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Nintendo To Dominate Next Generation?
Via GameSetWatch, an editorial on the site Firing Squad suggesting that Nintendo is poised for a gaming industry coup. Their unique controller and appeal to casual gamers, the author posits, will turn the status quo on its head. From the article: "The cheapness of the console will help it sell and it's unlikely that Nintendo will face production shortages since it won't use exotic and difficult-to-make components. With a large installed owner base, more developers will be inclined to take a shot at it, publishers will feel pressured to release key titles (like Madden) for the Revolution regardless of their past GameCube experience. The controller is standard enough to work for most titles - so Xbox and PlayStation games will most likely work on the Revolution without major trouble, yet that same controller offers unique features that will be difficult to replicate for Microsoft's and Sony's consoles."
This is Nintendo. Nintendo isn't the synonym for video games it used to be (that job is now taken over in popular culture by Playstation or X-Box). But they are still a MAJOR brand. Everyone knows about the GameBoy. They had a very successful system in the GameCube, the N64, the SNES, the NES, and the DS. They weren't always the leaders of the generation (that stopped in home consoles with the SNES), but they have good solid stuff.
Besides, this is Nintendo. That means Mario. Mario Party. Super Smash Brothers. Zelda. Mario Kart. Plus tons of other great little games that will come out like Pikmin. Was there anything even CLOSE to Pikmin on any other system?
Nintendo may not be the post powerful console out there. That's fine with me. As I have said in previous posts, it's not like we are hurting for better graphics with the current generation (and the Rev is supposed to be 4x as powerful as the system that showed us Resident Evil 4). But I know there will be great games. Even if theys system is not the most popular (which could happen this time around, if Nintendo's bets pay off) it will have great games.
Even the Virtual Boy which failed in the market (which I loved) had great games. Mario Crash, Mairo Tennis (about the best tennis game I've played), Wario Land, and more.
The games will keep the afloat if they get stuck as an "also-ran". But I think they will be more successful than there were this generation.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
Just look at history, since Sony has entered the console market every one they have faced has used the exact same strategy (better graphics, conventional controller, more features, etc.) and has lost; in fact if you compare the strategy of the XBox 360 with that of the Dreamcast there is a remarkable similarity (focus on online service, built in network connection, released a year early, etc.). Sony is so effective because they're masters of the super generic console.
The only time Sony has been humbled is with the Nintendo DS which decided to change things up dramatically; whereas all systems Sony faced before used conventional input the DS has a Microphone and Touch Screen; all systems Sony faced before pushed for greater graphics whereas the Nintendo DS focused settled on a much more modest graphical level; and finally where every system that faced Sony before lacked decent Backwards compatibility, the Nintendo DS contained a catelog of games from one of the most popular platforms ever.
Now the Revolution has many similar charateristics to the DS, they both use a more conventional game medium (DVD and SD [like] flash memory), they have a well established back catelog, they have new input possibilities, they're both (expected) to be affordable, neither are focused on being the graphical powerhouse, etc.