Can Nintendo Survive?

[Rot Krieg]

Nintendo hasn't always had it as well as they have it now. They battled fiercely with Sega during the Genesis / SNES days. The N64 was not nearly the success that they had hoped, and the Gamecube couldn't touch the PS2 juggernaut. In addition, it had to contend with Microsoft's Xbox thrown into the ring.

Now, the Wii is flying high, ahead of the competitors in both hardware sales and first party sales (third party is debatable).

But can it hold it? The Wii, though initially priced far lower than its competitors, no longer holds a major price advantage. It's motion technology is being copied by both Sony and Microsoft, and the novelty of it may be wearing thin among many. This is, after all, the console that has been called the 'most expensive board game on earth' http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2008/11/07/wii-is-most-expensive-board-game-on-earth/

So the question is, do you think that Nintendo can find some way to survive? It's sitting on a pile of money now, but can they come up with a way to hold on to their market share?

 

[WhiteRat07]

Nintendo has always been around and i think will find a way to stay in it for awhile longer. Family friendly games will always have a place.

 

[MurderousToaster]

Maybe they can just pull their finger out of their proverbial arse and make some games that aren't crap and gimmicky.

 

[Buizel91]

Nintendo is now going for the family approach, which means anyone and their dog can play...so yeh i think they will survive

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Murlin]

They can survive but they'll probably be the first to bring out a new console, however since their Wii already occupies most households it won't be replaced from one day to another, right now their course for casual gives all the money they could ever dream of but costs them the sympathy of many hardcore gamers, rumor is they're going to change it soon but that has been said many times now.

I think Nintendo will just head the way which they are headed now, fun games for everyone, ignored by the hardcore market. Ah well, times change.

 

[sms_117b]

Nintendo are veterans in the gaming market, they will have a way to survive, they always find one.

 

[fletch_talon]

Maybe I could just pull my finger out of my literal arse and play some of their games that aren't crap and gimmicky.

Me too. Except the arse bit, that's just plain unhygenic.

 

[madcap2112]

It'll be like a rock star who was once a badass sex symbol aging into a more accessible, family-friendly pop artist. It'll make plenty of money, but it will lose the respect of the older fanbase that grew up with the brand.

 

[Jonny49]

I hope so, say what you want about the Wii but Nintendo are still capable of delivering great games. A world without Mario, Zelda and Metroid would be a dark place.

 

[HotFezz8]

i'd like to say no... but gamers seem to enjoy digging their feet into the sand and buying useless out dated gimmicky crap just because... well i still haven't worked that out...

p.s. if i sound trolly its because i've just watched a friend buy a xbox 360 elite with the money he was going to use to pay his rent with. that kind of moronic stupidity is why nintendo is still breathing.

p.p.s. oh and becuase mothers buy it for their kids having decided a real game platform is too expensive.

 

[sephiroth1991]

I think we'll be 100 before we see the news title "Nintendo Shuts down, Mario commits suicide, Sonic ODs"

 

[orangeapples]

I think the Wii and Nintendo will do much better than everyone thinks. Nintendo just needs to remember that at one time they had quality control. They need to stop letting any simple game developer release the same game on their system. Their games need to stop being simple tech-demos, and become full-out games.

I think it is funny that when the Wii actually gets a really good game that uses the controls effectively, people will just say, "well that one doesn't count." Although I have got to admit, there are about 5 games that do this effectively.

Also, developers really need to stop trying to make the graphics look like the 360 or the PS3. the Wii needs to stop focusing on realism, and look to stylized. I like style. Sometimes it is nice to see a video game not be real.

 

[Abedeus]

They will fall.

Soon after Blizzard falls. Which will be after... the world ends, I guess.

 

[Amarok]

They've been around for over 100 years. They'll be fine.

 

[Oxymoronic]

They'll survive well enough, but I can tell they've already started losing some of their older fanbase (including me). I'm fed up of this gimmicky shit they put on the Wii - I haven't even turned the thing on for a year now.

 

[Axolotl]

The Gamecube has shown that Nintendo has enough hardcore fans to support them whatever they do. Besides they currently have a stranglehold on the Ultra-Casual market, so yes they will survive easily.

 

[Lotet]

remember, people of about, oh, I don't know, 30 years old or below represent a small percentage of the total population. if the Wii sales aren't proof enough of that fact then knowing that Country music is the best selling music in the world should bring it in to perspective

... not that there's anything wrong with country music


but sometimes I need a game that induces very little stress, Nintendo are the only people who can give you a time limit without putting pressure on you

 

[veloper]

this OP is funny