Zelda: BotW gives is a reason to buy NX, 3rd party talk, more on NX this year, says Nintendo

A portion of a Financial Post interview with Nintendo's Scott Moffitt...

FP: Looking back at the lifetime sales of Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, both of which have ebbed and flowed over the years, what are some of the lessons Nintendo has learned in this generation that it will apply to its strategy with future products?

SM: First, it’s really important to have the right content. Software drives hardware. We’ve proven that multiple times. The right game can really lift a system. With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being among the titles we’re working on for NX, we’re very excited it will be an immediate reason game fans will want to buy the hardware.

Second, it’s important to have clear positioning for your proposition and be able to explain it to consumers in a simple and easy way. Those are among the things that we are working on for NX.

Third, we need to showcase all the things that make Nintendo great. When we bring out a title it has to be of exceptional quality, it has to be fun, it has to be an immersive experience, and put a smile on families’ faces. As long as we stay true to those things, we’ll deliver what we want.

And certainly there are other factors, like third-party content. Our mission is to create the largest install base possible so that third-party developers will want to bring their content to our systems.

FP: When families ask me for a console recommendation I often endorse Wii U, explaining that Nintendo has more exclusives and more family friendly content than pretty much any other platform. But it’s harder for me to make the case for older players looking to pick up a new console who want to play more than just the games Nintendo makes. What’s happening with Nintendo’s major third-party partners, both right now and in the future with NX?

SM: That’s a great question, and one that we give a lot of thought to. There’s a tendency for people to focus on certain publishers or certain titles. But when you step back and take a look at it, we have great publisher relationships with companies like Ubisoft – which had some exciting announcements this week – Capcom, and Warner Bros. They have been strong and will continue to be strong partners in the future.

Having said that, what will attract even more partners to our platform — which, of course, is something we’d like to do — is having a piece of hardware that provides interesting ways for these companies to bring their game creations to life, one that’s easy to program and work on, and that has a large enough install base of game fans that are looking for a variety of content.

So, for an avid gamer a game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of those that you can’t not play. It’s a new high point for the franchise that offers gamers incredible freedom. Your gaming arsenal will not be complete without a Nintendo system and this game in your house.

FP: I suspect I know the answer to this last question already, but I have to ask: When can we expect to learn more about the NX?

SM: There will be more information coming out later this year. We certainly understand everyone’s desire and interest to learn more. We can’t wait to tell you all about it. But E3 was not the time. We wanted to focus our efforts on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and also on Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, a fantastic new experience in that franchise. But later this year you can expect to get more information on NX.