A Repeat of Pokemon’s Year… Just Not With Pokemon
2016 had Nintendo in the spotlight throughout pretty much all 12 months, and it wasn’t always because of hardware. Nintendo knows how to throw a party for the properties that helped get it to where it is. You couldn’t go anywhere without seeing or hearing about something Pokemon related, and with the re-release of the original games early on in the year, Pokemon GO in the summer, then Pokemon Sun and Moon during the holidays, fans had plenty to play over the year without every switching away from the franchise.
I don’t think there’s ever been quite as successful an anniversary celebration as that one. It would definitely be a great idea to try and catch lighting in a bottle for the second time with everything in 2017. The Legend of Zelda and Kirby quickly come to mind as two properties that the company can leverage against the impending release onslaught from both the Xbox One and the PS4. Zelda and Kirby re-releases on the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch, maybe some animated entertainment, free rewards to celebrate, new game announcements, and more could really shift the spotlight to Nintendo and lock it in place.
