Nintendo Confident to Take On—and Take Out—the PS4 & Xbox One?
If technicalities are to be considered, Nintendo already had a next-gen console way before either Sony's or Microsoft's consoles were revealed. The Wii U was released first last year, and is considered to be the brand's next gen console.
However, the reason that it's not even considered a contender by most people is that it's behind by a mile when it comes to the graphics and power displayed by the PS4 and Xbox One, reports CNet.
In Nintendo's view, this does not mean that the battle is over. With its bevy of new games and software in line for release this year, a battle with the two top console competitors won't have the Nintendo buckling at the knees.
"If you're a consumer going in and you have these options, we know what the price points are now from the competitors. We know what the games are from competitors, and we know now what the Wii U is going to offer," said Charlie Scibetta, senior communications director at Nintendo to GameSpot.
"We feel good about where we stack up. It's the software that's going to motivate them."
A next-gen title coming Wii U's way
And it's not as if Wii U is completely devoid of what most consider to be next-gen games. After not including the Wii U in any of its platform announcements for Call of Duty: Ghosts, Activision has finally revealed that the game will indeed be making it to Wii U.
"We're not actually talking about the Wii U yet. Because we want to keep it mysterious," said Mark Rubin, Activision executive producer, in an interview quoted by Kotaku. "That's PR, guys, that's not my fault."
The next question now is whether or not COD: Ghosts will make it at the same time for the Wii U as the date set for PS4 and Xbox One version. But at least now Wii U gamers can rest easy, knowing that the Wii U is not necessarily out of the loop.
A free-to-play game coming before April?
Nintendo also plans on tapping the free-to-play market, which both the PS4 and Xbox One may also get into with its games, with Blacklight: Retribution and PlanetSide 2 for the PS4 and Killer Instinct for the Xbox One.
According to Polygon, the company has not yet offered ay definite word on the matter, but it may be a new title, since CEO Satoru Iwata has already confirmed that it won't be a Mario or a Pokemon series.
This may be one of Nintendo's newest strategies, with others aiming to create games that cost less or those that would require gamers to pay for a monthly subscription fee to gain access.
Other game titles coming in
One source of Nintendo's confidence comes from the array of games slated for release this year.
Computer and Video Games lists two upcoming titles Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze and Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, both of which already have a trailer in place.
For Donkey Kong, the game is looking at a two-player multiplayer mode that allows for simultaneous play for characters Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong, and will introduce new adventures featuring five islands.
In Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, the developers have put the HD to an extreme level, taking the renderings of the game to 1080p, while also allowing for assisted play via Tingle Tuner.
There's even the addition of a Tingle Bottle, allowing for interactivity with the Miiverse when you're playing the game. Think of it as a communication tool in the style of a message in a bottle or a chatbox.
Nintendo's new games are not confined to the Wii U, as Sonic Lost World comes to the 3DS and the Wii U. The first game in a three-part series, CVG reports that there's an even better feature for the Wii U in the form of Color Powers done via tilting, touching, and aiming, and a support for two-player games.