'For these reasons and many, many more, we certainly need Nintendo. Gaming is like any other creative medium in that it thrives only with variety...' This. Even though I really like Nintendo, I would never want its competitors in the console manufacturer space to go out of business or lose influence. I like the variety, and I would even welcome more competition. So it is grating when I hear people sounding almost ecstatic about Nintendo losing influence, and in suggesting that it ditch consoles altogether and publish through its former competitors. I may not care for Microsoft consoles, but when I hear about its comparative lack of influence in Japan, I do not get giddy thinking about how my favored Nintendo sits on the proverbial hill in that country; rather, I am saddened not to see an American competitor there introducing its own gaming and console philosophy. I hope to see more competition by the 'big three' and hopefully newcomers in the coming years and decades.
@shauntu I am glad you brought up the presentation of Affordable Space Adventures. I was lucky to win a free copy at a Nintendo blog I frequent, and the flight manuals on loading screens, the ship sounding like my old Volks Beetle, etc., certainly brought me to the same conclusion about the level of care put into this game, including fitting everything to the 'affordable' theme.
@RCMADIAX Your point about the current Wii U price for Watch Dogs reminded me of another point that came to mind when another commenter mentioned Steam sales and other methods for getting games much cheaper than usual value: eBay. I have been browsing eBay frequently of late to pick up the best deals on Wii games I missed out on (I am getting them to play for the first time on my Wii U, as I never bought a Wii). And while doing this I came across Wii U editions of Watch Dogs sold in very good or like new condition for as low as $10-$20.
@cloudrunner64 My only real problem with the gamepad was the battery life, though this was offset by my learning of a hi-capacity battery on sale at the Nintendo website for $32. Well worth it.
@WaxxyOne Your history goes into my belief in competition in the marketplace. I would never want or in any way contribute (if the option were bestowed on my by divine power) to the destruction of any of the console providers. I believe Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft should keep at it, and I would even love to see more competitors. And I like how you point out the direct influences Nintendo had on competitors. I would not be surprised if this influence was a 'two way street' either (I am thinking, for example, of how the Playstation was born after a potential deal with Nintendo for a next gen console went nowhere, and Nintendo's response to new competition in the next generation of hardware).
@ElkinFencer10 I cannot speak for other Nintendo fans, but I for one am definitely one of the old fashioned physical-copy-please people you speculated about. But more than just an old preference, I have also been concerned by my perception (correct or otherwise) that games purchased through eShop are attached to my console rather than my account, so if, for instance, my Wii U spontaneously bursts into flames and I am unable to recover data on it, I also lose my downloaded games.
I really hope I am wrong about this. Someone please tell me with informed sincerity and confidence that spontaneous flame-bursting Wii U does not put my downloads in danger.
@Quorthon By the way, for anyone who read Quorthon's comment about Nintendo's lack of third party support in general (as opposed to exceptions like with Bayonetta 2), there IS a source lending credence to it: the very words of Dan Adelman, former head of the indie program for Nintendo of America for nine years: http://wiiudaily.com/2015/01/adelman-on-nintendo-and-third-parties/
@Technosphile I have to disagree that Quorthon is wasting his time. For one, although I cannot speak for everyone, I for one have been quietly and patiently reading through his posts and the replies to them to weigh the different points of view. I may largely disagree with what he is saying, but I cannot say that he has not affected my overall viewpoint, or that I have forgotten everything he has said; and even where I continue to disagree, I have not tried to dismiss it off-hand by assuming he is just some [insert label here that some Nintendo fans or other opponents might want to use]. I for one appreciate hearing from 'gadflies' when they take the time to give actual replies (no matter how misguided I think them) rather than resort to all sorts of ad hominems, and repeating mantras that 'their' group often spouts against opponents.
That said, I think this is a good place to give his opinion; it is not necessarily better to preach to a choir, and indeed that may bring its own problems (such as the idea that your opinions receive more positive reinforcement, which may improve confidence but not necessarily help you 'tone' your understanding and argument). And although the majority here opposes him, I disagree with the idea that nobody is listening, and cannot be swayed. I do not think of myself as a 'Nintendrone' even though I am an avid fan of Nintendo. I think we should not be so ready to throw out such labels because, just as much as they help get a point across to whoever we throw them at, such labels may also help reinforce in our own minds that, whenever we are talking to people we disagree with, we are necessarily talking to people who can never be swayed in their opinion, and perhaps are even incapable intellectually to form a meaningful opinion. I may not be practiced in argument, but I certainly believe in its power (not merely cynically as a tactic of persuasion, but as a force for understanding and empathy). And this point in parenthesis makes me think of the words of Mark Twain, who may have been talking about another topic, but whose words can prove relevant here (the following is paraphrased): 'Nobody prays for the Devil, the one who needs it most.' Indeed, if Nintendo fans (the 'enemy' for the minority in this discussion) really are being a problem in gaming culture or in another way, then certainly it is most important to believe in the ability to convince them, rather than retreat to the choir.
Lastly, I may not have read his many posts and suddenly had a revelation about how everything he said is true, indeed, and I have been a fool, but I also believe that much of the time opinions change quite gradually, and indeed never so completely. Even that metaphorical wall you mentioned may be better thought of as numerous walls (for each person who does not share his opinion), but some of them more susceptible to breach than others, and certainly plenty without the best in soundproofing).
Comments 8
Re: Editorial: Nintendo's Approach is Often Peculiar, Yet That's An Enduring Strength
'For these reasons and many, many more, we certainly need Nintendo. Gaming is like any other creative medium in that it thrives only with variety...' This. Even though I really like Nintendo, I would never want its competitors in the console manufacturer space to go out of business or lose influence. I like the variety, and I would even welcome more competition. So it is grating when I hear people sounding almost ecstatic about Nintendo losing influence, and in suggesting that it ditch consoles altogether and publish through its former competitors. I may not care for Microsoft consoles, but when I hear about its comparative lack of influence in Japan, I do not get giddy thinking about how my favored Nintendo sits on the proverbial hill in that country; rather, I am saddened not to see an American competitor there introducing its own gaming and console philosophy. I hope to see more competition by the 'big three' and hopefully newcomers in the coming years and decades.
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@shauntu I am glad you brought up the presentation of Affordable Space Adventures. I was lucky to win a free copy at a Nintendo blog I frequent, and the flight manuals on loading screens, the ship sounding like my old Volks Beetle, etc., certainly brought me to the same conclusion about the level of care put into this game, including fitting everything to the 'affordable' theme.
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@RCMADIAX Your point about the current Wii U price for Watch Dogs reminded me of another point that came to mind when another commenter mentioned Steam sales and other methods for getting games much cheaper than usual value: eBay. I have been browsing eBay frequently of late to pick up the best deals on Wii games I missed out on (I am getting them to play for the first time on my Wii U, as I never bought a Wii). And while doing this I came across Wii U editions of Watch Dogs sold in very good or like new condition for as low as $10-$20.
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@cloudrunner64 My only real problem with the gamepad was the battery life, though this was offset by my learning of a hi-capacity battery on sale at the Nintendo website for $32. Well worth it.
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@WaxxyOne Your history goes into my belief in competition in the marketplace. I would never want or in any way contribute (if the option were bestowed on my by divine power) to the destruction of any of the console providers. I believe Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft should keep at it, and I would even love to see more competitors. And I like how you point out the direct influences Nintendo had on competitors. I would not be surprised if this influence was a 'two way street' either (I am thinking, for example, of how the Playstation was born after a potential deal with Nintendo for a next gen console went nowhere, and Nintendo's response to new competition in the next generation of hardware).
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@ElkinFencer10 I cannot speak for other Nintendo fans, but I for one am definitely one of the old fashioned physical-copy-please people you speculated about. But more than just an old preference, I have also been concerned by my perception (correct or otherwise) that games purchased through eShop are attached to my console rather than my account, so if, for instance, my Wii U spontaneously bursts into flames and I am unable to recover data on it, I also lose my downloaded games.
I really hope I am wrong about this. Someone please tell me with informed sincerity and confidence that spontaneous flame-bursting Wii U does not put my downloads in danger.
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@Quorthon By the way, for anyone who read Quorthon's comment about Nintendo's lack of third party support in general (as opposed to exceptions like with Bayonetta 2), there IS a source lending credence to it: the very words of Dan Adelman, former head of the indie program for Nintendo of America for nine years: http://wiiudaily.com/2015/01/adelman-on-nintendo-and-third-parties/
Re: Editorial: The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
@Technosphile I have to disagree that Quorthon is wasting his time. For one, although I cannot speak for everyone, I for one have been quietly and patiently reading through his posts and the replies to them to weigh the different points of view. I may largely disagree with what he is saying, but I cannot say that he has not affected my overall viewpoint, or that I have forgotten everything he has said; and even where I continue to disagree, I have not tried to dismiss it off-hand by assuming he is just some [insert label here that some Nintendo fans or other opponents might want to use]. I for one appreciate hearing from 'gadflies' when they take the time to give actual replies (no matter how misguided I think them) rather than resort to all sorts of ad hominems, and repeating mantras that 'their' group often spouts against opponents.
That said, I think this is a good place to give his opinion; it is not necessarily better to preach to a choir, and indeed that may bring its own problems (such as the idea that your opinions receive more positive reinforcement, which may improve confidence but not necessarily help you 'tone' your understanding and argument). And although the majority here opposes him, I disagree with the idea that nobody is listening, and cannot be swayed. I do not think of myself as a 'Nintendrone' even though I am an avid fan of Nintendo. I think we should not be so ready to throw out such labels because, just as much as they help get a point across to whoever we throw them at, such labels may also help reinforce in our own minds that, whenever we are talking to people we disagree with, we are necessarily talking to people who can never be swayed in their opinion, and perhaps are even incapable intellectually to form a meaningful opinion. I may not be practiced in argument, but I certainly believe in its power (not merely cynically as a tactic of persuasion, but as a force for understanding and empathy). And this point in parenthesis makes me think of the words of Mark Twain, who may have been talking about another topic, but whose words can prove relevant here (the following is paraphrased): 'Nobody prays for the Devil, the one who needs it most.' Indeed, if Nintendo fans (the 'enemy' for the minority in this discussion) really are being a problem in gaming culture or in another way, then certainly it is most important to believe in the ability to convince them, rather than retreat to the choir.
Lastly, I may not have read his many posts and suddenly had a revelation about how everything he said is true, indeed, and I have been a fool, but I also believe that much of the time opinions change quite gradually, and indeed never so completely. Even that metaphorical wall you mentioned may be better thought of as numerous walls (for each person who does not share his opinion), but some of them more susceptible to breach than others, and certainly plenty without the best in soundproofing).