Japanese Analyst Negative about Wii U

Analyst David Gibson of Macquarie Capital Securities in Japan has voiced his concerns over the upcoming Wii U and its long term prospects. Gibson and other developers believe that the Nintendo product, rumoured to launch on 18th November, has questionable capabilities.

Nintendo is hoping to make a big impact at this year's E3 in June but with the perceived underperformance of Nintendo stock and the belief that the console's “competitive position has deteriorated” Gibson advises avoiding Nintendo stock until the show. Gibson remarks that stock could be worth more if Nintendo “went iOS/ Android with games” but does not think this will happen.

Gibson outlines potential problems for Nintendo including the console having no edge as it will be less powerful than the Xbox360 and PS3, the console being less connected and less relevant than other products such as the four screen infrastructure Apple iPad, and a small window to gain installed base as the PS4 (Orbis) and Xbox Durango launch in 2013.

Furthermore, there are currently no plans to support the console from Activision meaning big selling titles such as Call of Duty will be missing. However, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has stated many times that Wii U would align more closely with the types of games Activision make so there may be support from the company at a later stage.