Nintendo Likely to Go Software Only, Says Zynga Board Member

[The Wooster]

Nintendo Likely to Go Software Only, Says Zynga Board Member

EA veteran, Bing Gordon, fantasizes about an unlikely Apple-Nintendo pairing.

Nintendo may be the only member of the big three with a next-generation console on the way, but there's still speculation that the company will follow in the footsteps of its old rival, Sega, and retire from the hardware business. The latest such prediction comes from former EA exec and Zynga board member, Bing Gordon.

"I think Nintendo's already on track to become primarily a software company," he told GamesIndustry International.

"I can imagine a day when Nintendo wonders - and maybe it's generational change - when Nintendo wonders if they ought to take some of their best games and make them apps," he continued.

Of course, despite recent setbacks, Nintendo has never screwed things up quite as badly as Sega managed to. Neither the N64 nor the Gamecube came anywhere close to matching the sheer marketing might of the PlayStation and PS2, but they certainly fared far better than the Sega Saturn and the Dreamcast(single tear). Considering both the Wii and DS performed exceedingly well last generation, and after a rocky start, the 3DS seems to be following suit, it seems unlikely that Nintendo will be forced out anytime soon.

Gordon also made a note of Nintendo mainstay, Shigeru Miyamoto's, talent for eating weirdness and excreting system-sellers.

"So far, when Miyamoto makes a perfect game, in his career he makes games worth $200 - it's worth buying a system for," he said.

So let's imagine for a moment that things get so bad for Nintendo that the company is forced to drop out of the hardware market. Where would the owner of Mario, Star Fox, Metroid, et al, hawk its wares? Not on iOS, according to Gordon, even if iOS users are so desperate for Nintendo products they'll quite happily buy barely-functioning knock-offs. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115925-Counterfeit-Pokemon-Game-Tops-App-Charts]

"Neither Apple or Nintendo - both those companies like control - is likely to want a partnership," he noted, "but a partnership would be stunningly cool."

Source: Gamesindustry International [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-07-23-game-industry-legends-bing-gordon]

Permalink

 

[thespyisdead]

to be honest, this is no surprise to me... i mean the wii was a flop in the long run, and the WiiU is so "weak" spec wise, that it does not even force microsoft or sony to rush their next gen consoles out the door

 

[Scrustle]

Haha, yeah right. Sure.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

When Miyamoto makes a perfect game,

Ew. Fanboyism. My eyes feel dirty now.

 

[Shinsei-J]

If Nintendo Partners with anyone for software it needs to be Sony.
So shut up and give me hi-definition Mario Galaxy and Star Fox on the Vita

 

[Clearing the Eye]

to be honest, this is no surprise to me... i mean the wii was a flop in the long run, and the WiiU is so "weak" spec wise, that it does not even force microsoft or sony to rush their next gen consoles out the door

I think the Nintendo Wii is a pile of wank (mine collects dust) but it sold really, really well. How, then, was it a flop? Or do you mean it was a failure in the sense that it's a bad product in your opinion?

 

[Epona]

to be honest, this is no surprise to me... i mean the wii was a flop in the long run, and the WiiU is so "weak" spec wise, that it does not even force microsoft or sony to rush their next gen consoles out the door

I think the Nintendo Wii is a pile of wank (mine collects dust) but it sold really, really well. How, then, was it a flop? Or do you mean it was a failure in the sense that it's a bad product in your opinion?

It was a bad product which burned some bridges with core gamers. The WiiU would have to be something really special to make up for that but it doesn't look like the WiiU will win over too many core gamers.

 

[Squilookle]

It's not going to happen. Still, if Nintendo did go software only I'd welcome it with open arms. For once all the games I ever want just might be on the one system, and we may FINALLY get that Goldeneye xbla released.

 

[Charli]

I doubt it very much. A more realistic prediction is they might pull away from Big Consoles. They have a vice grip on the handheld game console market (for kids, adults are slowly using their phones more obviously)

And sorry but Zynga and EA aren't exactly street cred in these parts Sir.

 

[Deadyawn]

"EA exec and Zynga board member"

Wow, he really managed to endear himself to the escapist demographic right off the bat there. Although, having read what he said I can't find anything particularly objectionable about it. Yet I still feel compelled to make derisive comments about him. This must be what being biased feels like.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

to be honest, this is no surprise to me... i mean the wii was a flop in the long run, and the WiiU is so "weak" spec wise, that it does not even force microsoft or sony to rush their next gen consoles out the door

I think the Nintendo Wii is a pile of wank (mine collects dust) but it sold really, really well. How, then, was it a flop? Or do you mean it was a failure in the sense that it's a bad product in your opinion?

It was a bad product which burned some bridges with core gamers. The WiiU would have to be something really special to make up for that but it doesn't look like the WiiU will win over too many core gamers.

Well, the "hardcore" demographic is quite small compared to the casual market--there's a fuckton more money to be made on, for example, the iPhone than the Xbox 360. Casual games are cheaper and faster to make, and they reach an audience many times larger than the core's. This is why small games are all the rage at the moment. Very nice profit margin potential.

So Nintendo did the smartest thing they could have from a business standpoint and their bank balance shows it. Where Sony and Microsoft have struggled up and down to make a profit, often losing money, Nintendo reporting a single loss is big news. They're simply a money making powerhouse.

BUT, I think the WiiU will come close to ruining them. With core gamers not giving two shits about Nintendo anymore (most of us, anyway) all they have left to bank on is the flaky casuals who all bought the Wii and ended up never using it. Are they going to buy what looks like another add-on for it? Nope. It's all been leading up to this moment. Nintendo climbed up the mountain, planted a flag and won over the hearts if gamers everywhere. But from the 64 onward, they've been losing their image and blowing away all the goodwill they built up. Now there's none left and the WiiU will flop. I bet my life on it. No more free passes, no more being fooled into buying platforms with no support and no more excuses.

• Nintendo 64: Sells very well, cements Nintendo as a a powerhouse gaming company.
  
  Gamecube: Sales are relatively low but not horrendous. Popular with some, but largely ignored.
  
  Wii: Sells fantastically and makes a load of money. Tons of mini-games. Short life. Hardcore market is disenfranchised.
  
  DS: Sells very well. Some great games, lots of bad ones. Mixed opinions.
  
  DSi: Sells well. Hardcore market begins to lose all faith in Nintendo.
  
  3DS: Sells horribly, then picks up a little. Largely ignored and gameless.
  
  WiiU (Prediction): Sales are low, very few games, casuals ignore it totally and few gamers care.

 

[kyoodle]

It'd be great if they did, Nintendo's exclusives are good but they're hardly worth owning another console for.

 

[drkchmst]

One thing that can be said for Nintendo is that they have a history of being able to sell hardware. As of late though they have had a real rough time with 1st party support.

 

[JediMB]

It was a bad product which burned some bridges with core gamers.

The Wii was never meant to not be for core gamers. It was media that sowed the seed for this false claim when they started writing about "casual gamers", and both gamers and developers helped in fulfilling that prophecy.

Developers were naturally skeptical about developing for such a different console from the start, and didn't bring their best game. But even when they did produce fantastic experiences, those went largely ignored because gamers either didn't know about them or had decided that Nintendo had abandoned them. Disappointing sales naturally lead to developers further dropping their support for the console, except for the ones that managed to occasionally strike gold with low-cost games or ones who had just invested too much in their upcoming game to abandon the project. (See the still upcoming Dragon Quest X.)

Nintendo never abandoned any gamers. Gamers have been abandoning Nintendo since the original PlayStation was released, so Nintendo had to find a way to attract new ones.

 

[Doom972]

Makes sense. Their systems aren't popular enough with core gamers anymore, and I doubt that they can get more money by appealing to casual gamers who buy 3 games a year. They might as well just make Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. games for other platforms and sell more copies.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Honestly, I stopped listening to anything any EA employee has to say, former or otherwise, around the time they tried to claim that Steam's sales don't work and that Origin would never do that....ya EA, that'll get the people flocking over to you.