Nintendo gives up!

On fighting the console wars at least...

Nintendo's shift in focus

Nintendo plans to expand its share of the video game market by focusing on making better games rather than on building increasingly powerful game players, its new president said Thursday.

Translation: Nintendo's traditional console could end with the current generation, but they're not abandoning it like Sega....yet.

"We can't be optimistic about the game market. No matter what great product you come up with, people get bored," he said, referring to game players at a meeting with analysts at a Tokyo hotel. "I feel like a chef cooking for a king who's full."

Translation: We think our games our great, but there's too many competetors

Although Iwata declined to give details of what Nintendo has in the works, he gave one example of where his company hopes to differ: It won't pursue online games, judging them as still too limited in appeal.

Translation: no online games. Not sure if that's altogether or if PSO will be the only one.

"The effort to produce machines with better technology has reached its limit," Iwata said. "If things continue, they may lead to the decline of the entire game industry."

Translation: We can't keep up


In my opinion the console wars has claimed another victim. Not dead but seriously injured. Of course I've heard rumors of yet another totally new contender from Asia looking to enter the race to take their place.

Disagree? Fine lets hear it.

 

This could help the Xbox.

 

I think your view of what he is saying is wrong, they aren't "giving up" just facing the facts that they are going to have to focus on producing games

 

reading in between the lines from speeches like this is my specialty. You're free to disagree, and some of the more rabid Nintendo fans will be in here with their rage unfurled by my title (possibly my intention? Hmmm...I'm playing mind games) but reading in between the lines Nintendo sees more profit in games than trying to be the leader in consoles, and they're right, but they're throwing themselves out of the franchise name and stepping back. It also means the next wave of uber-consoles won't have the name Nintedo in it.
Mario and Zelda aren't going anywhere, but they may eventually find a new home.

 

All the good video gaming companies are getting kicked out.

Thanks a lot Microsoft.

 

Personally I'd blame the even more oppressive Sony, but I know Gates is a popular whipping boy.

 

Yes, tenorjedi, you have an amazing ability to decipher written statements! I had no idea what they were talking about until you cleared the fog for us all. THNAKS!!!@1

 

You're quite WECLOME!!!@1

 

That info came from Team**Xbox**?

That sure sounds like a reliable source for Nintendo related news to me.

-Jomero

 

Reuters/PlanetNintedo Confirms

Like I said they're not abandoning the Cube and they've got ambitious plans to sell 50 mil by 2005 but they've now publicly announced that R&D and keeping up with the other competetors is too costly and that the games are more profitable. They're perfectly happy with the graphics they've got and don't see a future in better graphics. Which is blatantly a company line.

They're looking at making a profit and not dominating the market. It makes perfect sense to cut your losses rather than go bankrupt in 6 years with their next console if they can't deliver against the Box and the PS. Sega's still kicking butt in games so Nintendo started as a developer and they'll end as one it appears. They've already painted themselves as the kiddie console and the one with limited drivespace and now as the one who isn't online. Getting out of console development is a wise move.

 

Jomero it came from USA Today

 

Blame Sony if you want to blame anybody, fanboys.

Besides, I think its a good turn. I wanna see Nintendo make some friggin PC games finally. Please!

 

"reading in between the lines from speeches like this is my specialty."

Thank you for bestowing your great knowledge upon us.

 

Nintendo started as a developer

By your logic, they'll end up making cards again.

Regardles, Nintendo we're pricing far too low IMO, I would have payed 200 quid for teh gamecube but ended up paying only 130. They can't expect a miracle over night though, it IS selling better than the X-Box, and the cheap price strategy bought X-Box to it's knees, dropping from 350 quid to 200 in a matter of months.

gamecube is a console with little merits at the moment, it certainly does FEEL like the Dreamcast, the games certainly have an incredibly arcadey feel, Super Monkeh Balls and Pikmin especially. But Nintendo is still lacking the EPIC titles, PS2's got Final Fantasy, X-Box has Halo and Dreamcast had Shenmue. You must admit, it's still early day's for Nintendo's console, and games like Smash Brothers and Resident Evil, won't fill the gap forever, Zelda and Starfox Adventures better be good.

 

Anybody who blames this on Microsoft being in the console business is ignorant.The GameCube is doing better than the Xbox, and the PS2 with its year head start is murdering them both. If anybody, "blame" Sony for making two kickass products. I won't blame them for knowing what they're doing and competing in a competitive market, however.

And Nintendo made the same damn mistake they made with the N64 - they had good hardware, but failed to deliver in the games department. I mean, sure, in 2004 when Zelda, Starfox, Mario, etc. are all out, Nintendo will have a decent lineup - with crummy hardware for the time period. The same thing happened with the N64... by the time the good games roll around, the hardware is crap.

But I think this is a good decision on their part if they pull through with it. Stick to making those first party Nintendo games, let Rare do some work for other consoles, and everybody will be happy, minus the occasional Nintendo fanboy.

 

By your logic, they'll end up making cards again.

I wasn't applying logic, I was simply pointing out that they got their start making games for Atari and arcade machines and did quite well. Maybe we can see some of the old magic if they're not so bogged down by trying to compete with two of the largest companies in the world.

Oh Sithman and all others learn to take a joke. I'd think in this forum more than others that they wouldn't take everything so freakin seriously.

 

I'd think in this forum more than others that they wouldn't take everything so freakin seriously.

Shows how often you frequent Games. kthxbye

 

Cool it down, everybody.

 

Nah I like it hot.

 

i think everybody is getting pissed off cause they cant handle the truth

 

I dont think they officaly are giving up on making consoles. I hope they don't either.

 

"i think everybody is getting pissed off cause they cant handle the truth"

Alright, then what do YOU think the truth is,Portman?

 

So basically, Nintendo is not going to invest any of their time in hardware upgrades. That's really not that big of a deal. I'm sure there will be plenty of third party manufacturers making online hardware and extra gadgets for the Gamecube.

Surely though, they can't be serious about not continually upgrading their handhelds. They've got virtually 100% of the market there, and they're closest competition in the US is Palm. The GBA is an amazing little system, and it's too bad for them if they aren't pushing it right. In the past year, third party manufacturers have made the FM tuner, a TV tuner, the Flash advance ( ), and a built in backlight among others. It's kind of stupid for them to not push the product harder, other than making new colored GBAs.

 

I'm not sure on the handhelds. I hope they don't stop there, but I imagine that at the current time they can't really build a much better system in the limited space and still be cost effective, but who knows. BTW what's the flash component you're talking about?

 

The flash component is basically a flash card that can be used as a cartridge on the GBA. They don't sell them in the US, obviously because of software piracy.