Nintendo has already confirmed this is the year in which it reveals its successor to the the Wii U, but Japanese experts from finance company Nomura Securities reckon they’ve got solid details on just when we’ll get our hands on the Nintendo NX.
According to Nomura Securities, Nintendo is preparing to reveal the new console as early as March, with a full announcement planned for June, before a launch in Japan as soon as October. That fits exactly with what we’d expect, with a full reveal looking likely at or around E3 2016. Console reveals are always some exciting E3's, so this is definitely one to look forward to. What it does mean is the final nail is already in Wii U’s coffin. Its upcoming line-up is looking extremely threadbare, with StarFox Zero and The Legend of Zelda Wii U the only games really standing out. The latter looks almost nailed on to become an NX title, or at least cross-platform, despite Nintendo’s protestations.
The analyst also assumes Nintendo will be dropping the Wii brand entirely in favour of something new. This seems like a dead cert. The Wii U’s failure has tarnished the name, and despite incredible sales the original Wii was still a disappointment to many. Putting a bullet in its head and starting afresh this year looks to both the right move and a hugely important one. It feels as if Nintendo’s entire future hinges on coming out and swinging punches this year with the NX. What’s not cleared up here is how this relates to Nintendo’s handheld business. The 3DS is also due a successor, so it’s increasingly likely the Nintendo NX could be some sort of hybrid devices. It can’t scrimp on power though, and needs to at least be the equal of the Xbox One to stand any chance of success. It’s most definitely shaping up to be a hugely influential 12 months for Nintendo. We’re hopefully going to get a brand new console and find out what a number of its in-house studios have been working on these last few years, including Retro and EAD Tokyo.
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