Itagaki: Things are getting interesting for Nintendo

The market has yet to decide the ultimate fate of Wii U, Japanese developer Tomonobu Itagaki has said.

The Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden creator’s next title, The Devil’s Third, will be a Wii U exclusive – which in itself is notable, as is the fact that an ultra-violent game would select Nintendo’s hardware for its debut.

"Personally, I feel like the future is going to be made by the gamers themselves," he told Polygon of the console’s prospects.

"I think a lot of people might have been surprised that such a violent game was going to be released on a Nintendo platform. But I think that you can say, from a certain perspective, things are getting interesting for Nintendo as well, making these kinds of choices."

And in much the same way as Bayonetta 2 creator Platinum Games has spoken glowingly of its partnership with Nintendo, Itagaki says that the House of Mario has had an impact on his game’s development.

Ten per cent of the game has been flavoured by this cooperation with Nintendo," he explained.

Thankfully I was able to find Nintendo as a partner. They really supported my vision, and when I saw the level of commitment they were bringing to the project, I knew I had to follow through with them.

"Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, Japan is a small country in terms of landmass, but it still has an amazing concentration of lots of different cultures within it, and I think that Nintendo culture is one of those, and I had this opportunity to learn about Nintendo culture through the years working with them."