Defending Nintendo

by Steve Parsons { Dec 15th 2004 at 1:20PM }

Of all the console/game manufacturers out there, Nintendo probably get the most criticism for various reasons. Well, one fan has decided enough is enough, and it's time to respond to it's detractors. He admits they annoy him, but that he loves them anyway. And in fairness, he does rip on them pretty hard himself. (He's upset with how Europe is treated, and understandably so.)

It's an interesting read, and comments on a few of the issues that cause people to gripe about Nintendo.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

roy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM

Image is everything, or so it seems...

SetupWeasel @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM

People said Nintendo was off their rocker with this "Dual Screen" thing. Let's wait until we see the "Revolution" before we start making fun of it.

Nintendo never said "graphics don't matter." Iwata said the "Golden Formula" where one company could make more money and sell more consoles by simply increasing graphics no longer applies. Nintendo likes good graphics, and they will be including them in their next console. What he is saying is that next-gen consoles will push so many polygons that any graphical differences between the consoles will be insignificant. Nintendo believes that more focus should be placed on the way we play games, because the "Now with 30% more polygons" attitude will make people look for fresh experiences somewhere else.

Nintendo does not believe "online play is pointless" either. They believe online play is not profitable, because only 5-10% of console gamers actually use it. The GameCube has a broadband adapter just like the PS2 did. Why isn't EA making online games for the GC? They could, they just don't. The DS has 802.11b ability and there will be games that use it. The Warp Pipe people are hard at work making it a reality.

This is what Ben Parfitt is talking about by "defending Nintendo." People slam Nintendo and take quotes out of context simply because it is fashionable to do so.

SetupWeasel @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM

Editor's choice picks from E3? I did a comic about that.(it is Comic #11 on my site ::wink::)Funny how the PSP could be "Best of Show" when its screen was fed from computers behind the wall of "Demo models." The DS was playing Metroid Prime Hunters with wireless multiplayer at E3, and Sony did not have a single working PSP.

The Warp Pipe people are their own company now, and they are getting funding from Nintendo.

"If a company has not embraced online game play yet(Nintendo)...for the sake of it's user base, irregardless of profits..they are 'off their rocker'" - You know not every game company can afford to lose a billion dollars in 3 years. In my experience profits are necessary.

"I know for a fact that Shigeru is quoted as saying that the current generation gamecube has enough power to satiate gamers, and that future generations are not needed for 6-8 years. ...but you say he is not off his rocker?" - We are at the stage where you could pour $500 into a graphics card and a $60 one wouldn't look that much worse. How much better do you really think the next gen games could look? If you look at this generation, the PS2 has inferior graphics to the Cube and the XBOX, yet it has 3 times the users. I think this proves that gamers are satiated with less than current graphics, don't you?

"The fact that Nintendo has a broadband adapter compatible with no more than 3 games is a slap in the face to any poor sap who actually bought the thing." -- Maybe they could form a support group with the people that bought the PS2 HDD.

Please tell me how the sound can be that much better than 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound.

The Number of players in an online game is going to be more dependant on the latency and bandwidth of the internet connection than the systems themselves. If Microsoft offers to HOST games in the next generation, it might happen.

A lot of people seem to think that Nintendo hates their customers and didn't want them to have graphics like the PSP. The graphics are a trade-off. Battery life, cost, speed of production are all important factors in their decision. I'm sure people would love console quality graphics, but in Nintendo's experience they aren't willing to spend $300 for a handheld. People want battery life and durability too. Nintendo has been in the handheld gaming business for more than 20 years and have withstood the challenges and subsequent failures of many competitors, there is no other expert on the subject.

SetupWeasel @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM

"Certainly you aren't disputing that the direct feed E3 videos available on gamespot, gamespy, ign.com, etc. are misinterpretations of what the PSP can do? "

-No the PSP can do them now, but it was not far enough along to do it at E3. At the time I likened it to a dog show contestant. The Westminster Kennel Club wouldn't give an unborn puppy "Best of Show" because her mother dominated the year before. The PSP still had a chance to be stillborn.

"Interesting that Nintendo would "throw money away" on such an unprofitable and outlandish endeavor..."

- They aren't. Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I meant to say it isn't currently profitable. It certainly isn't outlandish, and I never said that. Nintendo will start slowly. Broadband is gaining popularity, it is becoming cheaper, and more households have it now. That is the first necessity to make online console gaming profitable. With the DS people can easily move to an access point, so the number of people who can use the internet functions is nearly 100%. That is a good place for them to start.

"Profits may indeed be necessary for Nintendo, perhaps because they are in over there heads competing with the likes of Microsoft and Sony."

- What Microsoft is doing is a violation of the Clayton Antitrust Act Section 13a.

http://www.courttv.com/archive/trials/microsoft/legaldocs/clayton.html

--to sell, or contract to sell, goods at unreasonably low prices for the purpose of destroying competition or eliminating a competitor.--

Sounds like the XBOX to me. Use your monopoly to sell a $500 game system for $150.

The PS2 doesn't have the power to do what Microsoft did, and instead have coaxed people like EA and Square into offering Online for their games. If you want to play Madden with your friends on the GameCube, talk to EA. They have all the tools to make it happen. Nintendo should not have to bribe them to offer you a service.

"As they say, two wrongs don't make a right"

- Nintendo didn't go out of their way to advertise the broadband adapter either. If you had a game that used it and thought the adaptor was worth it, you could buy it. In fact, you still can buy it. You can get the GC, Mario Kart, and the broadband adapter for $150 these days. You shouldn't buy things for potential anyway. The people who bought the HDD found out the Movie and Music features they were promised simply weren't there when they opened the box.

"Unfortunately you pulled an Iwata on me and chose to respond not to my overall idea but rather the most convenient rebuttal"

No, I also made the point that people are satisfied with inferior hardware now. My point with the video card comparison was just to simplify. When you make everything faster you will get improved graphics, but how much better will they get per dollar you spend? If the next gen consoles push 4 or even 10 times as many polygons will it make games 4 or 10 times better? Of course not. Developers (like Toru Iwatani) have said they have all the graphic tools they need at this point to make aany game they want. There will be no jump like there was from the SNES to the N64 or the PS1 to the PS2. Simply upgrading graphics, media size, or processor speed will not offer a new gaming experience. It will only offer somewhat bigger worlds, somewhat better graphics, and somewhat more objects on screen. Useful? Maybe, but not ground breaking like the upgrades in previous generations.

"When a game of mechassault is set up, one xbox is tasked with handling resources for each of the 7 other machines, hence the cap at 8 people..."

- You will run into problems whe you starting to pump more information through a narrow DSL or Cable pipe. The xbox might handle more, but the information will be bottlenecked by broadband providers and their hate for residential servers. If you ever been on a cable network before you'll know that the more activity on a node the worse your connection. On PC games you have dedicated servers on T1 and T3 that you can choose. On Xbox live you might connect to a guy with a 128kb upload limit, because that is common, and will become more common if the style of game you speak of becomes popular.

"lets be honest, the Sega game gear , Atari lynx, and tiger handheld games aren't necessarily opponents worth bragging about."

- in hindsight you are right, but at the time The Game Gear was a very serious competetor. Incidentally, a Game Gear game box holds 2 GBA carts quite nicely.

Cameron @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM

"The fact of the matter is that the gamecube is a distant 3rd in worldwide sales. That is a significant statement considering how poorly the xbox has sold in japan."

Actaully, Nitnendo's GC is at worst tied for second worldwide. Certainly not in "distant" third.

"If you have $150 dollars in your pocket...are you going to buy a ps2 with a huge library of games, an xbox with ethernet built in and superior graphics, or a gamecube which has nothing accept some exclusive child oriented nintendo franchises? I think we know what you would choose, and I think it is obvious you are in the minority."

Too bad you can't do some research on the GC lineup, or play the games. You'll find that a lot of the games are indeed not kiddy.

"Without zelda, mario, and metroid nintendo and it's hardware would have been obsolete 2 years ago."

You could say the same about Microsoft and Halo. Or Sony and Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo and Grand Theft Auto. If you can't recognize that MSFT's XBox would have gone under if it was not for Halo, we have a problem.

"Also, I don't care what Microsoft is doing and how much leverage they have applied. I am a consumer, I work hard for my $150 and I want the best deal out there...the best deal out there is not a gamecube."

Opinion. But, glad to see that you will buy anything as long as you like it without considering any consequences. You seem like the person that would support Kathy Lee's clothing line.

"If you can't see that Nintendo has been slipping since the SNES, you have no clue what you are talking about. How can you defend a company which got slammed by the genesis, slammed by the ps1, and slammed by the xbox? If not for the capital brought in from the gameboy franchise(and that ship has sailed thanks to the psp) there would be no nintendo...and in 5 years time there WILL be no nintendo."

Umm... The Genesis did not beat the SNES. You call a tie being slammed by the XBox? Glad to see that you can predict the future relating to the handheld market. Not comparing sales, the DS has had an incredibly strong launch both in Japan and the USA. And the GBA is still going strong.