With manufacturing for Nintendo’s new console, the NX, reportedly set to begin in October with the console itself potentially launching next year, some may be wondering what that might mean for the company’s existing platforms like the Wii U and 3DS. According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, Nintendo will continue to support those platforms, even after the launch of the NX.

“NX is a new platform, so the installed base will have to be built up from zero,” Iwata said during a recent shareholder presentation, the English translation of which was published on Thursday.

“When NX is launched, there already will be a certain volume of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U hardware widely existing in the market, so from a software business perspective, it would be highly inefficient to stop releasing titles for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U right after the launch of NX,” he added.

This matches up with what Nintendo said earlier, when the company explained that the NX is not a simple replacement for the Wii U and 3DS.

Iwata went on to say that Nintendo is currently holding discussions with internal and external developers about “how to continue creating software for Wii U and 3DS” after the launch of the NX.

“As for Wii U, we will continue to make efforts, as it is a priority within the company to think about how we can satisfy the consumers who purchased this system to the maximum extent possible,” he added.

Also during the shareholder meeting, Iwata acknowledged that the Wii U has struggled, saying to an investor, “I cannot disagree with your indication that Wii U is experiencing the most unfavorable situation.”

But he hopes that things can be different for the NX.

“I will not share details on NX today but with regard to the launch of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U not necessarily having progressed well and not acquiring sufficient support from software publishers, we intend to offer NX through a Nintendo-like solution,” he said. “Thank you for understanding that we are making various considerations and preparations in order to avoid what happened with the previous generations.”

What would you like to see from Nintendo’s NX? Let us know in the comments below.