Kimishima Talks NX
Time has just posted a detailed interview with Nintendo of Japan President, Tatsumi Kimishima. They talk about a variety of subjects, but the most interesting is the discussion about NX. While we don’t really learn any new concrete information (did you really expect otherwise?), this is yet another instance where Nintendo has gone on record stating that the NX will be something new, not like the Wii or Wii U. It appears that they realize they must distance themselves from the Wii era, so you can bet the next system(s) won’t have the Wii branding. Below is an excerpt from the interview:
“NX [the codename for Nintendo’s next game system] is in development,” says Kimishima, reaffirming that Nintendo will have more to say about it next year, and calling it “a next step in our dedicated device strategy, the core and primary focus of our business.”
“As far as NX goes, I’ve said it’s different and obviously a new experience,” he tells me. “If you look back to the beginning of our conversation today, we talked about the transition from Wii hardware to the Wii U hardware and how difficult it is to explain to the consumer base what is different and new about the new hardware. It’s difficult to convince them to switch from their current platform to the next platform.”
“That being said, I can assure you we’re not building the next version of Wii or Wii U. It’s something unique and different. It’s something where we have to move away from those platforms in order to make it something that will appeal to our consumer base.”
“As for the codename NX, I don’t believe that there’s any real meaning behind it, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t know where it came from,” says Kimishima, laughing when I ask. “Or perhaps Mr. Iwata had meant to tell me and then never got the chance.”
[Source: Time]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
