Worries about the Wii U Before Its Release
On almost every major announcement by Nintendo on regards to their upcoming Nintendo Wii U console, their investors have reacted, and negatively. Stock prices have tumbled each time Nintendo gave the public details regarding their tablet based gaming console. Nintendo is a company, and of course it is their goal to make a profit.
Any innovative console or product has its risks. The consumer base tends to like consistency and to understand what they are getting. The reason is: if they know what it is, they can make better decisions and determine what utility they will gain from it. A tablet based console is uncharted waters and they do not know how the public will responds.
To be fair, Nintendo was unsure about how the Nintendo DS would fare, and it was a huge success that brought in all new levels of revenue and profit. To be fair, Nintendo was unsure about the Nintendo Wii, and it did just the same. So what is the worry?
The worry is that the public has enough innovation in their homes already and after playing with innovation, they want something that is more stable and doesn’t take so much work to play. While Nintendo may have outsold its competitors this generation, it is the least played console of them all. People essentially bought a Wii and then it sat there. Now millions of Americans and others around the world are aware that that is what happens to innovative Nintendo consoles, so will they bite again?
The public loves tablets and it is even taking a toll on the laptop and of course the desktop computer market. We obviously love touch screens, connectivity and tablet shaped devices. Nintendo is offering that and all new concepts that ties it all together to gaming as well. Apple TV is the only thing that comes close and has seen some in home success. Take that and implement it with gaming, and of course Nintendo gaming, and the odds are stacked in Nintendo’s favor.
The economy is also an issue for millions around the world. Unemployment is still high and prices seem to go up at monthly measures. While that may be a negative for many industries around the world, cinema and entertainment has always seemed to survive. During the Great Depression, movies still saw some large degree of success with some of the most iconic movies of all time becoming hits during the worse economic times in history. Video games offer gamers an initial cost and then a $60 cost for a game at intervals of their choosing. Each disk can offer 10 – 100 + hours of value to the consumers. When times are bad and it is expensive to go out, perhaps Nintendo’s cost conscious development and their Wii U is a worthy investment. Consumers can spend $60 on a game for hours of entertainment instead of hundreds of dollars going out. And with connectivity and social becoming more prevalent, everything can be shared too.
The same concerns that hit the DS and Wii are being given for the Wii U’s launch, but with their history of pulling it off and their history of caring about price points and quality, it is likely the Wii U will be a success.
