Nintendo - So popular it's sold out (?)
I've been reminiscing lately about the last two console generations, and fond thoughts of many games come to mind. Nintendo in particular shone in many respects, with stunning and innovative games on the N64, and even more so on the Gamecube. It seems as though because Nintendo was the underdog in the post-SNES era, they strove to attract and maintain their fan base by producing high quality games, and thinking 'outside the box.'
First party gaming masterpieces like Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda: OOT, Twilight Princess, and Pikmin captured many gamers' imaginations, with deep and truly involving gameplay. This kind of Nintendo magic is still evident in this 7th generation, though with the increasingly ridiculous popularity of the Wii and DS, the company's greed to consume and dominate the market has created a disgusting concentration on ultra-casual - and downright rubbish - games littering store shelves. While games like 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Carnival Games,' and "Big Beach Sports' are all 3rd party games (as well as simply terrible), they are incredibly popular among Nintendo's new and gigantic demographic - housewives, young children, and families, most of which are unfamiliar and disconnected from gaming culture.
In turn, first party Nintendo games seem to be following this trend as time goes on - Wii Fit comes to mind - where novelty and pretty box art trump game quality and critical reviews. The most recent news that the next Zelda console game will feature Link without a sword for the first time, pushed me to write this blog entry as it is a defining moment in this undesirable metamorphosis the gaming giant is going through. I mean, to dash dedicated fans' expectations in order to create a 'family-friendly,' fluffy, less violent, and more 'mommy-acceptable' game is truly sickening. Miyamoto has decided to please the masses rather than please the fans.
Perhaps I am mistaken and the game will be fantastic and innovative, but I'm all too wary that my suspicions will turn out to be correct. By marketing the next Zelda title towards the family sitting in their living room together, playing ten minutes here and there, rather than to the engrossed and appreciative single player as it has in the past, I fear this series (as well as other great Nintendo series' perhaps) will join the other lack-lustre "SHAKE YOUR WIIMOTE FOR 10 MINUTES A DAY!" titles on game store shelves, disgusting true fans, and delighting 3 year olds and the parents buying them.