Columns Blame Nintendo!

http://www.bit-tech.net/columns/2007/11/03/blame_nintendo_/1

After a string of publishers have recently announced major losses this year, Joe Martin examines how such a thing is possible when so many great games are coming out and what it might mean for the gaming outlook next year...

 

Back in the day Nintendo had their seal of quality which was meant to prevent the market being saturated with atrocious games, that added with the higher cost for cartridge based games meant that not a lot of companies could afford to get into the market and so had to have better games to stand above the rest.

Cheaper media costs mean that it's cheaper to publish a game. But higher costs of development quickly offset this and piracy does take away from it (for everyone that downloads a cracked game, how many people do you think they give it to?) so I'm not surprised about the fact that there are losses.

And EA have bought up companies left-right-centre and they haven't released their big hitters, Bioware & Mass Effect for example so that will look like a significant loss but come the next financial reports they will probably make a lot of money.

 

I think Valve is also on the green side, monetarily speaking...Steam means they get all the game's price, and even a cut for games they only sell through it. I know they must have huge bandwidth cost, but it must still be profitable.
It's true that the only successful games on the Wii are the Nintendo ones...

 

Publishers do need to get their act together when it comes to the Wii. Luckily I haven't had much time to play games, so Zelda and a couple of GC games have kept me going, but there has really been very little that's worth playing on the system. Even the simpler games that are aimed at a non-gamer demographic are usually awful.

The only games that interest me are the Nintendo-developed AAA titles, like Metroid Prime 3 and Mario Galaxy (pre-ordered), both of which are/will be amazing. I just wish that other publishers would produce something for this great little system.

 

Well, what I see as the main problem is the over and over repeating of games. As mentioned I don't understand why ppl would go and buy the anual release of fifa?
I rather enjoy a new idea then better graphics. Many great looking games lack the right feeling when it comes to controlling and how they effect us emotional. Lots of games have been pushed so far with graphics that they have almost forgotten what is most important. THE USERS! If playing the game doesn't feel natural and everything feels circumstantial. Then not many will be willing to play it. With such a large market as it is today and with games beeing reported about every flaw on the internet it is a rough market. Some developers have taken chances and have been praised.

What I lack at the market atm is the next step. When will we no longer have to be running with "w" and aim with the "mouse"? My hope is for more natural controlls. In that way the wii has done well. But I still miss alot of needs and possibility with todays controlls.

The perfect game is a game that feels very natural to you. You feel in controll most of the time and there are few limits to what you can do. The future will let us know how good or bad wii rly is. Will we see "the" perfect game? A game where we get to use the controll and system to it's limit and not just look silly. Alot of nice games beeing released and coming on wii soon. So atleast we have hope...

 

Saying that wii is the only succesful and profitable wouild be wrong. Blizzard still get lots of cash every month for WoW. With the upcoming SC2 release. I see blizzard as one of the strongest developers with good economics.

 

Take away the cashcow which has become WoW and they'd be down in the doldrums with everyone else mate.

 

I dont know about you, but i'm glad for once that Nintendo, who have tried to give us something innovative in gaming, are beating back those who seem to churn out the same worthless roster updated games every year.

I'm not saying the Wii is perfect by any means, but it is definetley a step in the right direction.

 

I don't see how 360/PS3 haven't shown innovation themselves? That's what's confusing me....For example, I see the PS3 with it's SIXAXIS controller and the Playstation Eye to be (what I would consider) innovative.....

Either way, I see Joe's point (I think): game developers need to publish games that aim at each individual system's strong points rather than just porting games over and then trying to make it look like they also developed it for another system.....

The Wii/Guitar Hero/Rock Band should show, alone, that people are wanting/expecting innovation and new ideas in the market place and as with those examples they have been significantly rewarded.....

 

worse, they haven't released a new game in years. if WoW died tomorrow, bliz would be bankrupt.

As for EA, Nintendo probably did help killing their profits, they're making games for the PS3 which only a very small percentage owns. And they definately shot themselves in the foot when they released MOHAB for PC. XBOX ports ftl.

IMO there will be good from this years bad results. The publishers will start (hopefully) to demand better content, better support, and a stable game at release. Look at the wildly successful games this year, like you said WIC, BioShock, Orangebox. You know Sierra isn't hurting at the moment, neither is ValVe

 

Firstly, the camera attachment idea was old with the Gameboy . Secondly, I'm not talking purely hardware innovation here (motion sensing has been around for ages) but the innovation is marketting, design and appeal which has seen the Wii tackle new and emerging markets. It's not just what you make - it's how you sell it.

 

I hear yah Joe, now I understand what the "innovation" is that you're referring to....

 

I must disagree!

Iv been following blizzard for a few years since Warcraft 3 ROC and with Starcraft on the horizon, even if they didnt have WOW, Starcraft would generate huge revenue for them and you need a legit version to play that online - Its the sequel to possibly the greatest RTS of all time, i think it will do well!

As a brand, blizzard has always made quality games, WOW cost allot in R & D but they have made it back by the bucket loads and any other mmporg they make will no doubt be a success, they have branded their products really well.

 

I'm pretty sure the revenue so far from wow would keep blizzard going for a long time

I disagree with you tbh, Warcraft 3 is what, 5 years old?

Starcraft may make them some money, but if they didn't have WoW they wouldn't have survived long enough to make it to here

Anyway, this point is very moot, Blizzard do have WoW, and they are making lots of money, and their providing a game that millions of people actually want

 

We can only hope. Let's face it, as great as WoW is, it shouldn't have carried them this far. It's disgusting that they've sat back and raked in so much from a single title, and I fear the more significant impact of WoW will be that their company has gone stale in the meantime, and lost its ability to have a finger on the pulse of the gaming industry.
(Translation: I reckon their next independent title will be ass pancake, because they haven't been paying attention.)

 

I'm not saying that 360 and ps3 haven't shown innovation at all. (actually come to think of it, what has the ps3 got that is new and innovative?). the fact that Nintendo originally had motion controls on the NES back in the 80's(probably before you were born), but couldn't market it because of price point, and the way it had been done.... my point was that I'm glad somewhere along the lines that someone is trying to change the way gaming is, rather than churning out the same old crap.

Hell the Atari 2600 had motion sensing controls. Built by Amiga....Guru meditation anyone?

 

Regarding the Wii's motion sensitivity:

I would've optimistically disagreed with this verdict until I saw my friend playing Dragonball Z on the wii, a game which genuinely incorprates the motion sensitivity properly and is most easily beaten by waving the controller madly in all directions.

 

the comments above all seem a little too thought-out and mature.

tee hee.

that better?

 

the future of gaming is sex. Currently media has a very strange attitude to it and I think games will be the first to change this. Bring on the hot chicks.

 

This is true. (stereo)typically gamers don't come by women much unless they are relatives, co-workers/classmates or pixellated