Shameless said:
I don't see why they're suddenly going to come out all hardcore when their whole strategy is centred on casual gaming. |
I don't want to be mean or anything, but this comment is just stupid, stupid, stupid. Nintendo never--ever--said that they're focus was on casual gaming, nor did they indicate any such thing. Saying so is either blatant ignorance or just being an ass to be an ass.
Their plans with the DS and Wii were three things:
1. Create a new way to play games to make them new again for traditional and core gamers.
2. Create a learning curve for former or non-gamers to come into the fold. This means offering simplicity in spades. Simplicity in user-interface, simplicity in control (especially), and to make gaming look fun and inviting rather than complicated and intimidating.
3. Expand gaming well beyond the few core genres that persist today. The Xbox360 (for all the love I have for it) is plagued with seemingly 80% First Person Shooters, and the PS3 isn't far behind. Take PC, and the only thing that breaks that up are MMORPG's and RTS titles.
Granted, their E3 showing has an awful lot of lameness going on (Wii Music for instance), but everyone acts like there will never be another F-Zero, StarFox, or Zelda game. Hell, a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy was rumored months ago. A new Fire Emblem is still coming to the DS. Disaster: Day of Crisis is still well on it's way, as is Fatal Frame IV (which, hopefully, they'll advertise a lot more than they did for poor, perfect Eternal Darkness). Pikmin was mentioned. When you stand still and look at Pikmin, you see a game with simple controls and creepily cute vermin in a game that skews majorly to the hardcore. We all know Kirby and Kid Icarus are very, very likely being built right now (though maybe not ready for a public reveal just yet).
When you look at Nintendo's history, you see a single common theme--wanting to make games for everybody. They've always done that. Super Mario Bros and Pilotwings were meant to be very inviting to gaming noobs--which is what pretty much everybody was when SMB launched in 1984/1985. Wave Race64 was meant to bring in new people. Pokemon has been used to convert kids for a damn decade.
Nintendo isn't really doing anything any differently than they have for the previous 30 years. The only difference now is that they seem more free, light-hearted, friendly, and open with Yamauchi out of the picture. With Yamauchi, it was all business (rumor has it the guy prided himself on never actually playing video games), now, the focus seems to be much more on fun, experimentation, creativity, and gaming. But for the most part, they have always offered a learning curve and a family-friendly system that even the most ardent hardcore gamers will also love. The thing is, they (and we, as gamers) didn't realize that the learning curve had grown too sharp over the last couple generations. Too many buttons, too complicated-looking games, too much of a slightly more powerful "same old, same old." They realized how to reinvent traditional games while simultaneously making the learning curve (for gaming noobs) much more managable and inviting.
For fuck sakes, even Legend of Zelda has been simplified ever since the N64. You use the "Action" button to do most of the stuff in the game. Jumping is automatic. You don't need to use every single button. And with all that simplicity, Ocarina of Time is still considered the pinnacle of the series. Wind Waker is still powerfully loved by Nintendo fans--and that was the easiest damn Zelda title ever made!
Saying Nintendo is "all casual now" is nothing more than a gross misunderstanding of the Blue Ocean strategy. It's why so many 3rd party companies fail so bad on the system. Once they open their fucking minds, the real gaming can begin.
