Ben-DutkaEpic Games boss Cliff Bleszinski says the video game industry is in a state of turmoil , and Nintendo could end up becoming a third-party software developer. Yes, really.
Perhaps it would be fitting. Sega was forced to go that route after the PS2 and the arrival of Microsoft essentially killed off any hope of another Sega console (their last was the Dreamcast). And don't forget that before Nintendo pulled off a small miracle this past generation with the Wii, a great many analysts and industry insiders were expecting the game pioneers to leave the hardware business as well. Now, with the Wii U tracking well behind Wii sales and the PS4 already making Nintendo's "new" system look decidedly outdated…
Well, maybe CliffyB is right.
Obviously, it won't happen overnight but let's say this generation lasts at least five or six years (and it's possible that it'll go even longer). As the years go on and both the PS4 and the Xbox 720 continue to leave the Wii U in the dust in regards to cutting-edge interactive gaming experiences, Wii U sales may just keep dropping like a stone. The system isn't selling that great now ; what might happen when the two far more powerful consoles hit the market? If the generation lasts long enough, it might not be entirely out of the realm of possibility to see Nintendo games start arriving on multiple platforms. The Wii U will hang on as long as it can, of course, but how long will that be…? The fall could happen fast.
If it does happen, I just hope Mario and Zelda and Metroid don't get ruined the way Sonic did when Sega switched over to software only…still not sure what the hell happened there.
This would make me really happy if this happened. I love a lot of Nintendo's first-party games, but not quite enough to deem it worthwhile to purchase a Wii or Wii-U. If I could play all the Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games without having to buy a console only for them, that would be a dream-come-true.
It sounds really good and I hate to be a party pooper but like I said in the other news article posted here, both CliffyB and now Ben, they're both forgetting a rather huge and important detail about Nintendo:
That they have a very successful HANDHELD DIVISION.
Right now, the 3DS is a beast in Japan. With only two years on the market, the 3DS already has sold more than what the PS3 sold in its entire life-cycle in that country. And its getting very close to selling as much as the Wii ever sold in Japan. Again, in only two years.
You got that gaming sites like Gamasutra have analyzed Nintendo's current handheld division and have said that it's quite healthy and stable. And growing. Confirming that its Nintendo's current cash-cow.
So, hate to say it, but CliffyB was being a bit myopic when he made that statement about Nintendo. It sounds great and exciting. But in the end, its not very realistic.
Its not, because Nintendo has set up a very old SURVIVAL STRATEGY where thanks to their handheld division, they really don't have to depend on their failed home consoles (N64, Gamecube and possibly the Wii U) to stay alive. They always had their handheld division to fall back on. They could and can survive just on the Gameboy, the DS and now the 3DS.
And BTW, the mistake CliffyB made is very common. That's why "Nintendo is doomed" has become an industry meme for many, many years. And yet it has failed to materialize. And the reason for that is, that most analysts (and developers) forget that Nintendo is not going down because of their successful handheld division.
The Wii U will probably fail. But so did the N64 and Gamecube. And I've been gaming for a long time and I remember people saying that Nintendo would become a software only company even back in the N64 days. When that particular home console barely had any 3rd party support. And that didn't happen. Nintendo could afford to make yet another fail system (Gamecube). And all thanks to the success of the Game Boy and the DS.
The way things look right now, the 3DS will keep Nintendo afloat even if the Wii U does go under. And it will give them enough cash flow to stay in the hardware business. And who knows, maybe enough to come up with yet another console.
If we want Nintendo to become a software only company, then we have to wait until they create a handheld that bombs in Japan. That hasn't happened yet.
Last edited by Bonampak on 2/27/2013 11:02:08 AM
In point of fact, the N64 and the GameCube did NOT fail. At least, not in terms of how they performed financially for Nintendo as a company. They made money on those systems. They may not make money on the Wii U.
And what you're talking about is merely survival. You capitalized the word yourself. Companies aren't interested in "survival," they're interested in making profits.
Nintendo's handheld division is indeed huge and plenty healthy. They could "survive" on that if they had to. But when you factor in the rise of the mobile gaming market, which has hindered the Vita and WILL hinder Nintendo in the future, along with the console issue, I don't see any reason why Bleszinski or myself are wrong about the possibility of Nintendo going third-party.
Survival is acceptable for a year or two, but companies try to change that pretty fast. Can't grow on even.
@Ben – I'm not saying that Nintendo going 3rd party dev is out of the question. Only that it has been said for such a long time, that we have to look for a reason as to why that hasn't happened yet.
IMO, the main reason for Nintendo staying relevant despite finishing last with most of their home consoles, is thanks to their handheld division.
The success of the Gameboy, DS and now the 3DS, have allowed them to stay in the hardware business.
Yeah, I know that most people minimize handhelds and even ignore them. But the fact remains that its an important division for Nintendo. I would dare to say that its their MAIN division. The company did started out in the hardware business by making handhelds after all. Its been their bread and butter since, forever.
And the games for those systems are also a vital source of revenue. Look at the Japanese sales charts that are out right now. 3DS games have dominated the charts since that handheld's first year on the market. And most of the top selling games are from Nintendo itself.
And I did use the term 'survival' when describing Nintendo's situation during the N64, Gamecube and now Wii U eras. And its a fitting description because everyone predicted doom for Nintendo when those consoles were out in the wild. Everyone waited for Nintendo to become a 3rd party dev at any moment. Didn't happen. Something was keeping them alive in the hardware arena. And that was their handheld division. That allowed them to 'survive' in the hardware business. Its a strong word to use, but its one that best describes how things are with Nintendo and how most in the industry see the whole situation.
Well not everyone sees it that way: CliffyB thinks Nintendo is dead without having a home console. He feels that the Wii U will probably fail. And he thinks Nintendo will then be forced to drop out of the hardware business and go 3rd party dev because of the Wii U's failure.
He totally ignored Nintendo's handheld division. Which I guess is something normal for a dev that has spent his entire career ignoring handhelds. I mean, when was the last time CliffyB made a game for a handheld?
I agree that smartphones and tablets are a much more realistic threat to Nintendo than having the Wii U be a certified bomb. Because they eat away at the casual audience that supported the Gameboy and DS by the millions in the West.
Notice that I said in the West. Because in Japan, despite everyone owning smartphones and tablets (relatively speaking), the 3DS is booming and thriving. In Japan, the 3DS has been able to co-exist with that formidable competition.
Again, I don't think you or CliffyB are wrong in thinking Nintendo might go 3rd party. That would be awesome for most gamers. Its just that the REASONS you guys put forward to explain the possibility of that ever happening, are not entirely realistic. Considering that the Wii U is not really a huge investment.
Nintendo played it safe with the Wii U and didn't even come close to making something expensive like the PS4. They instead came up with a system that is relatively cheap to make, just like all their previous consoles (maybe except for the N64). So if it does bomb, the 3DS will allow them to continue in the hardware business at least for the next generation of consoles.
By playing it safe and having a hardware division that is successful (like their current handheld division), I think Nintendo will 'survive' the Wii U debacle just fine.
And who knows….. if Nintendo is lucky, maybe the Wii U will be as much as a "failure" as the Gamecube and N64 were (not hugely popular but still profitable like you wisely stated, Ben). Or even pick up the pace like the PS3 did. The PS3 was also branded as a failure during its first year on the market. Look at it now.
I really think the mobile gaming industry will eat significantly into Nintendo's main domain, which is definitely handhelds. Smartphones and tablets, which are multifunctional, will almost surely replace the gaming-only portables, as Sony – and soon Nintendo – is finding out.
Of course, Nintendo's next handheld could be like a tablet…and THAT would help. Nobody in this industry can afford to be game-only anymore, not in this world, and not in either consoles or handhelds. Everything is multifunctional, so Nintendo needs to understand that.
I don't believe it. Even if Nintendo goes out by console, they still have some rule in the handheld market. If Nintendo did become a game developer their games won't be going to MS. I can promise you that.
Where would they go then? It's not like there is a ton of good blood between Sony and Nintendo.
Sony does have something to be grateful for thanks to Nintendo. If it wasn't because Nintendo backed out of the deal the PS consoles as we know them probably wouldn't exist.
In any case, he does make a great point about the handheld race. Nintendo is too dominant in that regard to go 100% software anytime soon.
I think if they did, they wouldnt go to sony or MS like Sega did, i think they would go android iOS.
If Nintendo became a games developer there are no reasons whatsoever to believe they would do anything else than go multiplat.
Seems like an interesting concept. Through my childhood it was Atari (briefly) and then the original Nintendo. After those two, it was the Sega Genesis (a gift from my uncle/godfather) en lieu of the Super Nintendo. Then in my adolescence it was the 1st iteration of the PlayStation, followed by the PS2 Slim (which I still have)and a PSP. Now I also own the PS3 and hope the PS4 really does have the technology (and some longevity) Sony is boasting.
I have been fortunate enough to have had varying systems from varying brands, but the PS brand seems to be the most reliable and longest lasting for me. It is the platform I have and intend to do most of my gaming on I hope. I am not anti any other brand or system, as I think they all have their merits, but I suppose I do feel a small sense of loyalty to Sony, especially PlayStation.
I grew up with playing the likes of Sonic, Mario and other favorites mentioned like Zelda and Metroid, among other would also be welcomed, so I wouldn't mind if Nintendo's most cherished franchises migrated on Sony's consoles. If that happens though, hopefully they will remain true to their roots and any innovation will actually be innovative and helpful and be well implemented (as well as optional maybe), in turn not tarnishing them.
Nintendo should go 100% software.
Wait a minute…haven't I said Nintendo should do this before? I'm pretty sure I have.
yeah they really should.
If Nintendo were smart – and they are usually pretty Savvy, they could easily exit the home hardware market and work with Sony on producing a Nintendo specific controller for the PS4 and simply port all their home console output to the PS4. No point in supporting MS for Nintendo, there is no synergy there at all. As long as their games ran on PS4 within a specific Ninento runtime with a specific Nintendo controller, they could protect their investments and maintain exclusivity to their controller. Both Sony and Nintendo would benefit. Nintendo also would not lose out on their hand held market at all, if anything it might strengthen.
If both Sony and Nintendo could face a closer partnership, allowing older Nintendo games from all hand helds prior to the DS and all home consoles prior to WiiU to run on Vita and PS4 via emulation would be an incredible plus for both. Sony would sell tons more hardware and Nintendo would resell the same game library over and over. Free cash for everyone concerned.
It's not gonna happen though.
I wish it would eventually happen. Sony and Nintendo coming together would totally destroy MS.
Yes, I have no love for MS. Its not a fanboy thing either.
Its just that as was revealed recently, Microsoft entered the console just to "stop Sony". Only because they saw the PlayStation brand as a threat to Windows.
MS threw at least 4 billion dollars at the original Xbox during the final 2 years of its life-cycle. Just to make it seem like they finished 2nd in the race. MS called it an 'investment' at the time. Because the plan was to built themselves a user base for their next system, the 360. It worked. But that investment made the original Xbox unprofitable. They never made that money back.
The same source said that MS is not really making any money from the Xbox gaming division at present. Any money that they make gets thrown back into the mix to money-hat developers (buy time-exclusives, DLC, etc.), or to give away Xboxes in promotional campaigns (consoles that get included in the 'hardware sales') and to keep pushing Kinect on children and casuals.
If MS didn't have such deep pockets, they would've been history in the hardware arena just like SEGA and Atari.
I just don't think they have introduced anything of worth to the gaming industry. What they have done, is to make millions feel like its perfectly normal to put behind a paywall, features that should be free.
I am sure that Sony's PS4 will be the dominant console next gen. But having Nintendo by their side would seal the deal in the long term.
I hope it happens. Probably not soon. But Sony should keep an eye on Nintendo. So that they can move in and approach the company at the right moment. Before MS does it.
Last edited by Bonampak on 2/27/2013 5:12:11 PM
Love the controller idea.
nintendo…becomes exclusive to the ps brand….mr. jack walks up on stage…you hear "here comes a new challenger" (ps all star voice) and out comes reggie….i would lmao
lol. That sounds like a scenario from the WWF.
Cliffy is not exactly alone in saying so, though.
I think that is pretty much the consensus whenever Nintendo is discussed. Everybody seem to be just waiting for the news.
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/27/2013 5:23:47 AM
I would love to see the Zelda games on PlayStation.
If this were to happen. Mayhaps we would finally get a full scaled Pokemon RPG for consoles, starting in mango and going to the other latest countries of the series, they could even make it a f2p mmorpg like DC universe, and have different map packs for sale. Maybe include some secret areas, and special events or something.
If its Sony…
+ Monster Hunter
+ Pokemon(Finally in HD)
+ Fire Emblem
+ Zelda
… This makes me a happy panda ^-^
Last edited by Vitron on 2/27/2013 1:08:52 AM
Interesting points. I would definitely consider buying various Nintendo titles. I'm excited for this now, here's to hoping it goes that way.
Nintedo's games are what's tempting me to jump ships anyway. If this becomes true then problem solved. 🙂
I'd be cool with that, all previous nintendo games could become downloadable on other platforms and it would be pretty awesome sauce, especially if they made some mario collections and rpg collections for vita.
Imagine if Apple bought Nintendo. That would shake things up a great deal.
It would be quite the revengeance if Sony "acquired" Nintendo somehow. After their historical betrayal that is. I'm sure Sony would forgive and forget if the cherished Nintendo IP were on the table.
Mario and MS I just can't imagine.
One thing is for sure. It would be extremely lucrative any way you look at it. Whatever company goes with Nintendo will benefit. And if Ninety went with a licensing model it could be a boon for them. No manufacturing costs and their franchises would be available to the audience of Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Andriod and PC. Wow!
Last edited by FatherSun on 2/27/2013 1:38:17 AM
Once the PS4 and Nextbox arrive, I think Nintendo is just gonna lower the price of the Wii U considerably, as they did with the 3DS. They may be selling at a faster rate then. If the lower price doesn't improve their sales, then it's inevitable.
Never played a zelda game,never liked mario except mario kart games.
But it would be a sad day in the gaming world if ninty stopped making consoles.
They've been around as long as i can remember!
Zelda is pimp.
Well as you mentioned, every one thought the purple box would be the downfall of nintendo at the time. However back then games cost substantially less to make so this time it might be different
I think there is still a place for a cheap "kids friendly" console. I know I wouldn't allow my 6 year old onto my PS3 or Vita (without supervision). He has his own Wii though for Skylanders. Kids love their DS's too.
Let's just accept them for what they are. Kids consoles. They aren't for adults really. ;-). Sorry nintendo…
Awesome news if it's true.I would love to play a next gen Zelda,Metroid,Pokemon,a more mature Mario game would be cool too.
I cannot see Nintendo going anywhere soon, wasn't the Wii the most sold console overall this gen – I haven't looked at the figures but that is the impression I got because of it's family friendly motive.
That aside, it seems Nintendo are announcing the big guns at E3, a new Zelda, Mario, Samsh Bros and I hope to see more of this new Xenoblade title. If anything I am more worried about the PS4 and not having any launch titles. Other than Watch Dogs, there was nothing at the show I found remotely interesting and with my favourite series Final Fantasy eroding day by day I am beginning to look elsewhere.
The Wii U doesn't have a lot of games or exclusives right now, apart from New Mario Bros U and ZombieU.
When a 3D Mario, Zelda, Metroid and huge Pokemon game is released on the Wii U, it will blow the competition out of the water!!! Don't forget Super Smash Bros, the Virtual Console (hopefully they'll fix up that system and create accounts that tie in with purchases, and not system lock it) AND full backwards compatability with Wii games, so I can still play Mario Galaxy 2, Resident Evil 4, Zelda Skyward Sword and all the other great old Wii titles!!
The Wii U has everything I want in a new console except powerful hardware that competes with current gen PC's. Or a Nintendo account system that tracks purchases to an account rather than a console. Or social networking options like the PS4 or 360.
…. OK, Cliffy might be onto something. Without the exclusive first party games, Nintendo might be trailing MUCH further behind. Thank GOD it has Mario and Zelda!
ahhhhhh, gotta love society!
ninty has NEVER posted a FY loss up until a few years ago!
it happens for the very first time, and now all of a sudden everyones running around with their arms in the air screaming of the apocalypse!
ninty is going NOWHERE!
the day nintendo goes a software only company is the day $ony concedes to M$, sells them all their licenses and developers, and lucifer comes to rule the world!
ie, never going to happen!
If this happens expect double the amount of third party shovelware on PS4 and Xbox 360 & milked Naruto additions released monthly.
I'd welcome the Nintendo big hits like Zelda, Metroid etc but keep the other shite out along with the crappy gimmicks that plague every recent Nintendo console.
The power of PS4 could work wonders for some of Nintys big name titles that can't reach the same potential on Wii-U tech. I doubt it will happen but it would be interesting if it did.
I would love to be able to play Zelda again. My brief experience with the Wii made that an impossibility, couldn't stand that thing.
A lot of talk about Zelda, rightfully so, but I really miss the RARE days of Donkey Kong and Banjo. 🙁
I think RARE is simply busy with Dance Central or something for Kinect. *sigh
Last edited by daus26 on 2/27/2013 8:22:07 PM
anyone got a coat hanger and tin foil i can borrow?
You'll pry my tinfoil hat from my cold, dead hands.
Even then, the world would have ended
It would be great to play Nintendo's finest on the PS4/Vita and above. However, this will never happen until people are sick of Mario, Zelda and Metroid. Seriously, the WiiU is struggling right now but just wait until Super Mario Land U, Zelda U and Metroid U come out. The WiiU will sell millions upon millions. The 3DS is already at 30M!! The WiiU is going to be just fine. The Vita as well.
Edit – Oh yeah, is CliffyB the new Pachter now? LOL!
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 2/27/2013 9:57:58 AM
I agree, people are writing off the Wii U three months into its launch? Ridiculous. Nintendo can, and does, play hardball, and their exclusive lineup is beloved around the globe. Nintendo also has gargantuan cash reserves, thanks to the enormous successes they have for decades. Way, way, way too soon to speculate about Nintendo giving up and publishing games on other consoles.
The idea of Nintendo going software only REALLY doesn't sit right with me….
And maybe I'm just biased, but the idea of a Zelda or Metroid game on Xbox just makes ill…
I'd like to think that once a new Zelda, Metroid and Super Smash game are announced for the Wii U, sales will recover.
I know the only reason me, and many people I've spoken to haven't invested in a Wii U, is because there's no Zelda…
If Nintendo brings out the big hitters at E3 and there's still no bite afterwards, then maybe Nintendo going software-only would be more feasible…
That's going to be one of their hurdles, they are horribly slow developers so if those titles pop up at E3 it could be 2-3 years until you see them and Wii U could be long since dead.
‘The day Nintendo stops making hardware is the day Nintendo stops making games’ – Satoru Iwata
I can't see Nintendo ever making games for Sony and MS consoles. They are not in SERIOUS financial trouble. It's way too early to bury the Wii U. I don't even think the typical Sony/MS video gamer would be interested in playing Nintendo games on their PS4/Infinity.
Maybe not Xboxers but Sony has an older fan base who grew up with those games but can't abide the cost of an out of date piece of hardware. Corporations just don't understand the power of nostalgia.
I already said this in another post. Not happening with them still being great at handhelds. Different situation for the sega who also had a handheld, but got beat badly on both. They wouldn't be able to ride off their handheld market.
Right now the nintendo gameboy/color vs sega game gear/nomad is mirroring the current situation of nintendo ds/3ds vs sony psp/vita. What I'm comparing is not only how sony and sega price tags where more expensive, but they were a lot more powerful than nintendo. Hell, sega was planning on putting a touch screen on nomad.
None of that mattered and the sega handhelds failed despite having a impressive library. Regardless sony is doing a hell lot better than sega, but they didn't take the chance to capitalize on the already growing psp library. You could say the phone/pad market is intervening from vita seeing amazing sales, but core gamers would never just completely stop and switch over. 3ds is still selling while seeing some amazing games like fire emblem awakening and has a full library of ds titles ready. All at a cheaper price tag than the vita.
The top 3 selling systems of all time is the PS2 (155 mill), DS (153 mill not including 3ds), and GB/GBC (118 mill).
Remember the ngage? Well it sold about 3 million. Both the vita and wii u are hovering around those sells. With all that has been said and to get to my point. The only thing we will probably see is microsoft enter the handheld market. Sony leaving handheld market and stick to home console. Nintendo leave home console and stick to handhelds. Then Apple not caring and doing what they do best.
Also, sony you better keep supporting the xperia play!
Last edited by Ydobon on 2/27/2013 11:44:43 AM
While I think people are writing off the Wii U WAY too soon — the system's been out like three months, actually had a pretty good Christmas at retail and they clearly have a slew of unannounced games around the corner, etc. — I just think we're getting closer and closer to a more or less unified console future. The lines between Xbox, PC, PS4 and even Apple's products are becoming less and less. Eventually the financial possibilities of having your games available to everyone man, woman and child across a virtually unified gaming landscape is going to be too huge for Nintendo (or anyone else) to ignore. It'll be the end of an era when it happens, and kind of sad. But on the other hand, imagine having one ecosystem that encompasses virtually ALL games and can be played across nearly every home and mobile computing device you have? And some people say gaming doesn't have a bright future 😉