Nintendo Co. shot down a report that said it was planning on using the Android operating system to run its top secret next-generation console, which has been codenamed “NX.”
“There is no truth to the report saying that we are planning to adopt Android for NX,” a Nintendo spokesman said.
The spokesman was responding to a report in Japanese business daily the Nikkei that said Nintendo would use the Google developed open source operating system in the console, citing people with knowledge of what’s going on at the Kyoto-based company’s headquarters.
The people said that by adopting Android it will be able to tap into a deep pool of software developers already creating programs for mobile platforms.
In addition to its wide usage in smartphones and tablets, the use of the Android operating system has expanded to areas such as TVs and wearable gadgets. The report noted that Nintendo’s current generation Wii U console, which has a touchscreen controller, alienated software developers.
While analysts could mostly see the positives of an Android-based Nintendo game console, they also said possible security issues may not mesh well with Nintendo’s strategy of appealing to non-core gaming audiences such as children, women and families.
Nintendo, which in recent years has been struggling in its video game business, has been exploring many new avenues, including making deals to make its games available on smartphones as well as amusement parks while tapping into health-related services. Although the company has not released any concrete details about the NX, the console’s announcement earlier this year sent a signal to markets that the company’s main business is and will be the videogame business.
