Nintendo’s upcoming changes feel a little more urgent today.
Consultancy company Interbrand released its annual list of the world’s top brands, and Nintendo isn’t on it for the first time since the rankings inception in 2001, as originally reported by The Japan Times. This is another indicator of Nintendo’s difficult, recent history and a good reason why the Japanese company is reinventing itself.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":1815807,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"A"}']Nintendo’s recent troubles began when its latest console, 2012’s Wii U, failed to make much of a dent in the market. Today, it’s trailing well behind the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Microsoft ranked No. 4 on the list of top brands, while Sony was at No. 58. Of course, unlike Nintendo, both of those companies have divisions outside of gaming.
Nintendo is working to change its fortunes. It’s planning to get into mobile gaming with DeNA, and it’s already working on a new console, the NX (which we’ll learn more about next year). Nintendo also made a deal with Universal to bring Nintendo characters to the movie studio’s theme parks.
Of course, it hasn’t been all bad for Nintendo this year. The Amiibo toys have sold over 7 million figures, and two Wii U exclusives, Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, have sold over 1 million copies.