Fuente original:
Nintendo has long played to itÔÇÖs own tune, content to wait to deliver the surprising news over itÔÇÖs upcoming Nintendo NX console in itÔÇÖs own time. Yet one itÔÇÖs biggest partners may have let slip about one of the consoles more interesting features ÔÇô the notion that it may be doing away with game discs all together and replacing them with ROM cartridges┬á(Similar to the 3DS).
The speculation begins with Japanese Financial website┬áMoney-Link; which has indicated┬áthat NintendoÔÇÖs long time producer of ROM chips Macronix is expecting a bumper order from Nintendo in the latter half of this year for itÔÇÖs products. They state (Translated below);
µù║Õ«ÅROMµÖÂþëçõ╗Þªüõ¥øÞ▓¿þÁªÚüèµê▓µƒÕñºÕ╗áõ╗╗ÕñÕáé´╝îþ¼¼1Õ¡úÚøûµÿ»ÚèÀÕö«µÀíÕ¡ú´╝îõ¢åþ烵öÂÞí¿þÅ¥õ╗ìÞêçÕÄ╗Õ╣┤ÕÉîµ£ƒþøþò´╝îÕÉ│µòŵ▒éÞí¿þñ║´╝îþö▒µû╝õ╗╗ÕñÕáéµëìÕëøÕ«úÕâ´╝îµÿÄÕ╣┤3µ£êÕ░çµÄ¿Õç║µû░õÇõ╗úÚüèµê▓µƒ´╝î õªµ£âÕ£¿µùÑÒÇüµ¡ÉÒÇüþ¥Äþ¡ëõëÕ£░ÕÉÑÚûïÞ│ú´╝îµëÇõ╗Ñõ╗èÕ╣┤õïÕìèÕ╣┤ROMÕÅ»µ£øµô┤ÕñºÕç║Þ▓¿´╝îÕ░çµ£ëÕ¥êÕñºþÜäµêÉÚòÀµ¢øÕèøÒÇé
ÔÇ£MacronixÔÇÖs ROM chips are usually supplied to videogame console maker, Nintendo. Although the sales is in off season during the first quarter, the revenue is similar compared with the same period last year. Wu Miin suggested that as Nintendo had just announced it will release a new generation console in March next year, and┬áthe console will be launched at the same time in Japan, America and Europe, so ROMÔÇÖs sales is expected to increase in the latter half of this year, and it will have a large growth potential.ÔÇØ
 
Macronix are NintendoÔÇÖs long time go-to partners for the mask-rom memory ÔÇô the guys behind the 3DSÔÇÖs cartridges.┬áTypically this would be put down to the Nintendo 3DS cartridges ÔÇô but the reality is that Macronix recently began testing on itÔÇÖs newer line of 32nm ROM chips ÔÇô the Nintendo 3DS uses 75nm (With a max of 8GB storage) so these new cards wonÔÇÖt be used for that purpose. Unless the company is savvy to a big 3DS game weÔÇÖre not aware of, or theyÔÇÖre developing for NintendoÔÇÖs next-gen handheld, weÔÇÖd make a strong bet that itÔÇÖs all linked to the NX.
It points to a new product line, which the company gladly further offers more proof of in their recent financial reports. These make mention of Nintendo several times and even call out NintendoÔÇÖs new console in the process; discussing how this will result in bumper offers (Credit to Jim_Cacher for the translation);
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ÔÇ£Yesterday, non-volatile memory vendor Macronix (2337) announced that net loss per share of 0.25 yuan in the first quarter. Wu Miin, chairman of Macronix, stated that ÔÇ£the worst situation has passedÔÇØ. He expects that the company can potentially get rid of loss in the third quarter as the orders of an important customer, Nintendo, will have critical impact. The company targets a profit-loss balance annually.ÔÇØ
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ÔÇ£In the past, Macronix sales performance usually peaked at third quarter, while declined at the fourth quarter. However, Wu Miin pointed out that because Nintendo has announced that the new platform will be launched in March next year, orders should be placed in advance. Therefore, the operating revenue of Macronix in the fourth quarter may be as good as the third quarter.ÔÇØ
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ÔÇ£Wu Miin noted that before the launch of NintendoÔÇÖs new platform, the sales of ROM is expected to remain unchanged in this year, but there is growth potential. In respect of NOR Flash business, market share in the global market has reached 21% last year, ranked second. It is expected to climb to first rank in a quarter next year. Macronix expects the sales of 75 nm, or below, NOR Flash process products will increase to 50% and more high-capacity products will be sold. Revenue of automobile sector will continue to increase.ÔÇØ
 
The second paragraph in particular offers insight into how the company is expecting a bumper order from Nintendo for itÔÇÖs NX console. Of course this could all be linked to the BIOS hardware and not the actual game cartridges ÔÇô but Macronix is obviously gearing up for something a lot bigger than theyÔÇÖre up to right now. Given the density of the card theyÔÇÖre reportedly producing; weÔÇÖd suspect theyÔÇÖre going to be put to more use than for BIOs on the NX (The new cards have reportedly got a capacity of 32GB).
The move to cartridge based consoles holds many advantages for Nintendo. It allows┬áNintendo to get rid of disc drives entirely while making the console smaller and quieter. Typically they add to the bulk of a console and by removing discs from the equation; Nintendo can also decrease the need game installs (Something that PS4 and Xbox One owners are all too familiar with) as the read speed of cartridges are ahead of Blu Ray discs. It should also be noted that Panasonic (The guys that usually provide disc drives for games consoles) havenÔÇÖt been talking about the NX or touting their involvement in that consoles development.
As stated, this is all subjective and wildly speculative. The chips could be very easily being used for BIOs purposes, but itÔÇÖs interesting that Macronix are touting their involvement so heavily. WeÔÇÖve already contacted Nintendo for feedback.
Fuente
Pueden ser perfectamente para la sustituta de 3DS