they're making the risky ventures. Exciting...and possibly could lead to their downfall. We've seen this exact scenario before, and oh how quickly people forget.

If Nintendo really is sitting on 18 billion in cash, then there is zero need to do anything drastic like PS3->PS4 where you greatly correct the mistakes of your predecessor in an attempt to win the market. So Nintendo can continue to make money bit by bit, but it won't be "sexy". They will become the IBM of the console market.

It does become a problem when a Nintendo console actually is only for 1st party games. Regardless of how popular Mario is, shattering that illusion for customers means no one will buy your console. Period.

As far as actually fixing their problems to "appease the west", I've got about zero confidence in that ever happening. But all the billions they have in the bank stop them from being a 3rd party developer on another platform. It's a limbo period that can go on for decades honestly.

 

[Oyeve]

IMO all current consoles are failures or will be soon. I have had every single game console up until the most current. There is not one outstanding gimmick on either platform to lure me into getting one. Hell, I went back to fulltime PC gaming last year because all of the current consoles suck.

 

[cmdrdredd]

IMO all current consoles are failures or will be soon. I have had every single game console up until the most current. There is not one outstanding gimmick on either platform to lure me into getting one. Hell, I went back to fulltime PC gaming last year because all of the current consoles suck.

You need a gimmick to buy a console? That's stupid.

I am enjoying them just fine. Besides they have broken sales records, some failure.

 

[ImpulsE69]

If they whack the Wii U now, it will most certainly alienate many people into not trusting them with a future console. There is practically no way they would sell 20million units in 1 year. They would have to launch with a large outstanding catalog to even remotely get that close and it would have to be cheap. If you take that into account, then one would be equally mad that they've been holding back game development on the Wii U to put it in NX instead....there is no win situation here.

Unless...they are launching a phone....

 

[Oyeve]

You need a gimmick to buy a console? That's stupid.

I am enjoying them just fine. Besides they have broken sales records, some failure.

Not a gimmick per-say, just a reason to buy one. Sales records mean nothing to me. Hell, apple has broken many and I yet have to see a compelling reason to buy one of their products.

One thing that would have swayed me to get a current gen system would have been backwards compatibility. I know that this was recently added but 2 years ago would have been the time for me.

 

[Lil Frier]

If they whack the Wii U now, it will most certainly alienate many people into not trusting them with a future console. There is practically no way they would sell 20million units in 1 year. They would have to launch with a large outstanding catalog to even remotely get that close and it would have to be cheap. If you take that into account, then one would be equally mad that they've been holding back game development on the Wii U to put it in NX instead....there is no win situation here.

Unless...they are launching a phone....

Given Nintendo's track record across its last half-dozen releases (home and handheld), we should see backwards compatibility with the NX, one way or another. So, even if there aren't new games designed specifically for the NX, the stuff supporting the Wii U should run on it. If they make this a hybrid experience, maybe it brings the 3DS library with it or something.

It is pretty dangerous to kill the console too quickly, but with a 2012 release, it's possible this thing launches in 2017, pretty much on-par with the Wii's shelf life of 2007-2012. Maybe Nintendo just goes crazy and even offers some kind of Wii U/NX upgrade incentive, we don't know. They've never been ones to eat money on hardware, so that's unlikely, but I suppose it's possible.

Not a gimmick per-say, just a reason to buy one. Sales records mean nothing to me. Hell, apple has broken many and I yet have to see a compelling reason to buy one of their products.

One thing that would have swayed me to get a current gen system would have been backwards compatibility. I know that this was recently added but 2 years ago would have been the time for me.

Sounds like some crap. If you're not buying the consoles for the games, then what ARE you buying them for? Most of the major franchises from the last round of consoles either exists on this one, or is about to get here. Regardless, there's a difference between not liking something and having it be a commercial failure. You said the consoles are either failures or close to it. Is Apple a failure because you don't like it? You either made had poor choice of words or a serious lack of perspective.

 

[mmntech]

If they whack the Wii U now, it will most certainly alienate many people into not trusting them with a future console. There is practically no way they would sell 20million units in 1 year.

That's some Atari 1983 level crazy mixed in with a healthy dose of late 90s Sega.

Nintend needs to come to terms with the painful truth that console gaming is dead in Japan. The Wii U is actually the best selling console there right now, which isn't saying much. Just over 2 million units shipped. Even the PS4 can't find ground there. The Japanese are obsessed with mobile gaming. Which is why big companies like Capcom, Konami, and Sega are ditching consoles like they're radioactive.

So Nintendo has to make a big decision in the coming year. Do they focus on Japan or focus on the global market? It's becoming clear you can't do both anymore. Even Sony knows that.

The first option involves a Nintendo who ditches TV top consoles entirely and puts their entire focus onto the 3DS, future handhelds, and mobile gaming.

The second option has them playing catch up to Sony and Microsoft. Rolling out proper online infrastructure, developing powerful hardware that's easy to port multi-plats to, bringing new studios on board, mending 30 years worth of strained relationships with third party publishers.

The first option is certainly a lot easier and requires little to no new investment. The second one could have huge rewards but it's a huge gamble too that requires a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and money.

I can see them going the way of the other big Japanese publishers. Fortunately they do have a creative person (Miyamoto) who has power to make decisions, and who the execs actually listen to. So maybe he'll convince them otherwise.

I wouldn't be surprised though if the NX is a new handheld or even a phone.

 

[poofyhairguy]

according to that article, they have sold 9.5 million wiiu's since launch in 2012 - yet they plan on shipping 20 million NX in year 1?

That can only mean one thing:

Nintendo's finally going to do the smart thing and release a cheap secondary console!

It is time for them to stop pretending that they can make a console that can compete with the PS4 or Xbox, and maybe they have. Maybe Nintendo finally looked in the mirror and said "we will never catch up on network play, console power, third party relationships, $100 million budgets for first party titles, and everything that is the modern console industry."

Give us a sub-$200 console, put Mario/Zelda/Pokemon/etc. (even just HD remakes at first) on it, and watch the money pour in. When the average console gamer is now over the age of 20 he can afford two consoles as long as the second one is cheap.

I am so excited to hear more details. The Wii U was the only Nintendo console ever released I didn't buy. They gives us a zero day sub$200 console and it will be mine.

 

[Oyeve]

The Wii U was the only Nintendo console ever released I didn't buy. They gives us a zero day sub$200 console and it will be mine.

I got a Wii U for my son (18 at the time) and saw a lot of potential with the system. Nintendo could have utilized that system so much. The screen controller had so many possibilities. Well, at least we got to play Bayonetta 2!

 

[BoberFett]

For the rest of you who think its "weird" that Nintendo is still around...yeah, they're still around...with 18 Billion USD on hand and 0 debt. Sony's entire net worth is 17.7 billion (including their electronics, entertainment, and various other divisions). Nintendo isn't exactly the underdog when it comes to resources on hand.

Nintendo's "problem" is that they play it safe, and truly, LEARNED from Sega's mistake. Nintendo takes very careful, calculated decisions, putting out consoles and games that will turn them a profit even *if* they don't sell in the multi-millions. Why would they go appeasing gamers and developers if all of their employees go home with raises and bonuses year after year? They're not catering to *you*....but they're stable, and they're not going anywhere. Will they relive their past glory of golden age gaming? Doubt it. That kind of magic won't return as Miyamoto gets older, softer, and more out of touch with western tastes.

Sony is bending over backwards, deciding to continue to sell hardware at losses, gambling with game sales to reap profits...they're making the risky ventures. Exciting...and possibly could lead to their downfall. We've seen this exact scenario before, and oh how quickly people forget.

LOL, you're so adorable, trying to play Mr. Grownup Businessman.

While wearing my gamer hat, I don't care what their P&L statement looks like or how much cash they have on hand. Investors care about those things, and I don't own any Nintendo stock, so I don't care.

So from a video gaming perspective it IS weird that Nintendo is still around. How many people do you know that have a Wii U? I know zero that have one. How does that compare to people that have PS4s and Xbox Ones? I know a lot of those people.

After the downfall of Atari, Nintendo basically rebuilt the idea of an "entertainment system". For a while, their systems were the basis of video gaming with a healthy market built around it. Now those terms are defined by Sony and Microsoft. Unless they find a way to regain marketshare, Nintendo is relegated to being a toy company that produces a toy with few options, not unlike a very expensive LeapFrog. They might be a profitable toy company, but they no longer define video gaming as an industry.

Swapping over to my investor hat, is Nintendo best served by investing their resources into building yet another console? Heck, they may get a better return by investing their warchest into other things, buy Chinese rare earth mines or invest in Musk's company or something. I guess we'll find out whether their console strategy continues to work for them.

Finally, outside of both of them producing a video game console Sony and Nintendo are nothing alike, so comparing them is a waste of time.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Not a gimmick per-say, just a reason to buy one. Sales records mean nothing to me. Hell, apple has broken many and I yet have to see a compelling reason to buy one of their products.

One thing that would have swayed me to get a current gen system would have been backwards compatibility. I know that this was recently added but 2 years ago would have been the time for me.

I didn't say sales mean something to you or I individually but you said they are failures. They're the most successful video game console launches of all time. I buy consoles for the new games and potential of the new system. Why buy a new console if I'm just going to play old games on it? That's why backwards compatibility doesn't interest me that much. To me you either play video games or you don't.

 

[ImpulsE69]

LOL, you're so adorable, trying to play Mr. Grownup Businessman.

While wearing my gamer hat, I don't care what their P&L statement looks like or how much cash they have on hand. Investors care about those things, and I don't own any Nintendo stock, so I don't care.

So from a video gaming perspective it IS weird that Nintendo is still around. How many people do you know that have a Wii U? I know zero that have one. How does that compare to people that have PS4s and Xbox Ones? I know a lot of those people.

After the downfall of Atari, Nintendo basically rebuilt the idea of an "entertainment system". For a while, their systems were the basis of video gaming with a healthy market built around it. Now those terms are defined by Sony and Microsoft. Unless they find a way to regain marketshare, Nintendo is relegated to being a toy company that produces a toy with few options, not unlike a very expensive LeapFrog. They might be a profitable toy company, but they no longer define video gaming as an industry.

Swapping over to my investor hat, is Nintendo best served by investing their resources into building yet another console? Heck, they may get a better return by investing their warchest into other things, buy Chinese rare earth mines or invest in Musk's company or something. I guess we'll find out whether their console strategy continues to work for them.

Finally, outside of both of them producing a video game console Sony and Nintendo are nothing alike, so comparing them is a waste of time.

Well they certainly seem more interested in selling amibos than games. I'm still confused why those things even sell.

Also, this latest stint DOES seem awfully familiar if you look at the Saturn/DC time period.