I've often thought that those who crucify Nintendo for failing its fans have forgotten how little such fans rewarded Nintendo during the GameCube era.
I could go into exact detail why many of the fans complaining about the Wii are hypocrites.
First, Nintendo heavily advertised GC/GBA connectivity, and released games that made heavy use of them (Four Swords Adventures, Crystal Chronicles). When this happened gamers and critics everywhere said that this was a foolish idea that was too much of a hassle. Now, the DS can connect to the Wii effortlessly, but Nintendo decided not to lean heavily on it. In other words, the option was there but it wasn't needed . Now gamers are complaining that Nintendo has NOT utilized DS/Wii connectivity enough, when they KNOW that this idea failed badly during its heyday! So they complain that its too gimmicky, and now its hardly used.
Second, it amazes me that people call both the Wii and DS gimmicky when Nintendo has done much worse. The Gamecube had the e-reader, the GBA player, the GC/GBA link cable, the bongos and finally microphones. None of these proved to be highly successful as neither Nintendo nor third parties used them much. With the touch screen and the motion controls Nintendo managed to make them compelling features that didn't require additional purchases and were easy to program for. They might still be gimmicky but proved successful for people to invest in.
Third, peripherals. Yes, the Wii has a lot of them, many created by Nintendo. But are we quick to forget that the NES also had them in droves? The power pad, ROB, the zapper, the power glove, the NES advantage and many more were created to attract new audiences using different control methods. Not all of these worked and many were quickly forgotten, but are looked upon with fondness and nostalgia.
Finally, Nintendo was HEAVILY criticized for relying too much on its franchises. Mario was whored a lot during the N64 and GC eras. The N64 and GC actually received two Zeldas each, something unheard of back in the day. And don't even get me started on Pokemon...
Now, the issue is that Nintendo is IGNORING these franchises in favor of more casual new IPs. The reality is that Nintendo has released more core titles this generation than before. The Wii received a Zelda title at launch. The following year it got Metroid Prime 3 and Mario Galaxy. This year saw the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii, two of Nintendo's biggest multiplayer titles with online play, back to back, again something unheard of.
Finally, we saw the return of classic Wario in fine form, something players have been yearning for ages. It wasn't a perfect game, but goddammit it was classic treasure hunter Wario! And in 2D!
Then, its been confirmed that they might start bringing back old franchises with the announcement of Punch-Out, and will actually release sequels to small, niche, cult titles in the form of Trace Memory 2 and Sin and Punishment 2.
Not to mention that WiiWare and VC support has been very strong with rock solid and amazing titles coming from unexpected places.
So Nintendo was heavily criticized for its over-reliance of core franchise, and now they are angry that Nintendo for once decided to try something new and its "ignoring" their core titles.
So when Nintendo focuses too much on the core, its a problem. When they decided to focus on other players, its a problem.
Urkel is right. Nintendo is a company, and companies like to seek as many customers as possible, because if they focus on just one demographic their product loses universal value. To believe that Nintendo had to work exclusively for US is being naive and ignorant of the business world.
When Nintendo focused on just the core they nearly disappeared. Be grateful that thanks to the DS and Wii they can be around for years to come and Mario and Zelda will still be around.
Topic: Nintendo Console Sales are Robust Despite the U.S. Recession (Read 13321 times)
