Nintendo Switch

Unless other companies decide they don't want to touch it because it's too different, then it will be a problem.

Truthfully, I think if Nintendo wants to experiment, they should make a standard controller and save a more fancy one (like the Gamepad or the Wii-Mote) for later once they are established. Give other companies the option to use it if they want, but let them muck around with something that is more like regular controllers as well.

But I know shit about business, so this might not work either. Probably cost too much money or something.

Sony and Microsoft have things that make them different without interfering with third parties (the touchpad and the Kinect). Having scroll wheels that also act as shoulder buttons would be no different. Hell, the GamePad was no different since it defaults to displaying whatever's on the TV screen.

The gamepad is sort of brilliant in that regard: it has all the same industry standard buttons and inputs, while still having it's own gimmick. And every console nowadays needs a gimmick to grab the publics attention.

Though the hefty size made it look silly to some.

Not sure if the lack of analog triggers was an issue or not, since most 3rd parties were more concerned with the power of the console, not the controllers functions.

But at any rate, as long as the new system has a controller that can function like a familiar industry standard controller without any gimmicky buttons or wheels being literally in the way, Nintendo can shove as many bells and whistles as they want into it.

Zel: Nearly everyone uses the PS 4's touchpad as the no-longer-in-existence Select button. First-party titles are the only ones that even try to do anything else with it, and even then in very minimal ways. Not the best example.

And that's different from what was done with the GamePad how?

Nintendo does something different with its game pad every iteration. Not every innovation is going to be revolutionary, like the d-pad or c-controls, but everything's adds something to the experience. I think scrolling shoulder buttons sound neat. If nothing else, it'll be a handy tool for menu scrolling. It doesn't have to be far and away revolutionary. It'll likely have other stuff, too. Hell, it might not even have scroll wheels. We actually know very little concrete information about the system.

edited 21st Nov '15 11:39:23 AM by Zeromaeus

Third parties often develop multiplatform titles, so of course they're much more likely to fall into established gaming, genre and control conventions. Not to mention that trying to make something that uses one systems gimmick work on another might translate extremely poorly.

First party devs are the main source of exclusive titles, so they are mostly responsible of innovating their games design to somehow utilize the new features in an appealing and functional way.

So no, its not a surprise that most third party games decide to ignore the PS 4 touch thingy. Or the X Bones Kinect.

I would mention the Gamepad gyro and touch, but most multiplat games exclude the Wii U from their "multiplatform" listings.

edited 21st Nov '15 11:54:02 AM by Geist-Fox

Pretty much the only difference between the touchpad and Kinect and the gamepad screen is off-tv play and some more convenient UI choices.

Nintendo should not even bother whit 3rd party developers. All they gonna do is make some lame cheap excuse why they don't want to support the system. Their not gonna get the support they had back in the NES&SNES days. Those days are dead and gone. Just worry about first and second party games.

And bring back F-ZERO!

They can't "not bother with" third-party support. There is literally no way for a console to survive without it.

They've got a point. What use does Nintendo have for third-party developed games like Hyrule Warriors, Yokai Watch, Monster Hunter, Super Smash Bros., or Pokemon?

Smash and Pokemon are technically considered second-party games, aren't they?

They said third-party developers. Pokemon and Smash (at least the latest iteration) are developed by third parties even if the series are (partially in Pokemon's case) owned by Nintendo.

Rumor: Mass production to begin at the end of Q1 2016 with total shipments being in the 10-12 million range.

edited 30th Nov '15 9:21:59 AM by tclittle

I believe the 3DS shipped 15 million in its first year. So that number wouldn't be outlandish. Hopefully Nintendo stops targeting ridiculously high shipments that they inevitably fail to meet.

TIME interview with Kimishima.

NX will be different than the Wii U and Wii brand.

He doesn't know what the codename for NX stood for.

Nintendo files patent for supplemental computing over the cloud for games.

So, what?

No Gamepad, off-tv play, or Wii-mote type stuff?

Or maybe, in addition to a normal controller, all that stuff will be incorporated into the Handheld since they are supposed to be more closely connected this time around.

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

It's the same situation as when they moved from Gameboy to DS, calling the latter a third pillar. There'll be a new concept/gimmick, but they won't completely cut themselves off from the past few systems.

Makes sense.

The Game Boy/DS thing was more a contingency plan right? Like it was a "if the DS flopped we could just kill it off and make another Game Boy instead of having the DS replace the Game Boy outright like we've planned all along" escape plan if the DS flopped, which fortunately in Nintendo's favor it didn't

Edit: ayy

edited 3rd Dec '15 4:33:40 PM by RoboZombie

Patent for a controller or handheld with a free-form screen found.

Link to article about patent for controller or hand-held with free form screen not found.

Seems interesting though.

edited 10th Dec '15 10:59:54 AM by HandsomeRob

The link in the post above links to a Neo GAF thread with everything listed.

Here's a link to the actual patent.

edited 10th Dec '15 11:03:59 AM by tclittle

Assuming it's a controller (the sketches make me think so), that makes it more likely the dual screen setup is returning. It's definitely something I'd need to see in action before making a judgement call though.

It's also worth noting that the patent may not end up getting used. With the amount of different controller patents that have come out, it's not unreasonable to think that they're just future proofing controller ideas in case one of them is used for the final product.