In the face of a large financial loss and the despite the struggling Wii U sales, Nintendo will not rush to put out a new console in an effort to turn the company around. Instead, it has reiterated its commitment to the Wii U, intending to satisfy those customers first.
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That is not to say Nintendo does not have plans for what's next, however--it actually has a clear plan for its future console. Company president Satoru Iwata revealed in an investor Q&A that, although they're supporting the Wii U for now, there already is a plan for what's next.
It's not too surprising that Nintendo has already begun working on a new console (as Iwata says, the planning for the next generation happens at least as soon as a new one begins), but it is interesting that they have a clear idea of what it will be already.
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"Once we launch a new platform, we naturally start to prepare for the next one. 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," Iwata explained.
"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."
Hopefully, Nintendo will be taking a more forward-thinking approach in the future by including more of the standard features expected in modern game consoles, but don't expect to hear details about it for a long time.