Iwata: Wii isn't in a healthy situation we need to recover momentum

[68soul]

JGarret said:

68soul said:

Kenryoku_Maxis said:

puffy said:
Muramasa and MadWorld are very niche titles. I'm finding Henry Hatsworth to be far far far more fun than Muramasa, that's a game that should have sold a million copies.

MadWorld.. I haven't even finished that game.. I kinda regret buying it except that it may be a collectors item one day.

Henry Hatsworth is also a niche title along the same vein of Muramasa.  No, its not in the same genre, but it has a similar core market and isn't for 'casual' players.

And @Ataraxias, I'm definitely not disagreeing that the Wii is lacking in people who need to buy core third party games.  However, I was just saying the people who you referred to as the 'real' Wii gamers aren't who you think they are.  The people you described are people who just bought a Wii and ignored its library completely.  The 'real' Wii gamers are the ones still around buying its titles AND those who bought games throughout its lifetime.  Not just Brawl and/or Mario Galaxy and then went back to their HD console.

 

Yes, there are "real" Wii gamers who purchase a lot of titles (mainly 1st party ones, btw)... but it isn't enough to sustain a very healthy market for third parties...

The problem is that the Wii has been bought as a "one game only" machine by many "mass market" people: for Wii Sports, and/or Wii Fit...

When it comes to "core games", most of the potential "core" buyers will compare the Wii's line-up with the ones of PS360, and Wii will be a second (or third) option in their priority list... leaving only the people who always liked Nintendo's games: the usual "core Nintendo lovers" (aka the ex-GC owners), and some open-minded multiplatform gamers, who want to play the best Nintendo games as well as their favourite HD games...

But THAT userbase isn't large enough... it's not really Nintendo's fault, but the fact that the Wii is technically too limited to easily port any multiplatform PS360 game is (i think) the main reason... as long as the Wii will be put in a niche of its own, both technically and in the styles of games released (kids and family games, sports and physical activities, music, mini-games and puzzles), and as long as its "core" userbase won't grow really fast and significantly, the 3rd parties WILL NEVER MOVE...

It's been three years now, and we ALL have to face the truth: when Nintendo DO release many AAA games, 3rd parties do complain about the difficulty to compete with these... and when Nintendo DO NOT release many AAA games (like in the past 18 months), then there's NO ONE to take the opportunity, and we're left with nearly nothing to play except a handful of quality "niche" titles, and an handful of 1st party games... but nearly no " exclusive big budget" 3rd parties efforts...they're not comin', simple as that...

The only ones i may think about, comin' in a near future, are Red Steel 2  and Epic Mickey... TWO games, three or four years after launch? I'll say it once again: the 3rd parties WILL NEVER MOVE, they don't believe in the Wii market, as far as "core" games are concerned...

So Nintendo has two options: update their hardware as fast as possible to convince anyone in the industry to port all the best multiplatform games on their console as well... or make more AAA games by themselves... but with only 3.000 Nintendo employees actually workin' on games and games ONLY (and for BOTH DS and Wii, btw), they just can't do it, AAA games need too much time these days, even when not in HD...

The only option left: hire people and create new teams... buy some new 2nd parties... or do partnerships with some talented japanese 3rd parties, just like they do with Team Ninja (Metroid Other M), or have sometimes done with Sega (Mario & Sonic), Hudson (Mario Party) or Capcom (past handhelds Zelda)...

But as 3rd parties will never move, one thing is for sure: NINTENDO HAS TO MOVE... and they have no excuses: they have billions and billions in the bank, what are they waiting for? They need to GROW if they really want to be the gaming's market leaders... they just can't stay the "good old" Nintendo of the N64-GC days, they have to release more games, for anyone, both "casual" and "core"... if they don't do it, nobody will do it for them, as it's now quite obvious...

 

That´s one VERY good post, sir....everything you say makes me think how this gen is very odd when it comes to situations we were all used to in past generations, such as the leading console getting "all the love".

Also, it makes me wonder if we´ll ever see a Nintendo home system just like the SNES and NES, when it comes to getting Nintendo´s titles and MAJOR 3rd party love on a single machine.

Do you think we´ll ever see it again, 68soul?

 

 

Thanks for the compliment...  :)

Well, that 3 console race is a very crowded one, and with the actual differences in hardware specs, i don't think that Nintendo may have that opportunity this gen... the market is kinda splitted, and it's already too late to convince most of the 3rd parties...

In the same time, Nintendo was wise enough: they weren't sure if the Wii's control method would meet success or not, so they tried to minimize the hardware's costs, to avoid any big losses... while the other 2 went all out with HD, and lost billions and billions competin' with each other... i think Microsoft is finally doin' a few hundreds millions on the 360, but to know the Wii and DS profits, and regain all the losses of their past, they would need 20 or 30 more years on the market, so...  :)

But to answer your question: it will really depend on what Nintendo will do next gen... imho, they need the best of both worlds: innovation in controls and huge hardware specs, great 1st party line-up and most of the best 3rd parties games as well...

The PS3 and the X360 are moving into the control's territory, and maybe into the "casual market" as well, cos they have learned from Nintendo's success... so Nintendo will need to move into higher spec's territory, to be able to stay relevant and compete for the 3rd parties investments, as well as for the gamers money... both "casual" and "core", btw...

But Nintendo has done billions of profits, while the other 2 are in a bad situation: so the Nintendo guys have the opportunity to be the "real" market's leaders if once again, they are wise enough, and release the Wii's full potential with the Wii's successor...with maybe a brand new innovation to really make the difference... once again...

But of course, i may be wrong: Nintendo is sometimes so unpredictable...  :)