- Iwata already told us the next generation will have traditional account systems.
Furthermore, there's also Nintendo's new membership program that it is implementing later on in this generation and of course, will be used in the next generation as well.
- Iwata said he's considering no region locking in the next generation. Understandably, we remain skeptical about it for now.
- Nintendo's experimented already with some cross-platform eShop titles like Mario vs DK. Nintendo's getting its feet wet, so we'll probably see more of this in the next generation.
- Nintendo is focused on hardware differentiation and blue ocean strategy. That is not going to change in the next generation.
- If Nintendo's online remains free, then it gives them a bit of an excuse to make it the way they want to. They're not interested in matching Sony and Microsoft's respective online services feature-for-feature. Again, Miyamoto said he isn't fond of things like an achievement system is used as a carrot on a stick approach to compel gamers to want to spend more time with a game.
Take a look at all the comments below made by Iwata and Miyamoto and you'll notice their consistency on wanting to be different and not caring what Sony and Microsoft do. They want Nintendo to be unique and offer gamers something different instead of being copycats and entering a battle over graphics and resolution. The unified architectural strategy is something Nintendo has wanted to do for a while now even before Wii U launched. Its going to be a way for Nintendo to more reliably carry the weight of its own platforms without the reliance on third party support, particularly on the home console. While third parties are free to take advantage of the benefits of the UA strategy as well, its primarily meant to improve Nintendo's capacity for software output and hardware-related firmware updates and applications between handheld and home console by integrating them. Although, the UA strategy makes a lot of sense to make it easier for indie developers to put their games on both Nintendo platforms which lowers costs and development time. As to what unique controller Nintendo comes up with next is anyone's guess.
As for the blue ocean strategy, the new one appears to be based on, or at least partially based on Nintendo's expansion into mobile gaming. They want to use it as another major source of generated revenue, but it's second purpose is to keep Nintendo's IP relevant in an age where younger consumers in particular, have grown up playing on smartphones and mobile devices at home and in school. Nintendo wants to ultimately utilize mobile gaming and apps as a bridge to lead potential mobile users into graduating to dedicated hardware platform owners. Thus creating new customers for Nintendo. It would seem that Nintendo will perhaps abandon the Wii brand name since it has lost its value and for all we know, the same may happen for the 3DS. The unified architectural strategy may give Nintendo a new opportunity to brand its next platforms under a shared moniker due to their more sibling-like relationship.
Going back to the mobile games strategy ,if Nintendo is successful with it, then perhaps it can use that extra profit its making in order to position its next platforms are lower price to consumers even if it means selling them at an initial loss, but unlike this generation, Nintendo could have the extra money coming in to compensate for it. Of course, Nintendo will still take cost-cutting measures with its handheld and home console hardware in order to help keep production costs down. They really need to stay within the $200-250 price range in my opinion. Without super powerful graphics and a troubles acquiring and maintain third party support, particularly on the home console, Nintendo needs to have its home console as a more ideal supplementary platform for Xbox and PS owners to want to have around because it won't certainly replace them as their primary system of choice.
"Expanding only on exiting hardware is dull." - Iwata, March 2015
"What the other companies are doing makes business sense, but it's boring. The same games appear on every system. At Nintendo we want an environment where game creators can collaborate and think of ideas for games that could have never happened before." - Miyamoto, Nov 2014
"A unique software experience can always be realized with unique hardware that has a unique interface. That is why I believe Nintendo is, and will be, sticking to these dedicated gaming machines." - Miyamoto, August 2014
"We just don't care too much about what other companies are doing or are trying to do. Our primary focus is to think about and actually carry out something which [another] company's hardware can never realize." - Iwata, June 2013
" From my perspective, with regard to the more powerful hardware systems, to me what still remains incredibly important is the developers maintaining a focus on creating unique games because if all that everyone does is uses the enhanced power to create more and more games that look and feel the same, then all that it becomes is a competition about the power of the hardware rather than the uniqueness of the experience. That, to me, is where developers should be devoting their effort." - Miyamoto, June 2013
“it’s not just about power alone, but how to balance what you’re offering in terms of power with cost. I’m very happy with the balance that we’ve been able to strike. What’s left is how developers use it.” - Miyamoto, June 2012
"We just don’t care what kind of “more beef” console Microsoft and Sony might produce in 2013." - Iwata, June 2012
Nintendo's failure with Wii U and even Nintendo's move into mobile games has not changed anything in the sense that Nintendo values being a different kind of platform holder.
Sure, certain aspects of the system could be a little better but overall I'm really happy with it.
