Nintendo has been a household name for almost 30 years now. It is one of the most powerful brands in the world, according to Forbes. They are known as one of the most innovative companies to date. They have been responsible for some of the most well known characters that children and adults recognize globally. These are all the reasons why the industry looks to Nintendo to bring back those qualities. Today, however, we have too many re-makes and not enough new ideas coming from Nintendo. When Nintendo produces, it’s often a Golden Egg, but they need far more than a few 3DS titles to stay competitive.
The Wii and Wii U
Nintendo held the torch when it came to ushering in the casual and young market of gamers. People who haven’t picked up a video game since the original Pac-Man were comfortable buying the Nintendo Wii. It was a child friendly system that called for active movement. Games like Ghost Squad and House of the Dead brought back those “arcade” memories, and titles like Just Dance got everyone moving with ease. Millions of people were excited for video games once again. Now six years later the flame has died down. The Wii-U is out and selling at a decent pace. But it needs time to grow–will it be enough to leave the footprint that the Nintendo Wii did? Will they be able to convince the casual market to choose them over PlayStation, Xbox and the ever consistently growing mobile industry?
The success of the Wii was because of the casual market’s support and Nintendo has done a poor job marketing their latest system to that market. The Wii-U launch, on a financial basis, isn’t doing a bad job. However, the hardcore audience (the very audience they wanted to sell this console to) is disappointed and starved for the new and innovative content they are known for. Re-imagining games for nostalgic appeal is a great sell in today’s industry. Older players love the feeling of familiar levels re-visited, and the old mechanics help usher in some younger gamers.
No one is more guilty of reanimating their best franchises like Nintendo, and that is not necessarily a bad thing; they do it very well and always seem to breathe new life into the classics, but where are the truly “new” concepts? The competition has changed, the reason people play has changed, when and where people play has changed. The mobile games industry takes more and more attention away from the Nintendo DS. Although Nintendo doesn’t have to fear tablet and phone gaming… yet, they are in a position to dominate once again. Nintendo needs new games and gamers want a damn good reason to play them.
We have already heard the griping about the launch line-up for the Wii-U, and the lack of games available for the console right now. Even with ports of titles like Assassins Creed III and Batman: Arkham City that play in a unique way, gamers don’t care; they want the “Nintendo experience”. They have to make people understand why they need a Wii-U after they have burned out their Wii. Nintendo has to convince the gamers that after they have spent their money, that this is where they should be spending their time. Nintendo needs to take the gloves off and show everyone why their software can last for decades. Nintendo needs to convince that casual crowd that they can still entertain and provide a safe haven for the younger gamers. This next year Nintendo has to prove why they belong in your life.
This next generation, people will be asking themselves one thing: “What kind of experience can I get here and nowhere else”? Nintendo’s campaign should be focused on one phrase: “Only on Nintendo.”
