Despite the fact that Nintendo consoles can’t compete with the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One in terms of sheer power, the company has positioned themselves as the cheaper and more family-friendly alternative. What they lack in power they make up for in creativity and just plain old fun IPs. This is the framework that the company has been using for a while, and now Shigeru Miyamoto has sounded off on that framework a little.
Miyamoto recently took part in an investor Q&A, where he said that “A lot of people say that what they want out of a new video game system is high performance, but when we look at the sales of Nintendo Switch, it is clear that a large number of consumers worldwide are really looking for more variety in the ways they can play. Of course, the capabilities of Nintendo Switch are considerable in their own right, so I feel like it has been surprisingly well-received among people who seek high performance as well. I myself really enjoy creating titles like Wii Fit or nintendogs that are different than our existing franchises, and that’s the sort of culture that permeates our entire development staff.”
Miyamoto’s stance on this subject is one that is shared by many, though it isn’t one that has always worked for the company in the past. The Wii U also positioned itself as being an alternative to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One type of gaming experience, though it ended up being the company’s least-successful console ever. Luckily the Switch has made up for this a lot, with the unique concept and strong game lineup paving the way for the console to perhaps reach the lifetime sales of the Wii U in just its first year.
The variety is certainly going to continue going forward with the Switch, with games like Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Super Mario Odyssey all set to offer drastically different gameplay experiences.
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