Nintendo has had a rough few years. The Japanese video game giant’s last console, the Wii U, absolutely tanked. As such, the company is skyrocketing away from it on the way towards its next console. However, even though Nintendo has seen better days, they still remain one of the most beloved (if not the most) video game companies in history. Millions of fans are awaiting the company’s next console, dubbed the Nintendo NX, and we’ve got good news: it’s almost here.
We still don’t know exactly what the Nintendo NX console/handheld is, although we have a very good idea. But at least we can confirm it exists. Now, despite not even having officially announced the console yet, Nintendo has given gamers (at least, Splatoon gamers) a chance to win the NX console.
Good at Splatoon? You could win a Nintendo NX
The largest independent eSports gaming league, ESLGaming, announced the news on their website today. Nintendo’s Splatoon is coming to ESL Play, and a European Go4Splatoon cup is being organized through the league. The tournament kicks off this weekend on September 11th, and at the end of the six-month season, players on the winning squad will get their hands on a brand-new, shiny Nintendo NX.
ESLGaming’s press release reads as follows:
We are ready to roll out the red carpet for our newest Go4 tournament, the European Go4Splatoon cup series! Nintendo’s colorful shooter is getting set for weekly 4on4 tournaments, starting this weekend on September 11th. A fascinating prize is waiting at the end of the six-month season, as all players of the winning team will get their hands on Nintendo’s next video game system, code-named NX!
In typical Go4 fashion, teams will get the chance to compete on a weekly basis to accrue points based on their performance. Each month, the best teams will compete in the monthly finals, where the winners can secure themselves a spot for the grand finals in 2017. Along the way, teams will have tons of chances to score official Splatoon clothing, by winning in both the weekly and monthly cups.
It’s worth noting that if you win the Splatoon tournament, you won’t actually be getting a Nintendo NX earlier than release. The mystery console’s launch is expected to take place sometime in March of next year as well, so winners will be receiving their prizes around the same time as regular consumers.
Nintendo NX still largely a mysterious console
Microsoft has already announced the Xbox One S and their upcoming Project Scorpio. Sony will announce today their PlayStation 4 Slim as well as their next-generation PlayStation Neo. And Nintendo, in just a few short months, will launch their first truly new major video game console since 2013. The NX is currently scheduled to release next March, but no one really knows anything about the console officially, as Nintendo has been predictably tight-lipped ever since the console was announced.
The first major leak came a few weeks ago, when Eurogamer reported that the NX would be a portable console with its own display and a set of detachable controllers. Unlike the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and even the Wii U, the report also claimed that the NX will use cartridges, possibly similar to the system Nintendo uses with its 3DS handheld.
The report from Eurogamer came just hours after noted video game insider Emily Rogers tweeted that “significant reports” regarding the NX would begin appearing in major publications soon.
Since then, Rogers has divulged a number of significant rumors regarding the NX. Included is the rumor that the NX will have detachable controllers that will support force feedback and motion control. Additionally, the NX is reported to have a 6.2-inch 720p multi-touch touchscreen, but the final product’s screen size is not known to be bigger, smaller, or the same as the prototype. The NX prototype also allegedly has a docking station with USB ports, with 2 ports, although, again, the final number is not yet known.
Rogers continued to speculate that the NX development kit/prototype will have 32 gigabytes of internal memory, which is similar to the Wii U. While the final product might see an increase in this number, the prototype was 32GB.
Nintendo still silent on details
While all of these declarations obviously come with a great deal of uncertainty, it seems as if a clearer picture is starting to form of the Nintendo NX. While the Japanese video game giant is still unwilling to share any details regarding the console, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Amie was very candid about the fact that things need to change at Nintendo:
One of the things that we have to do better when we launch the NX – we have to do a better job communicating the positioning for the product. We have to do a better job helping people to understand its uniqueness and what that means for the game playing experience. And we have to do a better job from a software planning standpoint to have that continuous beat of great new games that are motivating more and more people to pick up the hardware and more and more people to pick up the software. Those are critical lessons.
While everything indeed sounds fantastic, we are less than eight months out from the launch of the Nintendo NX, and next to nothing is known about it. If Nintendo plans on doing a better job of communicating exactly what the NX is supposed to do and who it’s meant for, they might want to start soon.
