Nintendo looks to keep sales of Switch soaring by learning from Wii U mistakes

Mario and Luigi. (Photo: JD Hancock/Flickr, CC BY 2.0.)

TORONTO—Nintendo is counting on Mario, Link and its other heroes to protect the Switch from suffering the same fate as its predecessor.

The gaming giant made plenty of noise at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, showing off upcoming titles for its hot new console while announcing the return of some popular franchises further down the road.

The presentation capped a year-long turnaround for Nintendo, which came to last year’s E3 with considerably less fanfare. The Wii U console was entering the last days of its ill-fated lifespan, there were precious few details on its successor and outside of the heavily anticipated next “Legend of Zelda” game, there wasn’t too much that moved the needle.

Momentum began to shift last fall with the release of “Pokemon Sun” and “Pokemon Moon” for the portable Nintendo 3DS, then took an unexpected spike in March with the release of the Switch.

The console/portable hybrid has so far sold at a pace comparable to the hugely popular Wii, which at its height had an install base of more than 100 million units.

For the Switch to approach that lofty number it needs sustained success, and a hot launch is no guarantee of a home run. The Wii U sold briskly after its November 2012 launch, but a lacklustre rollout of titles over the coming months saw sales plummet. In December, Nintendo reported overall Wii U sales of 13.56 million, a drop in the bucket compared to what the Wii achieved.

“It’s more of a learning from the Wii U launch. We had a number of first- and third-party titles at launch and then kind of went dry for about six-plus months afterwards,” Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing, said in a phone interview from E3. “It killed our ability to install on the hardware and it killed our momentum.

“We think the strategy ought to be about every month you see a major tentpole from Nintendo. And the early tentpoles are definitely leveraging our most popular IPs.”

Nintendo has certainly employed the strategy early in the Switch’s lifetime. The console was launched along with “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” which actually outsold the Switch itself in March, and the next month saw the release of a port of “Mario Kart 8.”

“Arms,” a new intellectual property, is out this month, and this year will also see “Splatoon 2” and “Super Mario Odyssey” arrive. Beyond this year are plans for “Pokemon,” “Kirby,” “Yoshi” and “Metroid” games.

Compare that to the Wii U, which saw a “Super Mario Bros.” game at launch, then nothing leveraging their popular IPs for six months. System sellers like “Mario Kart 8” and “Super Smash Bros for Wii U” came even later in the console’s lifespan. By that time interest in the console had fizzled, and the install base was too small to allow for the software sales a “Smash Bros.” title would normally enjoy.

While the Wii U disappointed overall, it did launch a new successful IP in “Splatoon,” essentially a kid-friendly shooter where cartoon squid/human hybrids do battle with colourful ink. The sequel is one of the Switch’s upcoming tentpoles, as is “Arms,” a 3D fighting game where combatants do battle with long, springy appendages. Both these IPs fit into Nintendo’s longtime strategy of producing family-friendly games that also catch the eye of more serious gamers.

“A conscious choice we’ve made with Nintendo Switch is that we have identified some core audiences that we really want to win,” Bowser said. “One is the Nintendo fan and active gamer, and the second is kids and parents.

“We look at titles like Arms or Splatoon 2 as having the ability to bridge both of those targets. It allows us to create really fun games that families can enjoy that are family safe. Splatoon, you’re using fun weapons and ink instead of other means, and it’s got a very fun, cartoony artistic look to it.

“I think Arms is very similar and is a very active game where you’re engaging the capabilities of the Joy-Con.

So yes, we are actively attempting to serve multiple markets, and the kids and parent market is one.”

While Nintendo had a lot to announce at E3, those looking for more information on its flat-rate online service, which has been delayed until next year, will have to wait. While Nintendo has announced a skeletal framework of how the service would work, Bowser said no further details are expected in the immediate future.

Bowser also said Nintendo is still deciding on whether its Virtual Console, which allows users to buy classic games that appeared on previous Nintendo systems, will be made available on the Switch.