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[JLB]

Really interesting read that provides a rationale behind why Nintendo define its strategy regarding hardware.

“The genius behind this concept is that for product development, you’re better off picking a cheap-o technology (‘withered’) and using it in a new way (‘lateral’) rather than going for the predictable, cutting-edge next-step.”

lock if already posted.

 

[McCheese]

Makes sense, I also think their art-style makes it very hard to compare Nintendo games graphically to the photorealistic stuff you often get on PS4/Xbox, which works in there favour. Animal Crossing looks absolutely gorgeous on the switch with its materials and lighting systems, despite running on a 6-year-old chipset.

I wonder if Nintendo still has the engineering and production to even take the 'cutting edge' approach again, I can't imagine they have the resources available to come up with some outlandish super-powered architecture like the N64 again.

 

[Sota4077]

Makes sense, I also think their art-style makes it very hard to compare Nintendo games graphically to the photorealistic stuff you often get on PS4/Xbox, which works in there favour. Animal Crossing looks absolutely gorgeous on the switch with its materials and lighting systems, despite running on a 6-year-old chipset.

I wonder if Nintendo still has the engineering and production to even take the 'cutting edge' approach again, I can't imagine they have the resources available to come up with some outlandish super-powered architecture like the N64 again.

If Nintendo keeps making beastly consoles that act as like mobile backwards compatible devices I am 100% on board. When I catch a flight and I can play Skyrim or I can hope into old SNES & NES games that is all I need.

 

[Jon Neu]

I can't wait to see a Zelda with PS4 graphics for the Switch 2.

 

[JLB]

Makes sense, I also think their art-style makes it very hard to compare Nintendo games graphically to the photorealistic stuff you often get on PS4/Xbox, which works in there favour. Animal Crossing looks absolutely gorgeous on the switch with its materials and lighting systems, despite running on a 6-year-old chipset.

I wonder if Nintendo still has the engineering and production to even take the 'cutting edge' approach again, I can't imagine they have the resources available to come up with some outlandish super-powered architecture like the N64 again.

Previously i thoght that nintendo going for the lower end tech was pushed for sony and microsoft making the traditional console market a hard bet.
Certainly the article provides a more sophisticated rationale that explains that the whole thing might be a well thought strategy from nintendo from the let go.

 

[Rentahamster]

I wonder if Nintendo still has the engineering and production to even take the 'cutting edge' approach again, I can't imagine they have the resources available to come up with some outlandish super-powered architecture like the N64 again.

They have a bajillion dollars in the bank. They can do whatever they want. But do they want to?

The disruptive approach they've taken since the Wii and DS has proved both successful and profitable. Why pivot to a market share where Sony and Microsoft are already kicking each others' asses at? Cost/benefit of that approach is low from a business perspective.

 

[MagnesG]

Gunpei Yoko:

There’s a huge variety of console games out now, but to me, the majority of them aren’t actually ‘games.’ The word ‘game’ means something competitive, where you can win or you can lose. When I look at recent games, I see that quality has been declining, and what I’m seeing more and more of are games that want to give you the experience of a short story or a movie.

 

[Joelenheimer]

I can't wait to see a Zelda with PS4 graphics for the Switch 2.

That's going to be a long wait.

 

[Rodolink]

great article, thanks for sharing

 

[EightBit Man]

I guess you can say that SNK and SEGA shared that philosophy as well, if you look at their consoles prior to the SEGA Saturn. The Motorola 68000 is processor from 1979 and the Zilog Z80 is from the mid-70s.

 

[cireza]

Does it mean that having sub 1080p games that run at sub 30fps is a good situation overall ?

 

[Trimesh]

Does it mean that having sub 1080p games that run at sub 30fps is a good situation overall ?

If they are good games and the presentation doesn't detract from the gameplay, it's entirely irrelevant how much "power" the console has. And yes, I do absolutely think that Nintendo have taken the correct path and Sony/MS the wrong one. I got every iteration of the PlayStation and the Xbox at launch, but I have zero enthusiasm for either the PS5 or the Series X -so far all the information about them has been irrelevant shit about teraflops and SSD bandwidth. Apparently "games" don't enter into the picture at all.

 

[cireza]

If they are good games and the presentation doesn't detract from the gameplay, it's entirely irrelevant how much "power" the console has. And yes, I do absolutely think that Nintendo have taken the correct path and Sony/MS the wrong one. I got every iteration of the PlayStation and the Xbox at launch, but I have zero enthusiasm for either the PS5 or the Series X -so far all the information about them has been irrelevant shit about teraflops and SSD bandwidth. Apparently "games" don't enter into the picture at all.

Well I don't have an opinion about the direction taken by Nintendo, however having 1080p@60fps games would certainly not be a bad thing. Zelda BotW is maybe "okay" as is, but it would be way better with a clean picture and a very smooth framerate, which considering what is displayed, would not require Series X hardware.

Not excited yet for the new consoles either, but that's because we need to see the games