A Theory for Nintendos Suckage at E3 2008
204 days 7 hours ago
| by:
Shnazzyone
Last year Nintendo messed up.. they messed up bad! They started off with an unpopular PR girl balancing on a balance Board and ended with an unpopular franchise with the only positive aspect being the DS GTA and a new dongle we still wont have in our hands today. What the hell happened?!?! Here is Nintendo with the most popular system of this gen and they show nothing but sales figures and crummy casual offerings at an event aimed at people who could care less. On close analysis it becomes evident that perhaps... Nintendo had to phone this one in
If you look at Nintendo’s stance on releasing info and their practices it becomes painfully evident why exactly this happened. It’s something Nintendo is notorious for.. secrecy. Back in 2005 we knew nothing about the next Nintendo system other then an off rumor about it being called revolution and motion control as a murmur in the grape vine. I think the mistake Nintendo made was this was also all the third parties knew. Nintendo behind the scenes were ramping up production on what they wanted for the wii. While showing us all the next Legend of Zelda and letting us examine a fantastic Ds redesign they were working on Smash bros Brawl, Mario Kart wii and Super mario Galaxy. Even messing with a new concept of the wii balance board.
Meanwhile third parties were kept in the dark and here is Nintendo trying to make a huge blockbuster season for 2007 for Nintendos next system. The problem was it seems Nintendo might have been counting on 3rd parties for the games in 2008. Perhaps if they just told all these third party publishers that they had plans to revolutionize gaming in 2006 there would have been tons of offerings by 2008. Perhaps if Nintendo had started more projects in 2006 rather then assuming 2007 would be enough to flow into 2008...
Nintendo was to blame. Their secrecy and pompous belief that they knew just what everyone wanted made 2008 a travesty. They made a huge attempt to pad their event with numerous casual offerings that had no place in the event. I propose that even Nintendo knew what they were doing was stupid... but I also think they had no choice. Greedy and uninformed third parties gave them little to show and they were so busy wasting resources on a quick port of Animal crossing from DS and motion + on top of quickly rushing wiispeak out the door (without telling the third parties again) that they were caught with their pants down.
Nintendo could have made so many right decisions and they didn’t. Rockstar gave a glimmering hope but unfortunately that’s where it ended. If Nintendo told the third parties in 2005 about their revolutionary system and wooed them better then E3 2008 could have happened the way it should for a console that is number 1 in a new generation. Perhaps publishers wouldn’t have had to rush so much garbage out the door to get on the wii train as it gained insane momentum.
Though Nintendo’s secrecy and arrogance is a staple they need to let it go. Nintendo is one of the greatest game companies in history but they need to get off their high horse. They need to realize third party endeavors are every bit as important as their secrets and maybe they need to sure up more publishers for themselves... ones they know they can trust with sensitive information.
Nintendo seems fully aware at the importance of the “hardcore crowd” for their sales. It showed this past year as online flame wars of Nintendo hate erupted from the awful crap showing in 2008. Nintendo gave the false image that they were only for the casuals on their new console when the reality was probably closer to bad decisions and misspent resources. They had high hopes for everyone but themselves ended up being shown who was the fool.
To those who might think I am taking a full 180 on my normal attitude let it be noted. This is merely what I think happened. It is in many ways me making excuses for my company of choice. Though after years of amateur industry watching and reading everything new from Nintendo it became painfully obvious to me. I don’t feel Nintendo in any way abandoned the “core gamer” I feel they just got a taste of what happens when you plan wrong. What happens when you think you know exactly what is going to happen in the market. What happens when your lil project to keep Nintendo alive in the consoles for just a bit longer turns into one of the greatest decisions In gaming history.
I hope what Ninty learned will stay with them for a good long time. I hope they make the resources they have work more in multiple situations and not just the ones they hope will happen. I think The Big N loves games more then we fanboys give them credit for, and even they can make mistakes.
Here’s to hope for 2009... maybe Nintendo will prove us all wrong. Or maybe I will be sorry I ever posted this blog to make one possible excuse for a company i’ve loved since i was a tiny lil punk trying to get through world 7-4 on his brand new lil gray box in 1985.
If they drop the ball it might be time to forget the lil white hope that is the wii. Perhaps they did make it for Soccer moms and closets. Perhaps Nintendo wants those who made it what it is to loathe them. Maybe they want us to think they plan poorly. Maybe they want us to think they just don’t have what it takes to be number 1 for their first generation in a long time. Though I seriously doubt Nintendo would let us all believe that... for two years in a row : D.
Go Nintendo... prove em’ wrong.*fingers crossed*
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