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Dear Nintendo,
I am one of your many twenty-something nostalgia-filled fans. I once used the word “Nintendo” in reference to any video game not playable on the computer. I love the smell of brand-new Nintendo games and systems (you should make an air freshener). Nintendo has a certain je ne sais quoi that has always drawn me close. Until recently. Here’s the deal: I want to want you. Back in August (which feels like a console generation ago…) we had a discussion on the Geeks With Wives podcast, episode 97 (which can be found here), where we discussed what would make the Wii U successful. While I don’t know specifically what will make your newest console successful in your opinion, I know that if you want to sell me on it you have to concentrate on more titles geared towards the core gamer.
First of all, I get that 2013 is the year of Luigi. That’s great! At first it was funny, then it was cool, now I just feel… green about it. Luigi is awesome, don’t get me wrong. However,
Secondly, why hasn’t a Wii U-specific Zelda game been officially announced yet? I don’t count The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker HD, that’s a remastering of a GameCube game. While I will certainly buy Windwaker HD eventually, it will not be selling me a console. At E3 this year, delivery aside, you really took a step in the right direction. The announcement of Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, and Super Smash Bros. really had a ton of people salivating. The problem is that, save Super Mario 3D World, those titles are coming in 2014. By then I will be knee-deep in PS4 and Xbox One goodness! I’m not suggesting that the Wii U has any less capability to entertain me than either of the other two powerhouse consoles. All I’m saying is that while I’m counting down the days for The Order: 1886, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Diablo III, Destiny, and Infamous: Second Son, I’m still looking for something on the Wii U’s horizon to be excited for. Fix that.
To summarize: if you make games for the core, the core will remain faithful. While everyone’s grandmother and a few casual gamers really drove sales of the Wii, that period is over. This isn’t a position of entitlement as much as it is a sound business strategy. Like I said in the beginning: opening a Nintendo game, smelling the contents, and leafing through the instruction manual all brings back so many childhood memories. Nintendo: help me to feel like a kid again. Make me want you.
Sincerely,
Kenney Newville