Nintendo needs to create a western focused studio.

What will make Nintendo relevant again in the home console space won't be just getting ports of games that Sony and Microsoft will already have on their consoles. They need to build a totally new studio that is focused on creating new IP that caters to the tastes of Western gamers. Imagine if Nintendo had their own Naughty Dog, or RockStar studio, it could really make a difference.

Yes, they have Retro Studios, but they aren't making big AAA mature titles on the level of GTA or Uncharted. They seem to be limited to making Donkey Kong and Metroid games.

Retro making Metroid would be the best thing, and is as western focused as it gets. Them being consigned to Donkey Kong is missing the point, I agree.

So basically, either give Retro full freedom, or have them make Metroid. Either/or

For what, Metroid? I was personally okay with Tecmo handling of Other M, the design decisions that people had issues with were not their fault, but beyond that the game was still the basic game in how it progressed and the backtracking and such, controls weren't that bad, and it's not like they're making Metroid games often enough to be a picky bitch about it when they do. It had a solid Metroid feel to it. I've gone back to play it two different times it's still pretty good fun. The Adam story was a bit dumb but Sakamoto seemed bent on pushing it, that's his bad.

Metroid isn't a true system seller unless you're a hardcore Nintendo fanboy. I'm specifically talking about a Studio that will create new IP that caters to the Western audience. Nintendo needs a western focused killer app on the level of Uncharted, Halo, GTA etc, That is if they want to succeed outside of the hardcore Nintendo fan base.

With an install base of over 100 million (Original Wii) Metroid Prime 3 only managed to sell 1.8 million copies. The franchise has never sold all that great.

Other M is no where near the quality of the Prime games....

They need to do something like the Prime series, but take place after Fusion. I would crash land Samus on a planet, break her suit completely, and rely on knowing the planets life and ecosystem instead of just action to survive, but also allow her to use her new Metroid DNA. and even allow Metroid allies. That would shake up the formula.

I'd definitely like to see Retro do something fresh and new as well, I agree. Or at the very least, have them revive another old IP Nintendo hasn't touched in a while similar to how they brought back Donkey Kong Country.

I don't know, maybe have them make a Star Tropics game?

StarTropics??? I doubt a new StarTropics game is what Nintendo needs to get western gamers interested in their consoles again

@texasgoldrush:

The main point of my thread was about Nintendo making games that will appeal to western audiences at the level of Uncharted, TLOU, Halo and GTA. Metroid isn't a big seller, never has been. A new Metroid game will make some Nintendo fans happy, but Nintendo can't continue to only focus on their core audience.

You already have two other consoles to pay western developed games on. If they're not satisfying you, it says something about western developed games.

Again, people keep missing the point of my thread.

Nintendo needs a big AAA western focused title to become relevant again in the home console space. Their home consoles will continue to peak at around 15 million LTD if all they do is focus on making games that only Nintendo fans enjoy. If they want to see PS4/XB1 level numbers with the NX then they have to get PS4/XB1 fans interested in their console. Sure, they could try and get back the casual audience, but that would be a huge risk and I doubt they have another Wii level gimmick that will attract them again.

Also, like I said before I want Nintendo to create New IP that is western focused, not just simply get ports of games you can already play on the PS4/XB1.

@emgesp: Fair enough, but they really can't adjust their philosophy and publishing strategies just like that... They tend to become more like Nintendo when they're struggling with sales, not less like Nintendo.

That might benefit Nintendo fanboys, but its just gonna alienate PS4/XB1 owners even more.

Nintendo really only has two choices to be successful in the home console space again.

1. Pander to PS4/XB1 owners.

2. Pander to the Casuals.

IMHO, the 2nd option would be too great of a risk at this point in time. The Wii was the right product at the right time. Nintendo has to realize that at this point.

This is true.

Although I'd go to say they should establish at least 2-3 Western studios and begin production of titles pertinent to our tastes in addition to their traditional output. Nintendo fans would immediately cry foul, but the fact is, the Western gaming market is immense. Gamers who love Nintendo's games and constantly deride these "walking simulators", "cinematic junk", and "dude bro" games miss the point: it doesn't matter what their tastes are. If they want Nintendo to grow and penetrate to a wider range, they need to accept the reality that these games are part of the equation to that growth. It's unrealistic to expect Nintendo to succeed when they continually marginalize and ignore a massive segment of the market that loves these types of experiences.

I believe this became a problem when Iwata and Miyamoto, both game designers by trade who held (hold) very passionate ideals and beliefs as to what constitutes great games, were put in the seat of executives. They were then making decisions on approving software that didn't seem to be based on market considerations necessarily, but instead were moreso predicated upon personal philosophical design dogmatisms. As amazing creative individuals as these guys were (are), it didn't seem that they were able to distance themselves from their trade, and Nintendo's output has diminished in variety and scope as a result. Like I've said before, I find Yamauchi was a great businessman because he held literally no interest in games aside from using them to make money, whereas Iwata and Miyamoto were poor businessmen because games were (are) their life.

Being so passionate about something can be a drawback just as much as it can be a benefit. I hope Kimishima is able to recognize demand for a wide spectrum of tastes and cater to them, even if he disagrees personally with their formulas, genres, etc. It's going to need to happen if Nintendo's going to expand.

Couldn't have said it better.

It just seems so simple, yet Nintendo wants to continue to live in their bubble. Consoles are basically irrelevant in Japan, so why continue to make Japan your primary focus?

Whether they like it or not they need to get PS4/XB1 owners interested in their consoles now more than ever. Mario and Zelda might win over the core Nintendo fan base, but its not gonna be enough.

They need to realize that adapting to the ever evolving tastes in gaming isn't a bad thing.

I have no idea what Nintendo needs in order to make more money. I also doubt you have.

A new good studio, like Retro Studios, would be awesome though. Retro turned out to be an amazing dev, so more of that please.

As talented as Retro is they aren't making games that sell consoles by the millions.

Lastly, it's pretty freaking obvious what they need to do to become relevant again in the home console space. Just being the Mario and Zelda box obviously isn't enough.

They should allow more Japanese developers to create horror games.

I agree with the Op. Nintendo does need a western system selling game on the scale of Halo etc. Nintendo used to, Rareware. They filled this void and brought many classics to the SNES and N64 such as Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. But since the Microsoft acquisition something has been missing on their consoles. The N64 also had the likes of Turoks too. Nintendo does need western studios to do well over here and please their hardcore fans. Having Retro (as good as they are) just isn't enough.

So true, Goldeneye was definitely a system seller for many gamers, including myself. Sold 9 million units which is over 4x more than any Metroid game has sold. They definitely could use another Goldeneye level system seller that doesn't just appeal to the core Nintendo fan base.

By all means they should open new studios, pile it on il take as much as i can get.. But at the same time they have to be careful not to spread themselves too thinly, trying to appease everyone can have the opposite effect.

Personally id rather see Nintendo keep their quirky Japanese angle, they dont need to be a swiss army knife to be relevant or successfull, that will only dull their edge.

Its like saying Meshuggah need to collaberate with Justin Bieber so they can cater everyone and not just their fans.

The quirky Japanese angle isn't what the vast majority of gamers are interested in. Obviously Nintendo needs more than their current software offerings to appease gamers outside of the dedicated Nintendo fan base.

Sony is able to find balance in their software lineup so why can't Nintendo as well? Sony offers everything from Uncharted to Dreams. When it comes to quirky game design you can't get any more strange and unusual than Dreams.

Saying Nintendo should just stay the course will only continue to send them down the path of irrelevancy.

Quality as Metroid Prime is rare, no way they could do that. And definity not something with glitch intended.

The vast majority when it comes to gaming are average dolts who are interested in playing average games, of course it makes sense from a corporate perspective that you would cater to that spectrum of the market, but from a gamers perspective and in the interest of maintaining standards, Nintendo needs to keep sharpening that shashimi.

I made a comment yesterday in the Nintendo forum about what I'd like to see from the NX in a thread. It's relevant to this thread. You might enjoy reading it.

At the end of the day Nintendo is a business and should want to make as much money as possible. The Wii U proves that a Nintendo console needs more than another iteration of Mario and Zelda to be truly successful. If they don't get more games that cater to western audiences then their home consoles will continue to undersell.

If you want the NX to sell better than the Wii U than you need to change your perspective somewhat.

Depends what they do with the nx imo. If they go for a ps4 / xbone type console, they would need more western style games, but if not I don't see western audiences taking much notice regardless

If they don't make the NX more western focused than the Wii U then they will have another dud on their hands. It really is that simple.

The rumors around it have me pretty worried and I think it will be hard for Nintendo to convince people who have an Xbone / PS4 to grab one. Nintendo makes me worry sometime...

All the wii u proved is how important it is for Nintendo to strike a balance between its home console and handheld divisions, Nintendo was focused almost entirely on saving the failing 3ds when the wii u launched with a bad name, no games and no marketing.

Its a given the NX will sell better than the wii u, like it was a given that the wii u would sell less than the wii.

So then they are doomed to appeal to a narrow demographic......

It is not a given that the NX home console will sell better than the Wii U. Just because the NX might see less software droughts doesn't mean it will see more success. The vast majority of Nintendo fans who are interested in Nintendo home consoles bought a Wii U by now. The fact is there are only about 12 - 15 million hardcore Nintendo fans left that are interested in buying a Nintendo home console. The vast majority of Nintendo fans seem to prefer the handhelds, especially in Japan where the 3DS has sold 20 million units vs the Wii U at a measly 3 million units sold.

Took the words right out of my mouth Emgesp. Nintendo is a business, and certain gamers like myself want both Zelda, Mario and Metroid etc, as well as good quality games from other studios which can compete directly with the PS/Xbox. Nintendo has the money and they should certainly be funding and taking more western developers under there wing to get world dominant in the market. I will always say that losing Rareware was a big blow for them. They churned out games in-between Nintendo's first party hits which made there earlier consoles not only sell more than the recent (excluding wii) but only had much more variety. If Nintendo still had Rare (in good form), Retro and another developer making second party games. Plus more third party support. I believe they would topple both Playstation and Xbox.

Although the games ain't the only reasons down to Nintendos failures. Hardware, Online, data storage and disk format etc have not helped and meant Nintendo likes making things hard for themselves....

That was basically the GC approach and it was fantastic but it wasn't a huge success.

Unfortunately, the relationship with Nintendo, Western game devs and gamers isn't going to be getting better anytime soon, as they are in a relationship akin a Chicken-Egg situation:

I don't feel Retro would be Nintendo's inroad to western games. They haven't proved much. They made one great game, and that was with heavy help from Miyamoto. Since then, they have been under Nintendo's thumb to the point where Nintendo's people basically do all the creative stuff. They are the head producers and directors. Part of that could be that Nintendo is overbearing. I get the feeling that Nintendo just doesn't have faith in Retro's creative ability, and I'm not sure that they are wrong about that.

I would like to see that. More new IP's focused on Western market would be appealing to me.

Well it still sold better than the Wii U. The GC had an image problem and the fact it didn't get GTA games was a huge let down.

It DID get the "clones" though: True Crime LA and NY, as well as Simpsons: Hit and Run.

It wouldn't hurt. I'd be more interested in a Nintendo console as well if they offered more variety.

They could build a second one, yeah, it wouldn't hurt. Larger thing they need to do is make new ips, new franchises, new money makers.

There are seriously lagging as far as ip's focusing on the western market . They do seem to be ignoring the issue.

<a href="http://fortlauderdalehotelcondos.com/">Andy</a>

They are fine focusing their products in japan. Their products are selling in Japan and selling well. Why give up that stranglehold? Nintendo fans the world over love the japanese flavor and buy those games.

A western focused Nintendo studio won't help them. Western studios filled with westerners will help them. They just need the big games that the others get and the console sales will improve dramatically. That's really about all it really would take.

Indeed! You just can't focus on a small fan base for so long, changes with their philosophies and internal Front Office need to be made (we now have Kimi running the company).

they need about 3-4 western developers. not just from the US but from countries around europe also (the likes of poland are becoming a hotbed of talent now).

shinen should be snapped up soon. they did some pretty snazzy things with the wiiu and have consistently managed to squeez great results out of nintendo hardware, especially considering the size of the studio and budgets. they are not too shabby in the gameplay department either. it can just be a bit too mechanical but (going by neo) they are getting better. given more support (especially around cleaning up the game play a bit) and resources they could be very valuable to have.

look for the games sony and co are not making but people are shouting out for. beat kickstarter to the punch. the elite dangerouseseses and such like..especially games with ideas that could make the wiiu, or whatever the NX is, shine. At E3 nintendo should be touring the booths for the smaller developers and having a chat.

all i will say is that when the rumor that project offset was going to be a wiiu game (well it was a rumor that this cool looking game was coming to the wiiu and it had a vid. the vid just didnt say it was project offset...which was owned by intel. a false rumor that was quickly spotted.) people did sit up and take notice.

the only thing i would caution against is trying to make games just like uncharted, COD or halo. those games are sown up (well maybe halo fans are a bit jaded? no? :P) and the companies that make those types of games are very good at making those types of games.

the studios nintendo gets would need to offer something unique, that appeals to western audiences more and that is in an area where nintendo themselves are not that experienced (no point in getting a western studio trying to make a JRPG when nintendo already have the best JRPG developer on the planet for example).

They need their consoles to sell better in Europe and NA and the only way for that to happen is to offer games that appeal to their tastes.

Just getting ports of multiplats that the PS4/XB1 get won't be enough for the NX console to be successful. They need a Halo/Uncharted caliber exclusive game.

BTW, what I meant by a western focused studio was indeed a studio located in NA with Western developers. I'm not saying Nintendo should get Japanese devs to make those kinds of games. Either expand Retro Studios, or create a totally new studio in the west.

Thankfully, Kimi has experience in the West as he was the President of Nintendo of America for many years. He knows the type of games that the NX will need to be more successful than the Wii U in NA and Europe.

That's what I'm hoping for, I feel like he has a lot of aspirations from the late Yamauchi than Iwata as he expressed his distaste with the Wii U and its marketing philosophy.

It won't matter if they do. Nintendo Japan will just mess with it and say that those games aren't 'fun'. Its happened before. NOA had lots of western support and licensed games in the N64 era. Let Nintendo be Nintendo, and let the western devs be who they are. All Nintendo has to do is offer up good hardware with NX and the rest will take care of itself. If NX has awesome hardware then it'll get the main 3rd party games. Them trying to make a Uncharted/Halo won't help. After all Metroid Prime didn't help the Gamecube. What makes you think that it will help now?

Nintendo does seem to do a bit too much anime. Which isn't my thing and I'm sure there are lots of others like me. I prefer a little gritty realism. To me Nintendo often comes off as being Fisher Price.

This is what I picture when I think of Nintendo the past few years. I think it kind of sums it up for a lot of adult gamers. Too clean, too whimsical, too kiddy.

please no, to be honest there are too many "western" games and nintendo's focus on gameplay is always welcome. The only problem they ever seem to have is getting enough 3rd party support to justify picking up their console.