Even though Disney has no idea how to run a videogame branch (hence why they gave the reigns to EA) lets just focus on what they've done here. Disney purchased Marvel and Lucas Arts. Yes...the two of most beloved names in comic and sci-fi fiction. Disney opted to expand their market wisely as the market has been gravitating to these types of  (I'll just say it...nerdier)  things over the years. Marvel is making hand over fist with their movies and are pumping in enormous amounts of money compared to their competition DC. A newly owned Lucas Arts is continuing the franchise lore under Disney and is looking to smash the box office once more.  Seriously, even though some people might have questioned the quality of the prequels to the original trilogy, it still generated billions towards Lucas Arts. Disney is on a warpath to rejuvenation of its image and purpose. They are realizing the world growing and Mickey Mouse isn't the only moneymaker in town. Hell they even bought Pixar because Pixar was a powerhouse 3D company who proved to Disney that 2D was no longer the only way. You can still make 2D but broaden your horizons. Disney has set itself to become a force in the coming years, mark my words. 

Now this brings me to Nintendo. As creatively similar as Nintendo is to Disney, Nintendo lacks the ability to see where they stumble and need to move forward with their business plans. What attracts a wider audience? Things that are growing in popular culture and seem to be a mainstay much like Nintendos beloved characters. We're looking for people to quickly defect, not just a slow injection. I propose that Nintendo start to invest in growing development houses with choice IP's to bolster their ranks. No...I do not mean Japan. I am saying western companies and if Microsoft could buy Rare after Nintendo dropped their shares for three hundred million so can Nintendo with their cash reserves after the success of the Wii. If they cannot accomplish this they need to learn to become as enterprising as Microsoft and who covers up their first party developmental weaknesses by hiring third parties to make IP's for them. I know that might sound a bit harsh, but if you think about it, its rather true, but also well played by Microsoft. If the price was right, Nintendo could publish a game from any of the major gaming houses exclusively to the Wii U. Much like Microsoft all they have to do is pay for the development. By paying for outside development Nintendo can rid themselves of the shame of having mature rated games associated with their first party lineup and still make money while widening their more dedicated gaming audience. The budget is last gen level for the Wii U in many cases  if they decide to pay for outside work from western devs. I am not saying Nintendo should go bankrupt over this, but to slice a bit of the profits from last gen and reinvest in second party that gave them a leg to stand on like Rare did from 94's-01'.

Most people don't understand that isn't just the first party that put Nintendo on top, it was Rares legendary second party that helped them stay on top and heres just a couple names off the top of my head:

Donkey Kong Country

Killer Instinct

Banjo-Kazooie

Perfect Dark

Battletoads

Goldeneye

Bayonetta 2 is not the answer

Wonderful 101 is not the answer

They are too niche.

-Closing notes-

 The Wii U has the power to be the next N64. Even if it lacks the third party it could have the best first and second party dependent console on earth once more. Thats what the N64 had. It had heart. Keep your older members mouths shut when it comes to new things and focused on how to use their conservative minds as an asset and have newer and fresher minds discuss on what is big in the world and not just from a Japanese perspective, because unless you're talking DS that really isn't going to cut it anymore. Miyamoto needs to divert his talents to a new IP in tandem with some western minds. Why? Fresh and expansive approach to gaming (west) in tandem with Miyamoto's creative control would be a hit, plain and simple.

Thanks for reading guys. 

-S.T.A.G.E.

They definitely need to start targeting a larger audience. Right now they seem to make nothing other than family friendly games. Of course being family friendly has nothing to do with the quality of an individual game, but locking yourself into it does greatly reduce the diversity of the games you can make.

A lot of Sony's success came from their ability to produce games for both the family and the "mature" gamers (e.g. LBP and The Last of Us).

Exactly. Nintendo also has an eye for the kids. If they want to find the kids in the new generation they can find them skipping over to the HD Twins because of the wide variety of third, second and third party content. They will need all of the second party that they can get to bolster their first party because this generation might be rather lonely for them, but they could take it to their competitors in the same way the N64 took it to the Playstation. I never knew that Sony was destroying them (aside from being a child) and I didn't care because the games were great. I noticed Nintendos dominance with the SNES though even as a very young child. All the cool games were there opposed to Sega who had the "cooler" games but lacked the third party.

The RARE games is what I said was Nintendo's first real mistake. They should have at least purchased those franchises.

Microsoft kind of killed them to almost irrelevance. KI has launched on Xbone and well its great apart from the way they released it as f2A as I personally prefer physical media complete game.

Nintendo could have had some killer games on Wii which would have kept those franchise relevant.

Now imaging if the Wii U launched with KI and say PD. Then year two with Banjo, on top of their usual suspects.

PD would have also helped them retain a decent size FPS audience on Nintendo systems.

If Rare had never left Nintendo the members that left to create Free Radical probably wouldn't have. Who knows what kind of FPS title Rare would've come up with under Nintendo's creative control. Sure Nintendo's made some mistakes but it wasn't anything they couldn't fix. There has been a staggeringly large gap in Nintendos development cycle since Rare was purchased by Microsoft. It's really sad and they need to see where their weaknesses are coming from.  

Indeed and free radicals is now dead. Imagine if they did retain Rare, Time Splitters could have been another exclusive FPS. 

Also for anyoen wonder my assumption that those games being good launch games for Wii U is on the assumption that Nintendo maintained those franchises across GCN and Wii and evolved them, Kind of like Halo has been evolving for XBOX.

StarFox and Wave Race could've definitely used some evolving. You're so right. Instead we got a cheap re-skin of Star Fox Adventures. The Gamecube could've been the next N64 but ended up being the most uninspired console generation Nintendos ever had. The Wii U generation is the perfect time to bring out a Kid Icarus game. It would be awesome! They've already reintroduced him in SSMB and enough Nintendo games know who Pit is.

So guys, while I totally agree with you what studios could Nintendo invest in? Im looking around now to look at potential new 1st/2nd party studios.

Great thread! I've been saying this for a while now. They have expanded into a new market, but now they need to expand back to the old one. It's clear that they can't make enough, or diverse, games themselves. I find it odd that they keep continuing to say that games sells hardware when they refuse to invest in developers that, well, makes games.

Brrr heck no.. The dreaded Disney Vault is disneys way for dealing with their stuff

Bye bye are spiderman xmen deadpool games from digital stores as of a few days..

Disney believes that out of sight creates demand for an IP.. Untill they find it a good time to reintroduce it.. For games it means removing every title from (digital) stores.. Wanted to pick up Deadpool or Spider-man shatter dimensions? Better find a second hand retail version cause you won't find it on Steam psn or xbl anymore..