So it's the start of a New Year, and is the ideal time to reflect on hopes for future success and on what can be done better. Nintendo had an exceptionally busy 2012, working hard to expand the 3DS user-base and releasing the XL hardware iteration, while also bringing us its new home console, Wii U. We can imagine that Satoru Iwata and his team, as well as regional groups in North America, Europe and elsewhere, have all enjoyed a much needed break.
Still, with a New Year not only comes optimism, but a host of challenges for Nintendo to confront and, hopefully, overcome. Below we outline what we think are three of the key objectives for the big N as it seeks to make a success of its current generation systems and, ultimately, survive in one of the gaming industry's most competitive periods. We'll start of with the most serious and important challenge.
Return to profitability
Until recent times Nintendo had enjoyed a significant period of sustained profits and success. The greatest period, for shareholders especially, was the emergence and outstanding success of both Wii and DS, for a time making Nintendo one of the world's most envied technology companies; also undoubtedly the leader in the video game industry. The landscape has changed, however, and Nintendo could potentially never see days quite that golden again.
While that scale of success may be a thing of the past, that doesn't mean it isn't on the cards for Nintendo at a more realistic level. The financial losses last year were hurtful for the company, and some targets were missed, but the outlook was improved over the year before. Sales of the 3DS now generate a profit on each system, and the install base is comfortably over 20 million, even if the spectacular sales in Japan aren't being replicated on the same level worldwide. Wii U has also arrived, though data on sales figures is now a number of weeks out of date for Europe and North America. Stock is visibly available on shelves, but it's difficult to confirm with any certainty whether this is due to Nintendo being prepared and keeping retailers replenished with stock, or whether demand is worryingly low.
We can say, by just looking at trends and results, that 3DS and Wii U are unlikely to hit the same sales figures as their predecessors; yet that shouldn't be naively chalked off as failure. There are more gaming devices than ever, when we necessarily include the smartphone/tablet formats that have eaten into the market that Wii and DS dominated. Despite this dedicated gaming systems still have life in them along with an enthusiastic fanbase, so Nintendo's new goals should perhaps be the less grand ambitions of consistent sales and once again establishing its own identity in the face of more graphically intense competition to come — just as Wii and DS succeeded in doing so. It'll be survival of the fittest, so Nintendo must back its concepts and vision and, most importantly, start making profits to ensure long-term stability; with profits, even small ones, Nintendo can potentially prosper for generations to come.
Bring back the franchises
2012 was the year of Mario, which is hardly surprising as he's Nintendo's most bankable star. Not only did he lead a much needed revival for 3DS at the end of 2011 with some 3D and karting shenanigans, but in the past year he played tennis, got flattened into paper and made two separate appearances in 2D platformers. We've seen plenty of him and, well, it's time for the other mascots to have a chance.
Last year did bring us a long-overdue solo outing for Pit, of course, with the fabulous Kid Icarus: Uprising being a highlight on 3DS, Mallo once again graced the eShop with Crashmo/Fallblox, there was a retro Kirby collection for Wii owners and Pokémon Black and White 2 gave a final hurrah to the DS. It was a fairly slim year, however, with major Nintendo brands such as Donkey Kong, Metroid, F-Zero, Star Fox, Zelda (which is perhaps harsh after two releases in 2011) and, yes, Pikmin, all posted missing — excluding Virtual Console releases. That's not strictly true for all of them, as Nintendo Land technically gave us a fresh taste of a number of these big names but, of course, we're talking about full-fat releases.
Mario's been so prominent in the past 12 months that there's little danger of any of these other franchises feeling over-used should they appear this year. The first half of 2013 looks fairly promising, it must be said, with Pikmin 3, Fire Emblem: Awakening and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon all on the way, while we're also keen to see more of Game & Wario; as much as we love the red-capped plumber, the breathing space and variety is welcome. A lot of eyes will be on E3 2013 and Nintendo Direct broadcasts to see what else is coming this year, or even teasers for projects coming in 2014. While Mario Kart U seems like a safe bit of speculation for this year's Holiday season, we can only hope that Wii U and 3DS see some other famous franchises confirmed. Comments about a new Zelda title on 3DS have been swirling around for long enough that this may be the year it emerges, and then there's Retro Studios and its mysterious project...
Nintendo has plenty of IPs that have had a bit of time to rest, so bringing them out in the next 12 months will only enhance the prospects of both current systems.
Embrace third-parties, of all sizes
We know that Nintendo is working to keep third-party developers on board with Wii U and 3DS, with Shigeru Miyamoto revealing that it's a task he's taken on personally with the new system. This resolution is simple, keep working hard at it.
The Wii U launch had a number of ports or enhanced re-makes, while Ubisoft weighed in with a high number of titles, and 3DS did see a group of excellent games last year (not necessarily exclusives, but on the platform) — such as Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy and Resident Evil Revelations. The 3DS eShop had some top-notch releases from smaller indie studios, meanwhile, with Nintendo of America's Dan Adelman telling us recently that some developers have even shared a view with him that the handheld's online store is "one of the best kept secrets in gaming".
Nintendo needs to get the big boys on board, but also needs to continue to court small to medium-size development studios
Those are some of the positives, but Nintendo nevertheless has challenges to face and gaps to fill. There are some high-profile multi-platform titles due in the next six months that are either confirmed as not coming to Wii U, or developers and publishers are still maintaining silence. Wii U is also in an awkward spot that it's arrived as a lot of big studios are wrapping up their efforts on PS3 and Xbox 360 and thinking about what Sony and Microsoft are bringing next — rumours point to a Holiday 2013 release for at least one of these successors. Wii U offers new control ideas with the GamePad and likely boasts more processing power than the launch library has shown — it's standard for a new system's potential to only be seen after the initial period has passed. The question remains how much of a technological difference (graphically) will exist between Wii U and its future rivals, and what really matters is how developers and publishers judge which systems to work on.
Those decisions can come down to lots of things — size of the userbase, the studio's priorities in terms of what graphical resources are used, development budgets and more. Nintendo needs to get the big boys on board, but also needs to continue to court small to medium-size development studios. We've already mentioned that Nintendo needs to carve out its own identity and niche in the coming generation, and it'll need content to back that up. The big N simply can't carry the weight of two software libraries on its own, so it'll need meaningful and attractive 3DS and Wii U games from developers of varying sizes and styles. The eShop platforms will be important, and there's one inescapable truth — games sell systems.
So those are three areas, none of which are really a surprise, where we feel Nintendo needs to have a strong 2013. The next 12 months will be challenging, but we should all know better than to even think about underestimating Nintendo. We'd love to read your thoughts on these issues in the comments below.
Comments (62)
I completely agree with bringing in the old IPs. We saw KI come back last year, and it would be great to have some franchises we see every year, but I want to see F Zero, Ice Climbers, Balloon Fighter, and other IPs we haven't seen in quite a while.
They need to get GTA V on Wii U.
Profitability and the like are just marketing ploys and campaigns. If a company was really struggling as bad as some developers and console makers say they are, they'd just quit. When Sega was struggling they didn't spend two years talking about it, they pretended to go strong and then when they couldn't anymore, they cut out.
So I'm not worried about that.
I'd just like to see resurgence of games that aren't Zelda and Mario.
Man all those titles mention would be great to see in this day. They did indeed bring back some classics already so lets cross or fingers they put another shock to our systems. Let the games begin !
If they are goning to bring back franchises, my vote is for Wario. I've been playing Wario Land 2 and it's great, not sure how I missed it the first time around. He really should have been the star of the coin-grabbing Mario game that came out last year, everyone knows that Wario is all about the treasure.
2013 is going to be a veeeery interesting year.... between the post-holiday Wii U period in its first full year on shelves, and the reveal of whatever Sony'soft have up their sleeves, and the continuing evolution of tablet/mobile gaming, there's lots of competition out there. Hopefully it forces some innovative surprises and not just more of the same.
(Also: Go Blue. Following the U-Mich football game on Nintendo TVii. Join me!)
Give us a new Metroid, Kirby and Zelda title!
thebrickknight is absolutely spot on GTA V or riot also profits are very important to nintendo who dont have other revenue streams like the other two companys constant losses is what eventually forced SEGA out of hardware and i know its not a fair comparison sega were out of there dept against nintendo but still it bears thinking about.
Why wasn't secure more Monster Hunter on that list?
I think Nintendo should do some episodic game to shake things up. Similar to TT's games. (Specifically The Walking Dead)
There need to be big bad titles on Wii U like Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield, and Mortal Kombat. You dont see games like that on a Nintendo console.
Also I would love to see a new Star Fox, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Metroid, and a new Kid Icarus. Kid Icarus was a success on 3DS, seeing our angel Pit in HD would look so nice.
We need news on Super Smash Bros. U at E3 this year!
2013 hopes for Nintendo:
Pokemon RBY on VC with wireless link play
GBA games
3DS Miiverse
DS/3DS transfer to SD card on 3DS
GCN on WiiU VC
3DS to WiiU VC links (Mario golf, Metroid prime/Fusion, ect.)
WiiU VC cross play for at least Master System, Turbo Graphix, Genesis, NES, NeoGeo, and NES games
Wii disks to be downloadable to WiiU as digital data
That's all see even a "fanboy" knows Nintendos faults
I really wonder what Retro is working on... It could be anything, and knowing Retro, it's gonna be something great... After enjoying Mario Kart 7, I can't help but wonder if it might be a new F-Zero, but regardless of whether they are indeed working on that or something else, I can't wait to see how it turns out.
I would love a proper Mario and Luigi game on 3DS, but after Paper Mario Sticker Star, I'm worried about them stripping it back to give it a wider audience.
While I agree that the Wii U will most likely never beat the sales of the Wii, I disagree that the 3DS can't beat the DS. The DS sold so well because it was so accessible that it got new/younger people into gaming in a way that was far beyond the way that the Wii "got people into gaming". And while some people who owned DS's will have moved away from gaming, I like to think that the majority of them will return to the 3DS (even if it takes some time) while in the meantime a brand new generation will be discovering the system. It's a great improvement over the DS, so I see no reason why it can't beat it in the long run.
Yes, Nintendo must bring back some of their franchises. Kid Icarus alone isn't enough (though I found the game to be decent in my opinion). Give me a new Wario's Woods, Puzzle League, Yoshi (Yoshi's Island SNES style), F-Zero (though I haven't thoroughly played through one game in the series), and that other franchise I forgot.
@Peach64 If the Mario and Luigi game is going to be inspired by Superstar Saga, then yes please, Alpha Dream.
Another one could be: Learn to let consoles go with a bang, instead of a quiet whisper like the Wii.
I have a feeling that Retro's game will be on Wii U, as their biggest games have always been for home consoles. Knowing their record, I will be happy with the IP they choose. Or Nintendo chose for them.
About the third parties, it seems that Nintendo is beginning with the smaller ones, if those glowing reports from indie devs should be believed. Again, big ones must be waiting to see if the platform succeeds before committing full time to it.
Finally, it will be nice to see old IPs coming back, and hopefully Nintendo Land was a testing ground for that, specially with Miiverse allowing people to post opinions about the (mini) games that Nintendo can easily check. I loved the Punch Out for Wii and it is nice to see Luigi starring another game after so long.
I first read that as "Nintendolife's New Year Resolutions". And whether staff members talk about their individual resolutions or it if it'd be about stuff concerning the whole site i'm sure it would be a great read.
Imo there's a lot of potential left in existing franchises. A new Donkey Kong Country Returns, a true Windwaker sequel and a 2.5D Metroid on the 3DS could be outstanding. As would be the most amazing StarFox ever and a 3D Kirby RPG. Heck, even VC releases of the Mother series would be awesome. And there are so many other 2D possibilities that could at least be brought to the eShop.it's hard not to get excited.
I have high hopes for 2013, I'm sure Nintendo will do fine.
Hoping for the return of SEGA giving us great games Sonic Racing Transformed was a good start.
eShop sales should've been on here.
But yeah, more love for other IPs strikes me as the most important.
@DestinyMan I think its early for Mario Kart U too
I envision Iwata taking another pay cut this year. It seems to me the WiiU has suffered a pitiful launch (here in the UK at least). Nobody i know is even remotely interested in this thing.
The only Nintendo game i'm interested in currently is Fire Emblem, so i really hope they get to announcing some new 3DS stuff soon. A 2D Metroid or DKC is what i'd want most.
@DerpSandwich The 3DS isn’t that big of an improvement over the DS in all honesty. There isn't much to discern the two, especially from the casual buyers perspective anyway (the branding magnified this issue + the same crap is happening with the WiiU). That audience ain't coming back to Nintendo.
I'm hoping that nintendo will buy square enix this year, that would probably secure a lot of hardcore gamers. (and the japanese market)
Furthermore, I think this will be a great year for nintendo. I'm 99% sure they will return to profitability. Also, looking at the number of 1st party developers nintendo got, I think that since last years e3 was so lacking of games, this years will be full of 'em. And if I'm lucky, maybe retro is developing that skyrim clone that I want.
@Doma The 3DS isn't an improvement? Casual perception perhaps, but to any Nintendo or multi-console gamer the difference is so large that only a damn fool would make an ignorant statement like that. It's like the soccer moms at Wal-mart.
"It's just a DSi in Thre-"
"No you fool almost nobody gives a crap about 3D"
Also I presume Iwata has been taking pay cuts since 2010-2011 since Wii sales dropped off.
Nintendo will pull through. Haven't they always? Whatever they do, it's usually for the best.
I personally would think at e3 there's a new 3ds Zelda hinted at, a Metroid confirmed, and something really obscure.
Alright, first and foremost: Put Mario on the bench for a year, the only Mario game I would like to see this year is Mario Kart on Wii U.(although i bet 20 bucks we'll see Mario Party Wii U) And even thats gonna have to change things up a bit, especially now that Sonic Transformed has shown how it really done.
Next up, virtual console....WE NEED SNES GAMES ON THE ESHOP!!! not just a dribble every week, open the flood gates Nintendo. Same deal with Gamecube games on Wii U VC. Because in all honesty, the 3DS eshop should be bursting with awesome SNES (or even GBA) classics. One of the most baffling things Nintendo has ever done imo.
Bring back Wave Race, 1080, Starfox, F-Zero, Metroid Prime in all new kick titles. Show the gaming world that Nintendo aint all Mario & mini games. And a new Project Zero on Wii U to scare the rest straight.
Cmon Nintendo, this is your year. Please make the most of it.
@MeowGravy IKR!! ''Show the gaming world that Nintendo aint all Mario & mini games''
I totally agree with you.
@Doma LOL WUT!? So the DS allowed physical retail titles to be downloaded? As well as GB? GG? GBA? It had StreetPass? Friends? PS2/GCN like games?
@Hokori Without trying to sound rude, he's trolling. He's deliberately stating stuff like that while saying stuff like "The Wii U is a stupid name and Nintendo is a failure" alongside "Black Ops 2 is an all new game while the 3DS is the same as the DS".
Yeah, obvious troll is obvious. This is different from the "you don't have to love Nintendo non-stop" rule, this is blatant flamebaiting.
Just to make myself clear
Above 3DS comment
"Many of Nintendo's newer games (especially Mario) just look like mods of previous ones rather than new. This is clearly PT with different mini-games and online thrown in."
vs.
Doma commented on Call of Duty Black Ops II Suffers From Reduced...:
"No need to worry.
It's not the same game. It's not the same content."
I'm worried that the wii U will have problems running next generation games, will developers take the time to downgrade their games for the wii U? Of course, I'm assuming microsoft and sony consoles will be more powerful, but this is almost guaranteed given the fact that the wii U's CPU is inferior compared to the current consoles.
I hope the console remains alive with first party titles. We wont have big third party games unless Nintendo releases a more powerful version of the wii U. Doesn't this worry you guys?
@sinalefa it would nice if it's starfox
Yeah, some fresh takes on older franchises would be welcome... as well as the older franchises' titles themselves. Nintendo of America, improve with the releases of the 3DS Virtual Console so we're on par with the rest of the world, OK? Please?
@ivanmata Worries me too
Does this mean Ice Climbers? Yes! Now I can embark on a quest....to get vegetables I can just buy at the grocery store! Only on Wii Climb U..In Soviet Russia...
At this point, if Nintendo made a new F-Zero, Starfox, or Metroid game, they would own the whole industry hands down(IMO). They're making Zelda, and Pikmin 3 is coming out. I know Nintendo keeps saying they don't see why people keep wanting these games, but in all reality, with as complex, powerful, fast, smooth, and other advancements that have been made with technology, Nintendo could show the world how their games were MEANT to be seen since the beginning of video games. They try hard, and they know how to kick w/ what they do. They started making HD console graphics 3-5 years after Xbox 360/PS3 came out, and they look just as good, if not better than what people have been working to achieve within the past years, with in ONE year. I like the other consoles no doubt, but Nintendo always levels the playing ground, damanding more from the other guy. Sony and Microsoft will do the same right back when their new consoles come out too, but Nintendo has a chance to show off now truly. They may not always want to push graphics, but the most realistic F-Zero game ever would probably summon Captain Falcon himself...
Sorry for the long post everyone.
If I know one thing for sure its Nintendo can't rely on the casual market nearly as much as they did with the Wii and DS. Like it or not mobile platforms will eat away at it and thats not considering people satisfied with what they have (especially with money being tight).
Attracting 3rd party developers is obviously a big step forward, and I imagine it'd be much easier to convince many smaller ones rather than a couple big ones. Bringing back their other IPs would be a good way to support the fledgling console (and 3DS) without overshadowing anybody.
Give me a new 3DS / Wii U Wario platformer (I do love Mario, but it's time for him to take a break for a while), a remake of Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire on 3DS, a Wii U Virtual Console and maybe some Game Boy Advance games on the 3DS VC and I'll be one very happy gamer
2013 is indeed a very important year for Nintendo. They need to maintain the momentum with the 3DS and start adviing us on what we have to look forward to on Wii U and hopefully before È3!
@ivanmata and similar "chicken-lickens"
You cannot exceed 1080p with current TV technology so I would like people to explain exactly what they expect from 'next gen' that is such a dramatic improvement over the Wii U such that it becomes a guaranteed fail.... just like the non-HD Wii was, right?
I have a few ideas where improvements might be made - eg 'deeper' draw distance and more on-screen information but at some point the work required to fill this 'space' reaches the point of diminishing returns when you consider that the focus of a game is playing a game, not sight-seeing and much of the visual feast will go wasted.
The majority of the data on a storage medium will be the graphics and short of fitting high-capacity, high-speed SSD drives, loading times will make the Wii U's menu speed look like grease lightning.
Do I feel like I'm missing out given this scenario? Nope.
People whinge about the cost of the Wii U now - just how much do they expect this near-future tech to cost?
Non-specific, speculative generalisations based on fear of the unknown are beyond boring.
I don't think we'll see a true "make or break" year for Nintendo for a long time (I would argue Sony is a lot closer to one), but 2013 is undoubtedly important. This is the chance to establish the Wii U as THE console to use as the standard build for third party games this gen. They have a year to figure out the new tech and how to use it to the fullest.
As for IPs other than Mario, I totally agree. I'm Mario'd out. I'm also still Zelda'd out, and I say this as someone whose most favorite franchise ever is Zelda. I hope they hold off until March 2014 to release whatever next game they're planning for Zelda. What I want to see are some neglected franchises. We know we'll get a Kirby and a Metroid and a Zelda. Probably more than one. Give us Wave Race or 1080 Snowboarding. Give us Star Fox and F-Zero (which I don't even like). Give us a console Kid Icarus. How about Ice Climbers? Duck Hunt? Urban Champion, even!
I think NIntendo did well making an agreement with Unity. That should result in a decent amount of indie titles coming to WiiU. They just need similar deals with bigger third parties such as Capcom etc...
I agree also that Nintendo should concentrate on other IP's other than Mario. I would buy a new Waverace in a heartbeat. Same goes for a new Pilotwings (a proper one!), Excitebike, Starfox, Metroid etc etc
grat article, these are all important fact's for the success of both 3DS and Wii U, and the last statment i agree alot GAMES SELL SYSTEM! i really hope that in next few years we might hear something about the following games.
Wii U: F-zero, wave race, 1080 snowboarding, Doshin the giant, 3D metroid, 3D Donkey Kong, Star Fox, 3D kirby, Battalion wars 3, Mario kart, super mario sunshine 2, super mario galaxy 3, Fire Emblem, Animal crossing, Zelda 4 swords sequel ( also available for 3DS ) Zelda with adult link and Zelda Majora's mask remake
3DS: 2.5D metroid, Odama 2, 2D donkey kong, chibbi-robo, advance wars, super mario 3D land 2, super Mario RPG 2, 2D Wario, Yoshi's story 2, zelda link to the past remake, Zelda with cel shaded graphics and kid link ( like in wind waker ), Zelda 4 swords sequel ( also for Wii U ) and lot's of pokemon =D
Nintnedo's first-party titles will always ensure that its systems will hold their own for exclusives, getting those third-party developers on board is crucial to their continued validity though. As others have pointed out here the casual market that Wii was so successful in creating has shifted to non-console devices and can't be relied upon in the same way.
2013 is a very important year with the other consoles reaching the end of their life and being wound down; Nintendo need to make the most of this to work with developers and ensure that the potential of their system is realised. Another five years of non-exclusive big release games not appearing on the Nintendo console would mean the probable slow death of the company and would certainly make me think twice about ever buying another of their consoles (and yes, I do already have Wii U and no, I don't have an XBox or PS3).
Nintendo killed Excitebots in fear that it would compete with their own Mario Kart. They should stop doing stupid stuff like that.
The Wii U still needs a 3D Mario platformer, Mario Kart 8, Mario Party 10 and a new Paper Mario game. The 3DS just needs a new Mario Party game.
@Hokori I ignore the e-shop, mostly due to the horrible overpricing (where are these GBA games btw?). Also, i was talking more about casual perception, since the 3DS/DS design is identical. They probably wouldn't even notice those features you listed.
@rayword Whoa man, i'm no troll. I just find modern Nintendo to be incredibly disappointing. That black ops 2 thing was a Reggie quote (his description of Batman on the WiiU, lol).
Then why are you making Flamebait posts like "the DS is the same as the 3DS" when any gamer who's TOUCHED the damn thing knows it's a big difference.
You know, like how the PS3 is an improvement over the PS2. Don't be a dumb soccer mom.
Also, to state a consoles name is going to kill it sounds like flamebaiting.
And you didn't touch casual perception until halfway through, and even the casuals (like the ones who play only Crappy Birds and Cut The Rope) where I live know the difference.
First off: the only difference i know of after following the two new consoles is going to be personal preference and entertainment qualities. Hardware so far doesn't have a noticeable output difference.
Second: as much as sales dictate this i would really like to see bigger titles not being remade for the 3ds. I think OoT was a mistake for the 3ds because of the fact that they wont remake it for the more powerful wiiu and give it the makeover it deserves. So MM for the 3ds would be fueling the fire for that mistake. Some will disagree but others will agree that the gamepad for MM would be great. (Or any other loz.)
BF4 and or bad company 3, EA all but said theyll release their games for the wiiu considering their optimism. Gearbox, and crytek included
@Doma I've just got to disagree with you there. To someone who knows absolutely nothing of gaming they might seem similar, but if you've even got the slightest interest in getting one you're going to see a difference. Just the 3D capabilities alone are enough to set it apart, and then you've got the massive graphical difference and everything else. I think the argument for the ignorance of the general public only goes so far.
@Doma Well if you ignore the eShop how do you know it's the same? Pushmo? crashmo? Dillion's Rolling Western? Sakura Samurai? VVVVVVV? Denpa Men? All under $10 people now a days are too used to the cheap crap on iPhones that that's what they expect on 3DS but for more $$$ as for retail games on eShop? What difference does it make if you pay $40 for a box or $40 for Data? The games the same, and you have it with you forever, because you know the DS had NN IDs, Miiverse and streetPass, I'm sorry but I hate when people say its the same old crap on Nintendo, but the say there iPhone 4.5 S.Z thing is a MAJOR upgrade...... :/
other resolution: ALLOW CREDIT CARDS FROM OUTSIDE THE US OR EUROPE! If Nintendo doesn't earn more money, is because they don't want to.
I want to see The World Ends with you 2 and Earthbound! They already blessed us with Bayonetta 2!
#4 Include the GBA, DS, and GameCube Games in the Virtual Console/eShop library
#5 Bring 3rd party classic gaming into eShop: Doom (the "XBLA" version), Final Fight (arcade, with online co-op), etc.
#6 More demos, and make them unlimited.
#7 Bring back DKC into the VC.
Far Cry 3 on Wii-U would be the bomb. I would be a happy Nintendo fanboy to say the least.
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