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happydolphin on 01 May 2012
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JazzB1987 said:

I might have made a small mistake there. I do know that casual and harcore games exist but as you said  you can't really tell which game is which in every case and its also a matter of perspective.  What i meant was  the NINTENDO IS FOR KIDDIES /CASUAL PLAYERS thing is bulllshit and the fact that all people are so totally obsessed with the hardcore/casual thing is totally annoying.  Thats what i meant with bullshit.  Its funny to see Iwata having a different approach about calling games core games. xD


But I still think. If anyone tells me COD is hardcore but mario is not thats total bullshit. The other way would be more plausible since the term "hardcore" is more related to REQUIRED SKILLS and DIFFICULTY etc. than it is to VIOLENCE, BLOOD or GRAPHICS or GRAY/BROWN WORLDS  thats what alot of people dont understand and thats why the   hardcore/casual debate as it exists now is bullshit.     I hope you understand what i mean.

I kind of do, and I have things to point out too that can help.

When you look at a game like NSMB, it's pretty clear that Nintendo tried to cater to a younger demographic. Like I tried to point out in my NSMB2 thread, catering to a younger demographic doesn't necessarily mean alienating an older demographic. Yet Nintendo has managed to do that sadly.

If you look at movies from Disney, or Curious George for example, we all know those are great movies that can be watched by young and old alike. But for many of Nintendo's IPs, especially Mario, sadly the same cannot be said. Ridden with Cliché themes, the series can only go so far without an injection of detail and artistic depth.

If you look at that quote from Iwata I gave you, you'll see he mentions 2 games alongside his words: Kid Icarus Uprising and Fire Emblem for 3DS. For some reason it looks like games with more obscure themes seem to be more in lign with what skilled gamers are looking for, but it need not be the case. That's why a game like COD can be confused for a core game, and that's because for the most part more obscure games generally require more skill or are more catered to dedicated gamers (options, gameplay quality, variety, depth).

Hoping this cleared things up rather than confuse, I'll summarize:

  • Nintendo is not marketing Mario to both young and old, but mostly to young and parents. (Unlike Disney) Main reason: clichés and lack of depth.
  • Games for skilled players are generally clothed in more obscure themes (themes of loss, vengeance, betrayal, etc.). The artwork generally follows the themes. For this reason, COD is mistaken for a core game when in fact it appeals to the masses.