The Success of the Nintendo Switch is No Accident

It’s the result of some surprisingly savvy, calculated moves.

Sam Cook

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Photo by Corey Motta on Unsplash

The wild success of the Nintendo Switch seems like it came out of nowhere. Its predecessor, the Wii U, was a clear stumble, suggesting that Nintendo was on a decline, and that the success of the Nintendo Wii had been a fluke. The Wii U looked to be the last gasp of a company that had lost touch with the modern audience — a desperate attempt to throw gas on the fire with another controller gimmick.

When the Switch was announced, it seemed like another Wii U-style flop waiting to happen. Once again Nintendo was releasing a console with motion controls and some fancy sensors. Once again the console had its own screen, and could be played without a TV. Taking the long view of Nintendo’s ups and downs, the simple conclusion was that the company was merely piling on fun quirks to try and spark some fresh attention, and that it would again fall flat with that strategy.

Instead, the Switch roared past the Wii U’s sales, and then the sales of its competitors. Its software has plenty of hits, including well-reviewed and commercially successful first party titles and a host of great indie games. All of this unexpected strength has led many people to conclude that Nintendo has gotten lucky, and released just the right…

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Sam Cook

Former writer for Tested.com and Geek.com, currently a technology professional, teacher, and father. I write about whatever is on my mind.