I don't think there's any immediate risk of them exiting the hardware business but if they have another WiiU style debacle on their hands down the line they would no longer have something like the 3DS lifeline they enjoyed in the past. I could see them holding out in hope that their next system once again turned things around but Nintendo has never struck me as the kind of company to eat into that warchest to preserve their gaming legacy, more that gaming is just 'that thing we're doing right now'. Years from now they'd no doubt be just as happy producing character night lamps and no games at all if it kept that warchest growing.
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Well they have been doing gaming for 4 decades now, they are a gaming company, no one has had much consistency as they have with creating as many memorable and bonafide hits. I still think they will tweak the Switch formula so have a cheaper options (no dock, maybe a small screen) and a more powerful revamp like a Pro, but most importantly both of them play the same games library. What they are really good at is innovating and those innovations may be seen a a gimmick by hard core gamers (that is not the right word but I refer to non casual gamers) but it is what differentiates them. Some times it works and sometimes it fails spectacularly but if you look at any industry giants usually fall because they failed to change and adapt to the market trends.
Before the Switch who would have thought that Nintendo would come back with something that would disrupt the market in such a way, I will even now forego a game on PS4 that has better graphics for the same game with portability. I think the main question is, is every console from Nintendo now have to be a hybrid?
Years from now they'd no doubt be just as happy producing character night lamps and no games at all if it kept that warchest growing.
On one hand I cannot categorically agree with this on any level, and on the other hand you just have to look at Sega, almost bankrupt at one point and now printing Pachencko money like there is no tomorrow.
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They're just one that I never feel they have a 'thing' to the same extent MS and Sony do. From their playing card days to 'love hotels' they've changed focused a lot in the past and whilst gaming has held their interest for the last few decades I think they still place their survival above their current market. I can see them increasingly diversifying and eventually finding a new avenue to rely on that isn't gaming focused just like they did for their first 80 years.Comment
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"Nintendo may move away from home console development, says company president
"We aren't really fixated on our consoles."
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has hinted that the hard- and software developer may move away from home console design in the future to ensure the developer remains flexible to the changing demands of the entertainment business.
"We aren't really fixated on our consoles," Furukawa told Nikkei (via, and translated by, Nintendo Everything). "At the moment we're offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software - and that's what we're basing how we deliver the 'Nintendo experience' on. That being said, technology changes. We'll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on.
"It has been over 30 years since we started developing consoles. Nintendo's history goes back even farther than that, and through all the struggles that they faced the only thing that they thought about was what to make next. In the long-term, perhaps our focus as a business could shift away from home consoles - flexibility is just as important as ingenuity."
Asked about how Nintendo intends to adapt to "fluctuations" in the industry, Furukawa added he was "thinking about little ways we can reduce that kind of instability" and said he'd "like to increase" Nintendo's smartphone game development to secure "a continuous stream of revenue". "We're also dabbling in theme parks and movies - different ways to have our characters be a part of everyday life. I'm anticipating a strong synergy like that," he said.
"I don't want our developers to think too much along the lines of 'what should I do if we fail?'" he added. "My most important role is to facilitate an environment in which they can demonstrate their own abilities. I'm not a pro developer myself, so I leave the actual development to leaders that can tell what a good game is and what isn't."
The Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling video game system in the US this generation. From launch in March 2017, through to November 2018, Nintendo's hybrid console sold more than 8.7 million units."Comment
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If you see the original article that this Eurogamer story is based on you can see that they don't anything of the sort, more about them being cautious about the future.Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post
Technically you could say they have already shifted away from "home" consoles.Comment
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It's an attention-grabbing headline but the detail is miles away from what it would suggest. Yes, if, years from now, consoles stop being a thing entirely and they can't sell any of them, they'll probably stop doing it - shocking stuff!Comment
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Wow! Fantastic! I missed this the first time around and really want to play it. Very happy about this.Comment
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I agree Nintendo need to sort the pipeline, but don’t think the issue of games is nearly as apparent for most as it is for those that rinsed the WiiU. I only own 2 full price games currently because almost everything else has been a rerelease of stuff I already own. But I recognise that I’m in the minority - other ‘core’ gamers I know IRL are delighted with the library. If you didn’t own a WiiU - and that’s most people - it’s already very strong indeed.
They do need new games but I actually think Xmas 19 to Xmas 20 will be very strong on that front, with Pokemon, Metroid and Bayonetta as three lead titles.Comment
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I owned a WiiU and I have almost 40 games for the Switch. I think the only WiiU games in that are Mario Kart 8 and... actually I'm struggling to think of another but I'm almost certain at least one of them must be. Now if I was to count up the number of games that have appeared on other systems (WiiU or otherwise), I reckon the number would be very high but I just haven't bought many of the WiiU rereleases.Comment
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Looks like Nintendo are doing their direct via twitter.
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Played through FFX again on Vita so likely wouldn't go for it again. FFX-2 has the honour of being the first Final Fantasy game I didn't complete. When I got it again on the Vita it was with the intention of finishing it but I didn't so it has the achievement of being unfinished twice. Still, definitely going for FFXII.Comment
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Wow, 40 games. That’s a lot. Most of those must be indies though?Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
It’s definitely a fantastic platform for indie games, but I was more thinking of AAA or AA stuff, I’ve only got Maria Odyssey and Mario Aces in that regard.Comment
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A good chunk are, yes. I couldn't name them all off the top of my head but the bigger games include many of the usuals: Mario Odyssey, Zelda BooW, Pokemon Let's Go, MK8, Arms, Splatoon 2 and now Octopath Traveler which now that I list them isn't so bad for exclusives or 1st party titles (and the kids got 1,2 Switch). Then a bunch of my games are not indies but instead ones I missed on other systems: Skyrim, Doom, Lego City Undercover (ah, there's a WiiU one!), Lego Marvel Superheroes 2, LA Noire. Then maybe a couple of double dips or collections like Minecraft and the Street Figher Collection. And a bunch of indies with the best or most played off the top of my head being Stardew Valley, Sonic Mania Plus (is that indie? Actually probably not), Firewatch, Gone Home and a bunch more.Originally posted by wakka View Post
No shortage of stuff in any of categories now that I think about it. There are likely more I'm missing too.Comment
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I just counted mine and I have 40ish as well, although I did import some digital only games from JPN like Bayonetta 1, the Capcom beat'em up Collection, and the Mega Man X vol 1 and 2. The big hitters are:
Mario Kart
Splatoon
Breath of the Wild (still playing that game and bought on launch day)
Mario Aces
Mario Party (perfect couch co op game)
Rabbids Kingdom
Xenoblade (must admit haven't even started this one)
Super Smash Bros
Mario Odyssey
Captain Toad's Treasure tracker
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
Octopath Traveller
And will most likely pick up NSMU Delux tomorrow.Comment
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