The EPIC Comeback Story of Nintendo

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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're discussing the complete 180 that Nintendo pulled off

00:13between the Wii U and Switch.

00:24Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified

00:29about our latest videos.

00:33Like most media giants, Nintendo's history is riddled with setbacks and comebacks.

00:38From the get-go, Nintendo didn't hit the ground running.

00:42You may have heard that Nintendo started as a playing card manufacturer, but did you know

00:46the company also branched out with toys and love hotels with varying degrees of success?

00:52The company reached a turning point upon venturing into video games, eventually saving the industry

00:57with the Nintendo Entertainment System.

01:00Nintendo still wasn't without its missteps, like the dreaded Virtua Boy, but they rebounded

01:05shortly after with the Nintendo 64, even if that console trailed Sony PlayStation in sales.

01:12The gap was wider when the GameCube went up against the PS2 and Microsoft's Xbox with

01:18Nintendo settling for third place.

01:21Nintendo went from third to first during the seventh generation console war with the Wii's

01:25release in 2006.

01:27Distinguished by its motion controls, the Wii would not only outsell the PS3 and Xbox

01:33360, but Wii Sports remains the best-selling Nintendo game ever, as well as the best-selling

01:39console exclusive.

01:41While this seemed like the ultimate comeback, the Wii fell short in one crucial demographic,

01:47core gamers.

01:48The Wii appealed to casual gamers, reaching an audience beyond the hardcore crowd.

01:53That said, casual gamers can be easily satisfied with a handful of titles while core gamers

01:59want every game of the year contender.

02:02The Wii also leaned heavily into Nintendo's family-friendly image.

02:14Grandma and Grandpa could play Mario Kart Wii with Junior, but 20 and 30-year-olds looking

02:18for something more mature felt alienated.

02:21As cutting-edge as the Wiimote was, many found the motion controller gimmicky and tricky

02:26to master.

02:27While the Wii was still a massive success, Nintendo sought to win back the hardcore crowd

02:32with their next-gen console.

02:34Instead, Nintendo further distanced core gamers and their loyal followers.

02:39At E3 2011, Nintendo officially presented the Wii U.

02:44Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé explained that where the Wii referred to social

02:49play as in Wii, the U in Wii U referred to you, the sole player using the system's gamepad

02:56controller.

02:57Confused?

02:58So were most consumers.

03:17Intended to be a successor to the Wii, the Wii U's name made it sound like an add-on

03:22akin to the 64DD or 32X.

03:25And we all know how well those sold.

03:28Although not an add-on, the Wii U didn't feel like a follow-up to the Wii either.

03:33The Wii U incorporated motion control elements, but the dual-touchscreen gamepad was the centerpiece,

03:39leaving many asking why they put Wii in the title at all.

03:43Side-scratching marketing aside, the gamepad didn't grab consumers like the Wiimote.

03:48While innovative, the gamepad was essentially a clunkier iPad with fewer apps.

03:54You could use the gamepad in different rooms, but its reach didn't extend beyond your house.

03:59Even if it did, the gamepad wouldn't fit in your pocket like a DS.

04:04For every plus, there was a drawback.

04:07The Wii U Pro Controller was well-received, but numerous titles were made with the gamepad

04:12in mind.

04:13The Wii U was backward-compatible with Wii games, but you'd need a homebrew application

04:17for GameCube.

04:19It included streaming apps like Netflix, but no built-in Blu-ray player.

04:23It was Nintendo's first HD console, but still didn't have the most powerful graphics on

04:28the market.

04:29While the basic unit's launch price of $299.99 was lower than some other consoles, it nevertheless

04:36felt steep given the Wii U's limited capabilities.

04:40Lack of games also made the price hard to justify.

04:43Although launch titles like New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendoland were fun, they weren't

04:49system sellers like Wii Sports.

04:52After the Wii U launched on November 18, 2012, Nintendo expected to sell 5.5 million units

04:58by the following March.

05:00Sales fell short by almost 2 million units.

05:04The Wii U generated more attention throughout the year with Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World,

05:10and The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker HD.

05:13Sales also rose 200% in North America following a $50 price cut.

05:18Maybe the Wii U could be like the 3DS, which had a slow launch but exploded after slashing

05:24its price.

05:25Of course, the 3DS didn't have to compete with the PS4 or Xbox One, which both released

05:32in November 2013.

05:34Despite having a year-long head start in this new console war, the Wii U now felt like a

05:40third-party candidate.

05:41Well, they say it's a chicken and egg thing, that once their games come out, people will

05:46buy the console, people will buy the games, and then other developers like Electronic

05:50Arts and Activision will see that sales are picking up and then they will start developing

05:56for that console.

05:58Speaking of which, the Wii U launched with titles like Assassin's Creed III and Mass

06:03Effect 3 Special Edition, but Nintendo soon lost third-party support from EA and Ubisoft.

06:10Nintendo did publish a few notable exclusives from outside developers like Bayonetta 2.

06:15Did you miss me?

06:17Yet many of the Wii U's standout titles were made in-house or at least incorporated homegrown

06:23characters.

06:24As great as Splatoon, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, and Mario Kart 8 were, the

06:30Wii U's library felt limited.

06:32With the Wii U showing no signs of rebounding, Nintendo hit the reset switch with a make

06:38it or break it product as Reggie Fils-Aimé described it.

06:41By 2015, Nintendo was already teasing this new product codenamed NX.

06:47In October 2016, it was announced as the Nintendo Switch.

06:52Unlike the Wii U, the marketing clearly established what the Switch was, a game-changing hybrid

06:58system that could be docked at home and played on the go.

07:01After decades of making home and handheld consoles simultaneously, Nintendo merged the

07:06best of both worlds into one.

07:09The Switch also combined elements of Nintendo's past two systems.

07:13The Joy-Con controllers echoed the Wiimote, and the screen was similar to the Wii U's

07:18gamepad, but smaller and sleeker.

07:21The Switch wouldn't over-rely on gimmicks though, offering a Pro Controller for traditional

07:26gamers.

07:27With the Switch setting its launch for March 2017, the Wii U was discontinued two months

07:32earlier.

07:33The Wii U ended its lifespan with 13.56 million units sold, less than the GameCube, N64, or

07:41Wii.

07:42Although The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild would be available for the Wii U, it

07:46was perfectly tailored for the Switch.

07:48Hailed by various outlets as the best Zelda yet, Breath of the Wild summed up what the

08:03Switch was all about.

08:05Just as Link explored an open world, the player could take the Switch wherever they pleased.

08:10Much like how the game's story was non-linear, people could play however they wanted, be

08:14it on the TV or in the palms of their hands.

08:18Some argued that the Switch didn't have many other launch titles, but Breath of the

08:21Wild's scope held us over as we waited for Super Mario Odyssey and Super Smash Brothers

08:27Ultimate.

08:37Nintendo won back third parties while attracting indie developers as well.

08:42Wii U games would also be ported to the Switch, with Mario Kart 8 becoming the second best

08:47selling Nintendo game after Wii Sports.

08:50Just trailing behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the best selling Switch exclusive is Animal

08:55Crossing New Horizons, which found a wider audience than expected amid the 2020 pandemic.

09:01New Horizons even brought an increase in Switch sales.

09:05The Switch might not be a perfect console, having fewer features than its competitors

09:09and still being less powerful.

09:11However, through its innovation, accessibility, and variety of games aimed at different ages

09:16though, the Switch would outsell the PS4 and Xbox Series X and S.

09:22As of writing, the Switch has sold over 146 million units, making it the third best selling

09:29console ever.

09:31With its successor set to release in 2025, the Switch might not overtake the PS2 and

09:36DS for the all time record.

09:39But even so, there's no denying that Nintendo pulled off an epic comeback, going from one

09:44of their worst selling consoles to arguably winning the modern console war.

09:49Looking back, the Wii U wasn't without its merits, which provided a stepping stone to

09:54greater things.

09:56It nonetheless may go down as a low point in Nintendo's history, but sometimes you need

10:01to fall down a few pits before reaching the top of the goal pole.

10:08Are you buying a Switch 2?

10:09Let us know in the comments.

10:11Did you enjoy this video?

10:13Check out these other clips for Mojo Plays, and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell

10:17to be notified about our latest videos.

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