The Resurgence of Nintendo
Since its release over two and a half months ago, the Switch has brought life back to the once video game industry giant. In one month, the new console has sold almost as much hardware as the Wii U did in its first year -3.06 million. Coupled with the successes and high praises for the Nintendo exclusive games Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Delux, Nintendo is firmly “back in the game” and running with both feet firmly on the ground.
Exclusives, Exclusives, Exclusives
With the console originally announced back in October of 2016, Nintendo had a lot of ground to make up with the dismal performances of both the Wii and Wii U. With both hardware and software sales continuing to trend down, as well as struggling to stand out amongst the powerhouses of Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo needed a new spark of life.
In enters Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Released alongside the Switch itself, Breath of the Wild took the gaming world by storm. An open world adventure set within the already established world of Zelda, the Nintendo exclusive has sold over 2.76 million copies and received a bevy of high acclaim and awards. Thanks to this success, along with the continued release of well-received games such as Mario Kart 8 Delux, the release of the Switch has not only pulled Nintendo back up to its former glory but has allowed it to truly compete in gamers homes across the world.
Maintaining the Switch and Sustaining the Switch
With the success Nintendo has quickly found with both console and software sales, it has a lot to do to maintain its positive reception. To start, Nintendo struggled to meet demand for the hardware itself. Even today, as the 3 month mark approaches since the system’s release, one struggles to find any retailer that isn’t still receiving the Switch in limited stock. While Nintendo has announced its increase in production on the hardware and more and more units are expected to ship, this small barrier needs to be crossed to help the developer get Switches in the hands of those who are still on the hunt for one.
While the initial library that the Switch currently houses is enough to draw people in, it won’t be enough to keep gamers devoted. Thankfully, with the high success Nintendo has gotten from the console’s release, more 3rd party developers will want to get their games on the Switch along with Nintendo themselves continuing to produce their own. Games on the horizon like Super Mario Odyssey, plus any number of already established IP’s Nintendo could tap into means we could see some amazing new renditions of games and character from the past or completely new adventures to behold.
Only time will tell if the Switch is just a quickly burning, latest and greatest experience for gamers or if Nintendo will pull out all the stops to make the console and it’s software a lasting adventure for years to come.
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