Never ever did they consider that.
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Eurogamer: NX is different, and different is Nintendo's best option.
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The Wii launched with the Virtual Console. The Wii got Netflix and WiiWare.
The Wii U wasn't cheap, and it was more weird than it was different. It tried to be like a tablet instead of going its own way, like the Wii did. It didn't have the Wii Sports + Twilight Princess combo needed and instead dropped us off with Nintendo Land.
The NX will have Breath of the Wild, at least. I won't believe it has much of a future unless I see something that compares to Wii Sports. If Breath of the Wild is more of the console type game, then we probably need a Brain Age or some other Touch Generations type game for the portable half.
And that dock better allow me to sync Wii Remotes and such.
I understand. Maybe I'm not making the point very well. I'm not articulating it as well as I like but it's hard for me to picture a market out there for the full suite of Nintendo output across PS/X audiences and PC.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
NX is fail sauce in a world where the iPhone exists.
I don't see how this is the case really. If the leaked specs are correct, it's far less different from the development environments the vast majority of devs are targeting than most any recent Nintendo console. Single screen, standard controls + capacitive multitouch, actually modern GPU and CPU setup.
The only difference will be absolute performance, and that doesn't affect the vast majority of games being developed.
Peter Ian Staker
Member
So this console will have first party Nintendo games end .....nothing else.
People really overestimate how many people want a second console just for exclusives(unless it is REALLY cheap,like ps tv cheap which I doubt)
95% of people will stick with what they have and ignore the NX
There is a reason people wanted this to have good specs. Nintendo exclusives alone cannot sell as many consoles as they did in the 90s. Nintendo needs 3rd party AAA. They need the NX to be viable primary games platform.
People really overestimate how many people want a second console just for exclusives(unless it is REALLY cheap,like ps tv cheap which I doubt)
95% of people will stick with what they have and ignore the NX
There is a reason people wanted this to have good specs. Nintendo exclusives alone cannot sell as many consoles as they did in the 90s. Nintendo needs 3rd party AAA. They need the NX to be viable primary games platform.
What posts here are people espousing hate toward Nintendo? Who is saying Nintendo is going to die? None of these things are true. Nintendo has made a significant number of poor business decisions and is now pivoting to adapt to the new market to try and be more successful with its next console. That's it. Every Nintendo thread is just rotten with people viciously attacking strawmen for no reason.
Good article. I think it's obvious Nintendo will always do their own thing. Eurogamer just re-affirmed that. On the second hand, I doubt Nintendo will ever go third party ONLY. Iwata when he was alive stated Nintendo core business model was always consoles, and if they can't make a lot of money in consoles then why bother making games. Right now, Nintendo is using their strength for the NX and that's handheld gaming. The 3DS has an awesome 3rd party library (mostly Japan centric) but it will fill in the void while Nintendo 1st parties take time to polish. Being inmovative is what Nintendo hopes to succeed. Let MS and Sony bleed money if they want on VR and high powered specs. That graphical arms race will reach a limit eventually and Sony or MS will tap uncle first. Can't wait to buy a NX in person.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Sega had been decling for years and their IP and genre focus fell out of mainstream favor way more drastically than Nintendo's have. Sega CD and 32x bombed. Saturn bombed. Dreamcast bombed. Software wise, they were too focused on arcade style games, fighting games, jrpgs etc that became very niche as gaming westernized. Nintendo at least kept the kid/family appeal in top of always being more popular an selling more than than Sega.
Besides, Nintendo could move away from hardware in the future without going third party. Double down on mobile. Put out a streaming service like PS Now. Great their own PC store/ecosystem aka Blizzard's battle.net or EA Origin. There are way more options for maintaining independence and freedom than there was when the Dreamcasr failed and finished off Sega as a hardware company.
KratosEnergyDrink
Member
No one can make games in Nintendo quality as a third party. If Nintendo goes 3rd it would be the beginning of the end.
Vampirolol
Member
It would be very fun to see a future where Playstation and Xbox become just platforms you can play on your PC or device and Nintendo reamins the only one making wacky consoles.
Empyrean Heaven
Member
Nintendo's in a difficult place right now. I agree with Eurogamer that they cannot compete head to head with the competition on power and to do so is silly. At the same time, they have to come up with a gaming concept that is both appealing to the gaming community at large, as well as towards third parties to obtain support. So far, they have been unable to do both, and with the power power power power philosophy of most devs, it looks like NX will miss out again on the latter.
Those publishers are the definition of fair-weather friends. Nintendo's Square Enix support have been horrible for both the 3DS and Wii U. In fact, Nintendo have to published Square-Enix games in the West. Capcom couldn't be even bother with the Wii U after Revelations and Nintendo have to co-market Monster Hunter in the West. Bandai Namco released utter trash for the Wii U and 3DS and Koei Tecom same boat as Bandai Namco. Only thing those two can do if profit from Nintendo's IP(Smash Bros & Pokken [which sucks] and Hyrule Warriors). Also, the bullshit Sega pull with Sonic Boom on the Wii U.
As do I. But I still do prefer the MS experience for a multitude of reasons, and I know I'm not the only one. I do think we agree that Nintendo could have benefitted from a more powerful hardware platform, though (and we should stay on topic).
Are you sure that's not a myth?
Yes, there is more competition in the PS/XB ecosystems, this is true. But let's get real: if something says "Nintendo" on it, people are going to pay attention, even in crowded ecosystems.
Why wouldn't you think that there is a market for games like Pushmo and Boxboy, even on non-Nintendo platforms? Indie developers have proven this time and time again. And when games are quality AND they say Nintendo on them, you don't think folks will take notice, regardless of what platform they're on?
Heck, when your audience is bigger, your sales potential goes UP, not down.
I don't think we can really judge how true this statement is before Nintendo actually shows us what inputs this thing has. The controls may or may not be as standard as we'd think.
For all the crap that the GamePad takes, the cool thing about it was that it had every input that common video games have ever used. But the second screen made it different, much different, to the point where it turned off many developers.
Except, maybe, Nintendo?
And yes, I'm aware that Sega's output on the Dreamcast was of higher overall quality (by far) than what they're shipping now. But that is not because they went 3rd party, it's because they used to make better games. One thing does not automatically cause the other.
To be clear, I am not saying that Nintendo *should* go exclusively 3rd party. I'm just saying that if they do, it's NOT going to be as bad as anyone thinks, as long as they just focus on quality like they always have. It's like all of the doomsayers. Nintendo's doomed! No, they're not. They have never been. And if they get out of the hardware business, they still will not be doomed.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
That comes across and fanboyish nonsense tbh.
I love Nintendo's games, but for multiple generations now the games I've enjoyed the most, and that have sold the most, have been third party. That's only going to expand now that PC and Sony/MS consoles are on x86 architecture eliminating the need for devs to learn the ins and out of proprietary processors and gpus in each console. And just makes it that much less likely for them to bother with Nintendo's hardware.
A decent number of third parties are already making much better games than Nintendo do.
And I've never heard a decent explanation why Nintendo's games would suddenly be crap if they were released on other systems either.
I mean, you don't, but nevermind.
I'm not sure I'd put a single Nintendo game in the top 5 of this gen so I'm pretty sure other 3rd party devs can make a good game or two if they really really try.
Pancakes R Us
Member
I think that this is a misconception. I don't think strong Nintendo titles and all western support would result in the console competing very well with Sony or MS. Why? The high number of people that tends to buy the western titles that do well on those systems aren't really interested in Nintendo titles. And the Nintendo audience isn't majorly interested in those western titles. Also, Nintendo would need to get its shit together in terms of online features/infrastructure if it wants to even be on the same playing field. This is why I think Nintendo taking a different route rather than trying to compete head on is the only choice they have for now. If the next one fails, then perhaps think about testing the third party waters. I don't think NX will fail in terms of the super hardcore Nintendo crowd, but if Wii U numbers is all it musters, then Nintendo won't be happy.
Cinematic games are boring, don't even know why i need 4k videos in games. Wonder how many people does have a 4k tv.
Glad Nintendo isn't following that path.
But i also hope they will have good enough gfx so the games wouldn't look outdated. I specially got that feeling with wii(beside mario galaxy). Fun is one factor, but games like mario galaxy or zelda bow and even splatoon are the games that brings evolution to the gaming industry. We need that and not just games with gfx impression and still doing the sames as games 10y ago.
Glad Nintendo isn't following that path.
But i also hope they will have good enough gfx so the games wouldn't look outdated. I specially got that feeling with wii(beside mario galaxy). Fun is one factor, but games like mario galaxy or zelda bow and even splatoon are the games that brings evolution to the gaming industry. We need that and not just games with gfx impression and still doing the sames as games 10y ago.
Yes it was. It was a historical fuck-up that without Xbone could be in much better shape.
Bingo, I dont get it, we have people saying I would get all my 3rd party games plus my Nintendo games if Nintendo made a powerful console. First of all they still wont get Sony 1st party or MS 1st party games on it plus a lot of 3rd parties are not gonna support Nintendo system anyways, and their friends are already playing on the other systems.
So what would be the point of Nintendo coming out with a $400 console? a cheaper console will be much more of an impose buy for those people and the casuals.
Nintendo games already look great on WiiU, NX would boost that by a lot even if its not above PS4 level.
KingJ2002
Member
Good Article.
Nintendo will effectively place themselves as a "second console". It will appeal to three sets of gamers
1. Gamers from the 80's / 90's who now have kids and most likely a Playstation or an Xbox in the living room. Those parents still play games but probably don't want their kid watching them play Doom or God of War so in this case grabbing a NX for them would make sense.
2. Gamers who have a Playstation or Xbox in their living room but want an alternative experience. Something they could take on the go
3. A completionist who just wants to own all the systems each generation offers.
The NX is different enough to justify a separate purchase based on the information given to us. I still think that it's capabilities will be comparable to current generation systems when docked in it's base station but on the go it will be the equivalent of what you'd see with mobile gaming.
If there is an announcement in September... i can't wait to see what this thing finally is.
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The timing is weird though... that puts them in Apple iPhone launch territory. gotta make sure their announcement isn't dwarfed by Apple and the next generation of their "i" devices
Nintendo will effectively place themselves as a "second console". It will appeal to three sets of gamers
1. Gamers from the 80's / 90's who now have kids and most likely a Playstation or an Xbox in the living room. Those parents still play games but probably don't want their kid watching them play Doom or God of War so in this case grabbing a NX for them would make sense.
2. Gamers who have a Playstation or Xbox in their living room but want an alternative experience. Something they could take on the go
3. A completionist who just wants to own all the systems each generation offers.
The NX is different enough to justify a separate purchase based on the information given to us. I still think that it's capabilities will be comparable to current generation systems when docked in it's base station but on the go it will be the equivalent of what you'd see with mobile gaming.
If there is an announcement in September... i can't wait to see what this thing finally is.
...
The timing is weird though... that puts them in Apple iPhone launch territory. gotta make sure their announcement isn't dwarfed by Apple and the next generation of their "i" devices
Even with the systems (PC/PS4/XB1) more similar than ever before, it's not like we see every game come out for each platform now. We still see plenty of developers not putting their games out on the Xbox One: from Japanese developers (whose games often sell better in the West) to Western indie games.
I'm not a developer, but I don't think the process is as trivial as some people seem to think. Whether this is down to the actual code, physically printing the discs, or dealing with the different licensing agreements, it's evidently not worth their time.
Lol they will fail hard if they do. Nintendo would be dead like sega. 3rd party making Nintendo games happens in the past, it was really bad.
Imagine EA making a mario or zelda game. They would make it cinematic with allot of scenes crap. Putting guns in their hands and to make it easy including one way path.
Nintendo creates magical games. It's something that they do and needs to keep it on their side.
ShockingAlberto
Member
So, plan A is pay for ports in lieu of publishing your own games.
If Nintendo does ever go out of hardware development I don't see why they would bother with the (also shrinking) PSXbox corebase rather than just sinking everything into the hundreds of millions Android/iOS audience. People wishing for a fully 3rd party Nintendo should be careful what you wish for.
timetokill
Banned
The point is not about "how they have their shit together" it's a rebuttal of the "different hasn't worked for them!" response. It's not a slam dunk either way. But considering even Xbox is backsliding despite having the financial might of Microsoft behind them, it seems clear that making another "me too" hardware entry isn't the best idea for a company like Nintendo.
The idea that Nintendo would be "better off" making a system much like their competitors isn't really backed up much more than the selfish desires of "core" gamers such as those here on NeoGAF.
Jubenhimer
Member
It wasn't so much that Nintendo had no idea what they were doing, the problem is that the Wii U tries way to hard to be trendy, hip, and cool to gamers and consumers, but doesn't even do that well, that it just comes off as unappealing. Nintendo knew what they were doing with the Wii, but they tossed it out in a desperate attempt to be "hip with teh hardcorez". It's sort of a "How do you do, fellow kids!?" Moment.
eyeball_kid
Member
I think it's silly for this article to say that Nintendo couldn't compete directly with Sony and MS. They have enough money to make whatever move they want. They could make a killer console and the press would herald the return of OG Nintendo. Plenty of third-parties would be happy to come back to their table if the hardware architecture and controls were standardized. It's not a question of capability, but of will.
The NX feels to me that they are retreating inward to focus on the domestic Japanese audience. If the western market was dying for a device like this, the Vita with its Remote Play features would not have failed. Most of us aren't commuting by train every day, and the moments we do have for mobile games are taken up by smartphone titles. I wish Nintendo the best with this device, but I don't see it being a breakout success. Unless they price the NX very competitively, I foresee it having an even smaller impact on the market than the Wii U.
The NX feels to me that they are retreating inward to focus on the domestic Japanese audience. If the western market was dying for a device like this, the Vita with its Remote Play features would not have failed. Most of us aren't commuting by train every day, and the moments we do have for mobile games are taken up by smartphone titles. I wish Nintendo the best with this device, but I don't see it being a breakout success. Unless they price the NX very competitively, I foresee it having an even smaller impact on the market than the Wii U.
AjNimajwalHansel
Member
I don't think you quite understand what going 3rd party means. Nintendo would still be making the games.... But I, like you, also do not desire for them to go third party as I actually like their consoles.
I agree with you that they would put most of their resources into mobile. I still think they would partner up with Sony to put a small subset of games on the PS platform. I don't see them ever being a true 3rd party. I think Sony is a logical partner for a scaled down AAA branch of the Company. It would be a win win for both companies. Getting Nintendo as a exclusive would be huge and they could cut Nintendo a deal on licensing and assist with the technical side of things. It also would let Nintendo concentrate on using the strengths of a single platform things like the touch pad on the DS4.
calc84maniac
Member
All I know is, if Nintendo bows out of the hardware business we may never get another traditional handheld gaming platform. And that would be a real shame.
(And by "traditional" I mean physical controls and non-mobile-tier games)
(And by "traditional" I mean physical controls and non-mobile-tier games)
I'm not sure that you understand what "3rd party" means in this context.
I am suggesting that Nintendo could successfully produce their own games for other platforms (PC/PS/XB, etc.), not that other 3rd parties would produce games with the Nintendo name on them (though this already happens more than you think).
Neff
Member
Lol, no shit.
LegendofLex
Member
I'll put it this way:
If Nintendo can't see enough strategic value in games like Metroid and F-Zero to be assed to make them as a draw for high-skill players to their platform because they can't figure out what to do with them software-wise, why would this situation suddenly improve when these games no longer have strategic value as a draw to their platform?
Wouldn't they be primarily drawn to games that make money by themselves, and that piggyback off their other money-making games?
Papacheeks
Banned
This is what I'm telling constantly. I hear people asking another PS4 like console from Nintendo but that will fail.
The Wii was a goldmine for Nintendo. Wii U was a bad decision and launch overall.
What screwed them was making awful decisions throughout the decades, that alienated developers and publsihers. From making cartridges in a cd based medium, to making Mini discs, and targeting kids only, to targeting the casual market for short-mid term profit gains.
Then they made the Wii U and tried to capitalize on the Wii brand, but didn't come in with a good sales pitch, nor did they do anything when it was failing to right the ship. Nor did they try over the years they've been in this business to sign, buy or create western studios and give their Western Branches control over library's for their respected regions. They let Japan design, create, and distribute their console that does not appeal library wise to all the regions they released it in.
The reason Wii was lightning in a bottle was because of the people they went after, that ultimately did not grow into something else market wise, they didn't expand people into buying Wii U, and other devices like they had hoped. But all the while Sony and Microsoft grew in avenues where it counts in gaming, to give more options to a bigger broader audience.
Nintendo concentrated on the wrong things over the course of the past 10-15 years and now it bit them in the ass, so now they have no other god damn choice but to make a mobile type device that they hope will sell to casual buyers.
If they had hired or bought small companies when they were reaping tons of money in DS-Wii years, they seriously could have been prepared to make a console and a hand held that had library's that worked for those respected audiences in different regions. But now we are going to get mainly Japanese made games, by 3DS developers that may or may not be home console experience. Which is why in the past couple threads its very divided with people who are all about a portable powerful device, and people who just don't care about that part of it and want a powerful robust Nintendo system to play Both old Nintendo franchises, and new made experiences.
This jack of all trades angle they seem to be going with could be great in terms of selling hardware which was what the wii did, but then after a while games sales started coming to a crawl 3-4 years into it's life.
If they don't have a robust online setup, great online store filled with classic games in HD and AAA games with great account systems they might as well throw in the towel. If we see lots of mobile, Nintendo oriented app games we can assume where there focus on the device really is, and that's a crying shame.
They could compete and survive, especially now that Microsoft is doing so shitty, and brand wise is very weak.
If there's no platform of their own to push, then there's little need for a AAA branch. And given the bad blood there I don't see a Nintendo/Sony partnership as being that likely. There's just not much real upside for Nintendo there unless Sony starts sinking the sort of unprecedented 3rd party investment that would make even FFVII era Square blush.
The secenario you're floating might work if Nintendo were to try and do their own eShop on open platforms like PC, Mac, Android, etc, but then they'd still be doing AAA to drive their own service and I expect the hardware group would still be around focusing on custom controllers and maybe even other hardware yet.
Third party doesn't work for Nintendo.
Nintendo is used to putting out evergreen marquee titles that stay full price for years. Since they're on their own console, they get full attention.
As a third party, they'd have to compete for attention, eventually getting lost in the noise, and consumers on those consoles expect games to be on sale for $20 after six months, and off of the shelves completely after a year.
WaterAstro
Member
Well, there's another thing you hold in your hand... it's called a phone.
nhlducks35
Member
Right...
Don't bother. 30 years of declining sales means nothing because the Wii did great! The WiiU was obviously just one misstep by a company clearly on the rise.
I was thinking more along the lines of pay for games people want to buy in lieu of publishing games no one wants
and then you say "but the nintendo console buying audience wouldn't buy those games, which would just waste time and money for both nintendo and the third party"
and then I say "but they have to start somewhere, it won't happen overnight but in time nintendo could get a chunk of that playstation/xbox segment of the market back"
rinse and repeat forever.
This is the crazy thing about Nintendo, though...their inability to see and harness the value in those properties is an entirely different problem. First-party versus third-party makes no difference. The value is in the IP. Primarily, the IP helps the platform, not the other way around. But strong IPs can exist on their own, regardless of platform.
If they re-release F-Zero GX in HD with online play -or- make a new F-Zero game for NX, I will buy it day one. If they re-release F-Zero GX in HD with online play -or- make a new F-Zero game for X1, or PS4, or PC, or PS9, or a freaking toaster, I will also buy it day one. Nothing else is F-Zero, just like nothing else is Mario, or Zelda. Metroid has an even bigger and more passionate fanbase than that. We would buy a serious, well-made entry in that franchise regardless of what platform it was on, Nintendo or otherwise.
The fact that they're just sitting on all of these awesome franchises is sad, and frustrating, and awful! But my belief is that that's a thoroughly separate, unrelated issue.
LordRaptor
Member
Using data from 2014 when more recent data is very easily available is automatically sort of suspicious
Nowhere, because they're not consoles. Just say "add unrelated things to this graph that are more flattering for Nintendo please" if that's what you want. Nintendo's console business is in bad shape. Their handheld business isn't terrible, but God only knows what the market would look like for a new handheld. As others have mentioned, the world looks nothing like how it did when the 3DS launched.
Yeah, because the last two years were a huge turnaround for the WiiU...
LordRaptor
Member
Doesn't matter, the moment you start selectively removing data to prove a hypothesis, you're no longer proving a hypothesis.
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