Will the Nintendo doomsaying ever end?

Matthew Jabour

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Nintendo is doomed. Nintendo is doomed. Nintendo is doomed.

That's all I hear on some forums. People talking about how Nintendo will drop out of the industry soon, or they'll go third party, or simply cease to exist as a result of too much childishness. I hear this, despite the fact that, financially, Nintendo is and has been incredibly strong, with this fact only becoming more true as their latest idea, the amiibos, seems to be printing money like nobody's business. And yet, the only person I see suggesting either of the other two companies will crash is... Moviebob.

(For those of you who haven't seen:)
Surely, if this was just bitter resentment at another company's existence, it would be spread more evenly. And yet, only Nintendo. So what gives?
 

Daft Ada

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They aren't doomed, but they have seen a lot of their core audiences slip away over the past few years which will mean they'll be more prone to posting losses in the lean years. They've lost the licensing money they used to rake in from third-party titles, which would usually have cushioned things like currency fluctuations and those times when R&D costs were high. The kids that used to lap up licensed games have flocked to smartphones or Minecraft, and a lot of the NES crowd have either grown up, got families and have less disposable income/time to play games, or grown out of gaming altogether.

Amiibo is a step in the right direction, if they can keep the launch momentum going. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the figures and ended up with a whole set (bar DK) instead of the couple I'd planned to pick up. If they can keep releasing good quality figures from lots of different franchises (and start giving them more of a purpose in games), it'll really help flush Iwata's coffers. And if the next Animal Crossing and Pokemon games use them they'll be rolling in money.

Ultimately, they'll keep doing their own thing, ignoring current trends and occasionally setting their own.
 

Casual Shinji

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Oh great, the Nintendo Game Overthinker!

First of all, the Wii-U wasn't doing very well at all. I don't know how it's doing now, but it's no surprise that in that first year of floundering many people were saying 'Damn, Nintendo's in some hot water', because they were.

Secondly, Sony has been in the news (over here anyway) a lot regarding its dire state.

So to me this just seems like another case of a specific amount of Nintendo fans jumping at shadows, fighting against all that supposed Nintendo hate.
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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No, because the doomsaying is not a stance based on empirical evidence or facts, but a BELIEF. I've come to learn that it doesn't matter how much evidence, how many facts, or how logical you are, because it isn't about FACTS, it's about people BELIEVING that Nintendo is doomed so they keep spouting it. As for why it cropped up, I don't get it either; I think it's just grounded in the same, irrational pouting that geekdom not only tolerates but actively encourages. It's the idea that you're not allowed to like anything because liking anything makes you a "fanboy." The Cult of Joylessness, if you will.
 
Jan 27, 2011
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Never. The "NintenDOOMED" talk will never end. -_-

Just like the "All they ever do is re-release the exact same game again and again" talk will never end. (How are those yearly assassin's creed and Call of Duty games that are basically the same as the last one treatin' ya, BTW?)

People think that way about Nintendo because they don't realize it's a very "Old-Guard" slow to change company that tries to play "the long game". When the 3DS was bombing hard and the top management took a pay cut, people were sounding the funeral bells because conventional wisdom states that when the top guys start losing money, it's over. And then WHAM, they turned it around and the 3DS is now doing pretty well. And then some people realized "oh! I get it! They took the pay cut instead of downsizing their employees, so that when they bounced back, they wouldn't be understaffed! Smart!".

Nintendo's not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. It's not the unstoppable juggernaut it used to be, but it's still relevant and strong. It just realizes that competing on the same level as the other main consoles would be a waste of their effort and do more harm to them than good. Again, playing the long game. They're cool with losing now if it means they get a partial victory later. That and they're not afraid to do loopy new things (like the amiibos and Splatoon, for example).

Seriously, they're gonna do fine. But since they're not TRYING to take over the world, it looks like they're failing, hence the doomsaying. But they're perfectly content ruling just one country, and are doing a decent job of that.

People just don't "get" nintendo, just like Nintendo doesn't "get" a lot of modern stuff. It took them FOREVER to understand the idea of "If you offer some of your older games at a temporary discount, people will jump on it", for instance.

Are they in decline? Maybe. Are they in a tight spot right now? Kinda. But they've bounced back before and I'm fairly certain they can keep on doing it. I'm not worried in the slightest. :)

EDIT: Oh right, I forgot. Some people Doomsay about Nintendo because they want it to be true. They go "They're too childish for me. Why does anyone like them? They have to be doomed because I know I'll never buy their stuff"
 

FFMaster

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aegix drakan said:
EDIT: Oh right, I forgot. Some people Doomsay about Nintendo because they want it to be true. They go "They're too childish for me. Why does anyone like them? They have to be doomed because I know I'll never buy their stuff"
Yep, a fair few of these people normally then go "I would happily pay to play Mario on my IPad or my PS4" as well, so its not that they dislike Nintendo, they just basically can't afford a WiiU or 3DS.
 

Casual Shinji

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aegix drakan said:
Just like the "All they ever do is re-release the exact same game again and again" talk will never end. (How are those yearly assassin's creed and Call of Duty games that are basically the same as the last one treatin' ya, BTW?)
You mean those yearly releases that get criticized with each yearly release? Yeah, those get critisized. A LOT if I'm not mistaken. How exactly does that exempt any criticism against Nintendo for using the same characters, settings, and plot devices over and over again?

Or does critisizing Nintendo mean you automatically love and buy CoD and Assassin's Creed every year?
 
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Casual Shinji said:
aegix drakan said:
Just like the "All they ever do is re-release the exact same game again and again" talk will never end. (How are those yearly assassin's creed and Call of Duty games that are basically the same as the last one treatin' ya, BTW?)
You mean those yearly releases that get criticized with each yearly release? Yeah, those get critisized. A LOT if I'm not mistaken. How exactly does that exempt any criticism against Nintendo for using the same characters, settings, and plot devices over and over again?

Or does critisizing Nintendo mean you automatically love and buy CoD and Assassin's Creed every year?
Nononono, I'm not saying it's automatic or anything.

But I have seen several people do that (mostly people who also hate japanese games or nintendo's kid friendly appeal), or say that what nintendo is doing is exactly on the same level as yearly sequels, when it really isn't. (They tend to wait a good 3-5 years between franchise releases, usually. ...Not counting remakes, which I will admit, they've been a little trigger happy with in recent times)

I'm not saying that anyone who says that Nintendo tends to stick to their famous franchises pretty closely is dumb or anything. I just think that it's an argument brought up way too often, and applied far too heavily when other companies are FAR FAR FAR more guilty of it.
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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FFMaster said:
Yep, a fair few of these people normally then go "I would happily pay to play Mario on my IPad or my PS4" as well, so its not that they dislike Nintendo, they just basically can't afford a WiiU or 3DS.
Except we all know that's a lie; if you can afford videogames in general whether it be a PS4 or an iPad (which AREN'T cheap), you can afford to have a 3DS or a Wii U alongside them. Suggesting otherwise is trying to go "oh woe is me" over what Louis CK rightfully defined as "white people problems." There's something else going on; when I see people bang on about Nintendo I'm more reminded of children being afraid of cooties than anything.
 

Casual Shinji

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aegix drakan said:
I'm not saying that anyone who says that Nintendo tends to stick to their famous franchises pretty closely is dumb or anything. I just think that it's an argument brought up way too often, and applied far too heavily when other companies are FAR FAR FAR more guilty of it.
Those studios get equal spite though. I would say way, way more even.

Nintendo gets criticized for being too traditional with its franchises, and rightly so. They don't get despised and spat at for yearly releases and DLC shenanigans like EA and Ubisoft.

Seriously, the amount of hate Nintendo gets is equal to a puppy getting reprimanded.
 

Rozalia1

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Its not based on facts so arguing is pointless. Such people want it to be true very badly, and think I suppose that if they say it enough it will happen at some point. Than if it does happen even if they had been making their predictions for decades they'll claim some grand insight into the world of business.

Its just typical IGC talk so I'd not let it bother you. Its kind of like coming out to cheers and people online saying he is coming out to silence/boos, or to use a gaming example, the current consoles being the fastest selling consoles ever and it being spun as them dying. Reality doesn't matter when it comes to making their statements.

Aiddon said:
Except we all know that's a lie; if you can afford videogames in general whether it be a PS4 or an iPad (which AREN'T cheap), you can afford to have a 3DS or a Wii U alongside them. Suggesting otherwise is trying to go "oh woe is me" over what Louis CK rightfully defined as "white people problems." There's something else going on; when I see people bang on about Nintendo I'm more reminded of children being afraid of cooties than anything.
I've been saying that myself every time that comes up. As for why, well if we narrow it down to this site itself the reasons are obvious. Warriors don't want to get close to the "enemy" and all that, better to miss out on games they so clearly want.
 

mecegirl

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It won't end sadly. Every few years the Nintindoom talk comes up and every few years naysayers are proven wrong. I'm honesty sick of it. Nintindo has a formula and a rapport with their customers.Its almost like video game Disney.....Except for the the massive profits part, not that they don't make buckets of money, they just don't always make the same amount as their competitors. But then the new smash/zelda/kart game comes out(and at least they wait a good while for releasing them instead of trying to do so yearly) and the money comes rolling in. It maybe because they don't seem to be pushing for the same profits that say COD makes with each game that they manage to stay alive. Sometimes there is innovation with their games and products, sometimes they get stuck in a rut. But maybe because the overall tone of their games are different than what's coming out from Sony and Microsoft they keep getting sales.
 

Nixou

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The Doom-saying won't go away anytime soon because it does not stem from a faulty examination of the available data but from a deeply held desire to see Nintendo's collapse happening.

Nintendo's original sin is that never really deferred enough to the whims of the late-teen/young-adult male-with-enough-disposable-income-and-free-time which has come to regard itself as the sole Real-True-Christians I mean Real-True-Gamers. Therefore, for many among the aforementioned demographics feel that Nintendo deserves to suffer karmic punishment for this unforgivable crime.
 

st0pnsw0p

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Of course no one's suggested that Microsoft will crash. They're freakin' Microsoft. I mean, come one, can you really see them going bankrupt anytime soon?

People have been talking about Sony's poor financial state for years, so I don't know where you've been all this time.

As for Nintendo, they've reported losses these past two fiscal years, Wii U has been selling like crap and the 3DS has been selling well, but nowhere near Wii or DS numbers, all of which provides fuel for the doomsayers.
 

veloper

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Relax, the doomsaying will end... when Nintendo is gone!

It could take a while, but then the former doomsayers will say to you instead: I told you so!
 

Aiddon_v1legacy

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Rozalia1 said:
I've been saying that myself every time that comes up. As for why, well if we narrow it down to this site itself the reasons are obvious. Warriors don't want to get close to the "enemy" and all that, better to miss out on games they so clearly want.
Well, it's I'm reminded of A) immature boys scared of catching cooties so they stop watching cartoons and trying to be as "mature" as possible or B) someone doing a dipshit tsundere act constantly saying "I'm not into Nintendo at all" while sitting right outside giving them longing stares. Seriously, if you desire Nintendo, then just buy their products. If you DON'T want to, then leave. Don't hang around hoping suddenly they're going to change their philosophies, because they aren't.
 

Jaegerbombastic

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Whenever a company/nation/etc. is in bad shape, you're inevitably going to get a bunch of panicky demagogues declaring that the end is nigh. Often for no other reason except if the company/nation/etc. goes under, they can be the ones that say "See! I told ya so! Now that its clear I'm right about everything, let me tell you about investing in gold and water filters..."

Is Nintendo doomed? Far from it. They still got huge coffers from the Wii, and they have a virtual monopoly on the handheld console market. But did they screw up? Yes, and its probably the company's biggest screwup thusfar. After the Wii's success they focused on the casual market and made their core fanbase second priority. Then they released the WiiU well before everyone else in the hopes of picking up that same generation early lead that the PS2 and Xbox 360 got. Only problem was that the same casual audience that bought the WiiU and countless party games for it have now moved on to mobile games, and the WiiU released with nothing to impress their hardcore fans. So now they're stuck in distant third and trying to catch up.

My own Nostradamus bet is that things are gonna get better for Nintendo. The WiiU will most likely stay in last place but as more games from their usual Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, etc. lineup come out, sales will pick up and the console will eventually become profitable. Even if the worst case scenario happens and the WiiU is an outright failure, they'll still have enough saved up for the next generation. Now if that theoretical future console does as poorly as the WiiU, then we can talked about how doomey doom doomed Nintendo is.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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I don't know, will fans ever stop jumping to defend Nintendo from an attack that just. isn't. there?
 

Something Amyss

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Well, theoretically, should Nintendo go out of business, then yes.

Johnny Novgorod said:
I don't know, will fans ever stop jumping to defend Nintendo from an attack that just. isn't. there?
That, on the other hand...I think Nintendo will be thirty years dead before fans stop defending it from "attacks."
 

gorfias

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Scary sales so far:



I'll concede, I don't think I'm a Nintendo fan boy. I loved NES, SNES. Liked N64. It made my eyes pop out like nothing from the PS1. Gamecube, I have to call, ultimately a failure as my favorite games for it were on PS2 too. Wii? A party system and nothing more.

Nowadays, I mostly play on PC. But I'm rooting for Wii U. I've already got some terrific 3rd party controllers similar to the Xbox 360



My Wii U library is much larger than my PS4 library thus far and the system gets far more use.

PS4 sales do seem pretty strong. Moviebob may have been proven wrong.