Stop the drama. Overreacting isn't going to solve anything. We gotta put our heads together, add some water, and start molding that crumbly Ninten-dough into a reasonable solution.
...or at the very least, an answer to fancy our thoughts on GameCube's current market situation.
Third-Party Losers
In the past decade it has become tradition for Nintendo consoles to deter support of third-party software releases. It's not because third-parties fail to offer software but rather because Nintendo's software has increasingly overshadowed all others. The sales of third-party releases on a Nintendo console are most often embarrassingly low.
Just this week Acclaim Entertainment, developer of Turok and the All-Star Baseball series, announced it would lessen its support of GameCube due to lack of sales. Rod Cousens, CEO of Acclaim had the following to say.
"Why are we to develop games for platforms that do not supply
appropriate yields? We still support PS2 and Xbox, but Nintendo?
No, not in the foreseeable future."
-Rod Cousens, CEO Acclaim
Additional developers who have terminated some or all of their support for Nintendo GameCube as a result of low sales include Sega Sports, Codemasters, THQ, 3DO and Eidos. Unfortunately, this list grows each passing month. For the sake of increasing Nintendo's marketshare, something out of the ordinary needs to occur.
Nintendo needs to do something crazy like say, begin promoting the sale of third-party games. I don't mean to simply promote - as the company has made strides compared to the Nintendo 64 generation - but to really push quality third-party software into gamer's homes.
Obviously the first reaction to this is that well, publishing is the job of third-party publishers. You are certainly right. However, credit is due only partially. You're correct in that it is the third-party publisher's responsibility to advertise and bring its own products and software to market. Nevertheless, the fact remains that third-parties are taking the initiative to provide a piece of software that could potentially sell the hardware it's appearing on. This industry requires a symbiotic relationship between the publisher and the console maker.
When we examine Nintendo's third-party support, we see there lacks a healthy relationship. This presents very little prospect for sales.
We've all seen the effect Grand Theft Auto has had on PlayStation 2 sales and likewise Sony's unconditional support of the title. Nintendo's heavy support of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes and Viewtiful Joe is hopefully a sign of change. Three games though, is not yet enough.
If Nintendo wants to succeed - if it ever wants to reach the level and status of Sony's PlayStation - it needs to promote 3rd-party titles alongside its own. The concept is pretty simple. Nintendo needs to stop looking at them as competition. It has no other choice if it intends to sell its hardware in greater numbers.
Nintendo isn't an entertainment company trying to push multimedia machines into consumer's homes. Nor does Nintendo create software and applications for PCs. Nor does Nintendo manufacture delicious Honey Graham Crackers.
Nintendo is a video game company. It is all Nintendo lives for. So why the hell is the house that rebuilt the gaming industry being beat at what it's supposed to do best?
Hold up. Can one rightfully place all the blame on Nintendo? Afterall, the game playing audience and market conditions have dramatically changed in the past decade and even past year.
It changes each generation. Despite the company's 20 years of experience in the industry, Nintendo has simply failed to evolve. It's still stuck in a mind set of "yesterday". (And no, setting your clock an hour ahead for Daylight Savings Time isn't going to solve a damn thing.)
Whereas last generation was dominated by platformers and RPGs, this generation has seen the emergence and popularity of action games such as Grant Theft Auto and Halo. Meanwhile, Nintendo continues to create games appealing to a niche audience and GameCube's public image thusly reflects that.
Nintendo's Missing Mojo
Nintendo is scared to remove the focus from its own games. Unfortunately, it's the only way Nintendo has a chance to move forward in this market. Believe it or not, there are some third-party games equal to or even better than Nintendo's own. Nintendo's "style" of games doesn't cater to the mainstream's tastes.
Because third-party publishing is so volatile, they must conform to the market's needs. It can mean the demise of their company if these developers don't release a game that appeals to the mainstream gamer. A lot is at stake in this industry (Just ask Acclaim and 3DO).
Nintendo's position however, gives it the advantage to release unknown games such as Animal Crossing but also the arrogance to promote connectivity or expect gamers to appreciate the new graphical style of Zelda. (Whether or not gamers should want these is another argument.) The fact remains, Nintendo ignores requests all the while doing things no one is asking for.
While not an admirable face of the casual gamer, a great way to his or her wallet is through his or her eyes [or a Pokemon sequel. Those little critters always sell.] Joking aside, graphics really are the first aspect of a game people see. If you can draw them in with it and then hit them with extra-ordinary gameplay, you've got yourself a sale.
Gamers today want edgy, realistic games. Nintendo could expand its own audience if it were to spend more time on the production value - graphics, music and game length - of its own games rather than releasing Nintendo 64 ports and remakes. Funding remakes rather than new ideas doesn't bode well for Nintendo's future. And sorry, collectathons are no longer an acceptable method of extending game length. Rare wore that tune out in the late '90s.
There isn't the same level of demand for the kind of software Nintendo supplies as there used to be. Nintendo has changed its attitude since the days of the Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 was plagued by constant software delays and sparse releases. This was one of the first things Nintendo's new president, Satoru Iwata, has set out to solve for the GameCube and future Nintendo consoles. Previously, Nintendo would ignore deadlines and important sales windows to achieve perfection in its games. Nintendo now recognizes the lack of consistent game releases as a mistake.
But now it is making yet another, new mistake. This generation, Nintendo has become far more disciplined in its release of software. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of some of the waxed shine - like aged wine - that we have come to expect from Nintendo's games. The games don't feel as complete or as balanced as they did in the past. That perfection of former generations has been lost.
It's a lose-lose situation for Nintendo as gamers are left unsatisfied either way - plentiful average games or few quality games - complaints will filter through the cracks regardless. Nintendo needs to find a common ground. This is why third-party support is so crucial. Nintendo can return to making games without worry of release dates while quality 3rd-party support fills in the gaps.
The Future
Square-Enix is not back in bed with Nintendo. Konami is not with Nintendo. We got a remake of Capcom's Resident Evil, a remake of Konami's Metal Gear Solid, and a spin-off of Square's Final Fantasy series. Big deal. Perhaps these remakes will provide the door for original titles in the series, but that remains to be seen. (Note: Capcom's Resident Evil 4 will release in 2004.)
What is going on here? Nintendo is forming partnerships for remakes of already released games. Is this a desperate attempt by Nintendo to convince these 3rd-parties that their games will sell?
Hopefully Nintendo is indeed trying to convince third-parties that their games will sell. But simply "convincing" the games to appear on the console won't be enough. Especially if the games end up flopping when they arrive to market.
Things don't appear to be improving anytime in the near future. Ultimately, Nintendo's entire image would require a makeover. If you look at the games on display for Xbox and PlayStation 2, you realize the image is really hurting the GameCube. Nintendo needs to put the FU back into FUN. The game box art alone is enough to differentiate the consoles, with the majority of GameCube games on display belonging in an episode of Barney.
Nintendo should have been pushing the recent release of Splinter Cell, but instead Microsoft and Sony got a hold of it. Nintendo should've pushed the heck out of Skies of Arcadia Legends. It's a shame too. Skies is an incredible RPG that the other consoles don't have. But they let Sega do it...and of course Sega can't do anything right.
I see all these commericials on TV for Xbox's Brute Force. Regardless of whether or not the game is actually any good, that image is what is helping the Xbox gain a lead over the GameCube. A steady stream of edgy games could remove the GameCube from this rut (in PAL territories and North America anyway).
One might be intimidated by the sheer volume of 3rd-party commercials for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Many have asked with worry,"Where are the commercials for GameCube?" Electronic Art's Def Jam Vendetta is about the only recent 3rd party title targeted towards the GameCube. And it has actually sold really well for GameCube, however still less than the competing consoles.
Speaking of which, the Nintendo 64 was heaven for Wrestling games. It was heaven for the First-Person-Shooter. It was heaven for Platformers. PlayStation 2 and Xbox have all but taken that away while Nintendo stands by idly watching.
Under the new leadership of Satoru Iwata, there is potential for change. Geist, Pikmin, Eternal Darkness, Viewtiful Joe - these games have all shown potential for change as well as a new Nintendo image. But mistakes and reluctance to embrace the new market's demands still linger.
One example is online gaming. While online gaming isn't Nintendo's savior, happy third-parties are. And if third-parties want to give online gaming a go, Nintendo needs to show some support.
And if not, the world isn't going to end, nor will dolphins become extinct, but Nintendo may very well itself, need to go third-party. Going back to its roots and concentrating on games, not market requests, may be the only solution. Even then - take a look at Sega for an example - not all of its problems will be solved. Such drama.
As long as Nintendo can keep third-parties satisfied and continue building healthy relationships, we may see a happy ending to this story afterall. It's only a matter of time before the timer on the oven beeps, and our Ninten-dough becomes something more.
End.
Bon vous prenez un traducteur et c'est tout à fait compréhensible
C'est clair qu'il devrait plus aider les 3 party pour la pub de leurs jeux. Et peut être écouter les consommateurs quand aux stules de jeux qu'ils veulent.
Bien sûr ya Silicon et retro mais c'est tout.
. Mais c dja bien