The release of the next gen gaming consoles last year - PlayStation 4 for Sony and Xbox One for Microsoft - has nearly wiped out Nintendo from the video gaming picture.
Once left by gaming analysts and the media for dead, Nintendo is now resurgent, emerging from the grave with a renewed zest to compete again with Sony and Microsoft, notes Forbes.
The last seven days was a busy one for Nintendo. Apart from launching two gaming consoles in Australia - the new 3DS and the 3DS XL, the Japanese gaming company rolled out a new Pokemon series, its widely-anticipated "Super Smash Bros" on Wii U, and the interactive Amiibo figures, reports the Herald Sun.
Nintendo's new 3DS and 3DS XL gaming consoles will be launched in Europe and the US shortly, adds the report.
While Sony and Microsoft will focus on software updates as well as new ways to play video games involving mobile devices and remote streaming, Nintendo would certainly get more attention with its latest gaming consoles this Christmas, points out the Herald Sun.
Nintendo's latest gaming consoles feature an exclusive 3D upgrade that uses the devices' front-facing camera to track the player's eyes and deliver 3D view from different angles, adds the report.
The Japanese video game company could not have picked a better time to re-emerge in the gaming picture since the holidays have always been a bright spot, profit-wise for gaming firms.
"Nintendo's strength has always been its home-grown franchises and characters (such as Mario, Link and Pikachu). Now, the company is doubling down on the tactic to take more share of the $74 billion global video game market," explains Forbes.
The successful release of "Super Smash Bros" on November 21, Nintendo's first in the last six years, ushered the re-emergence of the company in the market.
"There hasn't been much good news to report regarding Nintendo's financial situation since the company's historic annual loss way back in the 2011 to 2012 period. That may be changing with the strong sales of the new Wii U and 3DS," says Michael Pachter, a video game analyst for Wedbush Securites.
Pachter estimates that "Super Smash Bros" will sell four million copies worldwide.
Scott Moffitt, executive vice president for sales and marketing of Nintendo, says that this Christmas season will be the biggest for the company in recent years.
"The name of the game for Nintendo is games. When you have a great launch like "Mario Kart 8," a single (game) can change your momentum fairly quickly. Our Wii U hardware business is up 47% this year and our Wii U software is up 84%. Those are testaments to a strong launch. 'Super Smash Bros' will be the next catalyst for hardware sales," states Moffitt.
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