There’s a whole storm of rumors flying around the internet right now concerning just what shape the Nintendo NX is going to take. From whispers of it being a purely digital device to a hybrid of home/handheld consoles and even murmurs that it will return to using cartridge-based games, everyone’s got something to say in regards to the hardware and capabilities of the upcoming successor to the Wii U, not least the folks at GameStop.
During the company’s most recent earnings call (via VG247), CEO of the US-based retailer Paul Raines said that the NX will, in fact, have physical media, but made no comment on what form it will take.
I would say that the fact that there are rumours of that type just confirms for you that this is an important console for next year. It [Nintendo NX] will have physical media, we will play a role in it, our pre-owned business will also play a role. So we’re excited about that.
But can cartridge-based gaming really compete with what many to be the superior disc-based delivery method? GameStop’s Mike Mauler seems to think that the answer is yes, at least where the pre-owned market is concerned.
The only difference would be on the refurbishment and pre-owned side. And actually, cartridges are much simpler to refurbish and repackage…there is somewhat a little bit of an advantage if it went in that direction on used.
The Nintendo NX is currently planned to launch in March 2017, but the Big N themselves are still staying tight-lipped on the finer details of the device. As of now, we only really know that it will play games (obviously) and that The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild will be a launch title for it. Expect to hear more from Nintendo though over the coming months.
