14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo did pretty well during last week's E3 showing, unveiling a number of attractive titles headed for its Wii U console, and Mario Kart 8 also did wonders for the company's hardware sales, in addition to selling over a million copies in its first weekend.
But Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot is still skeptical about the machine, warning that Nintendo's only chance to succeed is to find the right price point.
The reveals of Splatoon and The Legend of Zelda last week were only a few of Nintendo's highlights, and producer Eiji Aonuma has confirmed in the meantime that the footage shown for the upcoming Zelda title was all in-game.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has shared his opinions on what the Japanese software and hardware giant should do, if it wants the Wii U to be successful in the long run.
"With Mario Kart, Wii U made one step and we expect with Smash Bros it will also do more. If Nintendo put the right price on the machine then they will probably have a chance to do further," he has shared in an interview with CVG.
The pricing of the hardware will be crucial if Nintendo wants to increase its user base and justify further investments, and a drop would surely be beneficial in this matter, as Guillemot subtly hints.
Ubisoft is still one of the biggest third-party suppliers for Nintendo's console, with the release of Watch Dogs and Just Dance scheduled for later this year, showing that it hasn't completely turned its back on the Wii U.
However, the company is holding out not only on further investments, but also on past ones, as Ubisoft has confirmed that the company is currently sitting on a finished Wii U title, until the console's sales improve.
"That game is waiting for more machines to be available. We are also waiting for them to achieve more sales so that we can invest more. Because the problem we have with next-gen now here, is that we are seeing less games that are on next-gen and last-gen consoles," Guillemot explains.
"Nintendo has to perform this year, otherwise they will have less games. Justifying investing in the machine needs a larger install base," the Ubisoft boss concludes.
Nintendo seems to be making attempts to get back on the right track, but Mario Kart 8's success alone can't realistically snowball into what the company needs to stay competitive.
Although Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fil-Aime is pretty confident that the Wii U is in second place in the console race, the company still requires a concerted effort in order to stay afloat in the future.