Hello killeryoshis!

Nintendo is actually the leader of the gaming market. Why can't they build up their franchises or make new ones?

The answer is simple: 2007 was a year where Nintendo gave a lot of stuff for its Wii console. Metroid Prime 3, OF COURSE Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Party 8, Super Paper Mario. Wii got a lot of first party support that year.

The Wii had a huge boom in 2008. Remember the strong Q1 and Q2 Nintendo had with Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros Brawl and Wii Fit. All three have been HUGE success with Mario Kart Wii nearly reaching 20 million, Wii Fit 22 million and Smash Bros near 9 million. Never, since the SNES, games like that have been so successful commercially (and mostly critically). Nintendo put a lot of effort to satisfy their new casual market and their dear core fans. They have been victime of their own success.

With a strong beginning in 2008, Nintendo expected good softwares until end of Q4 from third party. HA! This is where the problem goes. Lack of quality softwares from third party end of 2008. Nintendo caught with unsatisfied core gamers and only casual titles. Lost of their momentum.

We're really lucky they are catching up so fast their momentum. We could have get a poor 2010 year. They announced about 6 titles, with Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Other M, maybe Zelda Wii. Those titles are not top sellers. Metroid Prime 3 sold about 1,5 million. Zelda too isn't a big seller. Really Nintendo is taking a big risk for 2010 with no-so-big-selling titles like Wii Fit.

With New Super Mario Bros Wii, they tried to offer a title to recover both the momentum and the sympathy from angry gamers. 2009 got very good third support, but without publicity... meh. Dead Space Extraction.

As a big company, Nintendo needs money. What is the iconic character of Nintendo that takes truckloads of money to Big N? IT'SSSSSSSSSSSSSSA ME, MARIO!

Mario is the only character that generates TONS of sales and can both satisfy core and casual gamers. The winning formula, finally. This is why you have the impression that Nintendo never build up their new franchises. If they were in a good position with third party, you would have seen probably Kid Icarus, F-Zero, Starfox and so on.

Keep believing in Nintendo and pray now for Super Mario Galaxy 2 in Q2!

@morenoingrato

I don't agree. Ocarina of Time never hurted next Zelda titles. I actually enjoy Majora's Mask as much as OoT, and even Oracle of Seasons and Wind Waker. I loved Twilight Princess more than Ocarina of Time. Only nostalgia can influence the opinion of someone.

It's the same thing that saying Mario 64 hurted Galaxy. I really don't think so...

And making a new IP is really difficult. Many companies failed. Nintendo took a big risk with the Wii serie.

guys create stuff on the nintendo level its not easy did you know that ... besides , nintendo is alwys coming up with something new ... just wait a bit

we all love the old classics.

This is the most ridiculous claim I've heard in a long while.

Nintendo hasn't built up new franchises on the Wii?

Wii Sports
Wii Fit
Wii Music

Those are your 2-4 new franchises per generation.

Unless you are talking about core franchises. Then I'll agree with you. There haven't been many of those. Nintendo's main effort this console has been building up franchises for the expanded audience that didn't really have any.

morenoingrato said: Mario has lasted long enough so he will sell 'til the world ends (in 2012 , that movie was really funny, yet stupid, I can't believe you said it sucked) Metroid is dying and zelda is reviving, pokemon blasts saleswise too...

that's a bizarre comment.  What do you mean?

How is Metroid dying?
The last full Metroid was Metroid Prime 3 and it sold 1.55m. It sold more than MP2 and Super Metroid, but less than Metroid and MP1. We also have Metroid: Other M coming up.

They've brought out at least one major new franchise per system. Pikmin was the one for the Gamecube, Wii Sports and Wii Fit is it for the Wii.

That's not bad going. There'll be a new IP nest system as well. I think they should put their energy right now into making things like Metroid, Starfox and Pikmin more high-profile. Your average consumer has no idea what those franchises are (yes, Metroid isn't high-profile either, you heard me!).

A new, big-hitting Donkey Kong game would also be a welcome addition. But it's understandable that we haven't seen one of them because Nintendo will need to think hard about what to do with it now that Rare is gone.

They've done okay-ish. I think the real problem is the outsourced niche games that're just sent to die with little to no promotion (ie: Disaster, Elite Beat Agents, ASH, etc), but that's really nothing new for Nintendo.

Big wins for Nintendo this gen though include Nintendogs, Wii ____, Touch Generations (Brain-Age, Clubhouse Games, Personal Trainer, etc), Friend Connection, Rhythm Heaven, Style Savvy, Endless Ocean and (although a 3rd party IP) Professor Layton. Animal Crossing hit the bigtime this gen too, even though it's an older IP.

when you compare it Sony's new core franchises this gen (and more from last gen) you see a difference. Infamous, LBP, Resistance, Motorstorm...etc

but do you really want the same to happen? less Mario Kart more Motorstorm? Less NSMBWii and more LBP? I personally would rather have Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, and the new Zelda Wii more than any other new whatever, "no thanks" to all the Mirrors Edges, Resistances and Lost Odyssies.

Nintendo has created, however, many successful franchises like WiiFit, WiiSports+Resort, Wiimusic and Wiiplay. so i guess it's a nice mix of both classic and new, not exactly the biggest flood of core games in history but it's a formula that's successful (casual & core mix).

I think I'll leave the New IPs to 3rd parties on N consoles, this gen they brought NMH, DeBlob, Muramasa, Zack&Wiki...etc. the ones i mentioned are now among my most beloved games of the gen.