What do you guys think about the strength on Nintendo at the moment, and as it goes into the next generation? Will it get stronger or will it become another sega?

Discuss.

I will always respect Nintendo and I do believe they will stay consistant within the videogame market.
However I do fear that they may be forced to game developement/publishing in the future, but it is hard to tell.

They have always had very good games in my opinion, which would have to make up for a lot in potential losses over console specs/developer issues with the Gamecube and possibly reveloution.
It is a shame to see Rare leave really, as I did find enjoyment with
Starfox,Jetforce Gemni, Banjo ,Donkeykong and Perfect dark.

I am hoping Square-Enix will Licence World of Mana to Nintendo as the Seiken Densetu series has always lived on Nintendo at heart and I think it would be rather fitting for Nintendo's game preferences.

The role playing genre has been lacking ever since the Nintendo 64 which is quite sad.

I like the direction that the next gen Zelda is taking - it looks more like the traditional zelda series of yesteryear.

I have never played FF:CC on Nintendo and was so tempted to try the new Console purely for the game and to play sword of mana on the TV:)

My only downer with nintendo are only all the extra crap that you seemed to have to fork out for such as rumble paks,mem paks,ram packs just to play the game (minus rumble :)).

For some reason I see microsoft being the next sega. Yeah that sounds stupid, but its a deep feeling inside. even im bored with nintendo, i just dont see them falling off at all.

I've heard somewhere (I don't remember where) that Nintendo has enough money to make 4 more systems and have them fail before they are forced to become like sega.


For some reason I see microsoft being the next sega. Yeah that sounds stupid, but its a deep feeling inside. even im bored with nintendo, i just dont see them falling off at all.

I agree about microsoft.

I don't think Nintendo will end up like Sega, at least not fora few more gens.
But if Nintendo did, where would it go? Playstation? make a joint system with Sega?

Nintendo will stay strong on selling it`s handheld systems at least.

The N64 commanded respect because of games like Goldeneye, the Zelda Series, and Perfect Dark, but the Gamecube sucked (apart from mabye SSBM). The Revolution isn't gonna get too many buyers. My vote is on the PS3.

You're an idiot.

However I do fear that they may be forced to game developement/publishing in the future, but it is hard to tell.
You fear that Nintendo may be forced to develop games of their own? If that is what you are saying, you do realize that Nintendo's first-party games are better than any Sony or Microsoft comes up with.


They have always had very good games in my opinion, which would have to make up for a lot in potential losses over console specs/developer issues with the Gamecube and possibly reveloution.
They <B>had</B> to make very good games in order to counter poor console specs for the Gamecube/Revolution? Sorry, but Gamecube isn't the least powerful of the current systems; PS2 is. And it's already been stated that Nintendo is not going to create an expensive systems with these HD graphics and what-not.


The role playing genre has been lacking ever since the Nintendo 64 which is quite sad.
Hopefully you are talking about gaming in general, and not just Nintendo.


I like the direction that the next gen Zelda is taking - it looks more like the traditional zelda series of yesteryear.
If Nintendo is smart, they will push Twilight Princess back even further, and make it a release title for the Revolution.


I have never played FF:CC on Nintendo and was so tempted to try the new Console purely for the game and to play sword of mana on the TV:)
Never play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, or Sword of Mana.


My only downer with nintendo are only all the extra crap that you seemed to have to fork out for such as rumble paks,mem paks,ram packs just to play the game (minus rumble :)).
...You don't need a Rumble Pack to play some Nintendo games. And the Ram Pack wasn't even necessary, except for Perfect Dark, and maybe Donkey Kong 64/Majora's Mask.


For some reason I see microsoft being the next sega. Yeah that sounds stupid, but its a deep feeling inside. even im bored with nintendo, i just dont see them falling off at all.
Microsoft did more for the gaming community the last year or two, than what Nintendo has done.


The N64 commanded respect because of games like Goldeneye, the Zelda Series, and Perfect Dark, but the Gamecube sucked (apart from mabye SSBM). The Revolution isn't gonna get too many buyers. My vote is on the PS3.
You do realize that there are so many great titles on the Gamecube? Let's not forget one of the best games I've played in years is still only on it, Resident Evil 4. I think the Metroid Prime series isn't as wonderful or excellent as some people make it out to be, but still worth mentioning. I loved Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and Tales of Symphonia was so much fun to play and was also a really great RPG to boot.

Why exactly won't the Revolution get many buyers? A $200 console that will let you play any Nintendo game from the past 20 years, and possibly third-party games as well? A system that will come out with a new controller, games with better graphics. You do realize, that your 'Revolution sucks, PS3 rules' comment, just screams for me to say that you play games solely for the graphics, and not for the gameplay or storyline. There has been basically nothing released on the PS3, except that it will be EXPENSIVE AND MOST BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICALLY.

since we're on the subject, when is the revolution coming out? this year or next

You fear that Nintendo may be forced to develop games of their own? If that is what you are saying, you do realize that Nintendo's first-party games are better than any Sony or Microsoft comes up with.

I didnt say that they didnt make excelent first party games - I would be sad to see them stop making consoles


They had to make very good games in order to counter poor console specs for the Gamecube/Revolution? Sorry, but Gamecube isn't the least powerful of the current systems; PS2 is. And it's already been stated that Nintendo is not going to create an expensive systems with these HD graphics and what-not.

You virtualy expanded on my point and agreed!


...You don't need a Rumble Pack to play some Nintendo games. And the Ram Pack wasn't even necessary, except for Perfect Dark, and maybe Donkey Kong 64/Majora's Mask.

And again!

I've heard somewhere (I don't remember where) that Nintendo has enough money to make 4 more systems and have them fail before they are forced to become like sega.


I dunno about 4 but this is relatively true. Nintendo has had one year in its entire history in which it didn't make a profit. They are one of the richest companies in the industry. Sega had been badly in debt WAY before the Dreamcast came out. The difference is enormous. Nintendo doesn't even need to dominate the market to continue, in the past they have been profitable whether they were #1 or dead last. They sell so much software it doesn't even matter if they're behind in hadware sales.

Really I wouldn't worry about them. They are one of those things that has such a recognizable brand, it will be very hard for them to stop making money. Their market is increasingly differentiating itself from the one that Sony and Microsoft are in as well. Twenty years from now, I would not be at all surprised if things like the PlayStation brand are more of what a DVD player is now, and Nintendo consoles are still playing the role that a traditional video game machine does now. As games become more and more like interactive movies and less and less like simple games, Nintendo is one of the few companies who still puts the emphasis on the "game" part; it's entirely possible that their competition could simply carve them a comfortable niche to sit in.

I don't really like almost any games that are being made now, but at least Nintendo still occasionally produces something I want to play. Even Sega seems to have started churning out shit. =/


since we're on the subject, when is the revolution coming out? this year or next

Right now they are saying it'll be this year, but Nintendo is infamous for console delays, so there's no way of knowing if that'll actually happen. They did say that they thought the PS2's early start was a huge advantage in this round though, so I think they have more motivation to get it out soon than they have in the past.


I am also really really still hoping they don't actually call it "Revolution". That is such a bad name.



Also, you guys who think Microsoft will exit this business are completely wrong. It's not even a question of them "winning", they are here permanently now. The future is headed towards a unified box system where consoles and PCs and TVs and media players all unite, and Microsoft would lose a lot of ground if that happened without them, seeing as right now they are the undisputed rulers of the computer world. They will use however much money they have to use in order to stay in the business and be a force in it. I doubt they'll completely take it over because Sony aren't pushovers either, but Microsoft can afford to keep making new Xbox systems virtually forever whether they make a profit in the short run or not. Sorry, but there's just no way they can afford NOT to be in the console business; in the long run it would be less profitable for them to pull out than to stay in even if they were losing money on the console.

It's true that Nintendo has more then enough money to spend before they'd be even close to a Sega, but they hold a relatively small part of the console market now. I commend the way they are going their own way with the Revolution (horrible name), but personally it's not what I am waiting for. The PS2 and XboX already are more diverse then just a console. Something I really enjoy. If you'd compare XboX and GameCube, then on average I like to believe that XboX did better then the GC. I don't know about the numbers, but Microsoft entered the console market and did that very convinsing.

Personally I think Nintendo made a huge mistake with the DS and the Gameboy Micro is just and old Gameboy in a new jacket. The DS is more then a gadget in my eyes. I've tried the PSP and I was very impressed by it, compared to my feelings after testing the DS. The only huge minus about the PSP were the loading times, but I only got to test one game so far, so it might differ. There's no doubt in my mind that the PSP is going to blow the DS away. And Nintendo has to be carefull with the Micro, because it's retro'ish.

The XboX also had a succesfull online console pack for it. XboX Live is so much of a bigger succes then Sony Online. Not to mention that I've nowhere even see the modem accesory for the GameCube. In that regard, XboX 360 already has an advantage over the PS3 and Revolution.

I'm a loyal PS2 fan, but with the next consoles I am more then tempted to buy a XboX 360, specially if it is backwards compatible with XboX (anyone know about this?). And quite honestly, I'm not really waiting for the Revolution. The only thing that has secured Nintedo's future at this point, is their vast amount of money. Because on gaming and console areas, they've been rather disapoiting the last year and a half. (Atleast to me).

yay for tk being smrt.

Nintendo isn't going to disappear anytime soon. no one seems to realize this, but they're simply not in direct competition with Microsoft and Sony.

the only thing that irks me occasionally with Nintendo is their reluctance to accept new technology. refusal to adopt optical media, high def (although I can see why in that case), hard drives (again, can see why), and online play.

I'm really surprised that the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 haven't announced that they'll be moving in on the HTPC market already. anyone with a bit of knowledge about the industry can tell that eventually it's going to happen, there's no reason not to expediate the process. you've already got a hard drive and a connection to the TV, and in many cases net access. you're almost there. it just needs to be part of the operating system and you're there, really.

none of this is a threat to Nintendo, of course, because they (hopefully) will have no intention of following Sony and Microsoft. you don't need two HTPCs, you need one. Nintendo has a perfect niche: it isn't aiming to be THE console, it's aiming to be a well-known, recognized, affordable console that has games that differ significantly from the leading brands.

I think the main concern about jumping all the way to the HTPC thing is just that it might overwhelm consumers. Even as fast as technology builds these days, people still ease into it. Once consoles do virtually everything and most people who own them are taking advantage of all those aspects, I'm sure it will naturally start to happen, but if they try to force it they run the risk of consumers thinking "oh I've already got a PC though" and not wanting to buy it.