~ "All I'm reading is the comments of many angry Nintendrones." ~
Not everyone who disagrees with this guy is an "angry Nintendrone."
~ "The man has a point. The gaming market as a whole is moving away from what it's been for the last few years very, very fast and Nintendo refuses to do anything amazing but gimmicky nonsense, now they will feel the burn." ~
Want to compare the Nintendo 3DS's sales to that of the PS Vita, which is more the kind of handheld that Nolan is claiming Nintendo needs to become more like? And no, the gaming market is not "moving away" from dedicated handheld gaming--it's just growing more diverse. It's just not the only option anymore and those who aren't really dedicated gamers move towards casual gaming on tablets and smartphones.
But smartphones and tablets will NEVER suffice for core gamers. Things not moving away from dedicated handheld gaming--the audiences are just growing more diverse. Again, the Nintendo 3DS proves it. Over 32 million people agree. If we're seeing smartphones and tablets as a success with gaming, it's merely because many people already have them and most among them aren't the sort to buy handheld gaming machines to start with--they're more casual gamers, now with such option with their mobile devices. Meanwhile, core gamers stick with gaming machines for their more dedicated gaming needs.
~ "I don't want Nintendo's handhelds to go away but the 3DS is a huge step down from the mighty DS. Both for games and region locking." ~
Region-locking does suck, but it doesn't distract from what else the 3DS offers, It doesn't mean that dedicated gaming handhelds that focus mainly on gaming are a bad idea. As for games, I'm not sure what you mean there--you're not being clear here. What ABOUT games? The rate of games? The quality of games? The format of games that the 3DS accepts? What?
~ "With that being said I'm looking forward to the day Nintendo pulls a Sega and goes software." ~
And then you'll see the death of hardware innovation in the industry. Seriously. The Wii U might not be the greatest innovation in the world, but it's the ONLY console that even tries to do something differently with console gaming. Same goes for the Nintendo 3DS, which while the 3D feature doesn't prove necessary for all games, for some games it really makes a nice difference.
Nintendo's the last of their kind--a company who actually cares a lot about gaming as an art and a defining experience, and not just a media you throw horsepower at and call it a day. Nintendo often tries to go for what's going to prove a memorable experience, rather than just buying a bunch of smaller companies to merely slap together what fits the formula of "game."
By the way, if it weren't for Nintendo trying new ideas with hardware, the industry would look quite different today. Their competitors know it--thus why they always emulate their successful innovations. Notice how Sony's vowing to emulate the Wii U GamePad with PS Vita and PS3/PS4. Nintendo did touch-screen gaming before smartphones were nearly as strong as they are today, but they still had sense enough to realize that gaming will always need physical buttons.
Sony realized this in designing the PS Vita, but because they drove their focus on more things than just gaming (Internet, telecommunication, GPS, rocket launcher, etc), the PS Vita was too pricy and too lacking of games and has suffered as a result. Sony needed to take the Hank Hill approach to gaming with Vita: gaming and gaming accessories. Pure gaming should've been their first focus--not an overpriced everything-a-thon. Sometimes it pays to focus on one aspect and do that aspect well.
Oh, and Zelda on PlayStation? No disrespect to Sony, but I personally shutter at the thought. Personally, I need my PlayStation as PlayStation and my Nintendo as Nintendo. I like having distinct choices.
~ "I love it how people think this man's opinion is invalid because of Atari." ~
It's rather invalid because he's not making the best point. It's ironic, however, because he's talking as if he has experience about staying relevant. Meanwhile, the Nintendo 3DS has sold over 33 million units worldwide...which spits in the face of his point.
~ "I don't think anyone here is smart nor old enough to truly understand how much good the 2600 did for the industry. Arguably without them there would be no video games in the western world. Show some respect." ~
No one's disrespecting, disregarding or trivializing the impact of the 2600 or Atari's efforts in the past. Don't make such baseless assumptions about people here. Atari is a part of gaming heritage forever. However, no one's ignoring the fact that Atari's not around anymore while Nintendo still is, and going strong (despite the slow run of the Wii U). Even if the Wii U completely failed, Nintendo would STILL have plenty of money to try again with a new console, and chances are, they'd create a hit product, based on lessons learned with Wii U. In fact, Nintendo's much better able to try a new console from scratch than debt-heavy Sony is. If the PS4 ever saw trouble (though I doubt it will), Sony would be in a very painful position.
By the way, even NINTENDO knows that they need to adapt in some areas. Everyone from Miyamoto to Iwata to Aonuma have all stated things in the past year about their state of needing some changes with themselves, and their looking to future generation carrying Nintendo forward. They ARE aware that they'll have to grow to persist on, so they don't need someone who's not even active in the gaming industry anymore to school them.
But what's important than just making changes is keeping the spirit of Nintendo alive as well with those changes. If Nintendo stopped being Nintendo at heart, the gaming industry would lose the last of their creative, innovative ,inspiring kind. We'd live in a world of lifeless-black consoles and gray dull color palettes, with no splash of color and life that only Nintendo does best.
I think many people like you are sorely missing the point here--Nintendo's future should NEVER be judged merely because of a single product's rate of success. Nintendo could definitely use some growth, but nevertheless, in some ways, Nintendo's been adapting better than anyone out there. They don't merely copy what's out there--they create the standard that gets copied.
They don't create based on what's the current popular design concept--they lead the next popular design concept. PS Vita, Project Shield, gaming peripherals for smartphones--they'll never be as successful as the Nintendo 3DS in terms of focus on core gaming. Their success is always imitated but never duplicated. Only Nintendo has a 30-plus-year-reign in the handheld market which continues strongly today. I think that speaks louder than any critic's armchair opinion.
Nintendo may have their hard times, but then again, Nintendo's still Nintendo. They'll grow beyond it somehow. They've got plenty of experience, money, opportunity and incentive to do it.
Comments 1
Re: Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell Claims Nintendo "Could Be On The Path To Irrelevance"
@Lithium
I answered everything you stated.
~ "All I'm reading is the comments of many angry Nintendrones." ~
Not everyone who disagrees with this guy is an "angry Nintendrone."
~ "The man has a point. The gaming market as a whole is moving away from what it's been for the last few years very, very fast and Nintendo refuses to do anything amazing but gimmicky nonsense, now they will feel the burn." ~
Want to compare the Nintendo 3DS's sales to that of the PS Vita, which is more the kind of handheld that Nolan is claiming Nintendo needs to become more like? And no, the gaming market is not "moving away" from dedicated handheld gaming--it's just growing more diverse. It's just not the only option anymore and those who aren't really dedicated gamers move towards casual gaming on tablets and smartphones.
But smartphones and tablets will NEVER suffice for core gamers. Things not moving away from dedicated handheld gaming--the audiences are just growing more diverse. Again, the Nintendo 3DS proves it. Over 32 million people agree. If we're seeing smartphones and tablets as a success with gaming, it's merely because many people already have them and most among them aren't the sort to buy handheld gaming machines to start with--they're more casual gamers, now with such option with their mobile devices. Meanwhile, core gamers stick with gaming machines for their more dedicated gaming needs.
~ "I don't want Nintendo's handhelds to go away but the 3DS is a huge step down from the mighty DS. Both for games and region locking." ~
Region-locking does suck, but it doesn't distract from what else the 3DS offers, It doesn't mean that dedicated gaming handhelds that focus mainly on gaming are a bad idea. As for games, I'm not sure what you mean there--you're not being clear here. What ABOUT games? The rate of games? The quality of games? The format of games that the 3DS accepts? What?
~ "With that being said I'm looking forward to the day Nintendo pulls a Sega and goes software." ~
And then you'll see the death of hardware innovation in the industry. Seriously. The Wii U might not be the greatest innovation in the world, but it's the ONLY console that even tries to do something differently with console gaming. Same goes for the Nintendo 3DS, which while the 3D feature doesn't prove necessary for all games, for some games it really makes a nice difference.
Nintendo's the last of their kind--a company who actually cares a lot about gaming as an art and a defining experience, and not just a media you throw horsepower at and call it a day. Nintendo often tries to go for what's going to prove a memorable experience, rather than just buying a bunch of smaller companies to merely slap together what fits the formula of "game."
By the way, if it weren't for Nintendo trying new ideas with hardware, the industry would look quite different today. Their competitors know it--thus why they always emulate their successful innovations. Notice how Sony's vowing to emulate the Wii U GamePad with PS Vita and PS3/PS4. Nintendo did touch-screen gaming before smartphones were nearly as strong as they are today, but they still had sense enough to realize that gaming will always need physical buttons.
Sony realized this in designing the PS Vita, but because they drove their focus on more things than just gaming (Internet, telecommunication, GPS, rocket launcher, etc), the PS Vita was too pricy and too lacking of games and has suffered as a result. Sony needed to take the Hank Hill approach to gaming with Vita: gaming and gaming accessories. Pure gaming should've been their first focus--not an overpriced everything-a-thon. Sometimes it pays to focus on one aspect and do that aspect well.
Oh, and Zelda on PlayStation? No disrespect to Sony, but I personally shutter at the thought. Personally, I need my PlayStation as PlayStation and my Nintendo as Nintendo. I like having distinct choices.
~ "I love it how people think this man's opinion is invalid because of Atari." ~
It's rather invalid because he's not making the best point. It's ironic, however, because he's talking as if he has experience about staying relevant. Meanwhile, the Nintendo 3DS has sold over 33 million units worldwide...which spits in the face of his point.
~ "I don't think anyone here is smart nor old enough to truly understand how much good the 2600 did for the industry. Arguably without them there would be no video games in the western world. Show some respect." ~
No one's disrespecting, disregarding or trivializing the impact of the 2600 or Atari's efforts in the past. Don't make such baseless assumptions about people here. Atari is a part of gaming heritage forever. However, no one's ignoring the fact that Atari's not around anymore while Nintendo still is, and going strong (despite the slow run of the Wii U). Even if the Wii U completely failed, Nintendo would STILL have plenty of money to try again with a new console, and chances are, they'd create a hit product, based on lessons learned with Wii U. In fact, Nintendo's much better able to try a new console from scratch than debt-heavy Sony is. If the PS4 ever saw trouble (though I doubt it will), Sony would be in a very painful position.
By the way, even NINTENDO knows that they need to adapt in some areas. Everyone from Miyamoto to Iwata to Aonuma have all stated things in the past year about their state of needing some changes with themselves, and their looking to future generation carrying Nintendo forward. They ARE aware that they'll have to grow to persist on, so they don't need someone who's not even active in the gaming industry anymore to school them.
But what's important than just making changes is keeping the spirit of Nintendo alive as well with those changes. If Nintendo stopped being Nintendo at heart, the gaming industry would lose the last of their creative, innovative ,inspiring kind. We'd live in a world of lifeless-black consoles and gray dull color palettes, with no splash of color and life that only Nintendo does best.
I think many people like you are sorely missing the point here--Nintendo's future should NEVER be judged merely because of a single product's rate of success. Nintendo could definitely use some growth, but nevertheless, in some ways, Nintendo's been adapting better than anyone out there. They don't merely copy what's out there--they create the standard that gets copied.
They don't create based on what's the current popular design concept--they lead the next popular design concept. PS Vita, Project Shield, gaming peripherals for smartphones--they'll never be as successful as the Nintendo 3DS in terms of focus on core gaming. Their success is always imitated but never duplicated. Only Nintendo has a 30-plus-year-reign in the handheld market which continues strongly today. I think that speaks louder than any critic's armchair opinion.
Nintendo may have their hard times, but then again, Nintendo's still Nintendo. They'll grow beyond it somehow. They've got plenty of experience, money, opportunity and incentive to do it.