Nintendo is Bringing Hardcore Gaming to its Knees Written By Brian Paterson on May 15th, 2008
Wii Sports. Wii Fit. Dr. Kawashiwa’s Brain Training. Ubisoft’s Imagine series. Each title summons a bevy of emotions from those who’ve donned a controller since their infancy. Some claim that Nintendo’s foray into the world of casual games is merely a trend; a blip on the hardcore gamer’s radar that will be squashed once Sony’s Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gain steam. Others believe that the widespread popularization of video games can only be good for the industry and increase the potential for marquee hits. The truth is, when titles such as Carnival Games and MySims (EA’s bastardized iteration of the popular PC series) can outsell big-budget releases including Devil May Cry 4 and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, the potential for developers to continue releasing big-budget titles catering to the hardcore decreases dramatically.
The unbridled success of the Nintendo Wii in America and Japan no doubt took gamers by surprise. A number of reasons accounted for its positive entrance into the market. At its launch, hardcore gamers got their fix from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (which has sold six million units to date) and with a realistic price point of two hundred fifty dollars, didn’t burn a hole in many middle-class gamers’ wallets. Secondly, the Wii’s favorable media coverage during the 2006 holiday season made Nintendo’s fledgling console the hot item, and it hasn’t looked back since. With popular TV personalities like Al Roker and Conan O’Brien giddily playing Wii Tennis on their respective programs, parents saw something they had never seen before: people their age actually playing, and enjoying, video games. As I watched Venus Williams and O’Brien return volleys on the Late Show, an uneasy feeling suddenly came over me.
After a nightmare beginning to the new millennium with the Gamecube, and even some years prior with the 64, Nintendo was determined to reclaim the gaming throne which had been taken so quickly by Sony and their powerful Playstation brand. During the Gamecube’s final years, many analysts believed Nintendo should have gone the way of Sega and given up producing consoles in favor of pure software development. Determined, Nintendo’s savior did not at first come in the form of a home console, but rather a dual-screened handheld, the DS. With Sony’s PSP battling hard for handheld supremacy flaunting titles such as Ridge Racer, Lumines and GTA: LibertyCity Stories, the DS’s success was not readily apparent. However, with Nintendogs selling an unprecedented eighteen million units, Nintendo struck gold the same way Tomagotchi had years before. Their new mantra was simple: Instead of following with tradition, we can create a game that both hardcore and casual could enjoy. Titles such as Brian Age 1 & 2 (24 million), English Training (3 million), and Vision Training (2.5 million) continued Nintendo’s assault into the casual market. Though the DS has since slowed a bit from its three year boom, its market share lead remains largely untouched.
While Microsoft kicked off the “Next-Generation” of home consoles, Nintendo and Sony had yet to release their new home consoles. At E3 2005, Sony unveiled what was, according to Mr. Kutaragi, “the system to be placed in the center of living rooms in homes around the world.” While gamers clamored over new information regarding Sony’s behemoth, Nintendo continued to keep silent about their console, codenamed “Revolution”. One year later, Nintendo stunned the world with something entirely unexpected. Following a presentation that showed off Nintendo’s new Wii-mote device with titles including Zelda and Meroid, Reggie Fils-Aime uttered words that hardcore crowd will never forget: “Many gamers know people who have never played a video game. This has to change…DS was only the first example, Wii will come next.”
One cannot spite Nintendo for their brilliance in producing a line of products that extend a hand to men and women of all ages. The company, which was up against the proverbial wall and in serious financial trouble, managed to turn the tides of the entire gaming industry in less than two years. Iwata and Miyamoto surely knew that their only option was to fire back with the entire Nintendo arsenal in addition to releasing titles readily accessible to those not familiar with gaming. Wii owners have already enjoyed titles which include most every big named Nintendo mascot, save for a scant few. Mario Kart, Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brothers Brawl have all received favorable reviews and sold quite well, however, we have yet to hear any whispers from Nintendo regarding their next hardcore offering. This begs the question if Nintendo has exhausted their biggest franchises. And still, even while Nintendo fails to meet demand for their console, the Wii consistently outsells both Plastation 3 and Xbox 360 by healthy margins. With titles such as Wii Fit selling 3.5 million copies (this coming before its release in the U.S.), large third party developers such as EA and Ubisoft have taken notice.
Ask any hardcore gamer what they have thought of third party support for the Nintendo Wii, and they will tell you that the offerings over its first two years have been almost non-existent. In fact, Nintendo titles account for the top ten all-time selling games on the platform and sixteen of the top twenty. Three of these four third-party titles include Resident Evil 4, Raving Rabbids and Guitar Hero III, each of which have seen iterations on other consoles. Many will say that the situation is improving with titles such as Suda51’s No More Heroes and Spielberg’s Boom Blox, however, the lack of a reputable Nintendo mascot such as Mario or Zelda attached to it hurts these games’ chances of ever becoming profitable. To date, No More Heroes has sold just three hundred thousand copies worldwide, with only forty thousand units moved in Japan. With sales such as these, who can blame third party developers for abandoning the hardcore segment of the market in favor of titles that reap benefits for a fraction of the production price. It’s a dangerous moment in the history of gaming, and one that will be decided by the masses in the years to come.
With Sony having failed to please gamers with their attempt at motion control in Sixaxis and rumors of Microsoft developing a Wiimote-esque device, one should wonder what the future holds for home consoles. If the Wii continues on the course it is currently on and the sales of casual games continue to rise, Microsoft and Sony will no doubt develop cheaper hardware and software that caters to a larger audience. This isn’t to say there’s no hope for hardcore gamers in the future, though. With titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 performing at such a phenomenal rate, hardcore gamers are effectively swaying the minds of developers in favor of continuing to create big-budget titles. Also, while Sony’s format victory might not show dividends this early, as consumers continue to purchase HD televisions and a mandatory switch to all-digital broadcasting looming in the United States approaches, Blu-Ray will undoubtedly shifta large number of consoles over the next few years. The future of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360’s software is looking strong as well with titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, Fable 2, Ninja Gaiden 2 and Resistance 2 on the horizon.
The purpose of this article was not to anger Wii owners (I myself have owned one for a year) but rather to issue a stern warning to all hardcore gamers: If we do not continue to support the story driven, large budget titles we’ve enjoyed our entire lives, our options will continue to dwindle until there are none remaining whatsoever. Is that what we want for the games industry in the future?
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