Nintendo Future My Opinion KIND OF LONG

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joespimpin

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#1 joespimpin
Member since 2006 • 817 Posts
As we all know by now Myamoto has given a keynote at GDC 2007 about his personal aspirations and corporate aspirations of game development.  Knowing what I know about Xbox Live, PS Home and the Wii, here is where I think Nintendo is slotting themselves.  Although I mentioned competitors this write up is only Nintendo focused.

Nintendo is in a unique position in the market right now.  Where other competing systems are playing chess with content on and offline, Nintendo is playing checkers.  Nintendo isn't trying to compete directly with its competitors, that's what Nintendo says.  The reason for this is because of the simple truth.  Nintendo's real competition is the minds and hearts of the mass market and the hurdles they must leap over to win over would be gamers.

Nintendo is going after a more non gaming market so analysts and competitors say.  Fact is they are going after those who aren't gamers for reasons x,y and z.  Most of those reasons are related to time investment, cost, complexity and learning curve.  If your a non gamer you will stay a non gamer.  If you are a person not playing games for reasons like this you are Nintendo's new hopeful market.

Now that you know what the market is (to me) now I can tell you where I think Nintendo is going.  Where other competitors in the console space have put community interaction into the systems with software, Nintendo has catered both the handheld and console hardware to invite these community aspects.  Before I go into that I want to explain quickly why community is so important with relativ examples.

Todays users are more tech savy then the old days.  We have today websites, blogs, video/audio podcasts, community sites like myspace, forums, and even open source progects for PC content.  Todays digital content and electronic interaction is no longer about just playing a game with someone its about expressing yourself and ideas.  The feeling that each one of you belong that drives todays internet world.

So back to the Wii/DS.  With this in mind Nintendo doesn't have a complex online solution for a few very important reasons.

1.  Online gaming isn't mass market.

This means Nintendo can spend more time working on projects and games that the majority of current platform owners will want to use and have.

2.  Social aspects built into the hardware.

Nintendo made the Wii/DS friendly systems.  How many DS games can we play multiplayer with one cartridge?  Games like wiisports that want us in the room laughing and interacting together.  The Mii system and so forth.

3.  Online isn't as intense as sitting with your friends and playing.

Many of us complain about split screen, but how many of your friends don't have a system, or game that you want to play with them and now you can't.  Sure playing online competitivly is fun, but playing offline just to mess around with friends and have a good time is a more rewarding experience.

4.  Varied performance with online.

Offline multiplayer is going to be what it was intended, but still online has many problems with lag or other elements that take away from the experience.

5.  Nintendo's hardcore and new gamers need to mix first.

Nintendo is hoping to keep their core audience as well as take on new gamers.  Both aren't used to Nintendo's way of doing online and they also aren't used to each other.  So it is very important to keep that in mind when they do deliver online content, because it has to turn on both audiences, if it only turns one audience on they may lose the other side atleast with online for the generation.

Because of this I see the Wii/DS being social systems.  Not connected systems.  Nintendo's unique approach to gaming and ideas has the ability to bring people together better offline.  Hardware improvements aren't everything for games.  Some of the best games ever made, never even had the performance of a PS1 or N64.  I see Nintendo taking a simpler approach to gaming and adjusting the game mechanics to fit that new ways.  A good example of this appears to be mario galaxy.

well I am curious to see where you think Nintendo will go from here?
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Nova_Mongoose

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#2 Nova_Mongoose
Member since 2004 • 2261 Posts
insane.....wall....of......text.....it hurts my eyes! But you may have a point... however, I think online is extremely important nowadays.
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joespimpin

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#3 joespimpin
Member since 2006 • 817 Posts
insane.....wall....of......text.....it hurts my eyes! But you may have a point... however, I think online is extremely important nowadays.Nova_Mongoose


The question is not rather its important, but is it mass market?  Do you think online is more important than playing together with your friends?  Can you give examples of games besides FPS games that would benefit more from online where as being in the same room would take away from the experience?
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#4 -DarkestHour-
Member since 2007 • 270 Posts
I pretty much agree with everything you said there. But the thing is, Nintendo think they are doing something to sell more systems/games, but really, they are driving people away. It seems that they care more about creating new gamers then satisfying the fans who have been around for 25 years. In the long run, it is the long time fans who will continue to support the system and it's games, not the grandparents who play wiisports once or twice at christmas. This is where nintendo is making a mistake, and they really need to concentrate on their long-time fans.
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#5 Nova_Mongoose
Member since 2004 • 2261 Posts
[QUOTE="Nova_Mongoose"]insane.....wall....of......text.....it hurts my eyes! But you may have a point... however, I think online is extremely important nowadays.joespimpin


The question is not rather its important, but is it mass market?  Do you think online is more important than playing together with your friends?  Can you give examples of games besides FPS games that would benefit more from online where as being in the same room would take away from the experience?

Well, there are numerous possible examples of massively multiplayer RPGs, imagine playing a dogfight on "Heatseeker" online, or playing a World Tournament ofTiger Woods golf against players from all over the world. Tell me you're not the least bit interested?
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#6 lzorro
Member since 2006 • 7395 Posts
I like how you set up your argument and supported each topic with very well detailed opinions. If I were a teacher and this were a paper you would have gotten an A. Anyways to the topic, yes whole heartedly agree with you.
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#7 joespimpin
Member since 2006 • 817 Posts
[QUOTE="joespimpin"][QUOTE="Nova_Mongoose"]insane.....wall....of......text.....it hurts my eyes! But you may have a point... however, I think online is extremely important nowadays.Nova_Mongoose


The question is not rather its important, but is it mass market? Do you think online is more important than playing together with your friends? Can you give examples of games besides FPS games that would benefit more from online where as being in the same room would take away from the experience?

Well, there are numerous possible examples of massively multiplayer RPGs, imagine playing a dogfight on "Heatseeker" online, or playing a World Tournament ofTiger Woods golf against players from all over the world. Tell me you're not the least bit interested?



I think MMO is best served on the PC which is an entirely different beast all together.  The other games you mention really don't address the question.  What games offline multiplayer would take away from the experience?  MMO you are right.  Golf, after playing Wiisports golf with a few friends togther I can't see why online is more important.

I think you might be focusing too much on game mechanics and less on social aspects of playing games together.
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joespimpin

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#8 joespimpin
Member since 2006 • 817 Posts
I like how you set up your argument and supported each topic with very well detailed opinions. If I were a teacher and this were a paper you would have gotten an A. Anyways to the topic, yes whole heartedly agree with you.lzorro


thank you
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joespimpin

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#9 joespimpin
Member since 2006 • 817 Posts
I pretty much agree with everything you said there. But the thing is, Nintendo think they are doing something to sell more systems/games, but really, they are driving people away. It seems that they care more about creating new gamers then satisfying the fans who have been around for 25 years. In the long run, it is the long time fans who will continue to support the system and it's games, not the grandparents who play wiisports once or twice at christmas. This is where nintendo is making a mistake, and they really need to concentrate on their long-time fans.
-DarkestHour-


You are right about supporting the core audience better.  I think they are trying to do that with VC as well as key franchises, but the big let down right now is there is no meat and potatos of games for that core audience while the other two major competitors are bringing out big guns.  I would say wait until after this holiday to decide rather the core is forgotten or rather maybe they were put on hold while developers got the games right.

After all the core audience is the hardest to please and the most lucrative source of profit, so even one misstep on a key franchise could swing the tide the wrong way for Nintendo.
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#10 tomarlyn
Member since 2005 • 20148 Posts
I disagree with nearly everything you said about online. Yeah there are some benefits offline has over but it works both ways. Wii Sports would always be better offline with friends, but games of Halo 2`s and Battalion War`s nature demand online (especially anything large scale with multiple players). Bottom-line Wii needs on-line.
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#11 mushi799
Member since 2006 • 1163 Posts
[QUOTE="tomarlyn"]I disagree with nearly everything you said about online. Yeah there are some benefits offline has over but it works both ways. Wii Sports would always be better offline with friends, but games of Halo 2`s and Battalion War`s nature demand online (especially anything large scale with multiple players). Bottom-line Wii needs on-line.

Yeah but having online-compabilitie doesn't hurt. You can still play offline with ur friends and have the option of playing online. I don't see how having an option to play online hurts a game.
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tomarlyn

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#12 tomarlyn
Member since 2005 • 20148 Posts
[QUOTE="mushi799"][QUOTE="tomarlyn"]I disagree with nearly everything you said about online. Yeah there are some benefits offline has over but it works both ways. Wii Sports would always be better offline with friends, but games of Halo 2`s and Battalion War`s nature demand online (especially anything large scale with multiple players). Bottom-line Wii needs on-line.

Yeah but having online-compabilitie doesn't hurt. You can still play offline with ur friends and have the option of playing online. I don't see how having an option to play online hurts a game.

Yes choice is always the way. I`d love to play Wii boxing online to find a capable opponent, all my friends are total noobs at it :)
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#13 Pandamar
Member since 2006 • 732 Posts
Online support is key to Nintendo's survival in the modern console war. Period. As for Nintendo's future, I see them going exclusively hand-held within the next couple of console cycles.
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#14 LOLhahaDEAD
Member since 2006 • 4431 Posts
I read that whole thing, which is a quite a feat for one such as myself. But, I wholeheartedly agree. I really think Nintendo's got a good marketing scheme, bringing fun back to video games.
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#15 mushi799
Member since 2006 • 1163 Posts
I read that whole thing, which is a quite a feat for one such as myself. But, I wholeheartedly agree. I really think Nintendo's got a good marketing scheme, bringing fun back to video games.LOLhahaDEAD
AGREE@Fun. Seriously, what other console can duplicate the "fun factor" that the Wii brings?
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#16 LOLhahaDEAD
Member since 2006 • 4431 Posts
[QUOTE="LOLhahaDEAD"]I read that whole thing, which is a quite a feat for one such as myself. But, I wholeheartedly agree. I really think Nintendo's got a good marketing scheme, bringing fun back to video games.mushi799
AGREE@Fun. Seriously, what other console can duplicate the "fun factor" that the Wii brings?

I mean, I went to my friend's house and played his 360 for a while, but after that it got really stale. Blasting people's heads off is amusing, but it doesn't last. On the otherhand, I went to my other friend's house about 2 weeks ago and I COULD NOT stop playing wii boxing. I was completely enthralled.
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joespimpin

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#17 joespimpin
Member since 2006 • 817 Posts
[QUOTE="tomarlyn"]I disagree with nearly everything you said about online. Yeah there are some benefits offline has over but it works both ways. Wii Sports would always be better offline with friends, but games of Halo 2`s and Battalion War`s nature demand online (especially anything large scale with multiple players). Bottom-line Wii needs on-line.



Would you rather have a good single player and some offline multiplayer or some online support that was an after thought?

Think about your example of halo 2.  How long has that been out, if online was so compelling why are people still playing halo 2 when there are plenty of next gen shooters out there online?  makes you wonder, some games may work well with online but not all and most don't even come across well.

plus you have to know about Nintendo games.  They acutally make other games besides FPS's and shooting games in general, would those titles benefit from online?

I don't see where batallion wars had enough depth to warrant online play either.
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#18 LucasAW
Member since 2005 • 442 Posts
That wall of text basically tells people what they already know. But by all means continue with the illusions of competence.
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#19 cricket_foreva
Member since 2006 • 306 Posts

Mate, im sorry but the wii NEEDS online. You can only play the single player campaign on a game so many times before you can almost play it with your eyes closed (Not literally of coarse, as a figure of speech). Its not as if i have my mates come over every day of the week to play multiplayer anyway. I would rather be able to finish my study for the night and turn on my wii and play some good competitive online gaming for an hour than replay a single player campaign once again.

If you look at Mario strikers for instance, the whole online mode has lost its fun i think anyway. You get points for LOSING. I can see where Nintendo is coming from to assist non-gamers and so on, but i mean, come on.

Im not saying every game that is released for a the system NEEDS online but games like Metroid 3, is crying for it. I dont care if people say ''but teh signle player'', its needs it. Why cant developer's make a good game inboth aspects. After a good 25 hour single player adventure, you can play online for many months to come, in stead of having to buy a game every three to five weeks because you have passed the single player already.

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#20 vnc20100
Member since 2007 • 1685 Posts

It'S good that we talk about Nintendo and their games, but what about third parties? They may be the ones that will pull out the hardcore games. I jus got POP Rival sword (nerver played a POP games before) and I must say that I have a blast with it. They managed to pull out controls that are simple and responsive. It has everything form platformer to combat. Action and some kind of puzzles.

That's just one game and it's a port. Great third parties games are coming (Square Enix games for example). The future of the wii, like the DS, will be told with the help of 2nd and third parties companies.

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#21 fleig_man
Member since 2006 • 858 Posts
In my opinion you have to look at both ways. There are games without online that need to be online(SSX Blur for example). There are also games that do not need online nor do we want it (for example Metroid Prime 3, I don't care what you say, I do not want online for it. The game is intended for single player adventure only, except for Hunters which wasn't all that good in the first place.) But it all depends on what type of game it is.
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tomarlyn

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#22 tomarlyn
Member since 2005 • 20148 Posts
[QUOTE="joespimpin"][QUOTE="tomarlyn"]I disagree with nearly everything you said about online. Yeah there are some benefits offline has over but it works both ways. Wii Sports would always be better offline with friends, but games of Halo 2`s and Battalion War`s nature demand online (especially anything large scale with multiple players). Bottom-line Wii needs on-line.



Would you rather have a good single player and some offline multiplayer or some online support that was an after thought?

Think about your example of halo 2.  How long has that been out, if online was so compelling why are people still playing halo 2 when there are plenty of next gen shooters out there online?  makes you wonder, some games may work well with online but not all and most don't even come across well.

plus you have to know about Nintendo games.  They acutally make other games besides FPS's and shooting games in general, would those titles benefit from online?

I don't see where batallion wars had enough depth to warrant online play either.

How does online hurt a game? It doesn't if they make space for both online and single play (but there's always online only games like Counter Strike). In fact it offers a unique, challenging experience more and more gamers are asking for. Also BWii screams tactical multiplayer depth that demands online opponents to square off with, go read about it. There's always Mario Strikers Charged as an example too, its only half the game without online trust me. *By the way this topic is oldddd* :?