In the UK though, belief in Nintendo is slightly more positive. Members of the gaming retail sphere, speaking anonymously, have expressed their faith in the console giant’s future.

According to MCV, these industry leaders believe that a bundle containing the Wii U hardware and the highly-anticipated Mario Kart 8 at a significantly reduced price could be the move that turns everything around for Nintendo.

This brings to light an interesting question though. While the second screen of the Wii U is indeed one of its key selling features, would its effective use really make a significant difference in sales? Remote play is without a doubt a useful feature in settings where multiple people share a TV, but is the average casual gamer really going to get excited about a creative use of the secondary screen?

Despite this uncertainty, the release of Mario Kart 8 ushering in an increase to Wii U sales seems like a no-brainer. Alongside Super Smash Bros. For Wii U which is also slated to release later this year (and made our list of most anticipated games for 2014), the Nintendo is about to see the release of arguably its two strongest multiplayer properties. As such, it’s not unreasonable for these UK retail members to assume that either of these games’ releases could open up the Wii U floodgates to a wider audience of people wanting to play with their friends.

The more pressing question though, is whether Nintendo will capitalize on the chance. The Wii U has already seen a price cut, but if Mario Kart 8 is to be bundled with it, another price cut would be almost a necessity in order to make the bundle more attractive to consumers. While this could definitely have a negative impact, with their recently falling stock prices, Nintendo is at a point where they need to begin making concessions if they are to remain competitive in the console circuit.

Does Nintendo need to focus more on releasing more of their beloved first-party titles? Do you think a bundle with Mario Kart 8 and a price drop could initiate the push that Nintendo needs?

Source: MCV