Macronix To Provide Memory For NX
Nintendo and Macronix have been partners for many years, mostly in the handheld business where Nintendo uses them to create cartridge ROMS. Today at an investor briefing, the company’s president announced that Macronix will provide products to Nintendo for the NX, and that it will be releasing this year. This falls in line with previous speculation from numerous sources that the NX would go into production in the second quarter of the fiscal year (July through September), which would give credence to a November launch.
What’s interesting is that although Macronix does deal with flash memory, and perhaps the NX will incorporate that in the system itself, Nintendo has primarily used them to create cartridges for the DS and 3DS. Does this offer up a hint that the NX will also use cartridges? There was a patent leak last year for a stationary game console without optical disc, detailing a controller with a display screen. What was interesting was that this theoretical system had a cartridge port, which would make total sense if the NX ends up being a portable.
Here’s the Google Translate version of what was said:
(Central News Agency reporter Zhang Jianzhong Hsinchu January 28, 2016 e) Japanese video game maker Nintendo will launch this year a new machine NX, Macronix (2337), general manager Lu Zhiyuan said Macronix will provide products to NX, NX and considerable expectations.
Macronix online Investor Conference held in the afternoon, legal attention, Nintendo will launch a new machine this year NX, has many years of partnership with Nintendo is still in the column NX Macronix supply chains.
Lu Zhiyuan said, Macronix will be provided to the memory slots NX, NX and considerable internal expectations.
Although Lu Zhiyuan would not say whether the supply NX products for the read-only memory (ROM), but, he said, looking forward to this year’s performance can be a meteoric rise ROM.
NeoGAF forum member Jim_Cacher graciously used his Chinese language skills to do his own translation:
Prestigious Japanese videogame console maker Nintendo will launch a new console called NX this year. General Manager of Macronix, CY Lu, said Macronix will provide products for NX and that Macronix has considerable expectations to NX.
In the afternoon, Macronix had held an online conference for investors. As Nintendo is going to launch new console NX this year, investors concern about if Macronix, which have a long-term cooperative relationship with Nintendo, is still part of NX’s supply chain.
CY Lu said Macronix will supply memory slots for NX, and that the company has considerable expectation to NX.
Even though CY Lu declined to comment whether the supplied products are ROM, he said he expects ROM sales this year will be exceptional.
As we approach the end of the fiscal year, more companies have to disclose future sales and profit numbers, often revealing some of what’s in the works. Although it is a bit surprising to hear confirmation that the NX is coming this year, especially since Nintendo has yet to do so themselves. Nintendo has promised more details on NX this year. Hopefully we’ll get some concrete information sooner rather than later.
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.
