The Wii U could make or break Nintendo. After posting their first annual loss ever earlier this year, it’s questionable whether Nintendo would survive a poor Wii U run, especially given the towering competition of Microsoft and Sony. To put it lightly: Nintendo need the Wii U to be a hit.
Whether or not the Wii U can be what Nintendo need it to be remains to be seen. It’s a two way street. On the one hand, titles like Rayman Legends shows an ingenuity that could lead the Wii U right to the top. Then again, it’s hard to see launch titles like Nintendo land carrying the commercial weight that Nintendo need.
Rayman Legends is one of the best Nintendo Wii U launch titles
The question of whether or not the Wii U will end up a success was posed today by Games Industry International, who asked analysts to weight-in on Nintendo’s new console.
If you’re a Nintendo fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that the overall opinion of the Wii U was one of high regard. Mighael Pachter or Wedbush Securities commented, “I think that the price points make sense, particularly since I think that the console will be sold out through March.” Pachter also praised a strong launch line-up and healthy third part support (a key ingredient, the lack of which marred the 3DS on its launch). Pachter did, however, suggest that the Wii U will get a price but before holiday 2013 due to heavy competition.
DFC analysts (who are notable for their key speeches at trade shows) believe the price to be high at $349, suggesting a price point of $299 to be more reasonable . DFC analyst David Cole stated, “In terms of launch, Nintendo has a pretty strong fan base to snap up initial inventory and the real issue is not this holiday season but 2013 and beyond…The real issue is whether Nintendo will be able to attract some of the more casual Wii purchasers.”
It’s this market thatCole points to which could hold the key to Nintendo’s success or failure. The Wii set the casual audience on fire and Nintendo reaped healthy rewards as a result. As for the Wii U, titles like Just Dance 4, Rayman Legends and Your Shape Fitness Evolved show the potential to tap-into this audience. Provided these games are strong enough, Nintendo could have the hit they direly need. If not, the future will look very questionable for Nintendo.
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