AfterDawn: News

Screen Digest: Nintendo is 'behind the curve' with Wii U

Research firm Screen Digest has implied this week that Nintendo is 'behind the curve' with its Wii U in the next-gen console market.

Senior principal analyst Piers Harding-Rolls had this to say: "We believe Nintendo looks increasingly isolated in the market. It does not have the luxury of a wider device ecosystem play such as Sony, Apple or Microsoft and it is behind the curve in its online and cloud content strategies.



"We would like to see Nintendo be more aggressive in 'hinging' off its devices using its online platform - Nintendo Network - onto third-party devices as Microsoft is starting to do with Xbox Smartglass and Sony is doing with PlayStation Mobile.

"Neither of these solutions is significant at present but it does show that these companies are willing to engage users on the most popular third-party connected devices to drive relevance for their own products."

The firm says it expects the upcoming Xbox sequel to hit this year, with the PS4 following suit in 2014. Harding-Rolls also says that Microsoft and Sony will offer their hardware with subsidized pricing, making pricing very competitive.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Jan 2013 22:01

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• 7 comments

• J_Joestar (unverified)

  [quoteWe would like to see Nintendo be more aggressive in 'hinging' off its devices using its online platform - Nintendo Network - onto third-party devices Yeah, They call it Miiverse and are already making plans for releasing it on mobile platforms and PC.

  29.1.2013 15:54 #1

• neo1000

  And they´re very concerned about what these guys have to say.

  29.1.2013 19:52 #2

• bobiroc

  Originally posted by J_Joestar: [quoteWe would like to see Nintendo be more aggressive in 'hinging' off its devices using its online platform - Nintendo Network - onto third-party devices Yeah, They call it Miiverse and are already making plans for releasing it on mobile platforms and PC. Lets see how fast new services from XBOX and PS4 take off at their launch. It has taken both the 360 and PS3 years to get to the point they are now with their current consoles and while some of these services will transition over it still will take developers some time to get on board with the new console. I think the Wii U is off to a fine start and will do what Nintendo does best and bring entertainment and gaming to the masses and fun for everybody.
  

  AMD Phenom II 965 @ 3.67Ghz, 8GB DDR3, ATI Radeon 5770HD, 256GB OCZ Vertex 4, 2TB Additional HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate.
  
  http://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices

  29.1.2013 20:07 #3

• Interestx

  Are these the same guys who predicted the supposedly low tech (and not even 'this gen') Wii wouldn't stand a chance against the PS3 & Xbox 360?
  
  Given that resolution is capped (by TV tech) to 1080p and given that the Wii U spec is ahead of the PS3 & Xbox 360 (even if not by much) I'd say Nintendo are well placed to repeat their success.
  
  Gamers devoted to the Nintendo 1st party games can't go anywhere else & now the console can play 3rd party games to a high standard it ought to make a lot of Wii upgraders very happy (or are console gamers saying the PS3 & Xgbox 360 look cr@p now?).
  
  Sales suggest the Wii U is doing just fine.....and their pricing has to be a thorn in Sony & Microsoft's side for their new consoles..... = no chance of a $600/£400 Playstation this gen (especially given Sony Corp's poor financial state).
  

  29.1.2013 20:56 #4

• 98sohc

  Im sorry im no fanboy, but you are all stating facts of the wii-u specs being a little ahead of ps3 and xbox 360 but the fact of the matter is those consoles were released back in '05, when the new xbox and playstation are released, nintendo will be 5 years behind again...again not a fanboy, i hope all systems do well, and eacdh offer something unique to itself...everyone has different opinions.

  31.1.2013 00:29 #5

• TrinUK

  The sales have slowed not because the machine is bad but as im finding - the games library has dried up. Things will pick up if they can flood out a load of titles.
  

  Trin - Making Digital Waves

  31.1.2013 04:43 #6

• IguanaC64

  @98sohc - Hasn't that been Nintendo's model since the Wii? Build a machine that's not bleeding edge and sell it for a reasonable price? You're knocking them for what made the Wii such an undisputed success. The Wii was also a much more reliable piece of hardware because it wasn't running as blistering hot as the PS3 and Xbox360. All in all...a much better system for families on a budget that casually game. It was never marketed to hardcore gamers...it never even made the pretense to. This looks to be a continuing tradition with the Wii-U.
  
  Anyway...yeah...not even going to consider one till the game selection is better heh.

  31.1.2013 11:09 #7