Nintendo NX: Thread 01

[H-Man]

If Nintendo could sort out their online service and release a machine with comparable power to Sony and Microsoft's - what gamer wouldn't want one? All they need are the big 3rd party releases and their first party stuff will do the rest.

[Asura]

If Nintendo could sort out their online service and release a machine with comparable power to Sony and Microsoft's - what gamer wouldn't want one? All they need are the big 3rd party releases and their first party stuff will do the rest.

I strongly doubt they'll lock horns with their competitors in this way. Nintendo's strategy has always been to do something subtly different; the only time they ever jumped ahead in hardware was the SNES.

[Nu-Eclipse]

If Nintendo could sort out their online service and release a machine with comparable power to Sony and Microsoft's - what gamer wouldn't want one? All they need are the big 3rd party releases and their first party stuff will do the rest.

Is absolutely correct. Nintendo could cake-walk the console industry if they were more competitive in my opinion.

Nintendo's strategy has always been to do something subtly different; the only time they ever jumped ahead in hardware was the SNES.

This is also true, but we are clearly at the point of diminishing returns when it comes to Nintendo home console hardware - first party software alone is no longer enough, even if it is the best first-party software in the industry,

For me, Nintendo need to create a machine that at the very least can allow for third-party software to be comfortably ported without problems.

[Asura]

For me, Nintendo need to create a machine that at the very least can allow for third-party software to be comfortably ported without problems.

I dunno. There's "good for Nintendo" and "good for me personally".

I personally like that their machine can't easily be ported to. I seriously started to despair at recent E3 showings where all the games for Sony and Microsoft started to look the same - and where ports weren't possible, teams tried to clone other games (remember the initial footage of Dante's Inferno and how much it looked like God of War? Regardless of what the final game was like). Then we get timed exclusives, timed DLC, Master Chief is in the next Tekken (but only on Xbox)...

During the PS2/Xbox/GC era things were very different, because even though there were plenty multiplatform games, there were STACKS of single-platform games, and you tended to use that to inform your decision about what to buy. These days though they're very much in the minority.

I like the idea currently that the WiiU offers a totally different selection of games to everything else. Unfortunately, the industry (which is a shorthand for EA/Ubi/Actiblizz) don't like that.

[Nu-Eclipse]

I dunno. There's "good for Nintendo" and "good for me personally".

I personally like that their machine can't easily be ported to. I seriously started to despair at recent E3 showings where all the games for Sony and Microsoft started to look the same - and where ports weren't possible, teams tried to clone other games (remember the initial footage of Dante's Inferno and how much it looked like God of War? Regardless of what the final game was like). Then we get timed exclusives, timed DLC, Master Chief is in the next Tekken (but only on Xbox)...

During the PS2/Xbox/GC era things were very different, because even though there were plenty multiplatform games, there were STACKS of single-platform games, and you tended to use that to inform your decision about what to buy. These days though they're very much in the minority.

I like the idea currently that the WiiU offers a totally different selection of games to everything else. Unfortunately, the industry (which is a shorthand for EA/Ubi/Actiblizz) don't like that.

I honestly don't see why Nintendo cannot and/or shouldn't be doing both. When all is said and done, the most popular third-party titles offer another significant stream of revenue. Why would Nintendo want to cut off their own nose to spite their face by not offering the best of both worlds? They have the resources to be able to do it.

[Dogg Thang]

The Wii did great staying out of the head to head competition between the other two. I can see why they'd be reluctant to get into that. But in order to keep going in that fashion, they need to deliver the goods in both quality and quantity themselves which is a very tough ask.

[fishbowlhead]

I thought the wiiU was fairly straight forward architecture wise? The initial ports that came out like black flag and mass effect 3 seemed just fine?

Unless I'm mistaken and it's like the PS3, ie totally alien to make for, which I can't see being the case.

I personally would of thought a port of destiny would of turned a profit on wiiU given it is advertised properly, but ports of games that have long had their day, what do publishers expect.

[Asura]

I personally would have thought a port of destiny would have turned a profit on wiiU

Maybe, but it would've cost overall because the relationship between Nintendo users and DLC is complex.

Destiny is a really good example; even with very good sales, the game sales are really just to pay for the advertising costs - it's the years of DLC that they'll make which will rake in the cash. It's the Guild Wars approach.

That's why the WiiU versions of many of these games have had the DLC built-in (Batman, Mass Effect) - because it makes more sense to lump ?10 on top of the RRP and not bother with DLC via Nintendo's system.

[Dogg Thang]

Why is that? I don't know much about their DLC systems.

[Asura]

Why is that? I don't know much about their DLC systems.

Every aspect of their online system, going from what developers say, is way behind the curve. Making stuff, setting it up, testing it, going through submission, then the actual software on the store too (this was for the Wii).

The 3DS has improved things a great deal, and doubtless the WiiU is better than the Wii in this respect too, but I don't know if Nintendo's developer relations have changed to make it easier.

I remember a story with one of their third parties saying that when they released a game on the WiiWare, Nintendo stated that Ninty would keep 100% of the money it made up until it reached a threshold, then the developer would start receiving money for sales. This is totally different to how everyone else does it (these days, the majority simply give the developer 2/3rds and keep 1/3rd, and then have cheap submission costs to encourage use).

Maybe stuff has changed today, but there's another side to this. In order to make DLC, developers have to produce business justifications to publishers (usually). For the PS360 that was hard at first, but became easy as DLC started to sell. No-one really knows how much Nintendo digital content makes - and that's partially because Nintendo themselves have moved to silence developers who talk about it in the past.

[Dogg Thang]

Ah yes, that threshold thing is bringing back memories. May have been Retro City Rampage? I would hope they have made things more developer friendly from there. I would have thought Theatrhythm likely did good business on the DLC front on 3DS, although even there the purchase is clunky, provides no previews and you need a crazy amount of taps and menus to purchase a single track. And Mario Kart 8's DLC is a pretty big move for Nintendo so I guess once they start seeing the benefits directly themselves, that might prompt better systems.

[fishbowlhead]

Seem to remember something about their head of inde relations not even being given the pricing structure of their online system and how it works, or devs having to test in an offline enviroment then nintys online side being switched on and it's totally different with whole projects having to be re coded.

If there 3rd party relations are really that obtuse and difficult no wonder they haven't got any support.

It's not like they haven't got the cash to build decent tools or make familiar hardware, and given that they have shareholders to answer to you would think they would make things as easy as possible for others to make money. Not like they loose out, if a third party game sells well they still get their cut, even more so if it's off the online store.

Still, they've always made odd and sometimes down right f you desisions to 3rd parties.

[H-Man]

During the PS2/Xbox/GC era things were very different, because even though there were plenty multiplatform games, there were STACKS of single-platform games, and you tended to use that to inform your decision about what to buy. These days though they're very much in the minority.

Isn't that all the more reason for Nintendo to compete head on? Who else produces a fraction of their exclusive content? All they need is CoD, Fifa, Assassin's Creed ect and they're laughing. Imagine the console unveiling. Zelda/Metroid/Mario/Mario Kart all looking amazingly stunning, and then all the 3rd party stuff straight after. You're going to get all this on one system. People would go nuts. And people love going nuts over Nintendo. Gamers and journos alike. They're the big cuddly guys of gaming. All aboard the hype train! CoD with Samus arm cannon exclusive weapon! Cha-ching.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Isn't that all the more reason for Nintendo to compete head on? Who else produces a fraction of their exclusive content? All they need is CoD, Fifa, Assassin's Creed ect and they're laughing. Imagine the console unveiling. Zelda/Metroid/Mario/Mario Kart all looking amazingly stunning, and then all the 3rd party stuff straight after. You're going to get all this on one system. People would go nuts. And people love going nuts over Nintendo. Gamers and journos alike. They're the big cuddly guys of gaming. All aboard the hype train! CoD with Samus arm cannon exclusive weapon! Cha-ching.

All. Of. This.

And imagine Nintendo combining this with a proper online gaming/social infrastructure that could properly rival PSN and XBL, and not some shoddy, clunky half-baked cop-out like Miiverse. And digital downloading done properly with actual user accounts and an online storefront that didn't look and operate so archaically like eShop currently does.

There simply wouldn't be any stopping Nintendo.

But I'm not holding my breath.

[Neil]

But I'm not holding my breath.

Phew. That would be extremely dangerous.