Nintendo already has “a clear idea” about what direction it plans to go in with its follow-up to the Wii U, though it won’t be released until owners of its current console are “satisfied”.
The news comes courtesy of an investor Q&A, in which company boss Satoru Iwata explained Nintendo has already begun working on the next iteration of its hardware.
“Once we launch a new platform, we naturally start to prepare for the next one,” he explained. “As it takes several years to develop a single platform, if you ask us whether we are preparing for our next system, then the correct response will be that we are always developing new hardware.
“I of course believe that launching new hardware will not produce good results unless we first make sure that those who have already purchased our platforms are satisfied.
“We will continue to work hard to ensure that consumers who already own our platforms are satisfied, and make sure that people will continue to see great value in our software, but I would like to say that we are preparing for our next hardware system, and in fact, we already have a clear idea to some extent about the direction our next hardware is going to take.
“We do not believe that this year’s estimate of 3.6m units of Wii U hardware will be the peak of its lifecycle, and we would like to work hard to make sure that we give sufficient momentum to the system so that we can expect good results in and after the next fiscal year, too.”
Interestingly, elsewhere in the Q&A, Iwata re-emphasises that the company has merged its handheld and home console divisions. “As a result, our development of hardware and software can be done in a more unified fashion with individual developers being able to communicate directly with others more closely,” he explains. Will this have a bearing on the next Nintendo console? Time will tell.
Last week, Nintendo announced another annual loss and revealed 6.17 million Wii U consoles have been sold since its November 2012 launch. Other firmer plans for the company’s future include plans to branch off into a “quality of life” entertainment and health business, along with a fresh range of NFC figurines.