As industry analysts, we’ve asked the same question time and time again: “why can’t Nintendo just make software for other platforms.” After all, most of Nintendo’s greatest products rely on software rather than the system that plays it. I think most of us would agree that titles like Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World are great games, but they’ve had only slight success at pushing the Wii U off store shelves. In that case, why can’t Nintendo make games for more successful console or mobile platforms instead?
The great Shigeru Miyamoto recently spoke to EDGE magazine on that very topic, and he had a few interesting thoughts to share. “We want to create, and they want to experience, something unprecedented all the time. For us to meet these goals, we need dedicated hardware that is designed to cater to the needs of these avid gamers…unique software experience[s] can always be realized with unique hardware that has a unique interface,” he says. In that sense, Miyamoto suggests that only hardware can generate change in this seemingly stagnant industry.
As of late, we’ve seen the positive and negative effects that non-traditional hardware can have on the industry. While the Wii U and its Gamepad have struggled out of the gate, products like Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus seem to be garnering lots of support from developers. Miyamoto was quick to acknowledge that the Gamepad may be a “weak point” for the Wii U, but he hopes it’s something that he and his company can learn to overcome.
What do you think? Can software provide truly unprecedented experiences on its own, or do we need hardware to move forward? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section!
