By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

The problem is not who Nintendo made games for or pandered to. Nintendo tried to make a system for both hardcore and casuals and made a series of mistakes along the way. Their marketing was the worst its ever been, turning off the hardcore and confusing the casuals to the point where many did not even realize it was a new console - hard to sell a system people don't even realize is a system. They underestimated how hard HD development was, causing one of the worst post-launch droughts any system has ever had and killing its momentum. They gimped the CPU, making third party development more difficult and not worth the effort after a while. And the gamepad made the system too expensive for its entire lifespan, preventing it from having the appeal of a second console the way other Nintendo consoles have had.

It was a perfect storm of bad moves that had nothing to do with whether Nintendo Land wasn't hardcore enough or Xenoblade casual enough. Many of the games that were made for the Wii U were made specifically because Nintendo had realized they were in trouble and were desperate to get something, anything out, hence why Hyrule Warriors, Captain Toad, Bayonneta 2, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions exist.