Nintendo should copy Sony

[Veknoid_Outcast]

happydolphin said:

HabinoBR. Apology accepted, post away.

Veknoid_Outcast said:

Sorry I'm late to the party on this one.

A few thoughts.

1) First of all, I think there is a big danger here of confusing descriptive terms with normative ones. Many words that video game enthusiasts and critics use to describe games -- dark, mature, epic, cinematic, surreal -- are useful in describing a video game, but not useful in assigning value.

2) Moreover, and I'm sure I'm in the minority on this, I believe video games should be moving farther away from movies, not closing in on them. Video games are a unique medium, and I think the closer the industry moves toward Hollywood, the worse it is for both.

3) That being said, the games you mentioned are of course brilliant. Ico is in my opinion the finest PS2 game, and Shadow of the Colossus is in the top 5. Nintendo should borrow from those games because they are mechanically sound, emotionally powerful, and fun to play. Not because they're darker or more sinister, or even more cinematic or surreal than Nintendo's own IPs.

4) Lastly, I think we have to but a moratorium on the "Nintendo makes games for kids" canard. Nintendo makes games for everyone. Some are good, some are bad, some are the greatest games of all time.

Veknoid_Outcast, thanks for this post.

For point 1), like I mentioned to amp, I'm not exactly sure how to describe Shadow of the Colossus. It's such an impressive game and doesn't need to hinge on flashy colors and effect to get there, as compared to say God of War or Xenoblade (as far as I understand it). I don't know how to describe the silent nature of SotC, and the awe-inspiring nature of the immensity of its world (@Ronster. You need to play this game). As such it reminds me of moments in Ocarina of Time, like for instance the spirit Temple's immense idol, or the quietness of the "meadow" in the water temple. I don't know what the word is that describes these, but it's filmatographical in nature (is that the word), yet it isn't hollywoodian. Ah, I fail at this, should've studied cinematography. :P This should help better show how I agree with your point 2). I'm also not for Hollywood myself and prefer international movies in general, or a GOOD american movie like Donnie Darko, American Beauty, Dances with Wolves and more quiet movies like that.

3) I didn't know how to word it, so whatever you see in those games that make them pinnacle, that's what Nintendo should borrow, at least in a handful of their games. They were able to do it before, they can now if they try harder or hire professionals who can help them get there. Iwata mentioned somewhere that he wanted to make deeper experiences for older ages (can't find the link). This would be the way.

4) When TP came out, Nintendo tried to make what OP asks for, but they weren't able to 100% like SotC did. For the moment they fall short. So, though the phrase may be a canard, it holds alot of truth. True, it's a generalization, but games that apply for all ages are rare. These would be Wii Sports, Endless Ocean and a few other simulator-style games. The others that are family-friendly are not for all ages, as they contain content that does not cater to the segment in OP. So bar a few exceptions that yet also don't cater to the segment in OP (Wii Sports and Endless Ocean), in general the canard holds a powerful truth: that Nintendo is not catering to the segment in OP. And in general, that means Nintendo is doing bad, as far as the segment is concerned. That's why it can't dominate its generation just yet.

I see what you're saying. And I certainly appreciate your perspective on this topic.

I guess where I disagree is the necessity to cater to the audience you described. Because I could list 30 or so games that don't meet the criteria described in the OP that are as good or better than Shadow of the Colossus or Gran Turismo, etc. Like I said earlier, cinematic qualities, darkness, and adult-oriented material are not good per se; they can be employed by designers to produce something beautiful and mesmerizing like Shadow of the Colossus, or twisted into a broken, boring experience like Duke Nukem Forever.

I only want to play good games, and I don't care if they star an Italian plumber or the god of war.