The latest issue of MCV has interviews with Nintendo’s UK marketing boss Shelly Pearce and UK general manager Simon Kemp. During the discussion, Pearce states that the “Wii U has had quite a good year so far”.
Pearce said in the magazine:
“We’ve really seen momentum pick up with Mario Kart 8 back in May. That was when we saw a step change, not just in terms of sales but also people’s attitudes to Wii U. People are starting to consider buying now, which was cemented by our E3 activity. All the software that we showed then gave people confidence that there were lots of games coming that they wanted.”
“One of the key things for us is that people are staring to realise what software there is, what games they can get this Christmas, but importantly a lot of key stuff that is coming next year, too. It is a really strong line-up.”
“We are expecting to see real growth from Wii U this Christmas and we will continue to build on that next year”.
Kemp also said the following:
“We’ve felt a real increase in interest and momentum. Compared to 12 months ago, it does feel noticeably different.”
Pearce mentioned Splatoon, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and The Legend of Zelda as Nintendo’s big titles for 2015.
Neko Entertainment is bringing Tetrobot and Co. to Europe in a couple of weeks. The eShop is currently listing an October 30 release date, which we assume is accurate. Here’s hoping North America receives Tetrobot and Co. at around the same time!
As of today, 3DS owners can begin filling out a new 3DS puzzle for Fantasy Life. The first panel should arrive via SpotPass so long as you have Wi-Fi enabled. You can access the puzzle in the StreetPass Mii Plaza.
This week’s issue of Famitsu contains yet another column from Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai. Sakurai once again addresses questions about the new Wii U and 3DS games.
First, when asked him how it feels to be done with the development on Smash Bros., he said:
“I’m not done yet… Game development is very hard. You cannot get through it without sacrificing everything, including your own private life, and you often get hurt. However, I’m grateful that so many people have been involved, for the games that are completed, and all the people who play the games.”
Sakurai also addresses a topic about differences between Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS. In his response, he mentions that an announcement is coming soon to show the exclusive features of the Wii U version, which will highlight the “true potential of Smash Bros.”
In this week’s Nintendo Download report, Nintendo confirmed some of the titles coming to the Wii U and 3DS Virtual Console over the next few weeks. Gamers can look forward to Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land – due out on October 30 – as well as a few other titles.
Here’s the full lineup as of now:
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow – Oct. 23 (Virtual Console on Wii U)
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land – Oct. 30 (Virtual Console on Wii U)
Demon’s Crest – Oct. 30 (Virtual Console on Wii U)
Gargoyle’s Quest II: The Demon Darkness – Oct. 30 (Virtual Console on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS)
Source: Nintendo PR
