A constructive look at why Nintendo fans are so loyal

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Aki2017

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#1 Aki2017
Member since 2017 • 817 Posts

So I'm pretty much, just copying and pasting this straight out of my blog on the podcasting website here. Wondering if I missed any points? It's no secret we love Nintendo (what?! lies!! Hahaha). CAUTION - you will need time to read the wall of text but it's good ^_^

EVERY video game console has fans. Those who enjoy the product and speak highly of their experiences. Some develop such a strong attachment, that they proactively promote and defend said company. Did a Sony fan just make fun of the Xbox One? WAR! How dare you not feel the same love as I do, and I will explain in several paragraphs, why you are wrong!

There's another group of fan boys, who's commitment may be even stronger. Who can be seen as blind or surely under the age of 10. This group, is of course the Nintendo fans. It's almost like Nintendo can make anything, even cardboard and they will praise the company with their wallets. What is the deal? Surely Mario and Zelda are boring by now. Surely they would want more powerful hardware to play the latest cutting edge graphic pumping games?

As a Nintendo fan, I feel I can speak on behalf of the community. For the record, I have been "gaming my whole life" (Huh! See what I did there?) and play all consoles.

1) Firstly, let's discuss the word loyalty really quickly. It's trust towards something based on previous experience. The original Nintendo console came out more than 30 years ago and to this day, still bring fun experiences on their consoles/handhelds. Wouldn't YOU have a bit of trust in a company who has made you happy for so many years?

2) That trust let's Nintendo be more daring with their choices. Recently Nintendo, revealed "Nintendo Labo" - which is switch accessories that interact with the Switch console. The big deal? It's literally made of cardboard...expensive cardboard at that. Their consoles are weaker graphically over the last few generations and usually offer an unorthodox way of playing. Motions controls, a built in touch screen in the game controller? list goes on.

3)So it's blind loyalty? Nope. Nintendo's fan base is made up of a more accepting group. These gamers don't normally care how a game appears, as long as it's fun. They are more open to giving the benefit of the doubt to a company who has spent 30+ years earning it.

4)Let's talk facts. A big selling point of Nintendo games is the amount of work put in them. Enjoyed the recent Zelda game, breath of the wilds? Awesome - Nintendo worked on that for 4 years. How about Mario Odyssey? Development started late 2013 and released end 2017. What about a smaller game, like Splatoon? That took 2 years. The pattern you should be seeing is the large amount of time they put into their titles. They could easily release one of these games every year and although the quality would be lower...would still sell well enough. However, they never do this. they put quality in front of profits, which be honest - is very commendable from any company. this created even stronger loyalty within the Nintendo community.

5) Final point and thanks for hanging in there! Is that important original members are still in the company to this day. Many companies can be a shell of their former self, as original game designers and staff have already moved on but the logo remains. Nintendo whoever still have Shigeru Miyamoto. This man is the game designer of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong and more. he still oversees production all these years later to ensure quality. Eiji Aonuma has been directing the Zelda games for the past 20 years and Koji Kondo, the genius who created all those memorable Mario tracks still works at Nintendo to this day! Not to mention the new, younger talent they have been training over the years.

So there you have it. Solid reasons why Nintendo fans are so passionate. It's not just nostalgia. It's earned respect from 30+ years of quality games.

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so_hai

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#2 so_hai
Member since 2007 • 4385 Posts

I agree pretty much. 3) and 5) are the important ones. I think consistent quality is another factor, and continuity of the series. Because things carry over from previous generations with new twists on top, you get the old crowd following through and an interested new crew.

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Aki2017

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#3 Aki2017
Member since 2017 • 817 Posts

@so_hai said:

I agree pretty much. 3) and 5) are the important ones. I think consistent quality is another factor, and continuity of the series. Because things carry over from previous generations with new twists on top, you get the old crowd following through and an interested new crew.

Well said!

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LuxuryHeart

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#4 LuxuryHeart
Member since 2017 • 1821 Posts

I never got this stereotype that Nintendo fans will buy ANYTHING by Nintendo. We just like their exclusives. Same reason Sony fans will continue to buy a Sony console (Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, etc.). They like their games. Only thing they are pondering is how much they'll pay upfront to play those exclusives. Same with Xbox fans. Some think that Forza, Gears of War, Halo, etc are worth the price of an Xbox.

Also Nintendo fans won't pay for anything. Most of them opted for the 3DS instead of the Wii U.

Though I will say this. The more casual Nintendo fans are more accepting. They'll play in a different way as long as it enhances the experience. The more hardcore Nintendo fans want to continue gaming in a traditional way.

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PimpHand_Gamer

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#5  Edited By PimpHand_Gamer
Member since 2014 • 3048 Posts

I just want to know who exactly, needed an analysis of why Nintendo fans are so loyal? All I read was a wall of excuses for a problem that doesn't exist. Those aren't judgements and scrutinization's that get posted on SW but rather fanboy fodder which is akin to sports fans rooting for their own team and poking the apposition.

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onesiphorus

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#6 onesiphorus
Member since 2014 • 5234 Posts

One would have to see how loyal Nintendo fans will be if one day the company somehow begin to have inconsistent records in their game development. Will Nintendo fans continue to be loyal?

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LuxuryHeart

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#7 LuxuryHeart
Member since 2017 • 1821 Posts

@onesiphorus said:

One would have to see how loyal Nintendo fans will be if one day the company somehow begin to have inconsistent records in their game development. Will Nintendo fans continue to be loyal?

Depends on what you mean by that. If they continue to make good games with a well priced system, then they'll stay. If the game lowers significantly in quality or they overprice their systems, then Nintendo can kiss the more casual Nintendo fans goodbye (hardcore fans of any system will buy it unless it's like over $1,000 or something).

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KBFloYd

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#8  Edited By KBFloYd
Member since 2009 • 22714 Posts

umm...i think nintendo gets fewer games than the other systems. therefore the things we do get get a lot more hype so it has a much bigger chance to sell.

and that's it. how much the game sells is completely random. like who could have predicted that overcooked, or wonderboy dragon's trap or oceanhorn would sell best on switch. who thought celeste would be a hit on switch? that is just pure luck imo. Nintendo made games however are usually of high quality. maybe not in the graphics but in the "magic" and "charm" imo. this is what makes nintendo games best for me. aside from having the most classic iconic characters in gaming.

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GameSnapXtreme

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#9 GameSnapXtreme
Member since 2018 • 2 Posts

This is a very nice and detailed forum. Of course Nintendo fans would be loyal. Nintendo has been in the Video Game Industry since 1977, and are showing no signs of stopping. I remember people used to think Nintendo would go bankrupt over the Wii U not selling very good, but most people don't realize and underestimate how much money Nintendo has. They are still a multi-billion dollar company. Seriously, Nintendo is perfectly fine.

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Aki2017

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#10 Aki2017
Member since 2017 • 817 Posts

I'm seeing a few defensive replies here, lol. It's an educational piece for non Nintendo fans who, honestly don't understand. Nintendo is an amazgin company and have earned all the loyalty they have :)

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Aki2017

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#11 Aki2017
Member since 2017 • 817 Posts

@KBFloYd said:

umm...i think nintendo gets fewer games than the other systems. therefore the things we do get get a lot more hype so it has a much bigger chance to sell.

and that's it. how much the game sells is completely random. like who could have predicted that overcooked, or wonderboy dragon's trap or oceanhorn would sell best on switch. who thought celeste would be a hit on switch? that is just pure luck imo. Nintendo made games however are usually of high quality. maybe not in the graphics but in the "magic" and "charm" imo. this is what makes nintendo games best for me. aside from having the most classic iconic characters in gaming.

Third party games can be a bit random, but I doubt that's the case for Nintendo games. I'd say it's the magic and quality you speak of :) Also gamers who like Indie games, LOVE the idea of playing those very same games on the go

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Aki2017

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#12 Aki2017
Member since 2017 • 817 Posts

@onesiphorus said:

One would have to see how loyal Nintendo fans will be if one day the company somehow begin to have inconsistent records in their game development. Will Nintendo fans continue to be loyal?

Do you mean like, if the quality of their games drop?

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#13 Nine_Tails_
Member since 2018 • 2 Posts

https://www.gofundme.com/ugr83k-get-me-a-nintendo-switch apparently people are loyal enough to do this, seems almost ridiculous to me but at least people are interested.

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#14 theone86
Member since 2003 • 22669 Posts

@luxuryheart said:

I never got this stereotype that Nintendo fans will buy ANYTHING by Nintendo. We just like their exclusives. Same reason Sony fans will continue to buy a Sony console (Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, etc.). They like their games. Only thing they are pondering is how much they'll pay upfront to play those exclusives. Same with Xbox fans. Some think that Forza, Gears of War, Halo, etc are worth the price of an Xbox.

Also Nintendo fans won't pay for anything. Most of them opted for the 3DS instead of the Wii U.

Though I will say this. The more casual Nintendo fans are more accepting. They'll play in a different way as long as it enhances the experience. The more hardcore Nintendo fans want to continue gaming in a traditional way.

The Wii U sold 13.5 million units. The Virtual Boy sold 770,000. I rest my case.

@onesiphorus said:

One would have to see how loyal Nintendo fans will be if one day the company somehow begin to have inconsistent records in their game development. Will Nintendo fans continue to be loyal?

Oh, you mean like if they released a ton of middling or downright bad games? Games such as

Starfox Zero

Starfox Assault

Metroid: Other M

Mario Sports Mix

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast

Mario Sports Superstars

Pokemon Dash

Pokemon Rumble U

Hey You Pikachu

Yoshi's Story

Ever Mario Party game since, when was the last time they were good again?

Hey Pikmin

Five different Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games titles

Pokken Tournament

Game and Wario

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

NES Remix

And that's not even to get into all of the games that simply got mixed reviews (see: basically any Mario RPG since Paper Mario). And I know what people's response is going to be, you don't even have to tell me. I'm not saying Nintendo is a bad company, but just the fact that I have to point out all the crap Nintendo's shoveled out over the years proves my point: Nintendo fans act like Nintendo's **** don't stink. Before I came in here every post was all "oh, Nintendo never does anything bad, they're not like Microsoft or EA or Activision. They don't release flops (except they do), they don't cash in on yearly series (except they do), they don't bilk customers with microtransactions and paid multiplayer (except they do). They're so awesome and the rest of the game industry is crap." I hate that. I hate when fans of a company won't listen to you when you state the blatantly obvious, I hate being called anti-something just because I complain about something they do. Friend codes are stupid and hold multiplayer back "Oh, you must hate Nintendo!" Not putting basic media options (Netflix, web browsers, DVD support) in consoles is stupid and holds the consoles back "Oh, you must hate Nintendo!" Forcing us to pay a fee to transfer VC games between systems is stupid and holds the VC back "Oh, you must hate Nintendo!" I don't, in fact, hate Nintendo. I own a 3DS and would own a Switch if I could afford it. I've owned every Nintendo home system going back to the NES except the Wii U and SNES and every handheld system except the DS. I don't hate Nintendo, I just get super annoyed at fans who insist that everything Nintendo does is awesome and every time I complain about something Nintendo does I'm somehow bashing the company and them by extension.

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deactivated-5e90a3763ea91

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#15 deactivated-5e90a3763ea91
Member since 2008 • 9437 Posts

I think you're on to something about Nintendo fans being more willing to try new/different-looking games.

Personally I've no interest in Labo, but I tried plenty of other Nintendo games that sounded odd but turned out to be really enjoyable or at the very least unique and interesting.

I thought the e-reader was cool, just the way it could store video games on cards. Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Odama... There were just no other games like these when they came along. Metroid Prime took a 2D game series and made the concept work in first person, and it was great. Smash Bros - unlike any other fighting game and miles more fun imo. I think there is definitely something to be said for those experimental and new games Nintendo makes, just as much as there is for tried-and-true sequels to existing favorites.

I still remember when Windwaker unveiled and Link was shown in the cell-shaded art-style. I was amazed and intrigued by this new direction. I showed my friend and he was like "He looks like a girl... I don't like it." I was really confused because I wasn't really seeing it that way. The game eventually came out and I got it day one. My buddy and I both pre-ordered and got the Ocarina/Master Quest disc, and played that for a while til WW came out. Buddy didn't even bother paying off Windwaker and so he didn't get it when it came out. I was playing Windwaker and having a good time, trying to talk about it with other people... But it's like nobody else at my school was playing it, and anytime I heard anyone say anything about it, it was negative - mostly based off of visual impressions and by people who hadn't played it. A few months later, when the negative criticism made me kind of take a step back from the game, suddenly people were praising Windwaker and saying how fun and awesome it was. This is not how a Nintendo fan operates - this is how the general gamer operates.

That said, I remember thinking Nintendo was going to screw up Fire Emblem Awakening when it was first announced, since the original screenshots were very different from the final product. By the time I actually played the game, like a year or two after it came out, I was completely in love with it. It was everything I hoped for in a new FE game, and then some.

I think some of it is trust in Nintendo, but some of it is also in the DNA of the people at the company I think. They don't approach game development like everyone else in the industry all of the time. Pikmin came about because Shiggy looked at his garden and it just came to him.