The chances of finding new rumors of the Nintendo NX are about as common as catching a Magikarp with an Old Rod in Pokemon Red (that’s 100% chance in layman’s terms). Two of the most commonly debated rumors revolve around the potential controller for the system, as well as the console’s possible release date. However, in the last two days, we have received two statements by well-known tech companies that just might solidify these two rumors about the Nintendo NX.
On the Yahoo Stocks page Taiwanese tech supplier, Macronix, released the following roughly translated statement:
“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.”
– Yahoo Stock News Taiwan, translated via Google Chrome
I apologize for the rough translation. However, the statement seems to provide evidence toward the Nintendo NX releasing sometime in 2016. According to this quote, Nintendo is not only requesting supplies from Macronix this year, but rather the company claims that Nintendo is launching the NX in 2016.
But wait, there’s more!
If this isn’t enough to prove that the Nintendo NX is releasing this year, consider this following statement from IHS Technology, this time concerning the state of the Nintendo NX’s controller:
“We expect a small recovery in shipments of flat-panel displays for game devices because of Nintendo’s new game hardware expected to be released in 2016,” said Hiroshi Hayase, a senior principal analyst at IHS Technology, part of IHS, at the firm’s display forum held in Tokyo.
The research firm expects shipments of displays sized between 3.1-inches and 5.0-inches wide to increase to 16.5 million units this year, up from 14.1 million units last year. OLED displays would remain unused by the market players, the data show.
Mr. Hayase declined to specify what size of display Nintendo is likely to use for its new device, but said he expects the product to be a stand-alone portable gaming machine, such as the 3DS, rather than a display-equipped controller for a console such as Wii U.”
– IHS Technology via Wall Street Journal
Not only does this quote reconfirm the previous statement by Macronix, it also gives us some insight as to what the Nintendo NX controller might look like. In the past, we had patents by Nintendo for strange looking controllers such as this one (below, left) as well as something that looks reminiscent of the Wii U Gamepad (below, right).
If IHS’s claims are true, we might be getting something reminiscent of the controller on the right, rather than the one on the left
And then Bandai Namco decides to add more to the rumor mill with Smash Bros.
According to Dr. Serkan Toto, the CEO of Tokyo-based consultant company Kantan Games, the Nintendo NX will feature Super Smash Bros. as part of the launch date lineup. He also goes on to state that while he is unsure of when the game will be released, or what the launch title is, the previous rumors in addition to this one suggest that it may not be an entirely new Super Smash Bros. game. Instead, fans speculate we will be getting something akin to a definitive version of Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U/3DS.
What’s interesting to note is that this is only one of several titles that Serkan claims Bandai Namco is developing for the Nintendo NX. He also claims that his sources are solid, suggesting he may have got this information from Nintendo or Bandai Namco directly.
Bandai Namco is currently developing several NX titles. Smash Bros is planned to be a launch title. I am not sure about the date – yet ;).
— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) January 28, 2016
To follow up on my last tweet: I haven’t heard if it’s a completely new (numbered) Smash Bros or not. Otherwise, source situation is solid.
— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) January 28, 2016
All of these rumors floating about from reputable sources are certainly making it difficult to deny the possibility of a Nintendo NX 2016 release. As the news continues to come in, fans are increasingly becoming restless, their desires for an official statement from Nintendo continuing to grow. It doesn’t help at all that Nintendo has been excessively quiet in the last month or so. With the Fire Emblem Fates censorship rumors going around, official NX release information all but non-existent, and now added rumors of a possible Super Smash Bros. release on the NX, Nintendo’s tight-lipped policy isn’t doing anyone any favors.
Keep an eye on the GameSkinny front page for future updates as we follow Nintendo’s actions in the coming weeks leading up to the Fire Emblem Fates release, and the future of the Nintendo NX.
What do you guys think of the rumors surrounding the NX so far? Do you have any theories you might want to add? Do you think the new Super Smash Bros. rumor is true? If so, do you think it will be a re-release or a standalone game? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
