The Dark Age Of Nintendo (2012-2017)

Third Party Support Dries Up

Initially, Nintendo's goal of casting aside the many tacky titles that dogged the Wii was embraced by many a publisher. However when the sales figures failed to measure up, the likes of Ubisoft and Electronic Arts began to drop their support as early as 2013 and focus on Sony and Microsoft instead. Nintendo's stigma of being a company mainly aimed at the kids also fuelled this move as the PS4 and Xbox One were heavily focused on more mature experiences.

While Sony and Microsoft were consistently getting the latest Call of Duty and sports titles every year, Nintendo was languishing in the corner, unable to compel other large gaming publishers to release games for their system. Even if they had managed to salvage some third party support, releases would have been placed on the bottom rung of the ladder in terms of fidelity and technical performance.

Amidst the gloomy outlook in the home console business, the only thing keeping Nintendo afloat was the 3DS, which after the demise of the PlayStation Vita, had effectively cornered the handheld market. It was able to endure even with the rise of mobile gaming thanks to continued high tier releases. The trail of exclusive titles began to slope off towards the end of the console's life-cycle.