BombermanBoard

DragonBomber · #12 Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:25 pm

I don't think one title will save anyone honestly. I also am not sure whether Nintendo feels they need saving. It depends what quantifiers you are judging them as being lost or losing. They have lost a bit of cash lately (as in they are not making as much as they were, but they're still bringing in the moolah), but most importantly to them they have been treading new ground and definitely new markets that the other console makers now respect enough to follow suit. Take the 360 avatar things. Those cute bastages would have never been a reality were it not for Miis and people's weird fascination with them. Changing their look just enough and piling in some "casual" games to attract the would-be Nintendo consumers shows that Nintendo succeeded if anything. The whole object of their war is to sell hardware, push software, sell accessories, and keep people interested in their brands. Nintendo has done that, based in part to a wider audience looking at them and throwing them some coin. How on earth would they have ever tried to bring 360 camera-motion controlled game structure or new PS3 camera stuff on the scene were it not for the winning Wii model? It sold, and both Sony and Microsoft brought out their water pistols.

Now, if you are saying Nintendo's saving means they look at producing games again that not everyone can succeed at or enjoy, but some of us will enjoy more, perhaps that will happen and perhaps it never shall. Right now, they are more concerned with market share, pushing hardware, and shoveling out software that mothers, children, grandparents, and the rest of us might buy. Their saving in these terms, this "going back to the old way" might in fact be counter to their current marketing strategies. Sure, they can include extra modes in games, some being for us and some for them, but that just eats up more development time. Maybe they will do that, or the next Mario will blow you away and you won't care. It will thrill you and put you in that happy place enough that you don't feel the need to want more immediately. Who can say?

I am one of those people that just watches it happen. More hardware sold and consoles in the home to me brings hope prices will drop somewhat and new featured consoles arrive, as well as a longer life is allowed the platform. Thus better games that more completely push the system's capabilities are allowed to see the light of day. If it takes Nintendo becoming more family-friendly for developers to continue to sink coin into development for all the rest of the titles we might like, so be it. IMO of course. It's like dancing with the cute pink bunny devil in order to get the magical heaven cake at the end.