Indeed, complacent in their unwavering loyalty to their favorite franchises, Nintendo fans continue to support a brand that seems hellbent on extracting as much money from them as possible. One has to look at the process rather cynically to see the truth of the matter; Nintendo is all too aware that their franchises command huge popularity, that their iconic characters still captivate younger gamers, and that the warming comfort of nostalgia has veteran gamers buying and rebuying their software over and over again. For those reasons, every imperative taken by the company is designed to maximize and take advantage of that affection for their brand. But why does Nintendo get a pass for this brazen corporatism when other publishers are the victim of furious abuse? Are Nintendo’s characters so cute and fuzzy that gamers are blind to the cold business stratagem with which they are facilitating?
Consider Nintendo’s decision to make minor changes to their 3DS console, its iterative design forcing players to upgrade to their hardware in order to play certain games. The outcry of public opinion was virtually non-existent in comparison with the reaction to Sony’s upcoming luxury PS4 Neo edition, a console that, unlike the 3DS, will not feature exclusive content.
How about the draconian practices of Nintendo’s trigger happy legal team, intent on shutting down YouTube Speedrunners and walkthrough guides? Why are these practices condoned when Sony’s attempt to trademark “Let’s Play” was met with fierce hatred by gamers? The Wii U virtual console, too, requiring players to buy and download old games – why the lack of fuss compared to the irritation caused by Sony’s re-release of PS2 classics on their own PSN network? Apparently, the same rules do not apply in the case of Nintendo. Indeed, nowhere will you find another publisher that so effectively redresses and resells its products with such an iron fist while its audience so willingly accepts it as standard practice.
And that brings us to the imminent launch of the Nintendo NX. Though not yet officially revealed, Nintendo have labelled the NX a “new way of playing,” all but confirmed by recent leaked patents and new information detailing the consoles hybrid nature. Those hoping for a powerful home console may be disappointed but not altogether surprised that Nintendo’s latest console that would occupy a separate space in the market from Sony and Microsoft. After all, it is an imperative that falls directly in line with Nintendo’s determination to establish a new market to sustain their ambition of establishing a self contained brand.
[zergpaid]Ironically, though, from what we do know about the NX so far, it seems as though the console’s ambition might be far less extravagant than we might have expected. Sure, a hybrid first, home console second device is an innovative enough concept, but it’s a far more conservative vision of what many had initially suspected the console might have been.
Yet, Nintendo is now being lauded – as they were similarly for the Wii – for the NX’s rumored design as forward thinking vision of technology. “Typically tech savvy and industry leading Nintendo” they’ll no doubt suggest. Perhaps too many people are caught up in some romantic notion that Nintendo’s hardware is pushing the video game industry forward, rather than the obvious corporate imperatives that actually drive its design.
Annoyingly, as innovative as Nintendo’s products have previously been, they have also often resulted in a lesser gaming experience for the end user. Too many times we have seen Nintendo create software to justify its wacky hardware, and while that often leads to some novel gaming experiences, all too often it also imposes limitations on their potential.
Given the dismal sales of the Wii U, Nintendo is certainly looking both to recoup its losses. To do so, I’d suggest the strategy is, first and foremost, about creating a platform through which the company can achieve the most lucrative cohesion of Nintendo’s brand and software. While that sounds like discerning business strategy, it’s also a imperative that treats every consumer as a cash cow, and we’re all about to get milked, big time.