Nintendo To "Enrich" Virtual Console Lineup on 3DS and WiiU
Speaking with regard to Nintendo’s digital sales business, company president Satoru Iwata says that the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console services will play an important role in expanding digital sales
“While Wii U and Nintendo 3DS already offer Virtual Console software, I feel that we have not been able to take full advantage of our assets yet, so we would like to enrich our Virtual Console lineup,” Iwata said to investors and analysts.
“As the ability to digitally offer our products has given us greater flexibility in offering new propositions to our consumers, we should naturally consider these possibilities in the future.”
In response to a question, Iwata then went on to say that, at the moment, Nintendo feel it isn’t in their best interests to offer their games on other platforms such as smartphones, as they would rather increase the value of their own hardware with first-party games made exclusively for it.
Wii U Games For Core Gamers Coming In 2014 Says Nintendo President
This year, Nintendo are releasing a number of mainstream games for the Wii U to help boost the system’s sales. These range from games like Super Mario 3D World to Wii Fit U and Wii Sports Club.
2014, however, will be when Nintendo release a number of Wii U titles for games aimed at enthusiast gamers
Speaking to investors at a financial results Q&A, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated, “We have an offering of software for the end of this calendar year that encourages family fun at home. Nintendo is preparing a number of Wii U games for next year that greatly appeal to highly skilled users, but at the end of this calendar year, we have quite a few offerings that can be played by the whole family, dad and the kids, or grandparents and the kids.”
Iwata believes that this will allow Wii U to stand out this holiday as a system that appeals to a broader range of players than upcoming consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which he feels are targeting a different audience at launch.
While not all of Nintendo’s titles for “highly-skilled” gamers have been announced, the company plans to release Bayonetta 2, Monolith Soft’s new RPG and other Wii U games targeted at enthusiast gamers in 2014. Also being in the works is Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, which is being developed by Atlus.
No Plans To Reduce Workforce Says Nintendo’s Iwata
Over the last few years, Nintendo’s workforce has increased from around 4,000 employees to around 5,000, and R&D expenses of late have been high as well. At the same time, however, Nintendo haven’t been hitting their intended profit margins, with Wii U sales alarmingly low and Nintendo 3DS sales lower than they would like in the west.
In light of these facts, an attendee at a Q&A for Nintendo’s second fiscal quarter asked if the company has any plans to reduce its workforce or take other similar cost-cutting measures. However, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata replied that the company has no such plans to reduce its workforce in the foreseeable future.
“If you believe that there is no possibility of Nintendo’s results improving, then you would be right about it being necessary to review the structure of the workforce and the company itself to match the scale of the business,” Iwata replied.
“However, I believe that there are upward and downward swings in the video game business, that Nintendo has the potential to be a larger-scale business, and that in order to achieve that potential, good developers, localization capability and the ability to sell overseas are necessary. We need a company with a lot of muscle, but a company that also has no excess fat—one that makes smart spending decisions.”
Iwata concluded, “Restructuring the workforce is not the first option we consider even when cost cutting is required. I would like you to understand that this is because we do not see a dark future for Nintendo.”
