With the recent news of the NX‘s March 2017 release window, along with the lack of it’s presence at E3, Nintendo’s recent decisions regarding it’s next generation console has been a hot topic. UK publication MCV has reached out to analysts and retail executives to ask their opinions on the matter.
Games Centre MD Robert Lindsay reflected on the Wii U’s performance and feels Nintendo should take their time if it means getting it right.
“While the Wii U has some fantastic games, it never enjoyed the third-party support necessary to draw in the masses,” said Robert Lindsay. “The console itself didn’t appeal to the mainstream fans the Wii captured, or the hardcore fan base of Sony and Microsoft’s machines.”
“Nintendo has to get it right this time,” Lindsay noted, “and if that means taking its time to launch the NX then so be it.”
Steve Bailey, senior games analyst at IHS also believes that Nintendo may have learned from their mistakes in regards to the Wii U, advising that missing the Q4 may be seen as a mistake, but launching the NX without proper support would be an even bigger issue.
“There’s no point in attempting to bring out innovative hardware, if software and messaging can’t provide a convincing account of its value. With Nintendo’s core business in decline, it may seem like a mistake to miss the Q4 sales period. But it would be an even bigger mistake to launch NX without proper support.”
Bailey also touches base on Nintendo’s E3 presence, advising that Nintendo has enough scope to build up buy-in prior to the NX’s launch. “In terms of Nintendo not debuting NX at a highly-visible event as E3, it’s worth noting Nintendo has been cultivating its own means of connecting with fans. So it has scope for communicating the NX in the lead-up to launch, outside of major traditional industry showings.”
That nice to know.
Are we all actually upset that the NX is coming out next year, or rather that Zelda is not releasing this year? I’m of the later.
What bothers me the most is the fact that the Wii U has something next to nothing in terms of games in Nintendo’s pipeline. Seriously, Sony and Microsoft has been kept a decent flow of games to PS3 and X360 so far, and both are 10 year-old boxes!
Why can’t Nintendo do the same and better support the Wii U for the years to come?
*have been kept — Sickr, we need the “edit” button ASAP.
On my previous comment: I know some people will say “uh, the Wii U is already dead, no need to life-support it for more 3 or 4 years”. And I say I agree. But the Wii U was not necessarily DOA in 2012: Nintendo has achieved it over the first 2 years of Wii U’s lifespan, with their monkey business, questionable scope/quality when it comes to 1st party games, and excessive attention towards the 3DS.
Nintendo has lack of third party support, they design consoles for their own games then talk to the other companies. Sony and Microsoft keep third parties in the loop while Nintendo is getting better, I think third parties have a hard time competing with Nintendo games on Nintendo consoles because the majority of people buy Nintendo consoles for Nintendo games and this is not why people buy Microsoft and Sony consoles.
Your point reiterates the idea that Nintendo has been taking wrong technical/business decisions for a while already. The distance from 3rd parties is a consequence thereof. And what I want to stress that the hole the Wii U is in was dug by Nintendo itself. The lack of overall support (1st and 3rd parties) for the Wii U, and all the lies NoA told us, are a blatant disrespect towards us, Nintendo supporters.
The more we see support for the Nintendo NX, the better. Thank you for sharing this report, Natalie.
I’ve never been more excited for a console that I know nothing about. The NX better be as good as I’m hoping and thinking it is.
I really wish that an actual “reliable” source would leak some real info on the NX. Because I feel like I’m going to lose my mind waiting to hear something.
I love the WiiU and cant wait for the NX!!
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