While you’re distracted by the PS4 and Xbox One launches, Nintendo is secretly killing it

GameZone's Matt Liebl, "All things considered, it’s not a bad time to be a fan of Nintendo (or even just a hardcore gamer with an interest in Nintendo's game library). There’s certainly plenty of great stuff coming out to get us through the “fresh-console doldrums” in the wake of the PS4 and Xbox One launches. So while you're twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the goods to land on Microsoft and Sony's new machines, I'll be basking in the glory of Nintendo's absolute gold mine."

[Kingthrash360]

lol ok enjoy! the wiiu is awsome for its first party games!
other than that tho....really no reason to buy yet. nintendo needs to make a push for a stonger console so 3rd party games can actually be worth buying. like the good old days.

[Neonridr]

well they aren't going to be pushing for a stronger console until the next generation for them (assuming they make another console). So we are stuck with what they have put out there. No reason not to support them when they are giving us great 1st party titles. The exclusives alone are reason enough to pick up the Wii U. If we can get some 3rd party support as well, that's a bonus.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

I agree with you.

About the Next Console...
They will-
They just merged the handheld and the console developers/R&D teams into the same building so that they can work together. In fact, they just built a New Builing for that reason.

I expect a hybrid-
something that is portable but can upgrade graphics and gameplay (and other functions) by docking.

[Concertoine]

yeah i think theyre one the right track with the atlus collaboration, securing TW101 and bayonetta 2, and that 3 game deal with sega. hope there's more to come from 3rd parties, and i hope it's exclusive so they can take advantage of the system.

[Merrill]

"While you’re distracted by the PS4 and Xbox One launches, Nintendo is secretly killing its self.

I fixed the title for you.

[MizTv]

I'm still waiting for a must play game
Where is a new MetroidPrime??????
I would get a wiiu if it came out

[MsmackyM]

Yeah because with the PS4 there is so much to choose from; I mean there is COD Ghost, BF4, and Killzone and Knack/s. 3rd party publishers sell Sony and MS consoles, Nintendo sell their own. Oh, and I have a PS4 to supplement my WiiU.

[Fanboyssuck27]

On the contary, Sony and Microsoft have great 3rd party support but have no good 1st or 2nd party games.

Seeing as Nintendo's 1st party games are better than the 3rd party games anyway, Wii u is definitely the better option. I can play 3rd party games on my pc and they will be better than they are on Ps4 or Xbone.

Plus Wii u gets sufficient 3rd party support the only additional 3rd party game I'd like on Wii u is gta 5.
Wii u is gettin watch dogs, assassins creed,ghosts plus more.

[Kingthrash360]

no, just no. you lost me at "On the contary the other 2 consoles have great 3rd party support but have no good 1st or 2nd party games."
ill admit nintendo had legendary 1st party games recognizable by all gamers and casuals and even non gamers.
that said though all consoles have great 1st party exclusive games....anything nd puts out is a potential goty candidate. not to mention the gow and infamous games.
halo, gears and titan fall are ms's greats (titan remains to be seen on x1 but is up there on the hype meter).
your opinion is yours and i respect that. but dont disrespect the devs out there trying new things making great games...nintendos 1st party games are great but they also are the most recycled games on the market.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Matter of perspective.

[Dubaman]

@Kingthrash360
Gears of War and Titan Fall aren't first party. They are exclusives but made by Microsoft? Nah. Made by someone else, bought and paid for by MS. Halo on the other hand is 1st party and the reason i once went 4 days without sleeping or showering..twas a blissful summer.
When it comes to 1st IP's it's hard to compete with Nintendo in terms of quantity. Quality is opinion, defined by what you consider to be fun.

[MsmackyM]

Fanboys are immune to logic, then again they are so fanatical you'd think they were on the payroll.

[Chrischi1988]

Totally agree with you fanboyssuck27. I played on every console till now and it is true, Nintendo has the best first party titles by far, only halo is close as another companies exclusive. Then on PC you get every 3rd party game in better. Better controlls, better graphics, actually pretty much everything. All act like hardware is what counts, get a pc already, you all actually miss the point of what consoles are for.

@Kingtrash:

You really said they are the most recycled^^ Hmm, CoD, Battlefield, actually almost all FPS are recycled from each other, Assassins Creed, Forza, Need for Speed... man, please stop to spread false information.

[Kingthrash360]

@ dub
i may be wrong but arent gears and titan 2nd party? i m
ay be wrong...if so i stand corrected.

@chris i was talking 1st party. every game...and i mean EVERY GAME you said were 3rd party games. take the fan boy cap off and read. i clearly said nintendos 1st party games. smh
fun fact mario has more sequals than them 3rd party games you mentioned..not including spinoffs. still i wasnt going there.

[Bubbamilk]

Thank u sir!
Keep bringing the truth

Oh and @ miztv
"Still waiting for that must play game"
Yeah that's what they all say. After metroid it will be something else like a price drop. Or a new ip. Or even the impossible like a new console or something ignorant. I bet u bought a ps4 when I haven't seen even close to a must play game. You could say for some it's infamous. But that in my opinion is far from a must play game. If u like Nintendo products then just buy a freaking wii u. U know the metroid is coming because Nintendo listens especially when in a rough patch. In the hard times they bring the innovation and the best games. I expect to see a metroid and a star fox along with some new ips. And I predict they will all be above and beyond in quality. Actually I bet it has already been set in motion

[Beastforlifenoob]

ALL CONSOLES have great exclusives WIIU, PS/XBX
Lets count all the PS3 Exclusives last gen...
Uncharted
God Of War
Infamous
Heavy Rain
Journey
Ratchet and clank
Beyond two souls
Demons souls
Gran Turismo
Killzone
The Last Of us
Little Big Planet
Motor Storm
Resistence
Socom
Twisted metal...

XBOX 360 also had a lot of exclusives. BUt the main reason i choose ps4 over wii u is that its actually going to recieve 3rd party support whereas the WII U will recieve little.

[Gemmol]

@King he is right Mario Kart Wii out sold any first party games for XBox and Sony....sony only have 1 game that sold over 10 million, while Xbox got a couple Halo, look I know you do not like Nintendo games, but sales talk where your opinion do not

[N4g_null]

The console is fine. The casuals are quite vicious. Tennis has kids ranking 650 points off the mole game and bowling has a top player at 3000 lol. Yes this is all on sports club online. 4 player 3d world is going to be hilarious.

Red steel 3 would be fun, a suda 51 game would be great. Also does x remind you of another game.? Titanfall.. the rpg version epicness awaits.

The fit metters are sold out everywhere it seems. Ill be back in LA next week so ill see if that is true.

The only thing nintendo needs to do is keep exposing the wiiu components in their sdk. Unity 3d needs to keep pushing the hardware also. Other third parties should put their engine up on the wiiu too for licensing.

I still cant get over the fact that sony fails at traditional gaming like even platforming... knack vs mario 3d with 4 player locally, way more powers, bosses that uses knacks abilities yet look better! And play better.

Unfortunately power does not equal craftsmanship or game play. Come on knack isnt even better than galaxy! That is a wii game for heaven sakes!

come on sony step up to real gaming. Movie gaming is fine, but not better than watching thor, or even the Carrie remake.

frankly I dont see why sony needs more power... to watch other gamers play? To push more particles.? How is that fun we do that on pc already. These sony fans are making sony weak. It has become the casual console simply because they keep letting sony make mediocre titles and has never pushed for real game play.

you know 3rd parties could leave console gaming but these guys are making it to easy to still from gamers.

[R00bot]

I think X, while it does have mechs like titanfall, uses them in a very different way. In X it seems like they might be used mainly for movement (you need a vehicle in the massive world the game has) with little fighting.

Titanfall's mechs are like less mobile, larger, stronger soldiers, their main use will be fighting.

[Neonridr]

The Carrie remake? lol

[N4g_null]

There is the boss fight at the end of the trailer.

Yeah carrie and her dirty pillows lol. Is better than the ps4 line up lol.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

It may not have as wide a selection of AAA third party games, but it does have a selection of ABSOLUTE GEMS in that category, including Lego City, Rayman Legends, and The Wonderful 101, amongst others.

Don't let others fool you; what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.
Especially when you consider indie titles.

[HardcoreDaBoss]

agreed 100%. nintendo does have the gems and they will always have it. they just fell off along the lines with the hardware not only thats but they pushed for causuals too hard and much.. they need to cater better and push for all crowds of gaming.. I think the hardware is fine and I like almost everything about the WII U.. minus 2 things.. gamepad battery life... and the account is tied to the console.. everything else is alright by me

[HardcoreDaBoss]

yeah I dont know what they are thinking. If they pushed the hardware better It would be over for ps4 and xbox one. Just imagine if nintendo had all third party games??? lol it would over thats all for now tadda

[Shnazzyone]

I'm really liking Deus ex directors cut. Super nice.

[kwandar]

Deus Ex Directors Cut, and Monster Hunter 3 - both 3rd party and VERY worthwhile on Wii U in my humble opinion.

[lilbroRx]

Yeah, I guess Bayonetta 2, Fast Racing Neo, Monolith's X, Shin Megami Tensei, and No More Heroes 3(pending) don't exist.

[Legend_Killer]

do a few more textures make a game better? 3rd parties really need to quit bitching around. when gamecube and xbox existed they still supported the ps2 more so what's the story?
even last gen with all the spec and tech they weren't able to produce something to match Mario Galaxy.

[Kingthrash360]

i main prob the third party has with the wiiu is power. truth is people would rather buy the "best version" of a game. and dont get me wrong, im aware the alot of 3rd party games were slightly better on the wiiu vs ps3/360 versions. the wii u timing was all wrong. it launched in na after alot of huge games released like nba2k, blops, ac etc. people went gunna buy the games twice to have a slightly better game. tbh if ps3 to ps4 deal didnt exist i would have waited to get bf4 on ps4 and skipped the ps3 version. also wiiu would have sold more if they launched with heavy hitters like zelda hd metriod 3d mario and so on but they didnt...they wasted over a year. also the price...399 for deluxe? same innards as a ps3/360 with a awsome controller but 399? that killed the wiiu sales. the power, the price, and that drought of games they had. no one bought it and 3rd party devs..once again wont make much money on it. thats why they passed on it and also why nintendo needs to wake up and realize weaker consoles dont cut it anymore..like it or not more people now days want more bang for their bucks.

[Legend_Killer]

@Kingthrash360
I developed a game once for android and realized it even had framerate drops on some devices I guessed would be more powerful but that doesn't mean they're not, they just had different hardware and needed optimization.

what I'm trying to say is most of the wii u ports were built using game engines optimized for current gen consoles and throwing them to another console and just add a few more textures doesn't cut it, even the devs know this but they'll blame the hardware to cover their lazy asses.

[Legend_Killer]

what killed Wii U sales was the same thing that killed 3DS sales in its first yr and that's depending on 3rd party devs. nintendo is abt gameplay innovation thus their hardware choices, but devs are abt graphics so they have different philosophies. I predict the magic of the next gen consoles will die a lot faster than Wii U cos interms of gameplay, current gen already did everything it's offering and when pple stop bitching abt graphics, it'll be bad for those companies

[Eddie20101]

Wii U is great, PS4 is great, Xbox One ......

[from the beach]

.. is the greatest!

Wii U ended up with a good first year, 3D World is the icing.

[Th4Freak]

What else is coming after 3D World? More Marios and Zeldas?

[from the beach]

Uh, hopefully?

[TripC50]

@Th4Freak

"No..There is another..." -Yoda

X

[Ddouble]

Good year for the Wii-U?

Nah the 3DS had a good yea. The Wii-U didn't.

[paulcek]

@The4Freak

That argument is old. Mario sells, gets good reviews, and is fun. If the characters in the Mario game were replaced, you wouldn't be complaining anymore, right? It wouldn't feel like the same game because a lot of times, the gameplay changes.

Zeldas rarely come out on home consoles... I WISH there were more, but since Nintendo goes after quality especially in Zelda, I have to wait at least 3 years before a new home console Zelda.

[imXify]

In short, WiiU is killing air. It's even struggling to compete with the 360 and PS3.

[Concertoine]

the next gen systems will struggle against the 360/ps3 too. it happens every gen.

[Th4Freak]

1M+ PS4's sold in a day doesn't sound like struggling to me.

[Concertoine]

of course it had a good launch. every system has a good launch, even the wii u did.

[Th4Freak]

Uhmm, no.

Edit:

**First week US sales:

*Dreamcast = 370k
*PS2 = 500k
*GC = 640k
*DS = 550k
*PSP = 620k
*Wii = 400k
*3DS = 374k
*X360 = 320k
*PS3 = 190k
*Wii U = 420k

PS4 = 1m first 24 hours

@Baka-akaB:

Acording to VGChartz and several sites it sold 400k the first week.

http://www.lazygamer.net/ge...

[Baka-akaB]

Not really the Wii had like 600k in its first week in USA , and was sold out . It would easily had done much better with enough stock .

The WIi U did fine , but it's obvious it didnt have the same supply issues and wasnt as high in demand

[MrChow666]

no1 cares lol

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Well if playing games that just aren't available on Wii U is being "distracted," then so be it.

[kwandar]

Well, I haven't looked at the Xbox1 games, but there is NOTHING worth distracting me with on PS4 exclusives.

Check the reviews yourself; barely above shovelware.

That being said, I hope that Nintendo, Sony and MS get their acts together for this generation.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

And again with the exclusive talk, like a game needs a prerequisite to be worth playing. Regardless, there are games I'm playing on PS4 right now, both exclusive and not exclusive, that aren't on the Wii. And that's fine. Reviews? Lol.. are we gamers here or what? Are you told what pants to put on in the morning too? Can't believe people still use this as an argument.

[kwandar]

Yes, I'm a gamer, and as a result I've bought more than my share of shovelware, and don't want any more. So yes, I read the reviews. Multiple reviews. Only a fool wouldn't.

As for my interest in exclusives, I'd point out I don't plan to buy all 3 consoles as I don't believe is throwing money around. I'd also point out that if not for exclusives, Steam is the place to be. Exclusives (and games available), while not the sole factor, are a critical factor in determining whether to make a purchase.

[GadgetGooch]

That article was crap

[smashcrashbash]

'While you’re distracted by the PS4 and Xbox One launches, Nintendo is secretly killing it'? Huh?

[cactusjack]

nintend who.

[mhunterjr]

If it's a secret, it's hard to say the wii u is killing anything. The 3ds is doing very well though.

[strickers]

Or I could just use my PS3/ Vita to supplement my PS4 using Plus and not waste my money on awful hardware design.

[alphaomega88]

Nope, you could waste your money on a system that Sony thought they would sell in droves to 'hardcore consumers', because of 'teh grafix', all the while raping the same people by killing bc from the psp and including proprietary memory cards at, what, 3 times the cost of an sd card? Yea, you do that buddy, and you can lend a hand to support the rise of mass consumerism and the ultimate death of common sense...but hey, at least you have 'dem grafix'...

[Yep]

3D World is going to be spectacular. All my friends are waiting for me to get this game so we can play multiplayer.

[mysteryraz11]

wii u is a joke, who wants that when you can get a true next gen system like the ps4 with better online features, nintendo fanboys trying to think that the wii u is relevant when noone cares about it and everyone is talking about the ps4 and xbox one,stores clearing the wii u section out for the ps4 and xbox one tells it all.

[BosSSyndrome]

hey.
this is why you only have 3 bubbles.

[The_Villager]

So many mad fanboys in the comments lol

[Mexxan]

I just sold my3rd WiiU and my third 3ds to get funds for next-gen. Nintendo is nostalgia. Move on.

[Yep]

I'm not sure which is dumber. The fact that you bought 3 Wii U and 3DSs or the fact that you sold them all.

Then again. I should believe everything I read on the internet.

[Mexxan]

Nothing dumb about it. Tried to like it but didn't. And gave it another few goes. What are you a Nintendo loyalist? Well let's just say I contributed a whole lot more to Nintendo sales than you so please good sir, do me a tremendous favour and STFU.

[imXify]

"I didn't like my first WiiU. Hopefully my second WiiU will be better !"

[_QQ_]

" Nostolgia" http://www.nintendolife.com...

"Nostalgia"
http://www.metacritic.com/g...

[truechainz]

Lol there is no way this is true. Judging off that I wouldn't take your consumer advice on a brand of tissue let alone a console.

[tweet75]

well its hard if not impossible for any company to compete with nintendo releasing possibly there best mario and zelda games on the same day.

[Hicken]

There's no "secret" to it. The 3DS is doing quite well, while the Wii U is having some trouble. It's great news that there are some potential system sellers on the horizon, but there's also stiff competition arriving right now, too.

The game I want most on the Wii U doesn't even have an actual name yet, and the library outside of that just doesn't appeal to me like that of, say, the PS4. I'd recommend a Wii U for my nephews, except that it's only got the one gamepad, meaning they'd fight over it. So even though they'd probably enjoy it, it'd just cost too much for not enough fun for everybody.

Cost, by the way, will continue to be one of the factors working against the Wii U, among other things like public perception.

So, no, I don't think Nintendo's killing anything. Well, not entirely true, as they're certainly running away with the handheld race. But that's also to be expected.

[InTheLab]

Aside from the 3DS, Nintendo is most certainly not killing anything but the WiiU.

None of those titles for the WiiU look good to me mostly because I can just go play it on my Wii. I could go back and revisit Galaxy if I need Mario. I still have WW on the Gamecube. Never been a fan of Pikman. And DKCR is still relatively new and worth another look.

So why should I buy a WiiU? Nintendo recently stated they're out for the casuals and core gamers must wait till 2014 http://www.nintendolife.com... so there's honestly no point in buying a WiiU. Not at that price and not without an HD Zelda and Metroid with no gimmicks....

[R00bot]

I like the way you said "aside from the 3DS" when Nintendo has always relied more on their handhelds.

That's like talking about Sony and saying that aside from the PS3 and 4, they're most certainly not killing anything other than the Vita.

Seriously, Nintendo's profits over the years are probably 60-70% handheld sales, so you can't just ignore what is 70% of the company.

[RPG_Lover]

wii u is an amazing system with a great library, but of course, this site will see it trolled with no fact. And like always N4G did not dissapoint.

Insecure Nintendo trolls everywhere.

The Wii u has a fine selection of games for a year 1, and statistically better launch titles than ps4.

If sony and nintendo can say the 2 consoles can live together, why cant gamers? they have low IQ

[klecser]

As per usual, this devolves into fighting each other, rather than uniting for gaming as a whole.

Gamers dig their own graves.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

the grave been dug for 7 years

[Baka-akaB]

The article is dumb , and some Nintendo fanboys are clearly delusionals , when it comes with some nonsense about them being the only one with access to quality games (apparently power does not mix with good games or whatever nonsense these days) .

However it's true that the Wii U will do fine with the upcoming games . i remember reading reports about the Mario & Luigi Wii U Bundle even selling out . Like it or not we know that the system sellers are starting to appears for the console

[worldwidegaming]

Currently enjoying looking at my ps4.(because the games I want are on the waiting list...)
Mario is just satisfaction! its like mom's home cooking. Yes, its something you have done millions of times but each time its as great as the last.
Stop hating and go out and buy a wii u.

[Baka-akaB]

er I just said the system will sell fine and i'm hating ? Besides i already got one lol , it's just on the backburner waiting for Xeno , Bayonetta 2 , Smash bros and Mario kart

[RiPPn]

I'll grab a Wii U when they are $199, so if there is a black Friday sale that does this then I'll get one, otherwise I'll continue to wait for further price drops.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

go luck waiting til 2018

[Johnsonparts23]

when it comes to selling things it doesn't really work to be "secretly killing it". lol Great games don't mean anything unless they sell, at least for Nintendo at this point.

[Jagsrock]

Sheesh. If you are a gamer you are really depriving yourself of some of the best games on the market by not having a wii u. I'll never understand the "my console is better than yours" when clearly each console offers something of value. What's the point of spitting at either console when it's the games that matter. Isn't that why we own the consoles in the first place? Nintendo puts out some of the highest quality 1st party titles that pretty much anyone can enjoy "why hate on that?". Sony also puts out some good 1st parties in different genres and has nice 3rd party support. Combine the two and you have gamers paradise.

You as a consumer shouldn't be "threatened" by another console doing something well. You should actually be happy because that's one more option for you. There are no rules saying you must pledge all allegiance to a single console at the beginning of each gen and never switch. Instead of focusing on sales why not just focus on games, something that all three companies are providing plenty of at this point.

[Thepcz]

i still think the wiiu is too expensive.

until the price is realistic, the wiiu will always be last

[mysteryraz11]

nintendo fanboys are arrogant, they will praise nintendo no matter what they do, horrible online and lackluster features they say they dont need it, playing mario every generation and saying its still good yet bash god of war or halo,have a horribly underpowered system with 1gb they say thats enough, xbox and playstation fans would be mad if the ps4 or xbox one were 1gb and weak as the wii u, but no not nintendo fanboys they are hypocrites

[Downsy72]

Great article , not sure if " Killing it" is 100% but let's see where we are in 12 months maybe a true reflection of success or failure! I will buy a Ps4 over the next 12 months , but I have a WII U and brought that for the reasons I got into gaming namely FUN! . NINTENDO May not be everyone's cup of tea I appreciate that but they offer something different from Sony and Microsoft, if you don't like what they are doing don't buy it ! Doesn't mean you can't respect them . I am a Sony fan but love the Wii U . Respect Nintendo .

[Thepcz]

not really. if nintendo were doing anything special, everyone would know about it. it wouldnt be a secret, it would be the main event.

but that is clearly not what is happening here. ps4/x1 is the main even, and wiiu is the little band relegated to the small print on the flyer. by the time the main event is over, nobody is sticking around for wiiu.

as we have heard, the ps4 shifted 1 million units on day one. its curtain closed for wiiu in regards to sales.

[deno]

Wii U is the system to get this holiday. It has reliable hardware unlike the PS4, also the gaming library is bigger and growing. It is one hundred dollars cheaper also. Get PS4 and Xbox one after a year when they fix their hardware and lack of games issues.

[KaNy04]

lol sony fanboys are making me laugh. You're all keep saying that the wii u is doomed or not relevant. I don't know why you keep trolling on nintendo and keep thinking that Sony and microsoft are on a better position than Nintendo. ON a business position, Nintendo is in a much better shape than sony or sony (gaming division). all the financial websites said that playstation and Xbox doesn't make money. I Don't even know why they are still selling a console that cost them more to produce them to sell. anyways it is not my business. this is the main reason for nintendo to not create a console that is that powerful. IT doen't make money (that's it). Before talking for nothing, go check and you'll all see for youself.
And yes, the wii u is a very good console. I have it myself anf I will wait at least 6 months (for the ps4).
Let's hope that sony don't go to brankrupcy before the ps5 lol (cause they are in a really bad economic shape right now)

[LAWSON72]

I think I will be buying a Wii U before the PS4. Then eventually get a Xbone. As of now my PC is enough, I really want a 3DS and am starting to want the Wii U

[TwilightBites]

I love how this article is so popular only because all of the haters that wanna discount Wii U's successes. You guys are a trip with your relentless trolling. Nintendo makes the BEST GAMES. But the mess up just like everyone else. No reason to relish so heavily in their shortcomings when they are clearly trying hard to bounce back.

[McDaygo]

I just picked up a Wii U! It's pretty sweet if you ask me. I was all set to pick up a PS4 or Xbone but I decided to save some moola, still get a new system, and wait for this time next year before I get a "next gen" system. I don't see a reason to get either just yet. And I don't care if I play a game months after its out on the cheap. And, you early adopters can help me figure out which is better with actual no S*#t experience.

[Dunban67]

How do other Wii U owner feel about Iwata s strategy to market to/focus on the casuals/families over the holiday then shift the focus to the core gamer in 2014?

Is that a workable strategy? I bought my Wii U at launch to be a family console but there were not enough family and/or games kids could enjoy for many months after launch-
Now there seem to be enough available and soon to be released to keep kids and family busy for a while- my concern is, that once they shift to the core gamer will there continue to be enough for kds and families? Obviously some of the "core" games are fun for kids/families too like Smash Bros and Mario Kart so some cross over titles are good for everyone

But the same question could be asked from the core gamer perspective- If they are focusing on the family/casuals gamers now then the core gamer in 2014, will Nintendo be able to do enough for either demographic to 1) keep them reasonably happy and 2) entice a lot more gamers from both demographics to buy the Wii U?

I still think the Wii U will need significant 3rd party support to keep most current and future owners content for the next several years- I just don t see how Nintendo can make enough games to keep both major gaming demographics happy over the longer term (unless people wait long enough for the library to be so deep it won t matter as much how games are put out in a given year-

[Jagsrock]

The thing with nintendo games is that most of them can cater to both crowds. Wonderful 101 leans toward more core gamers but can be enjoyed by casual. Pikmin 3 is really a game for more experienced patient gamers but it can certainly appeal to casuals. same can be said for WWHD and SM3dw, and the bigger 3rd parties like Rayman,lego city/marvel,sonic lost world appeal too all kinds of gamers. So i don't think there is really as much a divide in that regard. Also like you said games like Mario kart, smash bros and even dKCTF bridge the gap quite nicely. Core gamers and casuals both want the same thing fun games the only real difference is depth and difficulty and most nintendo games at least tend to offer a decent amount of both. You are right though they will need help from 3rd parties to reign in some more gamers, hopefully they can garner enough of a push from SM3DW, DKCTF and Mario kart 8 to boost the user base enough to get 3rd parties interested again.

[Realplaya]

In all actuality Nintendo has to be pleased there stocks have just went up 5% and there about to release the the best looking game out of all next gen consoles.