Will Nintendo do what Sony did next-gen?

[binary solo]

McDonaldsGuy said:

DucksUnlimited said:
The Gamecube was a "powerful hardware console at an attractive price."

The right moves for Sony =/= the right moves for Nintendo.

Exactly. Hardcore gamers abandoned Nintendo years ago.

Nintendo needs to go for another thing like the Wii. I was surprised they thought the Wii U controller would be as popular as the Wiimote.

But is there another thing like Wiimote? I don't think lurching from gimmick to gimmick is sustainable. I've suggested VR could be the next thing. But really unless it becomes an essential part of all gaming (like the controller, analog stick and buttons) then it's just another gimmick aqnd it will fade. But also it's not so much about the method of control, it's actually about the games. For all that Nintendo's longstanding franchises are so highly regarded, they still have limited appeal. Franchise longevity is one thing, but creating fresh new IP is so important because eventually fatigue does set in and only the truly devoted fans (which are never all that many in the grand schem of things) will keep buying.

Nintendo needs to get out of making cartoony games about a tubby Italian plumber, and a child-like elf and start making the hard hitting stuff that brings in the big boys. Well they don't need to stop with Link and Mario, but they need to do other, very different, hard core things. That's if they ever want to capture and keep a >50 million fanbase for their home consoles. If they are happy with sub 50 million unit sales in home consoles with the occasional blip when they come out with a neat hardware gimmick then by all means stick with Link and Mario as your premier franchises.

But maybe home consoles as we know them only have 2, maybe 3, generations left in them. And perhaps Nintendo needs to start strategising about a post-console world.