| Soundwave said: One thing I think Nintendo fans sometimes gloss over about the GameCube era is most every multi-plat title sold the least on the GameCube. In some cases it wasn't even close, I'm looking at sales of some of the Madden NFL games and it's ridiclous ... like 1+ million for PS2, 500k+ for the XBox ... and 80k (lol) for the GameCube version. This isn't a mini-disc problem ... this is a demographic problem. Nintendo's problem in the console arena really is that to fundamentally compete with Sony they would really have to start marketing almost 100% towards college aged young males and making games that they like and making all hardware decisions for that audience first and foremost. Like Sony/MS do. They would also have to dramatically scale back the Disney-styled mascot games. One Mario would be fine, but it would need to have sports games, shooters, and violent action games. If they don't do that, then in comparison to the other two, Nintendo by default gets looked upon as the "kids console". Fairly or not, that's just how that cookie crumbles. "Yo, the new GTA is bad ass, but did you check out that new Yoshi game with plushie toy Amiibos? Or the new Kirby? Daaaaaamn" .... said no GTA owner ... ever. I honestly don't care even if they go digital only. To be honest I don't care if the games come on tampons or through magical fairies that fly in through the window from Nintendo HQ. I play the game ... to play the game. I don't care about packaging or whatever. But if some people just cannot live without a physical freaking format, then I think it's just better to give it to them then to pointlessly arguement against them. As a business you get bigger things to worry about than that. I don't think third parties will care if Nintendo is using a $1 card versus a 25 cent disc. Even if a third party is so hell bent on a digital only release ... so what? Release your game digital only then. No one's stopping you or holding a gun to your head, Nintendo doesn't give two craps either way because they get their $10-$15 licensing fee cut either way. Nintendo themselves is starting to release some games as digital only, I'm sure they would not mind if a third party did that if that's what they wanted to do (at this point I think they'd welcome any developer support period). |
It's a demographic and minidisc problem. The demographic wasn't there because no one was making games for the GCN because of minidiscs. And because of Nintendo's own first party demographic issues. It's not as simple as one problem with one reason.
They wouldn't have to market 100% towards college students. They'd have to make games that target demographics they aren't targeting. First party, exclusive games. And they'd have to stop gimpin themselfs prematurely every cycle by making some stupid decision that guarantees bad third party support. Because, again, this is a complicated issue with a complicated solution. A digital platform is a clear step in the right direction, but obviously it isn't the only one. Carts are a clear step in the wrong direction and one that 100% is not happening. They wouldn't have to dial back anything. They'd just have to dial up other things and strike a balance.
No one cares what kids games are on a platform. No COD head is crying about the PS4 becoming a haven for japanese otaku games. If there are 1000 games that cater to that western mainstream audience, none of them will care that there's 1000 mario games on the platform too.
No, you do what Apple did. If some people can't live without a physical copy, you tell them to buy something else while the masses jump into the future and leave you behind. There is no argument. You buy the future now with Nintendo/Apple or wait on the competing platforms until they follow suit weed the past out gradually later.
The difference will not be that insignificant. You can talk about buying in bulk all you like, but when the difference between buying a disc and a card at a consumer level is 10:1, it's not going to be 4:1 at a manufacturers level. They are going to feel that 1000% difference in cost, and they are going to laugh at it and ignore it. They wouldn't be hell bent on a digital release. They just wouldn't release for it at all, because once carts are in the fray, it's not a digital platform. It's a physical platform like all the others, only one costs 10x more no manufacture for absolutely no pay off. And if devs have an issue with the primary media to supply games for your platform, they just won't support the playform period. So Nintendo would give a shit, because they'd be getting 0% royalties, because they'd be getting 0% support.
