Nintendo didn’t come out of the gate with any huge bombs with their E3 announcements; but rather showed off a new Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers and Zelda game at an attempt to rejuvenate the struggling Wii U sales.
But are games from their flagship franchises enough to help the company with struggle console sales?
My guess is no….
After last year’s E3, most were fearful that one of the most iconic gaming franchises in the history of the industry was dying a slow death.
This fear has continued after this year’s E3 show by Nintendo showing off a good stock of games, not charging users for used games and having a relatively affordable console.
But most adults who’ve grown up with Nintendo, hardly see a reason to purchase a Wii U outside of the Zelda’s and Mario’s of the world for fear of the newer console collecting dust as the original Wii has unfortunately become.
When the first Wii came out several years ago, everyone gravitated towards the idea of having a motion-based controller game. Kids, families and gamers of all generations flocked to the Wii.
Now, several years later, most of the people who bought a Wii admit that the console just sits there collecting dust. Which is also why most are hesitant to purchase a Wii U.
The Wii U seems outdated for a console that’s only a year old and while there are a ton of games I WANT to play on the Wii U and DS that speaks to my childhood, I’m not sure I can justify a purchase of a console when after those games are defeated, I will have nothing else to look forward to.
Which brings me back to the “Nintendo is dying a slow death” argument….Is it time for Nintendo to start putting in place a strategy that licenses their flagship franchises to other devices? Or perhaps even rekindle that old romance with Sony?
Only time will tell on Nintendo’s future….but after watching the following trailers, are you prepared to drop a couple hundred on this console for just a few games?
