Weird. We’re in the seventh generation of gaming, and the company that has brought us the most innovation, the one that has sold twice as many consoles as the other two companies combined, its games are always amongst the best selling of all time, and at E32010, once again took gaming to another level with the unveiling of its new handheld, is the same company that receives the least amount of respect from gamers.
This should stop now.
I don’t hear gamers decrying Sony and Microsoft’s decision to delve headfirst into the motion control craze. In fact, all of a sudden, the same so called “hardcore” crowed who cussed Nintendo to hell back in 2006, when the Wii was introduced, are the same ones yelling “hooray” for Sony and Microsoft. What, are they just simply fanboys who’d do anything god-Sony or lord-Microsoft tell them to do? It sure seems so, because if it wasn’t, the pushback would be louder. It’s just a whisper.
I’m sure you remember when Microsoft and Sony said Nintendo was literally killing itself, and Sony added that motion controls would never take hold. But look at where we are today. Sure, Sony’s Blu-ray playing PS3, with 50GB capacity is a powerful system compared to Nintendo’s Wii, but games are more than just pretty visuals.
Nintendo, this generation, has brought fourth, over and over again, some of the best gaming experiences to date.
Wii Sports & Wii Sports Resort
Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2
Super Mario Bros. Wii
Wii Fit
And soon we’ll be treated with the likes of:
Metroid: Other M
Donkey Kong Country Returns
New Zelda Wii
Kirby’s Epic Return
Epic Mickey
And many more titles too numerous to mention. But that’s not all:
Like I mentioned earlier, Nintendo unveiled its new handheld device at E3 2010, and the whole industry is now abuzz about it. Some seriously believe it’s the killer app the industry’s been gunning for. Just listen to what some of Japanese developers had to say about the handheld:
* Atsushi Inaba (Bayonetta, MadWorld) “I’m being struck with the intense desire to make something on it. It’s the same sort of excitement I had when I first saw the Wii and DS in Nintendo’s office, but now it’s at a whole new level. This may the first time in the industry where the terms ‘next generation’ and ‘personal dream’ were so appropriate. I’d gladly throw away everything else for a shot at touching the 3DS.â€
* Keiji Inafune (Mega-Man, Dead Rising) “Video games need three things to be successful: a concept, a technology platform, and good marketing. The Nintendo 3DS is a perfect example of those three things bundled into one.â€
* Hideki Kamiya (Okami, Bayonetta) “3D on a large screen has an impact on you and gets you that much closer to the game or movie you’re watching, but 3D on the 3DS’s smaller screen is interesting in its own right. Instead of feeling like you’re ‘really there,’ you feel like it’s ‘really in the palm of your hand,’ so to speak. Having these dynamic home 3D titles is great and all, but personally, I want to take a different approach and make games that take advantage of what a 3D portable has to offer.â€
* Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Resident Evil 5, Devil May Cry) “Our own Resident Evil was shown on the show floor and was well received, but when I saw Metal Gear, I felt the new potential of the 3DS. I’d like to make something.â€
* Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid) “I wear glasses, so I’m happy that 3D glasses are not needed. I directed the E3 demo. It was based off Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater, but the backgrounds and character modeling were all redone in high polygon. It’s not finalized, but we’re thinking about CO-OPs and other things — elements fitting of a 3D and portable game machine.â€
* Toshihiro Nagoshi (Super Monkey Ball, Yakuza) “Nintendo has been re-examining the concept of game consoles as ‘toys’ ever since the Wii, and I think the 3DS is the final result of those efforts. If you believe that gamers will demand more social features and immersiveness in their portable single-player or multiplayer experiences, then Nintendo certainly has that covered with the 3DS’s Wi-Fi and 3D features. There’s a lot of ideas I’d like to work with.â€
* Yoshinori Ono (Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV) “We’d like to put in some ideas that make effective use of the portability.â€
* Goichi Suda (No More Heroes, Killer 7) “It really makes me feel the speed at which the history of video games is unfolding — like, ‘We’ve really made it this far, huh?’ You have a living, breathing world you can touch right in your hands. I think we’ve finally gone from an era of constructing virtual worlds from pixels to one where the world is truly, honestly there. If I had to sum up the sort of game I’d like to make, I would simply call it ‘the next game,’ because the 3DS marks the arrival of the ‘next platform.’â€
* Shu Takami (Phoenix Wright, Ghost Trick) “As a creator, I feel that a new challenge has started… I’d like to show a mystery in a 3D space.â€
Now, there’s talk about a new console from Nintendo incoming, the “Wii 2″ as many would call it. If true, I’m sure it’ll have more power, a hard drive, built-in WiFi and all the other features found on the other consoles. Hopefully those on the fence will be satisfied?
I’m truly tired of gamers treating the legendary console maker/game publisher like they’re flops, when truly, they’re the only company who’ve seen massive profits from the Wii from day one.
And stop acting like the hardcore don’t play the Wii, the last time I checked, hardcore meant “being the most determined or dedicated”.
I’m sure there are many “determined and dedicated” Wii players out there. I know this sound like a rant, but it’s truly not. Gamers, though, should think harder before brushing off Nintendo like failures this generation. Show the company that brought you the NES, GameBoy, DS, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Nintendo Wii, and now the Nintendo 3DS, some respect.
And just in case you forgot, Nintendo staked its entire company on the Wii. A risk not many would even dare dream of taking.
It was indeed a rant. Rant over.
the reason why people dont pay nintendo any respect is because they just milk the same crap over and over and over and over again!
i enjoy nostalgia as much as the next guy, but there comes a time when you need new IPs.
how many mario and zelda games can we play!?
Yeah but still, respect is due the company. Look at all they’ve done for our industry….
besides motion controls what have they done?
sony and M$ have pushed the industry forward allot more than nintendo.
i just dont see how giving us 1000000 mario games and 15000 zelda games is pushing the industry forward.
and the 3Ds in nothing new, glasses free 3D displays have been out in china for almost 6 months now, by the time the 3Ds releases it will be yesterdays news!
Aha ha. Oh I agree nick. Nintendo needs more “original IP” games such as halo odst, gears of war 3, fable 3, resident evil 5, metalgear solid 4, metal gear solid rising, fable 3, mass effect 3, god of war 3, final fantasy 13 and 13 versus and 14, uncharted 2, Arkham asylum 2, Blazblue 2, Fifa 11, Assassins creed 2 and brotherhood, Modern warefare 2 and modern warefare black ops, DJ hero 2, Gran Turismo 5,Patapon 3, Starcraft 2, Halo reach, Civilization 5, fallout new vegas, Little big planet 2 (not the psp one),dead rising2, twisted metal 2,Street fighter 4, time crisis 5 or 6, that new mortal kombat game, and bad company 2 just to name a few. Again originals
Oh darn, missed socom 4, madden 11, the new medal of honor,call of duty black ops,need for speed hot pursuit, infamous 2, kill zone 3, the force unleashed 2, marvel vs capcom 3, mafia 2, grand theft auto 4, nba 2k 11, nhl 11, kane and lynch 2, the new catlevania, dead space 2, modern warefare 3, crysis 2, portal 2, the new ghost recon, fear 3, max payne 3, rock band 3, sims 3, testdrive 2, bioshock 2, doom 4, saints row 3, yakuza 4, hawx 2, dragon age 2, bionic commando rearmed 2, trine 2, and wwe 2011. Such original non sequel title should not go unnoticed!
lol, good one.