After yesterday's tease and time setting, and today's posting of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild footage, Nintendo has finally posted their first real information on their next home gaming system, previously known by its codename - the Nintendo NX.
We now know that the console is the Nintendo Switch, and it is indeed the hybrid console that many rumors had speculated that it would be. The device works by connecting the sides to the edges of a small screen that can go portable or use as a second screen experience - and also works with a normal controller type format as well. Each one of the little pads (called Joy-Cons) that can be used is designed to support letting someone playing on it, making it easy for multiplayer on the go as well with the screen as well as when at home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5uik5fgIaI
The trailer showed several games in it - a Basketball game, a new Mario game, Skyrim, and Splatoon. The same games will be available whether on the portable screen, or when it's connected to the Switch Dock that puts it on the big screen. The system also supports multiple Nintendo Switch systems working together for multiple people to play local co-op, beyond multiple people using the detachable Joy-Con controllers.
Reggie Fils-Aime, the President of Nintendo of America released a statement saying the following about the new device:
"Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like.It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”Nintendo also released a list of some of the partners working on creating games for the system or working to create middleware (such as engines or physics support things). Some of the biggest names include: Atlus, Bandai Namco, Bethesda, Capcom, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, From Software, Havok, Keoi Tecmo Games, Konami, Level-5, Marvelous, Nippon Ichi Software, Platinum Games, Sega, Spike Chunsoft, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Telltale Games, THQ Nordic, Ubisoft, Unity, and more.
The Nintendo Switch will be releasing in March, and they state that further information such as launch titles, date, price, product configuration and more will be revealed in the coming months. They also launched a website for it, although it is currently under strain from traffic.