Because I’m the hero Nintendo deserves, but not the one it needs right now.
OK, I’ll admit;, that opening was a bit over the top. Perhaps I’m not the white knight galloping to Nintendo’s rescue as I may have led you to believe. Hell, if you’ve followed my work over the last year or so, you already know I’ve been one of the most outspoken critics of Nintendo and their direction on the entire site! While this might be hard for some fanboys to believe, I hit them out of love. Not the way the dude in the wife beater on an episode of Cops hits his wife, but rather as a Father who uses a firm hand to guide his child. I criticize Nintendo because I truly want to see them do well. And much like a doting Dad, I see my wayward son wandering from the path.
Frankly, I fear for his safety at this point. Yet, I’m left standing idly by as he steps in front of the bus that will run him over.
If you’re buying any of these metaphors I’m throwing out, you’ll inevitably come to one conclusion: Jason is a disgruntled Nintendo fan. With that assessment, I’d have to say you’re 100% accurate. Don’t get me wrong, there have been several great experiences on the Wii U from our tried and true standards (like Mario, Zelda and others). But when looking at the lifecycle of the console thus far, even the most rabid fan would begrudgingly admit this is the exception and not the rule. While the system saw a nice bump in sales over the last month (you can thank Mario Kart for that), Nintendo’s overall financial picture has not changed. Of course, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost.
In the past, I’ve stated Nintendo’s fate is tied to that of the Wii U (or rather its demise). I stand by that statement, but I’m willing to amend it just a bit. If the company continues down the path they’re on, I still say you can stick a fork in their home console ventures. They’re done. However, with a couple tweaks here and there, the Wii U could finally find a real foothold as a legitimate alternative to the likes of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.
So just humor me for a moment.
First off, credit where credit’s due. Nintendo’s Amiibos they debuted at E3 is a smart move. Perhaps one of the smartest I’ve seen from the company in a while. Expanding the line and making Amiibo synonymous with the word Nintendo is key here. Even though it doesn’t appeal to someone like me personally, I can recognize a good business decision. The influx of “living figures” that are so popular right now seems right at home with Nintendo. Even though Skylanders and Disney’s Infinity line beat them to the punch, I can’t think of a better fit than branding it with the well-known faces of Nintendo’s most iconic characters (from Princess Peach to Yoshi and beyond). The company will have to do some serious work to take the idea of downloading digital stats beyond just the gimmick of Super Smash Bros. Although, if they can make it work, it will allow them to tap into the booming “Tween” market that is so ravenous for this sort of thing (not to mention some adults who dabble as well). So on this front, my advice is to stay the course and see this venture through to its full potential (and not drop it like a bad habit by next year’s convention).
Secondly, Nintendo needs to lower the price of its system TODAY. If the company is going to continue to skew towards a younger fan base (whose parents are the ones buying said product), the price tag needs to reflect as such. This will provide Nintendo a much needed cash infusion, which could almost triple the sales of the Wii U by the end of 2014. Granted, they’ll take a hit in the short term, but the gradual build of the install base will more than make up for it (growing well into 2015). Trust me, it would be worth it.
I’m certainly not claiming to be an all knowing, all wise video game sage here (although that is what my name tag says). I feel I’m just looking at a situation objectively and giving logical, common-sense solutions to some very apparent problems. I’ve said this in the past and I’ll reiterate it now: I have no desire to see Nintendo, the Wii U and/or other companies and products go belly up. It’s just that, when the iceberg in your path is this obvious, the earlier you start steering the ship away from it the better.
Nintendo’s future is uncertain. Plain and simple. Whether or not it will revolve around the Wii U will be determined by the decisions made over the next few months.