Nintendo says the company wants to stand out more than ever before and that it is important to offer consumers “unique propositions” to do so.
In a Q&A session following the company’s staggering financial results, Nintendo was asked what risks the company has taken into consideration when approaching the success of its dedicated gaming platforms and expansion of its IP business.
Despite selling 139 million Nintendo Switch consoles, the company says it never considers itself totally secure. That’s because every platform comes with its own challenges and in the past, Nintendo has faced new obstacles with each successful platform launch.
We have seen this first-hand. Nintendo had a successful run with the Wii console and 3DS handheld. However, the Wii U only managed to sell 13 million units in comparison to the Wii’s incredible milestone of 102 million.
Nintendo says the company doesn’t take anything for granted. Without the Switch, the brand would unlikely be around today. The console revived Nintendo from the grave after the abysmal failure of the Wii U.
“We approach our business every day with a profound sense of urgency. The generational transition of platforms in the dedicated gaming console business is never easy. We have experienced significant challenges following successful platforms multiple times, so we never consider our current situation to be totally secure.
Going into the future, Nintendo says its business is always exposed to great competition. Not only from video games but other forms of entertainment too.
“Furthermore, as you pointed out, our business is always exposed to great competition. From a broader entertainment perspective, not only video games but also various forms of leisure are competitors in this industry.”
To stand out, Nintendo says the company will look at ways to offer consumers unique propositions to get them on board with new hardware and experiences.
“In this environment, there’s an increasing need, more than ever before, to continue offering unique propositions to become a brand that customers choose.”
Nintendo has likely worked out a solid game plan for the launch of its new console this year. While little is known about it, these “unique propositions” might come in the form of free games and add-ons. Nintendo already offers its Switch Online + Expansion that bundles the online functionality alongside “free” DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing. It also includes the classic game emulators.
It will be interesting to see what Nintendo offers this year to get gamers on board. The next console is reportedly set to launch sometime in 2024 with a reveal taking place in the next few months.
Source: VCG