A Visual Look at Why the Industry Needs New Consoles

[greenmedic88]

DanneSandin said:

UncleScrooge said:

 

The right time to launch a consoles is when your old one declines in sales but before its sales collapse. The (temporary) decline of their home console business had a huge effect on Nintendo's profits. A healthy home console would've offset most of the losses they took with the 3DS.

But you can't launch it too early either! just look at dreamcast... Would the Wii U have been a good idea in 2010?

Nintendo wouldn't have been able to sell them at $299 for a profit in 2010. That's really what it boils down to. They are repeating similar hardware strategy used for the DS, the Wii and the 3DS by using mature (older, cheaper) tech while utilizing current advances in processing capability. For Nintendo it hasn't been about making the most advanced hardware with up to the minute specs for going on ten years now. Low production costs for profitability at consumer accessible retail prices paired with clever design to make the most out of the resultant hardware.

Of course if by some form of black magic they had been able to sell the Wii U profitably at $299 in 2010, then yes; the Wii U absolutely would have been a brilliant idea.