4 ms·

Nintendo seems more like a content company that likes to invest in expensive hardware experiences than a tech company. I'm glad they've managed to hold on to re

Nintendo seems more like a content company that likes to invest in expensive hardware experiences than a tech company. I'm glad they've managed to hold on to relevancy for another console cycle, but their days have to be numbered right? How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia in an age when kids have dozens more, and often better titles available for $0.99? Have there been any major 3rd party games developed for their platforms over the last ten years? Is there a game developer that would prioritize Nintendo over either XBOX/Playstation, or iOS/Android? It's not like they've done what Lego has done, in terms of being a company that was on the brink of failure to becoming the #1 toy company in the world and creating new brands that actually outsell their Star Wars license. That said, Nintendo was founded in the 19th century and is still kicking. Don't want to write their obituary just yet :)

smcl 9y ago
I'd agree that they need more than just Zelda and Mario[kart]. There certainly are games available, but there are not too many of these that I'm particularly enthusiastic about playing. However those titles are extremely good - they're not just churning out sequels for the sake of it, they're genuinely producing great games. They're just not making too many :-/
- nilkn 9y ago
  Keep in mind the DS/3DS has an extensive library of excellent third party games. A lot of folks tend to overlook just how overwhelmingly successful the 3DS is and has been -- Nintendo basically prints money with it. It's actually one of the best game catalogues for any console out there. I strongly suspect we'll see many of these titles migrate to the Switch over the next several years, which could end up making it a very compelling package.
  - sotojuan 9y ago
    The "problem" is that Nintendo consoles usually have a decent amount third party titles, but they a) tend to be of niche genres b) most Western Nintendo consumers specifically buy their consoles for the first party titles c) either Nintendo or the publisher does a poor job of marketing them in the West (because of a and b).
- BHSPitMonkey 9y ago
  What world are you two living in? Splatoon and ARMS are new first-party IPs that are unique, fun, and very successful right now.
  - smcl 9y ago
    No need to get defensive, this is all very subjective stuff. My opinion of games that are appealing may differ from yours.
heywot 9y ago
I'm not sure if you played Breath of the Wild or Odyssey but I don't think they're mining nostalgia with the Switch. There are certainly callbacks but those games are as fresh and as impressive as I've seen in my ~20 years of gaming. YMMV, of course...but I have really been impressed with Nintendo's approach to refining gameplay and genre. The Switch has seen some pretty decent third party support on the Switch (Doom, Rocket League w/Crossplay, FIFA, NBA, Elder Scrolls) that haven't really been around in prior generations. It seems like indie games are flooding to the Switch. We'll see if large third party support sticks around but I think as long as the games sell, people will port/develop for the Switch. I love Nintendo's approach this generation. I've really enjoyed diving into their games after barely playing the Wii and completely skipping the Wii U. This definitely feels like a resurgence - but obviously we'll see in 6-12 months. But they're definitely back on everyone's radar.
- eric_h 9y ago
  Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game in the series (IMO, and I haven't played either the Gamecube or Wii U games). On top of that they are still releasing content for it! I bought the switch to play Zelda (back in March) and I'm still playing it now. Admittedly I don't have that much time for games and I'm trying to 100% BotW.
  - PurpleRamen 9y ago
    I wouldn't call it the best game. It's a good game, and quite popular, but also very flawed. It's probably the best 3D-Zelda, but personally I prefer the 2D-Zeldas anytime because they work better as a game. BotW is more an experience that happend to also offer some game-elements.
marshray 9y ago
> How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia in an age when kids have dozens more, and often better titles available for $0.99? Breath of the Wild just won Game of the Year not because it's 'mining nostalgia' but because it's a fantastic creation by any measure. Where is this $0.99 app of better quality? > Have there been any major 3rd party games developed for their platforms over the last ten years? It's not about console exclusives, it's a different market.
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rayiner 9y ago
> How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia in an age when kids have dozens more, and often better titles available for $0.99? LOL no.
andrepd 9y ago
Breath of the Wild is the the most different game in the Zelda line ever made. It completely broke with established Zelda tropes and "tradition", the most since Skyward Sword in 2011 when they publicly assumed their wish to break new ground and not fall into nostalgia baiting. So I think it is quite a bit unfair to say Nintendo is simply cashing in on nostalgia, or that 99c App Store games are often better in quality than the almost universally acclaimed Zelda titles. Also, Lego wasn't exactly on the brink of failure when Knudstorp stepped in, and actually what they did to improve their profitability was precisely go back to the origins and hire people with knowledge and understanding of Lego culture.
jamesgeck0 9y ago
> How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia Breath of the Wild isn't actually very similar to previous Zelda games in anything but name and premise. > Have there been any major 3rd party games developed for their platforms over the last ten years? Yes. Ten years includes most of the Wii's lifecycle. Even the WiiU had a surprising amount of 3rd party content for a failed console. > Is there a game developer that would prioritize Nintendo over either XBOX/Playstation, or iOS/Android? A number of indie developers have been doing so recently.
astura 9y ago
I don't play Zelda games for nostalgia, I play them because they are flipping good games, with only a couple duds over the last ~30 years. No 99 cent game can compete. Nintendo claims 47 third party developers have planned to develop on the switch.
cableshaft 9y ago
This could potentially be argued about Nintendo before their most recent Zelda and Mario. But Breath of the Wild and Odyssey redefine their respective genres and put just about all other third party games in those genres to shame. They took more risks with these games than pretty much all other major companies put together in the past 5-10 years.
DiThi 9y ago
You had a bunch of pretty good answers already. I just wanted to say that I can tell you haven't played any desktop console Zelda game. I can't find any game of similar quality and length in a phone. The closest I've seen is Oceanhorn in iOS which was pretty good for a mobile platform, but very short, easy and linear compared with console games.

smcl 9y ago

I'd agree that they need more than just Zelda and Mario[kart]. There certainly are games available, but there are not too many of these that I'm particularly enthusiastic about playing. However those titles are extremely good - they're not just churning out sequels for the sake of it, they're genuinely producing great games. They're just not making too many :-/

nilkn 9y ago
Keep in mind the DS/3DS has an extensive library of excellent third party games. A lot of folks tend to overlook just how overwhelmingly successful the 3DS is and has been -- Nintendo basically prints money with it. It's actually one of the best game catalogues for any console out there. I strongly suspect we'll see many of these titles migrate to the Switch over the next several years, which could end up making it a very compelling package.
- sotojuan 9y ago
  The "problem" is that Nintendo consoles usually have a decent amount third party titles, but they a) tend to be of niche genres b) most Western Nintendo consumers specifically buy their consoles for the first party titles c) either Nintendo or the publisher does a poor job of marketing them in the West (because of a and b).
BHSPitMonkey 9y ago
What world are you two living in? Splatoon and ARMS are new first-party IPs that are unique, fun, and very successful right now.
- smcl 9y ago
  No need to get defensive, this is all very subjective stuff. My opinion of games that are appealing may differ from yours.

heywot 9y ago

I'm not sure if you played Breath of the Wild or Odyssey but I don't think they're mining nostalgia with the Switch. There are certainly callbacks but those games are as fresh and as impressive as I've seen in my ~20 years of gaming. YMMV, of course...but I have really been impressed with Nintendo's approach to refining gameplay and genre. The Switch has seen some pretty decent third party support on the Switch (Doom, Rocket League w/Crossplay, FIFA, NBA, Elder Scrolls) that haven't really been around in prior generations. It seems like indie games are flooding to the Switch. We'll see if large third party support sticks around but I think as long as the games sell, people will port/develop for the Switch. I love Nintendo's approach this generation. I've really enjoyed diving into their games after barely playing the Wii and completely skipping the Wii U. This definitely feels like a resurgence - but obviously we'll see in 6-12 months. But they're definitely back on everyone's radar.

eric_h 9y ago
Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game in the series (IMO, and I haven't played either the Gamecube or Wii U games). On top of that they are still releasing content for it! I bought the switch to play Zelda (back in March) and I'm still playing it now. Admittedly I don't have that much time for games and I'm trying to 100% BotW.
- PurpleRamen 9y ago
  I wouldn't call it the best game. It's a good game, and quite popular, but also very flawed. It's probably the best 3D-Zelda, but personally I prefer the 2D-Zeldas anytime because they work better as a game. BotW is more an experience that happend to also offer some game-elements.

marshray 9y ago

> How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia in an age when kids have dozens more, and often better titles available for $0.99? Breath of the Wild just won Game of the Year not because it's 'mining nostalgia' but because it's a fantastic creation by any measure. Where is this $0.99 app of better quality? > Have there been any major 3rd party games developed for their platforms over the last ten years? It's not about console exclusives, it's a different market.

deleted 9y ago

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rayiner 9y ago

> How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia in an age when kids have dozens more, and often better titles available for $0.99? LOL no.

andrepd 9y ago

Breath of the Wild is the the most different game in the Zelda line ever made. It completely broke with established Zelda tropes and "tradition", the most since Skyward Sword in 2011 when they publicly assumed their wish to break new ground and not fall into nostalgia baiting. So I think it is quite a bit unfair to say Nintendo is simply cashing in on nostalgia, or that 99c App Store games are often better in quality than the almost universally acclaimed Zelda titles. Also, Lego wasn't exactly on the brink of failure when Knudstorp stepped in, and actually what they did to improve their profitability was precisely go back to the origins and hire people with knowledge and understanding of Lego culture.

jamesgeck0 9y ago

> How many times can you mine Zelda nostalgia Breath of the Wild isn't actually very similar to previous Zelda games in anything but name and premise. > Have there been any major 3rd party games developed for their platforms over the last ten years? Yes. Ten years includes most of the Wii's lifecycle. Even the WiiU had a surprising amount of 3rd party content for a failed console. > Is there a game developer that would prioritize Nintendo over either XBOX/Playstation, or iOS/Android? A number of indie developers have been doing so recently.

astura 9y ago

I don't play Zelda games for nostalgia, I play them because they are flipping good games, with only a couple duds over the last ~30 years. No 99 cent game can compete. Nintendo claims 47 third party developers have planned to develop on the switch.

cableshaft 9y ago

This could potentially be argued about Nintendo before their most recent Zelda and Mario. But Breath of the Wild and Odyssey redefine their respective genres and put just about all other third party games in those genres to shame. They took more risks with these games than pretty much all other major companies put together in the past 5-10 years.

DiThi 9y ago

You had a bunch of pretty good answers already. I just wanted to say that I can tell you haven't played any desktop console Zelda game. I can't find any game of similar quality and length in a phone. The closest I've seen is Oceanhorn in iOS which was pretty good for a mobile platform, but very short, easy and linear compared with console games.