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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
King of HyruleHell yeah
Posts: 4,519 Join Date: Jun 2002 |
Playing it safe (an N-Sider editorial) A very good read, check it out.http://cube.ign.com/articles/561/561400p1.html Introduction Nintendo has, perhaps, the richest history of any company in the video game industry. It resurrected that industry in the early 1980s, breathing life and vitality back into a market barely afloat on a sea of worn-out ideas and unrealized potential. Its games defined a generation and the stars of those games, even today, remain as some of the most powerful icons in gaming history. Nevertheless, since its days of dominance Nintendo has defined and redefined little more than its own past. Today, Nintendo is not in the dominant position it was ten years ago, nor is it defining any new generations. It continues to create some of the best games on the market, but mainly designs those games for its own niche audience - an audience that seems to grow less diverse with each passing year. Nintendo remains one of the top software publishers in the world and still dominates the handheld industry it created in 1989 with the Game Boy, but it is nowhere near the powerful force that it once was. Its last two home consoles, the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, have each seen steep sales declines over their respective predecessors. This trend doesn't appear to be on the eve of change either. Nintendo has always been an innovator. It is responsible for a number of hardware and gameplay innovations throughout the last two decades. Without it, the industry would be relatively aimless, possibly ending up much like it did with the crash of the video game business in the early 1980s. However, today much of its innovation goes largely unrecognized. A considerable segment of the mainstream media and gamers today almost completely ignore the GameCube. It is one thing to be hated, but Nintendo has been almost entirely phased out of the collective consciousness of millions. This is a far worse fate. But why is this? Nintendo continues to make some of the best games on the market, so why must it fight an uphill battle to attract a new audience? The answer is both relatively simple and highly complex. Nintendo has entered the business of developing games for its own fans. With an audience that was once fairly broad, this strategy worked well for some time, but trying to constantly recapture the same audience with the same techniques, game styles, and the same brands can only work for so long. Sooner or later that audience will dwindle. Nintendo needs to loosen up and reach out to new gamers. It needs to start creating entirely original games for every segment of the diverse gaming population if it ever hopes to rekindle the fires of success. Nintendo needs to stop playing it safe and start recognizing its full potential in the gaming world of the 21st century. Core Brands for Core Audiences The success of a Nintendo system has historically rested on Nintendo's shoulders. Pretty much every console or system the company has ever released has been pulled along by the might and power of Nintendo's many successful brands. The GameCube is no different. The overwhelming majority of the GameCube's best selling titles are developed by Nintendo itself. On top of that, virtually every one of those games is based on an existing franchise (or brand). Core franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, Metroid, Star Fox, and Mario Kart defined the Super Nintendo in the early 90s, they defined the Nintendo 64 (excluding Metroid) in the late 90s, and they continue to define the GameCube today. While these franchises continue to sell well, their appeal is limited in today's market. Nintendo cannot hope to appeal to vast new audiences by banking on the success of aging franchises. Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and Super Smash Bros.: Melee represent the direct continuations of Nintendo's largest and most profitable franchises and are five of the best selling titles on the GameCube. One might even venture to say that they are the five best selling games for the Cube and, without hesitation, I would back that assumption. They are also likely to be the only games on the system (by any publisher) to sell over a million units in the United States. Yet, none of those games have come close to even matching the popularity and sales of their predecessors. Of course there are many reasons for this, but when it comes down to it, these games (with the exception of Metroid Prime) are little more than categorical updates to their Nintendo 64 predecessors, in terms of gameplay. While, this strategy of updating and polishing worked well for games like Super Smash Bros.: Melee (the top selling GameCube title), Nintendo's choices in art style and design for the other three were hit and miss with even the most devoted of fans.  Super Mario Sunshine was definitely a better game then Super Mario 64 in many respects, but its childish theme and overall difficulty attracted few newcomers to the series. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the game, I don't believe I'm alone in saying that, at times, it didn't even feel like a Mario game. The characters were there, the baddies looked familiar, but the essence of what has always made Mario so great was notably absent throughout the majority of the adventure. I also know I'm not the only one who found the platforming cave levels to be some of the best parts of the game. Those levels were classic Mario fun, yet their style clashed distinctly from the rest of the game. Mario Kart: Double Dash followed closely in the footsteps of Sunshine. Though it featured a few new ways to play, many felt it to be uninspired in some areas, even bordering on lackluster when compared to its predecessors. Regardless, both games were designed almost strictly for the Nintendo fan and had limited appeal to the rest of the gaming population. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is in a slightly different boat. The game featured a dramatically different artistic approach than either of its predecessors on the N64, which were host to a more realistic and adventurous graphical style. The Wind Waker looked, and still looks, like nothing else on the market. The game was designed to be a vast, epic, and interactive cartoon. Predictably, this massive change in art style brought with it many who criticized the game for its graphics alone. However, aside from the new art direction, the game remained incredibly similar to its N64 predecessors. At times, it even bordered on unoriginal and formulaic. Though it ranks as my favorite Legend of Zelda title, The Wind Waker did little to reach out to new fans. I'd venture to say that it wouldn't have even sold as well as is has, had Nintendo not offered the original Ocarina of Time as an incentive to preorder the game.  At this point, I do not believe it is possible for Nintendo's core franchises to attract a myriad of new gamers. Their purpose will remain what they should have been for some time: support. Franchises like Mario and Zelda regained a lot of lost momentum when Nintendo successfully reinvented them in the three dimensional realm, but not even the colossal success of games like Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 were enough to keep the Nintendo 64 on equal footing with the PlayStation. Even if the next Legend of Zelda for GCN matches the critical acclaim and popularity of Ocarina of Time what help will that be in the long run? The GameCube will have a hit game, great. A few big hits didn't save the Nintendo 64. The most that games like Mario and Zelda can do is try to match their past successes. An awesome new Mario game will attract back fans of Super Mario 64 and an awesome new Zelda will bring back fans of Ocarina of Time. It is obvious that Nintendo needs to knock on a few new doors. Its core franchises will always be important, but cannot be solely relied upon to reach out to new audiences. Nintendo needs to start developing new franchises for a new generation. Attracting New Game(r)s Nintendo has done little to attract new gamers to the GameCube. It has taken no real risks, developing the same games it always has with the same familiar faces it always has, and releasing them just as it always has. While things might have been better had there been only the PlayStation 2 to compete with, Microsoft's Xbox has further dissolved Nintendo's fan base and impacted sales quite a bit. Combined with Nintendo's complete lack of online support, this has led to the GameCube being the odd man out when developers are choosing platforms for games with online play or features. The complete elimination or postponement of a number of GameCube titles has resulted. Truly excellent games like Burnout 3 can now only be played on the XBX and PS2 and many games, like Mortal Kombat: Deception, have been delayed for the GameCube and stripped of online functionality. Examples like these are common and only further diminish the status of Nintendo's system in the eyes of gamers and the media alike. However, Nintendo has been working together with 3rd party developers much more than they probably ever have before. This is definitely a good thing and will help the company a great deal in the future. The deal with Capcom that led to the GameCube getting the likes of Viewtiful Joe, Resident Evil 4, P.N.03, and Killer 7 was definitely a step in the right direction. If only there were more such examples. The majority of deals Nintendo has been making with 3rd parties involve little more than the creation of games using established Nintendo brands. Titles like F-Zero GX and the upcoming Star Fox GC were developed by Sega and Namco respectively. Aside from quenching the appetites of thirsty Nintendo fans, these types of partnerships do little to bolster hardware sales or reach new audiences. Instead of pooling the collective talent of Sega and Nintendo together, what we have is Sega making a Nintendo game. As great as it may be, it is but a shadow of what could have been.  Namco's Soul Calibur II is another issue entirely. I'm sure many consider the inclusion of Link in the GCN version of Soul Calibur II to be a very positive thing, but what message is it sending? That third party titles can sell better on the GCN than their PS2 and XBX counterparts, but only if Nintendo hands over its most revered mascot character? It is almost depressing to think of just how niche the user base of GameCube (and Nintendo consoles in general) has become. An incredible fighter like Soul Calibur II would have sold worst on the GameCube if not for the inclusion of Link. Nintendo's audience is so segmented that sports games, role-playing games, and a multitude of other genres are under represented on the Cube because, well, they don't sell. In other words, they aren't Nintendo games. If Nintendo doesn't start taking serious steps to attract fans of all genres, it is going to find itself fighting a continual uphill battle in the years to come. Nintendo has made a few modest attempts to attract fans of different genres to its console though. The problem is that these efforts are very limited. Remakes of big PSone games like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil have been one strategy Nintendo has tried, but what it fails to realize is that fans of these games have already moved on. Trying to attract new audiences by rehashing games of their past, just doesn't work in the long run. The other problem with this tactic is that these are just two games. To truly attract fans of these and other genres, they have to have something to play once they finish Resident Evil. Having to wait a year or more for even a decent game of any genre isn't something gamers should have to put up with. If Nintendo truly wishes to attract a new audience, it is going to have to try a lot harder. Direct Sequelitis But how can Nintendo ever hope to attract a new audience and a greater variety of games, if the company itself is providing little more than a pile of direct sequels to support its system? Not only are many of its core franchises suffering from a lack of originality, its secondary franchises are feeling the burn as well. For every supposed original game Nintendo puts out, there are at least two sequels that lack any form of originality whatsoever. Nintendo has been doing this for years, but never has it been as evident as it is this generation. The N64 was just as bad, but the intense popularity of games like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time gave their respective series' a new 3D face and seemed to energize the system. The Nintendo 64 also became the home to a great deal of original titles from Rareware. Games like Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps., and Banjo Kazooie went a long way to keeping Nintendo afloat at that time. Other newcomers like Wave Race 64, 1080 Snowboarding, and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron all helped to define the system as something fresh. I'll even go as far to say that games like Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., and Paper Mario were good for the system. They were new types of games and needed additions to the relatively weak library of the Nintendo 64. The difference between then and now is that this generation we have seen an even smaller number of original games on both the gameplay and originality side of Nintendo. The Big N has dissolved its partnerships with Left Field, Silicon Knights, and Rareware and done little to make up for their absence. So gamers are now not only feeling the sting of a Nintendo unwilling to take risks and develop new brands, but also the pain of having little to no creative support on the 2nd party and 3rd party front. The vast majority of Nintendo games this generation are direct sequels to their N64 predecessors. So now we have games that lack any form of originality on all fronts. How many Mario Parties is it going to take for everyone to realize that the best one was the original? Nintendo cannot attract new audiences by releasing unoriginal games. This is something that the Nintendo of today does not understand. The Art of Defensive Branding Nintendo needs to loosen up and reach out to new gamers. It needs to begin taking the kind of risks that brought it to the top two decades ago and create new and original games. Today we have a Nintendo that is so fearful of mediocre sales that it rarely ever releases a new game or fresh idea without prepackaging and stamping in one of the company's many franchises or mascot characters. Pikmin and Animal Crossing aside (AC being a port of a N64 game), I can't recall one 1st party title by Nintendo that isn't a sequel or tied directly into an existing series. Just look at how much it is milking the Donkey Kong name as I speak. Donkey Konga, Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, and DK: King of Swing could all be considered new and inventive games. Jungle Beat alone is one of the most innovative and addictive games I've seen in years. Yet none of these are derivatives of either the classic Donkey Kong series (see Mario & Donkey Kong for that) or Rare's Donkey Kong Country trilogy. Each of those three titles could have been designed as a standalone game filled with new and original ideas, characters, and worlds. We could have seen the birth of wholly new concepts that surpass and break free of any limitations a license brings. Instead, Nintendo slapped the DK license on all three, pumped in a number of nostalgic items to make them feel like Donkey Kong, and called it a day. Resting on its past laurels with the DK series, Nintendo has ensured that all three games will sell, but also preemptively denied itself the ability to create something truly original in all facets of game design.  Many will argue that some or all three, of the games mentioned above fit the Donkey Kong license perfectly and are best off as DK games. They may be right, but the problem is that we'll never know. Nintendo doesn't think of new game ideas anymore. It develops new gameplay innovations around its many brands, preemptively shutting its eyes to entirely new game concepts. Perhaps Jungle Beat was best suited to the Donkey Kong license. Perhaps it wasn't. The world will never know because Nintendo never opened its eyes to the possibility of creating a totally new world for the game. Instead it took the safe route. Nintendo has always been an innovator in gameplay, but it falls back on the safety of its established brands more than any other company I know. A truly innovative game should be able to stand on its own. Perhaps far worse than any recent abuse of the Donkey Kong license, is the intense and consistent profiting that has been done to the Mario license, since its inception in the mid 80s. Dr. Mario, Yoshi, Mario Pinball...these are but a few examples of the lengths Nintendo has gone to ensure the profitability of a new game concept or idea. However, that doesn't diminish the quality of the games presented. Even with the Mario license, games like Mario Tennis would quickly fade if it weren't for the quality of the titles themselves. There is also, most undoubtedly, a strong connection many gamers have toward the Mario universe and many of these games are very much worthy of existing as subsidiaries or entities of the Super Mario series. The true issue is that Nintendo pours so much into these kinds of titles that it invests no time into developing new franchises - entirely new stories, worlds, and game concepts. The tale that unfolded around Rare's Dinosaur Planet perfectly demonstrates Nintendo's reluctance to let go and let creativity drive game development; as opposed to development following the guidelines of a set franchise. Dinosaur Planet was originally a completely new and promising adventure game in the vein of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. However, late in development someone at Nintendo noticed that the main character of the game somewhat resembled Fox McCloud (of Star Fox fame). What resulted was pressure from Nintendo and Rare's eventual retrofit of the game to become a Star Fox title. Renamed to Star Fox Adventures (SFA), the game was released on the GameCube in late 2002 (right after Rare officially announced its purchase by Microsoft) to mixed reviews. Though the game was pretty solid, there was no hiding the fact that it was not a Star Fox title. It was obvious that Rare had shoved Star Fox elements into a game that was designed to be something very different.  There is no greater evidence of this than the final boss battle of SFA. Gamers faced off against General Scales, who would have likely been the final boss if the game had remained Dinosaur Planet. However, the very second you swing your staff the battle ends and you hear an ominous voice that says something about General Scales no longer being needed. The General is then forced to relinquish his Krazoa spirit and falls to the ground, dead. Fox proceeds to grab the final Krazoa spirit and is warped back to the top of the palace where he surrenders it to the final Krazoa statue. Out of nowhere, a Krazoa Head begins to move and reveals itself as famed Star Fox nemesis, Andross. What's strange is that at no point in the game was Andross even mentioned, prior to this. He says something to the effect of "Now that I am reborn, I have the power to destroy the Lylat System!" Without hesitation, Fox jumps into his Arwing and players fight Andross in exactly the same way that they did in Star Fox 64.  The shocking end of the game left our own N-Sider.com Site Manager, Cory Faller, just as puzzled. "The way that all played out just left me aghast. It was as if Rare was desperately trying to tell the story of how the SF license was just tacked onto an already existing game idea out of nowhere, abruptly changing its focus, the storyline, and universe that were built for it," said Faller. I couldn't agree more with him. Gamers today will never know what Dinosaur Planet could have become had it been given a chance to shine. In an odd way the Nintendo DS (Dual Screen) is another prime example of Nintendo's reluctance to let go and really put it all on the line. The entire concept of the new handheld system is that it offers an entirely new and completely novel way to play games. The DS hardware is very innovative and Nintendo is attempting to push the envelope with something new, yet it refuses to do so without the aid of the old and predictable. Nearly every single DS game I have seen from Nintendo is based on an already existing franchise. Super Mario 64 DS, Animal Crossing DS, Super Mario Bros. DS, Wario Ware Inc. DS, Metroid Prime: Hunters, Mario Kart DS, Legend of Zelda: Four Swords DS, and Yoshi's Touch & Go (a new Yoshi's Island for the DS) comprise the majority of games Nintendo has announced for its upcoming handheld. While titles like these are fine and even welcome additions to the game library, they shouldn't define it. Nintendo is trying to market a brand new idea with an old face. The DS alone is the best reason Nintendo has ever had to create totally new franchises. How does Nintendo expect to convince gamers that the DS is something totally new, when it can't even come up with any totally new games to sell it? The Nintendo DS is a great looking system, but I have played all of those games before and there's no way I'm paying $149.95 for a handheld unless it features something truly unique by every definition of the word. Aside from Sega's Feel the Magic XY/XX, I have yet to see that on the Nintendo DS. Fresh Faces, Unseen Worlds Undeviating reliance on established brands cannot result in the new and original games Nintendo needs to compete in this day and age. Pikmin represents one of Nintendo's sole forays into original game development in recent years. It is both a fun and charming game. Imagine if you will, what Pikmin would have been like had Nintendo instead decided to create the game based on the 128 Marios demo that it showed at Spaceworld 2001. Theoretically the two concepts are very similar, on a basic level. Sales would have been solid, being a title gracing the Mario name, but at what cost? The theme, characters, and world of Pikmin are what make the game so special. The quirky attitude and fun nature of it would have been lost had it not slipped through the cracks of Nintendo's rigorous brand association procedures. However, it was given the green light to exist and the creative imaginations of the brilliant minds at Nintendo were allowed to reign free. Because of this Pikmin is perhaps one of the most fun and exciting games to hit shelves this generation. Its sequel, Pikmin 2, only further develops and nurtures the originality and is one of the best games of the year.  Pikmin is but one of many examples I could use to illustrate this point. Viewtiful Joe is another. For all who have played it, VJ oozes character and imagination from every pore. Without a doubt, it is one of the most inventive and refreshingly entertaining titles to hit shelves in years. Nonetheless, I'm sure that at one point or another Capcom pondered the possibility of making the game yet another offshoot of its Mega Man franchise. What if it had decided to go ahead and turn the game into a new Mega Man title? I'm sure the resulting game would have probably been the best and most original Mega Man title in years. It probably would have outsold VJ as well, but at what cost? The magic that makes Viewtiful Joe so refreshing and fun would have been lost. Pokémon is a prime example as well. Where would the Game Boy and Nintendo be today if it weren't for the phenomenal success of Pokémon Red & Blue in 1997? Pokémon almost single-handedly revived and rebuilt the Game Boy brand from the depths of stagnation. Nintendo's biggest money making franchise today is a direct result of the company being open to a totally new game idea in 1996. The power of completely new game ideas cannot be underestimated. Historically, Nintendo's biggest success stories have consistently coincided with the creation of completely new games. Perhaps, the largest success story of this generation would have to be Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox. The game continues to top the charts after nearly three years on the market. Why? Because it features a polished gameplay and a completely original world and story; it was fresh, it was new, it was fun, and it was immersive. Bungie's Halo and upcoming Halo 2 exemplify everything Nintendo hasn't. Nintendo doesn't have to create the next big mature title to return to greatness in the public eye, but it shouldn't shut the door before giving projects a chance either. Viewtiful Joe (Capcom) and Beyond Good & Evil (UbiSoft) represent two of my favorite games this generation. UbiSoft"s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Splinter Cell have also pushed the envelope and been met with critical acclaim. Even Sony has been one-upping Nintendo with innovative platforming hybrids like Ratchet and Clank, Jak, and Sly Cooper. The bitter truth is that games like these would never come from the Nintendo of today. Right before its eyes, Nintendo has overseen its own diminishment. Its command over nearly every genre, of which it once held dominance, has been lost over the last two generations to competitors who have chosen to try something new. Some people play a game like Fable (XBX) and see a title that delivers few of its promises. I see a game that has barely scratched the surface of its potential. For I know how polished, alive, and amazing it could have been had Nintendo tried its hand at a title of its kind. Sadly, Nintendo is in the business of playing it safe. Developing completely original gaming worlds and concepts is not on its agenda. Conclusion Nintendo has been playing it safe and relying on its past; two traits that it excels at greater than any other. For over 20 years it has been reworking, remaking, and reenergizing its core franchises, each time with immense success and critical acclaim. If the teams at Nintendo can still stretch and re-imagine 20 year old brands with such ease, it boggles the mind to fathom what kind of magic they could create if given the freedom to follow their creativity to the very epitome of imagination. Given an equal creative playing field, Nintendo has the inspiration and ingenuity to craft immersive and lively worlds beyond anything on the market today. I know this because I have known the Nintendo of yesteryear and I am intimately familiar with the Nintendo of today. What I'd like to see is the Nintendo that looks ahead. A company that values its past, but treasures what lies around the corner even more. Mario, Link, Samus, and Donkey Kong would be nothing more than a couple of strange words had Nintendo not taken the risk on each and pushed the envelope in game design. Nintendo needs to take a look back and realize how it reached the top of its game. I can guarantee that it did not reach the highest heights of success by resting on its past. Nintendo reached the top by embracing new ideas and searching out new concepts. That's the Nintendo I'd like to see. ___________________ 
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
AnthonyBack in the shark tank Posts: 1,956 Join Date: Dec 2002 |
When I read the article, I was thinking like, "No s**t". Nintendo really needs to pull their heads out of their asses. ___________________ |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
CoconutCan has custom title?
Posts: 15,975 Join Date: May 2002 |
Eh, there's a whole lot of statements that I don't agree with and I just dont' agree with the overall tone of the article. Dinosaur Planet would have still been a horrible game even if it didn't have Star Fox added to it. |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
Ragnar DanneskjöldFriend of the Friendless
Posts: 18,111 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Houston |
I agree with some parts of it. Not all though. ___________________ I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. -Thomas Jefferson, |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
Cult HeroFwoosh
Posts: 478 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: In the flat field |
I didn't get why they think Nintendo should make new character for new game concepts. |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
CursiveLost And Safe
Posts: 2,943 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: England |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
StJimmyI'm in an Oasis
Posts: 3,144 Join Date: Sep 2003 |
Hmmm.. I get the feeling that the editor said "Okay guys, this week I want an article about Nintendo being stale. You've got 2 days to write it, so get cracking. Order chinese food if you'd like", and this is what they came up with. If it ain't broke don't fix it. If sticking DK on the box is gonna sell another 500,000 copies, you'd be an idiot not to do it. Take a look at the grudge. it has a good opening week, and ALREADY the sequel is being filmed. Fact is, if Nintendo wasn't milking thes efranchises they might not have been around for this ass-head to write an article about them. You don't just leave your company-icons behind cause you wanna be "fresh", when they'v ebeen the absolute reason for your success in the past. And give the xbox and the ps2 a few more consoles. It's not fair to bash Nintendo for being stale and give praise to some xbox titles (and come on, halo is hardly as innnovative as he says, microsoft got lucky and threw together a game that played very well). Give them 20 years and they'll have Halo:miniput and GTA:pinball too. ___________________  |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
zigdrat
Posts: 9,616 Join Date: Jun 2002 |
Personally, I'm tired of Nintendo's characters right now. I've been playing their games for about 16 years. The gameplay is as great as it ever has been. But the characters are really reaching their expiration date, for me. "You don't just leave your company-icons behind cause you wanna be "fresh", when they'v ebeen the absolute reason for your success in the past." You think the reason for their success is their franchises? They weren't always franchises man. They started out as original ideas. And they were a success which then led to franchising. Holding onto "company icons" is not a wise long-term business plan. Just look at how the Gamecube is doing. I'm sure they owe the wild success of this system to those great franchises that everyone clearly still loves and cherishes. *cough* Oh wait, reality check. The GC is a total failure compared to the PS2 in a business sense. So maybe it's time to try something new. If the PS4 has GTA:pinball, I'm sure we'll be seeing a similar decline for Sony around then too. That doesn't make it ok for Nintendo to continue on a downard slope right now. I have faith that Nintendo could start fresh and be more successful if they really wanted it. |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
LinKami DeschainRIP Yoshito Usui :-(
Posts: 6,120 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: anywhere the greenville scene is not |
Personally, i can't wait to see the new Link. Mario i am not tired of, i would love to see more of him, because i just love Mario. I would like to see DK, but in a more traditional role, but then again, i have yet to play his new game. Can't wait for more Samus though. I am not tired of their characters, i just want more games with them. Sadly, the complete opposite of what the article was entirely about. ___________________  Wii Code:0141-2992-0310-4549 Brawl Code:0602-5951-1825 |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
StJimmyI'm in an Oasis
Posts: 3,144 Join Date: Sep 2003 |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
DanMoRoll with it
Posts: 2,930 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
SouzetsuReady to Fly
Posts: 7,481 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: California |
What really confuses me is that in the middle of the article, it talks about how Nintendo isn't creating any new game ideas like they haven't done so in years, then it starts talking about Pikmin, and isn't Wario Ware something different? Nintendo creates new franchises, but it takes them awhile. |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
unkwonMiss Round and Plump!
Posts: 5,145 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Texas |
I'm thinking the real problem with Nintendo is not the games they make just the characters are overused. Forbes was correct when Nintendo would be third if they continued to use the same characters over and over again for 30 years. I could imagine if the games would be consider. People are getting sick of Nintendo characters which is why Nintendo is actully still alive. But whats also a paradox is that they couldn't possibly survive with the characters. who know though. The guy also forgets about games like Band Brothers, and One Line Puzzle! As well as Advance Wars and Introducing Fire Emblem to America. I think Nintendo should'nt even make characters but instead ressurect there all of there old NES franchises that never have been used before like a 3D or new sequels like Star Tropics and Kid Icarus and Kung Fu. People will think there freash as well ___________________ Now if only I could change to Mr Fat instead of Miss round and plump. |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
unkwonMiss Round and Plump!
Posts: 5,145 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Texas |
I'm also always thinking of how powned we are by the Xbox fanboys and DTM. We always got aggratvite yet, HE was RIGHT when he said what he said about the GC at times. Now I don't agree with what he always said about the GC but it seems what we always gripped about how Xbox fanboys are we are aggreing with to a extent. ___________________ Now if only I could change to Mr Fat instead of Miss round and plump. |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
Tachikoma0ShyGuy
Posts: 202 Join Date: Jun 2004 |
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| NerdSaturday, October 30th 2004. | |
RocksteadySteady Rockin' All Night
Posts: 14,141 Join Date: Aug 2003 |
What I find hilarious is at the same time, everyone including N-Sider is always like, "How sweet would it be to get a new Earthbound, Kid Icarus, and more, Nintendo has a vault of hidden francheises that need a reserection." Bull****. It's all a condraction to itself, people want new things, like Pikmin and Custom Robo, but complain, at the same time might I add, about that fact Nintendo doesn't decide to revive its hidden gems. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
BuzzJiveMore WiiWare
Posts: 4,799 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Utah |
I thought it was a good read. Nintendo just needs to find a good mix of marketing their franchises, and launching new concepts. Right now, they're not even close to getting it right - and their position in the market shows it. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
Cult HeroFwoosh
Posts: 478 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: In the flat field |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
drunken masterNerd
Posts: 20 Join Date: Jul 2004 |
I agree with a lot of things in that article, and im a huge nintendo fan. It is talking more about how to broaden their audience. Gameplay wise they admit that nintendo is still one of the best, its just aesthetically their games are getting tired. Its a fact that the mainstream gamers judge by looks a lot of the time. I dont want Nintendo to completely abandon their old franchises, but just find a balance between old and new. Whenever they think of a new game concept they should think up new characters and personalities as well. Thats why many people find something like beyond good and evil a little better than zelda ww, just the style of the game is something nintendo will never do. During the snes days there were 10s of awesome new characters and concepts - starfox, f-zero, pilotwings, now every new game that comes out has to feature one of them. there has been one new franchise this gen, pikmin. They should focus on mario, zelda and metroid to please the old shool fans, but also on a few new franchises, just to diversify themselves. Open up a new studio if they have to. I am happy with metroid prime, mario sunshine, wind waker etc (more than the writer here) but i wouldnt mind a few more franchises. Thats why i have a ps2 though, for games like metal gear, silent hill and ico. Nintendo is still great to me but when i need something else there are a few companies on an equal level of quality, but with a more unique presentation. Nintendo cant live on nostalgia alone forever. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
AdamNerd Posts: 19 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Paltz |
That article is exactly right. Nintendo's not bad right now, they're just boring and predictable. Unless this new Zelda game makes SIGNIFICANT CHANGES to the series forumla it's going to be another nail in the coffin. Start a real new franchise, Nintendo. One that people can actually care about. Oh, and I will never forgive them for the rape of Dinosaur Planet. Never. ___________________ Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby, you've got a stew going. - Carl Weathers |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
RocksteadySteady Rockin' All Night
Posts: 14,141 Join Date: Aug 2003 |
I don't see why people are complaing as Nintendo hasn't had many new franchieses even sence the Super NES days. Nintendo brought Earthbound, F-Zero, and Star Fox to the gaming world throughout the Super Nintendo's lifespan. That's three, yes, three new francheises that actually did well. They also had some other games that weren't very big, like Panel De Pon and such. As for the Nintedno 64 they graced us with 1080 Snowboarding, Wave Race, Custom Robo, and Waialae Country Club: True Golf Classics. Yup, yet again only 4 new francheises made directly from the house of Nintendo. So here we are with the GameCube, and what new games have the given us? Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Doshin the Giant, Giftpia, Kururin Squash, with Geist and Odama still on their way. The most we've seen in a while. Odd isn't it? |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
zigdrat
Posts: 9,616 Join Date: Jun 2002 |
The only one of those games you listed that was an original idea created by a Nintendo development team for the Gamecube was Pikmin. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
RocksteadySteady Rockin' All Night
Posts: 14,141 Join Date: Aug 2003 |
True, but all have had sequals since. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
BuzzJiveMore WiiWare
Posts: 4,799 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Utah |
zig beat me to it there. but I'll also give Nintendo credit for Animal Crossing and Custom Robo. I don't care that they were N64 ports - it's the first time they came out in English. Everything else they've done so far are updates to existing games or some variation of an existing franchise. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
King of HyruleHell yeah
Posts: 4,519 Join Date: Jun 2002 |
Well, Noise developed Custom Robo on both the N64 and GC, though I'm not really sure what their relationship to Nintendo is exactly. Anyway, I basically agree with the idea that Nintendo needs to strike a balance between new characters and old ones. Frankly, it's disappointing to see them churn out a new Mario Party every year rather than seeing them try out something else entirely. Then we've got Metroid and Zelda. Though it's very hard for me to complain about new installments in my favorite series'...they didn't exactly make GC sales skyrocket for very long, yet we're gonna see new versions of them around a year after the originals came out. Then there's the GBA versions...and the DS iterations...and the spin-off Four Swords games...ugh, it's just becoming too much. ___________________
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
RocksteadySteady Rockin' All Night
Posts: 14,141 Join Date: Aug 2003 |
I don't see what's so wrong with plopping out everything the Mario Party series has got. Very little companies have the ability to do this and still make money off of it, which is the exact reason Nintendo has resorted to it. |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
Tachikoma0ShyGuy
Posts: 202 Join Date: Jun 2004 |
Many people here still dont get the point. Its not about eliminating old franchies it about creating new ones while maintianing the old franchises. For example MP2 uses the same engine as MP. The New Zelda uses a modfied WW engine: With all that extra money they saved from Game development, they have more than enough to create 1 or 2 new franchises |
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| NerdSunday, October 31st 2004. | |
ImpNerd Posts: N/A Join Date: N/A |
Or with the money saved they could...you know, actually have enough money to create those profitable new games. Majoras Mask ran off the OoT engine. We only had one mario. We only had one Star Fox. Nintendo didn't reuse it's engines much back on the N64, we also didn't see multiple games coming from top franchises. ___________________ Credit Cards Canadian Credit Cards Best Credit Card Deals |
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| NerdMonday, November 1st 2004. | |
AdamNerd Posts: 19 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Paltz |
The DS should have launched with something new. If this so called 'Revolution' doesn't, Nintendo will finally be dead. Nobody cares about Nintendo except for nostalgic reasons. Hmm, I wonder if they'll ever realise that it's not working. ___________________ Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby, you've got a stew going. - Carl Weathers |
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| NerdMonday, November 1st 2004. | |
Black DragoonWaiting for a Revolution
Posts: 3,406 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Colombia, South America |
This editorial has a strange feel to it, it's like they were saying they don't like the old characters anymore. Nintendo doesn't need to forget about their representative franchises in favor of some new others. What Nintendo really needs to do is to continue re-creating their long time franchises and create some others. They said it, Nintendo is an INNOVATOR, which is why I love the company. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I read Nintendo will introduce a lot of new gaming franchises in the next generation, and that leaves me happy 
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| NerdMonday, November 1st 2004. | |
AdamNerd Posts: 19 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Paltz |
Just like they've done for the Gamecube? That's right. |
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| NerdMonday, November 1st 2004. | |
Black DragoonWaiting for a Revolution
Posts: 3,406 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Colombia, South America |
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| NerdMonday, November 1st 2004. | |
AdamNerd Posts: 19 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New Paltz |
I would have liked to see those franchises three years ago and not with the Revolution, or even with the DS, but no, that too is launching with old faces. And I post here for three reasons, one I'm a weirdo with no outside life and I get my kicks pissing off fanboys on tacky (yet loveable) Nintendo forums, I'll own up to that. The second reason is that I had a different name here for quite a long time and decided to re-register. And the third is that I have genuine hope for Nintendo, and I really do want them to succeed because I think they deserve it more than others on the playing field. I just don't agree with a lot of their policies now. ___________________ Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby, you've got a stew going. - Carl Weathers |
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| NerdMonday, November 1st 2004. | |
RocksteadySteady Rockin' All Night
Posts: 14,141 Join Date: Aug 2003 |
Good, Nintendo will be happy to know you aren't buying their products, they don't need you stinking up their systems anyway.
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| NerdTuesday, November 2nd 2004. | |
Black DragoonWaiting for a Revolution
Posts: 3,406 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Colombia, South America |
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| NerdTuesday, November 2nd 2004. | |
PsionyxMeh
Posts: 5,317 Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Blogging your mom. |
 Its about time someone wrote and article about what nintendo needs to do.
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