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So let's talk about Nintendo.

mcjmetroid

Member
Right so let me start by saying I would like a fairly mature conversation about this. This isn't about " im going to sell my switch" or " Nintendo is doomed" but rather what's going on and how the company has changed how it's run and it's practices.

I've always had issues with Nintendo and how they work and the odd decisions they've made but I think the general unhappiness with them lately feels like it's skyrocketed. Why though?
Well I'm not going to write a list here because I'm going to get quoted in every sentence. But you know what I'm taking about.

It feels like since the new president took over Nintendo they have become a lot more..'corporate' to me.
The interim president who basically launched the switch for the first year had a strategy of " one Nintendo switch game per month" and whatever the quality was.. this was true. The focus was to focus everything on the Switch. It works. Now that the switch is successful. It feels like they've pulled back as they did with the Wii.

Since the new president took over they have went into mobile games, then pulled away, then announced a mario movie, theme park and almost every focus is NOT on their only handheld/console. Is nintendos issue a lack of focus?

Look I know what people are gonna say
" but the switch is selling millions and making millions"
Yes!!. So did the Wii and look what happened at the midpoint of the Wii and the console after that.

I also understand Nintendo's concern that they don't want to be limited to their only console/handheld and are looking for other avenues.

So what do I think Nintendo should do?
In my opinion...for now focus on the Switch. Bad taste in gamers mouths at the end of a console lifespan will make your next console very hard to sell. The Switch had a very intriguing idea for a console and an extremely strong launch game to help and launch Window. So they were lucky.

Further into the future?
If we end up in a scenario where consoles no longer make sense then
Go full force with Nintendo online. I know people hate the idea of a subscription service BUT this makes more sense for Nintendo than anyone else. They absolutely can survive on their own on this front because frankly they have a longer list of games.

I would stop focusing on the multi media and merchendising side of things unless you have a strong plan for the future. Which I don't feel like they do. I feel like they're letting their base down and cooking with too many pots.
 

yurqqa

Member
Nintendo lived in a walled castle until recently and had a very hard time during Wii U period.

So they do the right thing - try to find another baskets to put their eggs to.

I just hope they won't go Valve's way and will still see the games as their main business.
 
There's no reason for Nintendo to change anything when people are buying their products so fast you can't find any on the shelves (Ring Fit Adventures and Nintendo Switch system)! The only other company that I can think of that panders their products for thousands of dollars and people will still buy everything in site is Apple (who sells a monitor stand for a $1,000, and $1,000+ iPhones that people will buy on a yearly basis).

I would love to see a Nintendo Switch Pro by the time BOTW 2 comes out, but I'm not holding my breath that it will happen since the Switch is sold out everywhere for the last 6 months, and it's still being rolled out in other countries, like China and Brazil.
 

Vawn

Banned
I would love to see a Nintendo Switch Pro by the time BOTW 2 comes out,

It's not going to happen, at least in the way the PS4 Pro, One X happened. What could happen is Nintendo moves to newer parts that are actually cheaper for them to aquire AND have a slight performance boost.
 

BlackTron

Member
Nintendo does really well for what they do, but in my opinion, they could do way better and even put a much more massive dent in Sony if they only pulled their heads out their asses.

They get wild and experimental which is cool, but then totally fail or ignore other things that would be assumed basic. They predictably try to take advantage of the fans who make them a success and stuck with them even when they made the most dumb products. Nintendo sent me a birthday gift of a minor discount on Star Fox Zero, for crissakes.

Basically, Nintendo devs perform some incredible software and hardware feats, but basic features are missing and the business side squanders all their good will with their petty tactics. It creates a weird adversarial relationship where everything is felt "held hostage" and drip fed to you little by little.
 
Really, Nintendo hasn’t changed anything. It’s just trying to capitalize on IPs in other formats, which it should. Look at how successful it has been for Marvel.
 
I can get being irked over disappointing mobile games, but they had to try. Fans, analysts, and I'm sure shareholders were all saying it was easy money being left on the table. You know, until they all sucked/flopped.

It's not like developer resources are being used for the themepark, though. It's probably not the worst idea to leave some games in the oven with a lot of the people's gaming money going to new consoles this fall. Hard to compete with that.
 

trikster40

Member
For me, Nintendo peaked with the GameCube. They tried new IPs, they reinvented old ones, they put out a smorgasbord of titles that appealed to all ages. It seems like every game they put out on the switch is required to have the word “Mario” somewhere in the title. Check out these games that Nintendo either published or developed on the GC:

1080 Avalanche
Animal Crossing
Baten Kaitos
Battalion Wars
Custom Robo
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero
Fire Emblem
Geist
Kirby
Zelda (2 Amazing ones, been downhill since in my opinion)
Mario Golf, Kart, Party (4 of them!?!), Tennis, Baseball, Soccer
Metroid (Not just 1, but 2 and the best Metroid games outside Super Metroid)
Pikmin
Pokémon
StarFox
Super Mario Sunshine
Smash Bros
Wario
WaveRace

AND they somehow managed to snag Resident Evil 4 as an exclusive!! Yes, it eventually went to PS2 but it took a while.

But the GameCube didn’t sell like gangbusters, and Nintendo’s taken the safe approach with their software ever since it seems.
 

Ritsumei2020

Report me for console warring
I can see Nintendo drop out of the console race and go third party only next gen.

They were lucky with the Switch but they wont be able to recapture the same success in the future.

Also, they thrive on nostalgia. If they were called Belda and Fario nobody would care about their games.

In short, Nintendo is DOOMED.

/s
 
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mcjmetroid

Member
For me, Nintendo peaked with the GameCube. They tried new IPs, they reinvented old ones, they put out a smorgasbord of titles that appealed to all ages. It seems like every game they put out on the switch is required to have the word “Mario” somewhere in the title. Check out these games that Nintendo either published or developed on the GC:

1080 Avalanche
Animal Crossing
Baten Kaitos
Battalion Wars
Custom Robo
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero
Fire Emblem
Geist
Kirby
Zelda (2 Amazing ones, been downhill since in my opinion)
Mario Golf, Kart, Party (4 of them!?!), Tennis, Baseball, Soccer
Metroid (Not just 1, but 2 and the best Metroid games outside Super Metroid)
Pikmin
Pokémon
StarFox
Super Mario Sunshine
Smash Bros
Wario
WaveRace

AND they somehow managed to snag Resident Evil 4 as an exclusive!! Yes, it eventually went to PS2 but it took a while.

But the GameCube didn’t sell like gangbusters, and Nintendo’s taken the safe approach with their software ever since it seems.
And there's even a few more onto that list
Not to mention they did snag most of the too third party games for a while.

There was burnout, timeplitters etc.
 

mcjmetroid

Member
I can get being irked over disappointing mobile games, but they had to try. Fans, analysts, and I'm sure shareholders were all saying it was easy money being left on the table. You know, until they all sucked/flopped.

It's not like developer resources are being used for the themepark, though. It's probably not the worst idea to leave some games in the oven with a lot of the people's gaming money going to new consoles this fall. Hard to compete with that.
Well at least they quite mobile gaming while they were ahead.

I know what you mean about developer resources but it's more the thought process and the resources that go into thinking of the next step Get together and come up with new games and ideas rather than trying to expand.

They might think they are in a strong position and they are but the future is always uncertain with them.
 
Wait Nintendo failed at the mobile market? I thought their FE gacha was doing gang busters, not enough to compete with FGO or GBF but doing well nonetheless.
 
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S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
Wait Nintendo failed at the mobile market? I thought their FE gacha was doing gang busters, not enough to compete with FGO or GBF but doing well nonetheless.
GranBrowserFantasy has actually died quite a bit. FE was doing ok until the subscription service aids from what I remember. Oddly enough smaller companies that make fucking nothing get crossovers and are still around but Nintendo considers not making over 300% in revenue a failure. 🤷
 
I feel like as much as I hate the wii and wii:u, they've finally nailed the hardware features that I resonate with the Switch.

1TF seems low to some people, but tech will always feel old to someone, and it's mitigated by being a handheld, which is how I play. People are already complaining about PS5/30fps and it isn't even out yet.

Nintendo software definitely took a shit over the years depth-wise, but I'm over it. A large userbase dictates that there will be lots of games to play. Just not great new Nintendo games.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
a5yTXIH.jpg
 

jufonuk

not tag worthy
For me, Nintendo peaked with the GameCube. They tried new IPs, they reinvented old ones, they put out a smorgasbord of titles that appealed to all ages. It seems like every game they put out on the switch is required to have the word “Mario” somewhere in the title. Check out these games that Nintendo either published or developed on the GC:

1080 Avalanche
Animal Crossing
Baten Kaitos
Battalion Wars
Custom Robo
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero
Fire Emblem
Geist
Kirby
Zelda (2 Amazing ones, been downhill since in my opinion)
Mario Golf, Kart, Party (4 of them!?!), Tennis, Baseball, Soccer
Metroid (Not just 1, but 2 and the best Metroid games outside Super Metroid)
Pikmin
Pokémon
StarFox
Super Mario Sunshine
Smash Bros
Wario
WaveRace

AND they somehow managed to snag Resident Evil 4 as an exclusive!! Yes, it eventually went to PS2 but it took a while.

But the GameCube didn’t sell like gangbusters, and Nintendo’s taken the safe approach with their software ever since it seems.
In this clip Dennis is playing the park of Nintendo.

 

-Arcadia-

Banned
Gaming side’s general perception of certain subjects, is vastly skewed compared to the reality. I wouldn’t take it too seriously. People having spergouts over three classics coming to Switch, only to find out it’s one of the best selling games of the year, is only the latest example.

I call that out, because we really have something special here, and I really want to see people make the most of it.

That said, I think Nintendo isn’t keeping up the momentum. If 2017 and 2019 are ideal Switch years, then we can look at 2018 and 2020 as an example of everything not to do.

2018 saw Switch become a PS4/Wii U port machine with almost no major new original releases until the end of the year. 2020 has been better, but still lacking in new content, and worse, has seen Nintendo become completely uncommunicative with fans, leaving them in a void where everything seems worse than it is.

I think these giant holes in content create a lot of disenfranchisement, and while it’s better than it has been on past systems, Nintendo needs to invest in growth beyond just keeping up the demands of visuals and technology, generation to generation, and create a variety of studios that can make something, when Nintendo itself is between releases. Likewise, funding third parties to make exclusives here and there, even if smaller, would be something really cool.
 
I can see Nintendo drop out of the console race and go third party only next gen.

They were lucky with the Switch but they wont be able to recapture the same success in the future.

Also, they thrive on nostalgia. If they were called Belda and Fario nobody would care about their games.

In short, Nintendo is DOOMED.

/s

You really don’t understand Nintendo. They build hardware that will play the games that they want to make, not the other way around.
 

Woopah

Member
There focus is still the Switch and the non-gaming projects don't stop games from being made. The strategy from the current President is not 'make less games for Switch'. We'd know more about the games Nintendo was working on if Covid hasn't disrupted everything.
 
When you have multi-billion dollar IPs like Mario and Pokemon, you have to try to milk that cow as hard as possible. Only sticking to console gaming would be a waste.
 
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Nintendo's strange business decisions don't have much to do with their recently increasing merchandising, licensing and mobile app development endeavors IMO. Nintendo does nonsensical stuff all the time. It happened before on Wii, it happened on Wii U and it's happening again now.
 
Further into the future?
If we end up in a scenario where consoles no longer make sense then
Go full force with Nintendo online. I know people hate the idea of a subscription service BUT this makes more sense for Nintendo than anyone else. They absolutely can survive on their own on this front because frankly they have a longer list of games.

I would stop focusing on the multi media and merchendising side of things unless you have a strong plan for the future. Which I don't feel like they do. I feel like they're letting their base down and cooking with too many pots.

Nintendo have terrible Online Infrastructure that they'd actually have to pay millions to get it to work (even when they earn billions a year they are too toght to even do this).

Personally, no one would pay for Nintendo's online only service due to the poor quality and high price, which would kill them.


I think they should pour their money into new Teams and Studios and create a new generation of Nintendo games where they would not need to space out releases or re-release the same games over and over to keep their existing audience.
 

Dthomp

Member
GAF has some kind of weird hate boner for Nintendo and I just don't get it. I am beyond excited for Mario as the only one of those I completed 100% was Sunshine, 20 bucks a piece to experience 3 of the best Mario games is a steel and yet people are butthurt all over the place. Oh no it didn't get the Spyro treatment, 3 ports of Mario are better then 3 remasters of Spyro every day of the week to me (and I platinumed all 3 Spyros).

I love that they don't just whore out their franchises with yearly iterations. There are enough games in the world where I have no issue waiting a few years for a new fun experience. Covid likely put a major burden on everything they had planned for this year that we don't seem to understand.

Still, I got a new Animal Crossing that I had a blast with for months, still need to pick up Paper Mario at some point, and in 2 weeks will have Mario, and after holiday at some point we have Zelda.

Appreciate them for what they are and that they haven't just devolved into Ubisoft/EA/Activision and release soulless products. There will always be a place in the market for Nintendo because they make great games and aren't only worried about the next big graphics card or Terraflop to sell you on.

Not to mention they are the only place I can find the weird japanese titles WITHOUT any sort of censorship these days is icing on the cake.
 

Neil Young

Member
Witcher 3 with all its dlcs and Cyberpunk will release before we get a new Mario Kart. That's my problem with Nintendo. Octopath Traveler STILL costs 50 bucks. That's my problem with Nintendo. The E shop is WORSE than the 3ds shop....that's my, you get the point.

This company gets a wide giant berth to treat their customers like piss. I don't get it. We are all lifelong fans of this company, I want to give them my money, but they are failing spectacularly (for me) to offer anything to spend it on.

We should all be talking about how awesome Super Mario Odyssey 2 was or how cool the dungeons in BOTW 2 were by now. Nope, here's your roms for 60 bucks.

Excuse me, Nintendo? Yes, sorry to bother you...um, yeah I just bought Tony Hawk pro skater remake and it was totally redone and for 40 bucks. Why can't you do something like that or like the Resident Evil remakes for Super Mario and maybe Metroid? What was that? Go fuck myself? Ok, fair enough.
 

MagnesG

Banned
This company gets a wide giant berth to treat their customers like piss. I don't get it. We are all lifelong fans of this company, I want to give them my money, but they are failing spectacularly (for me) to offer anything to spend it on.
"Provided that it's cheaper to my standards"
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
No idea what you're talking about because you refused to explain to, not get quoted? Hence the reason you get the same "mature" stuff you asked for, like how "I don't buy Nintendo they suck and haven't made a good game since 1996 and their hardware is ass".

:messenger_ok:(y)
 
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teezzy

Banned
Nintendo is a company which I view almost like the rare ex-girlfriend I'm still on decent terms with. They introduced me to the hobby, and were there with me during some key stages in my personal development. As such, we've since grown apart in our needs and desires, and no longer wish to be together.

Gabe Newell and Phil Spencer take turns jizzing on me now.
 

Nico_D

Member
I think they are still the most innovative company out of the three. Sometimes they miss the mark and take risks which many think don't work (like the combat in the new Paper Mario). But if a huge corporation takes such a risks instead of going the safest route (returning to the TTYD model), I just have to admire that.

With the new president I think the information is even more scarce now and I can't say I'm fond of that though I'm not overly bothered by it either. But could and should be better.
 
I don't really if Nintendo exits the hardware business, the appeal to me of Nintendo has always been the game design, I don't care about the gimmicks, the touch screens, the motion controls, the 3D, the portability, it's all just gimmicks that get in the way of what is most important, good game design.

And I want that game design on powerful hardware and if we can't get that due to having to stick to the hardware and it's gimmicks then I say... eh, why bother?

I feel like this could be the way it goes too, since they've already dipped their toe into it with the phone games.

I understand this is a hot take that may be controversial but to me the root of what makes Nintendo is great game design, not the hardware, that's all.

But this isn't just for Nintendo, I feel like the more time goes on the more dedicated consoles are going to be archaic and the more games are going to be more accessible to more people, basically what Microsoft is doing is probably the future of gaming.

For me, Nintendo peaked with the GameCube. They tried new IPs, they reinvented old ones, they put out a smorgasbord of titles that appealed to all ages. It seems like every game they put out on the switch is required to have the word “Mario” somewhere in the title. Check out these games that Nintendo either published or developed on the GC:

1080 Avalanche
Animal Crossing
Baten Kaitos
Battalion Wars
Custom Robo
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero
Fire Emblem
Geist
Kirby
Zelda (2 Amazing ones, been downhill since in my opinion)
Mario Golf, Kart, Party (4 of them!?!), Tennis, Baseball, Soccer
Metroid (Not just 1, but 2 and the best Metroid games outside Super Metroid)
Pikmin
Pokémon
StarFox
Super Mario Sunshine
Smash Bros
Wario
WaveRace

AND they somehow managed to snag Resident Evil 4 as an exclusive!! Yes, it eventually went to PS2 but it took a while.

But the GameCube didn’t sell like gangbusters, and Nintendo’s taken the safe approach with their software ever since it seems.

The GameCube is sorely underrated and why I love it is because it was the last time Nintendo was focused mainly on game design and had powerful hardware.

I hate that people didn't appreciate it enough at the time making them go in the direction of gimmicks.
 
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cireza

Banned
Wii U does everything Nintendo for me and there is absolutely no reason to invest anymore as there has been nothing new of significance since the beginning of the Switch.

Otherwise they are going for quick cash grabs with their various initiatives. They don't feel like they are building any long term strategy. Their strategy pretty much ends with Christmas and what shit to sell this year.
 
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mcjmetroid

Member
No idea what you're talking about because you refused to explain to, not get quoted? Hence the reason you get the same "mature" stuff you asked for, like how "I don't buy Nintendo they suck and haven't made a good game since 1996 and their hardware is ass".

:messenger_ok:(y)
Well actually I did get a mature conversation in this thread for the most part.

You literally are the type to quote one bullet point from a 6 or more paragraph thread and derail it. So no.. no list for you.
 

Saruhashi

Banned
Right so let me start by saying I would like a fairly mature conversation about this. This isn't about " im going to sell my switch" or " Nintendo is doomed" but rather what's going on and how the company has changed how it's run and it's practices.

I've always had issues with Nintendo and how they work and the odd decisions they've made but I think the general unhappiness with them lately feels like it's skyrocketed. Why though?
Well I'm not going to write a list here because I'm going to get quoted in every sentence. But you know what I'm taking about.

It feels like since the new president took over Nintendo they have become a lot more..'corporate' to me.
The interim president who basically launched the switch for the first year had a strategy of " one Nintendo switch game per month" and whatever the quality was.. this was true. The focus was to focus everything on the Switch. It works. Now that the switch is successful. It feels like they've pulled back as they did with the Wii.

Since the new president took over they have went into mobile games, then pulled away, then announced a mario movie, theme park and almost every focus is NOT on their only handheld/console. Is nintendos issue a lack of focus?

Look I know what people are gonna say
" but the switch is selling millions and making millions"
Yes!!. So did the Wii and look what happened at the midpoint of the Wii and the console after that.

I also understand Nintendo's concern that they don't want to be limited to their only console/handheld and are looking for other avenues.

So what do I think Nintendo should do?
In my opinion...for now focus on the Switch. Bad taste in gamers mouths at the end of a console lifespan will make your next console very hard to sell. The Switch had a very intriguing idea for a console and an extremely strong launch game to help and launch Window. So they were lucky.

Further into the future?
If we end up in a scenario where consoles no longer make sense then
Go full force with Nintendo online. I know people hate the idea of a subscription service BUT this makes more sense for Nintendo than anyone else. They absolutely can survive on their own on this front because frankly they have a longer list of games.

I would stop focusing on the multi media and merchendising side of things unless you have a strong plan for the future. Which I don't feel like they do. I feel like they're letting their base down and cooking with too many pots.

I tend to think the best relationship you can have with these gaming companies is just to ask "what products do you have" and pick up whatever you like from their list.

I don't understand the concept of being a "supporter" or "fan" when it means cheering on sales numbers or whatever.
Animal Crossing and Pokemon aren't my thing so I really don't care how well they sell. Except for laughing at salty haters.
If they flop and Nintendo suffers as a result then that's on them.

I think Nintendo's focus is on their brand and associated IPs.
In gaming they are a bit unique there.

They have this roster of recognizable mascots and people who can't wait for the next game in their preferred series.
The theme park and merchandise and mobile games etc just keep those mascots and brands in the cultural conciousness.

Even when they do something new like Splatoon or Arms the new IP comes with it's own distinctive branding and style and if it's popular enough it will become recognizable.

I can agree that it's not ideal if you are a "fan" who is sitting there hoping for a very specific game in a very specific franchise and that doesn't arrive you can think "why the hell are they building a new theme park ride and re-releasing Mario games when I am waiting for Monolith Soft's outrageous new IP to release".
 

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
Nintendo does tend to get lazy (or worse, they get artistic) after the first half of a console's lifespan. Keep an eye on Breath of the Wild 2 and Metroid 4 (if it ever materializes). If the gameplay mechanics are thoroughly fleshed out, Nintendo hasn't hit that point yet. If the story, cutscenes, characters, and "surprising elements" seem to be the focus, then unfortunately we have entered that latter-half of the Switch's lifespan where all their software will be experimental dreck paired with corporate-pleasing cookie-cutter Mario releases that lack all passion and creativity.
 

DunDunDunpachi

Patient MembeR
Nintendo right now :

"The Switch is selling itself, and we have two big games in the works... Shouldn't we delay them for the launch of our next console ?"
Wouldn't be surprised if both/either game became a "New" Switch enhanced exclusive to coincide with the Pro rumor, like they did with Xenoblade on 3DS.
 
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