GetDotted Domains

Viewing Thread:
"Nintendo are childish, but that's a GOOD thing"

The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.

Wed 08/08/01 at 00:28
Regular
Posts: 787
But wait! Put those pitchforks down! Someone restrain Dringo! Nintendo ARE childish, but this is a GOOD thing.

So, OK then. Not childish you say? Well, I’m inclined to disagree. Look at the launch line up. Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet and Super Monkey Ball. But, I’m not confusing childish for either gameplay or simplicity. All these games will probably by immensely playable and great fun for all the ages, but they are aimed towards the younger gamers out their. But this is a really good idea.

Reason 1: Competition. I think you’ll agree Sony have the older market pretty much wrapped up. The PlayStation really appeals to the casual gamer and the clubbers, and these audiences don’t want to see a short kid with pointy ears running through a forest defeating mushrooms with a sword and a wooden shield. They want exhilaration, they want music, they want violence. Shallow they may be, but they contribute a hell of a lot to the global games market and Sony knows this. Then there’s Microsoft as well. God knows what they’re aiming for but it certainly isn’t the younger market and this is where Nintendo come in. There is also a huge market for younger/family games, and Nintendo well and truly own this. No one comes close. This market is almost as big as Sony’s, because it includes ages 6-14, older as well (for people who like that sort of thing) but also (and here’s the beauty of it) families. Yes, families. Think about it. Husband, wife, 3 kids, but one of them is 6 months old. They want a games console, but they want something everyone can enjoy. Sony is an upbeat company and might be unsuitable for young Timmy “impressionable” Gamer. You ask any child owning family what their first choice of console would be and you’d get Nintendo straight back. Meka_Dragon is a prime example.

Reason 2: Image. Now, we all know Nintendo is trying to reach out to Joe “casual” Public these days with games like Eternal Darkness and Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2 but if you ask me, this is suicide. Nintendo have a very clean image and young kids and families mainly buy the consoles. Now the thing is, if Nintendo was to release more of these older games, they’d become a kind of wandering spirit. You see, if there were more games like Eternal Darkness, then appeal with families and kids might drop. Parents might refuse to buy it or there might just not be enough suitable games. This doesn’t work the other way though, as the casual gamers probably won’t be swayed towards Nintendo as they’d still retain some of their past reputation and Sony will always have more choice and a better image. This leaves Nintendo with a problem as they’ve not only failed to capture a share of Sony’s market but they’ve lost part of their own, and knowing Sony they’d probably fill the gap sharpish.

Reason 3: The “weeing against the wind” reason. Sure, Nintendo can produce the odd frightener and FPS, and usually they’re quite good but there’s just not enough. They might pour resources into this kind of thing but they churn out one every few months whereas Sony chucks them out on a regular basis. This “ages” Nintendo’s image for a short time but invariably another kiddy game will come out next month and kind of resets the counter. Gradually, their image has got better over time but not by very much and it all just begs the question “what is the point?” Nintendo are releasing these games and although they sell well with the upper limits of their markets, the younger ones and the sacred families probably won’t buy them. I’m not sure but I’m willing to bet Meka either doesn’t have Perfect Dark or doesn’t let his children play it.

Reason 4: Stick to what you’re good at. OK, Nintendo games are childish but they’re pretty damn good (allegedly). I’ve heard loads and loads of good reports on the likes of Mario, Zelda, and all the other games out there. Yes, they’re kiddy but they’re immensely playable with hours of good clean fun. This is fine, and I don’t see the problem. We call them kiddy and childish, but that’s not the same as saying they’re bad. Pokémon, arguably the most childish of all Nintendo’s creations, was a great game (the first time round) and amazingly addictive. Look at the phenomenal success of it. 6 year olds all over the country were going mad over this large yellow rat and raiding parent’s bank accounts until they had to take out loans. Meanwhile, Nintendo are so happy it’s like someone had let off a Marijuana bomb.

So, in the end, Nintendo are childish but that’s a really good thing and Nintendo fans shouldn’t be ashamed of this. The style of Nintendo’s games doesn’t appeal to everyone but that’s just a side effect of being one of the most successful games companies in the world. Sony and Nintendo aren’t rivals as such, because they’re not fighting over the same patch. The both have their ground and more or less stick to it. Sony isn’t going to take over Nintendo’s market and Nintendo likewise. That’s just the way it is and I think we should all be really happy it’s like that.

Thanks for reading
-Turbonutter
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:20
Regular
Posts: 18,185
We usually end up defending it. Sony fans i.e. TBN attack the GC and it isn't out yet so we defend it with what looks to happen!
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:22
Regular
Posts: 18,185
Specs-wise, they're both
> about the same. At the moment though, Sony is far, far better than
> Nintendo as we can play on our PlayStation 2, whereas Nintys can't.

But as we prefer N64 games to PS2 ones we think we are better as we are playing the better games. SO if you ignore specs we think N64 is better than PS2
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:22
Regular
"Picking a winner!"
Posts: 8,502
specifications don't seem to be that important. Take the sega saturn or the dreamcast. Neither really reached their potential although at the time they were spec-wise similar to the competition. Surely its the games that count. Specs are only really important if they improve the game alot more than other consoles.
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:26
Regular
Posts: 18,185
Exactly read innocence.
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:26
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
It's all down to personal preference. Some people don't certain types of games and that's what makes them decide what console they get.

If a Ninty and a Sonyphile both said "My console's better than yours" they'd both be right because from both their points of view, both their consoles are better. Do you see?
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:29
Regular
"Picking a winner!"
Posts: 8,502
If a Ninty and a Sonyphile both said "My console's
> better than yours" they'd both be right because from both their
> points of view, both their consoles are better. Do you see?

Think this is the sentence to end all console wars topics. Dosn't matter whats best to the rest, it matters whats best for you. Well put : )
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:31
Regular
"Eff, you see, kay?"
Posts: 14,156
Thank you.
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:34
Regular
Posts: 15,579
ah but what about the MR. neutral.
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:35
Regular
Posts: 18,185
Indeed but when the mud slings when Nintendo is called "Childish" or Sony a "Sequel Console" it is understandable that we defend our favourite system.
Wed 08/08/01 at 01:36
Regular
"Picking a winner!"
Posts: 8,502
Or†ega wrote:
> ah but what about the MR. neutral.

Im not sure what you mean. Could you explain more please?

Freeola & GetDotted are rated 5 Stars

Check out some of our customer reviews below:

Thank you very much for your help!
Top service for free - excellent - thank you very much for your help.
Top-notch internet service
Excellent internet service and customer service. Top-notch in replying to my comments.
Duncan

View More Reviews

Need some help? Give us a call on 01376 55 60 60

Go to Support Centre
Feedback Close Feedback

It appears you are using an old browser, as such, some parts of the Freeola and Getdotted site will not work as intended. Using the latest version of your browser, or another browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera will provide a better, safer browsing experience for you.