At the recent investors meeting, Iwata discusses Wii U sales information, 3DS worldwide performance issues, pesky Friend Code business, and more.
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Nintendo opened the floor to its investors last week, commenting on Wii U supply and demand, and allowing questions to be asked of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata during their Second Quarter Financial Results briefing.
On the topic of Wii U, Iwata made note of Wii U pre-order performance, citing GameStop's Wii U waiting list being 250,000 long as a great sign of interest in the console. Meeting demand will be difficult for the company, as Iwata stated that production will not meet the demand. Nintendo expects to ship 5.5 million units worldwide, and deliver 24 million copies of Wii U software to retailers.
When asked of profit margins on the Wii U console, Iwata was less specific. He stated that while he can't date when it will sell for a profit, but even if it was so for it's launch period, it wouldn't bring in a lot of income for the company due to advertising and production costs. However, Iwata stated that Nintendo is aiming for profitability within the next fiscal year, for both Wii U hardware and software.
When discussing Friend Codes and how they release to the Wii U, Iwata spoke vaguely, saying "For Wii U, as those who have empathized with each other can create a friendship, the important mission of "Miiverse" is to increase the number of friends to play games with." He hasn't clarified this statement, so the method of creating a friends list remains unknown.
Iwata went on to say that the Wii U was built on the fundamentals that were initially in place for the Wii. He said that the goal of the Wii was to change the relationship between the TV, user, and internet. However, a lack of a second screen and keyboard made such a goal difficult, two issues the Wii U has addressed.
In regards to the 3DS, Iwata spent a lot of time on its financials, primarily focusing on its difficulties in finding a larger audience in North America. He stated that while the 3DS comprises 60 percent of the entire hardware market in Japan, North America's numbers are weak in comparison. In Japan, handheld sales (including the PSP, Vita, and DS) make up 78 percent of all hardware sales, whereas North America is only 40 percent, which explains why the 3DS is performing less than stellar in comparison. Iwata continued to state the companies focus on improving the situation in North America.
Topic: Iwata Comments on Wii U Supply, Pre-Orders (Read 1101 times)
