Global Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has been the talk of the Internet lately, but Reggie Fils-Aime, president of the company's American branch, has recently spared a few comments as well. In an interview with Re/code, Fils-Aime touched upon a couple of important topics, including Nintendo's excellent quarterly sales performance, the hopes for amiibo, and potential Nintendo-developed applications on smart phones. But perhaps the most intriguing talking point was third-party games.
Fils-Aime repeated the company line that third parties need a large install base to sell to, and with Wii U hardware increasing steadily, they'll have a much more receptive ecosystem. Of course, a lack of consoles in homes is just one problem Nintendo is facing, so Re/code pressed the issue by asking Fils-Aime if he was disappointed that Wii U lacks the big guns, like the latest Call of Duty. Fils-Aime responded:
Third parties are bringing multi-platform content to our platform — Watch Dogs from Ubisoft, as an example. I would love to have Call of Duty on our platform. I would love to have any of the big blockbuster, multi-platform titles. But I have to say, more specifically, I want games that provide a differentiated consumer experience. If you look at the other two competitive platforms, fundamentally, what’s the difference?
Interviewer Eric Johnson mentioned that each machine has exclusive titles. Fils-Aime continues:
But interestingly, when you look at either one, either by themselves doesn’t have a lot of exclusive content. They have a lot of shared content. Look at it from the standpoint of, what don’t they have? They don’t have our games. They don't have Mario and Zelda. I’d much rather be where Nintendo is, with a differentiated platform, differentiated set-up experiences that we can provide uniquely to the consumer. Let those other guys battle it out over, you know, which visual representation of Call of Duty is most compelling. I like our chances of having a differentiated console and a differentiated series of experiences.
Fils-Aime stated clearly that he would love to have the biggest third-party hits, but lacking that, he believes that Nintendo's exclusives are still strong enough to attract interest in its platforms. Not that the others don't have exclusives of their own, but Nintendo's first-party content has always been attractive in a way that Sony and Microsoft's contributions could never quite match. That alone is not enough to turn Nintendo's fortunes around, but it will prevent Nintendo from being dusted aside as so many pundits have feared.
Also, you have to appreciate the chuckle-worthy jab at the resolution battle between PS4 and Xbox One multiplats.
