[Orayn]

A portion of it is straight-up insecurity. Nintendo, to some people, is a company whose games and hardware can only appeal to children and "casuals," so they reason that disavowing Nintendo will show everyone how mature and hardcore they are.

[Tutomos]

It's all about graphics. If Nintendo made games that look like Uncharted, nobody would have said anything about making games on iOS.

[ScreenSplitter]

Because some people want to play their games, but don't want to be seen in public with their hardware.

You will look far more ridiculous playing Cut The Rope then you will ever realise. True story. Unless you're wearing rolled up chinos with no socks, sporting a goatee and a woolen hat in the middle of June, you probably don't look cool. And then in that stereotype you probably look ridiculous anyway.

It's all about graphics. If Nintendo made games that look like Uncharted, nobody would have said anything about making games on iOS.

To you, and to various others in this thread;

[we.are.the.armada]

Haha, oh fuck.

I don't think many bloggers or online forum posters are in financial advising firms or maturity review committees in a position to catechize about Nintendo's best interest.

It's so persistent because some people would rather assert their ideals than approach things logically as a defense mechanism in substitute for a lack of critical analysis.

It's one step below prevarication, which is fucking sad and makes me feel bad for the future of my country because people don't only do this with video games.

[apana]

Another reason is because the gaming media is biased and has an agenda to push.

[Orayn]

It's all about graphics. If Nintendo made games that look like Uncharted, nobody would have said anything about making games on iOS.

It's a damn shame, because Nintendo has released multiple games this generation that put Uncharted to shame in terms of mechanics. I guess those don't matter any more, though.

[butter_stick]

Another reason is because the gaming media is biased and has an agenda to push.

They're just people with opinions.

[woahjeez]

I blame dirty ponytails and bad gaming t's

[DeaconKnowledge]

Some gamers want Nintendo games but don't want to buy Nintendo systems.

[outunderthestars]

Another reason is because the gaming media is biased and has an agenda to push.

What? What agenda would that be? Do you think they have meetings to discuss and coordinate this agenda?

[-Pyromaniac-]

They're just people with opinions.

lotsa similar opinions out there then

I don't think it's an agenda as much as it is a bandwagon.

[linkboy]

3rd party developers want Nintendo out of the hardware market because Nintendo doesn't worship them like Sony and Microsoft (especially Microsoft) does.

[BocoDragon]

I feel like a lot of "tech" journalism is incredibly guilty of suggesting what is actually this very bad business idea for Nintendo to go third-party.

They're familiar with the wider world of tech companies, but fail to notice that Nintendo makes boatloads of cash by consistently doing their own thing and avoiding industry trends.

For example, when Sony and especially Microsoft got into consoles, in the tech world, you would have thought this meant game over for smaller companies. Tech journalists were used to Microsoft taking over all aspects of their world, so from afar, it would have seemed like good advice for the friendly little Nintendo to get out of the race and join the big uns. They assumed Nintendo was just another "Netscape". Of course the ridiculous thing they don't notice is that even the worst selling Nintendo console has been a profitable venture, while Sony and Nintendo machines often lose money. And of course, the Wii won the race for market share, against all techie intuition. It won on both fronts, units moved, and profit per unit. And that was long after the first "Nintendo should go third party" ideas were floating around.

And the smartphone thing is even worse. I'll give you an example of the meme that has perpetuated tech journalism of late "the smartphone kills everything else" and they repeat it over and over again like a mantra and apply it to every situation. Even worse is the timing of Nintendo's first ever monetary loss due to sluggish 3DS sales, but that had everything to do with Nintendo's highest ever price point, and worst ever launch lineup. "See, smartphones are winning!" the tech journalists exclaimed, merely justifying their own predictions from months and years ago. Except.. When Mario games came out, the console sold faster than the DS in its first year, and the games sold millions.

Crunch those numbers, tech journalists. Do you really think that Nintendo will do better off by making cheap iOS games? Not by a longshot.. And talk about devaluing the Nintendo brand forever. Smartphones might be eating some of Nintendo's market... But suggesting they go smartphone themselves is a ridiculous notion.

Nintendo going third party is a pipe dream. It diesnt make any financial sense in the slightest. It's just something that is brought up constantly due to the smartphone fever-dream rhetoric of tech journalism today.

[butter_stick]

lotsa similar opinions out there then

Well there's a very clear distinction between Nintendo fans and not Nintendo fans. And it just so happens most the Nintendo fans don't seem to get jobs talking about games other than Nintendo games.

[MrNyarlathotep]

Another reason is because the gaming media is biased and has an agenda to push.

I don't know if you're joking, but Nintendo don't go out drinking with games journos / send them $600 bags full of swag along with their game review copies / fly them all out to an all expenses paid press junket in Las Vegas / send them $1000 blank cheques / various other well documented 'PR' stunts that would be treated as ethically requiring full disclosure by real journalists

[UncleSporky]

They're just people with opinions.

Opinions driven by the audience they want to cater to, the people who keep them in business. Their readers don't care when they write about "all ages" content, they want to hear about the guns and the matchmaking features.

Nintendo is also a large and secretive company. They don't send Joe the intern over to IGN offices with an early build for interviews. Whether they want to or not, they're incapable of giving Nintendo equal time.

[Dunlop]

They make shitty hardware but great games

[BorkBork]

They are an anomaly that doesn't play by the predefined rules of how to be successful, and thus people constantly think they are due for failure despite their numerous wild successes.

This. They don't conform to existing narratives created by the mainstream gaming industry. Therefore, they are viewed as outcasts.

They also have a long term conservative outlook with respect to their operations, which clashes with other companies who view shareholder value and short-term profitability as overriding priorities.

[Jake Tower]

I find it very easy not to sympathize. If you have money for an iPhone, you either have money for a 3DS or are really stupid in how you spend your money.

Handhelds are a wholly different story. My remarks about the dedicated home console market.

[Speevy]

They make shitty hardware but great games

No, they make underpowered hardware.

[StalkerUKCG]

They make shitty hardware but great games

Essentially this.

Games and Franchise are up to compelling but the hardware is far from it.
They also under utilize alot of their brands (pokemon) and 3rd party would hopefully allow these brands to evolve more.

[radioheadrule83]

They're just people with opinions.

And sometimes they're bad journalists with unfounded beliefs and a warped sense of reality.

A lot of the reasons posited in the thread so far are right.

For me, its stupid. This generation should have put this kind of talk to bed. Like it or not, they still know how to make a wildly fun and wildly popular product. Without hardware royalties, they'd never have the resources necessary, nor the time, to make all of their games as good as they do. Nintendo still understand ludology and what makes a game a game, and makes a game fun. Everyone wants that on their favourite toy. But if they want it, they're gonna have to pay the piper, they're not gonna get it any other way.

[massoluk]

Well there's a very clear distinction between Nintendo fans and not Nintendo fans. And it just so happens most the Nintendo fans don't seem to get jobs talking about games other than Nintendo games.

At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought.

[Tutomos]

Crunch those numbers, tech journalists. Do you really think that Nintendio will do better off by making cheap iOS games? Not by a longshot.. And talk about devaluing the Nintemdo brand forever.

That is interesting. Got me thinking what if MacDonald's only have restaurants in Walmart. I use that example because both companies have mass appeal, like Apple and Nintendo.

[UncleSporky]

No, they make underpowered hardware.

No, they've made one underpowered hardware.

[MrNyarlathotep]

Essentially this. Games and Franchise are up to compelling but the hardware is far from it. They also under utilize alot of their brands (pokemon) and 3rd party would hopefully allow these brands to evolve more.

utilise as in the way tony hawks was utilised?

[LeleSocho]

Can't wait to see Sony going third party (it's the nearest to go in that way) and laugh my ass off to the people who alway say the "Nintendo third party" thing

No, they've made one underpowered hardware.

No, they've made the 3 consoles underpowered, soon to be 4.

[LCGeek]

Haters have dreams too that's all there is too it.

[Freezie KO]

Nintendo's insanely high-quality first-party output and the devotion to it draw both fanboy resentment and jealousy. Yet they consistently buck industry expectations** causing disbelief at their success and desire for their demise.

If Nintendo goes away, people who hate them are happy and people afraid to buy a purple lunchbox can finally buy Mario Kart without worrying what their friends think.

This is still in the hypothesis phase of the scientific method, but I'm gathering observations.


**colorful instead of "mature", carts instead of discs, connectivity instead of online, SD instead of HD, interface changes instead of power increases, conventional handhelds instead of smartphone ubiquity, etc etc


edit: for further evidence, see the idea that they create "shitty hardware but great games", as if Nintendo ever had the failure rates of a 360.

[mdtauk]

Apple devices are selling well, business analysts think Apple's growth will go on forever, and so think Nintendo (and its Shareholders/Investors) will make money if Nintendo embrace these devices.

Tech Journalists - on the whole - are Apple users and supporters. They believe the "best" technology should win out, where as Nintendo do not chase the specs. These Tech journos, and bloggers all have fond memories of Nintendo but for what ever reason can not support Nintendo of today and so they want their old memories to be available on their terms.

Gaming press, these people are all in the pockets of certain companies as the games come out, and many of them like their Tech brethren and sistren just cant support a company which is not following the trends and spec race.

Finally there are Developers and Publishers. Some of which have decades old prejudices and dislike/distrust of Nintendo, and to this day give them next to no support.

[RagnarokX]

There are frankly just as many Sony is doomed/Microsoft is doomed assertions as well. It's a natural product of random gamers being armchair analysts in a gaming forum. I guess one reason you might think it's more prevalent with Nintendo might be because 1) you're personally more sensitive to when it's said about Nintendo and/or 2) a lot of times it's being said as a joke. There's also the factor of people just wanting to play games on other hardware for one reason or another. I randomly fantasize about inFamous 2 being on the PC, which I think would be the cat's pajamas, so yes in that case Sony SHOULD go third party. Doesn't mean there's some sort of deeply rooted ill-will expressed toward Sony, just that you just want to play a game on some other hardware because you think you'll enjoy it more there.

Sony actually could be doomed and there are still way more Nintendo is doomed articles.

Hell, check out this brilliant article: SlashGear: Why Nintendo Should Sell (And Why Sony Should Buy It)

"Nintendo reported their first loss in 20 years! They should sell themselves to a company that reports a loss EVERY year!"

[butter_stick]

No, they've made one underpowered hardware.

3DS, DS, Wii.

Ie their last 3. And probably Wii U. That's a trend.

[EatinOlives]

Could you please point me to the list of Sony and Microsoft titles that should be put onto the iPhone? Because maybe you could post some evidence of the similarity in criticism of the companies to somehow justify your first sentence.

This

Or this

Just to get you started off with the most recent ones on this forum.

Or, of course, you could continue with the persecution complex. I guess that's more fun.

As for your first "point", you might want to try reading my post before spouting off whatever it is you tried to say. Please point to where I said "people want MS/Sony games on iOS too". I said there is as much SONY/MS IS DOOMED sentiment in the forum as there is for Nintendo.

[Mileena]

No, they've made one underpowered hardware.

Wii, DS, 3DS, ???

[Ichor]

3DS, DS, Wii. Ie their last 3. And probably Wii U. That's a trend.

Compared to GBA, DS wasn't underpowered, PSP was just a beast.

3DS isn't terrible either.

[ScreenSplitter]

3DS, DS, Wii.

And geez, those haven't sold at all have they?

How many times do you need to beaten around the head with "power means nothing" until you realise it's the truth?

[disco]

I'd imagine it's hard for tech journalists to face up to the fact that Nintendo cater for that huge audience known as children; thus they are embarrassed to cover it. What they value is different to what parents and children want. A deep online experience? Nintendo and parents see paedophiles. Mature content? Nintendo and parents see danger one way or another. Expensive tech? Nintendo and parents see high prices, plus 'numbers' aren't really interesting to parents...

*I'm not saying Nintendo is 'childish' btw. I am 22 and I pray to them daily. Still, I think it's foolish to pretend Nintendo don't know that children and in turn nagged parents keep the company profitable.

[UncleSporky]

3DS, DS, Wii. Ie their last 3. And probably Wii U. That's a trend.

DS was a logical step up from GBA. 3DS was a logical step from DS. Wii was not a logical step from Gamecube.

If you're going to get semantic then every company has always released underpowered hardware. Master System beat NES. Cube beat PS2. N64 beat PS1. PS3 beat 360. PC always beats everything. etc, etc.

[Orayn]

Wii, DS, 3DS, ???

Game Boy was totally underpowered compared to the Lynx and Game Gear. What a worthless piece of shit!

[butter_stick]

Compared to GBA, DS wasn't underpowered, PSP was just a beast. 3DS isn't terrible either.

Well it's relative to the competition. Wii is the only offensively poor console in terms of hardware, but Wii U looks like its putting the padlet ahead of hardware power.

[ScreenSplitter]

Well it's relative to the competition. Wii is the only offensively poor console in terms of hardware, but Wii U looks like its putting the padlet ahead of hardware power.

I think your analysis... certainly about that "padlet" controller... is wrong.

[Speevy]

Let's establish a metric for underpowered.

How much profit does Nintendo make on each 3DS right now?

[Zeer0id]

I think it's combination of two things. First, people have, since the N64, disliked Nintendo hardware for one reason or another. Either because it uses cartridge media, has a weird controller, has a strange form factor, has a weird motion controller, or anything else, so-called "hardcore gamers" have a beef with Nintendo's hardware.

The other side to this coin is that, unlike Sony and especially Microsoft (and the troubled Sega), Nintendo could easily survive as a third-party developer. They would probably do quite well, even if they don't achieve the same runaway success that they sometimes have with their platforms.

[stuminus3]

It amuses me, even after all these years. A lot of you guys won't remember this, but the "Nintendo is DOOMED" thing actually goes all the way back to even before the SNES was released and Sega was turning things upside down, it goes all the way back to the original GB and it's silly monochrome screen.

What I find especially hilarious is every few years a whole new generation of young adults comes around and seems to think they're the first to complain about the Nintendo they once loved.

[butter_stick]

And geez, those haven't sold at all have they? How many times do you need to beaten around the head with "power means nothing" until you realise it's the truth?

Keep track of the conversation. Somebody said people don't like Nintendo hardware because it's underpowered. Someone said only one console is. Hence my response.

Please stop responding to me, you're giving me a headache.

[AceBandage]

Because Nintendo.

[Coolwhip]

Because Sony and MS cater to the people that whine about Nintendo. Like shooting? MS will give you Halo. Like pretty visuals (without any particularly interesting gameplay) Sony got you covered with Uncharted.

Nintendo on the other hand always does what they think is best. If they would listen to message boards on the internet Wii would never have happened and they would have missed billions of dollars.

Just look at the Wii U, if they had listened to message boards, the Wii U would be a powerhouse, costing 450 dollars, sporting the most default controller you can imagine (and fail). Hence the flaming and doomsaying. Nintendo simply doesn't cater to the vocal minority. Which pisses them off.

[Karsticles]

Self-hatred and embarrassment over what "adult" games should be like.

[MYE]

Gamers want to play Nintendo games, but don't want to buy a console that ends up being a 'Nintendo-playing-machine,' so they'd rather have Nintendo be third party and get their games on their console of choice, along with all the other great third party games. It's hard not to sympathize with this view.

eh?

I really hope "gamers" are smarter than that. If nintendo goes third party, do you really expect the company to remain as it is today?

Nope. Talent will walk, nintendo studios will close and like SEGA, the company will become a shadow of what it once was. With outsiders poking in to slowly destroy what makes it so unique and so desirable to these "gamers".

[RomanticHeroX]

Ignorance and a lack of perspective. It's understandable when it's said by someone on a message board, but it's incredibly annoying when I hear it from a journalist or from someone who should really know better. Just a glance at their software numbers should be all you need to know that they're doing just fine.