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What Nintendo must do to win the hearts and minds of gamers, and build support for the 3DS and Wii U
E3 2012 is less than one month away. For many publishers and developers, there's a lot riding on this show, as they reveal their plans for the next year. Major game franchises will be unveiled, others will be playable for the first time, and companies hope their display of software will convince consumers their products are worthwhile. It's the time of year that the entire industry lays out a vision for the future, but for one company, the stakes are incredibly high.
Nintendo's showing of Wii U this year technically doesn't mark the debut of its new home console, but it might as well. Though Nintendo's proof of concept was potent last year, it left so many outstanding questions that the demonstration didn't quite stand the test of time. Surprise and high levels of interest have given way to skepticism and uncertainty. Will this console be everything Nintendo needs? Can it repeat the success of Wii?
The challenges don't end there. This time last year the 3DS was twisting in the wind, and gamers were desperate for content. While Nintendo's portable market fortunes have changed dramatically in the past several months, it now must prove that it has the ability to maintain that strength. It must keep the 3DS's momentum going.
Thinking about what Nintendo might be able to present at this year's show, here are five key areas the publisher must address if it hopes to convince millions of gamers – of all types – that its next home console, and current portable, are worthy pieces of hardware.
Strong First Party Content for Wii U
Lessons were learned after the launch of the 3DS. Nintendo, attempting a slightly different strategy than it had for launches past, allowed key blockbuster first party content to roll out later in the lifespan of its young portable. The publisher paid the price, as we all know. The same mistake cannot be made for Wii U.
The key here is contained within several necessary developments. It's not that Nintendo just needs first party content at launch. Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver materialized with the 3DS, but gamers didn't find either product worth their time. Likewise, Nintendo's support for the system evaporated for months. As incredible as the 3D port of Ocarina of Time was, that was just one game over the span of about nine months. That was far too little.
Wii U needs quality. It needs quantity. And it needs a release schedule that doesn't manage to bring too much content at any one time. Several strong Nintendo efforts will be necessary for the launch of the system, but fans will need more software in the months that follow. Third parties will certainly play a role here, but Nintendo must take the initiative to not only prove Wii U's concept, but sustain it as third parties warm to the system and take on more ambitious projects.
Fortunately it seems as though Nintendo thoroughly understands this point. No doubt one hidden advantage of withholding a release date for its system is to adjust to the demands of software development. Hopefully the 3DS's struggles will do more than prompt the regretful rhetoric we've seen from executives in the past months. With any luck, Wii U will be that much stronger because of those struggles.
A Diverse Third Party Selection
Nintendo needs third party support. That's not exactly a new concept, but heading into E3 2012, the publisher faces two very different needs. With the 3DS, Nintendo has established its core first party juggernauts, the games that will drive the sales of its new portable system for months and years to come.
What it needs now is strong, sustainable and unique support from third parties. Resident Evil Revelations should just be the beginning of this kind of content, not the sole example. Furthermore, Nintendo needs to attract third parties outside of Japan. The support from companies like Konami, Square and Capcom has truly been remarkable, but Nintendo also needs the type of content that can only come from EA, Activision and Rockstar. Let's see Warner Bros. Interactive bring a strong Batman game to the 3DS, and not just something it happened to release on Wii years ago. That point is key – right now a lot of the third party support for 3DS consists of ports, either from PS2 era games or content that is also headed for Wii. That kind of strategy won't pay off for Nintendo, and won't produce anything meaningful for third parties in the long run. With any luck the recent surge of 3DS sales will convince publishers and developers that alternative approaches exist.
Wii U is a different story entirely. The system actually needs ports – it needs everything that's coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – and then some. Though the era of system exclusives is more or less past, Nintendo needs to make sure that third parties are utilizing the Wii U tablet controller in interesting ways. It needs to make sure a little extra time is spent on the ports to not only make sure games like Assassin's Creed III are up to par with their counterparts, but maybe even a bit better. The system is supposed to be more powerful than its rivals – third parties should take advantage of that and Nintendo needs to find a way to make sure that happens.
Define the Nintendo Network
What is the Nintendo Network? None of us really know. In theory Nintendo plans to unveil some sort of service that will be its answer to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. No doubt it will have its differences, that classic Nintendo twist, but currently we don't know what that will be. We know the publisher is planning on adding accounts, and its digital content strategy is ambitious, but more is necessary. Will the company finally add support for achievements? What is its notion about online gaming? How prevalent will various services and functions, some of which were added to the 3DS during its first year on store shelves, be when Wii U launches? Will Nintendo finally manage to arrange support with Twitter or Facebook or even ESPN?
Wii U has the potential to change living room entertainment if it manages to not only add a second screen for console gaming, but broader interactive, online services as well. The Nintendo Network would go a long way in defining how effective the system is in accomplishing this goal – assuming it is a goal in the first place. And that's just the thing – we don't know Nintendo's intentions with this service, or if it's really a service in the first place. A lot of gamers' minds would change if this network does turn out to be something that rivals PSN or XBL. It doesn't need to match those concepts precisely, but if Nintendo has cooked up a vision that changes the way millions view online gaming, Wii U could have a killer concept built right into its DNA.
A Growing eShop
Part of this growing Nintendo Network idea is a service that already exists – the eShop. At first serving as a simple hub to download classic games, this service has grown dramatically in recent months, serving up some of the best content the 3DS has to offer. And the best is yet to come. Starting this August, Nintendo is going to allow its customers to purchase and download complete retail games digitally, eliminating the need to deal with a store and pushing the boundaries of home console retail strategies.
The key here is to keep this momentum going. Nintendo's eShop is rapidly catching up for portable content, and is finding new territory to explore for Wii U. The company needs to continue this experiment. It must offer larger scale ideas on eShop first. Lower prices to compete with the likes of Steam and Apple's AppStore. Retail games could be divided into bite-sized, digitally-available chapters. Of course, finding the smaller, digital-only killer apps like Pushmo will be critical. Ultimately content is king, and while Nintendo can certainly find new ways to deliver its content, what is being delivered is far more important. The eShop could and should be an integral part of Nintendo's strategy, delivering key gaming experiences even when epic productions like Zelda and Mario aren't quite ready. What has been demonstrated on the 3DS over the past year has been reasonably impressive. Nintendo would do well to continue to emphasize that at E3
Why the Tablet Matters
Interactive maps. Interactive inventory. Interactive menus. Interactive HUDs. By now we've all thought of these ideas for Wii U, and while some of them are certainly welcome, they're also rather boring. The greatest threat to Nintendo's next home console is that its new approach to control won't be properly leveraged. Though much of its presentation at E3 2011 was conceptual, Nintendo needs to go to great lengths not only to present its own unique software concepts, but spark the imaginations of third parties and gamers around the world. Make people understand why Wii U could be so remarkable, and entice third parties to dream big and offer their own ideas for the future.
While it's important for major third party content to show up on Nintendo's new platform en masse, it's actually more important for the games that do arrive to be different than their counterparts. Assassin's Creed III on Wii U must demonstrate why playing with a second screen and a touch-based controller will change gaming. There should be an appreciable reason why someone would not only want that specific version of the game, but potentially invest in new hardware to do it. Though this cost would likely be spread across several titles, the fact remains that Nintendo has a large hurdle – even if all third party games come to Wii U, why would someone buy those when they could just as easily turn to the systems, and communities, they already have?
Nintendo must prove that at E3 2012.
No matter what Nintendo shows in one month, many will proclaim it's not enough. In fact we know two of the biggest questions, regarding Wii U's launch date and price, will not be revealed. Yet the above items are almost critical to defining not just the coming year, but the coming generation for Nintendo. It must have meaningful, sophisticated, cutting-edge support from third parties. It must have a strategy for its new online initiatives. It must come out strong with first-party content to make sure Wii U's vision is realized through its blockbuster franchises.
E3 2012 is less than one month away. For many publishers and developers, there's a lot riding on this show, as they reveal their plans for the next year. Major game franchises will be unveiled, others will be playable for the first time, and companies hope their display of software will convince consumers their products are worthwhile. It's the time of year that the entire industry lays out a vision for the future, but for one company, the stakes are incredibly high.
Nintendo's showing of Wii U this year technically doesn't mark the debut of its new home console, but it might as well. Though Nintendo's proof of concept was potent last year, it left so many outstanding questions that the demonstration didn't quite stand the test of time. Surprise and high levels of interest have given way to skepticism and uncertainty. Will this console be everything Nintendo needs? Can it repeat the success of Wii?
The challenges don't end there. This time last year the 3DS was twisting in the wind, and gamers were desperate for content. While Nintendo's portable market fortunes have changed dramatically in the past several months, it now must prove that it has the ability to maintain that strength. It must keep the 3DS's momentum going.
Thinking about what Nintendo might be able to present at this year's show, here are five key areas the publisher must address if it hopes to convince millions of gamers – of all types – that its next home console, and current portable, are worthy pieces of hardware.
Strong First Party Content for Wii U
Lessons were learned after the launch of the 3DS. Nintendo, attempting a slightly different strategy than it had for launches past, allowed key blockbuster first party content to roll out later in the lifespan of its young portable. The publisher paid the price, as we all know. The same mistake cannot be made for Wii U.
The key here is contained within several necessary developments. It's not that Nintendo just needs first party content at launch. Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver materialized with the 3DS, but gamers didn't find either product worth their time. Likewise, Nintendo's support for the system evaporated for months. As incredible as the 3D port of Ocarina of Time was, that was just one game over the span of about nine months. That was far too little.
Wii U needs quality. It needs quantity. And it needs a release schedule that doesn't manage to bring too much content at any one time. Several strong Nintendo efforts will be necessary for the launch of the system, but fans will need more software in the months that follow. Third parties will certainly play a role here, but Nintendo must take the initiative to not only prove Wii U's concept, but sustain it as third parties warm to the system and take on more ambitious projects.
Fortunately it seems as though Nintendo thoroughly understands this point. No doubt one hidden advantage of withholding a release date for its system is to adjust to the demands of software development. Hopefully the 3DS's struggles will do more than prompt the regretful rhetoric we've seen from executives in the past months. With any luck, Wii U will be that much stronger because of those struggles.
A Diverse Third Party Selection
Nintendo needs third party support. That's not exactly a new concept, but heading into E3 2012, the publisher faces two very different needs. With the 3DS, Nintendo has established its core first party juggernauts, the games that will drive the sales of its new portable system for months and years to come.
What it needs now is strong, sustainable and unique support from third parties. Resident Evil Revelations should just be the beginning of this kind of content, not the sole example. Furthermore, Nintendo needs to attract third parties outside of Japan. The support from companies like Konami, Square and Capcom has truly been remarkable, but Nintendo also needs the type of content that can only come from EA, Activision and Rockstar. Let's see Warner Bros. Interactive bring a strong Batman game to the 3DS, and not just something it happened to release on Wii years ago. That point is key – right now a lot of the third party support for 3DS consists of ports, either from PS2 era games or content that is also headed for Wii. That kind of strategy won't pay off for Nintendo, and won't produce anything meaningful for third parties in the long run. With any luck the recent surge of 3DS sales will convince publishers and developers that alternative approaches exist.
Wii U is a different story entirely. The system actually needs ports – it needs everything that's coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – and then some. Though the era of system exclusives is more or less past, Nintendo needs to make sure that third parties are utilizing the Wii U tablet controller in interesting ways. It needs to make sure a little extra time is spent on the ports to not only make sure games like Assassin's Creed III are up to par with their counterparts, but maybe even a bit better. The system is supposed to be more powerful than its rivals – third parties should take advantage of that and Nintendo needs to find a way to make sure that happens.
Define the Nintendo Network
What is the Nintendo Network? None of us really know. In theory Nintendo plans to unveil some sort of service that will be its answer to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. No doubt it will have its differences, that classic Nintendo twist, but currently we don't know what that will be. We know the publisher is planning on adding accounts, and its digital content strategy is ambitious, but more is necessary. Will the company finally add support for achievements? What is its notion about online gaming? How prevalent will various services and functions, some of which were added to the 3DS during its first year on store shelves, be when Wii U launches? Will Nintendo finally manage to arrange support with Twitter or Facebook or even ESPN?
Wii U has the potential to change living room entertainment if it manages to not only add a second screen for console gaming, but broader interactive, online services as well. The Nintendo Network would go a long way in defining how effective the system is in accomplishing this goal – assuming it is a goal in the first place. And that's just the thing – we don't know Nintendo's intentions with this service, or if it's really a service in the first place. A lot of gamers' minds would change if this network does turn out to be something that rivals PSN or XBL. It doesn't need to match those concepts precisely, but if Nintendo has cooked up a vision that changes the way millions view online gaming, Wii U could have a killer concept built right into its DNA.
A Growing eShop
Part of this growing Nintendo Network idea is a service that already exists – the eShop. At first serving as a simple hub to download classic games, this service has grown dramatically in recent months, serving up some of the best content the 3DS has to offer. And the best is yet to come. Starting this August, Nintendo is going to allow its customers to purchase and download complete retail games digitally, eliminating the need to deal with a store and pushing the boundaries of home console retail strategies.
The key here is to keep this momentum going. Nintendo's eShop is rapidly catching up for portable content, and is finding new territory to explore for Wii U. The company needs to continue this experiment. It must offer larger scale ideas on eShop first. Lower prices to compete with the likes of Steam and Apple's AppStore. Retail games could be divided into bite-sized, digitally-available chapters. Of course, finding the smaller, digital-only killer apps like Pushmo will be critical. Ultimately content is king, and while Nintendo can certainly find new ways to deliver its content, what is being delivered is far more important. The eShop could and should be an integral part of Nintendo's strategy, delivering key gaming experiences even when epic productions like Zelda and Mario aren't quite ready. What has been demonstrated on the 3DS over the past year has been reasonably impressive. Nintendo would do well to continue to emphasize that at E3
Why the Tablet Matters
Interactive maps. Interactive inventory. Interactive menus. Interactive HUDs. By now we've all thought of these ideas for Wii U, and while some of them are certainly welcome, they're also rather boring. The greatest threat to Nintendo's next home console is that its new approach to control won't be properly leveraged. Though much of its presentation at E3 2011 was conceptual, Nintendo needs to go to great lengths not only to present its own unique software concepts, but spark the imaginations of third parties and gamers around the world. Make people understand why Wii U could be so remarkable, and entice third parties to dream big and offer their own ideas for the future.
While it's important for major third party content to show up on Nintendo's new platform en masse, it's actually more important for the games that do arrive to be different than their counterparts. Assassin's Creed III on Wii U must demonstrate why playing with a second screen and a touch-based controller will change gaming. There should be an appreciable reason why someone would not only want that specific version of the game, but potentially invest in new hardware to do it. Though this cost would likely be spread across several titles, the fact remains that Nintendo has a large hurdle – even if all third party games come to Wii U, why would someone buy those when they could just as easily turn to the systems, and communities, they already have?
Nintendo must prove that at E3 2012.
No matter what Nintendo shows in one month, many will proclaim it's not enough. In fact we know two of the biggest questions, regarding Wii U's launch date and price, will not be revealed. Yet the above items are almost critical to defining not just the coming year, but the coming generation for Nintendo. It must have meaningful, sophisticated, cutting-edge support from third parties. It must have a strategy for its new online initiatives. It must come out strong with first-party content to make sure Wii U's vision is realized through its blockbuster franchises.
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