Nintendo NX To Release In 2016, Cannibalize Wii U And 3DS Sales Per Analyst

Will the Nintendo NX ship in 2016 or won’t it? That appears to be the question as even analysts are in disagreement over whether Nintendo’s rumored console-handheld hybrid will launch before the end of the year. According to a Nomura Securities analyst, it will arrive later this year and could cannibalize sales of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

Nomura Securities analyst Junko Yamamura predicts Nintendo will unveil the concept of the Nintendo NX sometime between March and May, according to a Barrons report. This will be followed by a full reveal at E3 in June, which Nintendo has previously stated, and then launch the console between October and November.

That would be the opportune time for the console to launch to meet the holiday sales rush, which is when a large portion of game consoles and games are sold. A number of analysts recently disagreed with Yamamura’s launch assessment for the Nintendo NX, as covered by the Inquisitr.

David Cole from DFC Intelligence said, “A new Nintendo console system will not launch in 2016 as Nintendo learns from past mistakes and focuses on getting many developers on board with top-end content for a stellar launch.”

Meanwhile, Wedbush Securities’ Michael Pachter added, “The NX won’t come out in 2016. Nintendo has a history of announcing consoles in one year and launching the next, and I don’t see the NX as deviating from that pattern.”

Two other analysts would not make the call on whether the Nintendo NX will be released in 2016, but agreed that it would be better to launch in 2017 with a number of launch titles ready for the system. The launch of the console will unsurprisingly affect sales of Nintendo’s other devices, especially the 3DS that has to compete with smartphones and tablets.

“We had previously thought that the NX launch would have only a limited impact on 3DS and Wii U sales as it is not being positioned as a successor to either console, but we have now altered our view because 3DS sales have been weakening a little recently, particularly in terms of software, as the machine enters its sixth year, and to factor in a harsher competitive climate and what happened to other existing consoles when new machines were launched in the past,” Yamamura said.

There have been reports of suppliers gearing up for a 2016 production run along with rumors the Nintendo NX may be going digital-only. The success of a console is ultimately determined by the games it produces along with support from developers and publishers.

Nintendo NX developer kits were delivered to various developers in October, as covered by the Inquisitr. The kits are necessary for developers to begin bringing their games to consoles, and the more time they have with the developer kits, the more likely it is they will have games ready for launch.

Suspected titles for the Nintendo NX so far include the open-world The Legend of Zelda title that Nintendo delayed to a 2016 release. Dragon Quest XI is also a possibility, although Square Enix was waiting for more information at the time the game was announced.

The Nintendo NX will come with a complete revamping of the Nintendo Network. The company partnered with mobile company DeNA to build a new network for the platform to support smartphones, tablets, PCs, the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and the new console.

While details for the Nintendo NX are unknown, rumors and predictions for the new platform are sure to fly as the “concept” reveal and full reveal of the console are made in the coming months.

Are you excited about the potential of the Nintendo NX? Sound off in the comments below.

[Photo by Koji Sasahara/AP]