I don't think it has really destroyed the kiddie image.
It has changed a lot but it still hasn't made it a thing of the past.

What i think it remains is the type of games that Nintendo is bringing to their consoles.
It's one thing to have 3rd parties put out some old/oldish ports, another is seeing the big games arrive on the console and seeing Nintendo change the type of genres they make.
So far, the biggest titles still elude Switch and Nintendo's own repertoire hasn't really changed.

In my opinion, the most important and hardest thing that needs to happen, is for Nintendo to start developing their own Halos, GT, Destiny, Uncharteds, etc., etc.
Over the years Nintendo has tried to change demographics and show that they aren't just for kids, but at the end of the day, their own image (SW production) did not change. And you can have great marketing, great consoles, but if you can't serve as an exemple of said change...

Lonely_Dolphin said: You believe, so you're just assuming too then. I think Nintendo's history holds more weight than "I believe." They shut down swapnote specifically to protect the children, don't see why you'd be stupid for thinking further restrictions are done for the same reason. Plus it's either that, or Nintendo is dumb and incompetent. The existence of smartphones is not an excuse to half-ass/omit the most basic of features.

The difference was that Swapnote had a real indecent that happened, and Nintendo was forced to take action to avoid controversy. The whole Voice Chat through phone thing has nothing to do with protecting kids at all. That's just a made up theory based on an unrelated indecent. I'm not defending the Voice chat only through phone app thing, I'm just saying there's a completely different reason behind it.

Certainly less kiddie, but nintendo will always be known as kids stuff, kinda like disney is known for kids stuff. Even if they occasionally or often make more mature titles.

TheMisterManGuy said: Lonely_Dolphin said: You believe, so you're just assuming too then. I think Nintendo's history holds more weight than "I believe." They shut down swapnote specifically to protect the children, don't see why you'd be stupid for thinking further restrictions are done for the same reason. Plus it's either that, or Nintendo is dumb and incompetent. The existence of smartphones is not an excuse to half-ass/omit the most basic of features. The difference was that Swapnote had a real indecent that happened, and Nintendo was forced to take action to avoid controversy. The whole Voice Chat through phone thing has nothing to do with protecting kids at all. That's just a made up theory based on an unrelated indecent. I'm not defending the Voice chat only through phone app thing, I'm just saying there's a completely different reason behind it.

But you're saying that based on nothing yet calling others stupid when their assumptions atleast have some basis. Also, Nintendo wasn't forced to do anything. It's not like indecent stuff never happens on other communication platforms, yet they are still running. Nintendo shut down swapnote purely because they want to be our parents. Likewise, Nintendo doesn't allow messaging on Switch most certainly because they want to be our parents.

Lonely_Dolphin said: But you're saying that based on nothing yet calling others stupid when their assumptions atleast have some basis. Also, Nintendo wasn't forced to do anything. It's not like indecent stuff never happens on other communication platforms, yet they are still running. Nintendo shut down swapnote purely because they want to be our parents. Likewise, Nintendo doesn't allow messaging on Switch most certainly because they want to be our parents.

Only this isn't baseless, Nintendo said it themselves. Takahashi said this. 

"Everyone has a smartphone, after all, and they’re very convenient. So instead of fighting with them, we’ve chosen to make friends with them. We’ve also made Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes. For the Switch, we’re focusing on convenience with smartphone use. So we’re taking into consideration the ways in which they would be used to support games by examining whether existing applications are suitable, or whether we need to create something completely new."

The decision was made because of the convince of Smartphones. If this really was about protecting kids, they would've come out and say that or at least, it would be much more obvious than it is. Nintendo was forced to take down Swapnote on their behalf because that indecent could've gotten them into much further trouble if something wasn't done. Swapnote was latter re-introduced as Swapdoddle with all its original messaging features, so It's not like Nintendo is against messaging friends. 

CaptainExplosion said: It'll talk a lot more than even the Switch's success to get rid of that image. The N64 kinda clouded that image when it brought games like Turok and GoldenEye.

What do you mean the N64 "clouded that image"? I mean, I guess the Genesis kind of had the reputation as the edgier more mature console but I don't think NES or SNES were known as "kiddy" by just about any of the console market (interestingly enough I've seen archived posts from '89 by gamers that called Nintendo a kids console, but again broadly I don't think it was till after the 64 that this became an issue) 

The "image" is meaningless when 70%+ of the people buying Nintendo product are adults.

That's not a kids audience, if you want to die on that hill, go right ahead though, lol.

Time's have changed, this arguement is so old its actually played itself out, it's not 2001 anymore, it's 2018 now, soon to be 2019. Nintendo's audience base is very different today from 20 years ago. 

zippy said: Interesting that the OP keeps making comparisons to the GameCube. Apart from the look of the console itself, Nintendo were going in for some more mature content. They got Resident evil exclusivity and as mentioned, Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime and Geist. I actually thought GameCube was one of the better Nintendo consoles for third party support, with plenty of mature titles such as Killer 7 and True crime streets of LA to name a couple. I think the Wii would have been a better example of what people might perceive as a kiddy console. Back on topic, Nintendo have done a good job with their marketing so far.

Wii was more "casual" than kiddie in the eyes of core gamers. Which for some reason is worse than "kiddie". The GameCube was where the "Nintendo is for kids" stereotype reached its peak. No matter how much Resident Evil and Metroid Prime Nintendo threw at it, Gamers still saw it as the purple lunchbox that turned Zelda into a Cartoon, and had no DVD or GTA. 

Only ones bothered by a ”kidde” image are kids.

Grown ups (and most kids) just get the console that has the games they want to play.

Btw video game consoles are, and will alwas be toys.

nintendo? no.

the switch? yes.

its been awhile to have adult options on a nintendo console. however, nintendo is still a kiddie dev. but that doesnt mean i dont like the games they make.