GotGame Truth Machine: Does Nintendo Milk their Franchises?

GotGame: Let’s take a look at some of Nintendo’s biggest franchises from this generation (looking at consoles only). The biggest among these is Wii Sports which has seen two different entries. Wii Fit has seen a full entry and a bargain priced expansion. The Mario Kart series has seen one entry. The Mario Galaxy franchise has seen 2 entries...

[Brasi1989]

Good article. I would have to say no as well. I consider Milking coming out with a new game every year, much like CoD. Do they overuse the Mario name to generate sales? Yes.

[xHeavYx]

Mario games released on 06-07-09-10 = not milking.

[kirbyu]

Each one's completely different though.

So yes. Mario games released on 06-07-09-10 = not milking when they're completely different, which they are.

[JustinWeinblatt]

If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you just read the title/comments, and looked at the picture. But hey, you make a great example of exactly what I'm talking about, so lets go for it...

Why the arbitrary cutoff date of 2006-2010? You could just as logically look at 2002 to 2011. If you did that, you'd have 5 Mario games in 9 years.

Are we really going to consider Mario Galaxy and NSMB as part of the same series? Do they feature the same art style? The same type of gameplay? The same music? The same anything except for Mario and some enemies? Is playing NSMB going to give me the same experience as Mario Galaxy?

Even if we go by your gerrymandered numbers, let's take a look at other franchises in the same time period. Five Ratchet and Clank games. Four God of War games (is that Kratos in your picture? lolol), four halo games, three little big planet games. So if you want to accuse Nintendo of milking that's fine, just be sure to extend the complaint to Sony and Microsoft.

And make sure you stop playing the franchise that you took your avatar from because four games from 2006-2010 is unacceptable according to you!!!

In other words, Lol at troll logic. God of War games released in 07-08-10-10=not milking. Mario games released 06-07-09-10=milking.

[xHeavYx]

@JustinWeinblatt Can you show me where is my previous comment I said GOW games are not milked? The person who wrote this article says that Nintendo doesn't milk games, which is complete BS. If Sony said the same about GOW or MS about Halo, I would have commented the same thing

[PopRocks359]

You can argue it's the same world and art style, but how are you willing to tell me that Mario Kart, Luigi's Mansion (not even a real Mario game), Mario 3D, Mario 2D, Mario & Luigi/Paper Mario, Mario Party even remotely the same?

They're in completely different genres. They may make a lot of games but it's hardly a Call of Duty scenario.

[chadboban]

Um dude, you ARE talking to the person that wrote this article. Check his name and check the author's name and you'll see they're one and the same.

On topic though.

I see the New Super Mario Bros series as definitely being milked, they constantly reuse music and themes and because of that you tend to get an overall samey feeling when you play them despite the level design being different in most of them. Although NSMBU is the first one that really seemed to try and change it up, I just wish they at least used some different music.

Now 3D Mario is definitely not milked and innovates with pretty much every entry into that subset of Mario game. And they are still probably the best 3D platformers ever made. I really can't wait to see what that team has planned for the Wii U at this years E3.

[JustinWeinblatt]

Like I said, if you're willing to give the same criticism to every franchise that releases four games in a 5 year span or 5 in a nine year span(which is most franchises) and you're not going to buy games from those franchises again, then feel free to criticize Nintendo.

If however you support any of those franchises, either in comments or with your wallet, then you have no grounds on which to call Nintendo out for milking. At best, you can criticize Nintendo for performing according to the industry standards, and that seems to be a silly complaint in my book.

That's not even addressing the fact that the games you mentioned feature different gameplay styles, the years you chose not to include, and yada yada.

[chrispseuphoria]

Most points are correct in this article and Nintendo is not milking its franchises except for one, the Mario series.

I want to miss Mario and not grow sick of seeing his face every where I go. In my opinion, he's more milked than Call of Duty. For this year alone, the Mario series has

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move - Nintendo eShop
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team - Nintendo 3DS
Mario Golf: World Tour - Nintendo 3DS
Mario Party (tentative title) - Nintendo 3DS

And most likely the new 3D Mario platformer and Mario Kart Wii U.

That's 6 games after 2012 which had another 6 games of Mario (2 of them were New Super Mario Bros games in the same release season! Can't you see that some people may be getting fed up from the formula?). That's 12 games in the span of two years! Those resources could be placed towards future properties which could be successful and keep your company relevant. I do not want Mario to turn into Guitar Hero and fade away from existence.

What I can't agree with this article is separating Mario Kart and Mario platformers as two separate. That's nonsensical. It doesn't matter if the games are different because you're still using the same source material and people will grow sick of the characters and the worlds much like I am. Get the B team creating a new experience rather than games like New Super Mario Bros 2 which was mixed in terms of critics and users' scores on metacritic (78 for critics, 6.9 for users). You can still make Mario games but also innovate with new ideas. That is how a company grows.

Nintendo, please let me miss Mario and give me some new AAA IP from your internal development house instead, not eShop titles like Dillon's Rolling Weston and Pushmo (which already have sequels...). I would even appreciate it if you look back at older franchises and make a new game with Starfox, F-Zero or Mother.

I love the Wii U and 3DS hardware but man, I need some new experiences with these, not the same titles you bring out year after year.

One more thing for those who think I'm bashing Nintendo for bashing Mario. Wake up! There is more to Nintendo than Mario!

Nintendo, overall, does not milk its franchises except for the one, and I enjoyed games like Kid Icarus,

[chadboban]

I would agree but leave Dream Team. We haven't had a new Mario and Luigi RPG since Bowser's Inside Story in 2009 and that series as a whole is just fantastic.

Mario Golf and Mario party I can see myself passing on unless my friends give me a recommendation after trying them out.

Also they bought back Fire Emblem, Luigi's Mansion and Kid Icarus. Also don't be afraid to check out some of the third party stuff on 3DS like Etrian Oddysey 4 or Shin Megami Tensei IV when it releases or even Soul Hackers or Project X Zone.

Ignoring the Mario games you don't want isn't all that hard. Although I do agree, that it's just a bit much Mario for this year.

Overall the ones I'll most likely get this year are

3D Mario Wii U(don't own a Wii U yet though)
Mario and Luigi: Dream Team
and maybe Mario Kart U if it looks like they changed it up a bit.

[kirbyu]

How is Kirby's Dream Collection different gameplay than Return to Dreamland? Yeah, RtD had that multiplayer, but still it's not much different.

Reads more.

Oh right. Epic Yarn. I knew I forgot one.

This is a great article. It took the words right out of my mouth. You should really read it.

[Williamson]

I really hate the whole milking allegations that come up against sony&nintendo. Before ascension it was 3 years before a gow game but people threw around the milking term when ascension came out. If a franchise came out with a new entry every year then thats milking in my eyes.

[PopRocks359]

I'm in the same boat. God of War and Zelda both have years and years between each major iteration. To say either is milked is ridiculous.

[Donnieboi]

Nah, that's what makes Zelda so dope. It takes a while inbetween each games development time and release, so it's like a fine wine when it comes out. Man I'll never forget OoT, that game was light years ahead of it's time. I don't know if people noticed, but that game invented the modern lock-on system, strafing system, action-keys (like how the "A" button could do so many different things, depending on what object your standing in front of, or other conditions). And it brought hot-keys into gaming (like how u can choose which buttons will hold your miscelanous items). That game was just WOW. I still say it's the best game of all time. I didn't like Wind Waker as much though (still a great game), but OOT blew my mind.

[from the beach]

Super piece, think you covered everything!

Great choice of picture too.

[fardan85]

Well, they're milking the shit out the italian plumber. Even if the gameplay differ, still we're getting the same characters. How about trying to invent new characters/ new worlds/ rich story etc. ?
Are they afraid to fail? They should take the risk sometime, step out of the comfort zone or should i say "Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Metroid" zone.
The author should have noticed something, Mario games started releasing since 1985. About 28 years, $hit.
Milking on average? Well, Milking is milking can't spin it of.

[YoloSwag]

When you have the best-selling gaming franchise of all-time (Mario), you tend to get attached to it.

[McScroggz]

I understand that even though there's a dozen Mario spinoffs plus the mainline series (if not more) - of which there are several subsets - which all have different gameplay types; but at the end of the day it's still DOZENS of Mario games. Mario Bros. came out in 1983, and I'd be willing to bet there's been an average of at least two games staring a character from that franchise. To me that's milking. It may not be Assassin's Creed, but AC isn't a 30 year old franchise.

Regardless, it isn't so much the amount of Mario games and spinoffs as it is the troubling lack of new IP's from Nintendo. Nintendo is extremely important to the gaming industry, but I sincerely wish diehard Nintendo fans would vociferously demand new IP's because Nintendo is resting on its laurels.

Off topic: I find it ironic that some people laud Nintendo for their innovation yet Nintendo has stuck primarily to the same franchises for over a decade...

[YoloSwag]

What about Pushmo and Crashmo? Or Dylan's Rolling Western? The 3DS eshop has plenty of new IP that are great but no one cares to look for them. Your point is a lame, unresearched excuse.

[McScroggz]

I'm clearly talking about consoles; but instead of resorting to name-calling the way you did I'll simply say if you want to engage in an active discussion, reasoning and manners make it much easier.

[JustinWeinblatt]

I fail to see your point. Yeah there are dozens of Mario games, but you don't seem to present any reason that that's a bad things.

So, it's a dozen different Mario games? Why is that a bad thing? If each Mario game offers something unique who cares? The only complaint that you seem to have is that "it's too much Mario". Please explain to me why a dozen Mario games is a bad thing aside from that being a lot of Mario.

As for new IPs, I care about new gameplay ideas, not new IPs. Check out games like Pokemon Conquest, Luigi's Mansion, Nintendo Land, and Kid Icarus Uprising. Each of those games is packed with novelty and new ideas, and featuring a character that has been in other games does nothing to diminish that. Explain why new IPs are better than old ones besides the fact that "they're new".

Of course, that's leaving aside things like The Wonderful 101, Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower, Pushmo, Harmoknight, Last Story, etc.

Off Topic: Again, new IP=/= innovation. Is Bodycount innovative? Dante's Inferno? Injustice? Nope. New IP=/=innovation.

As for why Nintendo gets credit for innovation, just look at the games. Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Kid Icarus:Uprising, Luigi's Mansion, Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby Mass Attack, Super Mario Galaxy, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Chibi Robo, Wario Ware, Pikmin, etc. etc. etc. New IPs or not, can you think of any games that are really like those from before they came out? Innovation is innovation in a new IP or an old IP.

[McScroggz]

If you cannot understand why not developing new IP's is a bad thing for Nintendo from an outside perspective then you are endemic to the problem, no offense meant.

When I presented the Mario franchise as my chief offender in how Nintendo reuses a small amount of franchises I didn't mean to make it sound as if it was the only one. The issue is, for a lot of people who aren't diehard Nintendo fans, seeing another game with the same characters they've seen for years upon years isn't exciting at all. I could stretch this point to Nintendo's lack of mature games as well (not gore and nudity either, adult themes) but that's just a part of Nintendo's narrow spectrum of games. It would be different if they were also releasing a fair amount of new IP's, but they don't.

It seems many people have relegated Nintendo's console to a secondary one (or primary with one of the other two to augment) and in this respect I suppose there isn't a huge problem from a gamer's perspective. But, if you are somebody who can only afford one console for the next several years then Nintendo's lack of game variety, third party support and new and exciting IP's becomes apparent.

There's nothing wrong with their games generally speaking, because Nintendo still makes good games. I just find it frustrating that Nintendo doesn't care about broadening its games' catalog or modernizing it very much. If I can't make you understand this then I don't know what will.

As for the new IP = innovation, you are correct in that it doesn't automatically work out that way. But, in my opinion at least, a lot of the cool and quirky Nintendo games with interesting gameplay elements don't automatically equate to innovation either. Innovation should be something that changes the foundation of game development in some meaningful way even if not groundbreaking. Sure, Nintendo has some games that qualify - and maybe they have a few more than Microsoft or Sony - but when their design philosophy is so antiquated, its franchises archaic and its hardware as outdated as it is possibly innovative, then yes I find it ironic.

Now, my words are harsh...but I love Nintendo! I'm not trying to instigate anything, just stating my opinion.

And just to be a little hypocritical I'd love to see a new Metroid game announced :D

[kirbyu]

What does milking even mean? Last time I checked, it meant going up to a cow and pulling on its udders. Video games don't have udders so they can't be milked.

I actually think making new IPs is worse. When it's a new IP, you don't care about any of the characters so you don't want to play it as much. That makes it not as fun.

Imagine this. You can either play Super Mario 64 or another game with the exact same gameplay, exact same level design, exact same quality of graphics, exact same everything except all the Mario characters are replaced by new characters that aren't from anything, they're completly new. Which would you rather play?

[BosSSyndrome]

Um... either?

[microgenius]

its not milk anymore
it has transformed into the cheese!!!!!!!

[BosSSyndrome]

I really wish this was getting more hits.