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[Leona Lewis]

I'm expecting a not so mass market price. The iPod touch is $199, and for most people, free apps on the App Store is more than enough to get by. By comparison, $40-$60 a pop for handheld games is the domain of enthusiasts. Your average adolescent or teenager might be playing Super Mario Run on their iPod next year, but they will not be asking for an NX for Christmas.

When you can't compete for the mass market (at least when you can't get the price of components low enough at launch to make it a healthy proposition), it makes sense to upcharge and snap up the hardcore who would buy it at $199 or $299 regardless.

I'm thinking $199 or even $249 is a pipe dream at this point. There was a time when it made sense, but Apple's sucked all the air out of the low cost portable space. Hopefully Nintendo focuses on build quality, materials, and proper software diversity for the more premium market they've been boxed into by Apple and Google.

I'm personally excited to see what a $300 handheld by Nintendo would look like.

 

[Chiramii]

I think it'd be interesting if you got some kind of extremely small display on the buttons -- such that the text on the buttons can change when the orientation of the controller changes. Maybe this has to do with that free form display deal we've heard about with Sharp in the past.

I remember the Optimus Maximus keyboard did this for each key back in the day and it looked kinda cool. Implementing it with the free form tech would work really well imo.

 

[maxcriden]

L-O-L.

Some Wii U games are $40, some $50, some $60. Surely NX could possibly follow a similar pricing structure?

 

[Nanashrew]

I'm expecting a not so mass market price. The iPod touch is $199, and for most people, free apps on the App Store is more than enough to get by. By comparison, $40-$60 a pop for handheld games is the domain of enthusiasts. Your average adolescent or teenager might be playing Super Mario Run on their iPod next year, but they will not be asking for an NX for Christmas.

When you can't compete for the mass market (at least when you can't get the price of components low enough at launch to make it a healthy proposition), it makes sense to upcharge and snap up the hardcore who would buy it at $199 or $299 regardless.

I'm thinking $199 or even $249 is a pipe dream at this point. There was a time when it made sense, but Apple's sucked all the air out of the low cost portable space. Hopefully Nintendo focuses on build quality, materials, and proper software diversity for the more premium market they've been boxed into by Apple and Google.

I'm personally excited to see what a $300 handheld by Nintendo would look like.

What hardcore would even buy a $300 dedicated handheld? Most hardcore gamers do not even want to pay a hefty sum for a Nintendo system just to play their games or exclusive 3rd parties. Many will wait for a significant price drop.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Some Wii U games are $40, some $50, some $60. Surely NX could possibly follow a similar pricing structure?

Definitely.

I think most games will hang out in the $30 to $50 range, with the biggest titles (like Zelda) retailing for $60.

 

[Leona Lewis]

What hardcore would even buy a $300 dedicated handheld? Most hardcore gamers do not even want to pay a hefty sum for a Nintendo system just to play their games or exclusive 3rd parties. Many will wait for a significant price drop.

A $300 handheld with the dock included in the box would make it a more attractive arrangement, along with a pack-in game and at least 64GB of flash memory.

 

[Schnozberry]

A $300 handheld with the dock included in the box would make it a more attractive arrangement, along with a pack-in game and at least 64GB of flash memory.

Personally, I think their entry price needs to be $250 or less, and preferably $199. $299 would put it above the price of the entry level iPad, which is a territory they don't need to roam as a device that is at least a part time tablet.

 

[Malus]

I'm expecting a not so mass market price. The iPod touch is $199, and for most people, free apps on the App Store is more than enough to get by. By comparison, $40-$60 a pop for handheld games is the domain of enthusiasts. Your average adolescent or teenager might be playing Super Mario Run on their iPod next year, but they will not be asking for an NX for Christmas.

When you can't compete for the mass market (at least when you can't get the price of components low enough at launch to make it a healthy proposition), it makes sense to upcharge and snap up the hardcore who would buy it at $199 or $299 regardless.

I'm thinking $199 or even $249 is a pipe dream at this point. There was a time when it made sense, but Apple's sucked all the air out of the low cost portable space. Hopefully Nintendo focuses on build quality, materials, and proper software diversity for the more premium market they've been boxed into by Apple and Google.

I'm personally excited to see what a $300 handheld by Nintendo would look like.

I don't understand how $249 is a pipe dream at this point. The low cost portable space is currently where Nintendo is most relevant.

You may not think Nintendo can compete for the mass market but they'll try. Certainly sounds more likely to me than them putting all their eggs into a $300 basket. If they do that they better get some cheaper SKUs out soon after.

 

[udivision]

A $300 handheld with the dock included in the box would make it a more attractive arrangement, along with a pack-in game and at least 64GB of flash memory.

If they're trying to get the 3DS crowd to upgrade, Nintendo has already proven how terrible a price point $250+ is for a handheld. Sony did too.

If they're trying to get core gamers, well, being the same price as better consoles (PS4/XO) probably won't help.

If they're trying to forge a new market and reach mainstream success, a lower pricepoint will be important as well.

 

[Leona Lewis]

I don't understand how $249 is a pipe dream at this point. The low cost portable space is currently where Nintendo is most relevant.

You may not think Nintendo can compete for the mass market but they'll try.

I think the dock is enough of an X Factor that Nintendo will price it more like a console even if that's not the main attraction.

We'll see. I don't believe Nintendo has its finger on what a mass market price for its hardware even looks like anymore.

Only a few days now~

 

[Jorok Goldblade]

What hardcore would even buy a $300 dedicated handheld? Most hardcore gamers do not even want to pay a hefty sum for a Nintendo system just to play their games or exclusive 3rd parties. Many will wait for a significant price drop.

A lot of what they can get away with for price is in the hands of marketing. If the public perceives this as just a 3DS successor, then that price point is market suicide. If they can successfully sell the idea that this is two systems for the price of one, then they have some more wiggle room.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Only a few days now~

 

[Steve Youngblood]

I think the dock is enough of an X Factor that Nintendo will price it more like a console even if that's not the main attraction.

Wait, have I missed some solid info about what specifically the dock even is besides something that'll charge the device and have USB ports? Because without more to go on than that, I really don't see that as an X-Factor.

This is the part where I just kind of have to concede that I'm too old and out of touch to be able to relate to the excitement and anxiety at this stage. We have enough pretty solid info to feel like we know what this thing is, but there's still some pretty pivotal pieces of info we're just guessing at. I mean, from where I'm sitting, $299 sounds like a disaster. My own kneejerk reaction is to think they'd be idiots if they launched with that price. But I don't know. Maybe I'm not giving the dock and the detachable controllers enough credit. Perhaps there's something truly special and unique going on with them that I just haven't thought of. Maybe the dock really does give it a legit boost and kick it up a notch into a legit console mode. But if it's just USB, TV-out, and a charging station then no, it's really nothing to write home about.

 

[Leona Lewis]

Wait, have I missed some solid info about what specifically the dock even is besides something that'll charge the device and have USB ports? Because without more to go on than that, I really don't see that as an X-Factor.

This is the part where I just kind of have to concede that I'm too old and out of touch to be able to relate to the excitement and anxiety at this stage. We have enough pretty solid info to feel like we know what this thing is, but there's still some pretty pivotal pieces of info we're just guessing at. I mean, from where I'm sitting, $299 sounds like a disaster. My own kneejerk reaction is to think they'd be idiots if they launched with that price. But I don't know. Maybe I'm not giving the dock and the detachable controllers enough credit. Perhaps there's something truly special and unique going on with them that I just haven't thought of. Maybe the dock really does give it a legit boost and kick it up a notch into a legit console mode. But if it's just USB, TV-out, and a charging station then no, it's really nothing to write home about.

We have to be missing something big if Nintendo's concerned about others stealing their ideas. Because what we have so far ain't cutting it.

But maybe that's just me being overly optimistic.

 

[eifer]

lol this thread wants a hybrid system with a dock and a fancy touch screen and detachable controllers to be $250 and have $30 software. Oh man.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

We have to be missing something big if Nintendo's concerned about others stealing their ideas. Because what we have so far ain't cutting it.

But maybe that's just me being overly optimistic.

Nintendo's bad ideas have been stolen, too.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

We have to be missing something big if Nintendo's concerned about others stealing their ideas. Because what we have so far ain't cutting it.

But maybe that's just me being overly optimistic.

I'm just going to be honest here. The NX could be the greatest thing since sliced bread and I'm still going to think that the comment about being afraid of having their ideas stolen was ridiculous. There may well be a perfectly good reason for why they haven't shown it before now. But being afraid of being copied? Asinine.

 

[Malus]

I think the dock is enough of an X Factor that Nintendo will price it more like a console even if that's not the main attraction.

We'll see. I don't believe Nintendo has its finger on what a mass market price for its hardware even looks like anymore.

Only a few days now~

A lot of what they can get away with for price is in the hands of marketing. If the public perceives this as just a 3DS successor, then that price point is market suicide. If they can successfully sell the idea that this is two systems for the price of one, then they have some more wiggle room.

It just makes so much more sense to me to price it like a handheld or as close as possible. They're not playing from a position of power here, they're fighting for relevancy after a disaster and a half this last gen. Make it affordable and get people on board. Don't price it like a home console when your last home console was a complete dumpster fire while the handheld was actually semi-successful. A successful ad campaign is tough to predict when introducing a new kind of product, but people always like good prices.

I mean I wouldn't put it past them, but it's a real tough proposition. Just follow the money instead of trying to fit a square peg through a round hole.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

I'm just going to be honest here. The NX could be the greatest thing since sliced bread and I'm still going to think that the comment about being afraid of having their ideas stolen was ridiculous. There may well be a perfectly good reason for why they haven't shown it before now. But being afraid of being copied? Asinine.

I'm sure there's more to it then that, but they have been copied in the past. It's not a groundless concern.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

I'm just going to be honest here. The NX could be the greatest thing since sliced bread and I'm still going to think that the comment about being afraid of having their ideas stolen was ridiculous. There may well be a perfectly good reason for why they haven't shown it before now. But being afraid of being copied? Asinine.

I don't think it's asanine to them.

 

[ggx2ac]

We have to be missing something big if Nintendo's concerned about others stealing their ideas. Because what we have so far ain't cutting it.

But maybe that's just me being overly optimistic.

When it's revealed that it's just a hybrid, no more, no less. Everyone will have been over thinking on that supposed secret. lol

Edit: I think it's enough of a secret to hide from Sony. They have the Vita but they always change plans like the opportunist that they are.

Sony decided to get back into mobile because they couldn't ignore the market.

The moment the NX is revealed to be a hybrid that can play both mobile games and traditional games and becomes a success? Sony will definitely copy that.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

I'm sure there's more to it then that, but they have been copied in the past. It's not a groundless concern.

I'm not saying that they're wrong to think that a good idea of their's won't be copied. What I'm saying is "who gives a shit?" If your idea is that great and original, you're still going to get to market first by a good margin. That comment was made like two months ago. Estimated launch was 9 months away. Even if the competition got to work right away on their own copycat device, they're not going to beat Nintendo to market. And if your idea really is that great, it's going to get copied anyway, only now with a whopping three months more lead time because you wisely played it close to the chest.

It just plays more like marketing hype than an earnest concern to me. "We'd love to show you what we have but it's just so awesome that we don't want to give the competition too much time to copy us!" Give me a break.

 

[udivision]

Wait, have I missed some solid info about what specifically the dock even is besides something that'll charge the device and have USB ports? Because without more to go on than that, I really don't see that as an X-Factor.

This is the part where I just kind of have to concede that I'm too old and out of touch to be able to relate to the excitement and anxiety at this stage. We have enough pretty solid info to feel like we know what this thing is, but there's still some pretty pivotal pieces of info we're just guessing at. I mean, from where I'm sitting, $299 sounds like a disaster. My own kneejerk reaction is to think they'd be idiots if they launched with that price. But I don't know. Maybe I'm not giving the dock and the detachable controllers enough credit. Perhaps there's something truly special and unique going on with them that I just haven't thought of. Maybe the dock really does give it a legit boost and kick it up a notch into a legit console mode. But if it's just USB, TV-out, and a charging station then no, it's really nothing to write home about.

The appeal is pretty obvious. Just imagine this hypothetical situation.

You're out with a friend. Just one friend, because huddling around what's essentially a Wii U gamepad with 3 or more people sounds awkward. You're out with that one friend, but you're not at your home or anyplace with a TV or else you'd just be playing console games as usual. You're in public space. But it's not "too" public, this thing doesn't have 2 headphone jacks (such courage) and both you and your friend need to hear the game sound. There's enough room for you to set up your NX and detachable controllers of course, but not enough to play anything really motion based. That might look kind of goofy in public anyway. You've got the equivalent of an NES controller in your hands, which probably limits you to NSMB5 and a few other games, but you've got a hankering to play Nintendo that just can't wait. Welcome to the NX, what U will play NeXt.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

I hope they call the NX Utopia.

 

[Pittree]

The other thing you guys still don't get turning the controller on its side shifts the buttons, I said it before:

In my last mockup (post #4214) I proposed a solution for the problem regarding the configuration of the buttons in different setups. I understand it may seem farfetched to some, but honestly it would be more cost effective than using displays (wich sounds super cool however) and more reliable than the swappable buttons.

 

[ggx2ac]

I hope they call the NX Utopia.

It's too bad they're using Miitopia for a 3DS game.

"It's not Utopia, not Yourtopia, it's Miitopia!"

 

[psyfi]

I hope they call the NX Utopia.

That's pretty corny, but I kinda like it. It gives me the same "where the hell did that come" endearingly earnest vibes as Dreamcast.

 

[sviri]

I can't believe how uninterested in this thread I was leading up PS4 Pro reveal. All of a sudden I once again give a shit about NX, it's a big shit too.

Can't wait to see whatever the next main Mario entry ends up being.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

It's too bad they're using Miitopia for a 3DS game.

"It's not Utopia, not Yourtopia, it's Miitopia!"

You just ruined it.

 

[lkactor13]

All in all, I want No More Heroes 3 for nx.

 

[Malus]

I can't believe how uninterested in this thread I was leading up PS4 Pro reveal. All of a sudden I once again give a shit about NX, it's a big shit too.

Can't wait to see whatever the next main Mario entry ends up being.

If Tokyo EPD continues their recent trend of "big game followed by smaller game a year later", then after the next 3D Mario I wanna see Jungle Beat 2. Or something neat along those lines.

All in all, I want No More Heroes 3 for nx.

Only if Suda51 directs it.

 

[MuchoMalo]

Wait, have I missed some solid info about what specifically the dock even is besides something that'll charge the device and have USB ports? Because without more to go on than that, I really don't see that as an X-Factor.

This is the part where I just kind of have to concede that I'm too old and out of touch to be able to relate to the excitement and anxiety at this stage. We have enough pretty solid info to feel like we know what this thing is, but there's still some pretty pivotal pieces of info we're just guessing at. I mean, from where I'm sitting, $299 sounds like a disaster. My own kneejerk reaction is to think they'd be idiots if they launched with that price. But I don't know. Maybe I'm not giving the dock and the detachable controllers enough credit. Perhaps there's something truly special and unique going on with them that I just haven't thought of. Maybe the dock really does give it a legit boost and kick it up a notch into a legit console mode. But if it's just USB, TV-out, and a charging station then no, it's really nothing to write home about.

If that fan is in the final kit, there's a very good chance that it'll run at full speed in the dock. However, that would still only be ~750 GFLOPS FP32 (though it's 1.5 TFLOPS FP16 and could compete with Xbone in well-optimized titles, but you could call that ~secret sauce~ and dismiss it). Technically, the dock would still be a charger with USB ports in that case. The question is, how does the dock connect to the unit? That's the huge mystery here.

 

[ggx2ac]

In my last mockup (post #4214) I proposed a solution for the problem regarding the configuration of the buttons in different setups. I understand it may seem farfetched to some, but honestly it would be more cost effective than using displays (wich sounds super cool however) and more reliable than the swappable buttons.

I guess you are referencing the replaceable buttons patent but, how do the buttons lock in place? I see you are showing that they rotate... Never mind, there are probably clips that lock it in place every 90 degrees.

I don't really like there being two sets of the same colour but put on different buttons, it looks really confusing.

You just ruined it.

I ruin a lot of things. Like people's hopes in having 1080p HD console experiences with the NX because of the dock.

Spoiler

Wiitopia

 

[Sheroking]

Crazy prediction. The systems final name is the Gameboy NX. It's the first portable they've built without dual screens since the GBA, it has nostalgia power for adults and helps them market to children.

 

[Pittree]

To this day I think all the pieces that conform the NX have been already presented in leaks an rumors. However the way they are put together and the function for each one is something no one could possibly imagine.

I remember when back in the day Reggie hinted that to get an idea of how the revolution controller would work we had to take a look on what they did with the DS, then everyone thought we were going to get a touch screen. But pretty much no one imagined the controller would be a "stylus" for your TV. And guess what the DS analogy was refering to the stylus, not the screen.

I could see the same thing happening here

 

[Discomurf]

All in all, I want No More Heroes 3 for nx.

YES

 

[nckillthegrimace]

I'm not saying that they're wrong to think that a good idea of their's won't be copied. What I'm saying is "who gives a shit?" If your idea is that great and original, you're still going to get to market first by a good margin. That comment was made like two months ago. Estimated launch was 9 months away. Even if the competition got to work right away on their own copycat device, they're not going to beat Nintendo to market. And if your idea really is that great, it's going to get copied anyway.

It just plays more like marketing hype than an earnest concern to me. "We'd love to show you what we have but it's just so awesome that we don't want to give the competition too much time to copy us!" Give me a break.

It's probably both, honestly. I can't remember who said it, but Nintendo is a company that carves out a unique space for itself and then flees to a new space when serious competition arises. I think that behavior has engendered both a (irrational?) fear of being copied and a fear of moving into established spaces, which, consequently results in two of the company's worst traits, excessive secrecy and a stubborn refusal to give people exactly what they want. That's why the NX probably isn't a 4K beast or a typical mobile device. It has to be a different thing.

As a sidenote, it makes stuff like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Run seem super weird. Those are examples of Nintendo bursting into established spaces and giving people exactly what they want, which is against type. Nintendo must have supreme confidence in both products.

 

[Pittree]

I guess you are referencing the replaceable buttons patent but, how do the buttons lock in place? I see you are showing that they rotate... Never mind, there are probably clips that lock it in place every 90 degrees.

I don't really like there being two sets of the same colour but put on different buttons, it looks really confusing.



I ruin a lot of things. Like people's hopes in having 1080p HD console experiences with the NX because of the dock.

Spoiler

Wiitopia

In my concept I took advantage of the necessary lock mechanism system for the controllers to attach in to the screen. When you move the lock to release the controllers, the same mechanism make the face buttons turn 90 degrees. However the switch has also a third position in wich the face buttons reset to their original position in order to use the dettached controllers wii remote style. Coincidentally the new animation from Nintendo for their new "commercial advice" shows the buttons rotate in to their position!

I even designed how the mechanism would work wich is pretty simple, but I decided not to go into that much detail in the image I posted.

 

[Sheroking]

It's probably both, honestly. I can't remember who said it, but Nintendo is a company that carves out a unique space for itself and then flees to a new space when serious competition arises. I think that behavior has engendered both a (irrational?) fear of being copied and a fear of moving into established spaces, which, consequently results in two of the company's worst traits, excessive secrecy and a stubborn refusal to give people exactly what they want. That's why the NX probably isn't a 4K beast or a typical mobile device. It has to be a different thing.

As a sidenote, it makes stuff like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Run seem super weird. Those are examples of Nintendo bursting into established spaces and giving people exactly what they want, which is against type. Nintendo must have supreme confidence in both products.

Mainline Zelda and Mario are two franchises that are almost always "what people want" in the sense that whatever gimmick is present doesn't seriously detract from the core gameplay experience.

Skyward Sword may be the lone exception to that, and I put that on a need to make the Wiimote work for the series than "trying to be different".

 

[Steve Youngblood]

It's probably both, honestly. I can't remember who said it, but Nintendo is a company that carves out a unique space for itself and then flees to a new space when serious competition arises. I think that behavior has engendered both a (irrational?) fear of being copied and a fear of moving into established spaces, which, consequently results in two of the company's worst traits, excessive secrecy and a stubborn refusal to give people exactly what they want. That's why the NX probably isn't a 4K beast or a typical mobile device. It has to be a different thing.

Yeah. Maybe. I totally welcome the possibility that they're going to blow my mind with the official unveiling in spite of all the leaks. However, my simple working theory is that the primary hurdle is getting software ready to demo. But in the interest of full disclosure I freely admit that I'm just pulling that assumption out of my ass. I don't actually know anything.

 

[DragonKnight]

Yeah. Maybe. I totally welcome the possibility that they're going to blow my mind with the official unveiling in spite of all the leaks. However, my simple working theory is that the primary hurdle is getting software ready to demo. But in the interest of full disclosure I freely admit that I'm just pulling that assumption out of my ass. I don't actually know anything.

I agree with this. I think Nintendo realizes that after the sluggish sales of the 3ds, the disaster that is the wiiu and the prevalence of smartphone gaming that they absolutely HAVE to nail the NX unveil. They are taking as much time as possible to get things right the first time. We same fans decry Nintendo if the NX reveal was barebones or lackluster.

 

[Malus]

I hope the NX adopts the 3DS's game log. Wii U's was better than the Wii but not as good as 3DS.

 

[DeployThatPizza]

Everytime I see this thread, I think there's some new info. Nintendo needs to reveal it soon.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

Mainline Zelda and Mario are two franchises that are almost always "what people want" in the sense that whatever gimmick is present doesn't seriously detract from the core gameplay experience.

Skyward Sword may be the lone exception to that, and I put that on a need to make the Wiimote work for the series than "trying to be different".

Yeah, it's not a perfect model, but, going back to my Zelda example, I expected BotW to be an open world game but not that much of an open world game. Like it has fire propagation. There's a crazy density of mechanics that was clearly assembled by looking at other games in the genre. It benefits from going last because it can see what works and what doesn't work in an open world game. Nintendo usually benefits by going first, so that's why I highlighted it in my previous post.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Everytime I see this thread, I think there's some new info. Nintendo needs to reveal it soon.

People often say this and I don't get it.
If something was breaking, there'd be a new thread made immediately.

 

[Pittree]

All in all, I want No More Heroes 3 for nx.

^This. Great games. Even the small 8 bit games on 2 could pretty much stand up on their own. I loved thos games on Wii so whenever I hear about the idea of a third coming to a Nintendo console I pretty much react like this:

 

[DooMAGE]

People often say this and I don't get it.
If something was breaking, there'd be a new thread made immediately.

Blame Eurogamer for saying a reveal in september :/
If this is wrong, all the other info may be too.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

People often say this and I don't get it.
If something was breaking, there'd be a new thread made immediately.

Yeah. I mean, I can understand that some people browse primarily through Subscriptions. But if that's the case then you'd see that this thread was constantly being bumped. If this stopped being replied to for a week and I logged on and checked my subscriptions first (as I always do) to see this at the top of the list, I might assume some new news dropped.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Blame Eurogamer for saying a reveal in september :/
If this is wrong, all the other info may be too.

Their reputation would take a huge hit if they got the system details wrong.
They're not that dumb.

 

[MuchoMalo]

So, Pascal chip shortages are back, and this should be right around when Nintendo needs their chips to enter volume production. Hm...