Topic: Could Nintendo partner with their competitors on a future console?

[Chozo Ghost]

Assume for a moment that the PS3 ends up being a colossal failure (as it is heading to being) and Sony is forced to consider their options for a future console. Let's also assume they are still trying to infiltrate the living room with a supercomputer, but the Playstation name is now very tarnished and can never be used again. Do you think it is at all possible that they would just accept Nintendomination and work with their former competitor on the next Wii, rather than going about it themselves?

Or maybe MS would do this? MS is only in the gaming market so they can force their software into people's living rooms and take them over. Their Xbox division is deep in the red, and there is no real reason to keep doing that if they could just work with Nintendo instead, right? I mean, let Nintendo focus on the gaming aspects of the console, and they in turn would handle the other bits, like word processors and HD-DVD players and whatever else it has.

But anyway, if either one of them decides to abandon the gaming market they may just piggyback on Nintendo's console as their trojan horse into your living room. Wasn't this what Sony was going to do with Nintendo with the SNES's CD drive thing that never materialized, but instead transformed into the original playstation? What are the chances that this partnership that fell apart in the mid-90s might come back in the future?

Maybe MS or Sony wouldn't do this for purely egotistical reasons, but couldn't it happen with some other company? Maybe Apple will work with NIntendo, or Panasonic, or one of the myriad of other electronics companies.

[Bill Aurion]

The question is, do you really think Ninty would want to work with Sony or MS?  I really don't think so... =)

[stevey]

"MS is only in the gaming market so they can force their software into people's living rooms"

By software you mean Halo and..... Halo n+1. Sony and MS both barely make any 1st games as it is, most of the money comes from 3rd partys and selling hardware (and try to get money for online downloads) all wicth they cant do if they team up with nintendo.  

And nintendo has already work with Panasonic to releasing a console

[Mashiro]

Slim to none.

While PS3 may not be doing well so far, or as well as PS usually does, Sony has stated that the system will have a life of around 10 years. So "PS4" is a many a years away anyway. . .

As for Xbox, Microsoft doesn't have to make money. It'll stick around because it can, it doesn't need to be a financial success. MS wants more market share and all that fun stuff and to try and  someday dominate the other consoles. I said it with the original Xbox, no matter how bad the Xbox (original) did when it came onto the scene, MS would keep it alive just to gain ground in a new market.

I don't think at this point Nintendo would partner with another company, even Apple (although I like both companies I don't think that will ever happen), it just wouldn't make much sense to now seeing as how the Big N is doing on it's own.

But that's just my two cents.

[Kairon]

Yeah, the whole point of owning the hardware is CHARGING developers for using it, and using that hardware to influence the way technology evolves.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I really REALLY don't think PS3 will have a lifespan of 10 years, there will most likely be another console out int he PS line in 4-5 years.

[Ceric]

Neither Microsoft or Sony bring anything to the table that Nintendo would want.  If Nintendo wanted to make a robot or interact with Active Directory maybe...
Though right now I'm thinking that Nintendo is pretty happy with who they have as partners.  If memory serves Nintendo out rights buys everything to do with the specialized components of their systems.  Meaning that Ati and IBM may have designed the chips but Nintendo has the right to have them produced by someone else or do whatever else they want to.  Their is nothing but trade secret type agreements that would stop them from being Nvidia and Intel for the Wii. (I know NVidia has a higher chip capacity then Ati.)

[GoldenPhoenix]

I think Nintendo would be stupid to team up with MS or Sony, all their console ventures (well maybe except for the VB or N64DD) have been profitable. To join up with Sony or MS would mean splitting those profits and perhaps taking a financial hit because of the policy of MS/Sony to produce systems at a substantial loss at first.

[Shift Key]

Thinking about another collaboration? THINK ABOUT THE CD-i FIRST!

[Chozo Ghost]

Good points by everyone so far. I agree it is very unlikely Sony or MS would join in, but I mean, if the PS3 turns out to be a big enough failure it might be possible.

But what about a Wii or Wii 2 that is done in a similar way as the Panasonic Q? Could that be a possibility?  I know the Panasonic Q didn't do very well, but it could have if it was marketed and priced right. Basically, what I am wondering is if Nintendo should be getting their consoles integrated into DVD and HD-DVD/Blu-ray players in the future.

While we are on this subject, wouldn't it also make sense if Nintendo licensed GBA/DS hardware for inclusion in portable devices like Ipods? I think a partnership with Apple makes perfect sense, because Nintendo could ride the popularity of the Ipod, and Apple could really use Nintendo's games on its hardware. It would be a win for both companies, I think. Maybe Wii technology could even be built into the Mac and make up for the lack of native Mac games. Just a thought...

[King of Twitch]

Teaming up with Sony or MS is code for "Nintendo is going third party". Stop spreading FUD propaganda.

[KDR_11k]

What would Nintendo gain from such a partnership? This is almost as dumb as the "Nintendo+Apple" claims.

[BigJim]

Adding DS functionality to iPods wouldn't make sense to Apple. It complicates their product lineup, and that'd be one ugly iPod by Apple standards. At best, they'd do it the other way around and license iTunes to DS/Wii for music playback, but even that isn't likely. They want to be the end-to-end music solution.

[Spak-Spang]

I don't think Nintendo needs to work with Sony or Microsoft on a new system.


But what Nintendo does need to do, is find loyal and intelligent developers from third parties and start talking to them about new systems.  What they always wanted to see in a new console...perhaps even take notes in refining the new controller and such.  

Have that group of people become an invested group on the hardware development and release a console that is truly a developers console.
Then you would know that developers would be able to create great launch games because they would know about the system years out, and would feel comfortable with the new system, because they helped pioneer it.

[Kairon]

It'd be hard to find such people, as most likely their answer would be "more."

[GoldenPhoenix]

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Originally posted by: Kairon
It'd be hard to find such people, as most likely their answer would be "more."

You are spot on, I don't think Nintendo could afford to do everything the developers wanted. They would be in the hole as much as MS and Sony, which Nintendo cannot afford. Besides the developers expertise is not hardware development, it is the games, and if they had a say in console development we may not have had the innovation that Nintendo has pushed through. Developers only real concern is graphic horsepower and the controller to a certain extent, they don't care much about innovating when it comes to consoles. Heck look at Xbox 360, the controller was built around gamers and I believe developers, it really is not that much different from the previous one!

[Kairon]

There's no question that developers want some very cool things (like how Epix made MS spend 2 billion bucks plugging in 256 MB more RAM for Gears of War), and Nintendo certainly doesn't have its fingers on the pulse of the world (though they do seem to know very well how to do what they do), but there are other things, and some very Nintendo things, that make Nintendo consoles unique and worthwhile.

[Kairon]

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Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix

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Originally posted by: Kairon
It'd be hard to find such people, as most likely their answer would be "more."

You are spot on, I don't think Nintendo could afford to do everything the developers wanted. They would be in the hole as much as MS and Sony, which Nintendo cannot afford. Besides the developers expertise is not hardware development, it is the games, and if they had a say in console development we may not have had the innovation that Nintendo has pushed through. Developers only real concern is graphic horsepower and the controller to a certain extent, they don't care much about innovating when it comes to consoles. Heck look at Xbox 360, the controller was built around gamers and I believe developers, it really is not that much different from the previous one!

Maybe... Maybe the people Nintendo needs to ask is... US! Muahahahahah!

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon

Quote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
It'd be hard to find such people, as most likely their answer would be "more."

You are spot on, I don't think Nintendo could afford to do everything the developers wanted. They would be in the hole as much as MS and Sony, which Nintendo cannot afford. Besides the developers expertise is not hardware development, it is the games, and if they had a say in console development we may not have had the innovation that Nintendo has pushed through. Developers only real concern is graphic horsepower and the controller to a certain extent, they don't care much about innovating when it comes to consoles. Heck look at Xbox 360, the controller was built around gamers and I believe developers, it really is not that much different from the previous one!

Maybe... Maybe the people Nintendo needs to ask is... US! Muahahahahah!

Well one thing I've learned is that the consumer doesn't always know what they want either.

[Kairon]

We're not consumers. We're fanbois.

Wait, strike that. We're not just ordinary fanbois either. We're NINTENDO fanbois. We've dedicated our internet lives to the study of Nintendo and the vagaries of the market! We've stuck with them even though they've done things we've hated, and things we've loved, and things we just couldn't understand. That's a decent indicator of loyalty and dedication, I say.

[Spak-Spang]

Which is why Nintendo needs to be careful who they talk to...but still talk to people.

Nintendo doesn't have to take the advice of everyone.  But getting together with the arcade hardware developers of Sega, Namco, and some key developers from Capcom.  Sit them down and talk to them price range and vision for the console, and brainstorm would be a great way to build confidence in the system.

Then come early enough to those same developers whom have signed NDAs and such and tell them what you decided to do, and then actually give them advanced tools early on to help them create games...in effect thanking them for their input early.  

It is brilliant.

[Kairon]

Quote
Originally posted by: Spak-Spang
Which is why Nintendo needs to be careful who they talk to...but still talk to people.

Nintendo doesn't have to take the advice of everyone.  But getting together with the arcade hardware developers of Sega, Namco, and some key developers from Capcom.  Sit them down and talk to them price range and vision for the console, and brainstorm would be a great way to build confidence in the system.

Then come early enough to those same developers whom have signed NDAs and such and tell them what you decided to do, and then actually give them advanced tools early on to help them create games...in effect thanking them for their input early.  

It is brilliant.

Why arcade? Is this a ploy to get the next generation of fighters and lightgun shooters to default onto this hypothetical console?

[tiamat1990]

If Nintendo were to partner with someone it wouldn't be Sony or Microsoft. It'll be some other company...I'm looking at Apple but I suspect they'll sooner or later start up their own game division. If any, it'll be Sega, Capcom etc...but I don't see Nintendo partnering up with anyone to tell you the truth.

[Spak-Spang]

Because arcade designers would more be used to dealing with unique hardware setups.

Arcade designers are more likely going to understand the concepts of motion control, and may have greater ideas of things they would have liked in bringing home an arcade experience.  

I was trying to think of people that weren't just...I want more.  But understood the restrictions of hardware costs, and still had the creative conceptions of what unique hardware can bring to a gaming experience.

[Ian Sane]

I figure if Nintendo became the only console maker in town they would get more and more isolated and become less likely to work with anyone else.  Their success would make them arrogant and they would start to assume that they alone have all the answers.  This is what caused Nintendo to lose the market leader spot in the first place.  It's what Sony is doing now.  As the market leader becomes more complacent they stop paying attention to third parties or consumers and just do what they want to do.  Once the market leader thinks that everyone will support them no matter what is when things go downhill and odds are Nintendo would regain that attitude in time if all their competitors dropped out of the market.

MS is more software driven so teaming with them makes less sense anyway.  Sony is a technology company and could at least contribute hardware ideas, like when they designed the SNES sound chip.