Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima Has Published a New Message for Shareholders and Investors

I remember the NES days fondly, but I fell in love with Nintendo during the SNES years. Mainly Super Metroid caught my heart. I was very disappointed when the life cycle of the n64 went by and there was no Metroid for the system, other than Samus being in the original Smash bros. But then they came and more than made up for it with the Metroid Prime series on the GameCube. Right now I am having flashbacks or dejavu from the n64 days, because the Wii U is just as awesome as the n64 but the lack of Metroid is disturbing, other than the presence of Samus in Smash bros. History is repeating itself, I hope, and in 2016 I pray we hear some great news involving Metroid for NX. It really is my favorite franchise and it is what I want to see the most.

ok, like you have not said this already. When you do it and come out positively, then I'll believe. You have until the NX to convince me.

It's probably been a tough year for the shareholders since there's been plenty of disappointments for Nintendo, though there have still been great games released, such as Splatoon and Mario Maker.

Next year is critical for Nintendo. A lot will hinge on what is revealed about the NX and the popularity of the new console.

I still think his name sounds like a badass character from tekken.

That's My Nintendo! Always with a smile!!!

@erv He fights with fearsome Paperwork to give his oppenent nasty papercuts and bores them to death with meetings and underpaid overwork!

@ikki5 to convince you of what? The guy has been president for how long now? He's just getting the ball rolling. You don't have to be negative all the time you know. In the end it's just video games.

Yay Ice Climbers 2!

oddly enough, we're in the middle of what is, by far, the worst share value decline in four years, and though that's the case, the bigger news is that the Nintendo journalism community isn't reporting it; there's even pushback against suggestions to do so...

I personally feel that the lack of a significant response from Nintendo (to the decline) suggests they're alright with this, and it's exactly that which buoys my optimism. there's an almost ninja like stoicism to their lack of panic... i believe it bodes well for 2016.

but this lack of reporting has me worried... why are we gamers being treated with less than the facts?

@erv
"Kimishima Zaibatsu", now that sounds awesome!

Also, if 2016 will be "a fascinating year", it's time for a new Nintendo Direct (yeah, "already"). Maybe one in february to go along with the last Smash DLC fighters?

@day
Stocks rise and fall on the whim of investors.

Nintendo stock was over inflated with the market expected a complete shift to mobile.
When it was confirmed by the CEO that Nintendo wasn't going to go fully mobile the stock readjusted to a much lower price.
It has since rebounded to some degree.
It's not unusual for a company's stock to be over inflated by investors who run wild on untrue information.

It has been widely published and everyone moved on including the business media to other companies including Apple.

Even Apple's stock is down to $108 a share as of December 23rd. This down from the post split high of $130.
This is due to investors being unhappy that Apple isn't meeting Wall Street's sales and profit predictions.
Apple is still the most profitable company by far in the world at the moment.

Tim Cook and management hasn't been able to quell investors fear that Apple is underperforming and failing at selling products.

Anyways a good company is a flexible company.

Remember Nintendo once had a huge multimedia output with it's IPs back in the late 80s and early 90s.
But they did away with this after it was shown to hurt their reputation and sales with gamers.

@ikki5 don't be such a negative nancy

@faint

When a company fails for pretty much the last 5 years and even when the new guy comes and still nothing seems to be changing, you can't expect me to see his comments (pretty much the same as Iwata's comments) to take them seriously. He'll need to show it and not be all talk like Iwata was within the last few years. Yeah, in the end it is just video games but at the same time, Nintendo was something I loved for over 20 years and well, I'm already shifting away from them because Nintendo isn't really up to even par anymore and there is much better out there now. Nintendo has until the NX to change my mind.

Nice to see them looking forward to the NX. Pretty glaring that he didn't mention the Wii U or 3DS once. Nintendo is looking towards the future.

Transformers: Reggie in Disguise

That's a worrying quote. I don't think stable companies transform themselves. I think stable companies simply keep making great products, maybe find ways to continue to grow as and when necessary, and keep up with the times.

Disney is still basically Disney as it's always been. It's just constantly adding to its portfolio and slowly expanding into other areas of entertainment.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Nintendo should be roughly following in the footsteps of Disney.

@JRPGHurtsWallet

Nice to see them ignore the Wii U and the 3DS to focus on the NX?

I remember the last year of the Wii where it seemed they had abandoned it and people were saying the same thing about their focus on the Wii U. How did that turn out? Not too good IMO.

@CatMarioTime ikki5 is probably tired of giving Nintendo the benefit of the doubt. It's always "the next console will be better with third party support and Nintendo does care what players ask for, you'll see when the next console comes out".

Oh you wanted another 3D Mario? How about a sequel to 3D Land and another NSMB game? You wanted a proper Paper Mario game? How about we move the series to handheld and make is less like a proper Paper Mario game? Oh you wanted a proper Metroid? Oh you want more virtual console games? Let's reset them on each new platform and release them even slower than on the Wii.
Surely you can see how fans are losing patience waiting for Nintendo to get it right?

@Xenocity no offense, but whether or not it's intentional, you're sidestepping my point... there should be more coverage of Nintendo's stock market story surrounding this drop.

seriously, much more coverage has been given of much fewer gains and losses.

and look, i appreciate the attempt at the lesson, but frankly i'm not ignorant to the vagueries of the market. it goes up, it goes down, it's temporary yadda yadda.

it's still an indicator. period.

@ikki5 do you feel this way about movie company's. Did you only watch 20th century fox till they disappointed you to many times? I play what I like I like my wiiu and my 3ds and my xbox one. Guess what? Some of the games I play on them are not made by the platform holders. You seem to be a fan of toadete. She was created this gen right? I remember being in grade school during the whole sega Nintendo bs and kids talked the same way. Even back then I had both and enjoyed them both. Before you say I can only afford one console I'll point out if Nintendo isn't making enough games for you then you have plenty of time to save up some cash for another console. Since the n64 the only reason to buy Nintendo was for its exclusives. I felt the same way about the mega drive and feel the same way about the Xbox one. Try to relax. Hate makes you get premature wrinkles.

I'm starting to see little changes in the company since he took over but the "whole new concept" thing sounds like gimmicks again. I've started to lose my patience with Nintendo. Like Kirk said a couple of comments up: The whole transformation thing is not something good. It's always hit or miss and it hasn't been hit for me in a long long time. Even the 3DS, which I love, only works for me because you can basically switch off all its gimmicks and just play games.
I'm buying a PS4 next week. The NX has to do A LOT to make invest again. I won't buy another Nintendo console just for a Mario Game every now and then.
So convince me, Nintendo. Start talking about that thing. For the first time ever I'll be expecting a reveal not with excitement but with doubt.

@Monsti you make it sound like both consoles only have Mario games

@Monsti yup, I agree with all you say above.

So worrying that a company weathering a high profile flop is reassuring its backers that they are evolving. Strewth.

@faint

You can't compare movies to games in this way. Movies are not tied to specific theaters or specific media players. Paramount doesn't withhold it's movies from Sony Blu Ray players.

You pointing out that the only reason to buy Nintendo consoles in the last 20 years (20 years now, got that) is for exclusives is pretty damning, thanks for being the one to say it. You can feel the same way about the Xbox One or the PS4 if you like but you can't pretend that those consoles don't have better third party support than Nintendo does.

Look, when they make promises of more third party support on the next console AGAIN, they are blowing smoke.

@Crono1973 I think you're blowing smoke because they didn't make any promises for third party support here, and you're the only one in the comments to even bring it up.

@faint I don't know what your point with Toadette is, but she was introduced in 2003, with Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, so GCN era.

@Fee They have in the past and you can expect that it will happen this time too when they start releasing more information about the NX.

It's interesting that you chose that one thing to pick at, I will assume you agree with everything else I said.

@Kirk Actually, that's exactly what I got from Kimishima's message. The focus on their IP and wanting to transform sounds like talk for wanting to be seen more as a general entertainment company like Disney rather than just a video game company.

Disney went through massive transformation over the past couple of decades, going from a small conglomerate, to a super conglomerate with the purchases of Pixar, Marvel, and now LucasFilm/Star Wars, on top of various TV networks and an expansion in demographic with the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

I think Nintendo wants to expand and transform in similar ways, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've been looking at Disney for inspiration of sorts.

@Fee lol what? Nintendo didn't make any promised for 3rd party? Please tell me you're joking. Nintendo was all over 3rd parties at the early life of the Wii U and then.... well Nintendo did Nintendo and the 3rd party said screw it. Sure they didn't make it here but overall, Nintendo has always talked about how much it does for 3rd party when it's support for them is a joke.

@faint
Comparing the movie sector to video games is grasping at straws as they have nothing really in common and are two very different products. For one, I barely even watch movies. But for Nintendo, sure, the exclusives are greats... sometimes but it is the same thing over and over and over. I can only play 2D Mario so much and I think Mario Maker killed 2D Mario for me for the next 10 years. I have found myself playing Nintendo games less and less because it is just the same thing essentially. Smash, was fun while it lasted, Mario Kart, fun while it lasted but Nintendo's big hitters, they bore quickly now. But then again, that doesn't mean their games are not great because they are quite good, the problem I have do I want a system for a few good exclusives that I will really enjoy with next to no 3rd party or do I want a system that has tons of games, a variety of types and genres that reach a huge spectrum, sure they may not be exclusive but why does that matter in the end anyway? If I want to play then, I need something to play them on. That is also one thing that I never understood... "Oh, that system isn't as good because it has less exclusives".. if it has the games I want, I don't care if they are exclusive or not. It is not like Nintendo exclusives or any other system exclusives are going to fill an empty hole that only Nintendo (or others can fill) can fill. A system that has games continuously coming to it regardless if they are exclusive or not is better than a system with pretty much only exclusives for it and not the 3rd party.

There are also many other problem that Nintendo just doesn't seem to get but I'll be here all night.

As for Toadette, she was created during the Gamecube era which tells me that you're still a young one in terms of Nintendo fan.

@ikki5 not young just skipped the game cube for a ps2. I admit being wrong there. My point is if I want to play Mario or xenoblade or splatoon ect I need a Nintendo console. My favorite developer is platnium which means I need to own nearly everything seeing as how they make a living creating mostly exclusives. I picked up a wiiu for Nintendo games and got lucky with bayonetta. I picked up an Xbox one with sunset overdrive when scalebound was announced and I'll pick up a ps4 for final fantasy. This is how the game industry is. A lot of the muti plats are retreads just like Mario has become. This is also why I haven't played Mario u or 3d world yet. But for every Mario game they make something else or have an exclusive that makes it worth it. I picked up hyrule warriors thinking I'd put 25 hours in and put in 400. I picked up smash thinking the opposite and got opposite results. Do I think my purchases were with it? Yes I do

One of the stupidest decisions Nintendo has made in recent times was putting out ds and gba games on the wii u. Why? Because since the ambassador's program I was expecting to see game boy advance games on the 3DS virtual console, it just felt natural that the gba games belonged to the 3DS, but nope, let's put them on the wii u, a console that a little over 10 million people have, not the handheld beast that currently is on the hands of over 54 million people.

Regarding DS games, I kinda get why they decided to put them on the wii u, since the gamepad can emulate the touch screen on both, the 3ds and ds, but then again, why can't the ds games be on the virtual console of both consoles? Again, I know the wii u is flopping real hard, and it needs the extra boost from the eshop, but it is very stupid to focus real hard on the wii u virtual releases (10 million units), instead of the beast that it is practically printing Nintendo money.

If I was this guy, I would command the release ASAP of the gba and ds games on the 3DS virtual console, which would print me more money from the 54 million handheld users and focus on the REAL THING that could boost wii u sales BY A LOT, doing the thing 3872923083292894 are expecting on the wii u... Gamecube games.

I am not saying that the sales would boost by a lot, but that simple move on the wii u, would guarantee that a minimum of 5 or 6 million consoles would leave the shelves, increasing the revenue of the company, and also filling more my pockets, as the 10 million established users would totally flip out to see those beauties on the virtual console.

Simple really.

@day
Do you honestly expect gaming sites and gamers to care about stock prices and profits?

Gamers are used to buying hardware and other gaming products priced well below breakeven points, to the point of Sony losing $400+ on each PS3 at launch.

Sony and Microsoft have trained gamer and the gaming media that profiting on hardware and other gaming related stuff is "greedy".

Gamers want to hear about products and not about stock prices. Not even NeoGaf cared to talk about the stock drop for more than 3 days.

Gamers want the media to give them gaming news that caters to what they want to hear. If you publish stories gamers don't want to hear and read, a massive backlash will ensue and drop in reader/viewership will occur.

Business publications and news outlets don't care either.
The business outlets don't care because all Asian stock markets and most Asian stocks have been hit quite hard, far worse than Nintendo's stock performance.
Chinese stock market has lost trillions in value as it has essentially crashed and likely heading to an even bigger stock crash.

Stock valuation only matters, if it impedes the operation of the company.
Nintendo stock is still doing better than most Asian stocks this year and they have the assets and money to withstand a stock drop.

So don't take Asian stock prices too seriously, since Asia is being hit hard by investors angst and rapidly slowing economies.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE
The problem is the original 3DS hardware cannot fully run a GBA emulator.
The Ambassador games are well known for crappy emulation not worth paying for.

New 3DS could run them, but it would split the base creating a massive consumer backlash.

3rd parties don't want DS games on the 3DS eShop, because you can still buy DS games at retail.

The Wii U eShop is the version of the eShop that NX will inherit and the eShop licenses.
So it makes since to keep expanding the Wii U eShop.

Lastly 3DS VC games are said to sell horribly, so Nintendo has deemed the lack of sales as consumer rejection.

@Xenocity Please tell me Nintendo won't be stupid enough to not transfer 3DS digital game licenses too?

@ikki5 I LOVE Nintendo, a freaking lot, but I kinda see the point of your dissatisfaction with them, as they are always promising tons and tons of things, but only deliver a third of those said promises, like they are currently doing with the wii u and the metroid franchise.

The Gamecube was the last console when 3rd party support was a real and solid thing, why? Because the gamecube tried its hardest to appeal to us, the hardcore gamers, it was a console with 0 gimmicks, it was only gaming that mattered, hence, why companies like capcom delivered to the fullest whenever they could.

The wii totally abandoned us hardcore gamers at first, seeking appeal of the casual audience before. Sure, it is an amazing console, things like the galaxies, prime trilogy and skyward sword are outstanding timeless games, but Nintendo decided that they wanted to appeal to that demographic first, hence the reason why everybody labeled it as a "Child's console" and it was also the reason why most of the 3rd party support was almost non-existant, it was simply entirely their fault.

Then came along the wii u, doomed to the same fate of the wii for the name it has. Nintendo was expecting to sell the same amount of consoles as before, but the casual gamers moved on to the tablets, not to mention that their "experimentation" with "innovative" ways of playing with the gamepad is simply a joke if you ask me; the system is amazing and the exclusives are too, but the gamepad is the main reason why 3rd parties jumped the ship early on and it is simply going nowhere with that "innovative" gameplay. Again, it is Nintendo and no else to blame.

The NX right now is a gamble where Nintendo is risking everything, it's 50-50 for them, either it's one of the greatest consoles of all time where 3rd parties will gather together to work along with them or it will be wii part 3 where they won't bother at all.

Let's all hope for the first.

@Xenocity I understand your point of the 3rd parties ds games, but it's still very stupid nonetheless on Nintendo's behalf. People would pay money to play the 2 ds Zeldas on their 3DS or even the original new super mario bros. That 3rd parties are not on board with that, it doesn't mean Nintendo can't release their 1st party games there.

Regarding that the wii u eshop is the eshop that the NX will inherit.... I doubt it. Why? Because Nintendo made another stupid decision years ago when they decided that that the wii eshop was crap and started the wii u's eshop FROM SCRATCH, re-releasing the games that were already on the first eshop. I know the latter has gamepad compatibility, but that's just no justification for "ALRIGHT, JUST ABANDON THE WII ESHOP ALTOGETHER AND LET'S START ONCE MORE FROM 0". I mean, where are the sega genesis games? the neo geo games? the arcade games? Japan already got ages ago MSX and Turbografx 16 games, where are those games in NA or EU?

People have been asking here on various forums about the future of the 3DS VC. A lot of folks here just want the service to continue, so I don't get where you get that it is consumer rejection if everybody keeps wondering about it.

Lastly, I wasn't aware that the original 3DS isn't capable of fully running a GBA emulator, I'll grant you that point, but one of my original points persists, GBA games are meant to be PORTABLE, why release them on a home console? why couldn't nintendo wait for the new 3ds to hit shelves and then release them there? I mean, the new 3ds has NO software, aside from Xenoblade Chronicles and Binding of Isaac, it is simply a stopgap console, awaiting the arrival of the NX, so the common sense would to fill it up with more virtual releases, where the GBA games would have been simply perfect.

@Crono1973 More than two thirds of your post was about third party support. I didn't respond to the other part because I try not to argue. The part I did respond to seemed like something I could say without it being considered an argument. That said, I actually I do agree with the rest of your post.

"You can't compare movies to games in this way. Movies are not tied to specific theaters or specific media players. Paramount doesn't withhold it's movies from Sony Blu Ray players."
That's the part I agree with for the record.

@ikki5 : Please don't talk to me like this. It's like you made up a post for me instead of actually reading mine. "Nintendo didn't make any promised for 3rd party? Please tell me you're joking." I never said they didn't. "Sure they didn't make it here" That's exactly what I said. They didn't make it here. I didn't say they never made the statement before. @Crono1973 was saying they were blowing smoke every time they mention third party support even though it has nothing to do with this article and he's the only one who even talked about it in the comments. Even you didn't talk about it until just now. It has nothing to do with what was said here. If you suddenly think it does have something to do with this article even though you didn't bring it up before, then whatever. I won't argue with you, but don't misread so badly then talk to me. Pfft. I say don't do it but guess I can't stop you if you want to. Feel free.

EDIT: Heck, my post wasn't even directed at you or anything you said in this comment section so I don't see why you felt the need to subtract two cents.

@Xenocity dude, you're trying to say that one market focused article a month is too much for gamers? like they can't collectively see the value of "such nonsense" and that there will be some serious sort of a backlash? relax man, the site won't go belly up by focusing 1-5% of it's effort on stocks lol

and besides, as NintendoLife says about themselves: "The Nintendo Life team is dedicated to bringing you the biggest news and trustworthy reviews from the wide world of Nintendo."

"biggest news [...] from the wide world of Nintendo"... It's not just about games dude, it's about Nintendo. so unless you're one of those narrow-minded market-phobic gamers that abhors the investors out there because there's some silly image in their head of a squirrelly bald guy with glasses in a corner cubicle futzing around with "their games", then I don't see why you're so much against whole-picture journalism... and if you are one of those gamers, then... i dunno dude, i still don't see why the contrarian backlash...

@Fee
It doesn't matter if they said it here or not, the fact is, they have made the claim that they will get the ball rolling with 3rd party many times and yet, they did nothing for the 3rd party so the 3rd party went to people who treated them better. To be honest, the fact that they didn't mention 3rd party here is already bad because it basically states that they feel they don't need them/ are not important when in reality, their gaming systems are dying. If Nintendo really cares about their shareholders, they need to stop with the fluff statements and empty promises otherwise, they will be getting new investors for whatever product they move on to after the video game industry. What should also be concerning is that this statement is basically what they've been telling them for the last year or two... even when they now have a new president.

@IceClimbers Nintendo have always considered themselves a 'family' entertainment, a toy company - not a ' video game' company. With a 100+ year legacy in the toy business. Yes Nintendo have focused on games primarily since the NES, but they have to diversify again, the console and handheld market with exclusive IP is not as safe as it once was. A small legion of core fans won't keep the company running long into the future.

Glad to hear. Looking forward to NX and MyNintendo.

@IceClimbers Well I really hope you're right.

@Kirk The notion of adding new IP and diversifying into new markets - harnessing their IP in unique ways on multiple platforms, finally creating a true Nintendo network and account system that can be accessed anytime, any place, anywhere on any device, expanding into theme parks, creating a complete Nintendo ecosystem is transformation.

A stable company adjusts to changing times and markets. An unstable company lacks motivation to change and sticks to the same path it has followed for the past 30 years. Being able to access a Nintendo IP on another platform alone is a transformation in Nintendo's once 'exclusive' thinking itself.

Nintendo went through years of sticking their heads in the sand. Refusing to acknowledge the widescreen, online and HD revolution. They were left far behind the pack in the industry they helped create.

This was offset by the Wii revolution, a Gamecube 1.5 with basic online features, account system and store brought financial success on a whim but once the Wii bubble burst it collapsed in style and Nintendo were left twiddling their thumbs and attempting to join the HD era with no true digital store, network or infrastructure to support it. Nintendo IP wasn't enough anymore, gamers and families want connected systems that can do anything.

Realising this, Nintendo's last minute call to EA who helped them develop and create the complete Nintendo Network and EShop. This is further backed up by Nintendo, Iwata and Miyamoto stating early in the Wii U's life that they underestimated the jump and challenge adjusting to this new era of technology.

So just looking briefly at Nintendo's past 10 years I feel shows transformation is pretty much at the heart of Nintendo's reforms.

While I may seem highly critical of Nintendo at times, I do so because I have been playing on their systems since the dawn of the NES. The Wii U has now become my most played console ever, recapturing the joy I had on the NES, SNES and N64 - no doubt helped by the Wii U gamepad and a now excellent online integration and games.

This isn't an attack Kirk, I enjoy the debates we have had recently, it is good to see, share and read highly opinionated thinking and have some banter at the same time, not many can do that! That's what has been keeping me tied to NL's boards more recently Do you have a Wii U by any chance?

Subtext: it's been a pretty p00py year, apart from amiibo. but we are launching a new console soon so let's forget about that awful Wii business oh, and we listened - smart phone games everyone!

NX 2016, then. Clearest indicator yet.

" In the field of home entertainment, the video game industry is one of the few industries established in Japan that spread around the world, and Nintendo has established itself as a well-known brand truly representing video game culture throughout the world."
Established in Japan?
What is he smoking?
Game consoles started in the US with the pong and the atari consoles.
Nintendo though just sort of brought gaming back after the crash...

@TheGoof He isn't smoking anything, he is just stating the plain truth, you just understood wrong. Game consoles DID start with pong and the magnavox odyssey (Atari came later, copying the idea from magnavox), but we all know how it all ended when the americans were in charge of that (COUGH videogame crash COUGH), then in 1985 with the rise of the NES and the Master System, the japanese took control of the market, with little american involvement. Even nowadays, the japanese control A LOT of home console entertainment, the exception being Microsoft, which being an american established company, has little to no influence there.

Bottom line is: the americans had their shot of gaming being established here in America, they screwed up, hence, why he says that IT IS established in Japan.

@TheGoof Started in the US but I would say it is really cemented in Japan as of the NES.
Of course, considering mobile devices....I am not so sure about today. We have Sony owning console gaming with PS4 but then we have Valve with Steam. I see kids playing on mobile devices more than dedicated handhelds. Google and Apple are American companies.

@Rockmin US started to establish it a long time ago, in the glory days of Atari, but then they started to flood the market mainly because they had no control whatsoever of what was and/or wasn't published, so that first run of the establishment bit the dust. The japanese just said f*ck it and revamped the entire industry from scratch, and this is when Nintendo and Sega started to rise in the industry as the new pillars of entertainment. You can call it a monopoly all you want, but it was this new model that the japanese created that established the gaming industry we know today. To me, the americans proposed the prototype of the industry, but the japanese took this model further and perfected it.

@8bitforever I wouldn't say 3rd party support stopped in the SNES days, I'd say that nintendo tried to appeal to the hardcore gamer again with the nintendo gamecube (which I call SNES 2), just look at that beast, it's pure gaming bliss, hell, Capcom even published some of their best games on that system: Capcom vs SNK 2, Viewtiful Joe 1 & 2, the entire resident evil saga, etc.

And why was that? Because the gamecube didn't rely on any kind of gimmick, it was just gaming, plain and simple, again, like an SNES. Then came along the wii and the wii u, where the experimentation they began with the N64, took an even further turn and that's where 3rd parties were lost.

I am giving Nintendo the benefit of the doubt regarding the NX, as it can appeal to 3rd parties once more, depending on how well they present it.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE I'm giving Nintendo the benefit of the doubt too. I'm sure they will have learned their lesson from the Wii U and work hard to get third parties backing them again. We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

'We will also strive to further increase opportunities for consumers to come in contact with Nintendo characters in their daily lives, such as through visual content and merchandising.' - This line is what has me most excited. I've always felt that in recent years, Nintendo haven't been doing enough outside of video games to promote their IPs. I think the last Nintendo animated series they had (outside of Pokémon) was Kirby Right Back At Ya, and Nintendo merchandise has always been a pain for me to find in the UK. Amiibo have been a blessing in that regard, as whilst I do love their additional functions, the fact that they are official Nintendo merchandise is a big draw for me.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE Well, there was still some 3rd party support for the Wii. It did miss out on quite a few multiplatform games that were designed for the stronger Xbox 360 and PS3 systems, but likely due to it's high amount of sales, 3rd parties were still willing to try and support the Wii.

For me, this has resulted in quite a few great 3rd party games on the Wii such as the two Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi games, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Red Steel, A Boy and his Blob, and more. Despite how people claim the Wii lacked 3rd party support, this is untrue, and it's got plenty of decent 3rd party games on it.

@Souldin I know that the Wii had some pretty amazing 3rd parties games, hell, half of my collection were developed by 3rd parties, examples: Sin and Punishment 2 (the best one of all, published by nintendo, but developed by treasure), Tatsunoko vs Capcom (it destroys UMVC3, hands down), the one you mentioned Muramasa (amazing slasher), Madworld (Sega back in their old golden days), etc.

Just take a look at the games I mentioned, while they are simply outstanding and outshine a lot of the 3rd party games from the ps3 and 360 days, the sad truth is that Nintendo didn't back them up in a proper way, they sold abysmally, even though I still dust them off and play them on the ol' red wii. I got them all a long time after I got my Wii, because a friend of mine praised them all to hell and back, but before that, all I owned was developed and published by Nintendo, because I hadn't heard of them before, because Nintendo didn't even bother to tell me, the hardcore gamer, that they were an option, that they existed, that the Wii also had those for people like me.

Instead, Nintendo took the Wii the other way around, praising the piece of sh*t Wii Music like there was no end, meanwhile Metal Slug Anthology was released in a very limited quantity.

That's the issue Nintendo desperately needs to correct, the 3rd parties deliver when asked, but they treat them like garbage.

@electrolite77 What is wrong with you bro? Even worse at reading than @ikki5 ?

It's the holidays, I've had a few adult beverages, so forgive any incoherent ramblings.
That being said, I just picked up the latest Game Informer (The Year of VR), read this article and had a discussion about how Steam is the future imperfected in that it's OS forces certain games out of the architecture support schema.
Alright, that being said, here's the latest and most ridiculous NX 'prediction':
Nintendo SteamBOX.
Sounds ridiculous, right? Starts with an N, ends with an X. It's almost as stupid as the 'Half Life 3 confirmed' comments, yeah?
Hold on for just one minute, if you will.
1) Steam has the biggest 3rd party support base, Nintendo has the smallest.
2) Steam clearly doesn't get the 'home console experience' that console gamers enjoy so much and PC gamers try to emulate. Nintendo clearly doesn't get that propreitary technology is losing them the 3rd party battle and that new engines are allowing more openness in game design than ever. (They did get to Unity before it got popular but their support of Unity's evolution has been horrid)
3) Nintendo makes well built, sturdy controllers with less than their competitors. Steam controllers are MMORPG friendly but terrible for shooters and most racing games. They feel cheap and overpriced (outside of the haptic touchpads, which are ironically the biggest problem).
Literally everyone is making Steam boxes. Dual load systems aren't difficult to do. Steam is all digital. So.. If Nintendo did in fact make the Steambox with decent specs (slightly better or as good as PS4), they could have a massive library of cheap games at launch and focus their efforts on making unique games and games that truly take advantage of their art and design departments.
I'm not saying it's not just a pipedream, but just imagine if Nintendo could somehow integrate that kind of tech into BOTH a console and a handheld.

To tie that into what I've read about VR: anyone on X1 / PS4 who buys into the VR movement is going to be accepting another box. Honestly, most everyone is going to have a seperate box. So Nintendo needs to stop worrying about making things small and cheaply. The Wii U isn't portable and you can't put anything beside it because of how the ventilation is abysmal. So why worry about making it small? Nintendo couldn't be more out of touch, but with a Steam box, they could revolutionize the console AND PC gaming markets.