Nintendo is not dead, not yet.
With many of Sony and Microsoft’s system sellers being pushed into early 2015, gamers do not have much reason to purchase a next-gen console.
Sony opened up its first-party lineup back in November with the PlayStation 4’s launch starting with the platformer Knack (which had much more potential) and Killzone: Shadow Fall (which was meant to show off PS4 graphics).
Sony followed up with its not-so-secret weapon, Infamous Second Son. Sucker Punch showed off the power of the PS4 while trying to weave its natural storytelling formula into the equation. Although, the game was generally well-received, certain critics were finicky with certain aspects of the game , such as the voice work of Delsin and characters as well as the story itself.
Xbox One opened up with Ryse, Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5. All were met with mixed to generally favorable reviews.
Crytek, the studio behind Ryse, is reportedly experiencing a staff strike as employees are refusing to come to work because they are not getting paid. As a result, Ryse 2 is rumored to be cancelled and the developer’s next title, Homefront: The Revolution (Homefront 2) is in jeopardy.
Xbox made up some ground with the March release of Titanfall. But the Respawn multiplayer FPS was not a strong enough catalyst to deter Sony’s growing console sales.
Now, most of the console exclusives (i.e. Halo 5, Quantum Break The Order: 1886, Uncharted 4) and third-party blockbusters (i.e. Batman: Arkham Knight, The Division, The Witcher 3, Dying Light, Elder Scrolls Skyrim Online) have been pushed back to 2015.
Nintendo has emerged out of the darkness with its highly successful Mario Kart 8 on Wii U. The eighth installment in the series has sold over two million copies worldwide and continues to boost Wii U sales as well. In fact, the Nintendo racer has pushed Wii U console sales more than Titanfall did for Xbox One or Infamous Second Son did for the PS4.
Since the release of Mario Kart 8, the Wii U has accomplished another feat: the Wii U has outsold the Xbox One. As of June 14, the Wii U has sold a total of 6.4 million sales, while the Xbox One has sold 4.6 million consoles and PS4, in the lead with 8.4 million.
Now, Nintendo is poised to enter the homes of holiday shoppers this fall when it releases Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS on October 3, with the Wii U version to follow. The best bet would be a Black Friday bundle deal which would quickly fly off shelves.
The last installment of the fighting series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl released in March 2008. But this time around, a holiday release would almost definitely assure increased console sales, as the only bundles Nintendo might have to compete with is a Xbox One/Master Chief collection bundle and a white PS4 Destiny Bundle. The Mario Kart 8 bundle is already surpassing all expectations.
A few months ago, most people would have pegged the Wii U as a dead console. But now, it has the opportunity to jump back into the market and in a big way.