Random Gaming Thoughts

[Ziggy]

Random Gaming Thought:

If the Wii was released as an add-on for the GameCube like originally intended, I wonder if it would've done well and caused the GameCube to do better than it did.

My guess would be no. A lot of people bought the Wii simply because it was this cool new thing with the pack-in Wii Sports game. Lots of older people that were never gamers bought one just for Wii Sports. I would guess that if they had to buy a Gamecube, then a separate peripheral, then a game, they probably wouldn't have bothered.

[RCBH928]

I am amazed how the 3D MGS games retained so much of the 2D ones. I thought the 2D ones would be a simple form of it. After seeing some gameplay, the only restriction was the "graphics power" otherwise it kind of actually plays the same. Kind of like how Mario transformed from 2D to 3D.

I'm not a fan of cutscene heavy games. My feelings are if I want to sit and watch something then I'll watch TV or a movie. If I want to play a game, then I don't want to just sit there and watch something.

That said, I don't dislike cutscenes in games. I just prefer they not be too long. And when I get the feeling that I'm watching more than I'm playing, that's where I tend to draw the line.

I am with you. I am not a MGS fan myself, but I don't know any other game with long cut scenes. For the same reason I hate JRPGS, if I wanted to do so much reading I would read a story instead of reading dialogue after dialogue.

Random Gaming Thought:

If the Wii was released as an add-on for the GameCube like originally intended, I wonder if it would've done well and caused the GameCube to do better than it did.

My guess would be no. A lot of people bought the Wii simply because it was this cool new thing with the pack-in Wii Sports game. Lots of older people that were never gamers bought one just for Wii Sports. I would guess that if they had to buy a Gamecube, then a separate peripheral, then a game, they probably wouldn't have bothered.

The Wii sold a ton because of its price at launch $250 compared to $500-600 ps3 and the novelty of motion controls which was mind blowing at the time(still amazing). They had this idea of instead on competing on the same core games, or "slice of pie", they will expand the size of the "pie" by making games accessible to everyone.

It worked, just not sure why they abandoned it and went back with regular gaming crowd with the Switch. Not that I am saying the Switch is not successful, but it caters to the main "gamers" crowd.

[POOPIESkillz]

Random Gaming Thought:

If the Wii was released as an add-on for the GameCube like originally intended, I wonder if it would've done well and caused the GameCube to do better than it did.

My guess would be no. A lot of people bought the Wii simply because it was this cool new thing with the pack-in Wii Sports game. Lots of older people that were never gamers bought one just for Wii Sports. I would guess that if they had to buy a Gamecube, then a separate peripheral, then a game, they probably wouldn't have bothered.

The Wii sold a ton because of its price at launch $250 compared to $500-600 ps3 and the novelty of motion controls which was mind blowing at the time(still amazing). They had this idea of instead on competing on the same core games, or "slice of pie", they will expand the size of the "pie" by making games accessible to everyone.

It worked, just not sure why they abandoned it and went back with regular gaming crowd with the Switch. Not that I am saying the Switch is not successful, but it caters to the main "gamers" crowd.

Yeah, Ziggy you're right about the appeal to older, casual gamers. My girlfriend's aunt who is probably in her late 50s actually just asked me to find her a Wii with Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Just Dance a few weeks ago

RCBH, I think they tried with the Wii U but it just didnt capture pretty much anyone's attention. I remember going to GameStop on its launch day and no body was there and I happened to go there coincidentally; I didnt even know the thing was out. These days, I still think they market mainly to casual and younger audiences.

[PartridgeSenpai]

It worked, just not sure why they abandoned it and went back with regular gaming crowd with the Switch. Not that I am saying the Switch is not successful, but it caters to the main "gamers" crowd.

I would very much disagree that they've done anything remotely close to abandoning that strategy. By emphasizing the portable and titular switching function of the Switch, Nintendo is very much still operating in that "expanding the pie" strategy of operating in a space perpendicular to their opponents, rather than in parallel competition.

Of course you are right in that they're focusing on strictly games again, but I think the portable element really adds a lot to novelty and utility of the Switch compared to the PS4 and Xbone (and it will continue to even when next gen's consoles come out, in my opinion). Of course it isn't quite as hardcore catering to traditionally non-gamer crowd like the Wii did, but that's because they can never make another Wii. Everyone who was happy with the Wii is still happy with the Wii and Wii Sports. Nothing is going to make them go out and buy another one. The gimmick of motion controls came and went for the rest of the gaming public (save for when it got repackaged into VR), but for those people it came and stayed. There's a good reason that the next Just Dance game is being released on the Wii too, after all

[Gunstar Green]

It worked, just not sure why they abandoned it and went back with regular gaming crowd with the Switch. Not that I am saying the Switch is not successful, but it caters to the main "gamers" crowd.

I would very much disagree that they've done anything remotely close to abandoning that strategy. By emphasizing the portable and titular switching function of the Switch, Nintendo is very much still operating in that "expanding the pie" strategy of operating in a space perpendicular to their opponents, rather than in parallel competition.

I agree. I think the fact that they've garnered more "gamer"-focused third party support with the Switch is not evidence to the contrary, just evidence that the Switch is successful.

[RCBH928]

It worked, just not sure why they abandoned it and went back with regular gaming crowd with the Switch. Not that I am saying the Switch is not successful, but it caters to the main "gamers" crowd.

I would very much disagree that they've done anything remotely close to abandoning that strategy. By emphasizing the portable and titular switching function of the Switch, Nintendo is very much still operating in that "expanding the pie" strategy of operating in a space perpendicular to their opponents, rather than in parallel competition.

Of course you are right in that they're focusing on strictly games again, but I think the portable element really adds a lot to novelty and utility of the Switch compared to the PS4 and Xbone (and it will continue to even when next gen's consoles come out, in my opinion). Of course it isn't quite as hardcore catering to traditionally non-gamer crowd like the Wii did, but that's because they can never make another Wii. Everyone who was happy with the Wii is still happy with the Wii and Wii Sports. Nothing is going to make them go out and buy another one. The gimmick of motion controls came and went for the rest of the gaming public (save for when it got repackaged into VR), but for those people it came and stayed. There's a good reason that the next Just Dance game is being released on the Wii too, after all

Maybe their "pie expanding" strategy have shifted to the ios/android platform with titles like Dr.Mario, Mario Run, Pokemon Go.

[isiolia]

Maybe their "pie expanding" strategy have shifted to the ios/android platform with titles like Dr.Mario, Mario Run, Pokemon Go.

To an extent, sure. Going back to your original point about Nintendo returning focus to the core audience... maybe your answer for that is right there. The Wii came out in late 2006, and the first iPhone in 2007. For as well as the Wii ended up selling, smartphones ended up eclipsing it many times over. The kind of (objectively) casual gamers that some of the Wii's design direction was meant to capture ended up far more likely to just play games on their phone or tablet.

I would very much disagree that they've done anything remotely close to abandoning that strategy. By emphasizing the portable and titular switching function of the Switch, Nintendo is very much still operating in that "expanding the pie" strategy of operating in a space perpendicular to their opponents, rather than in parallel competition.

I don't think it's quite the same thing. The Wii sold to a lot of people that just weren't otherwise in the market for a game console. To some extent, they did the same with the DS too, with things like Brain Training titles. At least, that's what I saw - the first person in my family to own a DS was my mom. She ended up buying at least one of my brothers one too, and literally the only things they had for them were those little brain teaser type titles. All abandoned for mobile stuff.

The Switch is more of a combined strategy. It's taking the folks that would have bought a Nintendo console anyway, for the first party IPs, for couch multiplayer, etc, and merging that customer base with the portable one, which they've dominated since ever. The success of the platform is bringing in the ports, just like it always does. It's a broadly successful system, but pretty much within the established customer base.
Arguably, stuff like Labo or some of the initial releases like 1-2-Switch are attempts at appealing to other audiences, but they don't exactly seem to have succeeded in doing that like Wii Sports did.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I think we should remember that the Joy Cons can still be used for motion controls, which while not capitalized on much right now, is a potential avenue to attract some of the Wii crowd again.

Sadly, the Joy Cons don't work nearly as well as the Wiimote for pointing. That means little chance of light gun style stuff... I want HOTD4.

[marurun]

Sadly, the Joy Cons don't work nearly as well as the Wiimote for pointing. That means little chance of light gun style stuff... I want HOTD4.

I think if they were a bit longer they would work better for pointing. But they're so small. And they also rely solely on gyros and not an LED bar, so it's probably harder to reorient.

[isiolia]

I think if they were a bit longer they would work better for pointing. But they're so small. And they also rely solely on gyros and not an LED bar, so it's probably harder to reorient.

JoyCons have an IR sensor in the bottom of 'em. Dual Shock 4s can be used for motion control via gyro only, though I've rarely seen it used in a "pointing" fashion (Blue Estate can use them as pseudo light guns just using that though, offhand).