Bad Luck, or Nintendo Losing Their Edge?

[Zaeker]

So, I was sitting on my computer yesterday, using the rain and cold weather as an excuse to read up on some Nintendo news. As I was reading, I noticed more and more bleak and depressing things regarding some of Nintendo's latest innovations; and then it hit me! Either Nintendo is just having an off day, or Nintendo is losing their edge! Now I'm not saying Nintendo is becoming Sony or Microsoft and sacrificing quality for profit, but it sure does seem like they have had a pretty bad day. From the major, game-stopping bug in Skyward Sword to the design flaws and lack of sales on the Nintendo 3DS, not to mention the 3DS's major price cut; Nintendo is either rushing through projects in a desperate attempt to remain dominate in the video game market, or they're just having a terrible day... So, what do you think is going on? :hmm:

P.S. I just want to specify, this post is completely speculation and should be treated as such! Don't start raging at me like I've declared a new law of physics or something if you don't agree with my post.

 

[A Link In Time]

This post is a piece of propaganda in itself. Please read up on your facts. Nintendo is working to resolve Skyward Sword's glitch and the game had the highest preorder numbers of any in the series and turned out one of the most acclaimed. In its first nine months on the market, the 3DS has sold more units than the DS during its first year!

 

[Cel-Shaded Deku]

I hope they're just loosing their edge. All they have to do to fix it is tighten it. Sounds like an easy fix; just pull on the strings or redo the knot. /EndOfJokeResponce.

I don't think it's either of the two but if I have to pick one I would say bad luck or, "bad day", as you said. Game-ending glitches are not new. There was one in Twilight Princess that was fixed and at least one in Ocarina of Time that was, as far as I know, never fixed (It's probably fixed on the 3DS version). The sales and poor design of the 3DS means nothing either. The DS did worse then the 3DS when it was released and the original design was awful compared to the DS lite and DSi. The 3DS' design flaws and the game-ending glitch in SwS will be fixed eventually.

 

[Ventus]

Yeah, I'd say Nintendo is losing their edge lately. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean the blade is impossible to re-sharpen. Nintendo has done some pretty stupid things that lost a lot of love, such as rushing the 3DS to be the first portable 3D system (it suffered from a bad launch, next to no good games were released for months on end and there was a system bug that luckily was corrected but days after launch), trying to make Skyward Sword the next Ocarina of Time (it suffers from the game ending glitch, yes, but also poor reception from particularly critical reviewers because of the similarities and obvious repetition seen in the game), and I would like to say making the Wii centered around motion control (it's the highest selling console of the 7th gen, sure, but no one cares for the games because the average customer sees the words "motion gaming" and expects top notch quality out of the blue).

However like I said, this doesn't mean Nintendo can't resharpen their blade. The Wii U is being rushed for sales, and if Nintendo's track record means anything, I'd say the Wii U will do poorly because of bad infrastructure, terrible online capabilities, numerous bugs and so on. We can't expect Zelda quality on a Nintendo system. So what I propose is that the big N delay the Wii U so as to make as many fixes as needed – use what you learned from Sony and Microsoft's track records and even your own record (Sony had a bad online infrastructure, Microsoft had the RRoD and Circular Scratch, Nintendo obviously has that thing for gimmicks) to make the Wii U the best of the 8th gen...before the rest of the 8th gen can even be released. I'm rooting for ya, Ninty.

 

[A Link In Time]

Yeah, I'd say Nintendo is losing their edge lately. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean the blade is impossible to re-sharpen. Nintendo has done some pretty stupid things that lost a lot of love, such as rushing the 3DS to be the first portable 3D system (it suffered from a bad launch, next to no good games were released for months on end and there was a system bug that luckily was corrected but days after launch), trying to make Skyward Sword the next Ocarina of Time (it suffers from the game ending glitch, yes, but also poor reception from particularly critical reviewers because of the similarities and obvious repetition seen in the game), and I would like to say making the Wii centered around motion control (it's the highest selling console of the 7th gen, sure, but no one cares for the games because the average customer sees the words "motion gaming" and expects top notch quality out of the blue).

However like I said, this doesn't mean Nintendo can't resharpen their blade. The Wii U is being rushed for sales, and if Nintendo's track record means anything, I'd say the Wii U will do poorly because of bad infrastructure, terrible online capabilities, numerous bugs and so on. We can't expect Zelda quality on a Nintendo system. So what I propose is that the big N delay the Wii U so as to make as many fixes as needed – use what you learned from Sony and Microsoft's track records and even your own record (Sony had a bad online infrastructure, Microsoft had the RRoD and Circular Scratch, Nintendo obviously has that thing for gimmicks) to make the Wii U the best of the 8th gen...before the rest of the 8th gen can even be released. I'm rooting for ya, Ninty.

I disagree about the 3DS part of your post. While the launch was rushed Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition stood out as a true gem. In addition, the recent Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are some of the best handheld games ever made. The Wii U is looking to be a world of new experiences. If anything, Nintendo is along the right route for the next generation. It's not that Nintendo needs to resharpen its blade because the company has released nothing but sure fire hits since Holiday 2009, it's that Nintendo needs to sharpen its blade into perfection once again.

 

[Ventus]

SSF43D was a gem among the titles released at the time, otherwise it was yet another port for Capcom to make some money off of the tired Street Fighter IV title. SM3D Land and MK7 came (8,9?) months into the 3DS' life. That's quite a long time for some great games to be released, huh?

The Wii U really needs to be held back. This would be Nintendo's first time (not counting the 3DS) into a true multiplayer environment, and they're just now catching up to Sony and Microsoft as far as graphical display and game audience goes. They shouldn't be "catching up" to the competition, they need to be "ahead" of the competition. If Nintendo can make leaps and bounds with the 3DS into a firm portable gaming market, it needs to happen all the same on the home-front. Take some more time to develop the sweet console, unleash it when the time is right as the amazing beast of a console we all thought the Revolution was going to be. That'll rack in sales, and given Nintendo's reputation for family friendly gaming, the same fanbase as the Wii U coupled with the HD capabilities of the competition. If armed with a great online service as well (hopefully free but time will tell), who knows what the Wii u would be capable of. We're talking DLC, game demos, subscription services (paid), and so on. Not the crummy services that the Wii gave us, but the services of, say, Xbox Live only on Nintendo's turf where I'd say it truly belongs.

 

[Zaeker]

This post is a piece of propaganda in itself. Please read up on your facts. Nintendo is working to resolve Skyward Sword's glitch and the game had the highest preorder numbers of any in the series and turned out one of the most acclaimed. In its first nine months on the market, the 3DS has sold more units than the DS during its first year!

First off, I've read up on all my Nintendo facts, and am completely aware that Nintendo is releasing a free channel that repairs glitched game save data on Skyward Sword; and I'm also aware of the 3DS's skyrocketing sales. But to say that Nintendo is having a heyday is quite a stretch! Might I remind you that the Big N shouldn't have to be releasing a game data repair channel in the first place; and the only reason the 3DS's sales beat out the original DS sales (albeit very quickly) is because Nintendo chopped off 1/3 of the 3DS's price! Meaning that Nintendo is actually making less profit than they should be due to the cost of the 3DS's hardware.

 

[Badwolf]

What? Isn't the 3DS selling like hotcakes? How is that low sales?

Nintendo is making less profit but they're still making something.

 

[Zaeker]

What? Isn't the 3DS selling like hotcakes? How is that low sales?

You're correct! The 3DS is selling like hotcakes! But look at it this way: when Nintendo was selling 3DSs for $250, they were able to pay for the parts required to manufacture the 3DS while still making a hefty profit; but now that they are selling them for $80 less (which is why they are now selling like hotcakes), they are making much less profit!

Nintendo is making less profit but they're still making something.

Well the goal of my post wasn't to say that Nintendo is not making enough money, it was to say that Nintendo is not doing as well as they usually are...

 

[Kazumi]

I actually agree with you in many ways. First of all, I'm not sure if any of you knew this, but Nintendo has never really been insanely successful before the Wii. Not since the days of the NES and to a lesser extent the SNES, have they been at the top of the market. During the SNES era, Nintendo was losing ground, and the launch of Sony's PS1 was a major blow. Even once Nintendo got their 3D console, the N64 up and running, they still never beat out the PS1 in terms of sales and user base. In the GameCube era, Nintendo was dominated by Sony and Microsoft with the PS2 and Xbox respectively. It wasn't until the Wii that Nintendo came out on top, and managed to break into a market other than their dedicated fan-base. It is wrong and generally ignorant to believe that Nintendo has always been king, even if you really enjoy their games.

Recently, Nintendo has made a few errors. The 3DS didn't have the best of starts, but it has come back, even to beat out the PSVita in Japan during it's launch week. It is now building and continues to build a respectable library of games, and receive consistent updates and support. However, the launch of the 3DS was far from perfect, and was plagued with issues such as the lack of a launch library, the lack of the eShop at launch, and the lack of a communication method between you and your 3DS friends. The Wii U, which was announced at E3 2011, was also not well received by investors, nor was it particularly well received by the gaming press and fans, who were confused and cautious about the new console. Here's hoping that CES will shed some more light on it before E3 2012, where the console will launch soon after. However, we all know that it won't. Nintendo also had a very lacklustre year for the Wii, with Skyward Sword and to a lesser extent Kirby's Return to Dreamland being really the only major titles, especially in the second half of the year. Third party support was no where to be found.

So yes, I would say that Nintendo is losing it's edge, but it's losing an edge that it never really had. While Nintendo have had their successes and failures, they have never really been the top of the competition since the late 80's early 90's. If Nintendo wants to keep their seemingly temporary position on top, they will have to do something special with the Wii U, and go above and beyond what the 360 and PS3 offer now, and what the inevitable sequels to those consoles will offer. From what Nintendo have showed of the Wii U up to this point, it doesn't really look like they are going to achieve that. Sure, they may catch up to the current gen consoles in terms of graphical capabilities, and maybe even online-based services, but what will happen when Sony and Microsoft launch their next consoles, which will have to happen in the next few years. Nintendo will once again be behind in terms of technology and what their console offers. However, despite this I think we can all agree that while Nintendo may not have the best hardware, the best third-party support, nor the best online services, they undeniably have always had, and likely always will have great games.

 

[A Link In Time]

I actually agree with you in many ways. First of all, I'm not sure if any of you knew this, but Nintendo has never really been insanely successful before the Wii. Not since the days of the NES and to a lesser extent the SNES, have they been at the top of the market. During the SNES era, Nintendo was losing ground, and the launch of Sony's PS1 was a major blow. Even once Nintendo got their 3D console, the N64 up and running, they still never beat out the PS1 in terms of sales and user base. In the GameCube era, Nintendo was dominated by Sony and Microsoft with the PS2 and Xbox respectively. It wasn't until the Wii that Nintendo came out on top, and managed to break into a market other than their dedicated fan-base. It is wrong and generally ignorant to believe that Nintendo has always been king, even if you really enjoy their games.

Recently, Nintendo has made a few errors. The 3DS didn't have the best of starts, but it has come back, even to beat out the PSVita in Japan during it's launch week. It is now building and continues to build a respectable library of games, and receive consistent updates and support. However, the launch of the 3DS was far from perfect, and was plagued with issues such as the lack of a launch library, the lack of the eShop at launch, and the lack of a communication method between you and your 3DS friends. The Wii U, which was announced at E3 2011, was also not well received by investors, nor was it particularly well received by the gaming press and fans, who were confused and cautious about the new console. Here's hoping that CES will shed some more light on it before E3 2012, where the console will launch soon after. However, we all know that it won't. Nintendo also had a very lacklustre year for the Wii, with Skyward Sword and to a lesser extent Kirby's Return to Dreamland being really the only major titles, especially in the second half of the year. Third party support was no where to be found.

So yes, I would say that Nintendo is losing it's edge, but it's losing an edge that it never really had. While Nintendo have had their successes and failures, they have never really been the top of the competition since the late 80's early 90's. If Nintendo wants to keep their seemingly temporary position on top, they will have to do something special with the Wii U, and go above and beyond what the 360 and PS3 offer now, and what the inevitable sequels to those consoles will offer. From what Nintendo have showed of the Wii U up to this point, it doesn't really look like they are going to achieve that. Sure, they may catch up to the current gen consoles in terms of graphical capabilities, and maybe even online-based services, but what will happen when Sony and Microsoft launch their next consoles, which will have to happen in the next few years. Nintendo will once again be behind in terms of technology and what their console offers. However, despite this I think we can all agree that while Nintendo may not have the best hardware, the best third-party support, nor the best online services, they undeniably have always had, and likely always will have great games.

You seem to allude to this but it is important to recognize that Nintendo is king when it comes to the portable market. Only now are smartphones slowly chipping away but there is no reason to not believe that with continued support the 3DS will outperform the DS in terms of hardware and software sales. Also, the Wii's success was due to a broadening in Nintendo's audience, which it aims to continue with the Wii U albeit along a more "hardcore" course. And is there not a threshold to exactly how powerful consoles will be next generation in order to keep them affordable? If anything, Nintendo played it smart by cutting down costs with Wii and DS and now producing hardware, which is clearly able to compete with what the next generation from Sony and Microsoft will have to offer. Look to the Zelda Wii U Tech Demo for evidence. There is simply no game on the market right now that uses shading techniques on par with that minute of footage. And lastly, the Vita's rather sluggish sales (at the very least lower than expected) are nothing to be shocked about after the whole memory card fiasco.

 

[Mamagaea]

I personally think that Nintendo needs some shaking up. While I will always be a Nintendo girl, they are losing ground in the console market. I mean, I was able to pick up a Wii for $115! What does that tell you in the grand scheme of things? I don't plan on getting any other consoles because I can't afford them. But how does Nintendo plan on competing with the big guns?

 

[A Link In Time]

SSF43D was a gem among the titles released at the time, otherwise it was yet another port for Capcom to make some money off of the tired Street Fighter IV title. SM3D Land and MK7 came (8,9?) months into the 3DS' life. That's quite a long time for some great games to be released, huh?

The Wii U really needs to be held back. This would be Nintendo's first time (not counting the 3DS) into a true multiplayer environment, and they're just now catching up to Sony and Microsoft as far as graphical display and game audience goes. They shouldn't be "catching up" to the competition, they need to be "ahead" of the competition. If Nintendo can make leaps and bounds with the 3DS into a firm portable gaming market, it needs to happen all the same on the home-front. Take some more time to develop the sweet console, unleash it when the time is right as the amazing beast of a console we all thought the Revolution was going to be. That'll rack in sales, and given Nintendo's reputation for family friendly gaming, the same fanbase as the Wii U coupled with the HD capabilities of the competition. If armed with a great online service as well (hopefully free but time will tell), who knows what the Wii u would be capable of. We're talking DLC, game demos, subscription services (paid), and so on. Not the crummy services that the Wii gave us, but the services of, say, Xbox Live only on Nintendo's turf where I'd say it truly belongs.

By releasing the 3DS's "killer apps" later Nintendo made sure that they would be of high quality. Heck, maybe Mario Kart 7 should have released later in order to add a single player vs. mode. but that's no fret seeing as how Nintendo wanted the title ready for the lucrative holiday season.

In addition, if anything the Wii U will be on par with the next gen offerings from Sony and Microsoft. After taking loses on the PS3 and 360, respectively neither company can afford to pour to many resources into their next builds.

But yes, the Wii U design will need to be smoothed out-design, name, and latency. But it seems as though the release of the console was delayed seeing as how at earliest the Wii U will now be released between E3 2012 and the end of next year.

I personally think that Nintendo needs some shaking up. While I will always be a Nintendo girl, they are losing ground in the console market. I mean, I was able to pick up a Wii for $115! What does that tell you in the grand scheme of things? I don't plan on getting any other consoles because I can't afford them. But how does Nintendo plan on competing with the big guns?

If anything, a lower price point is helping Nintendo shift more Wii units.

First off, I've read up on all my Nintendo facts, and am completely aware that Nintendo is releasing a free channel that repairs glitched game save data on Skyward Sword; and I'm also aware of the 3DS's skyrocketing sales. But to say that Nintendo is having a heyday is quite a stretch! Might I remind you that the Big N shouldn't have to be releasing a game data repair channel in the first place; and the only reason the 3DS's sales beat out the original DS sales (albeit very quickly) is because Nintendo chopped off 1/3 of the 3DS's price! Meaning that Nintendo is actually making less profit than they should be due to the cost of the 3DS's hardware.

Ah, sorry if I offended you. Nintendo was getting a little cocky after their success with Wii and DS and the 3DS price drop was a reminder of that. At least now the company has to produce quality software that is guaranteed to sell in order to make up for hardware losses.

 

[Zaeker]

I personally think that Nintendo needs some shaking up. While I will always be a Nintendo girl, they are losing ground in the console market. I mean, I was able to pick up a Wii for $115! What does that tell you in the grand scheme of things? I don't plan on getting any other consoles because I can't afford them. But how does Nintendo plan on competing with the big guns?

I pretty much agree with you here! Besides one thing: "the big guns"? LOL At most, Sony and Microsoft are on par with Nintendo (from a sales point of view, of course).

 

[guapo2003]

Nintendo is not losing their edge. They have revolutionzied with every single new console that has came out. Thinking any other way is popresoterous.