Comments on: Is Nintendo's software success really a curse?

Nintendo's first-party titles are selling like gangbusters. But as Don Reisinger points out, maybe that isn't so great, after all.

[dvdragon]

Don you still do not get it. Nintendo is not trying to compete with Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo goes after kids and non-traditional gamers. Microsoft and Sony goes after the "hardcore" gamers in the18 - 35 year-old market with great titles every month. Nintendo does not need those hardcore gamers just like Apple does not need to sell to computer users in the low end PC desktop or Net book market. Mercedes is not selling cars to compete with Hyundai. Tiffany's is not selling to the same jewelry crowd that Wal-Mart is.

Remember the military saying, "If it's stupid but works, it's not stupid."

[josmor]

Hello Don,
Here my opinion on the subject.
Actually you are right in the case the game industry is making the right games. But in most of the cases they are not.
Nintendo is on the way to get the creativity of making clever games. The rest of the industry is looking for big noise and amazing action + graphics. They are missing the point.
There is a generation of people that started with Atari and Commodore, that are now around after their 30s that are not necessarily interested in war, bombs... are on the back of continuing a relationship with the gaming world with creative, fun and useful or educative games. I'm sure that is clear for you as well (if you read your comments...)
The rest of the gaming industry is playing on the "cool" factor, the economics and the short term. A very Microsoft style of getting close to the geeks.
Clever game producers are taking serious steps towards well integrated Wii games. Clone Wars for example is one of them.
I have spent so much time playing the old and basic 7 cities of gold, Zork, MindShadow, Civilization, Empire, Gauntlet, Rogue, etc. Most of them with much better story than many actual games.
Yes, Nintendo needs more third parties making better games... but having a top list on their side is a merit that should be recognized. Your article looks like protecting the wrongdoing of the games industry, but it is good food for thought.

[Ad_Rock]

Did you notice the number one game is Super Smash Bros. Brawl? Have you played it?
It's the big noise, amazing action, fighting game that lacks usefulness, creativity, or anything near educational.
The same games you're describing that are popular on other systems, is the single most successful video game of the year!
There's nothing clever about it either, it's just a blast to play.
I don't even have a Wii, I have a PS3. If i did have a Wii, Super Smash Bros Brawl would be the first game I'd buy.
.

[sting7k]

Super smash brothers and Mario Kart are the only games I have for my Wii. They are only played when I have 3 other friend's over to my house. The other 90% of the time is spent on my Xbox 360 on LIVE. The gaming base that spends the most money on games isn't spending on the Wii, it's on the Xbox or PS3. Third party developers have realized that.

[ithomas94]

Actually, if you actually did research, which the majority of posters DON'T, you would know that The Conduit is slated for May 2009, and that it's developing into a very good looking third-party FPS for the Wii, with 16 player online multiplayer.

[Oneknight]

ad_rock
you might not think that super smash bros is not creative but tell me this, wat other games are like super mash bros. the thing with nintendo games are originallity. if u look at the xbox and the ps3, there is tons of first person shooters and i always ask myself which one to get, but with the wii the choice is usually clear. if ur into shotter, metroid prime, adventure: zelda, etc. and each of those games has its own unique charm that makes da wii stand alone in its own special field. All the nintendo games are highly creative which they approach you the simplest way possible. u dig?

[erubeck]

Boomblox is a FANTASTIC example of a non-Nintendo game that makes good use of the Wii hardware. They are out there, but yes, not as prevalent as they should be.

[naharrison]

Agreed. Of all third-party games that I have encountered for the Wii, I hate to say the simple fun of BoomBlox keeps me playing this game just as often as the huge-hit sellers.

If you have yet to check out Boomblox.... do so.

[nintendoforever]

Don,

I worked at a game store. All those 3rd party titles you talk about didn't sell. The only titles that sold strong were those made by nintendo and ofcourse grand theft auto. I don't think nintendo has to worry as long as they keep making strong titles. people arn't looking for 3rd party games. Those 3rd party games are a waste of money and most people know it. Always has been that way.

[Ryan_R]

No surprises here. If a game was out on the Wii and on every other console, who in their right mind would get the Wii version with inferior graphics, etc? A 3rd party game would have to be Wii-exclusive and very good, but most of those bases have been covered by Nintendo.

[gladiadorBR]

If you compare the Wii with the DS, this will be the time where nintendo mostly forsake their platform and start working for the next, while third parties that grasped the concept have the best games. Think about the best ds games: Phoenix Wright? Ouendan/EBA? Castlevania Aria? FFTA2? The world ends with you? all sold pretty well and are not nintendo-made. I think 2009 and 2010 will be the same for wii

[DarkHawke]

Last time I looked, you STILL can't get a Wii anywhere near as easy as either of the other two next-gen consoles, and this well over a year after release. You started the article by noting that four of the top five selling console games are Wii titles. What am I missing that justifies the thesis of your article, that without successful third-party support, the Wii's cruisin' for a bruisin'? Are you prone to screamin' at big ol' brick walls that have "SUCCESS" spelled out on 'em in 20-foot-tall letters?

[sting7k]

Most likely third party developers have already realized that the motion controls are not worth their time. The people scooping Wii's and Wii games aren't the gamers out there. It is everyone else who never thought they could play a video game. Those people aren't worth it to third party developers because they do not buy the types of games they want to sell. Gamers buy their games, and they do not spend their time on the Wii.

Plus the Wii fever may be finallying dying down, for the first time since the Wii was released I saw not just one Wii on the shelf (which I had never seen) but a giant tower of Wii's at my local best buy. That tower has not even shrunk by half over the past 3 weeks.

[angryfly00]

I've been a gamer for 20 years - I enjoy the Wii. You should try it sometime.

[rowdyguy124]

I think you people fail to realize, that game play and costs control what systems gamers use as much as graphics and extra features. Like the NES and Super Nintendo against the Genesis and Neo Geo years ago. Processing power doesn't make you the only gamers in town. Sure my NHL 2K9 on the Wii doesn't look as good as the PS3 or 360 versions, but the game play in it is a lot more fun than just pushing buttons. And many gamers apparently agree because the Wii versions of that game are sold out in 3 of the 4 stores I visited. With the PS3 and 360 versions still on the shelves, selling for far less than the Wii port. There are some great games out for the Wii that are much more fun and inovative than the eye candy rehashes that the 360 and PS3 are running.

[iconoclast04]

First of all, Wii Play hardly counts because it's bundled with a Wiimote, which accounts for a large percentage of the purchases. Second, most of the big sellers on Xbox 360 and PS3 have been released fairly recently. Lets look at these numbers a little further down the road...

[iconoclast04]

Oh, and another thing....the GTAIV number they quoted only includes the 360 sales...if you inclue PS3 sales, it's at the top of the list.

[dctech08]

3 rd party developers are stupid. if they took the time to create a good wii game they would make money beyond their imagination....however, although good, the movements of wii remote has limits and is not really all that "cool".

[omahachocolate]

It's really not Nintendo's fault that other developers have decided to not devote the needed time and effort into creating games that take full advantage of the Wii's unique strengths. I have a Wii (I'm 33) and I have a 6 year old daughter who plays it with me. But, sometimes I do play on my own - This is a poor example, but I popped in Madden the other day on it and I thought it looked terrible, and I certainly didn't have any interest in learning the controls. Of course, I know the graphics are at their limits on the Wii with the way it was built, but I truly feel most of these "other" game companies (EA for instance) cut corners to slap a game together for the Wii in order for it to be released simultaneously with the PS3 & XBOX versions. That's a shame, because obvious sales results show that the Wii is the leading platform in the market today. Now, these companies are triying to play catch-up, because they see their lost opportunities.

[jakebala]

You have gotten this half correct. You are not looking at the history of 3rd party manufacturers on Nintendo systems. Look as far back as N64, almost all games that sold well on the system were 1st party.

Now just think about it for a minute. The N64 and the Gamecube were both going for the same market as Xbox and PS2 and obviously failed, therefore some say is why the Wii is what it is.

But the truth is, Gamecube and N64 had all the 3rd party games exactly the same as their competition but no one wanted those games because they probably also had a PS2 or Xbox.

Therefore you can easily see that people don't buy the Nintendo systems to play all videogames. They buy Nintendo systems for Nintendo games. The only reason I bought a Wii on launch was because I wanted to play Zelda and Metroid and Smash and Mario and all those other games. I would pay more than 250 just to be able to play those games and it is the only reason myself and millions of other gamers buy Nintendo systems, because we want to play those games.

Long story short. Nintendo games sell the Nintendo systems, no one cares about the other games because 3rd party games are on the other systems. We care about the exclusive games.

[iconoclast04]

Let me give you one huge reason why people won't buy multiplatform games on Nintendo's systems: b/c Nintendo refuses to build a worthwhile online presence. Friend codes???? Are you kidding me???? What a joke! Why would you buy a game on Nintendo's console when you can get the game on 360 or PS3 with the addition of DLC, integrated online play, in-game chat, better graphics, sound, AI, etc.? Answer: you wouldn't.

[WeSeed Tech Editor]

I think it is a shame that Nintendo is paying so little attention to the hardcore gamer. If thirt-party developers aren't building games for the hardcore crowd on the Wii, shouldn't Nintendo do something about that and build a few themselves? Wii Music? please.

[aztec92154]

What do 3rd parties expect Nintendo to do? Stop making great, sales record breaking titles for their own console so that 3rd parties feel like they're relatively more successful? No way! 3rd parties need to launch great games that take advantage of the Wii's unique abilities, or the market will ignore them. Am I missing something?

[chrkeller]

I own a Wii, 360 and ps3. I enjoy the Wii. It has some great Nintendo titles, however compared to the ps3 and/or 360 isn't top dog. It is missing the likes of Fallout, Oblivion, Bioshock, Orange Box, Dead Space, etc. A good system worth owing. But most people buying the system are casuals, not the hardcore types.

[TCrimson05]

Let me Preach lol

Don't get me wrong i like my Wii..........BUT!!!!!!!!!......they do need to up the third party support. Although i don't know if the blame can be placed on the big "N". Personally i think it's the individual developers and publishers fault. For not really taking advantage of the the Wii can do, giving us poor quality games and just tacking on waggle crap. Take a game like Metroid Prime, they kept the graphics up to snuff, and made sure the controls were tight. Same for any GOOD game (regardless of platform) requires. It is Nov. 19th, i just left IGN.com went through some recent review of new games, Need for Speed Undercover...Terrible. Graphics poor, controls marred, "Open world" is not even that. And compared to Burnout and Midnight Club not even worth a second glance. PREACH!

Now they also just reviewed The Sonic game the Casltevania fighter for Wii. Now they gave both about a 7.5/ 10. So at least effort was put into it. As they did with Call of Duty 5. And a hope those three 3rd party games sell at least moderately well so bigger and better sequels (although I'd prefer a full castlevania) can come about. But see that's my point. 3rd party developers need to start putting effort into the Wii titles just as much as with the 360 and PS3 in order to be successful. Not just port crap and stick waggle in it. Come up with original titles, or if it is a multi-platform treat the Wii version as a WII VERSION. Not a PS2 knockoff with some gesture mess in it. PREACH!!

Not all of the people who play Wii are 5 years old. Some of us have a 360 and/PS3 too and are as hardcore gamer as they come. You'll have our support too as long as you pay us attention. Remember, a five year old will play a Wii until he opens the next present. I'm 21 and have been playing games since i was three. Between the two of us who, do you 3rd party publishers, think will generate the most (long term) revenue if you pay us a little more attention. I'm not saying don't make casual games (that'd be ignorant and shortsighted). But what I'm saying as of right now, 15% of games for Wii are for the hardcore and 85% are casual. And of all those games altogether , maybe 10% of the 3rd party games are worth the full our full $50. So...whose fault is it? PREACH!!!


P.S. if you wanna look at how to try to develop a quality 3rd party game for Wii, take a look at THE Conduit. High Voltage came out hungry,Sega jumped at the chance to work with them...and I'm hoping the game does well and that level of dedication to a game spreads through the 3rd party gaming community like a wildfire...


CHURCH.

I'm bouta go play Gears....

[MastaShake1138]

Devkits for the Wii are incredibly cheaper then they are for the 360 and the PS3, so it's not like it's too expensive. Nintendo seems to be doing a good job of trying to win over third parties to make their games. But they're not a victim of their success at all - this is how it's been for the last two systems as well. Nintendo games are almost always high quality and are quality franchises. One of the commenters above said rightly so that alot of people buy the system for it's Nintendo games, and that's true I believe, myself included (I own a Wii and a 360).

I think that there's this perception that everyone loves bloodshed, graphics, and action, and that's it. It's irrelevant whether you think that's true or not, but the Wii is eschewing this style of gameplay, and because of this eschewing, third parties aren't making games for the Wii. It's sad because they're only focusing on one market right now. If Nintendo can make good Wii titles, I'm sure that Bethesda, BioWare, etc. could as well. They're just not going to invest the time in it (I think ) because it involves more work and different, innovative titles. For them, it's easier to go with a tried and true control scheme and simpler ports (from the 360 to the PS3 and vice versa).

[coffee_shop]

OBVIOUSLY the big N lacks third party support software, that is why the gamecube failed

[veruslite]

Nintendo isnt ignoring the hardcore gamer. It just realizes that the hardcore gamer is just one particular category of gamer even if it is the largest one. Nintendo isnt just trying to cater to the people it knows will buy its games no matter what like its the next big blockbuster movie. Personally i think Nintendo realizes whats wrong with gaming right now. The interaction between people. They have a system capable of up to four players playing simultaniously in THE SAME ROOM. Multiplayer gaming is cool and all for what it is, but its reaching a point of ridiculousness with the fact that noone leaves their house to interact with other human beings anymore. Back in the day, I or my friends would go over to each others houses, copy of whatever the latest game was in hand, and have a blast playing together as FRIENDS. I mean real live friends, not your 300lb japanese e-penpal whom you've never met but logged countless hours of chatting/emailing/myspace with over the course of the last year. There used to be a time when people actually interacted with one another like human beings. Nowadays people dont even talk to each other. I would now text message or IM you to see if you were online so we could play a few deathmatch rounds of the current gen FPS and possibly do all of this withouit ever actually really knowing who or what im playing with. Nintendo is trying to recapture the era of family entertainment and human interaction in videogames, as is seen in all of their Wii game advertisments. So Kudos to NINTENDO for making the effort to bring people together instead of trying to sink us in a world of stupid avatars and online scorecards to see who's teh absolute greastest figment of your imagination that is the world of online gaming today.

[cpopken]

You hit the nail right on the head. Good comment.

[John_Johnson]

These arguments don't strike me as particularly relevant, all that really matters to consumers is whether or not a good product is available. If Kim Jong Il put out a respectable Half-Life 3 do you really think that gamers would care who made it? So as long as Nintendo continues to make games that move consoles, why should they do anything differently?