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Nintendo - Stodgy, Not-So-Super Mario?
Thanks to the Washington Post for their article discussing Nintendo's current position in the console wars. Although many of the usual points are discussed (despite Sony and Microsoft's efforts at innovation in online gaming and elsewhere, Nintendo has "...stuck to a philosophy that people who buy and play video games enjoy the familiar and care little for such gimmickry"), the piece also points to possible failure in Nintendo's current tactics ("The company proclaimed that the Game Boy Advance would be a 'Trojan horse' for the GameCube - but that Trojan horse never opened because very few game designers have figured out cool ways to take advantage of that connectivity.") The article ends with an analyst's concern that "...the game console market might be starting to move beyond what Nintendo can deliver."
Every freaking post that mentions Ninendo is about their death.. Really? they sure seem so dead to me.. I mean really, When do we get to see trolls like Gamespy now Confirms: Nintendo is dying.
Man it ticks me off. Here's two facts. They are leading the way in terms of profit and they are number 2 in consoles sold. And I predict that soon PS/XBox will be in a different Market than Nintendo anyhow.
"After a year of mostly lackluster sales for the GameCube console (save a recent spurt following a recent price cut) and declining support from game developers, it looks as though Nintendo may have miscalculated."
AKA: "blah, blah, blah, THE END IS NEAR BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SONY!"
Please. I've read this before. The fact is that Nintendo does like to stick to its tried-and-true, but the tried-and-true do rock.
We're also starting to see a lot more coolness in terms of software that targets the 'cube, rather than just garbage software. Maybe you don't remember having a PS2 -- but between its launch in 2000, and late 2002, there wasn't much for decent software (a handful of really good titles), and most of the first-gen stuff was just warmed over PS1 games with more textures. The same thing is true of the GameCube and Xbox -- the first year and a bit is usually pretty dire for decent games. Real innovation (like F-Zero GX being a true evolution of the game, and the upcoming RE4), as well as great remakes (RE1, Metal Gear Solid), as well as cool concepts (Animal Crossing, Pacman VS) are all great things which other consoles do not have. No serious gamer would be caught without a GameCube.
Then they go on to say stuff like, "The GameCube is teetering on the edge of whether they should stay in this business or not." Which is funny as all fuck because there are about 1.5 million more GameCubes out there than Xboxes. I suppose this means that Microsoft should pack its shit and go back to trying to kill Linus Torvalds -- because they obviously are total suck-asses at video game consoles. Strange, I haven't seen a Washington Post article about that!
North American reporters have this queer fascination with kicking someone when they're down. This is just another example of it.
GameCube has all the stuff that Sony and Microsoft don't. There is a huge amount of overlap in the PS2 and Xbox library, but very little in GameCube land. As I said before, no serious gamer would be without a GameCube.
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Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
If you havn't noticed, 'Nintendo' is not the same thing as 'Gamecube'. The 'mature excuse' is pretty old to and makes you look as though you have been living in a cave for the past two or three years.
--- No, english is not my mother tongue.
Lack of online support. This is my only point against the Gamecube. I'd love to play some internet games of Mario Kart, or Mario Party and such, but even with my broadband adaptor, I can't. Several unique Nintendo only games would be awesome online.
And yes, I know about Warp Pipe. It sucks right now, unless you have a killer internet connection to the other system.
Beyond that, the Cube has the most innovative controller I have ever seen *gasp* different sized buttons instead of identical ones. It has the best wireless controller, since it's first party. It has the most unique games out of all the consoles. It's cheep, since it didn't try to include things like DVD playback (worthless to most tech savy people who already owned a DVD player).
And as many others have pointed out, the Gamecube is doing rather well, and I am sure will solidify the number two spot after the holiday numbers come in.
I guess noone writes XBox doom articles, since MS could afford to mail free XBoxes like AOL CDs if they really wanted to.
"...the game console market might be starting to move beyond what Nintendo can deliver."
This statement may more or less be true. However, this isn't something that Sony and Microsoft is immune to. What happens if the PS3 is a mediochre upgrade to the PS2? More polys, higher res, slightly flashier graphics. What if the XBOX2 has DVR capabilities, and people buy it for that and not so much for games? What if some 'never-been-in-the-game-market-before' company shows up surrounded in a hype field? (Apple? IBM? Toshiba??)
The point? At least Nintendo's trying. Not every idea is a winner. However, they have built themselves a rather faithful audience to support them for coming years. Yeah, maybe one day they'll go the way of Sega. That's life. It's just hard to imagine, though, that the other two players have any less to fear. Sony does not have Mario. Microsoft doesn't have enough success to bank on backwards compatibility. And the game market is increasingly attractive to newcomers.
The funny thing is, Nintendo's loss of marketshare would be hard to describe as a black eye. Maybe there's some hurt pride. Fair enough. Are they successful? Yes. Are they profitable? Oh hell yes. Are they innovative? Well gee, there sure is a whole lotta Nintendo-copy-catting going on.
"The company proclaimed that the Game Boy Advance would be a 'Trojan horse' for the GameCube - but that Trojan horse never opened because very few game designers have figured out cool ways to take advantage of that connectivity."
Mostly a true statement, though it's written as though the GameCube and/or the GBA is/aren't succesful. Okay, maybe it's just my Nintendo zealousy, but it's interesting how outsiders have such a dim view of what's going on in Nintendo's world. "Oh they've dropped back to #3. Bye Bye Nintendo." I'm starting to feel as though I need to re-examine my perception of Apple.
"Derp de derp."
I have both an XBox and a GC. Had a PS2 but got rid of it when I realized that the GC was graphically and gameplay wise better.
I love the fact that most GC games (especially those from produced by Nintendo) support 480p. Heck, launch games like "Luigi's Mansion" and "Rogue Squadron" were 480p from the start. Also, the Wavebird is the best wireless controller hands down.
I attribute the PS2 success to backward compatability and the Microsoft Windows "me too" effect. Ironic that Microsoft is being beaten by their own strategy.
Political correctness is the newest form of slavery.
So now every console needs a Grand Theft Auto to even be viable? Sorry, it's a decent game, but is doesn't even come close to defining what gaming is or whatever the hell you seem to think. Game consoles existed before GTA type games existed and they'll continue to exist long after it's dead and buried. Who the hell cares whether or not Nintendo has a GTA type game? If that's all you want out of a system, I have to say your gaming experience must be pretty narrow.
It's seen as a "kiddie system" for a reason, boys.
Why? Because 14 year old males are so insecure that they'd feel "kiddy" playing something like Super Mario, yet have no problems watching Dragon Ball Z or other completely childish crap like that? It's funny how all the "mature" games, the ones that teenagers claim as some sort of claim to their maturity, are the most immature games of them all.
Nintendo main target is "family" (kids)
because that means anyone can buy their games (more $$$), they reuse their own franchises to attract their "fanbase" grown ups and teens who used to play with their franchises (more $$$)so they always will have a fan base as soon as theres kids and kids parents who buy kid games more ($$$), everybody (who is not a nintendo fan at least) is sick and tired of seing Mario, pikachu and Zelda (and all their spin offs) in a yet another ridiculous game the 100th time but the thing is they are not bad (N has geniuses in their staff) and since they have their "fanbase" they always sell.
Nintendo is never going to change because their "business plan" is extremely proofitable
and therefore is highly unlikely to "die".
However is also unlkikely they get back to the top of the lists either, because a lot of gamers are just tired of "their scheme" and have adopted other consoles instead.