New Nintendo Console: Is Microsoft Passing The ‘Xbone’ Torch?
The new Nintendo console won’t release until current hardware owners are “satisfied,” says Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. With Wii U sales the way they’ve been for the past two years, unless the company can seriously turn things around in the next two years, it looks like Microsoft isn’t the one that’s “Xboned” any more.
Iwata stated this past week that there are “very popular, evergreen franchises that have been under development since before the launch of Wii U hardware, [specifically] ‘Mario Kart 8‘ and ‘Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.”
It was what Iwata said next that doesn’t sound so promising:
“[Our] internal software development teams directed by Shigeru Miyamoto (Senior Managing Director and General Manager of Entertainment Analysis & Development Division) are 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.
“The titles we are preparing [to show] at E3 vary from being nearly complete to still in the early phases of development but with the core of its appeal noticeable.”
Unfortunately, most of the games Nintendo has released to help save the failing console have themselves failed to change the public’s mind (Super Mario 3D World, for example). Unless there are some ultra-realistic and completely original Mario and Zelda games being developed, or something new that will blow our minds, the new Nintendo console could end up being vaporware as the public continues to not care.
If this was the 1940’s I swear to god Nintendo would lock the Wii U in the attic and pretend it didnt exist like a disabled stepson.
— Boogie2988 (@Boogie2988) May 18, 2014
Focusing on the Wii U GamePad is probably the worst thing Nintendo can do. They already have the 3DS and it’s doing relatively well for mobile gamers. They should probably be focusing on the games that will benefit from the bigger screen, and the 1080p 60fps benchmark that the Wii U promises with the single player mode in Mario Kart 8. Satoru Iwata probably needs to rethink this strategy.
On Microsoft’s side of the fence, the Xbox One price drop is coming in June after the announcement that they’ll finally be selling it without the Kinect. This means it will sell at the same price as the PlayStation 4, at $399. Video streaming apps will also be taken out from behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall, meaning that you’ll only need one subscription each to enjoy Netflix, Hulu, and others. Microsoft seems to be shedding the worst of its Xbone image, while Nintendo looks like they’re grabbing it.
What do you think? Is the new Nintendo console destined to be “what could have been” while the Wii U continues to be ‘Xboned’?
[image via justpushstart, gamepolitics]
