Why Nintendo Isn't the Next Disney (And What It Will Be Instead) — Naavik

So when anyone frames Nintendo to be “the next X” or “will one day be like Y” it completely misses the point. Connecting to the company’s core values, Nintendo is flexible in its approach and sincere in its intentions, but it will never compromise on being its unique self. And if the company’s central mission is to put smiles on the faces of everyo... See more

Smartphones shrunk the market for handheld gaming devices, and the rise of app stores dramatically changed the economics of how handheld/mobile games monetize. Nintendo lacks experience in this new domain, and it so far hasn’t found repeatable and scalable success in a world dominated by free-to-play games.

Creating and selling a brand new device (or two) every 4-7 years is tiring work, and nailing it every time historically doesn’t happen. And because Nintendo is always innovating in a truly distinct way, the upcoming customer response is somewhat unpredictable.