GAMETECH: Nintendo need to plug those leaks

THEY should rename the company to Nintendon’t. The Japanese giant has been plumbing the depths during this console generation — but hey, at least plumbing is one thing Mario excels at.

Nintendo and the Wii U have been an utter disaster, both for gamers and for the company’s reputation. Despite the relative popularity of the Skylander-inspired amiibos and a handful of decent games, the Wii U has been a sad indictment of Nintendo’s fall from grace where the big stakes really matter. The only saving grace, as usual, has been their superb handheld division, where the 3DS range has continued to produce brilliant games.

So it’s no surprise to hear that the company’s next console, the rumoured Nintendo NX, is likely to focus on handheld gaming. What is a surprise, however, is that it will supposedly focus on living room consoles at the same time, taking the battle to the PS4 and Xbox One. This bold combination will likely be made possible by a Nintendo staple — a really wacky controller. According to a patent, the NX’s controller will have a high-definition screen on it, allowing gamers to stream their big budget games to the controller instead of a TV screen.

Nothing has been confirmed officially yet, but don’t be surprised if the NX is revealed (along with a new name) by the end of summer.

For some, this console will be met with a shrug of the shoulders, a barrel-roll of the eyes, but that would be foolish. A Nintendo console that competes with Sony and Microsoft is better for everyone, but especially those who love Mario, Zelda, Metroid and the Nintendo philosophy. Despite producing some incredible first-party titles, Sony and Microsoft struggle when it comes to colour and joy in their big-budget games, just as Nintendo struggle with gritty and hard-hitting in theirs. A games industry with all three giants producing great content, on consoles that support third-party software with equal efficiency, would be close to ideal, especially if cross-platform online play was finally agreed upon – something Microsoft, to their credit, have tried to initiate recently.

Still, where Nintendo is involved there is always a sense they will throw some wrench into the mix. Maybe this time, Mario will catch that wrench and stop the leaks.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

One game that hasn’t leaked much information so far is Uncharted 4. Subtitled ‘A Thief’s End’, the name does make us wonder if Nathan Drake might be starring in his last video game. Considering the character’s popularity, however, that seems unlikely. (Right?!)

Taking the matter of leaks into their own hands, developers Naughty Dog released a video this week and it shows a distinct change in direction for the series. Gone are the linear, extremely scripted levels that Uncharted became famous for, and in their place is a semi-open world experience that feels more like Metal Gear Solid. It’s a brave move, but judging from the videos it might work beautifully.

The video opens with Drake and his companions driving on a Madagascar plain, on their way to a Volcano. After traversing their way through the plain (which allowed for exploration and diversion) they come across an enemy encampment. Much like Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain, the player is able to approach this scenario with a degree of choice, selecting a strategy that works for them. Now let’s wait and see if they really kill Drake. If they do, a few eyes might start leaking.

VIRTUAL REALITY

Finally, if your eyes really do start leaking, then a virtual reality (VR) headset should dry them out nicely. Both the Oculus Rift and the Vive are reaching pre-order customers now and the early word is… unexpected.

One of the front-runners for VR’s killer app isn’t a game, but Virtual Desktop, an app that allows you to port all your PC’s applications and interfaces to a beautiful, immersive 3D setting.

Early adopters have been blogging about watching YouTube on IMAX-sized screens, finishing office work while sitting ‘on a sunny mountaintop’ and, of course, playing games in cinema-scale.

Of all the potential applications of VR in its early stages, this slight twist on how we handle existing media and interfaces is the most likely to be a winner. Hopefully, as with Nintendo and Mario, there’s more of this innovation coming down the pipeline.