http://screwattack.com/blogs/ScrewAttack-News/Nintendo-stock-continues-to-fall
This is why I've said a billion times before: Nintendo is making a mistake in catering to Casual fans. They are fickle and will abandon you in the end...
June 9, 2011 - 12:42pm
#1
Nintendo's Stock Falls since the unveiling of the Wii-U
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It wasn't a mistake initially. They just played it wrong. It's very hard to take attention of hardcore gamers away from the power-monster PS3 or the FPS-friendly 360. What is Nintendo's forte? Fun games that anyone can enjoy. It's always been this way. They make stuff like Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong, which can be found enjoyable by serious gamers and casuals a like. Given this, it was a fairly sensible move to go after more casual gamers and bring a new audience into gaming with the Wii. They no longer were the glorious Nintendo who had all of Japan's biggest developers dedicating all their games to them. When's the last time you saw a real Final Fantasy or Street Fighter game on a Nintendo console? Microsoft and Sony have companies like Square and Capcom in their pockets these days, and I don't think Nintendo could have honestly competed.
What they did with the Wii was a good idea initially. They couldn't get a large share of the current market, so they expanded the market to get new people into gaming. Here's the problem: Once you hook the casual gamers, you need to try to turn them into more serious gamers or their casualness will cause them to waver and be distracted by something else.
The Wii-U was a terrible followup to the Wii in just about every way. It has a stupid name and looks to continue to be a gimmicky console. That's not going to cut it. What Nintendo should have done was try to make a more serious console this time around and slowly introduce the casuals they got in the Wii's life to more serious games. They might hook them on those and get permanent fans while attracting the attention of serious gamers back their way. Instead, they repeated their formula for another generation, but that's not going to help get sales from the people who REALLY buy games.
It's important for a console to capture multiple genres to satisfy an array of fans. Nintendo's console seems only ready to handle party games, platformers, and gimmick-based sports games. This isn't good enough. I mean, it can also do RPGs, because those are basic, but nobody's making much in the way of good RPGs for them, so they're kind of lost on that market. The best they've gotten were NIS remakes and Tales games (one not living up to expectations and the other being full of bugs). Nintendo's also failing big time in the fighting game category. What fighting games does it even have? SF4 was too power for it, so no Wii option there. Besides, their default controller is terrible for a fighting game. Really, unless you have a classic controller, you're in trouble.
The only thing saving Nintendo is its handhelds. All of the RPG coverage their console missed out on was filled by the DS. But the DS can't do a major modern RPG because the screens are too small for that to really be enjoyable. The 3DS is picking up the fighting game slack with SF4, but once again, I'd rather play a game like that on a TV screen.
Okay, I think I've rambled enough.
Yup. Everything you've said is correct. The problem Nintendo has been having is the fact that it alienates it's long term fans by clearly catering to the casual ones. This causes long term (real money spenders) to look to other platforms for service. This is the exact reason Nintendo went from my favorite company to my least favorite. I need selection on games, that means I need third party support.... period!
Okay, I know what you guys are thinking. When they first rolled out the Wii U, I was instantly shocked and disappointed to some extent. I was already there with the "Wii U", thinking "No, Nintendo. The Wii is not the way to go. At least give it a different name". But guess what? We knew from day one that this controller was going to be gimmicky to some extent. Every source of rumor, true or false, said that there would be a large screen on the controller.
The conference made me a little pessimistic for this console, but the pessimism was more from ignorance. It was from the conference focusing too much on introducing the controller and not focusing on how it actually effects first and third party games, and also not talking about the online. Now, last night Ubisoft held a roundtable where they announced a partnership with Nintendo to develop games for the Wii U. They showed off games such as Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, a new FPS developed exclusively for the Wii U, and an Assassin's Creed (which was kind of implied to be a whole new game).
In that roundtable they showed off how they were using the controller uniquely, and how the online system works. While the online system was for each game and not the whole system (to our knowledge) it was a full-fledged online system that had achievements and stuff like that. (if people were reporting on it right, that is.) As for the controller, the opinions of those who have actually used it are more on the positive side. And at the roundtable, I believe they really showed off how it would work really well for a game like Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. Now, the truth is, I have never really played that style of games. But other people were thinking that this controller might actually be perfect for that game.
I think everybody is writing this off far too soon. Nothing about this console has said that it is only for casuals. I think it is Nintendo trying to get back the third party and "hard core" support, if that roundtable was any indication at all. It seems to be an 'improved' Wii. One that will have a much improved online system, one that will have graphics that aren't so far behind its competitors (no matter what Sony or Microsoft do, I doubt they'll make the Wii U look as bad as the Wii did), but it also still has to be an Nintendo console, and they don't want to lose their casual base, either.
Right now we don't know much, but I think it is Nintendo stepping in the right direction. I could have seen this console doing nothing. Still being behind the Xbox 360/PS3 graphically, still using friend codes, and still having a very basic online system.
And honestly, why is everybody blaming Nintendo for trying to appeal to the casuals? Did you even watch Microsoft's conference, or did you block it from your memory?
~Known as Envy on the old forums~
First I want to say that from what has been said the Wii U console's controllers it feels really nice to hold so I do not feel that it will be hard to get used to or hard to control. Now onto my next subject, it has been reported from several sources now that according to the Nintendo reps at E3 the Wii U touchscreen controller will only be packed in with the console and not sold separately. On one side this seems really awkward in that it means only one person will be able to use that controller when playing a multiplayer game but on the other side it does mean that there is the possibility of them coming out with another controller for players to use. All I really want is them to come out with the Classic Controller Pro that does not have to connect to a Wii controller and I am happy.
I second canine224's classic controller statement.
Also I have to say I do like the idea of the Wii-U's controller giving you a separate view in some games. it's like being able to have two different camera angles at once, which would be cool in some (admittedly limited) cases.
I also think the screen-on-controller deal would help a Crystal Chronicles styled game, giving the player their own separate screen for menus or extra maps or whatnot that's different from the shared view. The only problem is that each player would need their own screen. If only Player 1 gets it, it would be harder to implement that type of system. But I do think it's better to be able to do that in the controller than forcing each player to buy their own handheld to see stuff like in the original CC for Gamecube.
There is still some potential since the Wii-U adds more flexibility in how it can be used, but the problem is that no one ever figured out how to use the original Wii in the first place (except for Nintendo themselves of course). I'm not going to hold my breath for developers to be able to figure out how to use the new gimmicks of this new system right either. Plus, it's not like Nintendo has gotten a lot of of the big developers with the Wii anyway. Are they going to be able to this generation? Only Square-Enix has been developing properly for the Wii, and that's a limited effort. Other than that, you have a few companies trying and using the gimmicks poorly and a bunch of random developers who make silly party games.
There's just too many things stacked against Nintendo right now for them to stick to the Wii formula. It's POSSIBLE for them to have a good run, but it's only going to happen if they reverse the tons of stuff that was done wrong with the Wii. I honestly don't expect it to happen.
I grew up with Nintendo and I've always bought just their game systems. I'm going to stick with them, whether they crash and burn or rise back to their original awesome glory!
That said, I might not get the Wii U and wait until the next gen game system after it. I've already invested too much for the Wii to switch over and invest in this new system that looks...uhm... I'll just keep my opinion to myself 8/.
Fukou da~ Kamijo Touma
@Blight: Sounds like the Stockholders are the ones abondinging Nintentdo. I'm gonna laugh my arse off when the Wii U is a big hit! I severly Disagree blight, sure nintendo may try to branch more towards causal then hardcore gamers, but all of their systems have alot of FUN games, and in the end thats what a video game should be FUN! Nintendo knows how to deliver Fun games in new & innovative ways to its fans....unlike microshi..er i meansoft, which has pretty much always had weak E3 upfronts IMPO.
And sure Nintendo sadly ends up with the most 3rd party glut, but again they have more then a decent amount of good games moderate & Hardcore gamers can enjoy as well.
But yeah Nintendo totally stole this years E3 with all the fun 3DS announcments and the Wii U.
LET ME PLAY FOR YOU, THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE!!!
Why do you give such a shit about E3 performance? How often has that REALLY made or broke a consoles sales? Microsoft is always weak at E3 yet somehow sells more games than any other console. Your right, games are about being fun, which is why Wii is a huge letdown, the only truly good games for Wii are their first party titles. I don't see the same huge catalog of great games in Wii that I do in the other two systems. Maybe its chalked up to taste, but I think its more than that. I don't JUST look for fun in games, I look for innovation and creativity. Story and gameplay mean a lot. If I wanted to listen to music that was just fun I'd be buying every now cd that is churned out for the masses, instead i listen to music that inspires. I want the dame for ky games, which is why I pick up LA Noire, Portal, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Fallout, etc., and why I get bored of most games for the wii.
I'm not saying Wii u looks awful (though I don't have high hopes), just that they need to ditch this catering to the casual at the expense of alienating the people who will actually buy multiple games.
1. Watch language please no need for curse words.
2. I realize a good or bad show doesn't make or brake sells. but it does help at times.
3. Yeah its all preferance...i'm not denying the 360 has alot of games that sell well, but to me its just a system aimed at abunch of mindless shoote-em up lovers (no offense to you or anyone else.) I have had all 3 systems, and I love my Wii, yes again it has alot of glut..and most of the good games are just ones made by Nintendo, SEGA, Capcom or other staple companies...but its still a good system overall. (given I most likely Play my PS3 more othen, but thats because RPGs take longer to beat then platformers.)
But yeah, I just get kinda mad when people rag on Nintendo, they & sony have both given me near a lifetime of fun systems & games.... where as for me personally Microsoft had nothing to offer, and what games that did interest me could also be bought on PS3, save for Blue Dragon & Death Smiles...but meh. (thus the reason I sold my 360.)
As for innovation & creativity...I would say the Wii & Wii U are pretty much prime examples of both coming up with new ways to play games.
And I don't see how Nintendo is alienating anyone, just because their systems are diffrent, & just because they go after everyone instead of trying to stick to one nich (like 360 does with shooters, or PS systems partially do by having alot of rpgs) doesn't mean they don't care for hardcore gamers. they care about everyone, they just do things in a diffrent way.
But yeah again as you said in the end its all preferece. For me Story is only a big deal in RPGS/JRPGS (which i play way to much of at a time...still needa beat Neptunia & PB: Hermuda triangle...why am i so lazy lol.) All I really want out of my other games Fighters, platformers, zombie shooters, etc. Is FUN! and for the most part I get fun on the Wii games I buy.
but yeah getting back on topic..Stinks that Nintendo's stock went down.
LET ME PLAY FOR YOU, THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE!!!
Whenever I hear people say "mindless" shooter lovers I laugh. I'm sorry, I find almost nothing mindless about a shooter, it requires more tactics than the memorization of a level, which is what most platformers do.