14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo is confirming that it is actively working on new video game related hardware, including a home console, but it is not ready to offer any details on the project at the moment and has no plans to abandon the Wii U or the 3DS.
The information comes from a detailed Questions & Answers session that featured investors in the company and President Satoru Iwata, who explained exactly how his company was approaching the medium-term future of its business.
He explains that, “Once we launch a new platform, we naturally start to prepare for the next one. As it takes several years to develop a single platform, if you ask us whether we are preparing for our next system, then the correct response will be that we are always developing new hardware.”
The executive was adamant that Nintendo had no plans for an official announcement about potential launch dates and price and he could not even talk about the nature of the new hardware.
Iwata added, “I can certainly assure you that we are not at a dead end of any kind in which we are out of ideas for developing new hardware. I of course believe that launching new hardware will not produce good results unless we first make sure that those who have already purchased our platforms are satisfied.”
This means that Nintendo is working hard to make sure that the Wii U and the 3DS deliver solid entertainment experiences to those who already own them.
At the same time, the company is ramping up its release schedule in order to attract more buyers and improve the install base for both devices.
Nintendo has confirmed that a new initiative for the two platforms built around Near Field Communications and figurines will be detailed in the coming months.
Previously, the company has also talked about a new hardware platform that will be centered around health and which will improve the quality of life for all users.
The Wii U has sold less units than Nintendo was expecting during the previous fiscal year and there’s no clear improvement set to come in the next few months.
At the same time, Satoru Iwata claims that just one big and successful game launch, like that of Super Smash Bros. or Mario Kart 8, can turn around the fortunes of the home console relatively fast.