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How can Nintendo win back marketshare with their next home console?
- Thread starter CurseoftheGods
- Start date
I don't really consider ND to be all that ambitious.
Notor!ousG
Member
They have to aim to be the secondary console that everyone wants to own. Everyone who owns a PS4, PC, XOne, should feel the need to own the next console of Nintendo too.
If they manage that, sales will explode.
And ditch thw gimmicks, focus on software, services, ammibo and full VC
If they manage that, sales will explode.
And ditch thw gimmicks, focus on software, services, ammibo and full VC
While you continue on childishly looking at Nintendo and the way in which they conduct business(for better or worse), I on the other hand will carry on enjoying all the incredible games they continue to make.
Paracelsus
Member
That's what took them down. If you pretend we live in a dimension where Wii never happened, Nintendo has been known for 20 years as the company whose home platforms you pair to your main generational machine.
The "settle for" mentality, both for graphics and third parties, is what damaged them in the long run. It's all based on the drawing power of your IPs, cheeky betting.
A Twisty Fluken
Member
You should share your math.
What ambitious game have they done? All their games are very safe. Witcher 3 is ambitious and so No Man's Sky but Last of Us or Uncharted?
Notor!ousG
Member
I have to disagree.
Nintendo made the stupid mistake to not be ready for the HD department. Instead, they focussed on a tablet controller that most of us don't want.
They should have focussed on a lower price, more early software and a better VC and online service.
They sure would've sold millions more by now.
It depends on what you like. For example, I don't play Nintendo games, so there are lots of developers whose products I prefer.
That is a possible option, but I'm not sure it's a very good one. If Nintendo wants to make any headway with a non-competitive console, they're probably going to have to price it at a decently steep cost below BOM. Nintendo literally does not have moves that aren't fraught with risk.
thenewjeva
Member
At this point, it's pretty much impossible for Nintendo to get back on top unless they strike lightning in a bottle again. The hardcore console crowd is sticking to Playstation and Xbox and I don't see them switching over to Nintendo anytime soon. Casuals prefer to game on smartphones and tablets for free, so unless Nintendo has another control method that will win them over, they'll stick with those games. Alongside Nintendo's stigma as a kid-friendly, family oriented company, third parties won't ever take a Nintendo console seriously and continue to leave their big titles on other platforms.
Nintendo is stuck in a situation where they simply can't win. Every profitable audience has left Nintendo behind, leaving only the hardcore fanbase with them. Unless Nintendo is willing to go the extra mile and transform themselves into something that is the complete opposite of their current selves, the only possible paths for them is to either continue what they're doing and hope for the best, or sell their assets to a bigger company.
But hey, the last 30 years have seen many unexpected things happen in the industry. Maybe Nintendo does find a way to turn things around.
Nintendo is stuck in a situation where they simply can't win. Every profitable audience has left Nintendo behind, leaving only the hardcore fanbase with them. Unless Nintendo is willing to go the extra mile and transform themselves into something that is the complete opposite of their current selves, the only possible paths for them is to either continue what they're doing and hope for the best, or sell their assets to a bigger company.
But hey, the last 30 years have seen many unexpected things happen in the industry. Maybe Nintendo does find a way to turn things around.
Terrible_Majesty
Member
Give NOA the same freedom that Sega of America had in the 90s. That way games that appeal more to American gamers can find an audience for Nintendo owners. I.E. Open world, third person, Sci fi, adventure games, racing, sports sims
They need to develop their internal studios more like Retro could be their answer to.Naughty Dog
They need to develop their internal studios more like Retro could be their answer to.Naughty Dog
shouamabane
Member
what
ArcaneFreeze
Member
Their output for the past 8 years has been nothing but Uncharted, with the Last of Us being their only other game. Their output for the next few years? As of now it looks like Uncharted 4 and TLoU 2. That doesn't seem very ambitious to me.
They'll be ruined going this direction somehow.
Trevelyan9999
Banned
Nintendo doesn't need to win over the casuals and Miyamoto recently said that Nintendo is done with that market. How about Nintendo improving and making better what is currently the standard control scheme for the last 15 years since the early PS2 days?
Nintendo could come out with a controller that ditches the dual analog approach but still appeal to the core gamer if they prove the new method actually works better and will give them an advantage over the former. They also don't necessarily need to have the next console have "Wii like" sales either, a strong steady selling console will be good enough.
The changing the controller for changes sake thing really turns me off though. I love the dualshock standard at this point, Nintendo controllers since the N64 have always felt weird. I LOATHED the wiimote. I can kind of respect trying weird things but at the end of the day I want a controller to feel comfortable to me, and nothing brings more comfort than 20 years of experience with it
Nintendo serves to entertain me as well, they make pretty good games
Trevelyan9999
Banned
No I get you, I totally understand. However, gaming is not going to progress with just better graphics and more ram. Think of it this way, back in 2006 before the first iphone came out people loved their Blackberry standard at that point but once they tried the iphone they knew it was better and wanted that instead of the old standard. It's not just about change for the sake of change, if Nintendo can improve the standard controller because they found a way to make it better, I'm all for it.
So far this post seems the most thoughtful and balanced approach.
I think they need to go all-in with the hardware, as much risk as they can bare. It should be built around an AMD SoC, familiar to developers, and hopefully by that point cheap (relatively) to fabricate. It needs to dwarf what the PS4 is capable of in every applicable performance metric. Make it a fantastic media centerpiece hardware and feature wise, that leverages partnerships with content delivery owners (since Nintendo is not a content company themselves, like Sony). By 2017 that shouldn't even be an expensive proposition.
Form a new internal unit devoted to helping third party developers. Go with all-ages marketing. Do not abandon the kinds of titles that attract current Nintendo customers, but embrace the wider market that has left Nintendo behind for Sony and MS.
I think those things would put Nintendo back on top, but it all seems like something they would never do. They'll just stay small and safe and consistently in last place but still managing to earn money.
Form a new internal unit devoted to helping third party developers. Go with all-ages marketing. Do not abandon the kinds of titles that attract current Nintendo customers, but embrace the wider market that has left Nintendo behind for Sony and MS.
I think those things would put Nintendo back on top, but it all seems like something they would never do. They'll just stay small and safe and consistently in last place but still managing to earn money.
Here in Italy we're already seeing deals like that (in euro obviously) for both consoles, it wouldn't surprise me the slightest if PS4 and/or XB1 would be available for 200/250ish by then.
That would put an hypotetical WiiU successor on par with PS4/XB1 more or less in the same condition we have now (not to mention that WiiU has already been on flash deals for less than 200€ and apparently it did nothing to move unit, and the fact that Nintendo IMHO needs to solve gamer "perception" and third party relationships issues before even thinking about competing with PS4/XB1)
LeeRoyBrown
Banned
They should release a console at around $400, that is severely underpowered yet barely cheaper than the competition.
Then make the architecture so challenging that no 3rd party devs want to support it.
Give it a new kind of controller that ads no added functionality whatsoever.
Take a long time to release important exclusives that everyone has expected for years.
Hell, what do I even care, I'd buy anything with Smash or Mario Kart on it, no matter how shit it is.
Then make the architecture so challenging that no 3rd party devs want to support it.
Give it a new kind of controller that ads no added functionality whatsoever.
Take a long time to release important exclusives that everyone has expected for years.
Hell, what do I even care, I'd buy anything with Smash or Mario Kart on it, no matter how shit it is.
thewhitehawk
Member
I think having comparable specs is not an option for them, but they will have the hard time of both having comparable specifications and being at an aggressive price-point to compete with Sony and Microsoft.
They also have an additional issue of Wii U game controller compatibility. If they decide to maintain a similar one for their next console it will easily eat into their profit margin. So I don't know really what the best solution is. Perhaps it's just to start selling the Wii U controller separately and allow people to sync it to their new console. That would be one solution.
I think they would also have to market better not just their own games but other companies that decide to support them. While Sony and Microsoft highly advertise and praise third party games and try to strike exclusive content for their platforms, on Nintendo platforms, they usually end up being mostly a bullet-point in a presentation.
I would say it's also relevant for Nintendo to fully embrace streaming, and other video platforms and enable users to share their experiences with the outside world, not just in a walled garden. Nintendo doesn't need its fans to show themselves how great Nintendo games are, they need to show the rest of the world.
They also have an additional issue of Wii U game controller compatibility. If they decide to maintain a similar one for their next console it will easily eat into their profit margin. So I don't know really what the best solution is. Perhaps it's just to start selling the Wii U controller separately and allow people to sync it to their new console. That would be one solution.
I think they would also have to market better not just their own games but other companies that decide to support them. While Sony and Microsoft highly advertise and praise third party games and try to strike exclusive content for their platforms, on Nintendo platforms, they usually end up being mostly a bullet-point in a presentation.
I would say it's also relevant for Nintendo to fully embrace streaming, and other video platforms and enable users to share their experiences with the outside world, not just in a walled garden. Nintendo doesn't need its fans to show themselves how great Nintendo games are, they need to show the rest of the world.
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
What a stupid post!
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
What a stupid post!
thewhitehawk
Member
It gets increasingly less stupid with each passing year though... if Sony spins off its entertainment division on its own. Having either company buy each other would make a lot of sense. Sony's strength is Nintendo's weakness and vice-versa can also be said. They would complement each other perfectly and in fact, the original plan with the Playstation was for that to happen.
RanoNL
Member
- F*ck 3rd parties. Make it a Nintendo-only (1st and 2nd) console.
- Give it a unified OS so it can play 4DS games as well.
- Don't focus on power. Focus on a good experience (no 8GB versions or only use SD cards in Wii mode).
- From the start an "All-You-Can-Play Nintendo VC" service. With *ALL* NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC and GBA games from Nintendo.
- Add GC and DS games to the collection during the lifespan of the console.
- Compagnion services. Pokemon Bank on the iPhone for example.
- Come with new IP's.
- Create more franchise like experiences like they do now with Zelda and Netflix.
- Give it a unified OS so it can play 4DS games as well.
- Don't focus on power. Focus on a good experience (no 8GB versions or only use SD cards in Wii mode).
- From the start an "All-You-Can-Play Nintendo VC" service. With *ALL* NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC and GBA games from Nintendo.
- Add GC and DS games to the collection during the lifespan of the console.
- Compagnion services. Pokemon Bank on the iPhone for example.
- Come with new IP's.
- Create more franchise like experiences like they do now with Zelda and Netflix.
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
Could you not find something more stupid to post here? What a waste of your time!
Seconded. And to coem with those new ips, they should really expand their dev team and amiunt of dev teams so they can at least supply a steady stream of content to both their handheld and console devices.
At the end of the day, software drives hardware adoption.
Games like Super Mario Bros. and Zelda 1 blew people's minds back in the 80s, we had to buy an NES to play them. Hell, even the N64 would have been a Wii U if it wasn't for big releases such as Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time and GoldenEye.
Nintendo's main problem is that their software doesn't capture people's imagination anymore.
Games like Super Mario Bros. and Zelda 1 blew people's minds back in the 80s, we had to buy an NES to play them. Hell, even the N64 would have been a Wii U if it wasn't for big releases such as Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time and GoldenEye.
Nintendo's main problem is that their software doesn't capture people's imagination anymore.
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
It's NOT Nintendo's fault that 3rd Party Developer are NOT able to develop awesome games for the Nintendo Wii U! Nintendo proved alot that you are able to create awesome games for the Nintendo Wii U, 3rd Party Developer are just putting NO effort into their games and are to lazy and that's why there are no 3rd Party games for the Nintendo Wii U!
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
To Buy another company makes nothing better in my opinion! They need to work on themselfs and make alot things different and improve certain things. And by the way, competition is good in the market
Shuggananas
Banned
Have a smaller graphical gap (sadly)
More third party support (no ubi please)
And an actual name for their console
More third party support (no ubi please)
And an actual name for their console
funkystudent
Member
Until Nintendo starts playing ball with the big western 3rd parties nothing will change for them.
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
This! At least Nintendo is trying really hard to give gamers something new and try to innovate! They taking everytime alot of risks with each new console they release in order to give gamers new experiences and it makes me really sad that no one appreciate that!
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
Naughty Dog are overrated in my opinion and are not in the same league as Nintendo!
TheDarkTriforce
Banned
Can't say I agree.
Gucci Messiah
Banned
I want to avatar quote this but I fear the ban hammer
DeviousAngel
Member
I agree with most of these. Honestly, I don't thnk console parity will work, and I don't see well-established third parties coming back. They should expand their first part studios and make it even easier for indies to develop on their consoles, in order to increase their output of exclusive titles. The whole collaboration business they have been trying as of late is also pretty interesting. I want to see them build on that.
Virtual console is a monumental resource and they should take advantage of it. The wiiu seemed like the perfect console to start with, since wiimote compatibility and dual/touch screens mean it should be capable of playing every single nintendo game produced to date.
ArkhamFantasy
Member
I think alot of people in this thread dont understand that third party support isn't happening and the power of the console isn't very important.
They aren't stealing Playstation/Xbox/Steam users, that's not realistic at all. They should be aiming for people who dont want to spend 400 dollars on a video game console or putting their product at a price where a Playstation/Xbox/PC owner will still want a Nintendo.
They aren't stealing Playstation/Xbox/Steam users, that's not realistic at all. They should be aiming for people who dont want to spend 400 dollars on a video game console or putting their product at a price where a Playstation/Xbox/PC owner will still want a Nintendo.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
I'm convinced they can't win back marketshare, at least not with current management.
I mean, yes, if they made very good decisions and made some sweeping changes to their strategies and came out swinging for the ropes with their next console in a place that really competed with the competition and attracted third parties, then sure, they could.
But this current Nintendo won't. They continuously make bad decisions that are out of touch with the current videogame market, and that falls squarely on the management. Their games are awesome, their decisions are horrible. The Wii-U attempting to get lighting to strike twice in a row. Designing a gamepad controller that even Nintendo themselves barely used, and then refusing to cut it from the SKU and sell a console without it to compete at a better price point. Failing to attract third party games to the system, hell even when the third parties contact THEM to develop on the Wii-U (Mojang with Minecraft). Recently the whole youtube video policy program, once again assuring that Nintendo is out of touch with the market and refuses to advance in any order that could help them gain marketshare in large amounts.
This current Nintendo doesn't know how to compete in today's market, they want to make their own little niche in the market and do it all their way, not the market's way. Which may work for them business wise, but it won't be hugely profitable and nor will it get them anywhere near their former glory days. If they follow their current course they will continue to bleed marketshare to the competitors who provide the consoles, games, and services that the majority of consumers want (Mobile, Steam, PS4, and X1). Eventually they will lose enough marketshare to truly have a visibility problem where only the real diehard Nintendo fans will be their customers.
If they want to reverse course, then management has to do a 180° on a lot of their decisions and practices, which I just don't see happening without a changing of the guard I'm afraid.
I mean, yes, if they made very good decisions and made some sweeping changes to their strategies and came out swinging for the ropes with their next console in a place that really competed with the competition and attracted third parties, then sure, they could.
But this current Nintendo won't. They continuously make bad decisions that are out of touch with the current videogame market, and that falls squarely on the management. Their games are awesome, their decisions are horrible. The Wii-U attempting to get lighting to strike twice in a row. Designing a gamepad controller that even Nintendo themselves barely used, and then refusing to cut it from the SKU and sell a console without it to compete at a better price point. Failing to attract third party games to the system, hell even when the third parties contact THEM to develop on the Wii-U (Mojang with Minecraft). Recently the whole youtube video policy program, once again assuring that Nintendo is out of touch with the market and refuses to advance in any order that could help them gain marketshare in large amounts.
This current Nintendo doesn't know how to compete in today's market, they want to make their own little niche in the market and do it all their way, not the market's way. Which may work for them business wise, but it won't be hugely profitable and nor will it get them anywhere near their former glory days. If they follow their current course they will continue to bleed marketshare to the competitors who provide the consoles, games, and services that the majority of consumers want (Mobile, Steam, PS4, and X1). Eventually they will lose enough marketshare to truly have a visibility problem where only the real diehard Nintendo fans will be their customers.
If they want to reverse course, then management has to do a 180° on a lot of their decisions and practices, which I just don't see happening without a changing of the guard I'm afraid.
nephilimdj
Member
I think Nintendo needs to use its main strength now to try to lay a foundation for the next console, and thats to get Japanese developers back esp. ones who wish to publish games to every console (Konami with MGSV/PES, Namco with Naruto/Souls ect.)
Spend money to make money.
Spend money to make money.
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