February 22, 2012 by

... and make the Wii U launch be the best launch of all time.

Sony usually does a decent job with their console launches. That is, everything except for pricing, which the Vita still suffers from today. But despite doing some wrong things with the launch of the Vita, Sony did many things right. And considering that Nintendo's last launch wasn't all that spectacular, below are 3 things that Nintendo should learn from Sony's recent launch of the Vita.

 

Launch with full third-party support.

Nintendo's relations with third parties have not been all that good. Sony, on the other hand, always seem to nab third party exclusives right out of Nintendo's hands. This is probably due to the fact that Nintendo doesn't feel that they need to pay third parties for their exclusives in order for their consoles to be successful. Look at the launches of the Nintendo 64, the GameCube, the DS, the Wii, and the 3DS. Now compare that to the launch of the Vita. Nintendo needs to step up to third parties and seriously consider them as a major factor in selling the Wii U at launch.

Is Nintendo doing anything about it?

Recently it seems that Nintendo is having a change of heart. The 3DS has strong third-party support with more coming our way. It is rumored that Nintendo is asking third parties to release new games of long-lost franchises on the 3DS and Wii U. Nintendo has secured several huge third-party titles for the launch of the Wii U, notably THQ's Darksiders II, Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden III, and Warner Bros.' Batman: Arkham City. The fact that the only playable in-development retail game at E3 2011 was made by a third-party shows that Nintendo is really pushing third-party support. Now, if only Nintendo can secure down Resident Evil 6 and Grand Theft Auto V for launch...

Now THIS is what I like to see: Nintendo reaching out to third parties.

Launch with an active online infrastructure.

It's hard to believe that Nintendo has never launched a system with a working online infrastructure. Their plan for online was virtually non-existant during the GameCube era, and the Wii and 3DS didn't get full online systems implemented into them until several months into the console's lifespan. On the other had, both the Playstation 3 and the Vita launched with an active online infrastructure. Why is Nintendo lagging so far behind in online technologies when online play is now one of the most important innovations of the seventh generation?

Is Nintendo doing anything about it?

Mario Kart 7 marked the turning point in Nintendo's online strategy. That game proved that Nintendo is taking steps to improve the online experience in its game. Pushmo marked the turning point in Nintendo's online estores. The game proved that Nintendo can make and distribute smaller games through digital distribution. Will these two aspects of online move to the Wii U? They're going to have to. If Nintendo wants Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Online to be playable at launch, then the online infrastructure must be there, and complete, by the Wii U's launch. Plus, with rumors of Valve and EA trying to help Nintendo with their online and the recent announcement of the Nintendo Network, things are looking good for Nintendo's online future.

All of this needs to be on the Wii U at launch.

Launch with a "core" first-party game.

GameCube. Wii. 3DS. All of these systems launched with first-party games. But what were they? Luigi's Mansion, Excite Truck, and Pilotwings. Obviously, these aren't "core" titles. What is the Vita launching with? Uncharted, WipEout, and ModNation. Granted, one of those games turned out to be terrible, but all three titles are part of established Sony franchises that ring well to the "core" Sony fan. Nintendo needs to get things done by launching with a "core" first-party title with the Wii U.

Is Nintendo doing anything?

For now, Nintendo has said little about what they plan on launching for the Wii U. However, they have gone out and said that they learned from the launch of the 3DS and are planning accordingly to prevent that from happening again. Will Miyamoto's secret project make it to launch? Is Retro currently making a Wii U launch title? Is Pikmin 3 a potential launch title? Will there be a new Mario coming out this year? All of these questions will hopefully be answered at E3 this year.

Tech demo or real game?

So, fellow MyIGNers, what do YOU think Nintendo can learn from the launch of the Vita?

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