Although this is a continuation of Nintendo’s development strategy, it may come as a relief to those who were concerned about Nintendo’s potential future as a third-party developer, or taking its IPs multiplatform.
Iwata also gave a supportive pat on the back to the under-performing Wii U, in spite of the disappointing sales figures that have been a big part of Nintendo’s recent financial woes. Iwata stated that the company philosophy remains the same, and that Nintendo still believes that producing quality software is the best way to improve hardware sales. The issue on that front is that the Wii U’s install base is much smaller than where Nintendo wanted it to be, and like last year’s E3, they have little to announce or show that’s new - hence them again not having a press conference because there’s not much to show, especially against its primary home console competition from Microsoft and Sony.
“We will continue to work hard to ensure that consumers who already own our platforms are satisfied, and make sure that people will continue to see great value in our software,” said Iwata. He also stated that Nintendo was “committed to developing several titles that focus on offering unique experiences only made possible with the Wii U GamePad in order for a large number of people to understand the Wii U GamePad’s significance."
It could be a very important time for the video game granddaddy. Alongside the 2014 release of some of the most hotly-anticipated Wii U titles, Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros, and the announcement of the Skylanders-esque Nintendo Figurine Platform, Iwata has also stated that Nintendo are looking to develop hardware for “emerging markets” in an interview with Reuters. Without going into details, Iwata stated that there was a space in the market to “provide something that most of the middle class can afford” in countries where home consoles were yet to crack the entertainment market.
If Nintendo is already close to finalizing the direction of the Wii U successor, can we expect a new console soon? Would it match up to our outmatch the specs of the PS4 and Xbox One in order to bring back third-party support which they’ve fallen behind on for the last two consoles? Are they going to fully embrace online multiplayer for the first time? What does this mean for input devices and are they going to stick with WiiMotes and their touchscreen GamePad or go traditional or do something else entirely different and new? The Wii U is all but forgotten by “core” games so they need to something big, whatever it is.
Do you think Nintendo is smart to announce a new system? Is there still space for the Wii U to improve its status against the powerhouses of the Xbox One and PS4, or is new next-gen hardware Nintendo’s best bet on retaking the market?
Sources: Nintendo, Polygon, Reuters
