A Very Sad Day for This Nintendo Fan(love/hate letter)

this post is honestly based on my anger and frustration with this company rather than me trying to be outrageous. I'm starting to think I'm growing tired of nintendo and their stuck in past approach to gaming . I'm not trying to be a troll here because honestly a good chunk of my best gaming experiences have been on nintendo consoles but i think other developers have seriously surpassed nintendo in terms of storytelling and gameplay since the early 2000's and excuses are constantly made for them because of child like brand loyalty . that whole nintendo magic touch thing is kind of getting played out to me. there have been 8 mario karts lol enough already . super smash was so beloved now its just the same ol game with better graphics and feels like a soulless remake that pays homage to a game of the past . etc. i could go on and on .

nintendo has become a company that will use the same franchises to appeal to a new generation of younger kids that they used to appeal to us . its lame and its obviously not working as well as it should be.and honestly thats fine but where are new ip, maybe hire some new fresh devs that are willing to make more mature new ip that aren't ultra violent but still have the magical nintendo touch to them with a cool endearing story and cool new setting besides the goddamn mushroom freaking kingdom! they have no idea how to cater to fans that have been with them since the beginning and have given them all the money that has made them as big as they are and thats what bothers me the most. this company has no idea how to evolve and cater to multiple crowds . they call themselves innovators and imo they are the polar opposite of that . the only thing they innovate on is a new stupid controller everytime around now because wii was a big success . now they see how fickle those consumers were now they are begging for their fans of the past to help bail them out. everyone needs to stop feeling so bad for this company . they have become so maticulous and calculated and thats why people have lost interest in them . they are at their best when they are risk takers (software wise) . ok we get it you want to appeal to kids .think about it mario kart 8 , a new smash bros , new fire emblem , new pokemon followed by remakes , zelda etc. its all crap we've seen before . if we were to apply this to movies and their sequels they would be straight to dvd at this point. nintendo you are boring ! what the hell happened you!

maybe they should realize they have fans that aren't 10 years old too ! MATURE DOESNT HAVE TO MEAN ITS GTA OR FREAKING MANHUNT. honestly there a lot of smart people there but thEY have no idea how to cater to their fans of the past and their new fans and its a damn shame! i love you nintendo and hopefully you could reinvent yourself . STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE NAME OF YOUR FREAKING SYSTEM AND WHAT THE CONTROLLER LOOKS LIKE AND THE STUPID NEW GIMMICK YOU COULD SLAP ON IT . GIVE US A REGULAR FREAKING CONTROLLER . THAT XBONE CONTROLLER IS LOVELY !!! TAKE THE RISKS ON YOUR SOFTWARE!!! MAKE A SYSTEM WITH GRAPHICS THAT ARENT 10 YEARS OLD AND SPEND SOME OF THAT MONEY ON SOME NEW IP!!!!!!! WAKE THE F UPPPPPPP!

i mean honestly they put out multiple iterations of the same franchises constantly . obviously mario and pokemon are good as a friendly themed game but take zelda for example . your telling me they cant put of a more accessible approach out for the younger players , and a nice new fresh more mature , deeper story zelda for the more experienced players . your telling me people haven't been clamoring for something like that . even pokemon . leave the accessible pokemon on the handheld and a pokemon with more complexity as far as rpg elements go and etc . for the console?!

ahhhh that felt good , sorry about that . this was more of a venting kind of thing than a post . I'm sure most people will not read this whole thing and thats ok. I'm sure people will disagree with me . and i know i trashed beloved ip but there has to be some type of balance. then maybe id appreciate the mario karts and smash bros a lil more . they're getting played out because thats all there is . i no it seems silly that I'm crying to this huge corporation on this obscure gaming forum but whatever . i had to share my frustration

That's why I also use other systems.

The problem is Nintendo can never win. They do something new, and people have an outcry because they want the same ol'. Look at the drama that came with WindWaker's graphics and StarFox Adventures. For the past couple of E3's all people are saying is "where's Zelda? where's F-Zero? where's Metroid?".

I'd love to hear what games you're playing that you feel so empowered to talk about franchise burnout. All of today's most popular games are sequels of sequels. CoD, Battlefield, Assassin's Creed, Dragon Age, Far Cry, etc... There are very few original AAA games. The indie scene is filling those gaps. Yet, Hyrule Warriors is an original game. Yes, it's a mashup, but the result is a fresh, new experience. Have you tried that? How about ZombiU? Captain Toad looks like it will be a lot of fun.

I will always say, Nintendo (to me) is king of gameplay. Their games are fun to play and that IS the experience. Not the story or graphics (although I will always argue that Nintendo's graphics are mostly excellent). Do the games get stale or boring? Not to me. I still enjoy Mario games. I loved Pikmin 3. Mario Kart and Party are still fun with friends (and MK8 online has been a blast). Anyone that can play countless first person shooters, driving games, and third person action/hack-n-slash should not be complaining about Nintendo rehashes, when those other games are rehashes themselves of other games.

I understand your frustration because I felt the same way for a long time. And Nintendo HAS dropped the ball. Unfortunately, Nintendo is now a secondary console. That may be why I'm not as mad anymore, because I have something to play the "grown up" games on and when I want something different, good ol' Nintendo is right there, with quality games that many people are overlooking because of tech specs. If you're more interested in how a game renders individual blades of grass that have nothing to do with gameplay, then you definitely want to stay away from Nintendo games.

It's a love hate relationship with them. But, I didn't plan on getting a Wii U because I felt it had the best rounded gaming experience, I got it to play Nintendo IPs and any third party exclusives it does get. I'll leave the heavy lifting of big budget exclusives and multiplatform games to the MS/Sony consoles, when I decide on which one to get. The Wii U, just like the Wii, is what I see to be more of a supplemental console.

@Epak_: i have ps4 and xbone and they are both awesome but i love nintendo and wish they'd do something with their potential . its sad to see .

@Grieverr: i hear u . i guess there is a part of me that wants nintendo to rejoin the race . i know realistically it won't happen immediately but they honestly can do it . theres no need to get rid of classic ip . just add new ip thats a little more mature story/setting wise for the older nintendo fan . thats all they gotta do . new system , honestly don't care about the name but give it a cool name to appeal to the young kids , on par with ps4 and xbone graphics , regular super comfortable controller . thats it! they're back in it to win it . i don't understand what they're doing . i really hope this new console shows that nintendo is hip to these things . i mean seriously thats all they gotta do . i got friends who would buy a system like that in a heartbeat

blog it dude. People change, their hobbies and taste change. This is nothing new.

@frankiebotzkidd: What you just described was the GameCube.

It had all the staples of a Nintendo system with Mario, Mario Kart, SSB, two Zelda's, one lighthearted and happy, the other much darker and mature , a completely re-imagined and somewhat more mature take on Metroid with the Prime series, two Pokemon RPG's, a new take on StarFox and new IP's such as Animal Crossing (if talking exclusively about the western market),Baten Kaitos, Battalion Wars, Chibi-Robo!, Eternal Darkness, Geist, Luigi's Mansion, and Pikmin , with 3 of them been mature themed IP's.

And that before even mentioning the 3rd party support, with franchises such as Call of Duty, Star Wars, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Fifa, Final Fantasy and many more making an appearance.

The point is, they tried making a system that competed with Sony and Microsoft but it failed, so they tried something completely different with the Wii and it was a success, so naturally they stuck with that, however it's clear that the Wii U has failed compared to the Wii so it's completely possible they might try another "GameCube" style system next.

@frankiebotzkidd: So you want Nintendo to lose all individuality and be like all other console makers just because your tastes are changing? That's terrible.

They don't need to make M-rated games though they are releasing Bayo 2 and Devil's Third. They do own the rights to publishing Fatal Frame, even if they never bring it to the west.

They consistently come up with cool new IPs, like Codename STEAM, Splatoon, Dillon's Roling Western, Pushmo, etc. But if all you're looking for is "mature" games and things that are "hip" then you should do more research before buying any console.

yeah nintendo sucks these days its just the same old over and over and over and over and over again at least theres ouya

Yea they need to start making their console a primary console again...not just a console that compliment another one. Would love to only need to buy 1 console...instead of having to buy 2. :P

let me go ahead and hand this to iwata and miyamoto...

because im sure every word you said they havnt heard before... im sure no one has mentioned it to them or they never thought about it.

/sarcasm

nintendo is gonna nintendo...love it or hate it.

So you're tastes have changed. Accept it and move on. As a kid I used to love reading kids books. I don't screaming to those authors to change what they do because my taste has changed. Same thing with the TV Shows, Movies etc. I'm not screaming at them to change to my tastes. I just move onto something else. Maybe you should consider doing the same.

Cool whining. I'd read it if I was stupid.

I'm not quite sure I understand your point about Nintendo needing new IPs when other video game companies are doing the same thing. Hell, you used movies as an example. Look at most of 2014's lineup when it came to movies. Almost all of the major films of this year were sequeals or new entries in old franchises.

We got a new X-Men, Spider Man, Planet of the Apes, Transformers, Ninja Turtles,Expendables, Godzilla and other movies from older IPs in 2014. The list goes on and on.

Movies are not the beacon of freshness that you're making them out to be. Look at what we're getting next year, more movies from established IPs that pretty much play it safe. Studios like Disney are not banking on something new, I'm willing to bet their 2015 is pretty much based around Avengers and Star Wars.

I guess my point is this. I can understand the nature of your rant. Nintendo I do think relies too much on their old IPs. But let's be honest here, they are not alone. Ubisoft's big holiday lineup this year is yet another Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. Activison is pretty much banking yet another Holiday season on Call of Duty.

People don't want anything new when it comes to media anymore. Yes, a new IP comes along every year that surprises everyone and does well. But look at our top selling and grossing movies and video games of the past several years. Many of them are from old franchises that keep getting trotted out.

Look at the Wii U. Mario Kart 8 is the fastest selling game on the system, while the other Mario games have already broken 2 million. People want to go on and on about how Nintendo never does new IPs but when these new games do come out they are never supported. The same people who love to bash Nintendo for being a Mario factory are somehow not around to buy these new IPs when they do come out.

Wonderful 101, Eternal Darkness, the list goes on and on. It's not that Nintendo does not want to IPs anymore, its the fact that in their opinion nobody cares.

When Mario outsells Wonderful 101, what do you expect Nintendo to think? Of course they keep giving us more Mario. When Call of Duty outsells everything else every single year, and people lineup to go buy another Assassin's Creed even though its having serious issues while new IPs die on store shelves, then what do people expect? People act like Mario and Call of Duty are played out, but they are what keeps selling and posting insane profits.

I'm not saying an IP being older is a bad thing, but the reality is that as much as people love to run onto message boards and rant about how gaming sucks and they make the same old games, the proof is in the sales. When Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2 sell well below Mario's games then is it any wonder Nintendo keeps putting Mario's name on the box? When people demand IPs to come back and then never buy them, is it any shock Nintendo and others give us only what sells? When the only games that post record profits are old IPs like Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty, is it any shock companies are not only milking those IPs, but even putting out ports onto new consoles to make a little more money?

The issue is not Nintendo's problem alone. New blood just can't take hold in today's gaming market. People would rather stick to what they know(myself included) then try something new and different. Which means the smart companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, Activision, EA, and Ubisoft get it. Why create a new IP when something old like Mario, Halo, and Call of Duty will sell millions with each new entry and they can play it safe with an IP that is established?

Those IPs are insignificant. They need IPs that can contend with the big AAA franchises of today. They need more Marios and Zeldas without them actually being Marios and Zeldas, not rinky dinky indie eShop games. Also, Nintendo DOES need to make their own M-rated games, because there are not enough people doing that for them. There's millions of gamers out that that started up on Nintendo, but left because their gaming tastes have changed, so they went to the Sony and MS crowd. Nintendo NEEDS to get them back. Nintendo has to stop thinking they need to cater only to Nintendo loyalists and nostalgic fans. They need to understand that the only way truly be on top again is going after BOTH markets. They need to spend a few billion they're sitting and develop so many games, it will choke the shit out of their competitor's libraries. This whole "quality over quantity" mantra that Nintendo fans continue to spout needs to stop, and people need to push Nintendo to adopt "quality AND quantity". This attitude of Nintendo not needing to change is what's holding them back, and will continue to hold them back.

Doesn't happen. If its a new IP it doesn't sell even if its a fantastic game. The Sony MS herd are not interested in it unless its Mario or Zelda. They won't even break even on all the money spent developing and marketing these games. Doing the push you want would put them into bankruptcy. Its not profitable for them to do what you want. Besides, their games do attract younger players and they would be snubbing their bread and butter if they tried to branch out so much that it hurts their baseline sales.

The only way that Nintendo gets back 3rd party is if people make a conscious effort to snub MS and Sony and get the Wii U port. And since you've seen how everyone reacts to this idea...

Nintendo consoles being weaker than the competition makes that incredibly hard for multiplatform owners. I've only bought a Wii U version twice. Once for Assassin's Creed 3 so I could have another launch title to play and again for Need for Speed: Most Wanted U, because EA actually put forth the effort to make it the definitive edition. Nintendo's not going to get their fans to buy 3rd party games until they focus on making their machines technically competent.

Hate to say it but even then it won't help. People like to claim they would get the Nintendo system all the time, but if you look at the Wii U launch, which had strong 3rd party support, you'll see that the games just didn't sell. Even if the next Nintendo system is on par with ps5/X2, it will still be in a similar situation. Mainly because of the fanboy lines that most refuse to admit it. So instead of Nintendo doing this, they need to be focusing on staying profitable for the rest of this generation, which they are doing in grand style. Nintendo won't win through power. N64 and Gamecube has already proven this.

Yes, but there were other factors for those systems. Before the N64 even came out, they spoiled their relationships with Sony, who went off to create the juggernaut PlayStation. Because of Nintendo's stubbornness, they stuck to cartridges which cost them Final Fantasy 7. Not to mention, N64 games were almost twice as much as PS1 titles. With the GameCube, they went optical, but they took a step backward by making it a proprietary format with less storage space than DVD 9s. I think there was something about Nintendo's publishing fees being higher as well. And the Wii U had a horrendous start largely in part to its horrible marketing.

So you're right. They won't win with power until they stop being their worst enemy.

Why do you think great games don't sell? Do you believe it has anything to do with the games themselves, or maybe it's other issues of their business that Nintendo's allowed to fester propagate that have, over generations, painted their systems with a negative stigma? So much so that they can no longer afford to really invest in what they wish because the ineptitude of their business acumen has become so detrimental? When you have talent like Nintendo and STILL struggle to profit, something is wrong.....and it's not the games.

They have made their own bed through years of old-fashioned thinking, philosophies, stubbornness and insularity. I'd be willing to bet money that if Sony and MS had Nintendo's IP (and let's be honest, they'd KILL for them) they could make more money with them.

Perception. Nowadays hardcore is shooting people in the face with a shotgun. The 12 year old mature hardcore gamers love these games and buy it in droves. And games like Nintendo games don't do this. That's all it really boils down to. Their hardcore experiences is like getting 100% on DKCR or getting 100% on ALBW with hero mode without upgrades. 9 times out of 10 they are just as hard as anything in gaming today, outside of a flawless run on a souls game.

Plus that I think that the gaming consumer has gotten quite dumb this generation. They have been swallowing hype like its going out of style and the preorders lead to games that have no business selling... doing well.

Destiny, Driveclub, Watchdogs, ACU etc. all end up making more sales than they should because people fall for the preorders and the special editions parting suckers from their money. Its pretty much sums up this whole generation. Maybe even the last 2 generations.

That's why i love Nintendo so much, they don't care about inmature fanboys with adult deliriums, they just keep making games for everyone like they have done it for the pass 20 years.

Also, if you seriously think that Nintendo only cares about their "gimmicks" then you are so out of touch with Nintendo is embarrasing, why the **** would i want a new, dark and mature IP when i have the incredible level design in Super Mario 3D World.

But be my guess, go play CoD 20, Halo 9, FIFA 15, Uncharted 6, because clearly, Nintendo is the only one who keeps making the same game every time.

If this is truly what you believe, I think you are just as clueless as Nintendo.

@madsnakehhh: the delirium seems to exist within my friend lol , if you had read the whole post you'd see my frustration is with the lack of expansion for the company . i love nintendo ip but that alone is not enough . nowadays people buy systems as a platform so they can buy all their games on it . thats why you see people who own a wii u buy 9 or 10 games for it because they want to justify their 300+ purchase . yea I'm a lil frustrated so i ragged on some of these loved franchises because i feel like thats all i see from them . its annoying point blank .

I feel ya man, I'd say going forward hang onto a Nintendo console or two (Gamecube and Wii U for me) and have them to enjoy the great couch multiplayer forever- Smash, Kart, Kirby Airride, Nintendoland, etc. I'm also able to hang onto and keep playing Zelda Collector's Edition, Zelda Windwaker, and Metroid Prime Trilogy whenever i feel like, and I'm good to go.

From now on I'm never getting a Nintendo console again unless they improve 3rd party support and hardware

@Grieverr: sequels are fine as long as they innovate as have a cool enough new setting and story to compliment it. right now I'm playing sunset overdrive ( which is so awesome) and middle earth . just picked up far cry 4 also ( new to the series ) , and call of duty ( best one since cod4 imo )

Hey, I'm not knocking you at all. Believe me, I am pretty disappointed with Nintendo as well. I also wish they were more competitive so that maybe I'd only buy their console. But it's now an exercise in futility to get so worked up about it. I'm resting all my hope on the next Nintendo console. I think they understand what they need to do. They just can't do it now. The Wii U is what it is, and they're stuck with it. They won't kill it early because it'll look really bad for them and possibly ruin momentum for the next console. They have to ride it out as best they can for another two years, minimum.

So now I accept that they're a secondary console, and I guess that's ok. I also have a PS4. Oddly enough, the last few games I bought were Bayonetta 2, Smash U (haha that would be a great title!), and Tropical Freeze. My next purchase will be Captain Toad. And these are games in general. I have not bought a PS4 game since FIFA 15, and Infamous, before that. There are no PS4 games that are on my must-buy list for the rest of the year (although The Crew is really growing on me). So the Wii U is doing well for me.

Sunset Overdrive is one of the few games that has me wanting an X1 (Killer Instinct and Dead Rising as well), and CoD does look good (I haven't really played one since Modern Warfare 2. I think I have a total 1 hour accumulated in blops and blops 2). I will get Middle Earth at some point. All good games, and ties well into having these blockbuster games and Nintendo IPs on the side.

And to reply to the comments about "Nintendo tried it with the N64 and Gamecube", those consoles had other issues which held them back. I was actively playing those games back then so these are my real thoughts, from my experiences back then, not something I'm commenting on from reading articles.

The N64 killed itself with the cartridge media and more expensive licensing fees. Developers fled to the playstation because of CDs. The Gamecube was seen as a toy due to it's design. And again, limited media. You were getting cool looking pieces of equipment with the big, bulging Xbox and sleek PS2. The Gamecube had a lunchbox handle. On top of that, publishers had already left Nintendo by then.

So I don't think Nintendo should strive to "keep their identity" and be purposely different. Anyone who has played games since the NES knows that the Wii was really the first time Nintendo decided to "be different". Yes, they've always had their game design philosophies, but they've never alienated publishers via hardware before. So I'd argue that Nintendo's identity is top notch hardware, with inventive and comfortable controls, where they can create their games and give a platform for 3rd parties to do so as well. That's what I hope they go back to in their next console.

@Grieverr: Yeah , i agree with you wholeheartedly. I guess i was just venting my frustration with the company because i really do have a place in my heart for them. They have amazingly talented people there and are more than capable of partaking in a sorta natural evolution for the company. I feel like everyone knows what it is nintendo needs to do except for nintendo lol , its infuriating to say the least. I love their franchises but for the whole consoles success to be based on those games is just horrible for a person who cant afford another platform to benefit from that balance of having a ps4 or xbone as well as a wii u . So yea I'm holding out real hope for their next console. I hope they are finally ready to grow and learn from their mistakes . Enough with these wacky controllers man lol that wii u controller is really just awful. Give us a traditional controller and innovate on that rather than make something so left field that it turns people off to buying the damn thing . And spend money on an up to date gpu/cpu. God knows they got it like that who are they kidding lol. and honestly i don't think they've had good third party support since snes imo.

Games of today doesn,t taste anything ... what I mean is back a few gen, you could tell a game was made by this or that developper because it had this special thing only known for one developper or Publisher, now all the games are pretty much the same outside of Nintendo. Most people want M+ games but M+ games aren't more mature, it just have more blood, cursing and guns. The story is as basic or bad as a more cute game. I think the only game that I played that I think deserved maybe a T+ is Persona 4. Amazing game with an amazing story that you don't find anywhere else and it is M+ but everything in this game is stuff a 13years old can experience in his own life ... but it got a M+ ... so just think a little all the other games that got a M+ doesn't deserved it at all, it is all because of the blood, the guns and the cursing.

But hey, when you're 13, you don't want Kirby or Mario Kart, you prefer to explose someone in the face in Call Of Duty thinking you're badass and mature. I was like that too when I was 13 and the Playstation came out, Nintendo clearly was more kiddy and Sony went full on blood and all. I maintly switched because of Final Fantasy even tho I didn't think FF7 would be this epic greatness it is known today.

Now I'm 31 years old. I gave up on Sony with my PS3 dying and I bought a 3DS when Bravely Default came out and I felt in love with Nintendo again and bought a WiiU and I'm very satisfied. I don't plan on buy a PS4 nor a X1. waste of money for a PS3 with better graphics but the same milking. You say Nintendo only uses the same IP but once per gen ... Ubisoft produce how many Assassin's Creed for the PS3 ? How many Uncharted came out while Nintendo produced how many Mario Kart ?

People says that you'll miss great 3rd parties games ... what great game ?

@Coco_pierrot: lol ur not the type of person who enjoys things too much are you ? glass half empty kinda guy? most video game stories aren't these amazing epics with intertwining storylines and sub plots . I've played metro redux recently and that was a pretty cool story. mass effect is pretty awesome . the witcher etc .but lets be clear its mostly about the gameplay experience with a nice simple plot that lets you know who/what you're up against so you can immerse yourself in that journey. middle earth far cry come to mind as far as recent games go. sunset overdrives story is cool enough for me man . I mean its not freakin star wars or lord of the rings but cmon now lol those things come along every now and then and that goes for all different mediums . we just had one in the last of us as far as video games go . you got a bad argument with uncharted though . the franchise started on ps3 . as did assassins creed. nintendo franchises , while i do love them , have been around for a looooongg time. just around the time your mom started growing peach fuzz on her upper lip lol

@frankiebotzkidd:

The Last Of Us was kinda lame to me, I expected something way better than what they gave us. Beautiful and nerve raking in some spot but the story outside of the intro wasn't that wow to me.

My point is Nintendo make one Mario Kart every gen, not spew 4 or more Mario Kart for one gen like there is too many Uncharted or Assassin's Creed for one gen. Making that many sequel in such a short time is the sure way to kill your franchise before it could last as long as Mario has.

Also using my mom to insult me as your last argument, weak and prove that you aren't mature at all like most people here.

@Grieverr: Thats the irony of Nintendo- their fans wont let them win.

For what its worth, I view Assassins Creed, Call of Duty, and Far Cry in the same light as Mario Kart, Smash and Mario platformer gamers. All milk nothing new. But they all sell millions anyways lol

@Coco_pierrot: @jcrame10: for what its worth i freakin hate assassins creed. painfully tedious gameplay and criminally boring story wise. far cry is f'in awesome ur bugging. they innovate enough each go around to make it feel fresh to me . and they usually come out 2 years or more apart so I'm hyped when a new one comes out .when call of duty is bad , i could admit its bad. even though ghosts wasn't horrible , it was just too damn similar to the other games . advance warfare does enough different to interest me. its really good and super fun to play online because of the new mechanics. the last of us was honestly one of the top 10 games I've ever played. buthey man w.e though its all subjective. also jcrame , my point is nintendo needs to build on what they already have. create some new fresh franchises that compliments the old ones . thats it. I'm sold . stop underutilizing your awesome franchises (metroid , earthbound , for christ sakes make a pokemon rpg for the console i mean seriously everyone wants this , and bring star fox into 2014. that new wii u one looks a lil too 64ish to me but its too soon to tell

Yes I wish Nintendo would bring back Wave Race ( started on N64 and GC ) and Eternal Darkness (GC) and they also had Pikmin for the first time on the GC too, I just wish they would continue them as they continued Pikmin.

Nintendo really is stuck in their own little scene and they really don't appear to be changing that too much now. I would wager the next gen they will kick it up a notch but as-is you're still getting the nintendo-styled favorites. This is a good companion console.