Nintendo's new console- NX- What can it be and what about the Wii U?

We are just hearing of a shocking announcement from Nintendo that they will be working together with  mobile giants DeNA on bringing Nintendo I.P’s to mobiles. But if that wasn’t enough, it appears that a whole new gaming console is in the works, codenamed NX. So what does this mean for the Wii U?
Whilst information is thin on the ground, it appears that the NX will be a successor to the Wii U. We are intrigued about the notion of a ‘brand-new concept’ and expect all kind of wild theories from now on speculating about it.

Virtual Reality integration?

Nintendo probably wish you forgot about this little affair

Well it seems like everyone and their uncle is intent on having us strap something to our faces in order to play our videogames in the future and Nintendo are usually the innovators behind the gaming scene so it would be odd for them to be left behind as other consoles take gaming to the new frontier. Remember, Nintendo were drastically ahead of the game with the ill-fated Virtual Boy all those years ago which was akin to pouring hydrochloric acid into your retinas but now, with technological advancements in the industry, VR could be the next big thing and the NX could be the console to accommodate this new vision (pun intended) of next-gen gaming.

A Mobile console?

‘It’s called a handheld you dummy!’ is what I hear you say as you read this sub-heading but really, think about it. Nintendo have now signed a deal to bring their games on to mobiles and have also announced a new console. Imagine a console that is a hybrid, one that operates as a mobile device but also plugs into your TV ala Chromecast, and lets you play at home albeit with some sort of docking station that gives the console extra oomph? Sounds plausible no? Have I lost my mind? You decide.

Wii U Plus?

Leaving the WIi U in the lurch just after its getting into its stride would be marked as a colossal failure by Nintendo. We cannot imagine Nintendo simply ditching the hardware and at the same time, if the NX is a proper successor, we cannot see them designing games separately for both consoles because that would just be drastically inefficient and well, frankly, rather stupid. So maybe the NX is more of a conservative upgrade over the Wii U? But then that leaves the question of this new concept that Nintendo are alluding to. Is it just a console with a new input method, i.e. controller or one wih VR capabilities? A cloud based device?
While the the Wii U has been out longer than the PS4 and Xbox One, the Wii U is still in its infancy and with games like the new Zelda on its way and rumours of new a Metroid or Starfox game in the works, we just don’t understand how Nintendo can reconcile the Wii U’s existence with a brand new console. According to the announcement, we should hear more about the console next year. At the earliest then, the console will release in late 2016 but will that be enough time for the Wii U to spread its wings? I think not. I suspect that many people would feel that the Wii U has had its life cut short with Nintendo cashing in the chips. Maybe Nintendo can reconcile the situation by somehow amalgamating their mobile support with the Wii U for future ‘support’ but not in the way they truly support a dedicated console. Who knows.
For now though, we are still reeling over the announcement and what it means for Nintendo. The announcement regarding support for mobile platforms alone is astonishing and marks a massive departure from Nitendo’s status quo. Stay tuned for more developments on this.