If you were to look at the entirety of Nintendo, you will see that the company has been enjoying success. All you have to do is look at the trailblazer that the 3DS has become recently. In fact, Nintendo recently announced that the glasses-free 3D handheld was named the best-selling video game platform for the third month in a row this past July. How has the 3DS clawed its way to the top while the more recent Wii U remains at the surface?
If you were to look at the entirety of Nintendo, you will see that the company has been enjoying success. All you have to do is look at the trailblazer that the 3DS has become recently. In fact, Nintendo recently announced that the glasses-free 3D handheld was named the best-selling video game platform for the third month in a row this past July. How has the 3DS clawed its way to the top while the more recent Wii U remains at the surface?
Power is great in the gaming business but content is what sells. This was the case for the 3DS for a number of months after it was first released in March back in 2011. After that, the system enjoyed “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D” in June and then “Super Mario 3D Land” in November; a snowball effect of content steadily picked up. The 3DS could sprout hands and give you a shoulder massage while playing; it wouldn’t matter if there weren’t games to support it.
It’s apparent that Nintendo placed the majority of its focus on building the 3DS recently and the Wii U suffered as a result. I own the console and while I see its potential, the trickle of games has been slow at best. It’s not like there aren’t ways to fix this problem, though. In fact, I can name 3 ways – excluding first-party games – for Nintendo to cover the bases of the Wii U.
1. Appeal to the third-party developers
Those who have been keeping up with video game news recently know exactly what I am talking about. For example, Batman: Arkham City was said to have an online mode that would be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. However, the Wii U was left out and the reason Warner Bros. gave was the system’s low install base. Nintendo does not want this to become the norm. The company has been heavily supporting independent game developers but the big names are what sell; Warner Bros. does not look out of place.
2. Improve the marketing strategy going forward
If I was a teacher, grading Nintendo based on its reputation management, I wouldn’t only give the company a failing grade but I’d break out the cone-shaped dunce cap to boot. Even though the Wii U has been out since November of last year, there are still consumers who believe that it’s nothing but a “tablet add-on” for the original Wii. Keep in mind that these are the same people who bought the Wii when it was making its strides in 2006 and beyond. More ad placement is required that illustrates the differences between the two units.
3. Bring down the price of the Deluxe model
Ultimately, it’s the 32GB Deluxe model that’s going to matter most, especially when the 8G Basic model is not being sold as much. Even still, the Deluxe is going for $350, which may be too much when you think about how the PlayStation 4 is priced at $400 with more horsepower under its belt. I feel like the sweet spot for Nintendo is around $299. Yes, Nintendo may be losing money but within a competitive industry like video games, sometimes you have to lose in order to gain.
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