You couldn't make it up

Wow, you vastly underrate the image Nintendo have built up. Most of Nintendo's success is down to the image it has created for the Wii and that is something that is very difficult to slap onto a console with a completely different demographic and marketing. MS would totally alienate their existing userbase. The PS2 has shown some success with the likes of Buzz, Singstar etc. but nothing compared to the unprecedented explosive success of the Wii brand.

I don't hate my Wii or regret buying it but the simple fact is that it isn't even plugged in and hasn't been since November. It spent two and a half months this year round my mates so his girlfriend could play Zelda.

I have been meaning to play No more heroes, Mario Kart and re-play/finish Okami (started it on PS2 but my machine died taking the disc with it), the latter two of which are in my house already as my brothers and my just recieved birrthday present respectfully. But I have limited time to play games and the 360 always wins out.

consolegaming wrote:It is true nintendo seem to have taken the foot off the pedal of late, they are getting a bit arrogant after some success, much like sega and sony before them.

I don't think it's that so much as it's looking at a new business strategy, and core gamers aren't its #1 priority. They'll still be catered for, of course, but people have to accept that Nintendo isn't going to release twenty-odd hardcore-friendly titles per year. It's a pity in a way that it can't cast its net wider and recruit more studios to make more titles (which would undoubtedly be profitable) but then it'd monopolise its own console to an even greater degree. Perhaps that's not such a bad idea given that very few third-party developers seem to know how to get the best out of Wii.

The thing is they are still doing so well and do not feel the need to keep churning out classic games. I guess the only positive is the number of franchises nintendo still have at their disposal and there is still the fact they have not really announced much for next year and are probably concentrating on this years releases. I certainly have faith in nintendo, they are not stupid enough to let it slip and they are still developing games of the highest order, the problem is they have got their market and are still trying to attract non gamers because us gamers have unquestionably blind loyalty towards them based on their past efforts!

The other thing is that this new audience doesn't go baying for blood if it doesn't get a new Zelda or Mario every year. While it would be folly to turn a deaf ear to the complaints from core gamers, it's easy to see why Nintendo's focus has changed, particularly with Microsoft and Sony so actively chasing one side of the market (and both having effectively cornered it between them in the previous generation, leaving Nintendo to pick at the scraps in third place).

It's like your favourite band releasing a really commercial stadium rock album after several years peddling quirky indie-garage which fans adored but which hardly troubled the charts. In a way, you hate them for it, but at the same time you can hardly blame them for selling out a little.

Green Gecko wrote:Wow, you vastly underrate the image Nintendo have built up. Most of Nintendo's success is down to the image it has created for the Wii and that is something that is very difficult to slap onto a console with a completely different demographic.

True the Wii branding was a masterstroke and how we laughed at the name!

Green Gecko wrote:Wow, you vastly underrate the image Nintendo have built up. Most of Nintendo's success is down to the image it has created for the Wii and that is something that is very difficult to slap onto a console with a completely different demographic.

Demographic, shemographic
If I wanted to tap into Nintendo's audience, I get

Kerry Catona advertising MS new Get Fit! complete with balance square.

Lisa Scott Lee from Steps doing Brain Training

And Jeremy Kyle and friends playing MS sports.

Bish, bash, bosh!

I will never challenge the deviance of the Drunken Master again.

Hero of Canton wrote:

consolegaming wrote:It is true nintendo seem to have taken the foot off the pedal of late, they are getting a bit arrogant after some success, much like sega and sony before them.

I don't think it's that so much as it's looking at a new business strategy, and core gamers aren't its #1 priority. They'll still be catered for, of course, but people have to accept that Nintendo isn't going to release twenty-odd hardcore-friendly titles per year.

Not that they ever have.

Hero of Canton wrote:

tnman wrote:The Wii is awesome.

It does have some awesome games, but if anything summed up the current situation with the Wii it's that.

Besides, Japan gets Captain Rainbow and Alien Crush Returns this week.

Lets be fair, if you are just judging games by their names, those two quite happily sit beside the US releases.

I wouldn't say there is any more shovelware on the Wii than there was on the PS2 at the same point in it's life cycle. The difference is that the PS2 had a regular flow of excellent games in it's second year and the Wii release schedule is looking more than a little 'weak' for the next few months. I'm hoping this will change in a big way in 2009.

Zartan wrote:

Hero of Canton wrote:

tnman wrote:The Wii is awesome.

It does have some awesome games, but if anything summed up the current situation with the Wii it's that.

Besides, Japan gets Captain Rainbow and Alien Crush Returns this week.

Lets be fair, if you are just judging games by their names, those two quite happily sit beside the US releases.

Except I know plenty about the former (which has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour as it is) while the latter's a remake of a well-known PC Engine pinball game. Granted, I may be doing Spy Fox In Dry Cereal (come on, that's FAR worse) a disservice, but I somehow doubt that it's going to be a Galaxy-beater.

Rik wrote:

consolegaming wrote:I am extremely disappointed by Hero's comments, I thought he was true nintendo supporter

Yes lets pretend everything is great when it isn't

This isn't like supporting a football team you know.

Do you think Luton Town will win Team of the Year at this years Sports personality because I certainly do. I just can't see any competition.

Octoroc wrote:My main gripes with the Wii are the wanky graphics and turdy controller.

The shovelware is just the fetid icing on the ploppy cake.

I'm sorry to quote from ages ago again but I just dad to as this made me chuckle quite a lot.

Nice work .

Peter Crisp wrote:"Super Happy Fun Bus of Ultimate Dreams"

Want.

Rik wrote:

When you see crap updates like halo 3

An Edge [10] and 8 million copies say otherwise.

Not that im saying its crap but edge isnt god and doesnt mean a game is good and sales mean strawberry float all really.

Games that are gooseberry fool still sell.

But still his Sony fan boyism is clouding his judgement as per usual

Neph wrote:

Rik wrote:

When you see crap updates like halo 3

An Edge [10] and 8 million copies say otherwise.

Not that im saying its crap but edge isnt god and doesnt mean a game is good and sales mean **** all really.

Games that are **** still sell.

But still his Sony fan boyism is clouding his judgement as per usual

Maybe so, but i, like many others believe the recent edge 10s have been well off compared to the previous 10s, which in my opinion were probably justified.

Neph wrote:

Rik wrote:

When you see crap updates like halo 3

An Edge [10] and 8 million copies say otherwise.

Not that im saying its crap but edge isnt god and doesnt mean a game is good and sales mean **** all really.

Games that are **** still sell.

But still his Sony fan boyism is clouding his judgement as per usual

this is the most sensible post in this thread.

"Crap" games do not get Edge tens and then sell 8 million copies, ok Halo 3 isn't for everyone but it's obviously a very good game.

Rik wrote:"Crap" games do not get Edge tens and then sell 8 million copies, ok Halo 3 isn't for everyone but it's obviously a very good game.

Halo 3 absolutely did not deserve an Edge 10, IMO. Certainly one of the most over-hyped games I have ever played.

Review scores, whosoever they come from, are essentially just opinions written down. No score is going to be universally accepted as the "right" one, I'm sure plenty of us have games we wish had had a higher or lower score.

Halo 3s Edge 10 is no more or less important than any other.

Hero of Canton wrote:

Zartan wrote:

Hero of Canton wrote:Besides, Japan gets Captain Rainbow and Alien Crush Returns this week.

Lets be fair, if you are just judging games by their names, those two quite happily sit beside the US releases.

Except I know plenty about the former (which has a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour as it is) while the latter's a remake of a well-known PC Engine pinball game. Granted, I may be doing Spy Fox In Dry Cereal (come on, that's FAR worse) a disservice, but I somehow doubt that it's going to be a Galaxy-beater.

All I am saying is:

You can't judge a book by its cover

Or more concisely

You can't judge a game by its appalling super happy fun Japanese name