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The PS4 Could Finally Kill the Wii U

The PS4 Could Finally Kill the Wii U

I’m reminded of that line from Goodfellas, when Henry Hill says “…your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who’ve cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you’re at your weakest and most in need of their help.”

It’s no secret that the next-gen console war has been more of a skirmish. Sony has firmly planted its flag atop the heap since late last year and has easily defend it from the advances of Microsoft’s troops (the Xbox One). In that regard, it’s been pretty much a one v. one fight. Even though there are technically there participants, the Nintendo’s Wii U is little more than an afterthought at this point. Think of it as the little drummer boy off in the distance who doesn’t actually see much combat on the front line.

While things have gotten heated over the last 12 months, with Sony and Microsoft throwing little jabs back and forth at each other, Nintendo has escaped relatively unscathed. As though the Wii U is the runt who’s too small to pick on, Sony at time comes across like it feels sorry for the little guy. Whenever the subject of the Wii U has come up in the press, Sony’s praise of Nintendo has typically been glowing (calling them innovative, ground-breaking, yada yada). Well, you’d better call the divorce lawyer because it seems like that honeymoon might just be over. During a recent interview, Sony UK Boss Fergal Gara took one of the first hard shots at Nintendo, while also revealing his company’s strategy moving forward. It seems Sony looks to widen its install base by stealing away some of the non-hardcore crowd that has flocked to the Wii platform in the past. “We need to have the kind of product that will engage that more casual consumer. I think that’s a big opportunity for us, and that’s not yet clear on the horizon, but something we should and I’m sure will be focused…in order to broaden and perhaps fill the void that’s being left latent by, say, the Wii – which is a shadow of its former self”, he says.

While this statement might come across as harmless, I’d be pretty freakin’ nervous if I were the head honchos at Nintendo. A Sony power-play in 2015/2016 could spell serious trouble for the Wii U. Yes, Microsoft is making strides with its Xbox One, but that is mostly due to unsustainable holiday pricing. Many look for the PS4 to return to dominance by early next year, when Sony plans to refocus on locking down its market share. If Sony does set its sights on the Wii U base and is successful in tapping into the revenue stream of the “causal consumer,” the fallout will not be pretty, to say the least. One of the biggest draws that made the original Wii such a huge hit (and by extension the Wii U to a far lesser degree) is its accessibility. While other systems may have scared off folks from ever picking up a controller, Nintendo’s little white-boxed bundle of joy provided a safe haven for first-timers and veterans alike. Now imagine if that same mojo could somehow be siphoned off and transferred to the PlayStation? It already has a strong roster of multimedia services garnering a broad range of appeal, not to mention hardware such as PlayStation TV and the ability to temporarily loan games to your friends via Share Play. Plus, it’s the only home console to have their thumb on the VR pulse which is so popular right now via the Morpheus. If things play out the way Gara hopes, are we looking at a perfect storm that crowns Sony king of the next-gen for good?

The PS4 Could Finally Kill the Wii U

Possibly. The fact is that Nintendo continues to starve while others are feasting. Some expect the end to finally come when Wii U sales slowly dwindle down to nothing, causing them to ultimately fold on the venture. I, however, predict a more drastic shift must first take place. For Nintendo’s leadership to officially say no más, they’ll need a catalyst which proves to them their path no longer lies in console manufacturing. What could that be you might ask? It’s simple. Their core of die-hard loyalists is a huge part of what keeps them afloat. If they are somehow courted away by a viable alternative (say the PS4 for example), that’s when the foundation will begin to crumple beneath the Wii’s feet once and for all.

If Sony can pull this off, it would be a huge coup. Jerking the rug out from under Nintendo would not only strengthen the PS4’s position, but could very well be the last tipping point towards a portable-only future for the house of Mario and Zelda.

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