Topic: "Unique Hardware"

More Miyamoto goodness from the Edge article:

"A unique software experience can always be realized with unique hardware that has a unique interface.That is why I believe Nintendo is, and will be, sticking to these dedicated gaming machines."

Unfortunately I think the equation looks like this:

Outlook A: Nintendo system + unique hardware + unique interface = first party titles + indies - third parties
Outlook B: Nintendo system + competitive hardware + standard interface (typical Pro style controller) = first party titles + indies + all the third parties

As much as I love Nintendo's innovative spirit, being unique is clearly coming at a cost. Outlook B seems a lot more attractive to me personally... What do you guys think?

Depends on your defenition of interface cause I think that's the OS and stuff while the gamepad is part of the Nintendo System. Personally I think that they shouldn't go competitive, it wouldn't work but that's more than likely to be. My equation would be:
Nintendo System + easy to use hardware + unique interface should do the trick.

All in all I like the first equation better than the second.

I don't want Unique hardware though. Just give me a system with this

Even the 3DS has a fiarly low key gimmick and is pretty much just a more powerful DS.

None of those options will matter for 3rd party support as long as Nintendo fans are the majority of the early adaptors of their systems.

In both cases sales for 3rd party games will be extremely low compared to the 1st party stuff and developers will stay away due to noticing the market on the system doesn't want heir games.

let's face the fact that 3rd parties are probably never coming back to Nintendo. I believe 3rd parties see Nintendo as competition first, so why help competition sell hardware. It is too hard to compete with 1st party Nintendo games Plus it doesn't seem Nintendo buys into the business culture most of the third parties have.

The Wii U has unique hardware (the GamePad) while also providing standard controls. I wouldn't mind if Nintendo had the most expensive hardware next generation. If the Wii U was just as powerful as Xbox One and PS4 and at a $500 price point, I think we would be in a different situation. We will see what happens. I also don't mind Nintendo having the weakest hardware (as long as they are still able to create unique games, I can get 3rd Party that isn't on Wii U during a Steam Sale lol)

Yes but this happen because at ghe moment, and with this console, Nintendo hasn t been able to attract the notsomuchNintendofan, despite having one year of advantage...

Is this for the control gimmicks? Or cos the underpowered hardware? Or the marketing campaign? Or also cos for too many years Nintendo just cultivate its own gamers, the mario and zelda fans, without caring of who wanted more adults experiences?

For me, it s a mix of this factors....and the gap between Nintendo and the rest of the gaming world is expanding.... we r losing entire sectors of gaming on the platform.. western rpg, sport games, racing, fps....

I know it's just the random writings of a forum user who hasn't posted a heap, but Outlook B was offered up to Nintendo this generation and they chose to do A. I said it in another thread, brother is a long time game industry employee who's a long time producer, and according to him this generation as it went into the planning third parties asked for comparable hardware which PS4 did a little better than One but they're super similar for porting sake. Nintendo chose a cheap budget, cheaper sales price, and their attempt at disruption again - the tablet pad so they had to skimp on parts making the 2nd upgrade to the gamecube/wii hardware.

The thing is I'm not so sure if they did B it would help much, it may have with them being out first but now, not likely. They've very successfully over the life of the Wii back through the N64 (though not so much on GC) have created now a couple generations of gamers who see what they make as a system to just own if you only want NIntendo games, or you want it as a backup system to another to play their games. Third party stuff sells so bad, even in spite of the hardware comes in far lower than it realistically should. Nintendo not only dug the grave, they sat in it and have been slowly using the shovel to fill the hole back in around themselves.

@gage_wolf Heh, I don't know bout that. Nintendo did option A in the Wii days and most of the third parties had no problem with it. (Personally since the Wii was a runaway money maker at the time.)

Nintendo is doing now at the moment (more or less minus the competitive graphics part) Outlook B with the WiiU even though there's a big ol screen in that controller. Too bad the money maker (the driving force by those third parties on the Wii days which is nowadays is getting more and more expensive)has sailed and I don't think third parties will be coming back unless there's call of duty/wii-like sales on dat wiiu.

Basically if there's money involved, the third parties will come (even if it as ridiculous as a controller as a magic wand)

I don't mind them going creative in the future consoles as long as the controller is reliable on point and keeping me surprised, (the tv remote controller and the off tv play is a good start )

I agree in part with what @ejvirzi has said.
I would say both equations would have the same outcome. No third party support. Or at least multiplats, because that is what most seem to talk about when they say third parties. There are exclusives, though, whether they are second or third party doesn't matter.

You could also try to view it from a completely different perspective.
Cutting-edge hardware + higher developing costs + low sales = closing studios

In addition to what @gage_wolf said, what can they really do that's innovative? Other developers are already working on VR, and once we have that, there's nowhere else they can go with new control schemes. So what else is there?

Cheap and nasty ports are not desirable anyway. Best games are exclusive or the best port there is. If they are not going to have the best version they are better off without any version.

I really don't like the idea of VR, and not just because of Sword Art Online. I don't want to lose playing on a couch with my wife and having a blast. With VR we might as well be in separte states when we play cause we won't be able to see or hear each other... I hope Nintendo continues to innovate and bring new ways to play that aren't VR. I know a lot of people want VR but I am not one of them.

Well the issue with that is that add ons typically don't sell as well, but that may be the best way to go about doing this. And with Nintendo, it may not be as bad if they can come up with good enough ideas for them.

You brush over the whole third party subject way too easily. It is not about forgetting the Wii, third party problems lie way deeper. They started back when Nintendo was 'king' and could make crazy quality demands, their choice off cartridge over CD (PS), the previous president saying that third party are useless. Everything we see today is just the sum off all the previous generations and while consumers might forget about them, the third party publishers certainly won't. Even when Nintendo makes the most powerful console with standard controls and a mighty new, third party would never truly support it. They might come back, but we'd see the same half work as we see now.

And while the wacky innovative control being an add on might sound good, consumers wouldn't buy it. They would get confused, cause what is the point? While Nintendo would make games that use it those would be far between with long droughts and third parties wouldn't even bother cause there is the standard one. Nintendo should keep innovating and linking there consoles to that innovation, cause if they don't we will get stuck with rehashes off everything imaginable.

Addons can sell fine - The PC Engine CDROM and the Balance Board come to mind.

(If they had tried with putting Ocarina of Time on the 64DD I know for a fact I would have got one).

Addons with not enough good games don't do well.

I find it funny that people think there is any other reason(s) for the lack of 3rd party games on Nintendo systems for anything other than lousy game sales.

Hit the nail on the head there pretty hard. Exactly. Either they release equal port across every system or make exclusive games. Watered down ports is the last any system needs.

Systems should exist to sell games, not the other way around. It seems like Nintendo hasn't figured this out in recent years, and that they seem to think people buy games for 'unique hardware based innovations' rather than their content.

I expect nothing less than thought controlled games from their next hardware.