Nintendo to Launch All-New Console and Ecosystem for Emerging Markets

[starlight777]

Nintendo to Launch All-New Console and Ecosystem for Emerging Markets

http://gadgets.ndtv.com/games/news/...ole-and-ecosystem-for-emerging-markets-520413

Nintendo Chief Executive Satoru Iwata said on Thursday he plans to introduce a new kind of games console and software for emerging markets as early as next year, rather than launch existing hardware such as its Wii U or 3DS.



Iwata told Reuters in an interview following an analyst briefing that Nintendo would offer new hardware for countries such as China, oriented towards consumers with lower incomes and less gaming experience than those in developed countries.

A Bloomberg report quotes Iwata to say ""We want to make new things, with new thinking rather than a cheaper version of what we currently have. The product and price balance must be made from scratch."



Nintendo also announced a smartphone companion app for its upcoming Mario Kart 8 title, detailing various statistics about the player's gameplay, as well as video footage of their own and other players. A Web-based version will also be launched for players to check their stats and see videos online. It has been tentatively named Mario Kart TV.



A Nintendo Figurine Platform (NFP) is also going to be launched, with a physical figurine sold to further interact with the game. Nintendo will showcase NFP at E3 2014.

Nintendo released its full-year earnings on Wednesday, booking its third year in the red after disappointing sales of its Wii U home games console. The company had then said it hoped a series of new video games such as "Mario Kart 8" would revive sales and return it to profit.



Nintendo had a torrid 2013 as sales of its Wii U console fell far short of projections due to a paucity of games, while casual gamers were not given enough reason to upgrade from popular predecessor Wii due to the consoles' perceived similarity.



The company hopes to dispel that perception by demonstrating the difference of the Wii U through new games, whilst building on the relative popularity of the 3DS handheld console to end the current business year back in the black.

 

[Momewrath]

Ugh. I really don't like where they're headed. Just suck it up and make your games for X1/PS4. Can you imagine how much better a Zelda or Mario game would sell on a platform a lot of people actually own? Nintendo has seriously lost its plot, and these "new experiences" are not going to get them out of the gutter. The success of the Wii was probably a once in a lifetime thing for them. They tried to repeat it with the U to no avail, and the farther the fall down the rabbit hole of "new things", the deeper into obscurity they'll become.

Do your new thing Nintendo, but for Gods sake, make your games available to be played on other platforms for the people who've been supporting you for years in spite of your constant missteps. Every new thing I hear from this company gets me more annoyed by them.

 

[Dehnus]

Ugh. I really don't like where they're headed. Just suck it up and make your games for X1/PS4. Can you imagine how much better a Zelda or Mario game would sell on a platform a lot of people actually own? Nintendo has seriously lost its plot, and these "new experiences" are not going to get them out of the gutter. The success of the Wii was probably a once in a lifetime thing for them. They tried to repeat it with the U to no avail, and the farther the fall down the rabbit hole of "new things", the deeper into obscurity they'll become.

Do your new thing Nintendo, but for Gods sake, make your games available to be played on other platforms for the people who've been supporting you for years in spite of your constant missteps. Every new thing I hear from this company gets me more annoyed by them.

You really don't like making friends here do you .

 

[Viktor]

Ugh. I really don't like where they're headed. Just suck it up and make your games for X1/PS4. Can you imagine how much better a Zelda or Mario game would sell on a platform a lot of people actually own? Nintendo has seriously lost its plot, and these "new experiences" are not going to get them out of the gutter. The success of the Wii was probably a once in a lifetime thing for them. They tried to repeat it with the U to no avail, and the farther the fall down the rabbit hole of "new things", the deeper into obscurity they'll become.

Do your new thing Nintendo, but for Gods sake, make your games available to be played on other platforms for the people who've been supporting you for years in spite of your constant missteps. Every new thing I hear from this company gets me more annoyed by them.

lol this is almost directly comparable to my thoughts on MS right now. That said, I'm not really sure what the point of this plan is.

 

[Andy]

A Bloomberg report quotes Iwata to say ""We want to make new things, with new thinking rather than a cheaper version of what we currently have. The product and price balance must be made from scratch."

Sounds like it's a long ways off, whatever it is.

 

[Freezasaurus]

Ugh. I really don't like where they're headed. Just suck it up and make your games for X1/PS4. Can you imagine how much better a Zelda or Mario game would sell on a platform a lot of people actually own? Nintendo has seriously lost its plot, and these "new experiences" are not going to get them out of the gutter.

They're floundering. They're desperate for a cash injection. And while they've always been good at tinkering with new gizmos and controllers, it always seems to just end up being a footnote until they find their next gimmick. There's no reason they can't incorporate some innovative tech into their consoles, but they really need to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft to get back in this thing. When it's purely a matter of first-party software, Nintendo will murder all of their competition and leave the corpses out for the crows. No one makes better first-party games. But their problem lies in the fact that they focus so much on technology that they force third-party developers to think up silly features just for the Wii/U version of the game that will use whatever gimmick Nintendo happens to be pushing in their current hardware. Another thing, is M-rated games. Nintendo needs to get the f*ck over it and get as many games on their systems as possible. New GTA coming out? Get R* to make a Wii U version with some exclusive content. Worried about the kids? Don't. Kids aren't the ones spending the money to buy this stuff. And they aren't supposed to be playing M-rated games anyway. Parents are supposed to do the parenting, Nintendo. Not you. You need to make some god-damned money so you can keep making those exquisite first-party games.

Now here's the big thing when it comes to third-party support - don't alienate developers. They already feel enough pressure when they have to compete with Nintendo's first-party games directly for sales. Don't make it worse by forcing them to jump through hoops and "take advantage" of hardware gimmicks. Just let them port their F'ing game to your console with as few changes as necessary. It's cheaper, and will make them more willing to work with you. We've seen it time and again, where Nintendo announces a new console and everyone is excited. Then third-party support tapers off within six months. This is why. Come on, Nintendo. Let's get you back to the shape you were in during the 16-bit era.

 

[Momewrath]

There's no reason they can't incorporate some innovative tech into their consoles, but they really need to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft to get back in this thing.

I look at it like this, and ill use the Sega Dreamcast as an example. The Dreamcast was a great system, with great games that deserved to be successful, but still ended up overshadowed by the launch of the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube. The public scrutiny that Sega took over the failure of the Saturn really hurt them going forward, and basically made it so that no matter how good the Dreamcast was, it was still going to be nothing more than niche, and would only be bought by the most devout Sega fans who had stuck by the company since The Master System. Fast forward a few years later, Sega's out of the hardware business, and is now a third party developer. They couldn't compete with Sony, and they couldn't even compete with the Xbox which was a new comer on the scene.

Nintendo is declining in public perception in the same way that Sega was at the time, and they're in the same unfortunate boat, because like the Dreamcast, the Wii U is a decent system with some good games, but it doesn't seem to know where it belongs in the market. Where the two differ is that the Wii U's predecessor was a resounding success. But, the Wii U is an almost directionless console, which just seems to be a place holder until Nintendo figures its s*** out. That's really hard for me to get behind, and want to spend money on, regardless of how much of a Zelda fan boy I am. Sony and Microsoft both have plans going forward. They're putting pieces together all the time that form the larger picture of their consoles for the future. Unless Nintendo pulls their head out of their ass, gets a clear vision of who they are, and attempts to compete DIRECTLY with Sony and Microsoft, they will remain a steadily sinking ship. If they won't at least attempt this, then they need to bow out of making consoles altogether.

Like you said, they have the best first party stuff out there, but their relationship with third parties is garbage, and gamers are far too informed these days to not know that they're being shortchanged on that front, and that's all on Nintendo. They need to get back into good graces with 3rd parties, stop coming out with systems that are a generation behind other consoles, and start focusing on power, to go along with their "new stuff". They can do their innovative thing if they want, but they cant continue to sacrifice power for gimmicks. A Nintendo system with comparable power to PS4/X1 with full third party support to go along with all the awesome first party stuff would be a dream come true, and would be immensely successful. Its so ridiculous to me that Nintendo cant just see that. The popularity of the Wii seems to have put them in a particular mindset, and while the Wii was a resounding success, lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place, as they are currently finding out. Do your motion controls, and your screened pads all you want, but put some oomph behind your hardware again, and for God's sake, market the damn thing to age demographics above 12.

Look I love Nintendo. I don't want to hate on them. I just want them to stop spreading themselves so thin and become a focused gaming company again. But alas, those days are probably behind them if you listen to the higher ups, who seem to be more focused on heart rate monitors, and quality of life platforms.

 

[Freezasaurus]

I think as far as Sega was concerned, the "surprise" launch of a $400 console in the US certainly didn't earn them any good will with customers or retailers. I know Nintendo likes to sit off in the corner and pretend they aren't part of the console war while they do their own thing, but they have no choice. As long as they have a similar platform to Sony and Microsoft, they're in this whether they like it or not. And they need third-party support to survive, regardless of how great their first-party titles are. I think the identity crisis Nintendo is having is the same one that Square is going through. They just haven't learned how to evolve with changing times. But in Square's case, they've finally realized (after the sales of Bravely Default) that people still want to play RPGs. Now they can make games people want instead of twiddling their thumbs and blaming poor sales on foreign developers that made Tomb Raider (which was coincidentally the best-selling Square title last year). XD