23rd August 2011, 5:01 PM
I really don't think the 3DS is "dying", it's just likely not going to do as well as the DS. The thing's still selling pretty well, and the price drop is a nice shot in the arm. Really though, it's only enough to make the sales stable until more quality games start popping up on the system. Nintendo made a huge mistake releasing the thing for as much as it did. If the current price had been the launch price, I imagine it would have done much better. Better still if they delayed the system until OOT 3D was done and packed it in. Really though, it needs some big games. Ports of Street Fighter won't cut it. Maybe if Capcom hadn't cancelled Megaman Legends 3... That series had a lot of potential to polish up the rough edges and make it compete with a Zelda title (especially considering Capcom's experience with Zelda titles since MML2).
Nintendo tried to imitate Apple too well. This isn't the "death" of Nintendo as a hardware company. Unless consoles themselves die out in favor of tablets (sorry ABF, PCs are third in this equation for me), Nintendo should still do well. They'll need to really cater to the audience that matters, the "core gamer". I hypothesize that while advertising on daytime TV to non-gamers about what a great "excercise device" the Wii is certainly played a part, it wouldn't have worked at all unless those same non-gamers had gamer relatives and friends who were hyping the system up as well, an assault from all sides. If Nintendo tries this tactic without the added benefit of hardcore gamer word of mouth, I doubt it'll do so well. If Nintendo is going to die, it'll be because they continue to target the casual crowd long after they've moved on to the next fad instead of focusing all their energy into making the next Pikmin (not a sequel, I mean a new IP entirely, it's been a while since Nintendo made one of those).
Nintendo tried to imitate Apple too well. This isn't the "death" of Nintendo as a hardware company. Unless consoles themselves die out in favor of tablets (sorry ABF, PCs are third in this equation for me), Nintendo should still do well. They'll need to really cater to the audience that matters, the "core gamer". I hypothesize that while advertising on daytime TV to non-gamers about what a great "excercise device" the Wii is certainly played a part, it wouldn't have worked at all unless those same non-gamers had gamer relatives and friends who were hyping the system up as well, an assault from all sides. If Nintendo tries this tactic without the added benefit of hardcore gamer word of mouth, I doubt it'll do so well. If Nintendo is going to die, it'll be because they continue to target the casual crowd long after they've moved on to the next fad instead of focusing all their energy into making the next Pikmin (not a sequel, I mean a new IP entirely, it's been a while since Nintendo made one of those).
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)