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Shifting into the smartphone business is a big move for Nintendo, but that doesn't mean the Japanese developer is moving away from its core console business. Quite the opposite in fact, with the announcement of its next piece of gaming hardware.

Codenamed the NX, the new piece of kit is, as you might expect from Nintendo, shrouded in secrecy. So far, Satoru Iwata, president and CEO of the gaming company and a regular presence on its Nintendo Direct webcasts, would only offer that more will be revealed in 2016.

"As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename 'NX'," said Iwata, via statement (translated from the Japanese by Nintendo). "It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year."

It is currently unknown whether the NX is even going to be a home console succeeding the ailing Wii U, or a new member of Nintendo's handheld family. The latter might be more likely, based on previous behaviour from the manufacturer. The recently released New Nintendo 3DS, offering a slight upgrade over the existing 3DS, mirrors the release of the Nintendo DSi, which similarly improved on the original DS models only a year before the first 3DS was released.

As part of its collaboration with mobile specialist DeNA for its smartphone ambitions, Nintendo will also be revamping its membership scheme. Its current Club Nintendo, which involved arduously registering points through a lengthy survey system for each game purchased, is being retired in September. According to Iwata, Nintendo and DeNA will "jointly develop a new membership service which encompasses the existing Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems, the new hardware system with a brand-new concept, NX, and smart devices and PCs."

Despite DeNA's involvement, Nintendo will be the main operater for the service, which will form a "core element" of the new hardware. Hopefully, it will at least bring the company up to date with its rivals as far as account management and digital content ownership is concerned. At present, any downloaded games are locked to your specific device -- lose your 3DS or have your Wii U stolen and you can't re-download your purchases on a replacement console.

Wired.co.uk