Interviews with Reggie Fils-Aime always result in interesting new details about Nintendo, and his most recent is no exception. Yesterday, in an interview with GT.TV, the Nintendo of America president affirmed his belief that the Wii U’s best days are ahead of it:
“It’s all about install base, and it’s all about having a top-shelf game that sells over a long period of time. The fact of the matter is, games like Super Mario 3D World, games like Mario Kart on Wii U, games like Smash Bros. on Wii U, they’re going to have a fantastic sales curve over time. I can guarantee, those games, in this generation that is about to start, are going to be top 10 selling games across the entire generation, selling only on one platform. I can guarantee it.”
The statement was a very bold one on the eve of Xbox One’s release, but not an unbelievable one. Games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii both maintained very strong sales for years after their initial release. The Wii U iterations could very well continue that trend, despite the system’s slow start.
Fils-Amie also discussed Nintendo’s stance on smartphones and tablets. Some have opined that Nintendo could stand to make a considerable amount of money by releasing iOS games. Earlier this week, Nintendo squashed rumors that they were pursuing the creation of their own tablet-like device. Fils-Amie reiterated Nintendo’s stance that smartphone and tablet gaming isn’t a strong fit for the company.
“The fact of the matter is we create systems that have buttons; that you interact with in a variety of different ways, because it makes for a better gameplay experience. That’s the primary reason why, for us, this is not a proposition that makes a lot of sense. Now, separately, we could talk about all the financial and profit reasons why not to do that, but for the player, in the end, it’s not as good an experience.”
Fils-Amie’s comments on the matter are interesting, as they focus on the gameplay itself, rather than the financial side of the equation. While Nintendo could find a way to work around the lack of buttons (as many iOS games have), it would mean a more complicated development process than most gaming pundits would like to admit. Releasing older Nintendo games on smartphones could lead to short-term gains, but long-term, it results in people playing Nintendo games without purchasing Nintendo hardware.
Fil-Amie also touched on how Nintendo plans on making 2014 a stronger year for the Wii U.
“The way we’re going to be different is… we’re certainly going to have a steadier pace of games, both for Wii U and for 3DS. The marketing activity is going to be constant throughout the entire year; you teased me a little bit about ‘boy, the first half was a little quiet’ and, you know what? You look back and it was. We’re not going to be making that same mistake in 2014, so the pace, the ongoing activity, touching the consumer and messaging what we’re all about, that’s going to be a big difference next year.”
What do you think about Reggie Fils-Amie’s comments? Will the Wii U’s upcoming heavy hitters sell like hotcakes? Should Nintendo still consider smartphone gaming? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: Nintendo Life
i remember when he did a prediction abot new super mario bros wii selling more than call of duty modern warfare 2 or something in the long tun and it was accurate, so i give him the benefit of the doubt.