Nintendo has had a rough couple of years, and it’s very obvious. This is especially because of the rising competition with Microsoft and Sony, which are moving up in the next generation of consoles quite fast. As for Nintendo, the company doesn’t really seem to be taking any big steps forward that we know of quite yet. The only information we have is that there will be a new console that will be released within the next couple of years and it is codenamed the NX. Other than this, it just seems that Nintendo has stood still or has even taken a couple of steps back. We see this with the low sales of the Wii U, getting rid of Club Nintendo, and with things like releasing remakes of old games. However, there is a lot of room for Nintendo to have a great 2016, and one could only hope that they will take advantage of that opportunity.
One major thing Nintendo can do in 2016 is drop the Wii U and release the NX. I know that’s a huge stretch because Nintendo has said before that they only plan on revealing the console next year (most likely at E3) and not releasing it, but if they could somehow find the ability to release the NX then it would help them greatly because this means that they would get rid of trying to sell off the Wii U – the console that simply did not sell.
The release of the NX isn’t enough to allow Nintendo to have a great year. The NX also must be a genuinely great console with high power and great graphics capabilities. In order for Nintendo to move forward, they have to create a console that is way better than the Wii U. They need to bring something fresh to gamers, and the Wii U just felt like another Wii with HD capabilities and an extra controller that had a screen on it. It wasn’t very innovative.
Putting the NX aside, we also have to look at how Nintendo can still save themselves in 2016 even without the release of the NX. Games like Zelda Wii U, Star Fox Zero, and Xenoblade Chronicles X are (expected) to release in 2016. Finalizing these games can and will actually sell consoles for Nintendo, and it might just help them get some revenue in 2016.
Hopefully, Nintendo will be taking a step forward in 2016. Lately, it seems that with everything Nintendo is trying to do it has been taking one step forward and two steps back. Next year is the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to turn this around; they just have to do it right. Where do you think Nintendo will take us in 2016? Will 2016 be a great year for Nintendo, or will it be another bust? Let us know in the comments.
Bryan Rumsey
I find it odd that you speak of Nintendo lacking innovation and AAA graphics in the same sentence. Nintendo has been the only company that has been trying to innovate in the console sphere in the last decade. While the Wii U wasn’t a financial success the touchscreen gamepad was extremely innovative and provides experiences that one cannot find anywhere else. Just look at the backpack mechanic in ZombieU or the camera system in Fatal Frame. Despite their financial success, Sony and Microsoft didn’t innovate at all for their consoles. The X1 and PS4 are simply last generation consoles with more powerful hardware. The only improvement is the software-level recording functionality, and I’m not sure I can call that innovative since players have been doing this on the hardware level for quite some time. All they did was package in something that people were already doing. Innovation is about creating something new that people don’t know they want yet.
I also don’t see how having better graphics will increase sales of the NX. The Nintendo fans will buy it regardless for the first party exclusives, and that is about it. The PS4 and X1 have such a foothold already that buying an NX for crossplatform titles would be a rare occasion. Aside from that fact that these owners will be missing out of the Sony and Microsoft exclusives — which honestly get more promotion in the West anyways — they won’t be able to play online with their friends who already own the PS4 or X1. Eventually, the games industry will have to acknowledge that the Wii’s financial success was an anomaly and not something to judge past or future Nintendo consoles against. Nintendo will always be third place in the west simply because we are focused on games that are the antithesis to what Nintendo is. If the NX turns out to just be a PS4 with Nintendo games on it then we, as gamers, have failed one of the more creative companies in video games.