Is the only option left for Nintendo is to be different?

Nintendo, while still being a powerhouse when it comes to software and the dedicated portable market, seems to have pigeon-holed themselves into a corner when it comes to console gaming. The downward spiral dated back to the N64 days and Sony's smash entry the first Playstation. It truly was revolutionary at the time. A time when Nintendo had strained relationships with third party publishers, and a time when costly cartridges still existed. Which meant retailers were in a bind to guess what to stock and how much to stock. CD's which the Playstation used were easy to order and a lot less costly having them sit on store shelves.

This was the beginning of the technical wars taking place in console gaming. Sony being an electronics company knew the future of entertainment and could utilize a format like CD's to their advantage. Then of course came the PS2, one that used DVD to its advantage and what did Nintendo do? They came out with a mini-disk design on their own with the Gamecube. The systems powers were not the problem. The problem was the system was viewed as a kiddy's purple lunchbox that couldn't play movies. Also at a time when Nintendo still didn't work well with third party publishers. Once again going solo.

Then something happened. They decided to do something completely different at a time when gaming started to stagnate. They came out with the Wii. The power battle they couldn't afford to play didn't matter. They caught the attention of the non-gamer. Those who don't care about flashy graphics and technical hardware numbers. It was an instant success. Yet one area of concern remained, what about all those third party publishers? A few tried, a few succeeded (Ubisoft), but once again it was Nintendo's own output paving the way for software sales. Nintendo didn't care about the success of third party publishers, they were raking in the dough. This reaffirmed they could do it alone and be successful.

Which brings us now to the Wii U. The name itself was poorly thought out. They thought they could capitalize on the Wii's success without realizing all those casual fans are not loyal fans. Not dedicated fans. The motion control phase had moved on. It also caught Microsoft off-guard who made Kinect mandatory at first on the XBOX One. The Wii U has fizzled since its release and Nintendo being Nintendo didn't want to drop the Wii-Pad like Microsoft did with Kinect. Would it even matter anyways? The system simply doesn't have what people want. Whether it be enough software, the price, or the technical abilities to compete. It came out at the wrong time because the Wii didn't have a lifespan to keep it going against the XBOX 360 and PS3.

Now Nintendo is already leaking out information they are working on a new console. Which direction will they go? Rumours have it the system will be a cross-breed of a hand-held and a console. A vision tested on the Wii U that didn't work well as a console or a handheld. It wasn't totally portable and the tablet left a lot to be desired as a main controller. Some suggest they should come out with a more powerful system than the PS4. Could Nintendo afford to play this game? The Wii U is apparently more powerful than the PS3 and XBOX 360 but not by much. Not enough for anyone to care, especially if the software isn't coming in a timely fashion.

Does this mean the only real option is to once again try and strike magic like they did with the Wii? Nintendo hasn't fixed its relations with third party publishers. So unless there is a real difference in power to the PS4 when it comes out consumers won't all of the sudden buy Nintendo's system instead of a PS4 or XBOX One. I just don't see Nintendo going in that direction. It's very costly and it would have to come out by the end of 2016. Nintendo still has one ace up its sleeve, its IP's. Mario and games like Zelda are still very valuable assets. But we've seen they are not enough to carry success all on their own and can they come out with enough games to launch successfully?

I may not own a Wii U yet but I am still very much a fan of Nintendo's. That's why it's so frustrating to see Nintendo waffle time and time again. There is no easy solution other than for a consumer to just support them for their own titles. They've become a secondary player where their consoles become a supplement to a PC or another console. Maybe Nintendo is fine with that as long as they can make money. It's just a shame when there is great software out there and nobody is buying because of the hardware. That's why some suggest they go third party like Sega did. I don't think that is the answer. Nintendo works best with new ideas on their own terms. Trouble is who's buying?