1) Embrace The Internet
This has been Nintendo’s problem for quite some time in my opinion, and again, it stems from the company’s roots. Around the N64 era, Nintendo built a surprising reputation as a platform rife with excellent multiplayer experiences. Look at classic FPS GoldenEye or the Mario Party series as examples. Multiplayer was a huge selling point for the Wii too, starting with Wii Sports and continuing with that game’s sequel, Wii Party, WarioWare, and more. Call of Duty even has a home on Wii.
One of the reasons why Microsoft and Sony have pulled ahead of Nintendo in terms of user base might come down to superior online services. Both companies embraced the premise of online gaming, while Nintendo took its time to adapt. In fact, it was the DS that launched Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Network with Mario Kart DS. The Wii only began to roll out online titles in 2006.
It also took time for Nintendo to fully embrace the idea of an online profile – Nintendo 3DS and Wii U online profiles were only just merged in December. Before that, Nintendo tied users to a Friend Code system, which basically required users to know each other before adding each other. It also made adding friends a more tedious task than it needed to be.
The Wii U has made big steps in improving the online services that Nintendo offers, but with no party system (a way to link with your friends before a game) or voice chat systems, online capabilities are limited in comparison with other consoles. Delivering on gamers’ needs for online gameplay with friends is a key point that Nintendo needs to improve on. Ideas like Miiverse are neat, but they operate more separately from games than they ought to.
Of course, Nintendo can’t just make a system identical to Xbox Live or PSN, but there are definitely ideas that need to be implemented in Nintendo Network. If they can do this, hopefully they’ll be able to improve the Wii U’s potential as a major gaming console and bring the fans back to Nintendo.
Tell us, what do you make of the Big N’s current predicament? Play CEO in the comments below.