Wii U needs a strong launch line-up, says Square Enix

Wii U needs a strong launch line-up, says Square Enix
Neon Kelly Updated on by

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The success of the Wii U will depend on its initial line-up and price, according to one of the leading technology experts at Square Enix.

After a confusing E3 reveal – and a problematic launch for the 3DS – you’d be forgiven for being a bit sceptical about Nintendo’s Wii U. But Square Enix’s worldwide technology director Julien Merceron believes that the machine will still find success if the launch line-up is strong enough.

“I’d say, don’t write off the console,” Merceron told VideoGamer.com. “For every console it’s the same thing: one of the most important things is going to be the launch line-up. We see that every time there’s a great title shipping on PSP, the PSP sales go up, and every time there’s a great title shipping on 3DS, the 3DS sales go up.

“If the audience and players can see that there are products for them, there’s definitely going to be wide adoption of Wii U. The things of utmost importance are going to be the pricing at launch, and the line-up.”

Nintendo is no longer directly competing with Sony and Microsoft, says Merceron. But this doesn’t mean that the company or the Wii U should be written off.

“They’re trying to do their own thing. Generally they don’t seem to look for breadth, in terms of the things [features] they are supporting with their console. They seem to be focusing a lot, and trying to make sure the things they are focusing on are going to be at the top.

“I’d always be careful making judgements on their hardware. They have an approach to it that is very different from others, but they have a lot of inner control of what they are doing. And there’s a lot of knowledge and skill behind it.”

Wii U will launch in 2012, although no firm date has been set by Nintendo. For more on the console check out our Wii U explained article.