Nintendo Just Can't Win With Core Gamers
Reggie Fils-Aime thinks that Nintendo can't seem to satisfy the core gaming community. In a recent interview with Venture Beat, Fils-Aime says:
The gaming enthusiast that buys a tremendous amount of games is truly insatiable. As an example, in March, we launched "Super Smash Bros. Brawl." In April, we launched "Mario Kart." In later April, we launched "Wii Fit." Then, in July, at E3, they say, "where are the games?" They say they want the next Mario game. "Super Mario Galaxy" isn't even a year old yet. We believe today that we have shown a plethora of games and genres that can satisfy the most casual to the most core. Even that doesn't seem like it's enough.
Well Reggie, I believe in April we were asking "why can't I find a Wii Fit?" I think the biggest problem is that Nintendo is only talking about Nintendo games. The Wii could fill core gamers with more than enough goodness if more games were being made that targeted that specific audience. I think I now know what Reggie is talking about, because here I am complaining that it isn't enough. If Nintendo follows Microsoft in their approach to developer relationships than I think Wii can be more than just the top selling console of this generation.
[via: Destructoid]
TheDoctor
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 8 October 2008
· Comments (8)
Other stuff like this: core gamer, hardcore games, nintendo, reggie fils-aime, wii
The thing is though, SSBB, Mario Kart and Wii Fit arent 'core' games, they're still very casual, pick up and play games.
I want a real game for the Wii, something I can sit down and play for a few hours, something with a good combination good gameplay, great story and non-ugly/boring visuals.
I think the last game a sat through to the end on the Wii was Twilight Princess, which I picked up at launch.
My PS3 and 360 get a pretty constant hammering, the Wii just collects dust.
That tends to be a running pattern Ben, the Wii tends to start off as an OHMYGAWD machine, then it becomes a break it out at party machine, then it gathers dust.
You aim for the casual market, you must accept that it's just a neat toy to those people and something else will get them away from it, Nintendo has quite clearly took a business model that favours money over any sort of legitimate branding, they throw party games at it and hope.
It's making a truckload of money, and congratulations on them doing so, but they've isolated and marginalised a large portion of people who actually want a deep experience on Wii, and the only game to offer it is a Gamecube game moved over.
Did he just say that Wii Fit is a hardcore title? AUUUGHHH!!!
Smash Bros. Brawl isn't a pick up and play game. I tried playing it with a friend who doesn't normally play games. I wouldn't recommend it. I spent half the time explaining how to play and what buttons did what etc etc. We both just got fed up with it and went back to Mariokart. But who cares what the fuck the games "are" core, casual, whatever, they're still well made and enjoyable.
I'm totally digging games like Fire Emblem Wii, Battallion Wars 2, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Brawl, Zack and Wiki, Mario kart, Trauma Center... etc etc... Nintendo are equally making games for casual crowds as they are for core. And the core crowd can't stand that, they want the majority of the attention. Which I think is pretty sad and disgusting on their part. Just look at the recent Wii Music bashing. The game has it's place, not necessarily with the core gamers, but still they want to bash it to death. It's just ridiculous.
The major problem isn't with Nintendo themselves, but the third parties releasing mounds of casual shovelware onto the Wii rather than making high quality games. But on the horizon we have Monster Hunter 3, No More Heroes 2, Madworld, the Conduit. So it seems that attitude amongst developers is starting to change. Hopefully next year we'll see great support from third parties that take the system a little more seriously. But I doubt enough will ever be enough for the "hardcore" gamers. They'll continue to rag on and act like whingey children.
"I'm totally digging games like Fire Emblem Wii, Battallion Wars 2, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Brawl, Zack and Wiki, Mario kart, Trauma Center... etc etc... Nintendo are equally making games for casual crowds as they are for core. And the core crowd can't stand that, they want the majority of the attention"
This
Smash Bros and Mario Galaxy can be both, you can play around with friends or really get into collecting everything and beating challenges.
But this guy is kind of missing the point - all the games he mentioned are first party Mario and Mario-ish games. He's talking about diversity and mentions a bunch of really similar games.
And while I love my Wii Fit and have indeed lost 12 lbs... uh, no, it's not a hard-core gaming experience. It's a high tech scale/yoga mat.
By the way, does anyone else find that guy totally irritating?
"By the way, does anyone else find that guy totally irritating?"
I do.
I think one of the major reasons why Wii is hammered with party games and not so-call "sit-down experience" games is because of the nature of the platform - how gamers move around with the controllers and sensors and all. They're still experimenting with that type of gameplay.
I third Matt's comment:
"I'm totally digging games like Fire Emblem Wii, Battallion Wars 2, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Brawl, Zack and Wiki, Mario kart, Trauma Center... etc etc... Nintendo are equally making games for casual crowds as they are for core. And the core crowd can't stand that, they want the majority of the attention."
Adding Twilight Princess to the batch even though it's almost 2 years old now.
Wii DOES have potential for "core" games, but the reason why it got so successful in the first place was because it appealed to young and old /rather/ than a specific group.
the large problem here is that, much like the DS, Nintendo has one of these systems EVERYWHERE.
as a developer, are you going to turn a quick dollar, with minimal investment on the casual market, or are you going to take a chance on the "core" market?
let's face it, schlock like Ponyz and Babyz wouldn't get continual releases if it wasn't both cheap and profitable.