Nintendo NX: 8 Reasons It's Already Doomed

3. There's Going To Be A Gimmick (And It's Going To Alienate Third Parties)

In 2015 the Big N filed a patent for a new kind of controller, undoubtedly linked to the NX. The controller looks awfully similar to the Wii U gamepad, only this time it features scrollable shoulder buttons.

Nintendo has always been obsessed with innovation (innovations that often wind up as gimmicks). But these innovations are rarely successful. Take the Virtual Boy, for example. Or how about the 3DS? The vast majority of players don't even use the console's three-dimensional functionality. Most just want to play the regular way: with a comfortable controller and a great game. The company's obsession with gimmicks means they're unlikely to go down the "basic" route. But these gimmicks are a massive building block in the way of third-party support. The more difficult and more expensive it is to port a game across to the system (like having to program extra gamepad functionality, or to accommodate a new control method) the fewer third parties will actually want to do it. The Wii's immense success with motion controls has given Nintendo a renewed taste for gimmicks, one they'll not be deviating away from any time soon.