The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only.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.
*Firstly, blatant fanboyism out of the way first* whilst I own every next-gen console, I’m a Nintendo fan first and foremost. I’ve enjoyed every Nintendo console greatly (except the Virtual Boy), and have an undying love for the company and the amazing games they produced and still keep producing to this very day. In short, I believe that although they may not be as well regarded as they were a few years ago, Nintendo still rule the gaming roost. *End of blatant fanboyism*
Despite knowing that Nintendo are the undisputed daddies of the games industry, I’ve recently started to wonder over the last few months whether Nintendo actually belong in the modern games industry.
Are they being left behind in terms of hardware and what gamers want to play nowadays?
Do they still have a place?
I know my and many other Nintendo fans answer to the second question is a categorical “YES”, because I feel that without Nintendo, there’d be no games industry, but you really have to wonder why they aren’t doing so well in the latest console war tussle. We all know the undeniable quality of Nintendo and their latest console, and although it hasn’t excelled in the games department as much as I’d hoped just yet, but why isn’t it selling as well as was hoped? How come the once mighty games giant is left languishing in a lowly position in the UK and US?
It’s all about consumer trends at the end of the day, with the current nature of many gamers not sympathetic or understanding to the style of Nintendo, as their games basically don’t appeal to the majority of modern gamers.
Ever since Sony brought gaming more to the mainstream, there has undeniably been a more ‘casual gamer’ approach to many games, with more emphasis on style over substance. Games like Ico, Rez and a whole host of Nintendo greats are well documented for being fantastically original and offer unique gaming experiences, yet they didn’t take off with the public and made little impact in the games charts. The reason is the casual gamer.
If you look at today’s charts, you’ll see them dominated with established (read cash-in) franchises. GTA, FIFA, The Sims, Sim City, James Bond, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Tony Hawk’s etc. There’s very little in the way of imagination in that group, and whilst many are good games (I love GTA, The Sims and Sim City), the trend for releasing add-ons or sequels to top selling franchises is ultimately affecting companies like Nintendo. Nintendo very rarely get a big chart buster these days, a game that stays at the top of the charts for any number of time, and this is due to the sheer amount of established franchises filling up the charts these days. Low sales figures of the Gamecube prove that Joe public would now prefer to play on more mainstream consoles and games with more simplified appeal instead of a game that challenges them to actually think and use more skill.
Despite what some people would have you believe, the modern games industry is all about one thing: money. Consumer cash is the Holy Grail for the majority of games firms, and as has already been proven with the absolutely awful The Getaway or Harry Potter, you no longer need a decent game to be at the top of the charts, all you need is a good advertising agency and plenty of gullible gamers.
Nintendo have improved their public relations over the last few years, advertising a lot more, sponsoring various events, having games master Shigeru Miyamoto making a rare appearance in the UK, and generally being a lot less secretive and more open than years gone by, but in terms of advertising and awareness, Sony have blown them away. The Playstation brand name has got into people’s consciousness like the Nintendo brand did a decade ago. The ‘Nintendo generation’ has now been superseded by the ‘Playstaion generation’, and that’s a fact whether we like it or not.
So what about the future?
By rights, 2003 should be the year of the Gamecube in the UK, with Zelda, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil Zero, Skies of Arcadia Legends and the prospects of 1080, F-Zero, Mario Kart GC, Mario Golf/Tennis, the big Capcom games and more top quality gaming treats to savour at some time in the future, but what’s the betting that the sales surge we hope for doesn’t appear. Despite the obvious quality on offer, gamers will still be transfixed with the latest FIFA or Tony Hawk’s games, and that’s a real shame.
Nintendo still makes enough profits to stay afloat thanks to the GameBoy and the Pokemon franchise, but in the future…
As the old song goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”. I hope this isn’t true with Nintendo, for it would be a shame if they disappeared one day only for the disrespectful gamers who hated them to realise how damn good they were and actually end up liking their games, only to find that they’ve gone never to return.
Think about it and give an honest and realistic answer: with the way it’s going, do you see a future for Nintendo in the games industry in ten years time?
Despite knowing that Nintendo are the undisputed daddies of the games industry, I’ve recently started to wonder over the last few months whether Nintendo actually belong in the modern games industry.
Are they being left behind in terms of hardware and what gamers want to play nowadays?
Do they still have a place?
I know my and many other Nintendo fans answer to the second question is a categorical “YES”, because I feel that without Nintendo, there’d be no games industry, but you really have to wonder why they aren’t doing so well in the latest console war tussle. We all know the undeniable quality of Nintendo and their latest console, and although it hasn’t excelled in the games department as much as I’d hoped just yet, but why isn’t it selling as well as was hoped? How come the once mighty games giant is left languishing in a lowly position in the UK and US?
It’s all about consumer trends at the end of the day, with the current nature of many gamers not sympathetic or understanding to the style of Nintendo, as their games basically don’t appeal to the majority of modern gamers.
Ever since Sony brought gaming more to the mainstream, there has undeniably been a more ‘casual gamer’ approach to many games, with more emphasis on style over substance. Games like Ico, Rez and a whole host of Nintendo greats are well documented for being fantastically original and offer unique gaming experiences, yet they didn’t take off with the public and made little impact in the games charts. The reason is the casual gamer.
If you look at today’s charts, you’ll see them dominated with established (read cash-in) franchises. GTA, FIFA, The Sims, Sim City, James Bond, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Tony Hawk’s etc. There’s very little in the way of imagination in that group, and whilst many are good games (I love GTA, The Sims and Sim City), the trend for releasing add-ons or sequels to top selling franchises is ultimately affecting companies like Nintendo. Nintendo very rarely get a big chart buster these days, a game that stays at the top of the charts for any number of time, and this is due to the sheer amount of established franchises filling up the charts these days. Low sales figures of the Gamecube prove that Joe public would now prefer to play on more mainstream consoles and games with more simplified appeal instead of a game that challenges them to actually think and use more skill.
Despite what some people would have you believe, the modern games industry is all about one thing: money. Consumer cash is the Holy Grail for the majority of games firms, and as has already been proven with the absolutely awful The Getaway or Harry Potter, you no longer need a decent game to be at the top of the charts, all you need is a good advertising agency and plenty of gullible gamers.
Nintendo have improved their public relations over the last few years, advertising a lot more, sponsoring various events, having games master Shigeru Miyamoto making a rare appearance in the UK, and generally being a lot less secretive and more open than years gone by, but in terms of advertising and awareness, Sony have blown them away. The Playstation brand name has got into people’s consciousness like the Nintendo brand did a decade ago. The ‘Nintendo generation’ has now been superseded by the ‘Playstaion generation’, and that’s a fact whether we like it or not.
So what about the future?
By rights, 2003 should be the year of the Gamecube in the UK, with Zelda, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil Zero, Skies of Arcadia Legends and the prospects of 1080, F-Zero, Mario Kart GC, Mario Golf/Tennis, the big Capcom games and more top quality gaming treats to savour at some time in the future, but what’s the betting that the sales surge we hope for doesn’t appear. Despite the obvious quality on offer, gamers will still be transfixed with the latest FIFA or Tony Hawk’s games, and that’s a real shame.
Nintendo still makes enough profits to stay afloat thanks to the GameBoy and the Pokemon franchise, but in the future…
As the old song goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”. I hope this isn’t true with Nintendo, for it would be a shame if they disappeared one day only for the disrespectful gamers who hated them to realise how damn good they were and actually end up liking their games, only to find that they’ve gone never to return.
Think about it and give an honest and realistic answer: with the way it’s going, do you see a future for Nintendo in the games industry in ten years time?
Page:
Yes, Nintendo deserve a place. They are the only specialist games company in the market now after Sega hit the mat. Does that no mean anthing? Maybe the Gamecube is having a slow start, but just look at March for Nintendo. You have got some of the best games ever created. This year will be the year of Nintendo!
*Firstly, blatant fanboyism out of the way first* whilst I own every next-gen console, I’m a Nintendo fan first and foremost. I’ve enjoyed every Nintendo console greatly (except the Virtual Boy), and have an undying love for the company and the amazing games they produced and still keep producing to this very day. In short, I believe that although they may not be as well regarded as they were a few years ago, Nintendo still rule the gaming roost. *End of blatant fanboyism*
Despite knowing that Nintendo are the undisputed daddies of the games industry, I’ve recently started to wonder over the last few months whether Nintendo actually belong in the modern games industry.
Are they being left behind in terms of hardware and what gamers want to play nowadays?
Do they still have a place?
I know my and many other Nintendo fans answer to the second question is a categorical “YES”, because I feel that without Nintendo, there’d be no games industry, but you really have to wonder why they aren’t doing so well in the latest console war tussle. We all know the undeniable quality of Nintendo and their latest console, and although it hasn’t excelled in the games department as much as I’d hoped just yet, but why isn’t it selling as well as was hoped? How come the once mighty games giant is left languishing in a lowly position in the UK and US?
It’s all about consumer trends at the end of the day, with the current nature of many gamers not sympathetic or understanding to the style of Nintendo, as their games basically don’t appeal to the majority of modern gamers.
Ever since Sony brought gaming more to the mainstream, there has undeniably been a more ‘casual gamer’ approach to many games, with more emphasis on style over substance. Games like Ico, Rez and a whole host of Nintendo greats are well documented for being fantastically original and offer unique gaming experiences, yet they didn’t take off with the public and made little impact in the games charts. The reason is the casual gamer.
If you look at today’s charts, you’ll see them dominated with established (read cash-in) franchises. GTA, FIFA, The Sims, Sim City, James Bond, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Tony Hawk’s etc. There’s very little in the way of imagination in that group, and whilst many are good games (I love GTA, The Sims and Sim City), the trend for releasing add-ons or sequels to top selling franchises is ultimately affecting companies like Nintendo. Nintendo very rarely get a big chart buster these days, a game that stays at the top of the charts for any number of time, and this is due to the sheer amount of established franchises filling up the charts these days. Low sales figures of the Gamecube prove that Joe public would now prefer to play on more mainstream consoles and games with more simplified appeal instead of a game that challenges them to actually think and use more skill.
Despite what some people would have you believe, the modern games industry is all about one thing: money. Consumer cash is the Holy Grail for the majority of games firms, and as has already been proven with the absolutely awful The Getaway or Harry Potter, you no longer need a decent game to be at the top of the charts, all you need is a good advertising agency and plenty of gullible gamers.
Nintendo have improved their public relations over the last few years, advertising a lot more, sponsoring various events, having games master Shigeru Miyamoto making a rare appearance in the UK, and generally being a lot less secretive and more open than years gone by, but in terms of advertising and awareness, Sony have blown them away. The Playstation brand name has got into people’s consciousness like the Nintendo brand did a decade ago. The ‘Nintendo generation’ has now been superseded by the ‘Playstaion generation’, and that’s a fact whether we like it or not.
So what about the future?
By rights, 2003 should be the year of the Gamecube in the UK, with Zelda, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil Zero, Skies of Arcadia Legends and the prospects of 1080, F-Zero, Mario Kart GC, Mario Golf/Tennis, the big Capcom games and more top quality gaming treats to savour at some time in the future, but what’s the betting that the sales surge we hope for doesn’t appear. Despite the obvious quality on offer, gamers will still be transfixed with the latest FIFA or Tony Hawk’s games, and that’s a real shame.
Nintendo still makes enough profits to stay afloat thanks to the GameBoy and the Pokemon franchise, but in the future…
As the old song goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”. I hope this isn’t true with Nintendo, for it would be a shame if they disappeared one day only for the disrespectful gamers who hated them to realise how damn good they were and actually end up liking their games, only to find that they’ve gone never to return.
Think about it and give an honest and realistic answer: with the way it’s going, do you see a future for Nintendo in the games industry in ten years time?
Despite knowing that Nintendo are the undisputed daddies of the games industry, I’ve recently started to wonder over the last few months whether Nintendo actually belong in the modern games industry.
Are they being left behind in terms of hardware and what gamers want to play nowadays?
Do they still have a place?
I know my and many other Nintendo fans answer to the second question is a categorical “YES”, because I feel that without Nintendo, there’d be no games industry, but you really have to wonder why they aren’t doing so well in the latest console war tussle. We all know the undeniable quality of Nintendo and their latest console, and although it hasn’t excelled in the games department as much as I’d hoped just yet, but why isn’t it selling as well as was hoped? How come the once mighty games giant is left languishing in a lowly position in the UK and US?
It’s all about consumer trends at the end of the day, with the current nature of many gamers not sympathetic or understanding to the style of Nintendo, as their games basically don’t appeal to the majority of modern gamers.
Ever since Sony brought gaming more to the mainstream, there has undeniably been a more ‘casual gamer’ approach to many games, with more emphasis on style over substance. Games like Ico, Rez and a whole host of Nintendo greats are well documented for being fantastically original and offer unique gaming experiences, yet they didn’t take off with the public and made little impact in the games charts. The reason is the casual gamer.
If you look at today’s charts, you’ll see them dominated with established (read cash-in) franchises. GTA, FIFA, The Sims, Sim City, James Bond, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Tony Hawk’s etc. There’s very little in the way of imagination in that group, and whilst many are good games (I love GTA, The Sims and Sim City), the trend for releasing add-ons or sequels to top selling franchises is ultimately affecting companies like Nintendo. Nintendo very rarely get a big chart buster these days, a game that stays at the top of the charts for any number of time, and this is due to the sheer amount of established franchises filling up the charts these days. Low sales figures of the Gamecube prove that Joe public would now prefer to play on more mainstream consoles and games with more simplified appeal instead of a game that challenges them to actually think and use more skill.
Despite what some people would have you believe, the modern games industry is all about one thing: money. Consumer cash is the Holy Grail for the majority of games firms, and as has already been proven with the absolutely awful The Getaway or Harry Potter, you no longer need a decent game to be at the top of the charts, all you need is a good advertising agency and plenty of gullible gamers.
Nintendo have improved their public relations over the last few years, advertising a lot more, sponsoring various events, having games master Shigeru Miyamoto making a rare appearance in the UK, and generally being a lot less secretive and more open than years gone by, but in terms of advertising and awareness, Sony have blown them away. The Playstation brand name has got into people’s consciousness like the Nintendo brand did a decade ago. The ‘Nintendo generation’ has now been superseded by the ‘Playstaion generation’, and that’s a fact whether we like it or not.
So what about the future?
By rights, 2003 should be the year of the Gamecube in the UK, with Zelda, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil Zero, Skies of Arcadia Legends and the prospects of 1080, F-Zero, Mario Kart GC, Mario Golf/Tennis, the big Capcom games and more top quality gaming treats to savour at some time in the future, but what’s the betting that the sales surge we hope for doesn’t appear. Despite the obvious quality on offer, gamers will still be transfixed with the latest FIFA or Tony Hawk’s games, and that’s a real shame.
Nintendo still makes enough profits to stay afloat thanks to the GameBoy and the Pokemon franchise, but in the future…
As the old song goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”. I hope this isn’t true with Nintendo, for it would be a shame if they disappeared one day only for the disrespectful gamers who hated them to realise how damn good they were and actually end up liking their games, only to find that they’ve gone never to return.
Think about it and give an honest and realistic answer: with the way it’s going, do you see a future for Nintendo in the games industry in ten years time?
Page: