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Louie on 24 March 2016
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mountaindewslave said:
Louie said:

It would be the most simple controller on the market since the Wii remote. That alone would make up for any (unfounded) hardcore gamer fears. People know smartphones and touchscreens. They are used to them. The very fact that hardcore gamers are scared to death by these images shows how much potential it has to capture the mass market.

Of course, we have no idea if that even is the controller at this point so it's all speculation anyway. 

take a risk in attempting to gain a ton of casuals and potentially Nintendo lose their ENTIRE fanbase? seems like a pretty dumb short sighted move.

I am extremely doubtful of this controller. a vast majority of diehard Nintendo fans (the type sticking around buying 10+ games for the 3DS or Wii U this gen) enjoy classical gaming and physical  buttons. This sort of 'smartphone' esque controller with touch screen buttons would be alienating their 'hardcore' market.

It might not seem like a big deal to you if you're thinking 'omg they'll get so many casuals!' but I think you underestimate how much software something like the core 10 million Nintendo fans probably buy. Nintendo is arguably the most 'fanboy' gaming company left. To go in the opposite direction of what their hardcore fanbase wants (more traditional controllers) is just crazy. Look at their most popular games- things like Zelda, Smash, and Mario Kart. The games pretty much require a controller with physical buttons (especially Smash and Zelda).  

 

I just don't buy this

Those 10m people can't carry a Nintendo console on their own. Additionally, most of us hardcore Nintendo fans will stay with them whatever they do as long as we get new versions of Mario, Zelda and Metroid. 

Nintendo is in a position where the risks of disruptive innovation are far outweighed by the chances these innovations present. If they get back to the Wii way and design a whole console (not just a controller - I totally agree, this controller *could* be a fail if there is no elaborate design thinking process behind it) around the concepts of ease of use, mass market friendliness, inviting design and most importantly software that appeals to a broad audience, they will be successful with it. They don't have to excite their hardcore fanbase, they just have to please them. And no matter what people say right now: If there's Zelda, Mario and Metroid on it most hardcore Nintendo fans are going to buy the next console.