While it would be comforting to think Nintendo has some awesome master plan, the fact that they missed their own targets by such a large margin would suggest that this isn't the case.

The videogames industry is at a crisis point, where people here pretty much may have to throw out all they know, in case there is a change.  The desire to play will still be there, but there is issues with whether or not the following Hollywood model of monster dev teams and so on, will be the role.  As of now, I am seeing a push for open world everything on the top end, and DLC sucking cash out of wallets, and shrinkage.  

There is elements of the early 1980s, which ended up, post-crash, that people did gaming on more universal devices, and revenues shrunk.  Nintendo is going to face similar issues also here.  Will dedicated gaming devices end up being the norm or not?  That is the question.

You have Amazon looking to follow the OUYA pattern and release an Android based device that will play games.  They will end up having their market on top.  Android flood is not good for fanboys here, as you witness your beloved companies get cut up by a thousand paper cuts by Android devices.  So you get a bunch of Android devices and Indie guys coding for it.  Cream rises to the top, and you are left with a few Open World monsters and a lack of variety.

For Nintendo to get the games from third-party, it is going to have to sell a LOT better.  This requires looking at what it would take for the Wii U to sell better.  As it is now, they aren't adding the Wii U to the list of console for next gen stuff.  Sure, The U is getting some of the current gen stuff, but not much beyond it.  And horsepower is a reason why third-party is hesitant to do anything Wii U.  it isn't in the same class as the ONE and PS4, and developers don't want to code to it, as a result, unless it has sufficient sales.

Oh my God!

I was just looking around on YouTube for a clip of Satoru Iwata's quote "The time when horsepower alone made an important difference is over." & I stumble upon THIS!!

Satoru Iwata's speech at the 2011 Game Developers' Conference.

He talks about gamecraft (craftsmanship). He talks about the looming crisis in the industry with overgrown gaming budgets. He talks about the industry divide (even beyond the console world) & how it can harm the health of the business.

I talk about many of these crucial points throughout this thread...
...but I never heard this speech from Iwata before in my life!

Absolutely amazing. I finally understood it at the unveiling of the XBox One but Iwata showed where Nintendo was going all the way back here.
If only I saw this clip earlier.

At the end he talks about Nintendo making the impossible...possible. Pretty much like my threads huh?

John Lucas

What is this guy smoking? I have no idea what I just read. This might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

Horsepower may not matter, but picking they key differentiating features does. And that leads to the second screen. The second screen, like motion control with the Wii, is THE key differentiator between the systems. The other two consoles don't have it. So, one has to first look at it, and then ask if it matters or not intuitively (and appealing). After doing this, what is asked is if people want it.

With the Wii U, it is ALL about the second screen. It has a competitor with MORE horsepower than the Wii U and only $50 more expensive. So, does the second screen matter at all? And the horsepower matters in determining a platform people play on.

But, if there is REPEATED insisting on horsepower doesn't matter, I will give you much cheaper android-based consoles ready to flood the market, which will beat everything pretty much on price, and for whom power isn't an issue. If there is enough, the Android side is going to catch up to this generation, and also be cheaper.

Nintendo gets hammered on the low and the high end, with really no way out for them. If one doesn't see this, or the prospects of it, they are married to a old view of reality.

By the way, I like Iwata, and I did like his talks, and felt he was showing real leadership.  Now, reality is showing otherwise here, in that the vision could be wrong.

Good to see you back JohnLucas! You're the only guy who can make Gilgamesh's predictions look reasonable.

@richardhutnik

I think the better argument is Hardware doesn't matter.... its all about the games. look at the ps2. GREAT library of games but it actually wasnt even the less powerful console of its generation (it was dreamcast).


Lets look at the atari jaguar.. if you remember this console. it was atari last try at winning in the home console market. It was heavily advertised as the first 64 bit console. which was wayy more than the competitiver had at the time. but the problem that killed the system was lack of games.

If Nintendo can do a U-turn and give us some quality games for the WiiU at a good price they could easily win this generation.. actually that goes for all 3 Companies (sony/micosoft/nintendo)

I sure hope this guy sticks around when this completely doesn't happen and owns up to it lol. Wow.