A short term gain but long term loss would be the result of Nintendo allowing its games to appear on competitor’s systems, its president says.

Speaking to CVG, Satoru Iwata said that his mandate of long-term prosperity for the company is why he wouldn't consider such a move.

"If I was to take responsibility for the company for just the next one or two years, and if I was not concerned about the long-term future of Nintendo at all, it might make sense for us to provide our important franchises for other platforms, and then we might be able to gain some short-term profit," said Iwata.

"However, I'm really responsible for the long-term future of Nintendo as well, so I would never think about providing our precious resources for other platforms at all."

With the Wii U struggling, some industry executives and gamers have suggested that Nintendo should ditch hardware and focus exclusively on game development.

Iwata believes this would equate to the removal of one of the company's key assets.

"What I believe is that Nintendo is a very unique company, because it does its business by designing and introducing people to hardware and software – by integrating them, we can be unique,” he said.

“And because we have hardware and software developers in the same building, they stimulate each other."

"Those kinds of conditions have enabled us to create something that no other companies can create.

“Those kinds of backgrounds are there behind the fact that such a number of great Nintendo franchises exist, and those great franchises always shine for people around the world."

Last month, Nintendo revealed that just 160,000 Wii U consoles had been sold worldwide in the three months prior.

However, the company made a profit of 8.6 billion yen (NZ$110m) in the first financial quarter of this year thanks to a strong performance by its 3DS handheld.