Nintendo Optimistic Towards Next Fiscal Year, In Early Planning Stages For New Hardware

In a recent Q&A posted online addressing some of the concerns related to its recent underperformance, Nintendo shared a hope to return to "Nintendo-like profits" soon, and writes it is already in the planning stages for new hardware.

Being in the planning stages of its new hardware should not be taken as a hint for an upcoming announcement. In the Q&A, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata writes that Nintendo always begins planning for new hardware whenever it launches hardware, and the Wii U has been out for some time. In regard to a question about plans for new hardware Iwata wrote the following:

The most difficult question for us to answer in public in concrete terms is when we are going to launch our new hardware and what kind of hardware we are going to launch, and I am afraid that I cannot talk about this in more detail. However, I can certainly assure you that we are not at a dead end of any kind in which we are out of ideas for 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.

Regarding a question aimed directly at Nintendo's poor performance, Iwata writes, "instead of seeing a great and sudden recovery in our profitability in the next fiscal year, I am rather expecting to be able to report Nintendo-like profits from around the following fiscal year."

Nintendo also made sure to reaffirm its commitment to the Wii U. Alongside the statements above about consumer satisfaction Iwata also wrote the following:

Our internal software development teams directed by Shigeru Miyamoto (Senior Managing Director and General Manager of Entertainment Analysis & Development Division) are committed to developing several titles that focus on offering unique experiences only made possible with the Wii U GamePad in order for a large number of people to understand the Wii U GamePad’s significance. The titles we are preparing to show you at E3 vary from being nearly complete to still in the early phases of development but with the core of its appeal noticeable. Therefore, our strategy of focusing on software has not changed.

Nintendo is struggling lately with profitability, but has shared some of its long-term plans, including E3 plans (which do not feature a press conference), licensing deals for its assorted characters and IP, as well as Disney Infinity and Skylanders-like figures for use with the Wii U. Nintendo also recently announced a pair of new Pokémon games, and also highlighted the importance of the upcoming Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. games in its Q&A to the long-term hopefull success of the Wii U.

[Source: Nintendo, via Polygon]

Our Take
Nintendo is struggling at the moment, but the company is far from being out of the game. I really like the Wii U from a hardware perspective, and I hope Nintendo can regain its balance soon. The numbers, however, definitely show Nintendo has a steep, uphill battle ahead of it.