Nintendo and Sony are expanding their mobile phone footprint

[noiseredux]

This is a way to build more brand awareness. Hook the kiddos with the simple stuff, have them clamoring for their parents to buy them more Nintendo stuff.

I don't know - and I don't mean to go off on a tangent here* - but for every 1 child I see playing a 3DS at the grocery store or a restaurant or whatever, I must see 100+ playing games on phones or tablets. I realize this is totally anecdotal and not at all scientific, but I can't help but think that specialized handheld gaming devices are going the way of stand-alone GPS, MP3 players and (non-pro) digital cameras, y'know? If this is a hint that Ninty is seeing the writing on the wall then I actually applaud them.

*

[prfsnl_gmr]

...but I can't help but think that specialized handheld gaming devices are going the way of stand-alone GPS, MP3 players and (non-pro) digital cameras, y'know? If this is a hint that Ninty is seeing the writing on the wall then I actually applaud them.

You are spot-on here. I do not think that there will be successors to the 3DS and PS Vita. The future of portable gaming is (for better or for worse) Android and iOS. Moreover, I suspect that a very sizable amount of Nintendo's revenue is related to merchandise, and if it wants to maintain that revenue, it must ensure that children continue to enjoy its IPs. Android and iOS are the way to reach them.

[Exhuminator]

This is a way to build more brand awareness. Hook the kiddos with the simple stuff, have them clamoring for their parents to buy them more Nintendo stuff.

I believe this was/is Nintendo's original goal. But I believe they will discover mobile is more lucrative for them than dedicated handheld, and that will be that.

[noiseredux]

This is a way to build more brand awareness. Hook the kiddos with the simple stuff, have them clamoring for their parents to buy them more Nintendo stuff.

I believe this was/is Nintendo's original goal. But I believe they will discover mobile is more lucrative for them than dedicated handheld, and that will be that.

exactly. This is them testing the waters. And I think what they will learn is that we don't care about wacky hardware. We just want them to give us games we want to play in a format that we can play it.

[Sarge]

It could be that the NX is going to fill both the dedicated console/handheld gap, and the tablet/smartphone market is going to fill the spot that used to be reserved for handhelds. As long as I can still take the NX on the go, I'll be okay with this development.

[isiolia]

You are spot-on here. I do not think that there will be successors to the 3DS and PS Vita. The future of portable gaming is (for better or for worse) Android and iOS. Moreover, I suspect that a very sizable amount of Nintendo's revenue is related to merchandise, and if it wants to maintain that revenue, it must ensure that children continue to enjoy its IPs. Android and iOS are the way to reach them.

Seems like the NX is going to be at least somewhat portable. Could be the angle that they'll use (and not necessarily uniquely) is personal devices. Part of their second screen mentality with the Wii U was looking at people watching TV/etc with a phone or tablet in hand. It's also a big factor for the Japanese market - smaller living spaces mean not as many have the space to set up a TV and home console just for them, but a portable is their own private space.
Even in the US, the notion of streaming games to a different device to free up the "main" TV is something every major platform can do.

I think Nintendo is going to try to capitalize on personal-screen gaming, given that MS and Sony are barely doing anything with it. So, maybe not something quite as portable as a 3DS, but mobile to some degree.

[noiseredux]

they should compete with tablets, so make it portable. But also compete with Oculus Rift, so it should have VR. And also it should be cheap enough hardware to cost under $100. So make the screen monochromatic red.

[Exhuminator]

Here's gameplay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E39ychZKnDI


Okay Nintendo, now give us F-Zero DRIVE, Punch Out PUNCH and Star Fox SHOOT.

[Sarge]

Doesn't look too bad. Like a slower version of the cannon stages in the NSMB games.

[Tanooki]

Seems kind of halfassed, but that's totally fair being a 'run' game. It's about selling the brand and making people more aware of it in hopes of them selling their own hardware a bit better and their full games in a controlled environment of their own. That's totally cool. I might buy it, it seems like it would be ok if I were stuck somewhere bored for a bit.

That said the headline bite engadget is using is pretty amusing:
Nintendo loses a little piece of its identity with 'Super Mario Run'
'Super Mario Run' is everything Nintendo didn't want.
https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/07/nin ... per-mario/

I don't entirely agree or disagree with their argument but they do make an interesting case about this not innovating but not being bad either. Also a plus not nickel and diming people to continue. F2P is fine handled PokemonGo style with true optional pay choices, and I bet you anything Animal Crossing will do the same, charge the impatient for furniture sets (etc) and that's cool as well.