zorg1000 said:
"Nothing can coexist with mobile", that is such an ignorant statement that I can't even comprehend how to respond to that. I bet in 2008/2009 u thought the "casual" market would be Nintendo's forever, guess what? The world is constantly changing and to think a device or company will reign supreme forever is very naive and demonstrates sheep mentality where u just jump on the bandwagon for whatever is popular at that point in time. I absolutely do take mobile seriously and have defended it against people on this site who bash it just because it doesn't appeal to them, I play mobile games often and find many of them to be completely enjoyable experiences. Of course I don't think games like Xenoblade which are extremely niche will do any good with these type of audiences, I'm talking about games that can blur the lines between what a mobile game is and what a console game is, a middle ground that can appeal to both sides of the spectrum. Nobody in the industry is or has really tried to do such a thing and I strongly feel there is potential. I think microconsoles/streaming boxes like Apple TV/Fire TV can potentially offer something like this but they aren't quite there yet and pretty much just offer mobile games that people would rather play on mobile devices. Since these devices have not yet capitalized on this, Nintendo has a shot to make this there market. Stop singling out price when i have repeatedly listed a combination of factors working together that contributed to Wii's success. Wii Remote would have been nothing if Wii did not have strong and effectie marketing, a price point that was affordable for the mass market and compelling software that make good use of the remote. If Wii was $400-500, lacked games that made use of the controller and had lackluster marketing than it would have failed. Wii U's problem is not price in and of itself, u have said urself that Wii U has about a dozen major problems that combined have caused it to sell the way it has, if Wii U didn't have all those problems than price wouldn't be much of an issue but since it does have several problems, it causes Wii U to be over priced for what it offers. |
I personally don't think they can co-exist with mobile, because mobile undermines the very nature of traditional game platforms. Trying to be chummy-chums with that market isn't going to work. I know you don't want to admit this, because it raises some disturbing question marks, but I honestly believe it's the truth, and I think even Nintendo understands this better than a lot of their fans do.
I don't really buy that marketing plays that big of a role if your product isn't truly compelling in some way. I've never seen a product in the traditional console space become hugely successful just because "marketing" alone. Sure marketing helps, but the product itself must be something that people look at and go "wow!". Nintendo could market the Wii U double the Wii ... I gauruntee you it would not sell even 1/3 of what the Wii did.
Besides if Nintendo IS making mobile games, and these mobile games will presumably attract women/casuals and whatever ... then what exactly is the point of having a separate DEDICATED game machine for such experiences and thinking you can then get those people to pay $40 for a game instead of free?
This is just an arguement Nintendo is never going to win. Mobile poisoned the well for this audience by getting them used to free games. Once you get something for free it's very hard/impossible to get used to paying a large amount of money for it. Make money off casuals with mobile games. Focus your *core* products elsewhere, otherwise what's the point of a dedicated game platform?
And there were many people that payed $400-$500 for a Wii circa 2006/07 ... I know this because my brother sold like 10 of them at that price on eBay (not that I condone price gouging/product hoarding, and I did let my brother know about it, but whatever). I was offered $350+ for my Wii several times too. It's not price that's the trick, it's making a product that illicts the response of "I NEED THAT in the my life". That is where Nintendo has failed in the 5 years, this also I understand difficult for Nintendo fans to understand because they make wonderful games and surely it should be easy to sell anyone a Nintendo product. It must be the price or marketing and if they just fix that a little it'll all be fine. I love Nintendo, but I feel very, very strongly this isn't the reality of the market, this market is cold, and ruthless, and if Nintendo does not wake up and smell that it's 2016 they are going to get their ass beat. Bad. I wish it wasn't like this but it is.
All game consoles/handhelds are relatively cheap, it ain't like only rich snobs are buying a PS4. It's college students that eat Macaroni and Cheese and nothing but for dinner every day, it's households in a run down neighborhood pulling in only $40k a year. Thinking Nintendo exists in some market and Sony/MS are making alien, high luxury devices is a mistake. Playstation IS about as mainstream and (yes) kid-popular as you are going to get (it's *precisely* because they make games that shouldn't be played by boys that boys go *crazy* for it). It's time to also understand that reality. The Playstation 4 IS the modern NES ... Nintendo is the one by virtue of niche decision making that has turned themselves into the Sega Master System.
