The NX was noticeably absent at Nintendo’s press conference this year. Why? Because the company believes that their competitors may take their ideas, and that might reduce the feeling of surprise from fans if announced too early.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata first announced the NX at a press conference back in March. Very little information has been released about the new system, and according to Iwata nothing more will be revealed until next year.
“We can’t talk about the NX. If we do, competitors may take our ideas and customers won’t be surprised,” said Iwata during an investment call on Thursday (reported by NStyles and translated by twitter user Cheesemeister3k).
It’s not surprising that Nintendo would want to maintain secrecy around the system: they have a history of keeping quiet about what they’re working on until a big reveal once the technology is pretty much nailed down. The 3DS, Wii and Wii U were largely unknown quantities until a full reveal at E3. Sony and Microsoft’s R&D deparments, by comparison, leak more than a colander.
In the same call, Iwata reassured investors that Nintendo would continue to support the 3DS and Wii U for the time being: “[Discontinuing support] would not be beneficial for the company or its shareholders. The NX is new hardware, and will start from 0. However, the 3DS and Wii U have install bases. Immediately cutting off software for previous hardware upon the release of a new machine is inefficient.”
“We will continue making 3DS and Wii software while preparing for the NX,” he continued. “We are prioritizing satisfying customers who purchased the Wii U.”
