Would the industry be better off without Nintendo?

[Pseudopod]

I find Yahtzee's attitudes about a lot of things downright poisonous if taken seriously. Shovelware exists because the Wii has a huge install base, just like the PS2 did, but anyone who knows what shovelware is knows not to buy it. The Wii and the DS both have a fantastic selection of games now. The DS is particularly notable for its library of handheld games being head and shoulders above the rest of that market.

I don't really get the aggressive attitudes towards "casuals." Broadening the audience for video games is a very positive thing, in my mind, and both helps the general public understand gamers better and casual Wii games can be a stepping stone to what we consider "core" games. I also find there's plenty of titles that satisfy me as a lifelong gamer. To name a few, there's Metroid Prime Trilogy, Mario Galaxy, Muramasa, Elebits, Twilight Princess, several good rail shooters, Fire Emblem, Smash Bros., No More Heroes, and Trauma Team. Sure, some of those could also appeal to the casual audience, but being accessible doesn't make a game bad.

In short, I'm glad Nintendo exists. I also own a PS3 and a PC, but a significant amount of my gaming time still goes to Nintendo. They're still making uniquely good games and deliver a positive experience that I can't replace with my other consoles.

 

[Small Waves]

Howevr, there's really no doubt that they've hampered creativity, and now with the rise of shovelware, just about every two-bit crap developer has been able to make a quick buck on Nintendo's systems - this hurting the base principles of our industry: make good games, or die trying.

There's not a single console other there that isn't guilty of the same sins as Nintendo, and you cannot blame what shit 3rd party developers push out. Before, during, and after the crash that came following the failure of E.T. on the Atari 2600, good games were still greatly outnumbered compared to the number of titles made on the cheap to make a quick buck.

With Nintendo out of the industry, suddenly game devs will HAVE to try, or perish. That seems to be what Yahtzee wants.

Either that or they could save money from having to port their cheap, half-assed, glitchy shovelware on one less console platform. The only way the industry will improve is if the buyers have some sense, but 5 year-old children are going to be more hyped up about their favorite cartoon characters being on the box than the content within the game itself. The only reason these games exist is because they are profitable.

If Nintendo were to go under, nothing would change.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

We would be dead man.Without Nintendo,we have no buffer for when everything goes to heck and back and everybody starts losing jobs.They are the ones who last man.Plus,don't be hating on my Pokemon.Also,if you make it so that there is no buffer,people could not afford to be creative either as any slip up would bankrupt you,that's why Call of Duty never changes!If you eliminate the lack of creativity then the creativity (and that is relative and compared to the lack so stupid to begin with) has no buffer and the industry would collapse.Sure,we shouldn't be as stream lined as a fighter pilot jet but at least then it flies well.The innovation needs a backbone,do you really think indie as a whole would still be there if valve was killed off?No man,you don't want to get rid of the knight's armor because its clunky.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Ahem! Loyal Nintendo fan here! I have no intention of seeing them die. I am fully aware and accept the fact that they are not as good as they used to be, but without them, the industry would definitely falter.

Besides, I love me some Zelda.

 

[TheSapphireKnight]

I don't think it would be better off without Nintendo but they really need to get with the program. Why they continually resist the, uh, I guess I'll call it online movement. They continue to avoid making an online friendly environment for games.

Where is it stated that you have to give up what you already have to implement new features and practices. I don't understand why they don't implement there own(LIVE/PSN[well maybe less PSN]) to accommodate multiplayer enthusiasts because whether you like it or not Multiplayer and Online functionality is a huge part of the current game industry.

It would also be nice if they actually started giving a toss about major third-party games. Whether it is in Hardware, controls, or online Nintendo has put a lock on what developers can do. Are quality games still being produced? Yes, but there is potential for so much more its starting to get ridiculous.

I want to play and chat with my friends online and make new ones

I want to see major third-party support

 

[Krion_Vark]

If Nintendo never existed the industry would not be strong but they are shoveling more casual crap into our open mouths. Nintendo should stick to making toys and leave the video games to companies like Sony and Microsoft.

But neither of those companies actually MAKES the games. Nintendo is the only company that still makes their games in house. Microsoft Games is a publisher mostly. and the games that are made by SCE and SCEA have been bought out by Sony and aren't originally in house developers or are just published by SCE and SCEA.

 

[Krion_Vark]

I don't think it would be better off without Nintendo but they really need to get with the program. Why they continually resist the, uh, I guess I'll call it online movement. They continue to avoid making an online friendly environment for games.

Their games are more geared towards kids. They are trying to make it so then the children who are left to play online won't fall prey to online predators. Also

 

[Wayneguard]

Say what you will about the wii, but it had donkey kong country returns. That's a win in my book...

 

[pakker]

Many of Yahtzee's recent reviews (including his one about the 3DS) seem to have one clear message - Nintendo, we gamers no longer like you, and the industry would be better off without you. But would it?

Nintendo brings in tons of revenue for the industry, and has been one of the most influential game companies of all time, if not the most influential. Howevr, there's really no doubt that they've hampered creativity, and now with the rise of shovelware, just about every two-bit crap developer has been able to make a quick buck on Nintendo's systems - this hurting the base principles of our industry: make good games, or die trying.

With Nintendo out of the industry, suddenly game devs will HAVE to try, or perish. That seems to be what Yahtzee wants.

First of all I have to bash your opening statement that goes along the lines of "what Yahtzee says is what all gamers think" you could not be more wrong.

Seems this post is based soley on "whatever Yahtzee says is right!". Which I think is very wrong, go watch some of MovieBobs "Game Overthinker" stuff and get the opposite side, (yes he is a real pro-Nintendo man, for those few who haven't noticed).
Also claiming that shovleware is only a nintendo thing is wrong, the ammount of crappy shooters getting thrown out on the PS3 and 360 (especially the 360) is insane, most of them having a 8 hour tops single player and then hoping to one-up the current popular shooters multiplayer. Did you even see what PS3/360 brown shooter fetish did to Bionic Commando? It went from a very nice sidescroller in a colorrich enviorment... To brown boring samey enviorment. Same with Bomberman: Act Zero.

And you dare say they "hampered creativity" ? Seriously? Sony and Microsoft both made motion controllers AFTER Nintendo did... Nintendo allowed awesome new creative stuff like No More Heroes to happen.

Nintendo is also the only company, making consoles, currently on the scene that tries to bring in new gamers, whereas the other two companies just feeds the crowd with a new Halo, God of War, Gears of War, Call of Duty ect. now and then, without Nintendo the gaming scene would stagnate.

Also may I remind you that Nintendo is currently the ONLY company on the console market that is actually a real gaming company?

All the companies have shovleware for their console, but because the "hardcore" fan-group views Nintendo as a kiddies company, they get all the focus when it comes to this.

And really, you base most of the OP on Yahtzee bashing on games on Nintendo consoles.. Remember.. He bashes on everything, it's his job.

 

[Chris646]

A world without Nintendo would be a bleak place indeed.
Nintendo is doing what Microsoft and Sony should be doing anyway; namely innovation. Innovation is a great thing and it would be terrible to see it go. Also, when innovation disappears in the gaming industry, so do the games. You remember Atari and their nice big ol' crash back in '83? I do.

 

[Nieroshai]

And remove the only console with something other than beige Space Marines? YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF INNOVATION.

 

[Twilight_guy]

No. Nintendo doesn't create shvoelware, developers do. Why? It sells. If it didn't people wouldn't make it, simple economics. On top of that, shovelware isn't a valid term. Its a term placed on games when are inherently unmeasurable in the invisible quality of how good they are. Never forget that games are art and thus your measure of their quality is just a subjective assessment. Your shovelware is another man's gold. On top of that, Nintendo really does bring new ideas to the world (first motion control system first 3D platform) you can debate the quality of it but when the other major game companies follow suit it's hard to argue that they are setting the way and its even harder to argue that they aren't contributing something new even if you don't like the games they license. On top of that. You referenced ZP. You do know that's just for entertainment and does not actually reflect the views of even the author right?

If Nintendo never existed the industry would not be strong but they are shoveling more casual crap into our open mouths. Nintendo should stick to making toys and leave the video games to companies like Sony and Microsoft.

I'm curious as to what you mean here. If Nintendo never existed the games industry would have died completely and probably not been revived for several years setting all types of home console games behind quiet a bit. but that's not what I'm curious about. It seems you are implying that some games are toys and some are not. Nintendo hasn't made toys for quiet some time (that I know of) so how can they stick to something they don't do currently? That leads me to the conclusion that you saying that should make games that are toys thus implying some games are toys and some are not. I'd like to hear a reason for that if that's true.

 

[AbstractStream]

A world without Nintendo? Nah, I can't see that happening. Nintendo shall stay where they are!!

 

[DragonChi]

The company that is still making unique games in a sea of brown shooters?
The company that still values gameplay and fun in most of their games over photorealism, 100 cutscenes and "deep stories"?
The company that didn't jump on the "Achievement" and "DLC" bandwagon and has actual things to "achieve" in their games?
The company that still tries to innovate technologically (even if it fails at times)?
The company that lets about anyone develop for their platform without acting like a controlling regime? (which might also lead to shovelware...)

No...

VERY well said my good sir, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

 

[Lunar Templar]

The company that is still making unique games in a sea of brown shooters?
The company that still values gameplay and fun in most of their games over photorealism, 100 cutscenes and "deep stories"?
The company that didn't jump on the "Achievement" and "DLC" bandwagon and has actual things to "achieve" in their games?
The company that still tries to innovate technologically (even if it fails at times)?
The company that lets about anyone develop for their platform without acting like a controlling regime? (which might also lead to shovelware...)

No...

i salute you sir for your brilliant post

 

[thiosk]

I'm tired of the shovelware claim.

90% of all games are garbage shovelware and aren't worth playing. This has been the case since the atari.

The rise of Cooking mama isn't a new phenomena, but and a lack of 3rd party support makes the shovelware appear to occupy a greater portion of the library.

 

[Lagslayer]

The company that is still making unique games in a sea of brown shooters?
The company that still values gameplay and fun in most of their games over photorealism, 100 cutscenes and "deep stories"?
The company that didn't jump on the "Achievement" and "DLC" bandwagon and has actual things to "achieve" in their games?
The company that still tries to innovate technologically (even if it fails at times)?
The company that lets about anyone develop for their platform without acting like a controlling regime? (which might also lead to shovelware...)

No...

You forgot "The Company that makes reliable hardware and has yet to have a security breach with customers' private information", but other than that, you hit the nail on the head.

I'm tired of the shovelware claim.

90% of all games are garbage shovelware and aren't worth playing. This has been the case since the atari.

The rise of Cooking mama isn't a new phenomena, but and a lack of 3rd party support makes the shovelware appear to occupy a greater portion of the library.

Also, this.

 

[Sterlingdragon]

You may peg me as a 'fanboy' or 'cult of nintendo' or some other bollocks, but frankly I don't care what you call me, because the point remains that without Nintendo, the entire gaming industry would fall apart and die.
What ZP says is bad is exactly what James Portnow and the other folks at Extra Credits, who I agree with considerably more, say is good. It's this little thing called 'innovation'. FOR EXAMPLE.
We've been using what basically amounts to the same handheld with better graphics each time ever since the original game boy? SLAP A TOUCH SCREEN ON THAT SHIT.
Similar situation with consoles, but also adding more buttons each time? I HEARD YOU HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING YOUR DAILY DOSAGE OF WAGGLE!
Now you're tired of it both? Well fuck, let's just slap that shit together, BAM!

But even things we take for granted were innovations at one time. For example, look at the SNES controller.
Do you notice something that it had, that no other controller had? Shoulder Buttons.
And they worked. You can tell because almost all FPSs on the PS3 & 360 use a trigger to shoot.

Heck, even more iconic. You know those two joysticks that fit easily under your thumbs on your shooty shooty die commie machine paddle? Guess who invented that, while still being arguably one of the worst controller designs ever(Excluding those old ones with the number pad, of course)? NINTENDO SIXTY-FOOOOOUR!!

O hey, let's go back further. You know that d-pad? It's not seeing much use on your muslim blaster 5000, but on the Wii it gets a lot of use, and up until the 3DS, all Ninty handhelds used them prominently.
Guess what? That wasn't around since the beginning either. Y'know what console that originated from? The NES.

What's my point? Innovation is the wave of the future. In 20 years time, we may find people laughing that the new Microsoft Handheld doesn't have a touch screen, or that the Sega Pluto doesn't have motion controls.

And it's not just in consoles that Nintendo is innovating. Sure, they've got Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon and Kirby rehashes, but didja notice they're moving away from that? They're coming up with new gameplay mechanics left and right, new game ideas, etc.


Show me what the PS3 did in the way of innovation. Could it be...NOTHING?