IamAwsome said:
They have tried. See E3 2010-2012. A poorly done half-assed attempt is still an attempt. Anyway I think NoA and NoE know what the hardcore gamer wants. It's the micromanaging Japanese executives and poor execution that hold them back.
At E3 2010 what did we see? A new handheld with AAA hardcore franchise after AAA hardcore franchise, all third party, announced for it and not a Cooking Mama in sight (though they did announce Nintendogs + Cats). Aside from that most of the other games were first party because by 2010 most third party support on Wii had vanished. Their reaction to this? Get support for the Wii U, and at E3 2011 they had guys from EA Sports, Ubisoft, Irrational, THQ/Vigil, Capcom, and Namco-Bandai among many others talk about how they love and support the console, etc. Let's not forget about EA's CEO stepping on stage and promising the infamous "unprecedented partnership" and then the publisher bailing before the system launched.
Fast Forward to E3 2012 and they tried to push third party support. It was a horrible conference and they killed the buzz, but it shows that they know the hardcore wants third party support. Iwata and Reggie have talked about going after the hardcore several times. They want the hardcore. The Wii was a weak console with motion control. They made the Wii U stronger (albeit not strong enough by a long shot) and tried to market the Gamepad/Pro Controller to developers. The problem with Nintendo isn't the concept, it's the execution. They have shown that they have the tools to get the hardcore; it's just how they use those tools. A strong enough Wii U with a redesigned Gamepad, different name, and third party support that doesn't evaporate after six months would do better with the hardcore than the system on the market now. The Wii U will be a bitter pill to swallow for Nintendo, and come next gen they will try to get the hardcore again. They know what they need to do (and should know after 15 years). They just need to do it, and do it right.
TL;DR: Nintendo has tried and failed to get the hardcore many times. They know what the hardcore wants, but their poor execution holds them back.
Anyway to the OP: Updating the Wii U will not bring the hardcore in. Releasing a 9th gen console that is strong enough, and has third party support will.
|
