That's the question posted by Joystiq after Nintendo posted an operating loss of $457 million for 2013. They ask to choose between "Smaller and weirder," or "Bigger, market defining." However, I disagree with both options. I think Nintendo was best when Nintendo didn't approach gaming as "My Way or the Highway." Nintendo keeps trying to define what gaming should be for the masses and it has only worked once. The Wii was a massive casual success. It's insane how successful it was. Yet, Nintendo hardware wasn't always so specialized.
The NES, SNES were both broader systems. Both had tons of developer support despite other competitors on the market. Then there was the N64 and Nintendo tried to force the cartridge format unto publishers despite Sony offering a much cheaper disc option. Still, in an age where "3D gaming" was really starting to take off on consoles, the N64 was still fairly broad. Nintendo went with another proprietary format for the GameCube. It also used an unique controller, one that didn't lend itself well to multi platform games or certain genres (like fighters). And while the GC was a well built system, it was further separated from other standard consoles.
Then Nintendo tried to reinvent the wheel with the Wii and it worked tremendously. It was great for everyone except a select few third party developers. Developers have been slowly jumping ship since the N64 days and it only got worse with the Wii. Development cost were skyrocketing and publishers didn't want to put their financial future on the line with every release, hence why we get so many Call of Duty games every year. But Nintendo was telling publishers to try something new, something unproven that might work. Or, it might bankrupt them. Publishers clearly didn't go for that.
Now we have the Wii U and it's the same old story. Nintendo wants to define the gaming experience and developers don't want to take the risk. Once again Nintendo is on an island populated by them and a handful of devs/publishers. I don't think Nintendo works best like that. Nintendo was best with broader systems like the NES and SNES. That doesn't mean they still couldn't do other things. After all, Microsoft bundled Kinect but it didn't dramatically change the controller. I hope Nintendo gets back to that, a broad system that's easily accessible to consumers and publishers alike.
What's your take? How do you like your Nintendo?
The NES, SNES were both broader systems. Both had tons of developer support despite other competitors on the market. Then there was the N64 and Nintendo tried to force the cartridge format unto publishers despite Sony offering a much cheaper disc option. Still, in an age where "3D gaming" was really starting to take off on consoles, the N64 was still fairly broad. Nintendo went with another proprietary format for the GameCube. It also used an unique controller, one that didn't lend itself well to multi platform games or certain genres (like fighters). And while the GC was a well built system, it was further separated from other standard consoles.
Then Nintendo tried to reinvent the wheel with the Wii and it worked tremendously. It was great for everyone except a select few third party developers. Developers have been slowly jumping ship since the N64 days and it only got worse with the Wii. Development cost were skyrocketing and publishers didn't want to put their financial future on the line with every release, hence why we get so many Call of Duty games every year. But Nintendo was telling publishers to try something new, something unproven that might work. Or, it might bankrupt them. Publishers clearly didn't go for that.
Now we have the Wii U and it's the same old story. Nintendo wants to define the gaming experience and developers don't want to take the risk. Once again Nintendo is on an island populated by them and a handful of devs/publishers. I don't think Nintendo works best like that. Nintendo was best with broader systems like the NES and SNES. That doesn't mean they still couldn't do other things. After all, Microsoft bundled Kinect but it didn't dramatically change the controller. I hope Nintendo gets back to that, a broad system that's easily accessible to consumers and publishers alike.
What's your take? How do you like your Nintendo?