(Distractions) NINTENDO and how to fix it
Lets get this out of the way. I'm a gamer and I love aspects of all three console developers. The only platform of gaming I have yet to break into in a major way are PC's but that may change in the future. This blog is not meant to cause ire among Nintendo fans. In fact, its merely meant as my opinion on what this beloved company can do to once again come out on top of the console wars. After all, my gaming obsession began on the original NES so I have a particular attachment to this company.
First off, lets identify where Nintendo went wrong. They should have picked a better name than Wii U. Now this may sound odd considering that every Playstation is still called a Playstation but Sony at least puts a number behind each one to differentiate the consoles. "Wii" was a horrible name to begin with. Combined with poor marketing, most casual passersby will simply think that the Wii U is simply an add-on to a console they already have. This is compounded when the two systems look so similar. Most people will think that they're purchasing an old console with a fancy controller/tablet.
Secondly, there're considerable limitations the console has merely by its size. The "deluxe" edition only has 32 GB worth of storage which limits both game saves and downloadable titles. The Virtual Console is a potentially powerful asset in Nintendo's arsenal with a huge back-catalog of games. There's also a love of indie games that people have nowadays and the hard drive just doesn't provide adequate space to fully enjoy it all. There's also the limitations on pure computing power to generate next gen graphics that the other platforms will provide. I'm not saying they need to build a behemoth of a console. All you have to do is look at the PS4 to see what compact and powerful can look like.
The last major flaw is the launch/immediate post-launch games. There was barely any first party titles and a scant amount of third party ones. This needs to change with the next console Nintendo produces. There needs to be greater communication between the hardware and software sides of the business to achieve this. Also, Nintendo needs to reach out to third party developers more. Yes, it may eschew their "family-friendly" image but it needs to be done to continue making money with a maturing audience. They can still dominate the family-friendly side of things with easy, but in-depth parental controls, but their reach needs to broaden.
What can be done? I don't think they need to abandon the Wii U. It should be allowed to thrive or die a slow death until the world is ready for a new piece of hardware. In the meantime, discern what was done right and what was done wrong. I firmly believe that second screen gaming is the wave of the future until VR becomes a viable option. The Kinect, PS Camera, and all motion controls are a fad that has quickly faded. The Wii dominated it, but it's time to move on.
The touch screen gamepad should definitely be salvaged. A few things need to happen though: it needs AT LEAST an 8 hour battery life, it needs an internal hard drive, and it needs to be able to work independently of the next console - this would allow dedicated games be downloaded to the pad and played anywhere or could be used as a normal tablet.
Speaking of the console itself, here's my proposition: the name of the new console should be the Nintendo Hub. Why Hub? This console will exhibit a new breed of connectivity which has been lost to Nintendo thus far. Easier access to online friends, but also to allow a convention that has been abandoned: local co-op and competitive play. Sure, there's 4 player co-op but what about bumping that up to 8 players locally? Image 4 players tethered to a split screen on a television but also having four other players engaged as well on their own gamepads. The idea of 8 people gathered around a single console to duke it out on the next Mario Kart gives me chills. This system also needs to boost its hardware. Nintendo used to pride themselves on cutting edge tech (N64, anyone?) and it needs to do so again. Plus, they need to provide a sizeable hard drive. 500 GB is the standard now but what about in 5-7 years? It could be 1 terabyte at least. This would allow for a TON of downloads from the Virtual Console. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to play ALL of your favorite games from the previous generation in one place?
But what is the most important thing of any console is the games. With the poor launch lineup of the Wii U they should remedy it. From the outset they should have most, if not all of these games on day one from their first party developers: New Mario, new Mario Kart, new Zelda, new Pilotwings, new Metroid, and new Star Fox. This would give them a POWERFUL lineup that shouldn't be scoffed at. Plus any third party developers that jump on board would only add an extra incentive to the whole package.
We also need a blu-ray drive built into the console. A lot of people use their consoles nowadays to watch their movies as well. Not to mention proprietary streaming services. I am one of them. It doesn't have to be as "entertainment" focused as Xbox One, but those options should be there.
These are just my thoughts on how Nintendo can redeem themselves in the future. Take them with a grain of salt. But it would just pain me to see that the company which got me into gaming in the first place take a dive like Sega did.
First off, lets identify where Nintendo went wrong. They should have picked a better name than Wii U. Now this may sound odd considering that every Playstation is still called a Playstation but Sony at least puts a number behind each one to differentiate the consoles. "Wii" was a horrible name to begin with. Combined with poor marketing, most casual passersby will simply think that the Wii U is simply an add-on to a console they already have. This is compounded when the two systems look so similar. Most people will think that they're purchasing an old console with a fancy controller/tablet.
Secondly, there're considerable limitations the console has merely by its size. The "deluxe" edition only has 32 GB worth of storage which limits both game saves and downloadable titles. The Virtual Console is a potentially powerful asset in Nintendo's arsenal with a huge back-catalog of games. There's also a love of indie games that people have nowadays and the hard drive just doesn't provide adequate space to fully enjoy it all. There's also the limitations on pure computing power to generate next gen graphics that the other platforms will provide. I'm not saying they need to build a behemoth of a console. All you have to do is look at the PS4 to see what compact and powerful can look like.
The last major flaw is the launch/immediate post-launch games. There was barely any first party titles and a scant amount of third party ones. This needs to change with the next console Nintendo produces. There needs to be greater communication between the hardware and software sides of the business to achieve this. Also, Nintendo needs to reach out to third party developers more. Yes, it may eschew their "family-friendly" image but it needs to be done to continue making money with a maturing audience. They can still dominate the family-friendly side of things with easy, but in-depth parental controls, but their reach needs to broaden.
What can be done? I don't think they need to abandon the Wii U. It should be allowed to thrive or die a slow death until the world is ready for a new piece of hardware. In the meantime, discern what was done right and what was done wrong. I firmly believe that second screen gaming is the wave of the future until VR becomes a viable option. The Kinect, PS Camera, and all motion controls are a fad that has quickly faded. The Wii dominated it, but it's time to move on.
The touch screen gamepad should definitely be salvaged. A few things need to happen though: it needs AT LEAST an 8 hour battery life, it needs an internal hard drive, and it needs to be able to work independently of the next console - this would allow dedicated games be downloaded to the pad and played anywhere or could be used as a normal tablet.
Speaking of the console itself, here's my proposition: the name of the new console should be the Nintendo Hub. Why Hub? This console will exhibit a new breed of connectivity which has been lost to Nintendo thus far. Easier access to online friends, but also to allow a convention that has been abandoned: local co-op and competitive play. Sure, there's 4 player co-op but what about bumping that up to 8 players locally? Image 4 players tethered to a split screen on a television but also having four other players engaged as well on their own gamepads. The idea of 8 people gathered around a single console to duke it out on the next Mario Kart gives me chills. This system also needs to boost its hardware. Nintendo used to pride themselves on cutting edge tech (N64, anyone?) and it needs to do so again. Plus, they need to provide a sizeable hard drive. 500 GB is the standard now but what about in 5-7 years? It could be 1 terabyte at least. This would allow for a TON of downloads from the Virtual Console. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to play ALL of your favorite games from the previous generation in one place?
But what is the most important thing of any console is the games. With the poor launch lineup of the Wii U they should remedy it. From the outset they should have most, if not all of these games on day one from their first party developers: New Mario, new Mario Kart, new Zelda, new Pilotwings, new Metroid, and new Star Fox. This would give them a POWERFUL lineup that shouldn't be scoffed at. Plus any third party developers that jump on board would only add an extra incentive to the whole package.
We also need a blu-ray drive built into the console. A lot of people use their consoles nowadays to watch their movies as well. Not to mention proprietary streaming services. I am one of them. It doesn't have to be as "entertainment" focused as Xbox One, but those options should be there.
These are just my thoughts on how Nintendo can redeem themselves in the future. Take them with a grain of salt. But it would just pain me to see that the company which got me into gaming in the first place take a dive like Sega did.
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