- unifying console and portable divisions
- first organizational restructure in the company since 2004
- 130 employees from Nintendo's console development team will join 150 employees from its handheld division
- will be established February 16
- new development building is due for completion at the end of the year
- Nintendo hopes the move will encourage further connectivity between console and portable devices
- this includes the implementation of handheld devices as console controllers
- also includes the ability to continue playing their console game on their handheld when away from the couch
"In an effort to create more innovative and attractive products, Nintendo Co. will combine the development segments for its home video game consoles and handheld game devices.
The decision comes on the heels of recent releases of the Nintendo 3DS portable system in February 2011 and the Wii U home console last month. With more people using their smartphones and tablets for entertainment via the Internet, including games and videos, Nintendo aims to come up with next-generation game systems that will turn heads.
The two teams will eventually be integrated and the segment will be organized by function, such as circuits, mechanisms and design.
Game system development projects are becoming larger and taking longer to complete as the machines become more advanced. Nintendo apparently has its sights set on speeding up these projects by sharing development processes for consoles and handheld devices where possible and by reassigning personnel depending on the situation. It sees interactions between engineers as a potential hotbed of new ideas.
Such functions are already available with the Wii U, but Nintendo likely hopes to better streamline its products by tapping into such online services as Twitter and video sites."
Link
- first organizational restructure in the company since 2004
- 130 employees from Nintendo's console development team will join 150 employees from its handheld division
- will be established February 16
- new development building is due for completion at the end of the year
- Nintendo hopes the move will encourage further connectivity between console and portable devices
- this includes the implementation of handheld devices as console controllers
- also includes the ability to continue playing their console game on their handheld when away from the couch
"In an effort to create more innovative and attractive products, Nintendo Co. will combine the development segments for its home video game consoles and handheld game devices.
The decision comes on the heels of recent releases of the Nintendo 3DS portable system in February 2011 and the Wii U home console last month. With more people using their smartphones and tablets for entertainment via the Internet, including games and videos, Nintendo aims to come up with next-generation game systems that will turn heads.
The two teams will eventually be integrated and the segment will be organized by function, such as circuits, mechanisms and design.
Game system development projects are becoming larger and taking longer to complete as the machines become more advanced. Nintendo apparently has its sights set on speeding up these projects by sharing development processes for consoles and handheld devices where possible and by reassigning personnel depending on the situation. It sees interactions between engineers as a potential hotbed of new ideas.
Such functions are already available with the Wii U, but Nintendo likely hopes to better streamline its products by tapping into such online services as Twitter and video sites."
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9th generation: Nintendo handheld/home console hybrid - CALLING IT!
Fantastic news if true, streamlining their systems is something Nintendo should have done a long time ago, since we may not see these benefits till mid gen or next gen.
But again, if this means we will get actual accounts shared between handhelds and consoles and more cross platform games, excellent news.
Not to mention the social network integration, another requested feature from people.
"also includes the ability to continue playing their console game on their handheld when away from the couch"
Does this include the ability to have our VC games on our 3DS? It best!
@Sylverstone14 Might as well, I don't see handhelds going another gen.
This way Nintendo can have one prime hardware and software focus, and not two.
If the former does happen, I'll be curious as to what they'd do with their sole handheld seller, Pokemon, though...
Android tablets and phones.... Well I can dream. Sound good though, 1 big team.
@Radiant it won't because that'd screw over those who already bought the 3ds version
Bring on the 3DS level Activity Log!
pretty much a given at this point that they're going to come out with some kind of 3DS cartridge that lets you play 3DS games on Wii U.
@WesFX
This! Oh please this!
The Wii U log is so horrible.
Hmm, maybe my old theory of Nintendo releasing a 3DS Pro with two circle pads and compatible as a Wii U controller will come true.
Calling it: The "next generation" of Nintendo (2017? 2018? 2019?) will be like if the Wii U and 3DS had a baby. It'll be able to act as both a totally portable system OR will act as the controller of a more powerful home console (the Wii 3? The Nintendo Everywhere? The Mario-Pikachu-Zelda Fun Machine?)
The biggest issue with it being a controller for a more powerful system is that it's already been done with the GBA/GC thing. It won't really work unless the system and the controller are both the same power level and able to run the exact same software.
Now, I could see Nintendo developing a portable/home console unit such that the handheld is processing most of the data itself and the console part actually runs physical media as well as works as the main back-up unit (hard disc) while communicating with the handheld part in order to output a higher resolution image for the screen (is that even possible?). Point being though, most of the hardware would have to be inside the handheld/controller. Enough for it to be a complete stand alone system. It wouldn't work any other way.
@void3953 The GBA never acted as a full controller. When they announced that feature when GC was new. I THOUGHT it was gonna be like a controller for the GC. Not just be used as a mode in certain games.
What people are envisioning isn't is just working as a controller but you being able to use it as a full system unto itself as well. And until something like that is possible, it won't really matter if you can use it as a controller or not. Controllers are dumb terminals that do nothing without the main system. That's no different than what we have right now. And that's not what people are expecting when you mention something like that.
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