Nintendo’s forecasts have been dicey lately, with the Wii U trying to find its audience since day one back in November 2012. Since then, the console has seen a $50 price drop, a bunch of bundles designed to stimulate sales (the success of which is mediocre, at best), and barely more units sold than consoles that have been out for months, let alone years.
EGM is reporting that Nintendo, who has slashed their $526 million profit prediction for this year to a $240 million operating loss, is considering a new business model.
President and CEO of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, said in a press briefing, “We are thinking about a new business structure. Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business.” He later added that it is “not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone.”
That last part is key, as Nintendo could relatively easily pick up development on a new platform or set of devices such as Android- or iOS-based phones and tablets. However, the company wants to look at how they can remain a hardware giant and not rely solely on its software and properties to keep it alive. It stands to reason, too, given that Nintendo has incredible strength in the portable space, with its 3DS hardware outselling every other console on the market in 2013.
We’re a little perplexed by what Nintendo’s new business model could become, though we have learned to have faith in the company in waves. The company’s success tends to stagger console launches, while its portable offering always manages to stay consistent.
What would you like to see Nintendo move to as a new business model? Would you want iOS and Android gaming with Mario and friends, or would you prefer Nintendo software running strictly on Nintendo hardware? Sound off below and on Facebook and Twitter!