Ubisoft: 'NX Will Put Nintendo Back In The Race'
By Jasmine Henry 30 September 2016
During a shareholder meeting, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says that the Nintendo NX will get Nintendo “back in the race” following the poor sales of the Wii U.
Ever since it was released in 2012, the Nintendo Wii U has failed to recapture the huge success of its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii. The console has been weighed down by serious competition from the PS4 and Xbox One (which launched to much fanfare a year after it), and, according to one Nintendo executive, the Wii U’s high price point has also been to blame.
It’s why it took the console until earlier this year to sell 12 million units and it’s also why rumors that Nintendo will stop making the Wii U this year are just so believable. But according to one industry figure, Nintendo’s next console, the NX, will turn things around for the company.
According to French journalist Chloé Woitier, during a shareholder meeting that took place this week, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that “I believe Nintendo will be back in the race with the NX.” Guillemot’s comment is just the latest show of support from the Ubisoft executive as earlier this month he called the Nintendo NX a “fantastic machine.” Previously, Guillemot said that he is “impressed” by the Nintendo NX, amongst other expressions of enthusiasm.
Ubisoft’s belief in the NX lends credence to the rumors that the console is doing something incredibly different. There is speculation that the Nintendo NX will be a console/handheld hybrid and there are also suggestions that the NX will use game cartridges instead of discs.
These features could just be ‘out there’ and wild enough for Nintendo to establish its new device as a totally different alternative to the PS4 and the Xbox One, two consoles which are showing no signs of slowing down. The original Wii became a 100 million seller because of how much its motion control gameplay stood out in comparison to the more traditional PS3 and Xbox 360, so it stands to reason that this could be a winning strategy for Nintendo once more.
Others though, have expressed scepticism at the Ubisoft executive’s comments. Doubters point out that as Just Dance could be a Nintendo NX launch title, it’s in Ubisoft’s best interest for the console to get off to a flying start. Moreover, Guillemot has confirmed that other NX games are in the works from the publisher (Beyond Good and Evil 2 is possibly an NX exclusive), so it may be wise for gamers to wait until a less biased figure comments on the console.
Source: Chloé Woitier (Twitter)
