Can Wii U Win Over the Smartphone Market?

With the introduction of the original Wii console six year ago, Nintendo attempted to revolutionize the way that we think about video games by introducing the industry to the application of motion controls. Early on in the system's life cycle, many would say that the legendary company had done something right, with consoles flying off the shelves and attempts by both Sony and Microsoft to attempt the more action oriented atmosphere that had very suddenly become popular. With the recent introduction of the Wii U now upon us, it begs us to ask the question if Nintendo has the capability to change the industry again. This time with a technology that really isn't quite as surprising.

What I mean by that is, we have seen touch based games on the market for quite some time now. Sure the DS was really the first to bring it to the gamer sector, but you can't say that smartphone operating systems haven't made the movement turn into a downright craze. With games like Angry Birds costing only a dollar with great gameplay and simple controls, pretty much anyone can get involved in the fun. It is this kind of novelty that Nintendo is hoping to recreate through the use of the gamepad. The dual screen experience of using your TV and controller as a display is quite nice and unique, but what it all boils down to are those same flicking and swiping motions that consumers love so much on devices like the iPhone. Can this home based option compete with that? It certainly remains to be seen.

The Wall Street Journal argues that if Mario went to mobile phones, Nintendo would be raking in the millions, and they are probably right about that. However, Nintendo intends to stick to its guns by stating that consoles are still a model that consumers are looking for. What do you all think? Is this too much of a "mii-too" strategy from Nintendo, or will we once again see the rise of a system that people just can't get enough of?

Source  

Tweet