Why sites should WANT TO review MP3 highly...

[Dodece]

There are actually only a few Nintendo licenses that could be deemed hardcore. Those games are Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. They take a measure of skill. The other Nintendo licenses are and have for some time been casual fare. Mariokart, Waverace, Mario Party, Starfox, Smash Brothers, Mario sports titles, Animal Crossing, Pilot Wings, and many others have always been geared towards casual players.

This generation was not the birth place of the casual gamer, and Nintendo has supported them for no less then the last decade. Most do not notice this, because the games I have mentioned have been compelling for both audiences. However they are the very definition of casual.

This is a very valid point. Nintendo is not moving away from the hardcore player. They have not really been supporting them in the first place. They have just been making a lot of games with universal appeal. There is nothing wrong with that and frankly Sony and Microsoft could learn from Nintendo in this respect. These titles really shore up a lineup.

That said Nintendo can only go up from this point. They never got to this point with the last two generations. Earlier this year they bought a controlling stake in Monolith by the way there are two Monoliths. I expect them to probably buy another two studios next year. They will have a larger broader consumer base with this console, and that means its funding development, and Nintendo will need to expand development.

The reality is pretty harsh. Nintendo has just been throwing the hardcore gamer a few bones for the past couple generations. That was part of their problem. Now they are in a different position however thanks to bringing new and defunct players to the market. To maintain growth eventually they are going to need to ensure more complex hardcore games on their platform, or watch as the well dries up. They made a good start earlier this year buying a controlling stake in Monolith. They need to buy a couple more studios or expand their in house development.

I think Metroid is more important for judging the hardcore strength of the console. This game will not have universal appeal. Many reviewers will obviously curve their scores up. The first reason is they were starved of AAA complex games since Zelda. So naturally they will be overly excited by the title. Whereas if it faced stiffer competition the reviewing would be much more strict. The reviewers want to see more titles like this. Finally it could finally get the controls right. When you play with rotten play schemes when something better comes along you tend to magnify the improvement in your own mind. The reality is the rest of the lineup only serves to curve the score up. The fact that the reviewers want to play games like this only helps as well.

Metroid seems to me to be a win win situation for hardcore gamers on the console. For instance if does poorly Nintendo can see it as a sign to step up production. That their player base has become far to unbalanced. You want stability in your audience. Now if the game does fantastic sales it could also encourage them to fund similar projects.

I think perceptions of the first party lineup from Nintendo have been a bit off or colored. I also think their are simple reasons why the game could be notched up more rather then ulterior motives. Finally the sales of this game really does not seem to matter. Nintendo knows they need to tend the entire flock regardless, and either way hardcore production is going to increase. For no other reason then to shore up the library on the console.