Short Speech on Nintendo's "kiddy look"

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http://wii.kombo.com/article.php?artid=11794

Excerpts:
Nintendo's emphasis on the family actually plays a key role in our industry.
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if Nintendo moved toward older players, it would have a crippling effect on the industry as a whole and their contribution would be difficult– if not impossible– to replace.
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The part Nintendo plays in gaming is just as important today as it was 20 years ago: Nintendo produces gamers.
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No other developer can produce such deep experiences without intimidating the player.
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While avid gamers might scoff at the importance of that, they're assuming that the entire industry can survive and expand without a way to consistently indoctrinate new generations of players.
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Dear Nintendo,

We're not asking you to abandon the kiddy look. But don't be shy. That's all.

Love,
Strubes.

P.S. Mario Galaxy rocks.
 
I too am fine with the "kiddiness" in some of Nintendo's games. All I want is for them to make a single mature franchise with a great story. No one is asking them to abandon kiddy games, but I don't see why they have to avoid mature themes like the plague all the time.
 
if Nintendo moved toward older players, it would have a crippling effect on the industry as a whole and their contribution would be difficult– if not impossible– to replace.

No it wouldn't, it would be called "Pleasing the General Masses". You can have your cake and ice cream on the same plate Nintendo. Your rich as it is, don't be nervous.
 
MegaDrive20XX said:
if Nintendo moved toward older players, it would have a crippling effect on the industry as a whole and their contribution would be difficult– if not impossible– to replace.

No it wouldn't, it would be called "Pleasing the General Masses". You can have your cake and ice cream on the same plate Nintendo. Your rich as it is, don't be nervous.
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Perfectly stated, Mega.
 
And now that I think of it. Here's one positive to Nintendo's reasoning.

Have you ever noticed that most middle-aged adults and elderly are difficult to please, because they remember the way things were?

Right now, we have that audience who wants NOTHING but the original stuff, none of the "new technology" as they proclaim to me at my store. They want Atari, Sega, Nintendo.

Nintendo will only focus on those kiddies because when they get to that age as I've mentioned, they will only remember how great and amazing the Wii was. Thus, leading back to the previous generation of the middle-aged and elderly, who fear change, who want the original games, and nothing will ever change their minds. They are in a large mass amount, just like children of today.

Children are our future, but they will key on the fondest memories, just like today's middle-aged and elderly.

We all grow up, but legends will never die.

I do think it is stubborn of Nintendo to this. Yet it is tradition and legacy to the games that made them the kings of today, that makes them so lovable. If a King has set his way, then that's it. You can't change his mind, especially this King, who is over 100 years old in the business world.
 
>_>U yeah and the fact that disaster day of crisis is set on the apocalypsis of the world is something REALLLY KIDDY and the fact that advance wars days of ruins changed it's look to a more mature feeling is REALLLY KIDDY, and the fact that all fire emblem games deal with decitions of life and death and genocide is REALLY KIDDY.

now either if games are kiddy or mature does not matter to me, games are either good or bad
 
The article overemphasizes not only Nintendo, but the perceived role they fill in the industry, while at the same time underestimating potential gamers. It also cites Nintendo as the only maker of simple, yet fun, video games, and the only company attempting to appeal to people who are intimidated by more in-depth gaming experiences.

While the article certainly has a foot to stand on, what with the Wii's success at penetrating a market of gamers that did not before exist, the point of the article seems to refute, or at least ignore, the success of the PS2. It seems to relate sub-par gaming experiences with "welcoming" and "simple," while describing immersive gaming experiences as "ultra-competitive" and "punishing." The article says games like Mass Effect and Call of Duty 4 are good games for the experienced, but are inaccessible to a new gamer. To which I scoff whole-heartedly.

The article also seems to directly contradict GTA IV. A game that contains many mature themes, can be considerably complex, even for the seasoned gamer, and yet has an incredibly far reach in terms of appealing to a wide range of people. Games don't need to condescend their audience, nor do they need to pander to a specific audience, or fill a perceived role in the industry. A good game will satisfy both gamers and non-gamers alike with its presentation, play mechanics, and style.

To say that Nintendo fills an otherwise unfillable hole in the industry is preposterous.They enjoyed a time in the industry as a cornerstone, and in the present have found great success in appealing to people who don't consider themselves gamers. But saying their current position in the industry is vital or irreplaceable is in direct contradiction to the popularity of consoles like the PS2 and games like GTA IV and Halo 3.

Still, a good thought provoking article. Definitely worth a read.
 
stealth toilet said:
The article overemphasizes not only Nintendo, but the perceived role they fill in the industry, while at the same time underestimating potential gamers. It also cites Nintendo as the only maker of simple, yet fun, video games, and the only company attempting to appeal to people who are intimidated by more in-depth gaming experiences.

While the article certainly has a foot to stand on, what with the Wii's success at penetrating a market of gamers that did not before exist, the point of the article seems to refute, or at least ignore, the success of the PS2. It seems to relate sub-par gaming experiences with "welcoming" and "simple," while describing immersive gaming experiences as "ultra-competitive" and "punishing." The article says games like Mass Effect and Call of Duty 4 are good games for the experienced, but are inaccessible to a new gamer. To which I scoff whole-heartedly.

The article also seems to directly contradict GTA IV. A game that contains many mature themes, can be considerably complex, even for the seasoned gamer, and yet has an incredibly far reach in terms of appealing to a wide range of people. Games don't need to condescend their audience, nor do they need to pander to a specific audience, or fill a perceived role in the industry. A good game will satisfy both gamers and non-gamers alike with its presentation, play mechanics, and style.

To say that Nintendo fills an otherwise unfillable hole in the industry is preposterous.They enjoyed a time in the industry as a cornerstone, and in the present have found great success in appealing to people who don't consider themselves gamers. But saying their current position in the industry is vital or irreplaceable is in direct contradiction to the popularity of consoles like the PS2 and games like GTA IV and Halo 3.

Still, a good thought provoking article. Definitely worth a read.
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Very true. Kind of took the "high and mighty" approach in the article. Good points Stealth.
 
stealth toilet said:
To say that Nintendo fills an otherwise unfillable hole in the industry is preposterous.They enjoyed a time in the industry as a cornerstone, and in the present have found great success in appealing to people who don't consider themselves gamers. But saying their current position in the industry is vital or irreplaceable is in direct contradiction to the popularity of consoles like the PS2 and games like GTA IV and Halo 3.
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The question is however, are GTA IV and Halo 3 indoctrinating new gamers or merely attracting the attention of a huge amount of existing gamers. Personally, I think it's the latter. Nintendo, on the other hand has brought gaming to those who have never picked up a controller in their life. This is something that I don't think the PS2, GTA IV, or Halo 3 can boast.

There are other companies out there other than Nintendo who make games that draw in entirely new gamers (Harmonix comes to mind). If Nintendo went out of business, I'm sure these companies would, in time, fill the void left by them in this market, but the fact remains that the vast majority of gamers get their start with Nintendo.
 
Homicidal Cherry53 said:
The question is however, are GTA IV and Halo 3 indoctrinating new gamers or merely attracting the attention of a huge amount of existing gamers.
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Clearly I would say GTA IV does both. To quote myself:

A good game will satisfy both gamers and non-gamers alike with its presentation, play mechanics, and style.
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The sheer number of copies sold suggests this game is penetrating every market, and the hype and controversy surrounding this game makes it reach a much larger audience. Aside from that, I would cite anecdotal evidence. The friends I have who are reluctant to "play video games" are always up for Wii Sports, Rock Band, and GTA. I do not think it would have been possible for GTA to sell so many copies so quickly if it only appealed to the established gaming community. It is part of the public consciousness, and is a topic of conversation amongst people who know almost nothing about video games (obviously). It can't help but attract an audience that would otherwise abstain from video games.

I also think the PS2 reached a far greater audience by doubling as a DVD Player and sporting the most diverse gaming library of any console ever. Aside from that, owning a PS2 was genuinely thought of as "cool" and many people who were intrigued with video games, but were reluctant to purchase a game console, saw the PS2 as a viable option. It appealed not just to younger audiences who were looking to purchase their first console but were intimidated by more in depth gaming experiences, but to the casual audience that was interested in not just playing video games, but also with watching movies, listening to music, and so forth.

If anything I would say the PS2 is even more accessible than Nintendo's consoles in that Nintendo's games, which can be enjoyed by everyone, are inherently aimed at younger, or inexperienced, gamers, and the software available for the console by and large reflects that. The PS2, and to a slightly lesser extent the 360 with services like Live Arcade, has managed to establish itself as both a console for casual gamers looking for quick, shallow, but fun gaming experiences, while also providing much richer, more engaging games that are truly blind to the gamer's age and previous experience with games. Being able to indoctrinate gamers from any age and background, and keep them once they become familiar with the gaming language, is a much more admirable goal than only accomplishing the former, and also a much more important role to play in the industry.

A game like GTA IV will not only indoctrinate new gamers, but it will retain current gamers as well. The greatest obstacle Nintendo may yet face is retaining, or entertaining, the vast audience which they have supposedly indoctrinated. While the Wii shows no signs of losing momentum, the console itself has not yet matured to sufficiently suit the needs of anyone who is familiar with gaming. And if Nintendo fails to do so, these newly indoctrinated gamers might be just as quick to put the controller down as they were to pick it up. In the long run simplistic, uninspired, juvenile gameplay may taint a person's opinion of video games and video gaming as pedantic and childish, like playing with a toy. And that would hurt the industry far more than it would help it.
 
I've always been a Nintendo fan, but I agree with everything that stealth toilet has said so far.

Particularly:
stealth toilet said:
The greatest obstacle Nintendo may yet face is retaining, or entertaining, the vast audience which they have supposedly indoctrinated. While the Wii shows no signs of losing momentum, the console itself has not yet matured to sufficiently suit the needs of anyone who is familiar with gaming. And if Nintendo fails to do so, these newly indoctrinated gamers might be just as quick to put the controller down as they were to pick it up. In the long run simplistic, uninspired, juvenile gameplay may taint a person's opinion of video games and video gaming as pedantic and childish, like playing with a toy. And that would hurt the industry far more than it would help it.
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They've got to grow up at some point, IMO.
 
i completely disagree with the statment mai just quoted, reason being that there is indeed many games on the wii that suit my need of hardcore gaming (and i already mentioned them thousands of times before) and not ALL nintendo games have a juvenile gameplay, in fact the only one that would fit in that category would be wii sports/fit
 
Hinesmdc said:
Well when they say that have to show a "huge game," and we get Wii Fit, there is clearly a problem.
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Yes, clearly selling several million copies isn't huge at all.
 
Disclaimer: I am very tired, and I have not kept up much on the Wii....so take anything I say with a grain of salt, lol.

Well, I agree that Nintendo does need a much wider array of games on their consoles. But, they also need to keep those "fun and simplistic" games in tact. From day 1 Nintendo has been about quality and fun, and they should never change that. They just need to realize, though, that gamers these days are not the same gamers from 15 years ago. Like Stealth said, it is a bit shallow, but gamers today focus mostly on graphics or online play, and these "mature and violent" games are all the rage now days {ok, they have been for a while now, lol}. I think what Nintendo should do is look back at the 64 and realize how close they were to really breaking their own barriers. Games like Turok 2, Goldeneye, OOT, etc....they were amazing, and a big part of that reason was graphics mixed with more mature gameplay. Huge levels, awesome platforming, tons of exploration: that's what made those games so great. Today, I do not even care about the Wii. I forget the thing exists sometimes to be honest. The only thing on it that looks even slightly worthwhile is Brawl or Galaxy, and even those aren't much to cull from. I can't knock the DS, though, that thing is awesome! So, I guess I am saying they should keep on doing what they are doing with the handhelds, but they need to go back to the drawing board console wise.
 
When a game sells over a million copies it is a huge game. sure it's not like what we are used to but, a game that sells over a million isn't that small of a game.
 
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