With the November launches of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, many are ready to write off the Wii U, which has struggled to attract attention despite being the first next-gen console available on the market. However, Nintendo is welcoming the new competition.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata proclaimed in a new earnings report that the company hopes the new consoles will revitalize the industry as a whole and increase the interest in all consoles once they are available:
"I think the launch of other video game systems is also good for us because they energize the video game industry as a whole...Though there are some who take the view that intensified competition means overseas competition will be tough for Nintendo, no matter how Nintendo does domestically, I do not necessarily see it that way. This year, what Nintendo is promoting is, conversely, to stand out in the game industry for individuality. I believe we have become a unique value."
This holiday shopping season Nintendo hopes to attract consumers looking for less "high skilled" games; specifically, games the whole family can enjoy.
"We have an offering of software for the end of this calendar year that encourages family fun at home...Other companies will launch new consoles, but I think they focus on targeting highly skilled users. Therefore, in that sense, though the competition will heat up because new game consoles will come out and there will be a 'war of the game consoles' played out in media articles, we wonder if the target user will actually be the same."
Some family-friendly titles for console include Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Wii Sports Club, Wii Fit U, Super Mario 3D World and Wii Party U.
Despite this claim, Nintendo also discussed how in 2014 they will release several "high skilled" games for more hardcore gamers who own the Wii U. However, no specific titles were mentioned. Presumably this group of games will include Super Smash Bros. 4 — which may be the most anticipated game coming to the Wii U in general — as well as Bayonetta 2, which will be an exclusive for the console.
Look out for more Nintendo news right here as the company prepares for the holiday season and beyond.
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