Nintendo's mysterious new NX console will propel the Japanese console-maker into the big leagues dominated by Microsoft and Sony, says Ubisoft.
Ubisoft has seen Nintendo's new NX hardware, which is purportedly a transforming console handheld hybrid, and the publisher is extremely impressed. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has praised the NX vocally in the last few months, delivering practically the only real meaty bits of information outside of unverified rumors and reports. Now Guillemot drops even more praise in Ubisoft's most recent earnings report, saying that the NX will be good enough to put Nintendo back in the Big Three.
"Nintendo will be back in the race with the NX," Guillemot said. Just a few weeks ago the Ubisoft CEO called the NX a "fantastic totally new approach," strongly hinting at the unique handheld hybrid theory that's been rolling around.
Ubisoft is currently working on Just Dance for the NX--hinting that the system will have a dedicated console-based component of some sort--as well as another unannounced title.
Read Also: Ubisoft might've dropped some major Nintendo NX clues
"We announced that we're developing Just Dance for NX and we have other surprises that we will announce later, but we also believe Nintendo has the power to reinvent the way families are playing," Guillemot said in an interview with Games Industry Biz.
Read Also: Ubisoft boss says Nintendo NX will help the industry grow
Other major third-party developers and publishers like Square Enix, Activision, Warner Bros. Interactive, and SEGA will all be contributing AAA games on the NX. Nintendo will also launch major first-party franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon on the NX.
This falls in line with the promises from Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima that the NX will launch with a full software lineup.
Read Also: Nintendo NX to have AAA games from Square Enix, Ubisoft, Activision
Unnamed sources told MCV that the NX rumors are completely accurate, affirming the NX won't win over any gamers who prefer PS4-level graphics.
"It's a nice bit of kit, a bit of a novelty, but a good one. It won't appeal to PS4 fans. Nintendo seems set on trying to upgrade smartphone gamers. That's going to be a big job for the marketing department."
Nintendo will almost assuredly unveil the NX sometime this year in order to meet the system's planned March 2017 launch, but 2016 is winding down pretty fast. The NX could be unveiled during Nintendo's upcoming investor's meeting which is scheduled for October 26.
Check below for everything we know about the NX so far, but remember that most of the content hasn't been officially confirmed:
Everything we know about the Nintendo NX so far:
- Nintendo NX might be transforming hybrid handheld, not a console
- Nintendo NX to have AAA games from Square Enix, Ubisoft, Activision
- Pokemon CEO hints Nintendo NX is console handheld hybrid
- Pokemon games coming to Nintendo's next-gen NX console
- Nintendo expected to reveal its NX console in October
- Bethesda games could show up on Nintendo's new NX
- Nintendo NX dimensions and design possibly leaked
- Nintendo NX may have split D-pad and share button
- Nintendo admits it has to communicate better with the NX
- NVIDIA's new 'Parker' SoC should power Nintendo NX
- NX getting a MMORPG hints at home console component
- Nintendo NX graphics are between PS3 and PS4
- NVIDIA's new 'Parker' SoC should power Nintendo NX
- Nintendo NX will have Zelda, Mario and Pokemon games within 6 months
- Nintendo NX might support Pokemon Go and other mobile games
- Nintendo successfully patents external console upgrade box, could support the NX
- Ubisoft might've dropped some major Nintendo NX clues
- Nintendo is officially researching VR
- Nintendo NX might use both cartridges and discs
- Nintendo NX launches March 2017 globally
- Nintendo NX will launch with a 'full software lineup'
- Nintendo focusing on 'greatness of games' over hardware performance
- Nintendo says Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be an 'immediate reason' to buy an NX console
- Nintendo NX will powered by an NVIDIA Tegra processor, not an AMD chip
- The NX is rumored to feature gaming at 900p 60FPS with 4K video support
- The NX is rumored to use AMD's new 14nm Polaris GPU
- Devs claim the NX is incredibly easy to develop games for
- The NX won't have a disc drive, games will be on cartridges
- The console will also have a portable Wii U-like controller that allows gaming on-the-go somewhat like a 3DS
- The NX will support Frostbite, Unreal Engine 4 and Unity
- Nintendo's new console will also interact with smartphones and PCs as well as existing Nintendo hardware like the Wii U and 3DS handheld