Nintendo: Killing itself?

Hey, and while they're at it, they should invest in Virtual Console for the 360 and PSN. Surely it will bring them extra money and not in any way come across as a complete abandonment of themselves as a hardware maker and cost them their entire marketshare, right?

Because X, then Y? I'm sure there's a fallacy for that.

Oh well.

Creating a Virtual Console app on iTunes is very definitely not a large step away from being a hardware maker. It's quite possible to create both a Virtual Console app and hardware at the same time.

Also, I'm fairly sure there is a large difference between 'Creating a Virtual Console app on iTunes' and 'investing in a Virtual Console app for the 360 and the PSN, both of whom are direct competitors of the company'.

It IS a problem when they're trying to sell Virtual Console as a reason to buy Nintendo hardware in addition to your smartphone.

Not really. Either way, they're still encouraging people to buy their hardware, meaning they're still focusing on hardware to some extent.

And I have a hard time imagining most of the good game developers nowadays moving to developing virtual console apps.

No they're not, they're taking a feature that is intended to sell Nintendo hardware and telling people "Hey, you don't need Nintendo hardware to play this!"

That's what a software developer does, not a hardware maker. This is not rocket science.

edited 14th Sep '11 3:17:05 PM by Rebochan

I wouldn't mind if Nintendo went third party...if everyone went third party and game systems became more like the way movie players are, with generally a single type of system that can be made by various companies and is used for everything, but I doubt that would ever happen, so...

Nintendo's entire way of operation from the start has been selling hardware, then selling software to sell the hardware.

Apple's actually doing the same thing - sell iPhones, then use the app store as a way to sell the hardware. The iOS is unique to the iPhone and app support for other phones is not compatible with the iPhone.

That's why Nintendo, from their business model, cannot support other people's hardware without giving up their marketshare. From the beginning, their software is only intended to sell their stuff. Hell, the 3DS even has what they're trying to make as a rival to iOS. Putting things on the iOS is sabotaging the point of the e-Shop.

What you're proposing would require a significant shift in the gaming industry. The current model is based around selling a unique piece of technology that only supports proprietary software formats. The only way that could shift is for the game industry to have one unified media format to adopt. Even digital content on consoles is proprietary.

edited 14th Sep '11 4:11:30 PM by Rebochan

I know that it would never happen; that doesn't mean I can't wish it would happen. =/

edited 14th Sep '11 4:13:56 PM by Beorc

Nintendo's business model is, as of now, searching for untapped markets/ideas, and has been ever since Satoru Iwata took over the reins of the business.

Take this comment from Reginald Fils-Aime-

Nintendo is aiming to find new markets via innovating new ideas, not aiming to take over its' competitors' market shares. Take, for example, the DS, which incorporated two new ideas- dual screens and a touch screen- or the Wii, which incorporated physical movement into its' games over the traditional controller.

I don't know where you're pulling this 'Nintendo sells software to support its' hardware' stuff from. While that may be true, it's not at all what Nintendo focuses on.

Nintendo focuses on disrupting the industry via introducing new technology, designs and ideas, so as to stop it growing stagnant.

I don't know how Nintendo would fare with creating a Virtual Device.

Looking at their history, though, I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt and see how they approach it.

They do tend to shape developments... I mean, all three companies now have motion control, and Sony's got a touch-capable handheld on the way.

Yes...when it promotes Nintendo. They don't innovate for the sake of the industry, they innovate to make their hardware more saleable. Nintendo is a hardware company first, and they only maintain software development to keep selling hardware. The second they support someone else's hardware is the second they are no longer a hardware maker.

I don't know how you can look at how they've operated in the last thirty years as anything but this - the only time their titles ever appeared on other platforms was before they made their own hardware. This was pre-1983. Ever since then, they've used their own hardware and their greatest distinguishing characteristic has been the appearance of Nintendo franchises on their hardware and theirs alone. Even when they were getting trashed by their competition, Nintendo's franchises kept their platforms afloat - because if you wanted to play Mario, you HAD to buy an N64. Or a Gamecube. If you wanted Pokemon, you HAD to get a Gameboy, or a GBA, or a DS.

So why would they would want to hand that over to Apple or Android to dole out at a dollar a pop? Why in god's name would they encourage people to not buy games through their own e-Shop on their own proprietary systems and devalue their biggest selling point? The money they'd get for putting titles on the iOS would be nothing compared to the permanent loss of their portable gaming marketing share. Nintendo would pretty much have to give up making hardware and go the way of Sega (and how's Sega these days? Oh right, losing money hand over fist.)

http://www.vgchartz.com/article/86106/sega-sammy-profits-5136m-in-march-2011-year/

Nothing says "losing money hand over fist" quite like 500+ million of profit.

edited 15th Sep '11 2:38:59 AM by TravisBickle

I do not think Nintendo are going to forsake the hardwear market. While certain softwear is what they most famous for, their handhelds and consoles are a market unit that they will not seek to forsake. I see them not releasing a virtual consoles on iTunes because they want to attract people to their first party stuff. Consider similer notions with the Playstation 2 and Shadow Of The Colossus. I also think that if a virtual consoles did manage to appear on the iPad, it will not be... all the games on it. While turned base RPG may find a place, something like Sin And Punishment or Star Fox may be difficult to get into a unit without add of some kind of controls.

edited 15th Sep '11 3:01:19 AM by Ailedhoo

Which will cause another issue... how far back will the virtual consoles on the iPad have to go to be able to "pick up and play?" Because the controls are going to be a issue: touch pads may be good in the case of a turn based RPG but I sence that some controller would be needed for some games like the Legend Of Zelda to be played. One may be able to give "move here" by touching but attacking and the inventory would end up too uncontrollable.

Street Fighter IV on iPad just uses the touch controls by using an onscreen joypad, there's no reason you couldn't do the same for NES games

True... but problems are issued.

I have tried Sonic The Hedgehog on the iPad. It was good but control problem raised: the jumps and movement are difficult due to the nature of the touch screen. It is not the design fault but rather the feel of a touch screen. The use of a soild controller is as noted as the reason why touch screens are not going to replace key board and mouse: sometimes control requires feel.

I'd venture that we'll soon have a whole 'generation' of gamers who are used to touchscreen based emulated controls rather than actual buttons and sticks. It won't feel as unnatural to them as it does to us older gamers.

It's not a comfort thing so much as not having physical feedback. The same thing happened way back with the Speccy and it's membrane keyboard.

I wonder why they decided to give us the translation there. Were they trying to tell us something?

arent customers considered investors as well?

From Travis' Bickles very own link:

So they're only turning profits because they've got their hands in a completely different industry. Yep, they're doing great.

Nintendo, by the way, even when posting a 66% drop in profits, posted just shy of twice that.

Sorry, you can sit here and tell me that iPhone Virtual Console games have a similar demograhpic, and you may be right, but Nintendo doesn't make the Virtual Console to sell iPhones - because believe me, Apple would definitely use the release of Virtual Console on the iPhone to sell more iPhones. So now Nintendo just used something designed to sell THEIR stuff to sell someone else's competing product. Oh, and Apple gets a cut of the App store sales, so they're even taking a hit on the profits they WOULD have made keeping Virtual Console exclusive.

It is EXACTLY the same as So TC showing up on the Wii U. You are telling the very demographic you're trying to rope in not to buy YOUR product because you've got so little faith in it you're supporting someone else's with the exact same content.

The 3DS e-Shop is Nintendo's answer to Apple and the Virtual Console is a key selling point to the e-Shop.

^Really, if Nintendo made the jump to iOS, they might as well start selling games on Steam.

edited 15th Sep '11 3:49:12 PM by RocketDude