After an initial surge of third-party support, the Wii U has been cursed with the worst third-party outlook of all three next-gen consoles. So what can Nintendo do? Well, make the Wii U look like a more attractive platform, of course.
Speaking to Ars Technica, Nintendo’s Senior Director of Communication Charlie Scibetta shared that he expects the Wii U to recapture some developer interest once its software gets rolling. He said:
We want the same thing that the third parties want, which is to grow the installed base. We’re confident that if we can do that by driving the installed base through first-party software, like Mario Kart 8, like Super Smash Bros., then the third-party developers will follow because then they’ll see there’s a large enough installed base that it’s worth their investment to bring their games to our platform.
Nintendo appears committed to making sure the Wii U doesn’t go out in pain. The recent release of Mario Kart 8 provided a huge boost in interest, but it’ll only be temporary. The success of games like Bayonetta 2 and Super Smash Bros. later this year will be critical to winning back developers across the spectrum.
The Wii U has been out for more than a year and a half, and Nintendo has shown no interest in axing its life support. Huge games at E3 2014 showed a bright future for current and prospective Wii U owners including The Legend of Zelda Wii U, Splatoon, and Star Fox Wii U. I’d even argue that they had the best E3 showing of the big three, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Related: Where Should Nintendo Go From Here?
The Wii U has lost the interest of several publishers, losing out on big upcoming releases including Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Destiny, and more. Will it win them back? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
