Nintendo's future?

[StefanS]

i do not understand what is "red squared people", what is it ?

People with low reputation. They've got those little red squares right under their nickname.

Anyway back on topic:
I find it pretty interesting that console gaming, though it has been more and more mainstreamed, doesn't reach a bigger market share. As gamers grow older, that market share should increase, if there's a steady influx of younger gamers. However, it seems that instead of bringing in new gamers the market seems to shift towards a more mature audience. The question is, is it because the games don't represent this market any more or is it because younger gamers are losing their interest in gaming? Did gaming lose its appeal or its novelty?
And what can be done to change this? Nintendo's answer is obviously affected by the ongoing recession of the Japanese gaming industry. - Slightly off-topic: there was superb interview with Denis Dyack (Silicon Knights) on this by IGN -. Its officials believe in order to expand their market share they need to expand the market and reach out to traditional non-gamers. They think that it is a question of appeal. But who knows maybe non-gamers are non-gamers right to their core: Maybe they won't change their deadlocked opinions. This might be a very risky gamble.

 

[mckmas8808]

Ok people, I think we forgot to tell you about something, Beyond3D forums (especially the Console Forum) is a bit like a zoo, remember the warnings "Don't feed animals" ?
Here we have a slightly different one : "Don't answer red squared people."

Makes Moderators life easier.

Well that's not fair because I have brought this board great conversations, yet a very few people wanted to make my reputation a little red square.

 

[Magnum PI]

People with low reputation. They've got those little red squares right under their nickname.

I didn't think of this square, i thought it was some english expression
Now that I understand i think this is too simplistic.

As gamers grow older, that market share should increase, if there's a steady influx of younger gamers

You have to take into account that some of us stop being gamers as they grow up and we eventually die

As we grow up as adults we may find other center of interests/occupations, especially when we have kids.

However, it seems that instead of bringing in new gamers the market seems to shift towards a more mature audience. The question is, is it because the games don't represent this market any more or is it because younger gamers are losing their interest in gaming? Did gaming lose its appeal or its novelty?

Older gamers are also subject to the loss of interest, after playing the n-th fighting game or the n-th iteration of the franchises you can become kind of bored byt the standard offer.

But who knows maybe non-gamers are non-gamers right to their core: Maybe they won't change their deadlocked opinions. This might be a very risky gamble.

There may be a market of ex-gamers to conquer.

Many people think they are not good enough to enjoy videogames, making gaming more accessible (at least in appearance) may incite them to play.

Some of them are misinformed (mass media notoriously do a bad reporting of videogaming) and think this is only an hardcore thing. Making it appear more family friendly would help too.

Something like a year or two ago, microsoft made the same kind of statements as games being not accessible only...

I think there is a non-negligible fraction on non-gamers who could be part of the market, if only some barreers are removed. I think that what nintendo is doing is healthy for the industry, and the best they can do for them. Their success with nintendogs and the brain thing seem to support their analysis well.

Remember how a lot of us predicted that nintendo would be crushed by sony in the handheld space.. Now these people should logically take nintendo stance more seriously.

But as these are the same irrationnal people who against all evidence predict nintendo demise for years, I do not expect them to become all of a sudden reasonable.

 

[oli2]

I find it pretty interesting that console gaming, though it has been more and more mainstreamed, doesn't reach a bigger market share. As gamers grow older, that market share should increase, if there's a steady influx of younger gamers. However, it seems that instead of bringing in new gamers the market seems to shift towards a more mature audience. The question is, is it because the games don't represent this market any more or is it because younger gamers are losing their interest in gaming? Did gaming lose its appeal or its novelty?

I agree that the gaming industry may have problems to catch youngers attention as you mention, but there may be another type of public that is losing interest.

I take myself as an example : i'm in my thirties and used to play 20 to 30 games a year for more than 10 years. Since two years, i have to confess that i only played 6-8 games ...

There are many reasons to this including job and family of course, but i have to say that i have the feeling that i already played the same game 10 times, when i'm about to buy a new one ...

 

[OtakingGX]

There's a very good point brought up here about aging gamers. Personally, I used to be neck deep in gaming. I was always upgrading my PC and buying the big three consoles on the market. I was squarely in the bracket that gaming companies are targetting: young, but affluent enough to have cash to blow on entertainment. Now that time and money don't permit me to game so much, I kind of see myself moving away from gaming. I go out and purchase just one gaming console, and my PC hasn't been upgraded in years.

A lot of people blast Nintendo for supporting a kiddie image of gaming, but at their core consoles are toys. Even with Xbox and PS2 gamers who grow up realize this and leave them behind as they go join the real world where they have to work 60 hours a week and their free time is spent drinking beers with the guys instead of alone at home on the Xbox.

To keep aging gamers in the fold you have to present them with something new. Of course it doesn't appeal to the hardcore crowd, who see change in their beloved industry as a threat. The disenfranchised and the uninterested though, may take a new look at this peculiar passtime and give it a try.

 

[mckmas8808]

Some of you guys are just getting plain old. Thats it. No more explanation.

 

[Powderkeg]

Some of you guys are just getting plain old. Thats it. No more explanation.

It's not age. I'm older than most of them and I still love gaming. The problem is deeper than simply age.

I rather suspect it is an overload of sequels and too many similar games. I think too many people are looking for a controller to fix their disinterest after too many Mario games.

 

[pc999]

I rather suspect it is an overload of sequels and too many similar games. I think too many people are looking for a controller to fix their disinterest after too many Mario games.

Completely agree with you sequels/clones make games each time less interesting, this way Rev really make me hope in their future offers but even that way they will need more than Mario(LoZ,MP...)+Rev controler(s whatever(if) they put also in the console) to create a true revolution in gaming but with good agreements I hope they can get great games.

 

[Ooh-videogames]

It's not age. I'm older than most of them and I still love gaming. The problem is deeper than simply age.

I rather suspect it is an overload of sequels and too many similar games. I think too many people are looking for a controller to fix their disinterest after too many Mario games.

Its a trip how you singled out Mario, as if he and Nintendo are alone in having sequelitis

 

[Branduil]

Its a trip how you singled out Mario, as if he and Nintendo are alone in having sequelitis

Maybe Nintendo kicked his dog.

 

[fearsomepirate]

Just a musing...Nintendo's whole idea of shifting the paradigm of what a "game" can even be is right on for targeting people who aren't playing games. These people aren't gaming because they can't/don't want to/don't know how to game as we know it. Moral of the story: find something they will want to do. Play with puppies. Work your brain. Make music. New markets need new ideas, not just doing what's already been done with even greater fidelity. The iPod/Discman parallel was genius. I thought of one other parallel: think about how arcade gaming has virtually died b/c people can just do it on home consoles. Well, someone hit on the bright idea of putting those trivia/puzzle/card game machines in bars, and they're doing quite well. Instead of trying to make a better Virtua Fighter, they redefined what an arcade game could be.

 

[Powderkeg]

Its a trip how you singled out Mario, as if he and Nintendo are alone in having sequelitis

No, Mario is by no means alone, but it leads the list by miles.

I mean, just this generation:

Mario Party 7
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Super Mario Strikers
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Party 5
Mario Party 6
Mario Power Tennis
Mario Party 4
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

And that's just Gamecube games.

Yeah, there are a lot of different genres represented in that list, but it's all Mario. When so much of your gaming library consists of a single character is it any wonder that you would eventually lose interest?

 

[Branduil]

No, Mario is by no means alone, but it leads the list by miles.

I mean, just this generation:

Mario Party 7
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Super Mario Strikers
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Party 5
Mario Party 6
Mario Power Tennis
Mario Party 4
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

And that's just Gamecube games.

Yeah, there are a lot of different genres represented in that list, but it's all Mario. When so much of your gaming library consists of a single character is it any wonder that you would eventually lose interest?

Your posts are far more repetitious in their one-note, stale Nintendo bashing than anything Nintendo has produced or will ever produce.

 

[OICAspork]

No, Mario is by no means alone, but it leads the list by miles.

I mean, just this generation:

Mario Party 7
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Super Mario Strikers
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Party 5
Mario Party 6
Mario Power Tennis
Mario Party 4
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

And that's just Gamecube games.

Yeah, there are a lot of different genres represented in that list, but it's all Mario. When so much of your gaming library consists of a single character is it any wonder that you would eventually lose interest?

Oh come on, that does not in anyway support your initial statement. The fact that Mario is in all those titles does not make them rehashes... it makes them sell better. I personally roll my eyes at the Mario tie-ins, but completely disagree with the idea that because it has mario in it, it is a rehash. Having mario in a game is neither a selling point or detractor for me. Personally I look forward to each successive Mario platformer, because they always are amongst the best of breed.

:Edit: In fact I find the fact that Nintendo holds off until a new generation to make a sequel frustrating. How many Jack and Dexter(sp?) games have there been this generation, how many ratchet and clank? It is generally around 5 years between Mario platformers these days.

 

[Powderkeg]

Oh come on, that does not in anyway support your initial statement. The fact that Mario is in all those titles does not make them rehashes... it makes them sell better.

It limits sales by limiting alternatives to people who don't want Mario.

Can we accept that games are a form of entertainment, like movies?

Could you imagine going to see 13 different movies all staring the same actor in a 4 year time span? Wouldn't you eventually become tired of seeing movies with that actor in it, and maybe eventually avoid seeing any movies starring him just because he is in it?

I think most people would, and I think most gamers would too.


And considering the GCN only has about 30% of the userbase as the NES had. I would seriously question the validity of the claim that Mario increases Nintendo's sales.

 

[Readykilowatt]

We are seeing very strong 3rd party support, and already talks about exclusive titles that will truly make use of the revolution controller and everything we are bringing in the machine.

That's all I need to know.

Maybe Nintendo kicked his dog.

Nah. These trolls always come out of the woodwork whenever a new console is released. They were literally dozens of them (many of them have now gone silent) attacking the DS before it was released. It's best to just ignore them.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

It's not age. I'm older than most of them and I still love gaming. The problem is deeper than simply age.

I rather suspect it is an overload of sequels and too many similar games. I think too many people are looking for a controller to fix their disinterest after too many Mario games.

Jax and Dexter? Ratchet and Clank? (now on thier 4th release for the same console PS2)

Sequels are not a bad thing at all if they game play is there. Mario Party games are some of the best games around.

 

[Magnum PI]

some speak as "mario-games" as if every game featuring mario were about the same when the only thing they have in common is they are featuring mario.

anyway when evocating the topic of sequels, only seeing nintendo stuff shows a blinding bias.

the better example i see about sequels cow-milking is sports games with iterations each year with few added each iteration..

anyway the problem is definitely not the sequels nor the franchises, these exis because consumers buy them (=want them).

the problem would more be the lack of refreshing stuff.

a sequel or a game belonging to a franchise can be somewhat refreshing, look at RE4..

anyway the problem may be more lifestyle changes than games really loosing their appeal, at least for me, as there are a lot of games i would gladly play on my gamecube if i had more time for it. yes they are some people who only have a gamecube and that are more than satisfied with what it offers, maybe because they do have not much time for gaming.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

anyway the problem may be more lifestyle changes than games really loosing their appeal, at least for me, as there are a lot of games i would gladly play on my gamecube if i had more time for it. yes they are some people who only have a gamecube and that are more than satisfied with what it offers, maybe because they do have not much time for gaming.

I hear that, I just want to be able to sit down mash a few buttions for 30 mins and then move on with my life....simple as that....

 

[ninelven]

The math still isn't working...

Funniest thing I've read in a while here.


WRT original topic... It is obvious from history that any attempts made to enlarge the market have essentially failed. Thus, the logic behind trying to sell primarily to a new/different sector...well lack thereof...