seiya19 said:
Yeah, I realize I contradicted myself there a bit, but I just think that if Nintendo really wants to get to the mainstream, a price below $ 300 is imperative. I'm not sure how much manufacturing costs can drop until then or at what rate, but I think the effort needs to be made even if the numbers don't completely match. Between this year releases and the ones announced for 2014, I see next year as the defining moment for the platform, when all these key releases are out there. Keep in mind though that I wasn't really aiming for spring per se, but around a time between Mario Kart and Smash. If Smash ends up being a holiday release, I would wait until summer for it. It's hard to pinpoint a specific time frame without knowing the exact release schedule, but what I would aim for is to be between these 2 releases and as close as possible to each other, while giving it time to get momentum going before the holidays. I'm obviously not opposed to the idea of bundles and memory increases to add value as a way to entice consumers, but as I mentioned before, I see it as a secondary measure. I would prefer to have more than that (small price cut included here) to get to consumers next year. This kind of actions would be better suited for the holidays or close to them (either this year or the next) to complement the usual holiday deals from retailers. As far as 3DS goes, I can't say I agree with the idea of seeing it as "competition" like that... Even if it were, Nintendo wins either way ! ^_^ I do understand your point though of not having both price cuts too close to each other, but I don't really expect one in 2014 for 3DS, unless its big releases really dissapoint to substantially increase hardware as I'm hoping and expecting they do, or unless we see a new model, which would inevitably take a good deal of attention no matter when it happens. The way I see it, the price is already low enough for it to be a non-factor for most people, so I don't expect much from a new cut. The software will determine its potential from now on. Now, regarding the gamepad discussion that others brought up... I don't really want to get much into it, but I'll just say this. Even if the device itself were doomed to failure as some claimed, the platform is already married to it. To remove the key hardware element that makes the platform unique at this point, ignoring the games that require it already out there and the ones that are being developed right now, is suicide. I don't see anything to gain from it, as without it, the WiiU is just an "underpowered" regular console hardware-wise, with a Wiimote add-on that many owners might not have. It would be terribly confusing to consumers to know which game uses which controller, and you would have to abstain from creating any game that meaningfully uses any of them. And ditching it is certainly not a requirement to support the Wiimote or the classic controller, so that's no excuse for it. Personally, I believe that the issue with the gamepad's appeal lies mostly on its software. A tool is as good as what you do with it, and I don't see any critical flaw that makes its concept irrelevant. I can understand that some people just don't care for it, but the same was true for the Wiimote as well. And I don't see any evidence that suggests that most people will actively avoid the platform because of it. Disinterest perhaps, but actual hate ? I don't think so. If the software is good enough, it will attract people, even if they end up using it just as a regular gamepad. After all, many popular Wii games didn't depend on the Wiimote either, and some games even used it sideways as a regular controller. PS: This post ended up being longer than I intended it to be... |
all good since you brought up good points that's hard to contradict. Thanks for supporting me regarding the gamepad.
