OP: I think Nintendo are going to have a really, really hard time stealing any significant share of the core market against Sony and MS.

Mario franchise nothing to say, about The Legend of Zelda from 1986 to Skyward Sword there isn't any game from the whole saga that disoppointed me (CD-I games excluded of course) and about metroid I'm not huge fan but when I am playing NintendoLand where there is a Metroid Attraction that really really amazed me I can tell you that the Metroid saga has much to offer specially for fans and yes more than Metroid other M by far.

Aidman, forever faithful to NINTENDO.

You better read this again HappyD! THIS is what happens when you don't tell the fan base what games you have in store; they hesitate and wonder what the competition will offer. Even I am starting to get curious about the PS720... Right now Nintendo only have 3 exclusives I want, and as far as I know it could take another year or two before Zelda and 3D Mario gets out...

I'm pretty sure it's just the usual Nintendo platform drought. There's fuck all being announced by 3rd parties and it worries me.

Mummelman
Right but just because that core userbase you are refering to is no such a thing
Core gamers buy Nintendo, always, the ones that dont buy Nintendo are the casuals who want a realistic aproach to videogames

lol maybe back in the gamecube era, core gamers have moved on from nintendo, core games will not put up with a system thats a generation behind in specs and horrible third party support, imagine your super nes or n64 being a generation behind in graphics,  new generation of core gamers love online, nintento never established itself and it just to late for them.

I actually like that Nintendo is being so quiet. It will allow more hype during the other Next-Gen launches.

I agree that Nintendo Direct will likely be big in 2013 and perhaps more important than E3. Nintendo likes to do things there way and have already expressed that ND is the new E3 for them. Why does it really matter if they announce games now or later anyway? It won't change when they launch.

If you bought a Wii at launch because they had announced upcoming games for the Core, then wouldn't you buy a Wii U once they announce new games at E3 or ND's? I hate waiting years for announced games and would prefer if all companies were more quiet. That's just my personal preference though.

As for 3rd Party support and sales? I have already expressed that Wii U will be fine. Even if Wii U gets ignored by 3rd Parties, the Core will likely buy it for its exclusives. Nintendo is trying to get more exclusives this time around and will likely continue to publish and / or fund games in order to get more overall support. Nintendo has realized that they can't carry a System on its own and maybe won't get support from 3rd Party's yet again on Wii U. (this has yet to be seen) so they are trying to build up momentum and consistent support on their own by helping smaller developers in exchange for exclusive games. Lego City, Bayonetta, and The Wonderful 101 are the beginning.

I think because of the exclusives, the Core will likely buy a Wii U as a 2nd System. They will get a Durango & Wii U or an Orbis & Wii U. The question is can they get the Casuals?

Ninjablade, you leave out of the equation the most important part.Gameplay.Which has kept Nintendo core fanbase coming for mor since 1985.The only aspect Nintendo doesnt cultivate is hiperrealism, which is actually the aspect that atracts more casual gaming from my experience.

It might be that they're not trying to release all of their good games so early like they did with the Wii.

And then release when the console is dead?