Nintendo: It doesn't matter if Wii U is first

Wii U being released before the other next-generation consoles doesn’t matter.

This is according to Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata, who said being first to market isn’t as important as other factors.

Iwata told Gamasutra: “Being first in the next generation race is not important at all.

“One of the reasons we believe this is the time for Nintendo to launch the Wii U is it’s going to be important for the world.”

Iwata believes the most important aspect of the Wii U’s success will be the price.

He added: “The pricing of Wii U is going to be one of the most important elements when it is going to be launched.

“The environment is different. Wii U is going to be launching in a different environment than when the Wii was launched. Also, the involvement surrounding [mobile and social] businesses is different than several years ago.”

Iwata also added that criticism of the Wii U is to be expected but opinions will change when the console launches.

“When something unique comes up, it’s difficult for people to understand it at the beginning.

“A lot of misunderstandings and pessimistic observations, like, ‘Will a product like this really spread in the market?’ prevail and then after some time, after being able to experience it, the atmosphere changes.”

Wii U will be released sometime this year.