zorg1000 said:
I'm basing it more on Iwata's recent statements, who said with a unified ecosystem they could potentially increase the number of form factors. Well they did just release New 3DS, so Nintendo isnt against the idea of incremental upgrades mid-gen. New 3DS has a faster CPU, more RAM and better 3D, isn't that essentially what phone upgrades do? Mildly better processor, more RAM, higher resolution. Most of Nintendo's franchises have seen success on both handhelds and consoles. 2D/3D Mario, 2D/3D Zelda, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Yoshi, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Metroid, Paper Mario, Mario Sports, Mario Party have all been successful on both types of devices. I agree that some are more suited for one or the other, something like Pokemon or Animal Crossing might be more suited for handhelds and big open-world games like Zelda or Xenoblade might be more suitable for consoles but the fact is that they are completely playable on either form factor so it comes down to how u would personally want to play them. Also with cross-buy/cross-save and allowing the handheld to act as a gamepad for the console when synced together, Nintendo can create ways to make owning both a worthwhile investment. Ya just like Wii, which was a small leap over Gamecube, sold poorly and had a ton of negative press.......oh wait, it sold over 100 million, more than the powerful HD consoles with full AAA support, and was the most profitable console ever. Now obviously I'm not suggesting this device would sell Wii numbers, but it doesn't have to. Nintendo could realistically sell something like 50-60 million of the handheld and 20 million consoles are post a healthy profit. With this strategy Nintendo can increase software output and will no longer need to release 2 installments of every franchise meaning Nintendo can start creating more new ip and reviving old ip. For example, Nintendo won't need to release MK9 on the handheld then 2 years later release MK10 on the console, instead they can make one that's playable on both then move on to something else like revive F-Zero or a new racing ip with a different play style, something like a cross between Crazy Taxi and Need for Speed, while continuing to support Mario Kart with DLC and Amiibo support. Same goes for other teams, no need to release NSMB3 then 3-4 months later release NSMBU2, they can just create one bigger better game that truly innovates on the 2D Mario formula. Then consider R&D costs and hardware costs. I'm guessing it's much cheaper to create a console using similar components as the handheld than it is to create a powerful PS5/XB4 level system. I think Nintendo is better off releasing a sub-$200 console than a $400 powerful console that still fails to get AAA support. Then if the powerful console does sell poorly, the games are going to suffer by being on a 15-20 million install base instead of the 70-80 million install base of the handheld+console. Overall I see this benefitting Nintendo more than it harms them, a more streamlined hardware/software approach that minimizes costs while maximizing profits, continue to support and expand on DLC & Amiibo, then continue to attract new customers thru expanding businesses like licensing out ip for movies/series and QoL. If Nintendo executes this strategy correctly then they should see a lot of success in the next 5-10 years. |
It's entirely different to from the Wii! The Wii was more powerful than the 6th gen consoles in practical performance, including the original Xbox. What you are suggesting would be more like if Nintendo had released something like a slightly more powerful Dreamcast to compete with the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. And that would have been bad. Never in the history of home consoles has console launched and been successful that was weaker in practical performance than the previous gen's offerings. Ever.
And you were suggesting very rapid itterations. The 3DS has been out for a while and this is the very first itteration to provide any noteworthy improvements in hardware. I have no doubt there will always be the equivalent of your XL, Lite, SP, etc etc, but it is highly unlikely you will have multiple New 3DS-type upgrades in a generation.
And just because their franchises have seen success does not mean that the games are the exact same. Super Mario 3D Land is a handheld game through and through, it is not the same as Super Mario 3D World because - wait for it - it is designed for the handheld demographic not the home console one. I'm not saying none of their franchises can be moved between the two. 2D platformers are more flexible in this regard and games that are easier by nature, like Kirby, can be. But most handheld experiences are by their very design more vapid than home console counterparts because they cater to a specfiic set of expectations.
I am not saying there won't be any cross-platform games. I could see Smash and Kart being cross platform as handhelds increase in power. But the devices will remain separate. And Iwata's most recent statements discussed specifically a shared development envirnment that will make programming for each platform easier, allowing for greater flexibility in delegation of development resources. I fully expect that. And of course, the advancement of handheld technology is going to make this easier, that's just common sense.
But we clearly don't agree on this so let's just agree to disagree.
