Topic: Why do you think people don't notice new Nintendo IPs?

You often hear Nintendo detractors say that, aside from the "Wii" franchise, Nintendo hasn't had a new IP since the GC (some people even ignore series like Custom Robo and Eternal Darkness and say their last IP was Pikmin). This is clearly wrong (Big Brain Academy, Endless Ocean, all 3 Rainfall games, Rhythm Heaven, Wonderful 101). Traditionally IPs go to the publisher, which is part of why Destiny is considered Activision's IP.

But we can talk all day about how that's wrong. I think what a more interesting question is why does this misconception exist in the first place?

My theory is this. Partly, Nintendo is a so strongly associated with its famous franchises, that people don't notice when a new franchise is from them. I myself didnt realize Big Brain Academy was a Nintendo title until years later. Additionally, a substantial portion of the gaming audience doesn't seem to hold more casual titles like this in high regard. But I think the biggest contributor is one of safety. Many people grew up on Nintendo, and as they get older, the Nintendo franchises they grew up with are something safe and familiar to go back to. A new IP directly contradicts that as a more risky game to try, and that's not something many people own Nintendo consoles for, hence they don't notice.

But that's just my theory. Why do you think people don't notice new Nintendo IPs?

I think most people do know about them but discount them in their minds and treat them as not counting. I remember someone at one point mentioning that download only titles don't count as new ips when someone mentioned Pushmo and Dillon's rolling western, while others said they didn't count because of how much resources they got (such as rusty's real deal baseball).

For me it has to do with the fact that people are expecting an instant classic new IP, and most (if not all) IPs need time and support to grow. So they usually say small things like Steel Diver and Rusty "do not count" because they don't sell millions.

Somehow, the hype that Splatoon is getting makes it a notable new IP from Nintendo. So I hope it delivers.

Honestly unless a game is a big blockbuster it doesn't tend to get noticed by the mainstream gamer. It is easy to say something isnt being done if you don't know about it. The way I've seen it online, people say it all Squeenix makes are mobile games and FF, Capcom doesn't make Mega Man and they still make RE but poorly, Nintendo just makes Mario and Zelda and Sony only funds Uncharted, Little Big Planet and Infamous. Many don't take the time to research or just try new games. After all gaming is really expensive.

Nintendo hasn't made any new IP that's got a massive marketing push to be the next big thing. While they do new IP its mostly the smaller fair and they haven't did anything to the size of Sunset Overdrive, or Bloodborne. Splatoon will probably be the big one next year.

That was me, in both instances. I was going for something more particular.

For me, I think it's character attachment mixed in with some nostalgia for the older folks. Since a good amount of gamer started playing as kids before 2001, they are more impressionable to the games and the characters they play with (as well as other stuff). As adults, at least the ones I experience, they hold onto the classics and are less impressionable to newer IPs. Even games within the same IPs have that effect, ex. remembering the first 151 Pokemons compared to the latest 70 if you grown up playing Pokemon.

Also the whole making the cut in Super Smash Bros help raise awareness and placement. It work for Ness and he only had one game outside Japan.

Look at it from a different angle: when someone complains about Nintendo (or just about anything for that matter), they sometimes conveniently ignore exceptions

I want something that is as good as 3D World but not a sequel. (Maximum amount of effort).

Closest I can think of is Kid Icarus : Uprising but even that is still a handheld game so inherently is not going to be as good as a fully resourced home console game.

(Maybe people don't think that counts either but it is the closest thing I can think of).

Big Brain Academy and Brain Age both got huge marketing campaigns.

In theory, I would agree. But even gamers who straight up should know better literally think Nintendo has no introduced any new worthwhile IPs, which just baffles me. How can people, some of which were big advocates for indie gaming before it was huge, so easily ignore these games. That happened with some Wii owners (along with the usual "ignoring any good 3rd party games" problem I've discussed to death) and it really baffles me. I mean, did YOU buy Wonderful 101 (I don't mean you, to Shingi I mean to literally anyone reading this)?

Even Splatoon I don't think will get as much effort as a 3D Mario or Zelda game or Smash Bros

(I don't care about marketing only how good it is).

Probably because of two things:

1. Most are digital only, and digital only games and works tend to get less attention than ones published in traditional formats.

2. They've always been... less 'triple A' style games. I think when people expect new franchises, they expect everything to be some multi million dollar title with 60 hours of gameplay and super detailed graphics that gets a massive marketing campaign behind it. They expect something like Smash Bros or Zelda or Mario as if Nintendo is suddenly going to throw everything behind an untested new idea right off the bat.

3. It could also be down to the genres. I assume a lot of people also think 'platformer, action adventure, fighting game, racing game, rpg or fps' are the 'standard' genres and overlook games in others (like many new Nintendo IPs).