The Console Wars
Out of context: Reply #1
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- mitsu0
"According to many experts, Nintendo's most likely route is to eventually follow Sega's lead: get out of the brutally competitive console business and focus on software."
i disagree with this. Iwata's statements in this article show he knows the secret to making good video games:
"Online video games have been a false start so far, Iwata asserts, which is why he has no plans to lead Nintendo in that direction. The current path taken by game developers toward more cinematic graphics, richer story lines and complicated controls is a blind alley that, he says, will only worsen the current "nothing's new" ennui felt by many consumers."
here, nintendo's biggest setback is revealed:
"the company has historically treated outside game companies more like competitors than partners, requiring them to accept unfavorable licensing deals and demanding a greater editorial say in game content. "
many years ago, when 20-somethings were't all proficient in programming in C++, this was acceptable. Today, with this not being the case, Sony has taken a lead in the console wars because they understand the fundamental importance of having a huge number of 3rd party developers in order to propagate their growing library of games.
i think for nintendo to be successful again in the console market, they need to swallow their pride and make it easier for 3rd party developers write games for thier system. in addition, they might want to reconsider their target demographic, which seems to be, ironically, the atari generation.