After the poor reaction to its E3 Direct, Nintendo needs a big win to renew faith in its hardware and software plans. Loyal fans are hoping that the first news about the Nintendo NX console will help reignite that Nintendo spark that seems to have lost its way. Although some gamers are worried that the company may be losing faith in the Wii U already (just a few years after its launch), a new console could help give the company a chance to compete with the PS4 and Xbox One. According to a new report, the Nintendo NX may be joining the console war far earlier than expected.

Nintendo made a promise before E3 that it wouldn't release any information about the NX until 2016. The goal is to not spoil the surprise and to ensure that competitors don't steal any of Nintendo's latest hardware gimmicks. Although the big N has stuck its guns and stayed quiet about the console so far, that doesn't mean that unofficial channels don't still have things to say about the NX and its release details.

A report from Digitimes claims to have intel about pilot production beginning on the Nintendo NX. That means that the company is ready to start planning the future distribution of the console and likely already has a release date in mind. Here is what Digitimes claims to know about the production details...

"Nintendo is planning to launch its next-generation games console in 2016 and has recently asked its supply chain partners to start pilot production in October, at the latest. The console will be manufactured by Foxconn Electronics... The orders are expected to be finalized in February or March 2016 and mass production will start in May or June 2016, while the console's official launch may take place around July, the sources said.

Nintendo reportedly is looking to ship 20 million Nintendo NX in the first year."

Considering that the Wii U is estimated to have shipped about 2 million units in 2015, it sounds like Nintendo has a ton of faith in the NX if that 20 million number is accurate. Before anyone starts taking this as gospel and racing out to pre-order the non-Android console, let's dive into some of these claims.

AMD has let it slip that the company is working on hardware for a new console that is set to release in 2016. If these production details end up being true, then it seems possible that AMD may be partnering with Nintendo to help power the NX.

With an estimate of 20 million units in the first year, it's possible that the console will enter the market at a lower price point than the competition. Nintendo still hasn't offered any details about its lifestyle enhancement products, so it's possible that this product will be tied to that. Nintendo has stated that the next full Metroid game will arrive on the NX, so that seems to suggest that the console will be just as, and hopefully more, powerful than the Wii U.

It would definitely be shocking if the NX was ready to hit stores in July 2016, especially considering the usual console release window of November, but maybe Nintendo learned its lesson about teasing products before they are ready for shipment. Waiting until the last minute to announce Fallout 4 worked very well in Bethesda's favor and maybe this will become a new trend. Either way, we'll be eagerly waiting for the next leak or official statement on the NX.

Would you be excited to see a new Nintendo console in summer 2016? Do you think its still too soon after the Wii U's launch? Let us know in the comments.

There is no official release window for the Nintendo NX yet.

Source: Digitimes