Nintendo’s next ‘dedicated game system’ is the NX

Thought news of Nintendo bringing its characters to smart device games was big? Apparently that's not the only big surprise Nintendo has for us, as company President Satoru Iwata also mentioned during a media event today that Nintendo is creating a new next-generation hardware concept codenamed "NX."

Unfortunately, details for the new "dedicated game system" will have to wait, as Iwata promised more info next year.

"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,'" he said. "It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year."

There's plenty to speculate about the NX until then, though, including what the codename is actually referencing. The idea of Nintendo chasing a "new concept" so soon after it already tried to innovate with the Wii U seems like an awfully risky move, one that investors might doubt given the Wii U's lackluster sales. For as unique as the Wii U's Gamepad is, I think consumers have already shown they prefer a more traditional gaming experience.

Given Nintendo's other announcement today in which the company has partnered with Japanese mobile gaming company DeNA to develop smartphone games starring Nintendo characters, as well as a new online membership service, it's also possible that NX could be some sort of console designed with smart devices in mind.

"Nintendo, together with DeNA, will jointly develop a new membership service which encompasses the existing Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems, the new hardware system with a brand-new concept, NX, and smart devices and PCs, and Nintendo will be the primary party to operate this new membership service,"  Iwata said via official translation (IGN).

Nintendo has already proved with its 3DS that it can succeed in the handheld gaming business. Having already expressed concerns over losing 3DS sales from bringing its games to smart devices, perhaps Nintendo is looking into some sort of crossover console to bridge the gap between its 3DS and smartphones. If Nintendo has proved anything with the Wii and Wii U, it's that they aren't afraid to innovate. Of course, with the 3DS' incredible success, it does seem odd that Nintendo would risk cannibalizing sales from what is one of their strongest gaming pillars.

It would be equally huge, of course, if the NX were, as Nintendo says, a "dedicated game system" more in line with traditional home gaming consoles. The Wii U, for as innovative as it was, has failed to catch on in the way many had hoped. Despite slightly increased sales — the likely result of a surge in first-party game releases — the Wii U never lived up to company expectations. There's no doubt the Wii U was an interesting console, but underwhelming specs and lackluster consumer demand created a major problem for Nintendo in which third-party publishers didn't want to waste allocating resources to porting games to the system.

It would be great if Nintendo's NX could stand toe-to-toe with the Xbox One and PS4. With both of those systems already criticized for underdelivering on power expectations, imagine if Nintendo's NX could outperform them both? It would be huge.

To talk video games, movies, or sports, find me at @Matt_GZ.