Nintendo: Hardcore gamers 'critically important to us'

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jul 22nd 2008 at 11:30AM }

"Absolutely the hard-core gamer crowd is critically important to us." Which would explain why so much of Nintendo's E3 press conference was taken up by spirited flailing, smiling soccer moms and the worst rendition of the Super Mario Bros. theme the world has ever been forced to endure.

But Nintendo hasn't forgotten about the mythical "hardcore" gamer crowd, Cammie Dunaway tells Wired. The executive VP of sales and marketing, who insists that she's a "genuinely smiley, nice person," explains that "the Zelda and Mario teams are hard at work," possibly on something that could rival the infinitely desirable Super Mario Sluggers. "And even Super Mario Sluggers, which is certainly an expanded audience title, but what core gamer doesn't love Mario and baseball and finding out which combination of characters are going to do what kind of crazy things in the field?" she ponders.

Dunaway also notes that Nintendo is committed to a variety of games, catering to casual players with titles like Cooking Navi, and exciting tougher crowds with the DS iteration of Grand Theft Auto. We mean, she must have seen it, right? "I have not looked at the product. Have you?" Well, no ... but we haven't been incorporating it into our sales pitch either.

Tags: Cammie-Dunaway, Facepalm, Nintendo, Wii-Sports

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)

Misfit Toy @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:35AM

Nintendo is loyal to this hardcore gamer above all...

$

iag25 @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:48AM

All three console makers have $$$ above everything else.

What's your point ?

Vol @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:07PM

This article reminded me I had a Wii.. how sad.

Sinister Rouge @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:36PM

Lack of quality first-party titles, your Mum wants to play one, Mario rearing his head in unlikely sporting situations...

I think it's called "Gamecube Syndrome".

Donald @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:43PM

I must be the only person that actually really liked my Gamecube and thought it had a good amount of fun titles.

*waits to get voted to 1/2 a star because not agreeing with me obviously means my comment is trash*

crazyyellowguy @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:34AM

not really gamecube syndrome, but more the sony effect.

Nintendo is getting a little too cocky for its own good and thinking that they can spit out whatever they want and people will buy.

Christina @ Jul 31st 2008 1:53PM

Right... :)

juju187 @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:37AM

yea because we look so tough with our DS's gangbanging,
anywho nintendo are sellouts and i expect nothing but the worst rushing these covert ninja teams they have

EMaster @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:38AM

Fuck'em I have lost all faith in them. I have invested over 5 grand at least into Nintendo's stuff over the past 20 years I am not giving those assholes another DIME after that shit at E3. In the process of selling my Wii for a PS3 so that it can join the space beside my 360.

WiiFTW @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:40AM

Ditto: except for the part of owning a 360.

EMaster @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:57AM

I already own one and have at it for almost 2 years now without any red rings :D. Very happy with mine.

Donald @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:44PM

I'm actually happy with my Wii and am what you would call "hardcore" if you're interested in using those stupid labels. I have 7 games for my Wii(Metroid, Mario, Zelda, SSBB, No More Heroes, Wii Sports, Wii Play) and I'm happy with it.

It's not like I have many more games for my 360. I have 9 games for my 360 with the intention of getting two more this year (Tales of Vesperia and Left 4 Dead) and I'll be getting two games for my Wii also (Tales of Symphonia 2 and Wii Fit.)

So that's 9 for the Wii and 11 for the 360 by the end of this year for me. So I have a hard time seeing the huge difference. And I'd take those first party Nintendo games over the 360 games any day.

With that number of games I own you may quickly label me a "casual" but I just don't need constant shooters thrown at my face all the time to be happy. Maybe I'm weird.

Co @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:10PM

Nah Donald you're not hardcore enough buddy. I didn't see one mention of your Mountain Dew IV needle (It hooks up directly through the 360 bro!!!)

Donald @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:32PM

My 360 seconds as a microwave for Hot Pockets though.

Blazur @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:33PM

My Wii is going up on Ebay as well. I'm sick of this mambey pambey crap. What a joke...

GreyFox @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:25PM

For those without a 360: just get one since it costs less then a functional Wii (since you have to buy the nunchuk and games separately whereas the 360 comes bundled with games and a controller THAT WORKS IN THE FIRST PLACE).

TwEE @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:03PM

Making stuff up is fun GreyFox..IMAGINATION woooo..

aristokrat @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:03PM

Donald, the difference is that you have ALL (almost at least) of the "hardcore" games for the Wii, while only a few of the many for the 360. If you are a serious gamer and you prefer FPS, you only have 1 choice on the Wii. If you like adventure games, you have 2 or 3, and so on. If you're like me and have GameFly, you would have exhausted the Wii pretty quickly, while the 360 continues to have new things for me to play.

mr nimblewick @ Jul 22nd 2008 10:14PM

You people are fucking stupid. Don't sell a system just because they didn't show you a game you were interested in at ONE SHOW. For being so HARDCORE, you sure are a bunch of wishy-washy whiners.

EMaster @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:22AM

One fucking show? Where have you been? When I see a fucking Soccer mom delivering a speech about some shit she obviously has no clue about it's beginning of the end. Look at the titles coming out this year. This holiday season. What's coming out that is going to be worth your while? Some stupid Wiiware shit? how about a Neo Geo game that I can get on a compilation disk? I want to be entertained by my console THIS YEAR now in 2010. So what ur suggesting is that I should let my wii dust up while I can play Yakuza 3 and God of War 3 which has release details where as the Wii has NOTHING. Enjoy playing your Air Saxophone mr nimblewick. Post a pic of how stupid you will look doing that.

tomo @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:55AM

Bravo, join the club. sold mine months ago, when i realized that the way they're heading, it won't get any better. never thought that i would actually be happy, selling a game console. sell it soon, at the current rate nintendo is going run out of new "gamers" to sell wii to.

Huey2k2 @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:38AM

Actions, not words.

ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:40AM

Oh No...

150 comments at the very least...

PSN & GAMERTAG: jorojoserojas - Wii FC: 0749-8609-3752-6926 @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:43AM

Only 150?

You're hoping that a lot of people don't check out Joystiq today.

koehler83 @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:41AM

/hands up

I'm a hardcore gamer who doesnt care about Mario, Baseball or the combination of the two and whatever the hell else she said regarding it.

acefondu @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:46AM

Agreed, although Mario Golf has always been damn fun.

Evan @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:58AM

Then go play Halo. You obviously would never have bought a Nintendo system this generation no matter what they did.

Most hardcore gamers want Nintendo to produce a 360/PS3 clone, but you still wouldn't buy it, because you'd already have a 360 or PS3. We don't need three identical system. You should be thankful that Nintendo is keeping casual gamers off your precious hardcore systems! If anyone is threatening your hardcore utopia, it's Microsoft for attempting to turn the 360 into a casual system.

Dirty @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:10PM

@Evan Microsoft is still spending money on developing 1st party games that appeal to the core. They understand that there is a large piece of the pie that nintendo is getting and they want it too. I dont feel like the hardcore "segment" has been affected by microsoft's desire to break into the casual. Microsoft knows who is buying the 360 and the certainly doesn't want to piss them off. The wii however has very very little to offer for the core and is only getting worse. Im sure the will announce something at TGS but I have to admit that I like mario and games like it (kid icarus are you serious) less and less the older I get. I want more mature themes and your just not getting anything near that from nintendo.

Noshino @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:21PM

Evan,

"Most hardcore gamers want Nintendo to produce a 360/PS3 clone, but you still wouldn't buy it"

That's pure bs, it was exactly the same last generation, I wanted Nintendo to compete with Sony last generation so I bought a NGC...

"You should be thankful that Nintendo is keeping casual gamers off your precious hardcore systems!"

I should be thankful that Nintendo, in an attempt to make everything more accessible, is dumbing down all of our beloved "hardcore" franchises?

Duke @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:34PM

Evan, I have the Wii and I for one would like to see games with more mature stories and themes. Not everyone enjoys platformers and the like. Its great they make games for casual players who don't want much depth, but it shouldn't be done without also entertaining more interesting ip's for those of us who enjoy more than that.

Also, I don't understand the need to pit the Wii against the other 2 consoles as if we are all bastards for owning a PS3 and 360. I don't care what casual games are made for those consoles, because those companies also place a lot of emphasis in the ip types I mentioned above.

Noshino @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:34PM

Oh, and I forgot to mention

"If anyone is threatening your hardcore utopia, it's Microsoft for attempting to turn the 360 into a casual system."

Sony has been doing it for years (catering the casual gamers) without affecting their core gamers as much as Nintendo has

Killjebus @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:54PM

Excatamundo Noshino,

Sony's strategy is simple. Get the hardcore, reel in the midcore, and scoop up the casual. By year 4 of the PS3's life, Sony will ramp up the bait for the casual.

There is already some casual stuff on the PS3, along with a growing library of hardcore games.

Go 360 and go PS3

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:59PM

Cant forget that PS3 also gets the tech geeks and freaks as well. My bro-in-law doesn't even game AT ALL, but he always wants the newest gadgets and tech so he bought a PS3 since he heard it was the best and cheepest BR player on the market.

TwEE @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:16PM

Ok guys, games that resemble lame action movies are not mature, no matter how much you want to believe.

Not everybody wants to be vin diesel people, I know most of you wont be able to get your minds around that, but its true...

I have no problem with you people obsessing over games that want to be bad movies, but when you bitch and moan that games I like shouldnt be made anymore, it gets a bit pathetic.

Someday when you become mature you guys will understand.

Giroro @ Jul 22nd 2008 3:26PM

Mario Baseball:
Do. Not. Want.

Dirty @ Jul 22nd 2008 4:11PM

Twee, Im not talking about action games, and I hate Vin Diesel. Im talking games like bioshock, mass effect, Metal Gear, assassins creed. These games are about government control, war, love, sex, mortality, death.

Im sorry if I don't enjoy rescuing star creatures or saving princesses anymore. Im not saying that these games shouldn't exist, they obviously are great games for younger gamers.

brokenscope @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:40AM

I believe it when I see it. Till then my Wii is quietly packed away.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:41AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nvuEw9XcuU

:(

Slingshotz06 @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:46PM

Dont bother Nintendo, you've lost me already. I got my Wii the day it came out, bought Zelda, Metroid, Mario Galaxy, and SSBB. And guess what? 2 of those games kept me entertained past the 1st hour.

Now I have NOTHING to look forward to, not even Zelda games because i just dont care anymore, im not buying a $250 system just to play 1 or 2 games. I am a casual gamer, but I love the Story driven games, and Wii lacks those massively.

Nintendo, go shove the Wii up your ass and, you've abandoned gamers who love a good story with their games. Peace out, there is no Next Gen Nintendo for me (Besides handheld).

acefondu @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:55AM

Whoa, whoa...wait a minute. You're a Nintendo fan who wants a good story in a game? Is that what I see here? Nintendo games have NEVER had stories in them. All Nintendo ever did was develop really fun gameplay elements and let the game talk for itself. For instance, Mario = Platforming, Zelda = Adventure/Puzzles, Metroid = Action/Exploration Star Fox = Ariel Combat. I could go on, but Stories??? I guess you could argue Fire Emblem, maybe. lol.

mr mobius @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:56AM

You really are hard to please if only two of those kept you entertained after an hour. Zelda has clocked uo around 40 hours for me and Mario I haven't had time to finish but has been amazing for a long time. Metroid was amazing when I played a snippet on the Wii (and except for uni I't have got it by now) and SSBB hasn't came out in the UK yet.

Noshino @ Jul 22nd 2008 12:25PM

Nah, I haven't played a single Fire Emblem that has had a robust story, they are very simple, its the gameplay and mechanics of the game that make Fire Emblem so addicting

umm....hello??? @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:36PM

umm......so you haven't bought Super Paper Mario for Wii?? that's story driven AND one of the better Wii games...

RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate) @ Jul 22nd 2008 1:58PM

mr mobius, SSBB came out here a month ago. You should probably get on that, it's pretty frickin' sweet.

velocitySTRIKE @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:05PM

Mr Mobius, SSBB came out a month ago in the UK. I think it's time for you to leave the house again =/

Co @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:31PM

Thank god for the Wii. It weeds out fucktards like Slingshotz06 from ever potentially fucking up an online game against me in the future (whats the 06 for, your highschool graduation year, little kid?)

Go cry on Live.

aristokrat @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:09PM

Wow, the bigger news here is that Star Fox has Ariel combat. I hate the fucking mermaid...

SlingshotZ06 @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:50PM

To the person inquiring about the "Z06" in my name, it referrs to the Corvette Z06 Model, seems like you really wanted to know.

And to the other saying that Nintendo has always been about gameplaye and not story, thats true and fine, but for god's sake get the hell off the Mario frachise for a bit, or create something fresh.

I do miss the old days when Nintendo didnt have to rehash their franchise into 70 different games because there were developers out there that made OTHER games for the system. Main im talking about the N64 days when every developer and their mother made a game for the system. It gives variety, its fun to play "party" games with friends every now and then, but friends arent over EVERY time i want to play, and online isnt the same as having friends over.

So if Nintendo wants to cater to everyone and not just the Casual gamers who play 1 hour a day and then call it quits because it looks too difficult, they need to spend some of that "Hard Earned" cash they made off the Wii, and pay for some exclusives where the Ninchucks arent just a lame gimmik. For god's sake even Game Cube had more games that the wii that actually got you involved with the story.

Wii games don't "Immerse" they just entertain for a good thirty minutes.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:35PM

"Thank god for the Wii. It weeds out fucktards like Slingshotz06 from ever potentially fucking up an online game"

Except he's not the one you have to worry about since Nintendo is more than happy to fuck up your "online experience" (as if you can call it that on the wii) instead.