I want to want a Wii U, if that makes any sense. Wait, it doesn’t? Damn! Well, I’ll elaborate: due to my fond memories of playing Nintendo games, I want a reason to purchase a Wii U; however, recent news about the NX makes me wary of the possibility of wasting my money. Some of my hesitation is steeped in my confusion about the upcoming machine and what it means for the Wii U. However, after looking at some examples of video game companies flooding the market with games and consoles, I’m starting worry for the Wii U.
If the NX truly is a new console, then I’m worried what will happen to the Wii U and 3DS – the latter of which I own and enjoy – and I’m not alone. Analyst Junko Yamamura of Nomura Securities , thinks that the release of the NX could possibly lead to the cannibalization of sales between Nintendo’s products. He bases his assumptions on the weakening sales of the 3DS since its six years on the market. Destructoid’s Chris Carter also pointed out that if the NX could be so revolutionary, then why would we even need both systems? Another Destructoid writer, Laura Dale, reported that a Koei Tecmo employee described the NX as a “machine.” This machine could not only be a hybrid between console and mobile gaming, but its power could be on par with the PS4. We won’t find out the full details until Nintendo unveils their new “machine” later this year . Even if I had the spare money, I’d still wait until Nintendo reveals the full details before purchasing a Wii U second hand.
Yamamura could be wrong about the NX leading to Nintendo eating itself alive. However, in keeping with his theory, I propose we look at two extreme examples of what happens when video game companies flood the market: The video game crash of 1983, and the demise of Sega as a console manufacturer.
Atari is blamed for causing t he video game crash of 1983 because it flooded the market with terrible games, the most famous example – although not the sole cause of the crash – being E.T. This game was considered such garbage that Atari dumped the remaining cartridges in a landfill, which would actually be discovered in 2014 . But it’s not just E.T. ’s and the other terrible games’ fault; video game manufacturers also flooded the market with consoles, and in addition to other expensive mistakes, the market was doomed to crash. How interesting that Nintendo would be the one to revive the console market industry with the NES, even though we’re now talking about them repeating history.
Sega would become Nintendo’s rival in the ’90s, and the Sega Genesis was a well-respected marketplace rival; however, it made a similar mistake as Atari that led to its demise. As The Guardian astutely summarizes, Sega spammed the market with a ton of add-ons such as the “expensive failure” that is the 32X, and it released a portable console that drained batteries in two hours or less; all of which would “muddy the waters for the Sega Saturn.” The Saturn failed to sell a substantial number of copies outside of Japan, and the Dreamcast, although beloved by a passionate fanbase, failed to reverse Sega’s fate. By surviving this long, Nintendo has lived long enough to learn from Sega’s mistakes, but it still has the potential to repeat history.
Nintendo has already seen what minor damage can happen by flooding the portable console market with two systems: The Nintendo DS (whose success would easily make up for the damage) and the Game Boy Advance. These systems, along with the Gamecube, were to become the three pillars of Nintendo’s success. The Nintendo DS became the massively successful portable console that’s figuratively capable of printing money. Because it was backwards compatible with GBA games, the pillar made from the Game Boy brand soon crumbled.
I don’t think Nintendo will cause another crash, but as a consumer, I’m confused by the existence of the NX, and what it means for the Nintendo Wii U. I remember how Nintendo struggled to distinguish the Wii U as a new system instead of another peripheral. In addition, the company still struggles to garner third party support; the Wii U has great games, but how many of those consumers are willing to search outside of Nintendo’s first-party exclusives? I couldn’t care less about controlling the Batarang or whatever with the Wii U’s touchpad; I would have felt better about purchasing the Wii U on day one if I knew it would receive the same support as Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
I suppose if the NX really is as powerful as the PlayStation 4, and if Nintendo sweetens the deal for third-party developers, then maybe I can skip the Wii U without feeling guilty. In the meantime, I’ll keep my eye on where Link has his next adventures. If the upcoming Zelda is anything like Twilight Princess , which was originally announced for the Gamecube but simultaneously released on the Wii, then maybe the other characters will follow suit.