Nintendo’s new console rumored to use Android

Several rumors today that Nintendo’s next console will be built around the Android OS. According to Nikkei, one of Japan’s largest newspapers, the upcoming console will include large parts of the Android operating system as part of the core OS. The obvious intent would be to make the platform easier for developers to use, and given Nintendo’s frequent success in the casual games market it makes complete sense for them to move in this direction, if true.

A few months ago Nintendo did confirm that future games would leverage mobile platforms as part of their system. While some purists are frustrated by this move, most saw it as an inevitable destination from the traditional game property holders. Most console game makers have already moved to mobile in some fashion as part of their core business, with “freemium”-based gameplay a large part of the ecosystem.

It’s certainly true that if the platform does use Android it would be a heavily modified version of the OS. Still, the familiarity of the language would give a boost to developers, and if the move was accompanied by an easier ecosystem for independent developers to publish their titles, Nintendo could solve many of its current woes around a struggling content library. In this way it could open up the door for Nintendo to more clearly focus on the high-end titles they like to publish, without having a barren system in the months between releases.

A move to Android would open up the door for Nintendo to move faster across multiple devices, and connect their console and mobile devices easier. With the relative success of Amiibo and connected experiences across the digital and physical world, Android could be another valuable part of that larger vision.

Somewhat related, another rumor cites that the new console will be region free, which would also encourage broad deployment in our ever-shrinking world. Region specific content isn’t the barrier it once was to development and distribution, but in a world where Nintendo has struggled of late against Sony and Microsoft, anything that removes friction to getting to market is valuable.

<i><b>6/2 Update:</b></i> Nintendo is now denying this rumor, saying it has no basis in fact. What’s interesting is how well it dovetails into other announcements that Nintendo has made… which likely means that there is some truth in here somewhere, even if the base story turns out to be complete fiction.