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Lennholm

macrumors 65816
Sep 4, 2010
1,003
210
Mario Kart, Smash Brothers, Mario Party, and their 2D platformers are all very casual multiplayer oriented. It's a bizarre niche.

The systems been out for 14 months and they'll be revealing a new Zelda game soon? What the hell does that mean? They normally reveal a game over a year before the release, which means we won't be seeing a good game besides Pikmin 3 for the system until its been out for over two years.



Yeah, but how many of them are worth playing? I have Zelda: WW HD, Pikmin 3, and Rayman Legends. I'm pretty sure I already have every single good game for the Wii U.

Rayman Legends, by the way, is freaking amazing. You repeatedly brought up Nintendo's 2D platformers - you really need to try Rayman (Origins or Legends, although Legends improves upon Origins - which was already an amazing game - in just about every way) before you make the mistake of thinking Nintendo's platformers are anything worth talking about. I tried them on the Wii and they weren't anything special - I seriously doubt Nintendo meaningfully revamped their formula with the Wii U.

Just because you don't like them doesn't mean they don't exist. You were questioning why they don't call upon their huge catalog of franchises when this is exactly what they've been doing. Mario, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros are their most beloved and best selling franchises. If you don't like those I don't understand why you care about Nintendo at all. I've tried both Rayman Origins and Legends; Super Mario 3D World is still the best platformer and probably the best game all categories for the Wii U, maybe YOU shouldn't make the mistake of dismissing games you haven't even tried.

The point about revealing a new Zelda game soon means that there's an average of ~4 years between console Zelda games and the previous one was released little over 2 years ago. Nintendo don't rush their games.

Lets be honest here a gaming PC is something way too expensive and way too complicate for the average person. That's why consoles replaced PC gaming.

People buy consoles instead of just hooking their smartphones up to their TV's because they have better graphics. Than smartphones. If your iphone played battlefield 4 at the same settings a PS4 did with no difference in user experience, you'd just get a Bluetooth controller and an hdmi adapter and ditch the console.

I'm sure everyone thinks the Wii U is great though. That's why nobody is buying them.

So you're conceding that price is a factor, then what's so bad about Nintendo offering an even more affordable system than Sony and MS? They're all "poor-mans PC" anyway.
Consoles have in no way replaced PC gaming, rather, it's the other way around. Ever since the 80's when the only way to play games at home was the home consoles the PC as a gaming platform has constantly grown and competed with (or more like complemented) the consoles.

As I said, people who buy consoles for the graphics are morons, they're graphic whores too ignorant to know where to spend their money.

The Wii U IS great, the fact that it doesn't sell as expected doesn't mean the system itself is bad. What's lacking is Nintendo's online eco-system (or the lack of one). Apart from that, Nintendo has been given a brutal wake-up call to the fact that their entire trade has lost its dominance to the smart phone and tablet onslaught (even though the 3DS has held its ground remarkably well). This is an industry wide problem and something that will hit Sony and MS as well when the initial launch hype cools off.
 
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Renzatic

Suspended
Consoles never replaced PC gaming. In fact, the One and PS4 just reinforced PC gaming for hardcore owners. Once the Steam Machines get traction, the Xbox and PS brands are doomed.

It's gonna take a few years for Steam machines to get a good, solid foothold, and start appealing to a wider market. Since Valve absolutely refuses to do exclusives on them, the moment they become appealing in their own right is the moment when they've got tons of games to choose from, when it's able to match the PS4 and Xbox One title for title on everything from indie titles to big studio AAA games. It's got a lot of potential, but it's gonna take awhile before it reaches the point that it can even be considered a solid alternative, let alone a console/Windows gaming killer.
 

BiggAW

macrumors 68030
Jun 19, 2010
2,563
176
Connecticut
If Nintendo did license SOME of their IPs to Apple for a one-two year exclusivity deal, you would see Nintendo bring in A LOT of dough. The key is not to price the stuff as much as a DS/3DS game.

They need to go cross-platform. They need to reach as wide an audience as possible. But FINALLY he sees the obvious. 3 years too late probably.
 

progx

macrumors 6502a
Oct 3, 2003
768
864
Pennsylvania
The future for Nintendo is to move on from hardware, and focus on software.

There is gold in their game back catalogues. iOS and Android versions of classic games, or games that sold well in years gone by would be instant cash cows ready to be milked. The profits should then be used to develop newer titles.

Sony and Microsoft produced consoles that were multi-use items. DVD / Blue-Ray players and games consoles. The HDMI slot therefore went to their console, and not Nintendo. They also had broader appeal, with games for the family and for adults. Their approach has helped them win the console war. If Nintendo want to stay in the console market, they need to follow this model.

However, this is not a market with much future. People now consume digital media through their smart TVs and TV boxes like Apple TV. These devices already have console capabilities. Once these are realised, consoles are over. If Call of Duty was available on Apple TV who would spend £3-400 on a console?

Once Apple TV has an App store gaming will change for ever.

Nintendo should embrace the future.
- stop spending millions on hardware development and production costs. It's a battle they've already lost.
- start converting high-selling games from its back catalogue to run on iOS (esp any future Apple TV app store)
- consider creating specialised controllers that work with iOS.


Electronic Arts should consider monetising it's back catalogue too.
- X-Wing for iOS? I'd buy that now.


So, $5 billion in cash doesn't phase you? They can make countless mistakes until 2075 and still have money available. They will make changes. Maybe borrow some ideas from the One and PS4.

If Nintendo stops making hardware, you will never see another Mario or Zelda again.

They have said, countless times, going 3rd party would only be a short-term solution. They would not be able to stand apart from their software counterparts, that's why they continue to make hardware since it captures their experience of the game. Going third party hasn't helped Sega, just look at what they've been releasing as of late. If it wasn't for Nintendo fronting the publishing bill, Bayonetta 2 and Sonic Lost World would have never seen the light of day.

Plus, the Sega vs Nintendo argument? Night and day difference. Sega had FOUR costly flops, the Sega CD & 32X, Saturn, Game Gear and Nomad. Aside from the Saturn and Game Gear, each of the products sold barely half a million each and Sega bled the Genesis money dry by the end of the millennium. I don't consider the Dreamcast to be a flop and they should've hung in there with it.

Nintendo and Sony have dominated the best-selling systems for decades, with the PS2 (less 155 million), DS (154 million and gaining), Gameboy/Color (119 million), PS1 (102 million), Wii (103 million), GBA (82 million), PS3 (80 million) and PSP (less than 80 million). The Xbox 360 was Microsoft's only top selling system trailing at 81 million.

It will probably be Sony and Nintendo fighting until one of them goes out. More than likely, it'll be Sony since their consumer electronics division is bleeding money (TVs, cameras, players, Vita, etc). I'd hate to see them go out of business, but their movie division had a terrible 2013 and now they're attempting to manufacture the Bravia TVs on their own again.

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It's gonna take a few years for Steam machines to get a good, solid foothold, and start appealing to a wider market. Since Valve absolutely refuses to do exclusives on them, the moment they become appealing in their own right is the moment when they've got tons of games to choose from, when it's able to match the PS4 and Xbox One title for title on everything from indie titles to big studio AAA games. It's got a lot of potential, but it's gonna take awhile before it reaches the point that it can even be considered a solid alternative, let alone a console/Windows gaming killer.

Very true. I give it 5 years since backward compatibility will reenter the fray after the PS4 and Xbox One are done.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
I really hope they don't get serious about making AAA titles for iOS. Playing Mario with touch screen controls is going to suuuuck.

Later titles yes. But the first couple were basically just runners so it could be done and not too horrid. And now that there are the controller API, Nintendo could make a Bluetooth version of their old controller to go with the games. Perhaps even bundle it with a free copy of the first one as a marketing stunt.

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I don't know, maybe the people spending hundreds of dollars on Angry Birds accessories, physical board games, toys, plush dolls, colouring books, etc. A successful franchise on iOS drives other non-smartphone non-casual-game businesses.

But a lot of that Angry Birds stuff isn't needed to actually play the games. Unlike if you have to get a controller etc.
 

Hastings101

macrumors 68020
Jun 22, 2010
2,341
1,463
K
The 3DS is selling pretty well though, so wouldn't selling on mobile kind of kill that? I could maybe see a virtual console kind of thing that offers older games succeeding.
 

progx

macrumors 6502a
Oct 3, 2003
768
864
Pennsylvania
Later titles yes. But the first couple were basically just runners so it could be done and not too horrid. And now that there are the controller API, Nintendo could make a Bluetooth version of their old controller to go with the games. Perhaps even bundle it with a free copy of the first one as a marketing stunt.

I doubt it. The controller shells aren't proving to be hot sellers since many people are not looking at the iPhone and iPad as gaming machines. Any tablet or smartphone is viewed that way now. Productivity and social are the two biggest categories on a phone or tablet. If they play anything, it's Tetris, Angry Bird or Fruit Ninja, simple games that can utilize the touch screen properly. Plus, viewing movies, TV shows and listening to music are rated higher than video games on these devices. Hence why, they don't see this as an acceptable model to make games on. Eventually, they may do old NES and GB games, but beyond that, I very much doubt their games will grace our devices.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
I really don't want to play a Nintendo games on ios. Playing sonic on ios is already a nightmare.

Bit of false logic going on here. Seems like you are assuming the issue is iOS when it comes to porting console games and not the skill of the programmer. Just because whomever did Sonic did a crap job doesn't equal to all console games being given a crap over. The Nintendo team might do a better job, even to the point of hiring someone that really knows iOS to help them

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For god's sake... Mario invented the coin!!!!! You wouldn't even have to change the playability of a Mario game. He would want to collect coins. Either mine them in-game, or simply by them via IAP. Brilliant! Do you know how much money Nintendo could make their first year selling iOS games?

100 coins for a free life never sounded so good!

It would be more like 1000 coins. To go with them pulling a candy crush. You get three lives. Then must wait an hour to earn three more. Or you can buy one if you have enough coins, want to IAP. Even hook it to Facebook and friends can send you lives.
 

Renzatic

Suspended
Very true. I give it 5 years since backward compatibility will reenter the fray after the PS4 and Xbox One are done.

Backwards compatibility would be its one biggest advantage, since it's pretty much a consolized PC. Chances are good it'll always use x86, and games that are playable on it now could be playable 10 years from now. Just like Windows.

...though the same thing could happen with the PS4 and Xbox One, since, as of this generation, they're also consolized PCs. Going with x86 there means MS and Sony don't have to dump tons into R&D to get a powerful, inexpensive machine. They could do the same thing PCs have been doing all these years, just on a slower upgrade cycle.
 

progx

macrumors 6502a
Oct 3, 2003
768
864
Pennsylvania
The 3DS is selling pretty well though, so wouldn't selling on mobile kind of kill that? I could maybe see a virtual console kind of thing that offers older games succeeding.

Shigeru Miyamoto once said, "If people want deeper game experiences, they will carry a 3DS around with their smartphone."

So far, that logic seems to be working in their favor. The StreetPass games has made them over $7 million overnight and has been hit for the system. Measuring your steps and giving you play coins to use in ALMOST every Nintendo game, that's more rewarding than any achievement in my opinion.
 

Renzatic

Suspended
Bit of false logic going on here. Seems like you are assuming the issue is iOS when it comes to porting console games and not the skill of the programmer. Just because whomever did Sonic did a crap job doesn't equal to all console games being given a crap over. The Nintendo team might do a better job, even to the point of hiring someone that really knows iOS to help them

Actually, the Sonic games are excellent ports. The problem is that playing oldschool platformers like that using touchscreen controls is a hit or miss affair. It's possible to get used to, and even play them pretty well (I got really far into Sonic CD), but even the best touch control scheme never feel quite as precise as physical controller.

Haptics go a long, long way towards making the experience.
 

CBlakeston

macrumors 6502a
Jan 31, 2008
601
377
They need to go cross-platform. They need to reach as wide an audience as possible. But FINALLY he sees the obvious. 3 years too late probably.

Nintendo don't 'Need' to do anything. They have $15 billion in cash reserves and can take losses of this magnitude for the next 20 years.

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I've been a lurker for years on this site but finally something forced me to join up and address some issues about Nintendo. Clearly the Apple Fans here have no idea about Nintendo, how they run, their history and how they make money.

Nintendo is NOT moving to smartphones. They earn their money through hardware sales and their first party games. How much profit do you think they will make from $3 dollar games on the App Store. There was a suggestion that Nintendo would have to sell over 750 million games on the App Store to earn the same profit as they currently do.

Nintendo believes in high quality games built on their hardware. Just like Apple believes in high quality hardware running on IOS. Putting any of their games on smartphone would damage the brands like Mario or Zelda and people will think they have become the cheap game's makers like games are not smartphones.

And please get the bloody idea of Apple and Nintendo coming together. Nintendo would prefer to pour fuel over their assets and buildings and set it on fire than let a American company get their hands on them and turn it into something they are not. Smartphone and tablets are terrible ways to play games and Apple has slowly been turning a great video game industry into a cheap two dollar business with games that are downloaded and deleted a few days after.

Nintendo can change and move with the times, they have been around for a hundred years and they will be fine in the long term.

+1. I'm genuinely surprised at how many apple fans don't get it.

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1) Look up "Burn Rate"

2) Money in the bank does not make a company. Viable products that people buy and a subsequent profit is made from the sale makes a company.

3) Going forward, why hardware products does Nintendo have that people want that will grow the company? Sales of its next gen home console Wii U is going sideways at best, and the 2DS is not going to revive the company -- the days of $30 portable games are past and none of the major independent game studios even publish much more than token kiddie games for it -- the same ones that can be had for $.99 on the App Store.

Sir, you are assuming that Nintendo will
Never have another wii like success. As has already been pointed out, Nintendo as a company is more successful then all of Sony. Period. Do you see mentions of burn rate in articles about XBone out selling PS4 for the past month? How ever will Sony survive?
 

ShootingStarPho

macrumors member
Dec 19, 2011
37
37
Apple and Nintendo: Could They Join Forces?

Am I the only one who would love to see Apple purchase Nintendo and consequently have them work together to make video game integration via Apple TV, Macintoshs, iOS devices, and other future hardware even better?

The two companies share similar aesthetic tastes already. They both wish to innovate by providing premiere products and provide new experiences to consumers.
Although Nintendo misses the glory they had, the convenience of a tablet/smart phone makes other hardware something that requires further commitment and money. Purchasing a game on the App Store for a device that I already own is simple. That simplicity is something people like. It is not going to disappear.

I hope Nintendo continues to thrive on all fronts. I think they should consider expanding their reach to all possible avenues.
 

ghost187

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2010
965
2,042
This is a company Apple should buy.

Nintendo has sold crapware to 100s of millions because of its exclusive 1st party titles. If these games were iOS exclusive, the competitive edge Apple offers to anyone who likes playing games would be undeniable. The boost in hardware sales from such an acquisition would cover the purchase cost within a couple years, and the software sales would bring a healthy consistent profit. Plus, this is a move Google cannot copy because of its open platform that almost encourages pirating. I'd say the cost of such acquisition would be 20-30 billion, but it would be quickly recouped.

Nintendo doesn't like making powerful hardware because the cost to develop goes up considerably. Since mobile hardware will always be considerably behind consoles, this fits Nintendos style of making games perfectly.

Some may say why buy them if they will do it themselves eventually for free, and you may be right to some degree, but I'd say that the exclusivity is the key here. For example, if they go exclusively android because Nintendo disagrees with Apple's App Store policies, than that would be a huge quality boost to Google Play, which would put Apple at a severe disadvantage in the gaming department. Every iOS game ever made combined would not hold a torch against Zelda, Pokemon, and Mario. These titles have survived the test of time through decades and have a huge 100 million+ following that buy expensive gear just to play these games (and I'm one of them).
 

MacAddict1978

macrumors 68000
Jun 21, 2006
1,656
895
Stinks of SEGA.

not at all. Sega was actually smart.... they had several successful hardware platforms, then the saturn which was on one level the best console of it's time and another.... a huge failure for various reasons (hard/expensive to develop for, first ever drm that added issues, cost, etc and scared people off)

They also saw Sony and Microsoft coming into the market in addition to Nintendo and was smart enough to do straight game developer for other platforms.... less risk, more reward

When mobile gamin hit, Sega was one of the first big vendors to bring iconic characters to the tiny screen and evenre-launching legacy titles from the Gensis era.

NOTHING AT ALL like Nintendo....

Nintendo even still thinks to do mobile they need their own device somehow....

Why not just port classic titles? Instead of revamping them for an alleged next gen console.....

Nintendos pride will be the nail in its coffin.

I don't think nintendo should abandon their current format, but hit up the legacy titles. Toss out old catalogue. How fun would it be to play the original Zelda on an iPad? Milk cash out of your past, use that to get people excited about your present, and innovate a better future.

The WiiU just did not cut it. It's not going to magically gain traction almost 2 years after it's introduction. Nintendo needs to hit hard and come out of the gate soon with something much more viable that gimmicky controls that lose their novelty quickly,

They also need to get back support of third party developers who have all but fled their platform and are having a fantastic future with their two competitors instead.

And nintendo needs to figure out how to have a more rounded audience.... the majority of their gamers are kids.... the majority of people playing XBOX and PS are ADULTS..... ADULTS who have incomes and actually can spend money on games, unlike the 7-14 year old demographic they do have that has to beg mom.

That is really one of the biggest challenges that Nintendo faces as a company is their demographic for users. The only reason Nintendo has the money in the bank they do is because pretty much all their titles now are first party in house, and they get the profit off the games vs. Sony/Microsoft who do have 1st party titles, but rely more on third party developers and licensing fees they earn off those third party titles. Still, Sony/Micro have a user base that's.... well, employed.

Nintendo just needs to look at the reality around them. Someone posted about how much money they have.... and for 3 years running, that cash has shrunk. We all know what happens when bleeding is not stopped. Look at how many great companies were once up there in Nintendo like glory that are now no longer...or ghosts of their former selves.
 
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G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
WAY too late to the game. They will never succeed making any of their own equipment. It is absolutely critical that they make as many as their games into apps as possible, and with their console-only games turning to apps on Roku and Apple TV using iOS devices as controllers. A lot of this won't be hard to do and will result in MILLIONS of happy people, which means LOTS OF MONEY!

Nintendo would have to sell about 750 million games at App store prices to make the same money they make right now, so they would actually take a HUGE loss.
 

hansonjohn590

macrumors 6502
Sep 14, 2013
353
4
Nintendo has as large and a rabid a fanbase as Apple did when they launched the iPhoned. They also are really good at making physical devices usable.

I'd say they have a much better change of making a successful iPhone competitor than either Google or Microsoft.

Did you even read the article? Their fanbase isn't enough.


Nintendo has some of the best franchises in the world, they would see tremendous success in porting some of these games over.

Sir, you are assuming that Nintendo will
Never have another wii like success. As has already been pointed out, Nintendo as a company is more successful then all of Sony. Period. Do you see mentions of burn rate in articles about XBone out selling PS4 for the past month? How ever will Sony survive?

Terrible argument. Sony is FAR more than just the PS4. Nintendo is a gaming company and both of their flagship consoles are failing to meet expectations.
 

ThunderSkunk

macrumors 68040
Dec 31, 2007
3,827
4,078
Milwaukee Area
Their hardware may have been great in the past, and even profitable, when there was a market for it, and no competition. Now, their games are their valuable IP, and they should be looking to get them on as many platforms as possible.

Serious lack of vision in that company.
 

CFreymarc

Suspended
Sep 4, 2009
3,969
1,149
Yes, you can control your own land and castle. However, if the merchant routes bypass your keep, you starve. Your ego or your market. Take your choice.
 
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