Nintendo's future lies in the hands of mobile gaming and a stronger console

Even after taking a backseat to Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo is still finding ways to stay in the spotlight. A new console as well as a mobile app have been introduced by Nintendo since the beginning of the year.

Nintendo’s second console in almost half a decade, the NX, was first reported on in 2015. While no strict details were announced at the time, the company did distribute developer kits for the platform. Since the kits were released in the fourth quarter of 2015, it’s possible that the Wii U, Nintendo’s current console, may be getting the boot sometime this year or later.

The Wii U was released in the United States in 2012, a year before Sony and Microsoft released the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Even still, the Wii U didn’t sell as well as its competitors. This is likely due to the lack of console exclusives and third-party support.

That being said, it’s already likely getting replaced by the Nintendo NX. Supposedly, the NX will be a “console-handheld” hybrid, similar to the Wii U’s controller except a lot more polished, as the Wii U’s controller was a bit bulky.

Supposedly the NX will be able to compete with current-generation consoles in terms of console capabilities, as the Wii U was also criticized for its graphical ability, seeing as it’s specifications are nowhere near the level that are found in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Nintendo’s also ventured into mobile-gaming as well. In October 2015, Nintendo partnered with DeNA, a Japanese company built on mobile and e-commerce products. Nintendo’s first mobile game, Miitomo was released this year for both Apple iOS and Android systems.

Miitomo acts as a messaging app for users to communicate with their friends. They can answer questions, visit friends, or take photos. Users are represented by their Miis, which are either imported from My Nintendo or created by scratch. Miis were first introduced way back in 2006 when the Wii was released.

Miitomo’s been a hit so far, receiving over one million users in just three days after being released in Japan and has grown to over three million worldwide. So it’s safe to say that there is a demand for mobile games made by Nintendo.

The main critique that the game’s received are the in-app purchases that are available to users in the form of Miitomo Coins. This virtual currency is used to buy clothing that can be used to customize user’s Miis. This isn’t exactly a “pay-to-win” game, unless you consider buying clothing as “winning”.

It is a bit of a “cute app”, or a game that’s pretty much meant for kids. Even still, teenagers and adults alike will definitely find ways to make Miitomo interesting and exciting for themselves.

Based off of the success of Miitomo, it’s highly likely that Nintendo will continue to create mobile apps based off of Nintendo characters and franchises. The market is definitely there.