Nintendo, The Next Sega

Nintendo is the most intuitive video game company in the industry. They also created the most iconic characters such as Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong just to name a few. However, will they still be the gaming powerhouse they are today in the future? No, but yes?

1-Hardware

In 2006 Nintendo revealed their next-generation console which strove away from traditional gaming consoles. Nintendo decided to be intuitive and make a console that is accessible to all age groups. Nintendo took a huge risk with the direction they were heading. Fortunate enough, Nintendo was very successful with their new console Wii. Although the Wii had a great launch the sales started to decline as the years passed while the rest, Sony and Microsoft were increasing. This is mostly due to the fact that their goal was to target the “casual gamers”. With that came a consequence of losing the “hardcore gamers” or/and “traditional gamers”.

The Nintendo Wii console was specified to be affordable. Because Nintendo targeted the casual gamers, they knew it would have to be priced right. This way those who aren’t into video games can be attracted to the Wiis price and intuitive gaming controls/motion control. Again Nintendo is building a cheap console to test the waters for a new audience therefore this console will be very standard- low CPU power and graphics. Nintendo says hello to casual gamers and goodbye to the hardcore gamers. Due to the hardware specs, third party developers had to work extra hard to make games for a system that had low power and different controls. While Sony and Microsoft had traditional controllers and similar power, games were easily ported from one another. Most Third party games were crappy and did not sell very much towards the end. Third party games decreased for the Wii and Nintendo needed to fill that space so here comes, yes! You guessed it! Mario!

(Third party developers) Forget you Wii I’m tired of wasting time and money on your games that don’t sell. I’m going to focus on the major gaming groups with PS3 and 360!

2-Software

Nintendo is very well known for Mario and his friends, which brings me to software. Yes, Nintendo first party games are fun such as Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong to name a few. But for how long are they going to be able to keep this up? Zelda fans are going to get tired of playing the NEW remake of the same game. Mario fans are going to get an overdose of all the spin offs Nintendo is throwing at us. Seriously though we have Mario Tennis, Mario Basketball, Mario Golf, Mario Soccer, Mario Baseball, Mario Kart, Mario Party, Dr. Mario, Paper Mario, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, and the list goes on and on- oh and that’s just Mario. Although the hardcore gamers can see this the casual gamers do not. To them this is their first experience and the games are tailored to be simple and easy to pick up. The casual gamers new to the scene buy the games, but the casual gamers are just a small group to the existing video game audience. Therefore Wii was only very successful in the beginning when casual gamers first stepped into the doors. Now Nintendo sales are decreasing while Sony and Microsoft sales are increasing.

3- The “future” Wii U, her, him, them, everyone!

Nintendo announced their new console Wii U to regain the hardcore fans but still contain the casual gamers. Wii U has the power if not a little more than PS3 and 360, yet it still contains the intuitiveness they successfully achieved with Wii. But, I fear it’s too little too late. Hardcore gamers are not going to want to buy the Wii U to play Batman Arkham Asylum when they already own it on their PS3/360 nor any other port Wii U comes out with. I believe Wii U will be Wii all over again. Good sales in the beginning with third-party developers behind their backs then slowly that will decline as well as the Wii U sales. Besides Sony and Microsoft are probably working on their new console right now.

Conclusion-

Nintendo will lose money on Wii U and 3DS. Nintendo already messed up with the 3DS. Priced at $250 you got yourself a handheld that is capable of 3D without glasses that’s it that’s their best-selling feature. While on the other hand priced the same you got PlayStation Vita 5-inch OLED display, front and back multitouch capable screen/pad, dual-analog sticks, and a powerful CPU/GPU. I really can’t see 3DS beating the PSV in sales. Because Nintendo is just based on video games, they have no revenue coming from anywhere else to fall back on. Sony on the other hand has revenue coming out of televisions, camcorders, movies, and so on. Therefore Sony has room for failure but Nintendo does not. Starting with the Wii and ending with Wii U Nintendo will slowly die off and become a software publisher for Sony or/and Microsoft. Just like Sega we’ll see Mario on our PlayStation and Xbox consoles.