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Nintendo believes that there are still plenty of reasons to buy a Wii U this Christmas, even with the reveal of its next console, the Nintendo NX, just around the corner.
Speaking in the latest issue of MCV, Nintendo UK marketing manager Chandra Nair described the Wii U as “a fantastic proposition for both families and gamers,” highlighting the console’s “compelling line-up of games” and growing list of “must-have titles”.
“Mario Kart 8 continues to be popular week-in, week-out, even after all this time,” he said. “And Splatoon is still a relatively new title and something that kids have been pestering their parents for, so we anticipate that bringing these two fantastic games together in one value bundle should be a popular move.”
Delays for Star Fox Zero and The Legend of Zelda have meant that the console’s Christmas line-up isn’t as strong as it was once expected to be. But that doesn’t matter, Nair argues.
“There’s this old-school expectation that a company has to launch their most high profile software title in November, otherwise it doesn’t have a system seller for Q4,” he continued. “This definitely isn’t the case especially since the Nintendo audience is so broad.
“We will always focus on releasing games when they’re ready and this has led us to having some of the highest review scores in the industry.”
Two of the console’s biggest titles this Christmas include Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water and Xenoblade Chronicles X, the latter of which Nair claims will “break boundaries all over again”.
“We’ve also got Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash and Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, which will continue to strengthen our family proposition in the run up to Christmas,” he said. “On top of this, many of our customers can only afford to buy so many titles a year, so we’re in an enviable position whereby many of our Wii U owners have yet to play all the classics.
“There’s plenty to enjoy for Wii U owners and an array of reasons for newcomers to buy a Wii U now.”
Wii U launched in 2012 but has struggled to find anywhere near as large an audience as its predecessor, selling just 10 million units in its first two and a half years on sale. Despite the slow uptake, however, the company still expects to sell 3.4m units during its current financial year.
The first details on the Nintendo NX, meanwhile, are due to be unveiled in 2016.
Source: MCV 852
