Nintendo is in deep trouble. Their CEO, Satoru Iwata, took a 50% pay cut. Nintendo expects a loss of 25 billion yen instead of gaining 52 billion yen and there's still no compelling reason to buy a Wii U. Where's Metroid? Where's Zelda? Where's all the other great characters that I'm all of a sudden forgetting about because it's been so very long since I've seen them?
Nintendo could have delivered a powerhouse of a console but instead, they decided to go with innovation a second time around which worked so very well for the Wii. The GamePad is the Wii U's ball and chain and Nintendo wants developers to make cool software which could help sell it. Is it the developers' fault for being too lazy? I think they already have their jobs cut out for them with not only the Xbox One and PS4, but also with iOS and Android which are cash cows if you're lucky enough to have a killer app.
Their way of innovating is the reason they aren't competing with the Xbox One or the PS4. They distanced themselves too far from gamers this time and they don't seem to be able to dig themselves out of their hole. Investors want Nintendo to start developing titles for iOS and Android but then they'd become Sega. I actually want innovation. The 3DS is a fantastic handheld but since smartphones have replaced nearly every device on the market, there's really no need. In fact, when's the last time you've heard about the PS Vita? Who cares. If I can get cool games right now without having to spend an additional pile of cash on another mobile device that doesn't connect to 4G or enable me to connect with my friends on my favorite social networks, then I don't care.
Well I do care. I love the 3DS's ability to StreetPass with other players. You would be tickled to find out the amount of people I've passed and the countries that they were from. Now imagine if Nintendo decided to make the perfect smartphone that is also a gaming device. Or just install a Qualcomm chip into my 3DS and I'd be very happy. Of course, their software and interface would have to be drastically different and deals would have to be made with cellphone providers. But if anybody could do it, Nintendo could, right? Maybe years ago, but this Nintendo just released one of their best franchises Mario Kart 8 and they're already projecting to be in a deep financial hole. It's unfortunate that they weren't able to push software like this out on day one because this might have sold me. Might have.
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