'We Need Nintendo to Be Very Successful,' Sony President Says of Wii U
Sony studios president, Shushei Yoshida, recently admitted that he would like to see Nintendo successful despite them being competitors because it is good for the video game industry.
"We need Nintendo to be very successful to help induct as many consumers who like to play games with controllers, sticks, and buttons because we believe they are great things," Yoshida said to IGN after being asked about smart phone and tablet gaming.
Yoshida suggested that the Wii U's underwhelming numbers could be because the company does not know who their target audience is anymore. One moment they cater to being family friendly while the next minute the target is core console gamers.
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"I think success or making mistakes depends on how you set your goal. I don't know what was Nintendo's goal when they launched Wii U," Yoshida said. "To me, it was a bit confusing because what they do really well was create some very safe environment for anyone, especially children to enjoy games like induct those people who have never played games ever to become gamers. And they always do very well."
He continued to IGN, "To me, what they have made with Wii U was continuing what they were doing well [with the original Wii]. But the messaging when they were saying 'we are for core gamers' was a bit confusing. But this year I think they slightly changed their messaging, and it seems to me like they are coming back to where they are focused."
Yoshida stated that Nintendo was heading in the right direction when trying to be family-friendly goes against what most people think of the console, especially in their new commercial.
Gamers, according to the YouTube comments, are wishing Nintendo moved away from the kids stuff and became a dominant force like its peers.
With that being said, sales have risen exponentially around the globe, but the numbers still are mediocre at best. In the first week of November alone, Japan sold 40,000 Wii U units, a 1,500 percent increase. In September they sold about 1,000 a week, reported Polygon.
"Family/party games are always strong holiday sellers, and you can see how this game might be a long-seller," visual studies professor Akinori Nakamura said to Famitsu Magazine. "Casual games like these have moved over to smartphones and tablets in droves as of late. Wii Party U has taken assorted steps to emphasize the experience of playing in front of a big screen; it's a 'casual' title, but on a design level, it's very different from a smartphone game."
