Topic: 3rd Party Purchase, way to go

[cj723]

Nintendo must truely work hard to make its next console that of choice with the people, and to do so it must definitely be out first, and be marketed and sold in a strategy that will keep it in the continual spotlight of the gaming community.

Foremost, the company must build hype, it must get the people excited, which is why they are saying nothing now, but indicating that something new and amazing is just over the horizon.

Here is a scenario, which I believe if fulfilled to any kind of reality, would help build nintendo back to a more favourable position.

Nintendos THREE year plan.

2004
-Nintendo takes over industry third parties.
    Nintendo make the best family games, Mario, Pokemon et al sell in huge quantities,  
    but they need to add some oomph to their exclusive lineups. To do so, Nintendo
    should spend some of it's supposed 'cash reserves' to buy content for its next
    consoles, and by consoles i mean the GBA as well, as its monopoly is also under
    threat. In my scenario, Nintendo would over the course of the next year purchase
              CAPCOM
              NAMCO
              SQUARE ENIX
              KONAMI
              EIDOS
   By purchase, i mean a majority holding that ensures these companies 2nd party status

MID 2004
-Nintendo releases information about successors to Gamecube and GBA

In doing so, the GBFuture would simply be a portable cube, ensuring Backward compatability plus an installed user base for the games. Developers will flock as they will already know the hardware. A new system that will sell like hotcakes, that from day one has a userbase of around 20million users.

Nintendos new Console will be the N5, wireless controllers from the box, DVD Capability from the BOX, Online Capabilities that are fully supported within months of the system being sold. Installed Memory system, usb ports, the whole kit. Furthermore, the GBFuture can be used as an alternative controller, with extra features. However this will not be the major selling point of the system, as it is with the CUBE.

END 2004
-Nintendo introduces new GBFuture/CUBE Software Info/Launch Titles.
Imagine the games that will already be on the GBFuture, Mario Sunshine, Resident Evil, Twin Snakes, Wind Waker, Double Dash. Imagine the prospect for Cube owners of another Five years of fresh gaming for the cube. What a lifespan for a console, furthermore, the phasing out of the Cube early would not be noticed, as it's games could still be purchased. ONLY FOR GBFuture and GC.

EARLY 2005
-Nintendo Releases GBFuture, Introduces new N5 Software
GBFuture hits japanese shelves. With exclusive content from NINTENDO, CAPCOM, SQUARE-ENIX, NAMCO, EIDOS and KONAMI.

N5 Launch software announced, five first and second party games on launch day.

      Resident Evil5 CAPCOM
      Too Human SILICON KNIGHTS
      Ridge Racer NAMCO
      Super Smash Bros NINTENDO
      Donkey Kong Platformer NINTENDO

Plus demos of several third party developed titles.

MID 2005
GBFuture hits stores throughout the rest of the world. CUBE Manufacturing stops, as N5 manufacturing steps into gear. GBFuture game boxart would have a caption indicating that it was compatible with the CUBE.

END 2005
Nintendo releases N5 to the masses of the world before Xmas 2005. Announces Future Exclusive Releases.

A simultaneous release would be nearly impossible but a close one would not. If they started making the System in FEB 2005 it is feasible that the System could be launched with a decent launch number by AUG 2005 in Japan, OCT 2005 US and NOV 2005 PAL.
Get Xmas done, and then consolidate the user base with solid releases in the beginning of 2006 before the competition releases.

I beleive that to sustain a console over its life, and keep it going off shelves and increas market share, N5's release schedule should see at least two to four AAA First and second party titles being released a month.

This is how it could be if they had Control of CAPCOM, KONAMI, NAMCO, SQUARE-ENIX,    
  and EIDOS

OCT 2005

Resident Evil 5 CAPCOM
Too Human SILICON KNIGHTS
Ridge Racer NAMCO
Super Smash Bros NINTENDO
Donkey Kong Platformer NINTENDO

NOV 2005

Silent Hill 4 KONAMI
Mario 128 NINTENDO
Pilotwings NINTENDO
original square game SQUARE
original namco game NAMCO

DEC 2005

Metroid Prime 3 RETRO STUDIOS
Viewtiful Joe 2 CAPCOM
Pikmin 3 NINTENDO
Commandos EIDOS
original nintendo game NINTENDO

JAN 2006

Metal Gear Solid 4 KONAMI
Capcom V SNK CAPCOM
GTA Killer from 2nd Party
Gran Turismo Killer from 2nd Party

FEB 2006
Kirby Game NINTENDO
Soul Calibur NAMCO
Tomb Raider EIDOS

MAR 2006
Eternal Darkness 2  SILICON KNIGHTS
Onimusha CAPCOM
Pokemon NINTENDO

APR 2006
Ace Combat NAMCO
Castlevania KONAMI
Blood Omen EIDOS

MAY 2006
Starfox NINTENDO
Time Crisis NAMCO
original retro game RETRO STUDIOS
original capcom game CAPCOM

JUN 2006
Mario Golf NINTENDO
WaveRace NINTENDO
Hitman EIDOS
original square game SQUARE
original konami game KONAMI

JUL 2006
Clock Tower 4 CAPCOM
Mario Tennis NINTENDO
Tekken 5 NAMCO
original Nintendo game NINTENDO

AUG 2006
Dino Crisis CAPCOM
Deus Ex EIDOS
original nintendo game NINTENDO

SEP 2006
Legacy Of Kain EIDOS
original namco game NAMCO
original konami game KONAMI

Oct 2006
Final Fantasy SQUARE
Timesplitters EIDOS
1080 NINTENDO
Mario Kart NINTENDO

NOV 2006
Devil May Cry 3 CAPCOM
Legend Of Zelda NINTENDO
Mario Party NINTENDO
original namco game NAMCO
original konami game KONAMI

DEC 2006
Mario 256 NINTENDO
Thief EIDOS
original square game SQUARE-ENIX


      Although this is so very unlikely its not funny, i think it should be noted that Nintendo should purchase some capable third parties to make them some exclusive mature products. They just need too.

Further, there online plans should involve all games in some way. It should involve a monthly fee, like MS and deliver online gaming, free downloads etc. The N5 Should be online from DEC 2005.

In a perfect world.

[KDR_11k]

Buying shares of major third parties is a good move, but why in hell Eidos? Eidos has NO capabilities for good games. In case you want to argue, remember that Free Radical (TimeSplitters 2) left them. Also, remember that Nintendo cannot buy out more than maybe one medium sized publisher, their money reserves aren't that large.
Also, the N5 will NOT include DVD, USB or any other standard-compliant features. Nintendo doesn't add non-gaming or non-proprietary technology to their systems.

[Guitar Smasher]

I think whoever has control of Square will be first in the console race.  I know they're very close with Sony right now, but I think Nintendo is capable of 'wooing' them (for lack of a better word), with the right incentives that is.

And do you actually think that Retro Studios will be able to make a AAA title after Dec, in time for May?  Not possible!  And Nintendo can't release a new game every month, either.  

Nintendo definitely cannot afford to invest in all the afforementioned companies.  I mean, any console that has all those hit games would be number 1, no question.  So wouldn't you think Nintendo would have already tried this if they could?

[Bill Aurion]

And this is when you learn that this is Nintendo, not Microsoft...

Ninty only invests in small, upcoming companies that show promising work...(Gamefreak, Silicon Knights, Retro, etc...)

[Ian Sane]

The amount of money to buy companies like Capcom and Square Enix would be so much that it wouldn't be worth it.  I wouldn't want Nintendo in charge of those companies anyway.  I like Capcom because they're different than Nintendo and that wouldn't be the case if Nintendo owned them.  If Nintendo is going to buy any third parties they should buy small ones like Free Radical or Camelot that are talented but are not considered major third parties yet and thus wouldn't cost as much to buy.  In my opinion the ideal company to buy would be Treasure.  They are just incredibly talented and are multiplatform so it's worth denying the competition from having them (most small third parties that work with Nintendo are exclusive anyway so buying them isn't as worth it).  Nintendo could give them free reign to make pretty much whatever they want and they could make some really great original games.  They also tend to make very simple games which fits Nintendo's current plans.

I think if Nintendo had Treasure, Camelot, Hudson Soft, and Free Radical all work on something brand new (ie: no generic Mario derivatives like Mario Golf or Wario World) for the N5 launch I think they could have a pretty cool VARIED lineup for the first six months.  Combine that with a new Mario from EAD and new stuff from Silcon Knights (Too Human), Retro (something new, even Car Combat would be a good filler title), and Intelligent Systems (N5 Wars!) and I think the N5 would start off on the right foot.  Hell they could even offer to publish a title for Capcom, Namco, Sega or Square Enix.  I think most third parties would love to make an exclusive game that's published by someone else if they had creative freedom.  I think the ultimate strategy for Nintendo is to have third parties working on new content.  It would mean less Mario spinoffs but I think the variety of the exclusive titles available would give them an edge.  A combination of familiar franchise titles like Mario, Pokemon, Metroid and Zelda with brand new original content is the key.

[Bill Aurion]

I personally can't wait to see what Treasure's next project is, and I have a feeling I won't be disappointed... ^_^

I also hope that the rumor that Camelot is working on a next-gen RPG is true(be it Golden Sun or something new, I don't care.)...I mean, Mario Tennis can't be taking up ALL of Camelot's manpower, can it?

[BlkPaladin]

Acually Nintendo just recently became the biggest share holder in Bandai. (I wonder what they are planing.)

[Chongman]

well first off, like its been stated before, nintendo's got a lot of money, but nowhere near that much. And second, for of those games brought out in a row like that is impossible. That looks like the game list spanning possibly 2 to 3 years, not one. After all, we dont want our developers crapping out crap games, do we?


But I do agree that nintendo should invest at least one major 3rd party developer. Why they chose bandai is beyond me, all they seem to publish is franchise games that dont do justice. Perhaps they're big in japan? I dunno.

SquareEnix i think would be impossible to take over like you propose, they're just to...big and Sony-bound.

The three companies that I think Nintendo should have the biggest intrest in getting the support of is Capcom, EA, and Ubisoft. Capcom and EA seem to be supporting them heavily lately, and Ubisoft just makes awesome games.

[KDR_11k]

Square-Enix likes Sony? Well, pump enough money into them and they will like Nintendo even more. Nintendo doesn't need that a large piece of them, even 10% (probably affordable) would still secure them a lot of games.
Bandai has hold of many franchises that are VERY big in Japan, multimillion sellers. With some cooperation with Nintendo they could make games that have a popular license and good gameplay.

Can somebody dig up how much the companies mentioned in this thread cost?

[Guitar Smasher]

You forgot to mention that Nintendo will make even more money off Bandai now.  Every game they sell means money for Nintendo.

[KDR_11k]

How much? They have maybe 2% of Bandai, that's not a whole lot.

[Chongman]

i believe i read on pgc it was something like 26%...though i may be wrong, i thought that was somewhere in the ballpark

[KDR_11k]

It was 2 point something. 2.6 sounds about right.

[BlkPaladin]

Its about 2.7% which makes them one of the top 10 holders in the company and it seems they maybe buying more when Mettel bails out of their agreement.

[Guitar Smasher]

Nonetheless, it means they are majority owner.  It gives them greater control of the company, and more dividends.

[odifiend]

Bandai has the licensing on pretty much every mech-anime.  If anything having to do with Macross Zero came out on the GCN, I would wet myself with need.

[getupkids]

as stated before, we already saw what happend to microsoft, so theirs no reason for nintendo to ever buy anything.  they just need to continue to make good games and systems, 3rd parties should be making the mature games not nintendo.

[KDR_11k]

Well, but little investments might secure more third parties. N cannot win without those and the competition isn't afraid of paying off, either.

[Guitar Smasher]

I agree that Nintendo should leave some Mature games to 3 parties.  But, I think they should get 2nd parties to do the same, except exclusively.   Nintendo should definitely invest in 3rd parties, otherwise they won't bother developping for their system.