3) Experiment With New IPs
Hardware isn’t the only area where Nintendo likes to bring fresh ideas to the table, and their catalog of characters and worlds is a clear example of this. Take Pikmin, for example – a series that started life on the GameCube in 2001. As a franchise, it doesn’t rival Mario or Zelda in terms of sales, but it still has a devoted fan base, resulting in a third game releasing on Wii U last year.
Of course, Pikmin is another series created from the brilliant mind of Shigeru Miyamoto, and Nintendo can’t rely on his seemingly infinite resources forever. It’s important that they take risks, despite their current financial woes, both in new franchises and new talents to develop and produce those titles. There will inevitably be hits and misses, but the new Miyamoto could be just waiting for the opportunity. Perhaps our friend Sakurai will succeed him?
As important as third parties are to a console, it’s the in-house titles that are going to shift units (if Nintendo’s history is any indication), and few handle first party titles as well as Nintendo. A brand new title might not bring as much initial excitement as a Metroid or a Zelda title, but we always like to discover something new in the gaming world. An interesting and fresh title will undoubtedly bring a buzz to Nintendo’s gaming line-up.