Nintendo has had a rough go of it as of late. The company’s previous video game console, the Wii U, was an absolute disaster, something they were certainly not expecting. As such, the Japanese video game giant is hightailing away from it on its way to releasing its next console, called the Nintendo NX.
However, even though Nintendo has seen better days in its history, the company still remains one of the most beloved (if not the most) video game companies in history. Millions of fans are waiting for the Nintendo NX, and we have good news: it’s almost here.
The Nintendo NX is slated to arrive sometime early next year, despite any official information from the Japanese company. Now, new rumors suggest that, finally, the company plans on discussing the console at one of its special “Nintendo Direct” events. Until then, however, it seems as if the company is happy to keep quiet.
At the Yo-Kai Watch 2 launch in Canada, several publications sat down to interview with Andrew Collins, the communications manager of Nintendo of Canada. At the start of these interviews, Collins apparently stated that if there were any questions about the Nintendo NX, the interviews would be cut short.
“Almost everyone leads the interview with that, and Nintendo is not ready to discuss [the NX] yet,” said Collins. “Once we are, Nintendo will most likely hold a Nintendo Direct in the future – before launch – to discuss it.”
According to Collins, the company is not quite ready to talk about the NX yet, and when they are, they will most likely host a Nintendo Direct event to speak about it. “Nintendo Directs are actually presented to the communications team much closer to their release,” Collins cryptically stated. The damning bit of evidence here is that these specific quotes were redacted by Nintendo of Canada’s request.
While we are not sure why Nintendo is choosing to be so secretive in regards to their upcoming console, there could be a few reasons why they are being so tight-lipped. It’s possible that the company is sick of the speculation and rumors that could potentially harm them, especially if some of them turn out to be false.
Also, it could be possible that Nintendo does not want gamers making assumptions, reading in between the lines, and overhyping the NX, only to be disappointed when it is finally, officially revealed. In any case, almost nothing is known about the Nintendo NX. Obviously Nintendo will need to reveal at least something before the console is released, so for now, everyone just needs to be just a little bit patient.
Regarding the potential reveal of the Nintendo NX at a Nintendo Direct event: at the very least, it is a hint, albeit a small one. While it is just that, a hint, it’s the only official hint we’ve gotten direct from Nintendo’s mouths, apart from the potential £350 price tag.
It’s unclear why Nintendo has not yet revealed the device, despite the fact that it’s set to hit shelves in less than six months. Even though we have precious little Nintendo NX information direct from the source, the rumors and speculation regarding the console won’t stop rolling in.
Rumors have swirled about for months now saying that the Nintendo NX will be a “hybrid” device of sorts, a combination of both a home console and a handheld. Essentially, the device is rumored to have a built-in display so users can play on-the-go, but it will also have the capability to connect to televisions, so users can play at home.
Earlier this week, Tsunekazu Ishihara, the CEO of The Pokémon Company, during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, said that “The NX is trying to change the concept of what it means to be a home console device or a hand-held device.” This seems to hint that the NX will at least have some sort of home and on-the-go components.
Additionally, recent reports have stated that Foxconn Electronics, the maker of many popular tech devices, including the iPhone, has begun “trialing” production of the Nintendo NX hardware. The Chinese manufacturer apparently plans to produce around 10 million NX units in the first year – an optimistic number, considering it took the Wii U nearly three years to sell as much.
Another recent rumor (or mistake, perhaps) comes from UK retailer Tesco, as the company briefly posted a listing for the NX under the title “Nintendo NX Wii U” on their website. What’s interesting is that the page listed the price of the console at £349.99, which is about $450. This is fairly expensive for a console, considering that the PlayStation 4 debuted at $400 three years ago and is considerably more powerful than the NX will be, if rumors are to be believed.
While these rumors are certainly building hype for the Nintendo NX, we are, at this point, only months out from the launch of the console, and next to nothing is known about it officially. If Nintendo plans on doing a better job communicating exactly what the NX is supposed to do and who it’s meant for, they might want to start doing so sooner rather than later.
