Tech: Nintendo faces losses for 3rd year; admits Wii U is a flop

Pluto

Quote:

Nintendo looks to power-up Mario after not-so-super Wii U

By Sophie Knight and Reiji Murai

TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd, facing a third year of losses, is getting lots of unsolicited advice on how to squeeze more out of its Mario franchise and revive its fortunes after admitting that its Wii U game console has been a flop.

The company has given few clues on its new management strategy, due to be announced on Thursday. One thing, however, is certain - it will have to burn through a lot of its cash pile in the years it takes to try again with the Wii U's successor.

The Nintendo that emerges could well be a more efficient company - better at marketing its beloved characters, but still wedded to its basic strategy of making hardware as the vehicle for software developed in-house.

Most analysts do not expect a bolder change of direction, such as making its back catalogue available via an online subscription service or allowing its games to be played on smartphones - despite some saying they are the future of gaming.

The Kyoto-based company has been slow to move online, falling behind Microsoft Corp and Sony Corp, which will launch a cloud-based streaming service this summer enabling users to play the same game across numerous platforms.

Taking Mario to the cloud would be a big step for conservative Nintendo.

"Online is big and Nintendo is notorious for not having a great online system," said Jean Snow, a Tokyo-based gaming expert.

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WII U FAILURE

The failure of the Wii U - whose annual sales forecast was slashed by 70 percent earlier this month - leaves Nintendo as the loser of the pack now led by Sony and Microsoft.

Analysts say the Wii U foundered because too few games were released for the console, with development issues leading to a delay of more than six months between the games released at the launch in November 2012 and the next batch of titles.

"There's no software that is made especially for the Wii U. If there were fun games that you couldn't play on anything else then that would be something to talk about," said Eiji Maeda, an analyst at SMBC Nikko.

It was the sports and fitness games introduced with Nintendo's previous console, the Wii, that made it a runaway hit as their use of the console's unique motion sensor controllers drew in families and video games newbies.

But those casual gamers have been unconvinced of the need to upgrade to a console whose name and concept seems so close to its predecessor, while core gamers hanker for the more adult games, higher processing power and connectivity offered by Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One.

Full article at the source

This is so sad.

Someone save Nintendo

ZeroSuitBritney

Smash 4 will save the console

Wii Fit Trainer her power

Speezy

Ill buy a WiiU when a Pokemon game comes out on it

Pluto

Quote:

Originally posted by ZeroSuitBritney

Smash 4 will save the console

But I thought 3D World was supposed to do that?

Bayonsay

Poor dat

Nintendo needs to drop the game pad, make motion sensitive Pro controller standard, work harder to get third party support, give me Mario Kart 8, Pokemon, new LoZ (not that dynasty warriors mess) , SSB and a new Super Mario and I'll buy ha.

ruefle

Quote:

Originally posted by Bayonsay

Poor dat

Nintendo needs to drop the game pad, make motion sensitive Pro controller standard, work harder to get third party support, give me Mario Kart 8, Pokemon, new LoZ (not that dynasty warriors mess) , SSB and a new Super Mario and I'll buy ha.

Nintendo Land is proof that the GamePad is awesome and has so much potential. (Although I wonder how mine will hold up in 16 years when it's as old as my N64.)

Why can't Nintendo get its **** together and make some more games that actually utilize the damn thing to its fullest extent??

(Since we know third-party support for it is a foregone hope at this point pretty much…)

gagacasanova

The Smash Bros. game will save the day.