Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Nintendo Fusion: Or How Easy It Is to Make "Believable" Stuff Up

If you've been reading gaming related news lately, you've most likely come across a "new" "console" from "Nintendo" called the "Nintendo Fusion." There's a reason for all of those quotation marks. The system in question is simply a ruse brought forth by a creative person or group. They're obviously creative, as I've never seen a home console made out of what appears to be recycled Rubbermaid containers.

This Nintendo Fusion comes out at a really convenient time-- when gamers are predicting or hoping that Nintendo's next platforms fuse its console and handheld devices into one. While betting the farm on one product instead of having two, so if one fails the other can be a safety net of sorts seems to be risky, it's not a scenario that is actually real. Now, that isn't to say it couldn't happen, but it's not true or real yet.

What the revealed (fake) prototype shows is a controller much smaller than the Wii U GamePad, approximately the size of a handheld. The device would be similar to how the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation Vita interact. Power-wise the system in question would rival that of Sony and Microsoft's current hardware. Oh, and Nintendo would drop the Wii U immediately, like a scalding pot or pan on bare skin. If all of this simply comes off as a fanboy fantasy, you're probably right. Perhaps not a fantasy of the creator of this probable hoax, but of many Nintendo fans. I have no doubt the creator(s) is giggling like a schoolboy behind his, her, or their computer monitor as they see the countless articles reporting this rumor, as if it holds any weight.

A big reason one can conclude that the Nintendo Fusion, which sounds more like a blender than a game console, is that Nintendo is an incredibly quiet company. Leaks generally do not spread, and when they do, it's usually something small like Cranky Kong in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and not a mainline console. Nintendo has always been tight-lipped and secretive, so to see a completed model of its next console, as if the company had enough time for research and development with such a quick turnaround, this Nintendo Fusion thingy just comes off as even more ridiculous.

Then you have what dropping the Wii U so quickly would do. Not only would it tick off current Wii U owners, but killing a system so swiftly sends the kind of message that says, "We don't have faith in our products, so why should you?" Why would anybody be on board with another console that could just be removed from the market quickly just like the Wii U? No, I believe Nintendo is most likely going to ride out this generation, attempting to make the Wii U finally profitable. There's no question that Nintendo is already working on its next console. That's usually how it goes in the industry with console and handheld manufacturers. Once the system is complete and ready to be manufactured, generally the next system is devised through heavy R&D.

This brings us to how easy it is to create a hoax over the Internet, and not just a hoax, a believable hoax. Heck, many people still give attention to comments like "I'm an insider at so-and-so and here's what's coming-- look forward to yada, yada, yada at E3." "Reputable" sites even fall for this sort of thing. Anyone remember the Metal Gear Solid "Triology" that a NeoGAF member fooled IGN with? Lies and hoaxes are everywhere. Instead of just jumping onto some hype train for some nebulous rumor, why don't we wait until the facts have presented themselves and then take it from there?

Regardless, Palutena in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS is real, Sony is revealing a reboot of the Medievil franchise on both PlayStation 4 and Vita as a downloadable game, the Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive is due out at the end of August, according to a close source, and Activision is dropping support of both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS after poor software performances of both. Pass this info on!

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