Wait, citation for the bolded?I get their approach, but I would've liked it if they hadn't gimped the Switch somewhat. The Tegra fully supports 4k output and HDR, but for some reason they decided to cut both options. Same for .h265 support, it would've done wonders for games which use video files. but for some insane reason they cut it. I understand that they can't compete, and that's fine. But man, removing some of such obvious features just blows my mind...
I don't think this is true.If Nintendo made a powerful console, they'd get the same third party support as Sony and Microsoft, which means more people would buy the console.
Nintendo has enough money to lose money for 50 years and still stay in business. They absolutely have enough money to make a powerful console.
Why do Nintendo fans keep making excuses for Nintendo's unwillingness to make a powerful console?
One of my 'favourite' 'stupid decisions' was Nintendo dropping the ball with DMA Designs and body harvest.
Body harvest was supposed to be an N64 launch game, touting the power of the system by it's open world on foot and vehicular gameplay, DMA Designs was hoping they could score a second party situation with Nintendo (something similar to what rare ended up with) it's a whirlwind of a story, but basically Noa and noj kept telling dma completely different, often contradicting things had to be in the game, it went into developer hell, missed it's launch date by.... An eternity, and nearly ruined DMA design, who was bounced around the publisher pinball machine, until eventually ending up becoming rockstar games, and turning the code base first established in body harvest, into the basis of gtaiii.
Nintendo screwed the pooch on getting rockstar/GTA exclusivity.
It's also loud. I can play the Deck anywhere as long as no other humans are nearbyLet me add, hybrid to me is the way to go. And at some point, aside from them not wanting to sell at a loss, I also don’t think having an incredibly expensive system is the way for them to go co side ring their market. I don’t want to pay 500 bucks for a console.
I also want my portable to not be heavy and bulky with a 2 hour battery life.
People point out to the Deck, which is very cool, but it is expensive. The entry model which is 400 is not that great considering no SSD and small storage for the type of games PC players like. Battery life is not great for bigger games and when Valve recommends tinkering and lowing fps to 15 to get juice…. No thank you.
they get much more supportIf Nintendo made a powerful console, they'd get the same third party support as Sony and Microsoft, which means more people would buy the console.
Deck is cool but I'm never, ever taking that on the train with me.People point out to the Deck, which is very cool, but it is expensive. The entry model which is 400 is not that great considering no SSD and small storage for the type of games PC players like. Battery life is not great for bigger games and when Valve recommends tinkering and lowing fps to 15 to get juice…. No thank you.
turns out 110 million people don't need a gazillion of polygons to enjoy their Animal crossings and their Marios
You want Nintendo to make a stupid decision and get rid of the hybrid form factor.they failed because Nintendo made stupid decisions with those consoles
So, let’s assume, in an alternate world, that Nintendo made a home console on par with the PS5. What’s going on with their portable business in this strategy, as they now have the same problem of two product lines and two software ranges and games taking longer and longer to make?I've heard people make the argument that "Nintendo shouldn't make a powerful console to directly compete with Sony and Microsoft, since the N64 and GameCube, both powerful consoles, failed!"
Here's the thing: The N64 and GameCube didn't fail because they were trying to compete against Sony and Microsoft, they failed because Nintendo made stupid decisions with those consoles, like sticking with cartridges and using mini-DVDs. A Nintendo console on par with the PS5 and Xbox Series X would most likely do very well. Imagine a Nintendo console with amazing first party AND third party games, and having Mario and Zelda in 4k and 60 FPS.
Hasn't the Switch already sold more than the PS4/XBO? Especially the Xbox. Power doesn't automatically translate into sales.If Nintendo made a powerful console, they'd get the same third party support as Sony and Microsoft, which means more people would buy the console.
Excuses for what? What are we making excuses for that the company has clearly shown they just frankly don’t want to do it.
Here’s an article with Miyamoto a couple years after the GC
Whether you like it or not the company sees themselves and the industry in a certain way. And, will stubbornly stick to it come hell or high water.
Thank you. Corroborating these two points:"If you only expand upon existing hardware, it's dull. In some shape or form, we're always thinking about how we want to surprise players as well as our desire to change each person's video gaming life." - Satoru Iwata
“Every game developer is shooting for nothing but realism and flashiness, so we’re seeing an overflow of games that look exactly the same,” said Yamauchi. “What does realism and flashiness have to do with fun? If more games with new types of gameplay and fun come on the market, the market will expand, companies will have more support, and there’d be a business to work with.”
Yamauchi also highly criticized large-scale AAA games and said companies who make these kinds of games will eventually go bankrupt. “Large-scale games are done for. If they continue to be made, then companies around the world will go under,” said Yamauchi.
On May 16th, 2001, Satoru Iwata, director of Nintendo’s strategic planning, explained to reporters how graphics are now reaching diminishing returns. “There is not much more developers can do to impress players only with pictures. The hardest thing is to entertain,” said Iwata at a press conference before the opening of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Two months after the GameCube’s successful North American launch, Hiroshi Yamauchi remained firm with his position that the industry should focus less on realistic graphics and more on ways to expand the market.
These are not one or two random devs. These are the President, the soon-to-be-President and the leader of the software development teams, sharing the same overall message in three different contexts. (And no, I'm not buying that mini-DVDs were chosen only to send a message - I'm pretty sure there were some other pragmatical reasons here. And yet, while I'm sure Miyamoto is not telling the whole truth here, I think he is not lying either).When asked why Nintendo chose smaller disks for GameCube instead of standard DVDs, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that smaller disks sends a message to developers that they don’t need to make long games with realistic graphics.
“I’m not sure if it’s the whole world demanding realistic graphics or just a limited number of games players, but some developers are in the mindset that they feel threatened by the world into making realistic looking games right now,” said Miyamoto. “Therefore, they just cannot afford the time to make unique software because they feel the pressure to make realistic games and are obsessed with graphics.”
He continues,”In the end, they cannot recoup their investment in the game. So in a way, the smaller disc is a message from Nintendo that you don’t need to fill out the capacity of a normal sized DVD disc. If we want to make larger software, then we just make the game on two or three discs.”
Switch will become the number 3 best selling console of all time.If Nintendo made a powerful console, they'd get the same third party support as Sony and Microsoft, which means more people would buy the console.
Nailed it. Again, the XBO is a big example of this. All the power in the world (at the time) and it still bombed out the gate. And the Wii outsold the X360 despite weaker hardware and (arguably) weaker exclusives.Power is overrated. But that goes both ways. I think it's weird that people think a more powerful console would cause Nintendo to fail, it wouldn't. But it also wouldn't be the cause of their success. There is so much more to a console than power that makes the difference.
The big reason I think a powerful console would hurt Nintendo is that it doesn't answer the problem of having two hardware/software pipelines in 2022. So either you end up hamstringing the portable line or the home console one.Power is overrated. But that goes both ways. I think it's weird that people think a more powerful console would cause Nintendo to fail, it wouldn't. But it also wouldn't be the cause of their success. There is so much more to a console than power that makes the difference.
Like with the N64 and GameCube, the Xbone failed because of stupid decisions. It never had a chance with that disastrous reveal.Nailed it. Again, the XBO is a big example of this. All the power in the world (at the time) and it still bombed out the gate. And the Wii outsold the X360 despite weaker hardware and (arguably) weaker exclusives.
More power will help, but Nintendo owners showing up for these releases, which people have been.If power isn't the answer for Nintendo's third party woes, then what is?
Power is the answer, other than Playstation loyalty. But having good third party support doesn't mean the console will sell.If power isn't the answer for Nintendo's third party woes, then what is?
What about my other point? The Wii (and the Switch) are still outselling every other console. Hell, another example is the Meta Quest. Very underpowered but still outselling every other VR system.Like with the N64 and GameCube, the Xbone failed because of stupid decisions. It never had a chance with that disastrous reveal.
My pre order is still not up. But I know I won’t be taking that on vacation or a plane with me like I do with a Switch. Couch and plugged unless I’m going to the bathroom lolDeck is cool but I'm never, ever taking that on the train with me.
Meanwhile I saw the Switch OLED for the first time a few days ago. Oh my. In terms of sleek factor it's up there with the GBA SP and DS Lite, and that screen.
The GameCube literally did use DVDs, the mini discs were mini DVDs that had the same functionality as larger ones. That generation actually highlights that power often does lose out. The PS2 was the weakest hardware of its generation, but it sold a crap ton because of the support it had going in, and that it was cheaper than most standalone DVD players of the time. The original Xbox was more powerful, could play DVDs, pioneered online gaming, and had an industry shaking killer ap in Halo, and still just about tied with the GameCube in the end.You don't think the N64 and GameCube would have sold much better if they used CDs? Because I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have.
N64 maybe. NGC? Nah. Mini disc was enough for most games and games that needed more, two discs which is fine.You don't think the N64 and GameCube would have sold much better if they used CDs? Because I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have.
The PS2 sold so well partly because it was a LOT of people's first DVD player.The GameCube literally did use DVDs, the mini discs were mini DVDs that had the same functionality as larger ones. That generation actually highlights that power often does lose out. The PS2 was the weakest hardware of its generation, but it sold a crap ton because of the support it had going in, and that it was cheaper than most standalone DVD players of the time. The original Xbox was more powerful, could play DVDs, pioneered online gaming, and had an industry shaking killer ap in Halo, and still just about tied with the GameCube in the end.
That’s my point. It had functionality and price on its side, which was much more valuable in the end than being a more powerful system than its peers.The PS2 sold so well partly because it was a LOT of people's first DVD player.
Are these supposed woes a problem Nintendo needs to solve in order to achieve success?If power isn't the answer for Nintendo's third party woes, then what is?
"Money, dear boy!"If power isn't the answer for Nintendo's third party woes, then what is?
The same reason for why Nintendo went with their own blue-rays & CDs for WiiU & Wii. Nintendo largely does not like to pay royalties so if they can they will design & use their own stuff.These are not one or two random devs. These are the President, the soon-to-be-President and the leader of the software development teams, sharing the same overall message in three different contexts. (And no, I'm not buying that mini-DVDs were chosen only to send a message - I'm pretty sure there were some other pragmatical reasons here. And yet, while I'm sure Miyamoto is not telling the whole truth here, I think he is not lying either).
I don't want Nintendo to compete in power. But I do want them powerful enough were there isn't a huge gap between consoles.
I don’t think Nintendo wants to deal with anything that has to do with a dock that gives extra power. Nor do I think they wanna offer multiple variant joy-cons. Sure they’ll probably iterate on both products but offering more then the standard is something they’ll just ignore.I still like their hybrid approach and would love to see a return to the Wii U in terms of duel handheld/TV gameplay.
Like having the dock give the main handheld more power.
And I would want the Switch 2 to explore different joycons in shape and design set up that can be switched in. Some with bigger grips, some shaped like a GameCube controller, some to flip the handheld vertically and play games long ways.
Nintendo shouldn't be in a position where they miss out on game releases because their console isn't strong enough to run them. And downgrading games dramatically for some poor 3rd party studio to do and provide no support after the fact or a cloud version of games is really unacceptable.
Not to mention Nintendo needs to not only catch up but blow everyone else in the water to their online service.
How bad their online service is and has been behind for YEARS. And their ignorance towards online gaming as a whole and that it took a freaking pandemic for them to realize online gaming and being able to communicate to friends through your console is only good tjong is just. -face palm-
Because they're perfect for people who don't have time/space to play at home. They're also perfect for kids.Why have Nintendo's handhelds been more successful than their home consoles?
In no particular order:Why have Nintendo's handhelds been more successful than their home consoles?