The article unusually omits the Nintendo "Seal of Quality"[1], which was intended to counter exactly what you're describing[2]. > Sid Meier in 2008 cited the S

The article unusually omits the Nintendo "Seal of Quality"[1], which was intended to counter exactly what you're describing[2]. > Sid Meier in 2008 cited the Seal of Quality as one of the three most important innovations in videogame history, as it helped set a standard for game quality that protected consumers from shovelware. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo#Seal_of_Quality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo#Seal_of_Quality [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shovelware#Shovelware_video_games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shovelware#Shovelware_video_ga... However you are correct, they did lock down future consoles with the intention of increasing quality of published games. The flipside is that Nintendo has few third-party AAA titles and the majority of their game hits are first-party Nintendo franchises. Nintendo commands a loyal fanbase though, which is hard to come by (especially since it spans multiple generations now).