If you listen to the gaming media than you would believe that Nintendo is on it’s way to becoming the next Sega. With the PS4 and Next Xbox just around the corner, sites like Game Trailers and IGN seem convinced that the Wii U is destined to go out like the Dreamcast. Is it possible?
The Dreamcast Was Simultaneously The “Next Big Thing” As Well As Obsolete. So IS Wii U
Ahead of its time, yet behind the next gen curve
When the Dreamcast was released it represented the next big step in gaming. Higher resolution graphics, more polygons, and online gaming. Great games found a home on the system as well. Games such as Sonic Adventure, Street Fighter 3, and Soul Calibur. So what went wrong? We all no that Sega had plenty of problems before releasing the Dreamcast. Problems witch finally caught up to them forcing Sega out of the hardware business. It didn’t make matters any better for them having three major consoles ready to enter the hardware race and compete directly against them. Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube, All of witch featured advanced tech that showed gamer’s what the future of what their beloved hobby would look like. From having built in DVD players to hard drives, to improved online functionality with Xbox Live, the Dreamcast simply couldn’t compete. What does this say about the Wii U?
Well as of right now i’m sure most people will agree that the Wii U is more of a capable piece of hardware than both the 360 and PS3. Almost everyone can see the potential of the system due to it’s innovative touch screen controller. Nintendo has even taken online a step further with it’s Miiverse service. We all saw the Nintendo direct that showed us a glimpse into the future of Wii U with games like Wind Waker HD, Monolith’s untitled RPG, the Wonderful 101, and Pikmin 3. There is no doubt the Wii U has potential but is it enough?
Sony is expected to announce the PS4 on February 20th, 2013. If you believe the rumors than you would know that the PS4 will boast visuals that far exceed that of witch the Wii U is capable of not to mention the advancements to Sony’s online experience. Microsoft’s next Xbox is expected to be just as powerful as the PS4. It is well documented that many of the big 3rd party games headed to PS3 and 360 are skipping Wii U. EA seems to be giving the console the cold shoulder all together, pulling games like Madden and FIFA for next year. From what we can tell, games that are believed to be next gen have been all but confirmed for Microsoft and Sony’s new machines with no mention of Wii U. Why? Could it be that Nintendo’s console doesn’t seem to bee selling as well as many would have hoped? Could it be that developers just don’t have the faith that their titles will sell well on a Nintendo console that is generally marketed towards family gaming? Or could it simply be that the Wii U will be vastly inferior compared to the upcoming consoles and developers simply CAN’T port their games to it? How about all of the above? So far all we have seen from the Wii U is alot of potential but nothing truly groundbreaking. It’s only been about three month’s since the console has launched and it seems almost unfair to judge it so harshly so early. Be that as it may, it is very unsettling to see such a lack of support for Nintendo from both developers and the gaming media. What can Nintendo do to turn things around?
Games! Games! Games!
Greatest Franchises in Gaming!
Nintendo has the best franchises in gaming. Period! You may feel like you’ve outgrown some of them and that’s fine but no one can deny the charm and fantastic gameplay that Nintendo games regularly represent. Nintendo’s franchises have carried them through console generations before. N64, and Gamecube succeeded because of the fantastic first party titles available for them. The Wii was a different phenomenon. It succeeded because of it’s innovative control scheme but make no mistake, it was the fantastic first party offerings that kept that console on the radar as well. Could Nintendo repeat this success with the Wii U? They have to. If developers are going to skip the console in favor of more powerful offerings from Microsoft and Sony then the Wii U has to be a showcase for the best that Nintendo has to offer.
When the Wii launched alongside the PS3 no one thought it would compete due to being vastly under powered. It was the unique way to play games and fantastic titles like Twilight Princes, Metroid Prime, and Smash Bros among others that kept the Wii going strong in its early years. I personally had hoped that the Wii U could turn out to be the second coming of the SNES meaning it would be a haven for excellent first and third party support. If things continue the way they are currently going then id be happy to see the Wii U turn out to be like the N64. Why the N64? Think about it. The N64 gave us what are arguably considered to be the best games in the Zelda, Mario, and Mario Kart franchises. The N64 was a revolution for Nintendo’s top titles. The Wii U could do the same. The way Nintendo is talking about reinventing Zelda coupled with the touch screen controller we could see a second revolution in regards to Nintendo’s franchises. Nintendo needs this. We need to see all of their franchises make a triumphant return and not just the popular titles, either. Nintendo needs Wave Race. How awesome would a Punch-Out sequel look on the Wii U? The next Mario title needs to blow us all away in the same manner that Galaxy 1 and 2 did. When gaming generations have passed and gamers reflect on the industry, the Wii U needs to be looked at as that Nintendo system that provided absolutely the best experiences first party goodness even more so than the SNES did. Only time will tell.
Never Count Nintendo Out
Down but not out
The gaming media loves to count Nintendo out. They did it with the Gamecube and they did it with the Wii. The 3Ds got the same bashing and now the Wii U. What do all of these consoles have in common? They all turned out to be a success. Nintendo is still here, alive and kicking. I will admit that if they don’t start releasing some major games BEFORE Sony and Microsoft release their new consoles then things will only get worse. We have no idea what Nintendo may have up its sleeve. We could very well see an onslaught of 3rd party support at E3 that will shock us all. Speaking of E3 i believe Nintendo cant afford not to blow us all away. I think Nintendo will be just fine as long as they release a steady stream of GOOD content throughout the Wii U’s life span. I believe gamers aren’t so fixated on visual fidelity that they would completely ignore awesome games from Nintendo. Never the less the ball is in their court. It may be Sony’s move next with Microsoft’s soon to follow but Nintendo can still control the game and i don’t think this is a game they can afford to loose.
As always let me know what you think and don’t forget to let me know what makes Wii U Mad!
2013 could prove to be one of the best years in gaming thus far. With many new titles coming this year for current consoles as well as the expected announcements of both Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen machines, gaming’s best years could very well be just ahead of us.
Microsoft
Should XBL be free this time?
Ok. I’m not even going to touch on the often absurd rumored specs of Microsoft’s or Sony’s next-gen consoles. I’m going to take a look at the best case scenario from both a core gamer and casual consumer perspective which would result in affordable next-gen machines. Lets just say the next Xbox isn’t leaps ahead of the Wii U in terms of visual fidelity. So what? Look at the advantages developers will have just having a bit more ram and processing power. Take Halo 4 and Uncharted 3 for example. What could Naughty Dog and 343 have done with those games if they had a bit more to work with in terms of system performance. Imagine Halo 4 with increased resolution, better texture detail, and enhanced AI. When Uncharted 3 released it represented some of the best visuals this generation had ever seen and i believe that still holds true. What if that game ran in native 1080p at 60fps with a higher level of atnti-aliasing and shader support? Next-gen games may not make the same visual leap that the Xbox 360 did over the original Xbox but rest assured that next-gen titles will feature some truly breathtaking visuals.
People seem to be complaining about having to pay for a 6 year old XBL when Steam, Nintendo network, and PSN are all free. Those complaints are very valid. I would bet Microsoft is going to do one of two things with their new machine. First, make Xbox live free (though i’m doubtful) or keep charging and completely revolutionize the experience making 60 dollars a year seem like a steal for such a great service. If it weren’t for XBL we wouldn’t have the slightest idea in the first place as to how a real console online experience should operate. Microsoft set the bar and they could very well raise it again. What could they add? For starters, day one digital downloads for every retail game should be a given. How about a digital rental service for games? Cloud saving would most likely be a standard next-gen as well. I doubt Microsoft will go for a complete digital only service which would alienate many consumers who either have very slow internet connections or no internet at all but like it or not, digital is the future.
Lets talk Next-gen innovation. Does Microsoft go in the direction of creating a tablet controller and try to out do Nintendo? Or is their big innovation going to be an enhanced version of Kinect? How about the IllumiRoom? in case you are unfamiliar with the IllumiRoom it’s a new project being designed by one of Microsoft’s research teams to be used with Kinect and most likely the newest Xbox. IllumiRoom will take the image currently displayed on your tv screen and expand it across the entire area around your tv. The effect is similar to having your game projected onto your wall except in this case the active area is still your tv screen but the environment is displayed all around your living room. I’m curious as to what the final design will shape up to be and how it will be used to enhance your gaming experience.
As far as software goes, Microsoft doesn’t have a deep reserve of first party content. What Microsoft does well is ensure that games being released for their console receives exclusive content first. Take Call of Duty, GTA, and Skyrim as examples. These games released all of their expansions first on XBL making owning these titles on Microsoft’s console more rewarding. Microsoft will most likely continue this trend going forward. If you also take in account the fact that the Xbox has always been the easiest platform to develop for and you can see why developers tend to side with Microsoft as their lead platform. Expect this trend to also continue with the Next-Gen consoles as well unless Sony really does decide to abandon the Cell processor in favor of off the shelf parts.
Sony
Goodbye Cell processor!
Current rumors would have you believe that Sony is finally ready to abandon the Cell processor. This would be a good thing. While powerful, the Cell processor isn’t the easiest to develop for. Apparently Sony is going to go with off the shelf pc parts which would put it in line with the 360 in terms of ease of development. Can you imagine a Sony console that’s easy to develop for? The PS4 may end up being more of a beast than the PS3 was and we all know that games built from the ground up on the PS3 tend to look much better than anything on the 360. I don’t expect the PS4 to be a major enhancement over the PS3 though. Just a lot more capable. More ram, more processing power. Hopefully this translates into deeper immersion than ever before.
Sony has done a fantastic job with the Playstation Network and even the Playstation Plus service packs tons of value. I suspect that going forward that Sony would make PS Plus it’s premier service while still offering a free PSN for users. Although i feel that a completely free online service is the way to go, even Nintendo has hinted at a paid service in the future. With much talk about Sony purchasing Gaikai, Sony could unveil some sort of digital rental service similar to what OnLive was. Speculation has led many to believe that the Gaikai service would provide users a way to stream the entire PS2 and PS3 catalog freeing Sony from having to include the tech into their new console resulting in lower costs. It will be interesting to see what Sony does with Gaikai.
When it comes to innovation Sony is often accused of copying Nintendo but to be fair Sony will often take those innovations and improve on them. The Super Nes controller became the Dual shock, the Wiimote became the Move, and Smash Bros became Playstation All-Stars. Wait…What? Forget that last one. Actually forget the last two. The point is that Sony makes quality pieces of hardware. A current rumor also has Sony ditching the Dual Shock design entirely. What could be up their sleeve? Will they go with a tablet controller. It wouldn’t surprise me and if they did i can pretty much guarantee it will out-class Nintendo’s Game Pad in terms of specs. That’s what Sony is good at. I don’t view Sony as much of an innovator as they are a company that can take an idea and beef it up tremendously. I’m interested to see what they bring to the table next-gen.
While not as deep of a roster as Nintendo, Sony’s first party line up is with out a doubt full of heavy hitters. One thing i will give Sony is their ability to spot talented teams and have them produce new IP’s for them. Sony introduced several new franchises this generation and i believe they did a much better job at supporting their franchises on the PS3 then Nintendo did on the Wii. Seeing this trend continue would result in more new IP’s for the PS4 as well as continued support for their current ones. What new studio will Sony discover next? The next Naughty Dog perhaps? Sony has some of the most talented teams in the business so Playstation fans have plenty to look forward on the PS4.
Nintendo
Will we see this at E3?
The Wii U has been on the market for two months now and opinions range from the system doing quite well, to the system not doing well. I know one thing is for sure, people who own the console seem to be pretty happy with what they have seen and played so far. One question that is still up in the air is just what can the Wii U really do? When a game is produced from the ground up and fully optimized for the console what kind of gaming experience will come out of it? Can it be duplicated on the Xbox 360 or PS3? We know that the Wii U has much more ram than both of those systems combined. We know that the architecture is much different as well. The Wii U uses a GPPU and games most definitely need to be optimized to take advantage of this set up. So far we’ve seen good ports of games like COD and AC 3 and we’ve seen decent ports such as Batman and Ninja Gaiden. Trine 2 does look better on the Wii U then it does on the PS3 and 360 withe crisper textures and better lighting. What we all want to know is how much will Zelda blow us all away?
Everyone just assumed that Nintendo would botch the Wii U’s online. Lets be honest though, the original Wii’s online was all kinds of “trash” It was the kind of garbage that Oscar the Grouch would make his home in. Wii U is a much different story. Miiverse in itself is a much better social network than anything we have ever seen on a gaming console. This is a feature that is sure to be copied by Nintendo’s competitors. If you love Face Book and Twitter you will feel right at home with Miiverse. It was very smart for Nintendo to allow this service to interact directly with the game your playing as well. You always feel like your connected to people at every moment. The Nintendo E shop is a big step up from the original Wii as well. Overall Nintendo’s online experience is much more in line with what your used to on PS3 and 360. It’s by no means perfect though. The OS is friggin’ ridiculously slow. On average i wait five minutes to load up the Wii U plaza. It usually happens after iv’e watched Hulu or Netflix. Once it loaded so long that i turned on my pc to play Batman and after two friggin’ hours the damn thing was still loading. I ended up having to pull the plug. Needless to say Nintendo needs to improve the OS. Other improvements that would benefit Nintendo’s online is a more streamlined E Shop. Right now everything just seems to be thrown on one page with no real organization. Being able to see your friends list at any time as well as having a on screen notification when friends get online or send me messages would be nice. Hopefully some or all of this will be addressed by E3
Innovation is Nintendo’s specialty. You know this, Microsoft and Sony even know it. So we have been playing around with Nintendo’s new innovative Game Pad for two months now and it’s easy to see its potential. So what does Nintendo have in store for us? How will they surprise us in the future. I’m interested to see how the Metroid franchise uses the Game Pad. I think it could be a cool idea to have the game run in the 3rd person similar to Metroid Blast, and have a more Metroid Prime first person experience on the Game Pad. You could lift the controller to scan areas and switch visors as well as access maps and weapons. You know that sounds cool. Your probably trying to picture it in your head right now as you read this. How about the successor to Mario Galaxy? How will Nintendo use the Game Pad in a new and unique way for that franchise? Maybe the game switches completely to the controller when ever you enter a pipe much like the Gameboy Advance to Gamecube connectivity feature in Zelda Four Swords. One thing is for sure, Nintendo needs to really show developers that the Game pad can be used for more than just a map and inventory. I’m really excited to see what Gearbox has in store for the Wii U version of Aliens. If used correctly, the Wii U Game Pad can most definitely revolutionize the way we interact with games.
Speaking of games, Nintendo has by far one of the deepest roster of hit franchises. More so than probably any other developer. I believe those big name franchises were underused on the Wii. Wii U could change this. We know Pikmin 3 is coming. We haven’t seen that franchise since the Gamecube. What about other dormant franchises? We would all love to see Nintendo return to franchises like Starfox and Wave Race. Miyamoto has been talking a little bit about the F-Zero franchise and it was featured in Nintendoland so that’s always a good sign of things to come. While the tried and true franchises are always welcome i think what most people want is to see Nintendo try it’s hand at something new. It’s been a while since we’ve been treated to a brand new Nintendo IP. No. Wii Music does NOT count! There has been talk of Miyamoto working with smaller teams so that he can concentrate on new projects. I think this would be great for Nintendo. Something new and refreshing from the house that Mario built is just what Nintendo needs while maybe not at the expense of overlooking a fan favorite or two. Bring us Mario, but give us something new. Increased third party support should be just as high on Nintendo’s priority list. Third party support for their platforms hasn’t been strong since the days of the good ‘ol SNES so it’s crucial that Nintendo do something about that. Maybe they can take a page out of Sony’s book and start buying a few small development teams here and there. Maybe Nintendo could purchase Platinum games. That would be awesome! I look forward to E3 as i suspect Nintendo will have some huge news to drop in light of an imminent PS4 and 720 announcement.
PC
Bow down!
The PC. Are you a part of the “Master Race”? If you can afford it, you should be. PC gaming has a bright future. On one hand you have Valve announcing a PC built around Steam and dedicated to gaming. It has been dubbed the “Steam Box” . The “Steam Box” was meant to compete directly with the PS4 and 720 while offering PC quality gaming. Something that is truly beyond what the current consoles can achieve. For those who already game on PC you probably won’t see the need to purchase a “Steam Box”. I myself bought my PC for graphic design and video editing but the moment i witnessed what Batman Arkham City looked like running with all settings on max, i was sold. Damn right the PC is King! With the ability to constantly upgrade your PC you are always assured that you will have the latest and best when it comes to gaming hardware. You my friend are future proofed.
You have Nintendo Network which is off to an amazing start. You have PSN which is well established and gives you amazing value when you add in PS Plus. XBL at one point was the industry standard and still to this day delivers outstanding value. Then there is steam. Its free, and you can not and i repeat can NOT find an online service dedicated to gaming that offers a better value. Period. I said PERIOD, stop trying argue against me in your head! How much did you buy Arkham City for on your Xbox? I got the Game of the year edition on Steam for 7.49. Yep. Seven dollars and fourty-nine cents. Sales like that are common place on steam and with over 30 million users its hard to not see why Steam is the best service for online gaming provided you aren’t a die-hard first party Nintendo or Sony fan.
I don’t generally associate PC gaming with hardware innovations but the Oculus Rift could change all of that. What is the Oculus Rift? It’s the most advanced VR headset you have ever heard of. Or not heard of, doesn’t matter cause there is nothing else like it. Which ever direction you turn your head and look you will be immersed in the game. Hear someone creeping up behind you? Turn your body around to see who or what it is? Hear some birds chirping above? Look up to watch them soaring through the sky. Or how bout stepping out on a ledge of a steep cliff and looking down? Thanks to the headset incorporating stereoscopic 3d you will feel as if you were actually starring down a steep cliff. Be warned though, motion sickness may occur. It is uncertain how much the OCulus will cost or when it will even be consumer ready but one thing is for sure, the Oculus may revolutionize the way we are immersed in gaming more so than any console hardware has ever achieved.
When it comes to games, the PC in 2013 will enjoy many of the consoles best offerings all in glorious PC fashion. Higher resolution, crisper textures, higher frame rate and the list can often go on and on. There are also a ton of games that will never make it to consoles. MMO’s for the most part will stay exlusive to the PC. Have you checked out Age of Wushu? I don’t care for MMO’s but damn this game looks fun! The PC is the perfect choice for any gamer who just wants to play the definitive version of the latest multi platform games. Chances are you will even get them at a cheaper price on day one than you would purchasing the console version. Not to mention the various mods that can be done on PC and not on consoles. Have you seen the “Macho Man” Randy Savage dragon mod for Skyrim? Or how about the mod that gives your character and certain weapons a Legend of Zelda makeover? PC gaming can be the definitive place to play and i promise once you go PC, your PC for life. Maybe.
Closing
2013 is looking like it could shape up to be the beginning of an even bigger and brighter future for gaming than we could have imagined. With so many choices for gamer’s between Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony and PC/Valve i can’t see an instance were the gamer’s loose out. If everything goes right we could also bare witness to the greatest E3 showing in history with two, maybe three new consoles being announced (including Valves “Steam Box) and a plethora of software due to come out this year, 2013 may be one for the gaming history books. Stop with the fan-boyism and enjoy what each of these companies has worked so hard to bring to the industry. You owe it to them and to yourself to do so. As always, i want to know your thoughts on the matter as well as what makes Wii U Mad?
Yesterday in a post entitled Nintendoomed, i wrote about why Nintendo could be down for the count if they don’t change some things up. The industry is clearly changing and Nintendo seems to be moving at a much slower pace than its competitors. With not many third party games to look forward to in 2013 and not much news coming from Nintendo themselves it would seem as if the company may be unequipped to handle what Microsoft and Sony may have in store for them with their Next-Gen offerings but Nintendo has been here before. This dance isn’t new to Nintendo and here are some reasons as to why Nintendo moves at their own pace and can quite possibly come out on top this Next-Gen.
No one makes a controller like Nintendo
unparalleled Controll
Nintendo has been innovating new ways for gamer’s to interact with the gaming world since the early 80′s. The NES gave the D-pad and an A and B button. If it weren’t for this simple yet monumental little adjustment we would still be using the inferior joystick of the Atari console. The NES made platforming a dream to play.
The Super NES is arguably the greatest gaming console of all time and it gave us the template for what all modern day console controllers are based upon. Left and right shoulder buttons were added to the NES’s original design as well as two more face buttons bringing the total to four. Games like Street Fighter and Super Metroid couldn’t be played on a lesser controller. Remember trying to play SF2 on the Genesis? The SNES controller was such a great design that Sony borrowed and modified the design for its Playstation console a few years later.
The N64 controller was perhaps Nintendo’s most unique design ever. Setting aside the fact that it looked like an upside down pitchfork, the N64 controller brought us the analog stick. Never before seen in a home console, the analog stick is probably the most significant addition to the console controller ever. Think about it. Could you play any shooter without one. (Keyboard and Mouse not withstanding) The analog stick revolutionized how we move around in a 3d space giving you full control over your characters movement. Not to be outdone by the analog stick, rumble or otherwise known as force feedback was also introduced in the N64 era with a little game called Starfox 64. Could you imagine modern games today lacking rumble. Sony tried it with the first Ps3 controller. Remember. They said something about how rumble was so last gen and the 6-axis was the future. That changed rather quickly, huh?
The Game cube controller was just weird. I don’t think there was anything to significant about it. It’s just that having that one huge green “A” button kinda changed things a bit. Mashing on the large “A” button to attack felt good and the shape of the “X” and “Y” buttons, while awkward did give the controller a unique feel. One that you got so used to that it grew on you. No one knows this better than a Smash Bros. fan. Playing Smash on any other controller just isn’t the same.
Now we all know the innovation that the WII remote brought to the industry. Motion controlled sword combat and archery probably stand out the most. Swinging the Wiimote like a tennis racket felt natural and intuitive. Its a shame that third parties didn’t really take advantage of this gameplay innovation. Instead most of them used it as tacked on gimmick. Skyward Sword showed the true potential of what the WIimote could have meant for gaming had developers really put time and effort into it.
Now, everyone loves tablets. Why not fuse one with gaming controller? Nintendo did and the Wii U Gamepad was born. The jury is obviously still out on this one but at least we can say it’s off to an excellent start. Games like Zombie U and Nintendoland show off what’s possible with a little hard work and imagination. I cant wait to see what innovations Nintendo has up their sleeve for this device in the future.
Game Changer!
Unparalleled Gameplay
It’s well know that Nintendo develops ideas for gameplay well before they even know what game this particular idea will even turn out to become. Game play has always taken center stage when it comes to Nintendo often resulting in groundbreaking new ways to interact with the game world your in.
Take Mario 64 for instance. Never before had anyone played a game that gave you the freedom of full 360 degree movement. Mario 64 allowed you to run, jump and climb just about anywhere you desired and the level of pin point precision usually reserved for 2d platformers was no for the first time realized in 3d. Mario 64 is number one on several “Best of all time” lists and rightfully so.
The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. Arguably one of the greatest games ever created. In the past we played games in this genre without any sort of lock on targeting system. Zelda OOT changed all of that. Introducing a targeting system that allowed you to stay locked on an enemy while still being able to move and dodge was a thing of genius. Can you imagine modern games without this feature? Oh…wait. Some games still don’t use a lock on system. Anyways, Zelda OOT delivered an unparalleled landscape were if your eye could see it then you could travel there. Just about everything could be interacted with. It still astounds me that Nintendo was able to take every significant piece of gameplay from the original Zelda games and successfully transition it all into 3d gameplay. Nintendo has always been able to make games excel at what they were meant to. Fun. Regardless of the genre, regardless of the content, Nintendo focuses on gameplay first which in usually always results in pure gaming bliss, but hater’s still gonna hate.
Unparalleled franchises
The legend of Zelda. Donkey Kong Country. Starfox. Metroid. Kirby. Smash Bros. Super Mario. F-Zero. Pikmin. Punch Out. Wave Race. Mario Kart. Fire Emblem. Pokemon. I’m sure i am missing a franchise or two but i just named off fourteen “triple A” franchises that are big sellers for Nintendo. Franchise that have a proven and dedicated fan base. Microsoft can’t claim this and although Sony has some very well established first party franchises none of them are on the level of the ones i have just named. Anyone of these Nintendo titles would cause a stir if announced at any given time for the Wii U and anyone of these could be announce at any time. Very few developers can say they have franchises that can compete with the likes of what Nintendo have in-house. Capcom, Sega and maybe Namco can but neither of them have kept up the level of quality that Nintendo has since the early 80′s. Think about that. These 80′s franchises are still relevant today because of the quality of the product and the overwhelming dedication from fans.
It’s been said time and time again that Nintendo software sells Nintendo hardware. Think about it, though. It’s true. Is it a surprise? How many developers create games with the level of quality that Nintendo does especially in the gameplay department? If Nintendo is in trouble right now, and everyone seems to think they are, then it may be time for them to start pulling out some of these franchise. We know Zelda is coming. We know Metroid and Mario are coming. What about the franchises that have remained dormant for some time. We need to see Star Fox make a console return. F-Zero and Wave Race, too. The roster is too deep too ignore. Provided Nintendo has the teams available to handle these franchises, they could very well put themselves in a position to make the Wii U as attractive as the SNES was to gamers and developers alike. Only time will tell. Nintendo could always announce something in a new Nintendo direct video and E3 is not too far away. Lets not count Nintendo out yet.
The wild card. This is an instant win for Nintendo
The Game Master. Nuff said
Closing
The industry loves to doubt Nintendo. The industry usually ends up being wrong. Journalists seem to think they have Nintendo figured out. They are most always wrong. Just look up Michael Pachter’s predictions about the company. He has never been right. It’s true that Nintendo can be a frustrating company at times to stand behind. They seem to only give us what we want when they are ready to, and they release information at a snails pace. Its usually for the better though. Remember how every one wanted a realistic link but got the Wind Waker? It turned out to be one of the best Zelda titles ever and then when Nintendo did give us a more realistic Zelda, gamers broke out in tears. Literally. Nintendo has been in business for over 50 years and have been making consoles since the early 80′s. Although no company is perfect, when is the last time Nintendo as a company has made a stupid business decision? Lets not count the virtual boy. Even that was just an ambitious project that just didn’t pan out the way Nintendo wanted to. If your a Nintendo fan then keep supporting them in the meantime and lets see how 2013 shapes up for them. Sony and Microsoft may have more powerful consoles on the way but since when did power determine anything. Ps2 was the weakest of the three consoles in its generation but still dominated due to software. Lets just hope Nintendo is working on bringing some truly unique and great software to the Wii U from both first and third parties. As always let me know your thoughts on the matter and tell me…what makes Wii U MAD?
A New generation of gaming brings on a whole new set of reasons why Nintendo is once again doomed. Remember the N64? Of course you do. It gave us Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, Wave Race 64, Mario Kart 64, and Smash Bros. alongside a few other honorable mentions. Outside of the legendary first party support, the N64 didnt get much support from third parties. Not like the playstation. No Final Fantasy, no tekken, no street fighter, no resident evil (until a port of RE2) no Metal Gear and i could go on and on. The point is that the N64 may have been the beginning of the end for Nintendo. Relationships with third party developers weren’t as smooth as Nintendo probably wanted and the fact that no one wanted to put their games on a cartridge based format anymore proved to foreshadow the events that would one day reshape the industries perception of Nintendo.
Nintendo forgot to pack enough delicious third-party support in my purple lunch box!
The purple piece of #!!##**!!!##@@@ (don’t try and think of a word that fits)
Continuing the trend of not wanting to be like everyone else, Nintendo released the Gamecube. At a time when Microsoft and Sony were releasing consoles that had built in DVD players Nintendo opted out instead going with a proprietary mini DVD format. Third party support for big games was once again all but absent. I can remember many people in the gaming media calling the Gamecube a purple lunch box and poking fun at the fact that Nintendo included a carrying handle on the back of the console. Hard core Nintendo fans were treated to Smash bros. Melee, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, and Zelda Wind Waker but anyone who owned a PS2 or Xbox would have little reason to pick up Nintendo’s purple box. When the consoles lifespan was nearing its end, chants of “Nintendo is doomed” filled the air. Despite being a successful console for Nintendo it was clear that the industry was moving past the 80′s gaming giant in favor of a more realistic and “mature” (i use that term loosely) gaming trend.
You want me to come over and play with your WHAT!
The Wii. Stupid name, fun innovation. When the Wii first launched it had everyone excited. You. Me. Our mom’s and grandma’s. Everyone was on the Wii bandwaggon. No one cared that the console was pretty much a Gamecube with a motion controller attached. They cared about what mattered most. The innovative new way to play games. Once you got beyond Wii sports that’s when things looked different. Where were the great first party games. We got Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. We got Zelda , Metroid and Smash Bros. Brawl. The consoles first few years looked pretty bright. Fast forward to about year 3 and its a different story. A complete drought. Don’t you dare mention Kirby! I do acknowledge the Last Story and Xenoblade. What else? Not only was the Wii under powered which began to become more noticeable as the years went on but the console had the worst representation of Nintendo’s first party titles outside Mario Galaxy. Nintendo even stopped supporting it in the end. Oh and i didn’t even touch on how everyone made fun of the stupid name. Yeah the Wii sold far greater than any system not named the Ps2 but lets be honest. The Wii was crap. Worst Nintendo console of all time. Period.
Will this time be any different?
By the way things are going with the Wii U i’m not sure things will be any different than they were with the Wii. I’m speaking in terms of third party support in which the Wii had none. Already the Wii U is missing out on franchises like Bioshock, Tomb Raider, GTA5, and Crysis. Developers have even stated that making a game for the Wii U just doesn’t make business sense for them. That’s sad. Analysts are now predicting that Nintendo will have to consider bringing its first party titles to other platforms. I think Nintendo would willingly go under before they do that but the point is that as it stands right now no one seems to have any faith in Nintendo and once again are calling it “The End” for the company. Apparently sales of the Wii U aren’t even that stellar. What can Nintendo do to change this?
This could be a game changer
Nintendo could make or break themselves at E3
Nintendo has a lot to prove with the Wii U. Anyone who doesn’t believe this needs to stop being a “fanboy” for just two seconds. Key titles are missing from Wii U’s 2013 line up. We don’t know of any first party titles coming outside Pikmin 3. Why should anyone buy this console. Nintendo’s E3 event could provide the answers. Ken Levine once said that Bioshock would never come to the Ps3. Look how that turned out. We could very well see an announcement made for a Wii U version at E3. What about GTA 5. Unlikely but if Miyamoto was really out and about personally trying to persuade third parties to jump on board then you would have to think his influence holds some weight. Lets just say we get the worst case scenario at E3 and the Wii U gets virtually no third party support. Nintendo would have to bring out its major first party franchises in a way that revolutionizes them in the same way their N64 counterparts did. We would need to see major Nintendo titles release in 2013 and starting early in the year, too. With no announcements yet, Nintendo needs to make waves before E3. Nintendo needs to give us one of their Direct video’s detailing a major release that’s not Pokemon related. At the end of the day i think that the worst case scenario for the Wii U is that it could end up another Gamecube. This isn’t all that bad since Gamecube gave us some amazing software. Nintendo doesn’t need another Gamecube though. It sure as hell doesn’t need another Wii. Nintendo needs the Wii U to be looked at as the second coming of the greatest console of all time. The SNES. I think next gen they should hang up the “Wii” name and focus on a more core experience. Its what people want. Gamers don’t want innovation. They don’t want fun. They want realistic graphics, and shooting. Period. And sex. And cursing. And nudity. Point is Nintendo is looking mighty outdated the more time time passes. Microsoft and Sony could very well push Nintendo out the door with their new consoles. Heck, this may be the last Nintendo console i support on day one. As of right no my Wii U is a Netflix player.
As always, i want to know what you think and tell me…What makes Wii U Mad?
Maybe its me. Maybe it’s you, too. Iv’e been a gamer since the early 80′s and the more i grow with the industry the more i grow ashamed of it. I’m in my early 30′s and i’m still not quite comfortable with telling certain individuals that i play video games. It also has nothing to do with me being insecure. I’m a husband and a father and i take care of business. It’s the immaturity of the gaming industry that makes me feel this way. I’m slowly moving away from gaming. Slowly getting sick of the industry. My last article about Sandy Hook made me think a about something. Something that brought me to this conclusion. Screw the game industry!
Games ARE art, created by artists so they’re not my problem.
My problem is the friggin’ childish nature of the men in this industry. From the publisher and certain developers to the game journalist who are severely lacking common sense. How much time and money is being wasted on the garbage that gets created now days? What is the purpose of a video game anyway? I always thought of it as an outlet to explore distant lands that i obviously couldn’t visit in the real world. I remember the first time i got lost in the world of Metroid as a child and i wasn’t even the one playing. I was watching my older brother play through one of the latter parts of the game were he was just introduced to the life sucking Metroids and i remember looking away in fear and hoping he would make it out alive. Awesome! I remember playing Super Mario Bros. with my cousins and spending countless hours trying to reach world 8-4. As a child you already have quite the imagination as it is, now add on top of that a video game that even further pushes the limits of your imagination and you have got a powerful combination. Now that was the 80′s. With today’s advancements in computer technology these worlds we visit have become more lifelike than we could have ever imagined during the decade when we were playing Excite Bike and Tecmo Bowl. So why does it feel that these worlds are becoming less and less creative. Everything is going the way of “gritty” and “photo realistic”. Games that have kept in line with a more retro design (Mario Galaxy) are looked at as “kiddie” and not taken seriously. Why? I feel exploring the edges of Hyrule and speed running through the Mushroom Kingdom is far more fun than shooting hordes of Locusts.
Are these guys really the future of gaming?
Selfish Gamers
Yeah i called you selfish! So?!
When i wrote the article about gaming violence being linked to “real” violence i got a bit of criticism. Hell, anytime anyone mentions gaming and real world violence in the same sentence they get criticized but damn, how bout showing you have an open mind and are not just a blind video game “punk” fanboy. No one can ever question the industry right? If i had a week i could write down all the VALID reasons people have to link video game violence to “real” violence. Read this: http://wiiumadgamers.com/2012/12/22/should-video-games-be-on-the-hook-for-sandy-hook/
Instead of gamers taking a step back and looking at their beloved industry and at least giving the argument the time of day, what do they do? They cry about it. Oh woe is me and my precious video games! Right? Yeah that’s you.
Selfish Industry
You know what journalist and game publishers think about you? Not a damn good thing! For publishers you are a meal ticket. A dupe and a moron. Some gamers act like it too. For journalist your mindless sheep. Again, some gamers act like it. Journalist feel everything has to be grown up and adult. More bullets, more blood. There is definitely a bias against Nintendo and if you say you disagree then punch yourself in the face. A company like Nintendo that simply tries to bring some creativity and FUN to gaming gets slammed cause their games don’t show what is considered to be mature content. Wait… cursing, explosions, guns and digital titties make for mature content? People have the nerve to say that this is what grown men play. If you are over 25 and this is your idea of mature entertainment then please refrain from calling yourself an adult. Shave your pubic area and talk with a squeak in your voice cause it seems your mind has ceased from developing over the past decade or so. Publishers and certain developers would have you believe that the future of gaming includes you spending around $500 of your hard earned money on a new console because only a more powerful graphics card and such can produce “next gen” results. More Power! More Power! More Power! Buy! Buy! Buy! You have kids? No problem. Don’t feed them. you need the money to buy $80 dollar games this coming “next gen” anyways. Making minimum wage and just got married. Great! Skip out on your honey moon and save up for a Playstation 4. Am i being too extreme here? Just making the point that people don’t have the money to spend on gaming anymore. Especially when they offer little more than a way for you to just sit on your couch and twittle your thumbsticks. Ive said it before, buy a pc instead. Stop padding these guys wallets. Screw ‘em. They aren’t thinking about you.
Video Games just aren’t important
They are fun. Just not important. I play games to have fun. Fun with my kids. Fun with my wife. Fun on my own. Gaming isn’t a lifestyle for me and it shouldn’t be for anyone else. Guess there may be exceptions to that. When developers want to nickle and dime me for every piece of DLC on top of charging me $60 dollars for an 8 hour game then that’s when i start to get weary. The current gen consoles still have life in them regardless of the mindless dribble that comes out of Marcus Beer and Shane Satterfield’s mouth. You see how Kojima’s new Fox engine looks. That’s an engine! We don’t need new consoles. Nintendo needed to release the Wii U because they handled the Wii like a joke and developers had a good laugh at it. Now that the consoles are at parity lets leave it that way. If Sony and Microsoft can produce consoles that don’t exceed $300 than great. Just what would the advantage be over current gen consoles? For $300 dollars i doubt it would be graphics. Then why release one? Would they take a Nintendo approach and focus on gameplay innovation? They need to. I believe gamers have spent too much money investing in the current gen systems already just to turn around and have to do it again so soon. Yes i know this is the longest console generation we have ever had and i dont think it’s done. Or should it be. The truth is publishers want money. What better way to get it than to piggy back off new hardwdare. Never mind just coming up with new franchises and fresh ideas for existing ones. Never mind improving your game engines and maximizing what’s already on the market. Just convince everyone that they need “new” consoles. We need new consoles like an iPad owner needs a needs a new iPad.
I’m Done!
This may be my last console generation. I love Nintendo. I’m getting more and more attached to Steam. I’m just not sure if i want to continue supporting the current industry. I’m getting tired. It’s expensive, no longer innovative, and lacking real maturity. Most of you may not agree with me and that’s ok. Just have an open mind and think about what your spending your time and money on versus what your getting in return. Do we really need new consoles. Are $60 games worth it anymore. Think about it. As always let me know what you guys think and tell me?…What makes Wii U Mad?
