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184 Comments
- Paroparo, on 10/12/2007, -15/+110It really looked like that a year ago, didn't it? Weird thing is, the gamble paid off and practically all developers are in the middle of a major priority shift from the PS3 to the Wii, with the Xbox 360 sitting pretty in the middle.
- Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+97Sure, the Wii was a huge gamble, but something tells me that, after 5 million units sold, the Wii has been a pretty profitable gamble.
- f54280, on 10/12/2007, -9/+50Well, the article is also very stupid. Come on:
"Today, the Wii is insanely popular with almost every audience. But if this wave of good vibes ever ends, Nintendo's gonna be stranded."
I can go on the same tune:
"Today, the US is the bigger power of the world. But if this ends, well, the US won't be the biggest superpower"
"Today, digg enjoy a huge audience. But, if people stops coming to digg, and go elsewhere, then the readership gonna get down"
"Today, I am alive and well, but if I die tomorrow, I will have issues paying my rent"
...
Why is it that, if video games are involved, some people seem to lose common sense ? Nintendo was a great company, had an amazing success with the NES, became the bully, and was shot down by rivals. As it is filled with smart people that actually /care/ and /stay/ in the company (hint, hint to the HR of most big corps), they managed to turn around in a few years.
Like Apple did. Like IBM did. Like countless other companies did.
Unlike what Infocom did. Or Sega. Or Commodore. Or countless other companies. - RazorElite, on 10/12/2007, -1/+39Smart developers will try to make the most of the Wii. However, the article does have a point. The novelty may eventually wear off. What developers need to do is concentrate on making deep games with worthwhile use of the Wii remote, and not just tack on a few motions cause they can. The Wii also needs more 3rd party games (that are not just ported) and online play. So far, it's been following the GC with all of the good games mainly being first party.
- Rikkochet, on 10/12/2007, -3/+41Only the payments... Only the payments.
- NetJoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+37Nintendo is always gambling. They try to grow the market and are willing to accept exceptional risks in the process. That brings us things like the Wii, and the NES, but also ROB, and Virtual Boy.
- ToyYoda, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27"Five years from now, when the PS4 and NextBox show up..."
I thought the PS3 was going to last 10 years? - LordofChaosIori, on 10/12/2007, -31/+55My only concern being that its this far into the Wii's lifespan and we still haven't seen a game that looks better than a Gamecube game. If this keeps up the Wii will have a very short lifespan indeed.
- jexdawg, on 10/12/2007, -3/+25The N64 controller is baller. I've seen several retards try to use the joystick while holding it like a PS controller. However, once you've actually gotten the grip correct (which is obvious), it becomes quite a comfortable and usable controller.
- DocBoss, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22Cartridges were great, the best thing the N64 had over the PS was zero load time.
- SirFrosty, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22Sure Nintendo is gambling, but so far it seems to be working. Each month the Wii sales seem to inch closer and closer to what Microsoft has put out, so they must be doing SOMETHING right.
- lamech, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21How many cartridges have you replaced because they got scratched?
- aschocobo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21my comment is the result of reading these stories:
http://digg.com/gaming_news/EA_Attests_25_Drop_in_February_Sales_to_no_Wii_games
http://digg.com/gaming_news/Game_Makers_Play_Catch_Up_to_Meet_Wii_Demand
when the wii is compared side by side with the playstation everyone bet on the playstation, and it looks like everyone lost. - VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19You mean *NEXT* the layout *NEXT* of the site *NEXT* is just terrible *NEXT*
- merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -7/+25"My only concern being that its this far into the Wii's lifespan and we still haven't seen a game that looks better than a Gamecube game."
It takes a couple years for developers to really get something great out of a console, graphically.
Take a look at FF7 versus FF8 versus FF9 on the Playstation. FF7 looked terrible, and it came out *two years* after the PlayStation entered the US. FF9 came out 5 years after the PlayStation launched. - AngryVoklav, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20Agreed. Nintendo is gambling.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20"everyone's gambling, bu nintendo has more to lose, it seems. ps3 seemed like a sure bet, based on the success of it's two previous iterations, and look how that's turning out for developers."
That doesn't make any sense.
First of all, Microsoft isn't gambling, they're relying on appealing to the Jock Non-Gamer to get a 360 for Madden and Tiger Woods. Halo and Gears of War help convert people to the 360. They're just about breaking even on each sale, if not making a profit by now.
Second, Sony IS making a huge gamble, as they have $Billions (as in more than 5) riding on the PS3. They're trying to launch a new DVD format with the console, and they're telling us that the fun features the old generations had are lame and nobody cool should use them, only to go back and admit they were wrong and add the features. I don't have to list every single *****-up Sony's made since the PS3 launch, but they're MASSIVE. They also lose a few hundred bucks per console.
Nintendo is also not gambling on their console. The Gamecube was a favorite party game playform, the N64 was a great party console, and the Wii will be, too. The Wii is making Nintendo a profit of around $80 (if I remember correctly) per console sold PLUS game sales. So by selling 0 games and a console, Nintendo makes $80. Plus the VC games which, I'll admit, are over priced but they're selling like crazy.
Nintendo's found a nice spot. My grandmother has played Wii. My mother has played Wii. I play Wii. My 3 year old cousin has played Wii.
The reaction from all of us is about the same "Wow, that's cool!" or, in the case of the 3 year old some screaming and jumping up and down laughing. - z00k, on 10/12/2007, -20/+34Yes because the recent sales of the Nintendo Wii CLEARLY show that Nintendo is the underdog.
- trer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13In Nintendo's own words, "graphics don't matter". And they are right. Graphics didn't matter on the technically inferior Genesis version, the blood did.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17no it wasn't.
snes was. - Blue_Eon, on 10/12/2007, -6/+17People also forget that everyone said the d-pad and button controllers of the mid 80's would get old and everyone would go back to joysticks.
Good lord, the console has been out for less than half a year. And why is there so much emphasis on graphics? "Well, unless it has HD graphics and super ultra physics, it's not a game that can be taken seriously." I am soooo tired of the emphasis on how a game looks....get over it, people. Grow up and play games for other reasons besides eye candy.
I do admit, that Nintendo does need to incorporate online gaming into their games, but I feel that they will. I have never understood the insistence on not having an online component to their games. That is one thing has always bugged me about Nintendo.
Why are so many people so ready to dismiss the Wii because it's not a traditional console? - f54280, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14@acex23: "I dont know, I think this guy could be absolutely right. The wii seems awesome but I think Nintendo has serious leadership flaws. They seem to think gamers dont want online gaming, or good graphics, or violent video games and gamers seem to think they do."
Well. I don't get you. Gamers that:
1) Want violents video games
2) With gorgeous graphics
3) Online
have already bought a xbox 360. Why should Nintendo care?
I have two kids (8 and 9 year old), and I want:
1) Non-violent games
2) Cheap
3) Offline
Guess what ? I would not buy an xbox or a ps3.
"I do believe that the wii remote is going to eventually lose its appeal and I'm not sure Nintendo is going to have much of a leg to stand on..."
I could say that the FPS will eventually lose its appeal, and I'm not sure microsoft and sony are going to have much of a leg to stand on... Anyway, who cares if it is a gimmick or not ? The console sells like hotcakes, nintendo makes a profit on each unit, and could use a "normal" controller.
"The wii could potentially end up like another console sized paper weight if they don't start changing the way they run nintendo. I guess I think the future is going to end up in Microsoft's hands."
Nope. This is all about market segmentation. Nintendo is run in a perfectly sane way, avoiding at all costs:
1) Loss on console
2) Dependecy on 3rd party developers
3) Entering the same market as their competitors
Keep in mind that the only reason that Microsoft is still in the game is because Windows and Office licenses pay for the xbox. If nintendo was following the same strategy, they would be dead by now.
Sony have probably lost the game. The market segment will segment in two parts: high-end gaming / media center / online point-of-sale (microsoft), and game console (nintendo). - hpkomic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12What bothers me about this article is the last part, about Nintendo creating their worst enemy, the Playstation. First off, of course Nintendo would back out of the deal if they would be losing their characters, you really can't blame them for that can you? It was a pretty foul deal and I'm suprised it even made it as far as it did. "If Nintendo had merely tried to rework that original Sony contract (something Sony probably wouldn't have gone for anyway), things could have been much different." So it's Nintendo's fault that they wanted out of a shakey deal, and yet they should of tried reworking it, even though there was no chance in hell it would be changed? I don't see how this should be considered a mistake, it sounds to me like the mistake would of been going through with the deal, because then Nintendo would of lost their very, very valuable franchises.
I always thought the N64 controller was pretty damn nice, and the system had some memorable tunes. Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64 comes to mind. - cam503, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11You came here from YouTube, didn't you?
- tuholmes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12This is just not true... the PS3 is by far the hardest system to program for... EA put the latest Medal of Honor Game (Vanguard) out for the wii in 2 months... That's it... 2 months and it was out. ( I happen to work for EA, so I know how long it took)
Ask any developer and they will tell you that the Wii is the EASIEST to develop for... You are saying something that may have applied with the N64, but is absolutely incorrect about the Wii. - kamog, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I still remember when Mortal Kombat came out on the SNES and Genesis. I had a SNES and a buddy of mine had the Genesis so we each got a copy of the game. The SNES version looked so much better than the Genesis version it wasn't even funny. I think there was a Game Genie code you could use to change the color of the sweat to red.
- aegis9975, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9As the saying goes. . ."failure precedes success."
- dragonDC, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11with games like No More Heroes, Manhunt 2, RE Umbrella Chronicles, etc... nintendo should free itself of its kid image. no?
- Funnahman, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13Wow, Somebody is a fan boy! The article is seriously biased...
The N64 was not a mistake on Nintendo's part, it just happened to not be so hot.
Of course Nintendo is going to have a lot of mistakes... Nintendo is a company that has taken thousands of risks, most of them turn out fine, but some fail. - spudnic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Motion censor makes me think of some evil dude who just follows you around and stops you moving occasionally
- funkyrenegade, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13What's with calling the N64 a mistake, then admitting that it spawned some of the best games ever created? That seems rather ridiculous to me.
- lamech, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12N64 Sold more than the Gamecube, and had a lot more good games. In fact, it is host to some of the best selling games of all time (Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye, Ocarina of Time, Super Smash Brothers, Donkey Kong 64, Majoras Mask, Star Fox 64, Perfect Dark, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Banjo Kazooie, Mario Party - the list goes on. And not to mention it had joysticks, rumble pack, 4 players, something that you can see on the PS2, XBox, XBox360, (and later versions of PS1) - because innovation is fantastic.
Also - let's look at some systems that sold less than the N64 (in millions)
N64 - 32.9
Sega Genesis - 29
Xbox - 24
Gamecube - 21
Sega Dreamcast - 10.6
Sega Saturn - 10 - betterth, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Really.. Nintendo is gambling? On new technology? Sounds like a pretty safe bet. Remember, they've already driven huge profits off their DS and Wii "gambles". Profits on every unit sold. They're in the green.
You know where the real gamble is? Sony. The gamble is a Wiimote, its a Cell processor. It's a bluray drive that costs as much as a Wii itself does. It's taking massive losses at the end of the day on every console sold, going in the negatives, nervous investers hoping the PS3 takes off. That's the gamble, that's the risk. Sony has everything to lose right now.
If the Wii fails, they've already driven profits, they'll be fine. And, they can easily turn it into a more mainstream console if they desire to. Nintendo will never fail with their IP. - MetalLizard, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10The Nintendo 64 was for people who had friends. If you didn't have any friends, you stuck with RPG games from the PS1. Anyone who denies this might digg me down, but they had no friends, and stuck with the PS1. Show me a Nintendo 64 Fan, and you will find someone who is rich in friendship, show me a PS1 fan, and you shall see a lonely man with RPG games. N64 > PS1. ***** this article, and ***** Games Radar.
- vprasad1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10If by "groundbreaking" you mean the same tired 1st-person shooter series that will eventually go the way of the old 2-d fighting games in the late 90s.
- marspidey, on 10/12/2007, -8/+15@robbh66
Isn't the Wii basically an improved Gamecube because I remember Ninetendo saying that. So I wouldn't call the Wii starting from scratch. - vhold, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Most of this article is fairly balanced and reasonable, except the first point against the Wii, it's written in total fan-boy speak.
I think one major thing he doesn't take into account at all is that the Wii is so much cheaper then the 360 and PS3. Really if you look at the market for gaming systems, price correlates hugely with market performance. The PS2 is still doing great, with critically acclaimed exclusives like God of War 2 still coming out. Sony's perceived beating is really just perceived, although that matters too.
But going forward, Nintendo has gone a different direction. Sony probably expects the PS3 to be their flagship product for 6-8 years and Nintendo probably incrementally upgrade the Wii in 3 or 4, maybe even less, if they are trying to port the successful formulas of their portable market over to the console world. - olddirtycr, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12Not according to sales. (But I agree with you)
- vhold, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It's the system Nintendo had out when they lost their market lead and then some to Sony. I think that qualifies it as being a mistake. Lots of systems that failed much worse had a few good games, that doesn't make them not business failures.
- Wuffles, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Cartridges was a bad decision. Back then, Nintendo were like Sony - thinking they were hot *****. Now, Sony is undergoing the same kind of treatment. Only, Sony looks likely to pick up after a price drop and a good catalogue of games. :P
- Jabertsohn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The Wii can not be considered a mistake because it is a gamble.
Nintendo is a video games company with less money to fall back on that both Microsoft and Sony which are not primarily video games companies, they could have tried to create a powerful enough machine that is somewhat similar to the other 2 but would have inevitably failed.
An innovative gamble is not such a gamble when you look at it this way, it was completely necessary. - MrSidnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Ender008
i think he (and the other 42 or more people that dugg him up) hate the multipage layout. Here at Digg, we like sites with all the info on one page. plus, it works great for duggmirror, as it catches the whole article, not just the first page. - betterth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@exhaust
What? I hardly count Digg as indicative of the market, considering we represent a rather small portion of it.
And it's a huge deal that Nintendo drives a profit on every console sold! "Past failures" is all I hear, but Nintendo is the ONLY GAMING company in the past two generations to drive a profit on their console with any consistency. That shows something about their business model and their practices. You can doom and gloom Nintendo all you want, but the fact stands that they obviously have their ***** together and are not in a very risky position. - mrn111, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Here's why it was a mistake.
"Third, how the hell did Yamauchi's signature get on that Sony contract in the first place? Nintendo had made its vast fortune on licensing games, so hearing that it gave Sony the rights to any and all future CD titles was appalling." - pathy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4It's still undecided about the Wii. I'm leaning towards it being a fad, and that a lot of the people that bought the console won't be buying games for it down the line. (A lot still will, of course, but I think a lot of the sales will be from 'Oh that looks cool' when they see someone else play it, not because they're interested in Zelda or Metroid.)
Course, I could be wrong, and if I am, then I pray Nintendo don't turn in to the evil ***** that they once were. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9snes > ps2.
- D3koy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Sensor?
- D3koy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Nintendo doesn't make mistakes, consumers do when they don't buy a good product...(joke)
I buy Nintendo(As well as playstation and Xbox), and I have never been let down by any of Nintendo's products ever.... - Tochi, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5The only bad thing about cartridges was that Square moved Final Fantasy to Playstation since they wanted the larger capacity of CDs.
- MetalLizard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"Pretty much everything involving the Nintendo 64"
Yea, that's why everyone in my neighborhood had one, and all the kids in the next neighborhood had one, and so forth. It sure was a big downfall for Nintendo...
"The N64's controller was the most ghastly thing the world had seen since the Virtual Boy."
Okay, I'm not reading Games Radar ever again. ***** that, this dude never even played the N64. I know it. -
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