Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in business?

[Beloved.BrokenWings]

It's recently been so "business as usual" for Nintendo with making the same games and I see no reason why anyone wouldn't see this? No game has actually awed us or attracted us. What do you think? What's your opinion's on their new games or to-be released games?

 

[jayrachi]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

I think you may be projecting your own feelings onto other people. Nintendo's had some good releases lately and other than the milking of the New Super Mario Bros. games I'm not sure what you mean by them making "the same games". Could you clarify?

 

[Beloved.BrokenWings]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

According to the news (specifically that offered by p4rgaming dot com) the Wii-U was a very bad release for Nintendo in the Christmas of 2014-2015 and has been affecting them up to this time, well other gaming companies such as Sony and Microsoft are thriving Nintendo had been grinded pretty badly. Not only that but the 2DS is identical to the 3DS nearly and/or completely useless as I'd rather buy a cheaper used DS lite or 3DS; but that's last years news. I want to hear the opinions of forum users on Bulbagarden about them. I also enjoy their new games however do have ambitions on them making video games (such as a Pokemon game) for a more common device such as the iOS.

Ultimately the question comes to how satisfied you are about the games and consoles you receive. Are you truly happy with your games and devices as you would like to be (though we can't always be 100% happy)? Can Nintendo do better or would continual "I wants" slow them down on their own unique creativity?
Sorry for not clarifying correctly.

 

[henrymidfields]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

Apart from ORAS (which I haven't played yet), I am quite happy with the Pokémon stuff. It really seems to be a happy medium for me. On the other hand, I'd like to see more of Zelda and Fire Emblem. I've also noticed that we seem to be having less unique games that isn't Mario, Pokémon, or even Zelda. I wish we had more of original games such as Palutena, Golden Sun, or even Earthbound. Heck, even Donkey Kong (and if possible, F-Zero) could do a revival.

I'm actually quite tired/frustrated of Mario to be honest - with the exception of Galaxy 1 + 2, it's almost the same clichéd story. I wonder what on earth was Mr Miyamoto thinking when he reckoned that Mario games should not have a story. Either churn out fewer Mario games (like most other Nintendo franchises do), or actually do something with the story like Galaxy 1+2 did.

Galaxy 1 actually made a better storyline, with Bowser aim for an ambitious goal (aka taking over the universe), Rosalina's sad story, and the near-apocalyptic disaster near the finale. Galaxy 2 actually felt like Luigi and Yoshi actually teaming up with Mario, and the latter not hogging the spotlight as much either. Also, Bowser in his rare moments decided to do something smart, and disabled both Lubba's and Rosalina's starship. Both featured an epic adventure with higher stakes. These differences actually made a decent game, and made me appreciate Bowser and Peach, who I have normally hated since Smash Melee came in in '03. As Pokémon Black and White did, and as the numerous entries of Zelda (esp Twilight Princess) and Fire Emblem (Jugdral series) did, the Mario games really needs some story development. Deconstruct more of the clichés, give more heroic actions to Luigi, Yoshi and others, and have Peach rebel against Bowser (and be moderately successful in that), and in turn have the stakes higher.

 

[Enzap]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

This thread is better suited for the general Video Games and Tech forum.

*moving*

 

[jayrachi]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

According to the news (specifically that offered by p4rgaming dot com) the Wii-U was a very bad release for Nintendo in the Christmas of 2014-2015 and has been affecting them up to this time, well other gaming companies such as Sony and Microsoft are thriving Nintendo had been grinded pretty badly. Not only that but the 2DS is identical to the 3DS nearly and/or completely useless as I'd rather buy a cheaper used DS lite or 3DS; but that's last years news. I want to hear the opinions of forum users on Bulbagarden about them. I also enjoy their new games however do have ambitions on them making video games (such as a Pokemon game) for a more common device such as the iOS.

I'd like to point out that the commercial hardships faced by the Wii U are due to them trying something different more than anything.

The 3DS on the other hand has been flourishing, just as any Nintendo handheld has in the past. People keep saying if they move to iOS that they'd be successful, but their current formula has always earned them a nice profit and there's no reason to. If their handhelds start lagging behind then maybe I'd change my mind about that.

Ultimately the question comes to how satisfied you are about the games and consoles you receive. Are you truly happy with your games and devices as you would like to be (though we can't always be 100% happy)? Can Nintendo do better or would continual "I wants" slow them down on their own unique creativity?
Sorry for not clarifying correctly.

Personally, despite the Wii U's lagging sales, I have been very happy with it. I bought my Wii U around the time Mario Kart 8 was released and Nintendo has made sure there is no drought of software since then. I couldn't ask for more from them than that. Same goes for my 3DS, really.

I'm actually quite tired/frustrated of Mario to be honest - with the exception of Galaxy 1 + 2, it's almost the same clichéd story. I wonder what on earth was Mr Miyamoto thinking when he reckoned that Mario games should not have a story. Either churn out fewer Mario games (like most other Nintendo franchises do), or actually do something with the story like Galaxy 1+2 did.

Miyamoto on Story in Mario Games

 

[Stuntology]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

I thought this thread was going to be about their recent inability to supply the demand for things like amiibos, gamecube adaptors, and limited edition systems.

Honestly, I don't think that they're doing much wrong other than that. (Even the low supply doesn't bother me personally- I haven't tried to buy any of these things- but I see that it's a real problem).

 

[Tyrfing]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

Apart from ORAS (which I haven't played yet), I am quite happy with the Pokémon stuff. It really seems to be a happy medium for me. On the other hand, I'd like to see more of Zelda and Fire Emblem. I've also noticed that we seem to be having less unique games that isn't Mario, Pokémon, or even Zelda. I wish we had more of original games such as Palutena, Golden Sun, or even Earthbound. Heck, even Donkey Kong (and if possible, F-Zero) could do a revival.

I'm actually quite tired/frustrated of Mario to be honest - with the exception of Galaxy 1 + 2, it's almost the same clichéd story. I wonder what on earth was Mr Miyamoto thinking when he reckoned that Mario games should not have a story. Either churn out fewer Mario games (like most other Nintendo franchises do), or actually do something with the story like Galaxy 1+2 did.

Galaxy 1 actually made a better storyline, with Bowser aim for an ambitious goal (aka taking over the universe), Rosalina's sad story, and the near-apocalyptic disaster near the finale. Galaxy 2 actually felt like Luigi and Yoshi actually teaming up with Mario, and the latter not hogging the spotlight as much either. Also, Bowser in his rare moments decided to do something smart, and disabled both Lubba's and Rosalina's starship. Both featured an epic adventure with higher stakes. These differences actually made a decent game, and made me appreciate Bowser and Peach, who I have normally hated since Smash Melee came in in '03. As Pokémon Black and White did, and as the numerous entries of Zelda (esp Twilight Princess) and Fire Emblem (Jugdral series) did, the Mario games really needs some story development. Deconstruct more of the clichés, give more heroic actions to Luigi, Yoshi and others, and have Peach rebel against Bowser (and be moderately successful in that), and in turn have the stakes higher.

This is my problem with the Mario series, too. While I didn't like Galaxy because of it's gameplay, I have read about the story, and I must say I was impressed. Also, as of late, it feels the Koopalings are getting far too much attention, and this may add to the problem; they are very silly villains. Focus a little more on Bowser and maybe have Donkey Kong play a role or something, I don't know. However, Mario is known for it's general silliness, so it shouldn't become overtly serious. (Also, it feels good having someone know about FE Jugdral. Just saying)

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

I don't have a Wii U yet, but I do feel that Nintendo games have lost their luster in recent years, with most of their games just being more of the same. I mean, I stopped following the Mario franchise as much as I used to because of the controversial statements Miyamoto said about story in Mario games, which contributes to the games just being more of the same things again and again and nothing different at all. I mean, we're no longer in the days of the NES where story didn't matter at all, but Miyamoto seems to want to keep the company in the golden age of the NES and SNES that ended long ago, and it's not just Mario, but many of Nintendo's franchises are lately suffering the same problems, even Pokemon is not immune to this.

I understand that gameplay is more important than story in video games, but there needs to be a balance between a good story and good gameplay, because it encourages people to play the game and want to complete it to see what happens. I mean, how many times to I have to save the princess from Bowser, how many times do I have to become the Pokemon League Champion, and so forth. I rather have something new and different for once, not just more rehashes of the same game again and again.

And it's not just Nintendo that's having these problems, but the video game industry as a whole, in which we have companies that are simply making rehashes of the same game again and again (Call of Duty and it's countless sequels and spinoffs come to mind) and people who make copycats of those games, along with biased reviews and ratings (EA paying IGN to give their games good reviews), abuse of DLC and micro-transactions, unethical business practices, and other things that justify the existence of things like Gamergate, because game companies seem to care more about quantity over quality or anything else. I mean, it's things like this that actually caused the Video Game Crash back in 1983, and if these practices continue, they could cause a second game crash, and nobody wants that to happen.

This is one of the reasons why Nintendo has been not taken lightly as of lately, because when you just constantly rehash the same things again and again and not try anything new, people are going to leave and move to other things instead.

 

[henrymidfields]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

I don't have a Wii U yet, but I do feel that Nintendo games have lost their luster in recent years, with most of their games just being more of the same. I mean, I stopped following the Mario franchise as much as I used to because of the controversial statements Miyamoto said about story in Mario games, which contributes to the games just being more of the same things again and again and nothing different at all. ... [A]nd it's not just Mario, but many of Nintendo's franchises are lately suffering the same problems, even Pokemon is not immune to this.

... I rather have something new and different for once, not just more rehashes of the same game again and again.

And it's not just Nintendo that's having these problems, but the video game industry as a whole ... I mean, it's things like this that actually caused the Video Game Crash back in 1983, and if these practices continue, they could cause a second game crash, and nobody wants that to happen. ...

Yeah, what happened to the time when there were other games to choose from? When Nintendo actually had a wider variety of franchises that were active? Also, there doesn't seem to be as many third-party games either on the Japanese Nintendo website as there used to be.

This is my problem with the Mario series, too. While I didn't like Galaxy because of it's gameplay, I have read about the story, and I must say I was impressed. Also, as of late, it feels the Koopalings are getting far too much attention, and this may add to the problem; they are very silly villains. Focus a little more on Bowser and maybe have Donkey Kong play a role or something, I don't know. However, Mario is known for it's general silliness, so it shouldn't become overtly serious. (Also, it feels good having someone know about FE Jugdral. Just saying)

I think it does not help that the main story focuses on solely Mario, Peach, and Bowser being the main characters every single time. I yearn for the day when Wario returns to his villainy as in Super Mario Land 2, or Mario and Wario. Come to think about it, why couldn't Wario star as Bowser's accomplice in Sunshine? Or make better use of the characters that appear in Mario Kart and the like, ditch Mario and Peach for once, and have Luigi, Daisy, and Yoshi?

At least Zelda actually have different versions of Link and Zelda with some different relationships and courses of action. Fire Emblem does the conquests with new characters and new continents. And while Pokémon has the same basic story, it's also done with new characters and new regions and adds them as part of the expanding Pokeverse.

 

[ocelotlrama jaguar]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

Nintendo hasn't really innovated with their games in the past 10 years and have been playing it rather safe. It apparently worked as people still gobble them up with game sites praising them up to the heavens. In reality, with the exception of Super Mario 3D World, the Mario games are getting really stale in both gameplay and plot- princess gets kidnapped, must save her, platform through stuff we've seen before, blah blah. I am tired of them using Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3 as a template for future games. If they were to use a template, I wish they would go to Super Mario 2. It was unique enough to where I can play it to this day and not get tired of it. It's a shame it has never been touched on again, at least plot and character-wise.

There are other IPs that have been gathering dust over the years. Star Fox is getting a new game sometime this year, but will it be different from the 64 game? Donkey Kong has made a comeback, but at the expense of rebooting the DKC SNES games instead of really being its own thing. What about a Metroid game period? I haven't seen anything since that horrific train wreck, Other M. Lately it has only been Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon. Three games franchises that are starting to wear a little thin since it's obvious very little innovation is put into them. The only innovation I see in them is graphical, and I guess that's enough for some people. I guess.

With that said, Nintendo is still the company that I would go to for game purchases. I love the family-friendly nature in their games. I don't know how the PS4 or XBone is doing, but they don't produce anything that would interest me in any way. Still, it would be nice to see Nintendo do something amazing one day. Right now they are playing it safe and trying to appeal to nostalgia fans and modern fans alike, and I guess I am just tired of the nostalgia factor because we already have that in past games.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

The games are pretty samey right now. It seems ever since mid-7th gen (around 2009-2010) they abandoned their sense of creativity and started making more rehashes. I remember particularly in the 5th, 6th, and early 7th gen when they would constantly come up with creative new gameplay concepts. Now they just repeat the same gameplay styles over and over again just so they can have their IPs on the newest console. Besides that though, 8th gen is pretty slow as a far as new hardware, there's no groundbreaking new technology that allows for new gameplay mechanics, and even though the Wii U tries to come off as innovative it really doesn't do much that couldn't have been done on a 7th gen console.

Business wise though, their problem is that they don't really appeal to the larger markets. They need to look towards the kinds of demographics that buy Microsoft and Sony consoles or mobile if they want to be profitable again. Personally, this is how I would address their problems:

-Do what Sony did with the PS4, talk with third parties about what kind of specs they want in a 9th gen console.
-Diversify their lineup with more mature exclusives. If they keep releasing cartoony games, the Microsoft/Sony audience will continue to write them off as "kiddy".
-Create a unified OS and a fully integrated account system, allowing them to release more cross platform games (which in turn would allow them to release games quicker). Furthermore, offer some limited smartphone compatibility, allowing them access to Nintendo's services like Miiverse, as well as the ability to play some eShop games (but not retail exclusives, those would still be used to promote Nintendo's hardware).

 

[Almonds]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

Personally, I'd like it if they released more games like Catherine (puzzle-based game with a mature story plot on marriage and relationship issues) or Trauma Center/Trauma Team (surgical operation simulation and fighting against bioterrorism). I found those kinds of games enjoyable and it would appeal greatly to gamers who want a more story-based unique game that isn't RPG or FPS. It doesn't have to be Atlus or other famous game developing companies - they should try letting experimental games use their console formats that aren't carbon copies of what most games are these days.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

The games are pretty samey right now. It seems ever since mid-7th gen (around 2009-2010) they abandoned their sense of creativity and started making more rehashes. I remember particularly in the 5th, 6th, and early 7th gen when they would constantly come up with creative new gameplay concepts. Now they just repeat the same gameplay styles over and over again just so they can have their IPs on the newest console. Besides that though, 8th gen is pretty slow as a far as new hardware, there's no groundbreaking new technology that allows for new gameplay mechanics, and even though the Wii U tries to come off as innovative it really doesn't do much that couldn't have been done on a 7th gen console.

Business wise though, their problem is that they don't really appeal to the larger markets. They need to look towards the kinds of demographics that buy Microsoft and Sony consoles or mobile if they want to be profitable again. Personally, this is how I would address their problems:

-Do what Sony did with the PS4, talk with third parties about what kind of specs they want in a 9th gen console.
-Diversify their lineup with more mature exclusives. If they keep releasing cartoony games, the Microsoft/Sony audience will continue to write them off as "kiddy".
-Create a unified OS and a fully integrated account system, allowing them to release more cross platform games (which in turn would allow them to release games quicker). Furthermore, offer some limited smartphone compatibility, allowing them access to Nintendo's services like Miiverse, as well as the ability to play some eShop games (but not retail exclusives, those would still be used to promote Nintendo's hardware).

I would argue that the massive success of the Wii and the DS was that Nintendo appealed to markets that were up till then completely ignored. If I'm honest I think Nintendo will always be written off as "kiddy" by the serious side of the gaming market, and the Wii U's flabby performance goes to show that the company isn't good at competing in that sort of thing.

I think in general the company needs to make a bigger effort to understand gamers - casual and serious - outside Japan. I keep getting the impression that they're still primarily making games for the average Japanese consumer

 

[Bolt Strike]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

I would argue that the massive success of the Wii and the DS was that Nintendo appealed to markets that were up till then completely ignored.

Yeah, the Wii and DS were the first consoles to really appeal to casuals in the first place, and it's by far Nintendo's most successful generation sales wise. Unfortunately, Nintendo didn't really understand what the casuals wanted, so most of them left for mobile and ignored 3DS and Wii U, so that success is a fluke. If what you're implying is that Nintendo needs to find another blue ocean market, that's not going to work. The more they branch out, the more casual their audience is going to be, so whatever audience they end up appealing to is inevitably going to leave when someone makes a new type of device that better suits their needs. They're going to need to change their approach if they want to get sales up, not enough people want a low powered gaming centric device.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

My point is rather that trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft for the hardcore market isn't going to work. It's the traditional battleground of the console war, and it's completely tapped. Hardcore gamers aren't going to be moving to Nintendo (With it's entirely deserved reputation for being the company that makes light-hearted games) even if they did bring out a console that could compete with the best of the other two. I don't pretend to be an expert by any means, but it seems to me that Nintendo's strength is always in doing something that nobody else does. So I agree with this wider idea that essentially re-releasing all their core franchises alone isn't going to work in the long term, but trying to make "mature" (I.e: higher rated games, which doesn't necessarily mean mature) games featuring brown-haired grizzled white guys won't either.

 

[Kelleo]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

The only thing I feel Nintendo is failing in terms of customer satisfaction is Amiibos. They're not meeting the demand for them at all.

Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with what they've been doing. I like the Wii U, I like the 3DS, I like their games a lot, etc. Yeah, some of their recent titles are similar to previous ones. But those previous ones were successful and the new ones are as well. Why change a good thing? You shouldn't try to fix what isn't broken.

Nintendo could've marketed the Wii U and some other things better though. The Wii U might have more sales if that was the case.

 

[Osprey]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

If a disproportionately high demand for Amiibos is Nintendo's biggest problem, I think they're doing just fine. It'd be a lot worse if it was the opposite problem.

I don't pay much attention to statistics or business, so I could be entirely wrong in thinking that Nintendo isn't doomed. I think most of their issues probably are coming from trying to contend in the plane that Microsoft and Sony currently dominate- the supposedly more "mature" demographic that's drawn to guns, blood, footballs, and explosion sequences that could rival that of a Michael Bay movie. (It doesn't help that the younger demographic Nintendo has had the most success with is now being encouraged to play COD or GTA...)

As a customer, I don't really feel like they've failed me at all. My 3DS, just a regular one that I've used for years, is still working great, and the games I've played on it were all pretty impressive in some manner. I think the power of the system is remarkable, since several of the games I've had the pleasure to beat had the graphics that could've rivaled their console equivalents. It's easily one of, if not the best handheld out there right now. I'm perfectly happy with it.

I also have to say that I'm impressed with the old DS's robustness. Mine's survived about 10 years of being dropped, bounced around in a backpack, splashed with soda, and its hinge broke, so the top screen dangles without a protective case to hold it together like a cast... but the system itself still works just fine. Compared to the stories I've heard about a lot of consoles, where the things just break for no reason, this thing is remarkable. I'm pretty satisfied.

 

[Seppe]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

I think most of their issues probably are coming from trying to contend in the plane that Microsoft and Sony currently dominate- the supposedly more "mature" demographic that's drawn to guns, blood, footballs, and explosion sequences that could rival that of a Michael Bay movie. (It doesn't help that the younger demographic Nintendo has had the most success with is now being encouraged to play COD or GTA...)

Huh. Way to stereotype non-Nintendo gamers. It's unfortunate to see such rational conversation peppered with the same level of bias that some non-Nintendo gamers might have against Nintendo. For the record, Grand Theft Auto is a very mature game, tackling controversial social issues and deconstructing many schools of thought that have become commonplace today. The piercing satirical dialogue is unmatched in any video game I've ever played. Of course, the guns, blood, and Michael Bay explosion sequences are a bonus

I also happen to like Pokémon as well.

I'm not sure that Nintendo trying to be more 'mature' is their problem, though, and I'm not really sure that's even happening. They seem to be churning out the same products they always have been. Which, right off the bat, doesn't seem necessarily bad, as it's obviously working for them to some degree.

I would guess their problem is (and I'll admit, this is only from my perception on the gaming industry, as I don't have any other evidence to back this up) a lack of depth in the majority of their first-party games. In contrast, you have less 'mature' games like Ni No Kuni, LittleBigPlanet, and Kingdom Hearts doing well and being very well received. These games entice a player to think, both about the gameplay and the scenarios that they present. Still, none of them have excessive blood, guns, and MB explosions. On the other hand, I could go through a Pokémon, Zelda, StarFox, Mario game without thinking, and I am not ever really encouraged to either (I will say Fire Emblem is an exception, though). Most entries have bare-bone plots, little characterization, and not much strategic gameplay (although FE is an exception again and competitive Pokémon battling is an exception to the last one).

While none of this is necessarily good or bad, I do believe its causing Nintendo's games to seem stale, especially when other kid-friendly or less 'mature' games on the market simply offer more in-depth content.

 

[Lyrebird]

Re: Do you believe Nintendo has failed their costumers and/or fallen behind in busine

If a disproportionately high demand for Amiibos is Nintendo's biggest problem, I think they're doing just fine. It'd be a lot worse if it was the opposite problem.

I don't pay much attention to statistics or business, so I could be entirely wrong in thinking that Nintendo isn't doomed. I think most of their issues probably are coming from trying to contend in the plane that Microsoft and Sony currently dominate- the supposedly more "mature" demographic that's drawn to guns, blood, footballs, and explosion sequences that could rival that of a Michael Bay movie. (It doesn't help that the younger demographic Nintendo has had the most success with is now being encouraged to play COD or GTA...)

As a customer, I don't really feel like they've failed me at all. My 3DS, just a regular one that I've used for years, is still working great, and the games I've played on it were all pretty impressive in some manner. I think the power of the system is remarkable, since several of the games I've had the pleasure to beat had the graphics that could've rivaled their console equivalents. It's easily one of, if not the best handheld out there right now. I'm perfectly happy with it.

I also have to say that I'm impressed with the old DS's robustness. Mine's survived about 10 years of being dropped, bounced around in a backpack, splashed with soda, and its hinge broke, so the top screen dangles without a protective case to hold it together like a cast... but the system itself still works just fine. Compared to the stories I've heard about a lot of consoles, where the things just break for no reason, this thing is remarkable. I'm pretty satisfied.

Stereotype much?

For us we had the Wii but there wasn't that many games that were that fun. You have your generic Mario, LoZ game but that's really it. Sony and Microsoft you had various games from 3rd parties and such. The thing that I liked was the that you could do more with those consoles, you could watch DVDs and Blu-Rays, play music, the online was better gaming wise and there was more value for money.

The controllers were easier and you didn't have to buy like another stuff as well. Nintendo in my opinion just became more gimmicky and the lack of 3rd party doesn't help and there isn't much variety compared to other consoles.