14 DAY TRIAL // The Wii U home console might be performing worse than manufacturer and publisher Nintendo initially thought, but the company still plans to support it in the long term because it believes that just one major successful game launch can turn its fortunes around.
Satoru Iwata, the president of the company, is telling investors in a Questions & Answers session after the reveal of the financial results that sales could double if the right conditions are met.
He explains that, “In order to recreate momentum and sell 5 million or 10 million units of hardware annually, there are indeed challenges that we must overcome. The fate of a video game system is often influenced greatly by the introduction of a single title.”
The executive says that the original Game Boy had lackluster sales before the launch of the first Pokemon title and then went to become one of the best-selling consoles in the world of gaming.
Iwata adds, “We do not believe that this year's estimate of 3.6 million units of Wii U hardware will be the peak of its lifecycle and we would like to work hard to make sure that we give sufficient momentum to the system so that we can expect good results in and after the next fiscal year, too.”
The one piece of good news for Nintendo at the moment is that the Wii U is no longer losing money with each sale, mainly because of improved costs associated with its construction and a drop in the price of the components that are used.
When talking about the one game that can change the entire fate of a console, Iwata is probably thinking about two upcoming titles: Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros.
The first will be launched at the end of May and has been heavily promoted by the company, which knows that the experience has a dedicated long-term fan base that could buy a Wii U just to play the new installment.
Mario Kart 8 will introduce new anti-gravity mechanics, but will keep the core structure of the franchise.
Super Smash Bros. will be launched in the summer for the 3DS and towards the end of 2014 on the Wii U and has been heavily teased by the development team.
The brawler is designed to use a variety of characters taken from Nintendo-owned franchises and the studio working on it has promised that the combat mechanics will be refined in order to increase the level of fun.