Think Nintendo's Gimmicky? Let's Talk

Joey Davidson:

One of the most frustrating arguments I encounter on the internet in forums, on YouTube and in comment sections of websites is that people hate Nintendo because they make gimmick products. The Wii U is a gimmick, according to lots of "hardcore gamers." I have a counter to that point. Before I get there, I'd like to talk a little bit about Sony and their newest handheld.

[dedicatedtogamers]

People call Nintendo gimmicky because they make the same old game content (mushroom world, Zelda world, etc) with new control schemes and a few new gameplay mechanics.

But the majority of people want new game content (new worlds, new maps, new stories, new characters) with old control schemes and familiar gameplay mechanics. See Call of Duty for reference.

[FriedGoat]

Rear touchpad is handy for webbrowsing, use it all the time. Wait till tearaway comes out, we'll see.
But the whole reason for the "upgrade" is not the rear touchpad, its the power. The Wii U is marketed as a gimmick. They don't market the Vita for its rear touchpad.

[Thatguy-310]

Nintendo shoves the gimmicks down your throat. That's the factor that makes the difference when you compare them to the other companies.

[EddieNX]

Nintendo does not shove anything down your throat. it's up to the consumer to buy the product.

[Pushagree]

"One of the most frustrating arguments I encounter on the internet in forums, on YouTube and in comment sections of websites is that people hate Nintendo because they make gimmick products."

Yeah because people just like to say things like that for no reason. How about you blame Nintendo for making gimmicky products instead of showing your victim complex to the whole world.

[Viper7]

Rear touchpad isn't a gimmick, it's just an attempt to provide touch support without your fingers or pen blocking the view.

I seriously doubt many consider it as a"special feature for the sake of having a special feature." It's just a nice little feature among many others (that has possible been used badly by some).

[smashcrashbash]

Nintendo has been using gimmicky things from the get go. Trying to point out a few occurrences from others doesn't change that fact.The rear touch control? That is your biggest piece of evidence? I could make a much longer list of Nintendo's gimmicks from since the NES.A whole list of things Nintendo made they ran out of ideas what to do with them very quickly. The Wii mote was no different. Developers stopped using the Wii mote for anything useful very early in the game.Trying say 'you are gimmicky too' doesn't prove anything. Nintendo is the king of gimmicks a and they still are. It won't be long before they run out of ideas on how to use the pad too. No one is saying no one else has their gimmicks too but it's Nintendo that bases a whole console around one. The rear touch pad, the Kinect and Move are not the basis of the console. But Nintendo will build their whole console based on a gimmick. At least long ago they keep the gimmicks separately from the main console.But modern Nintendo would have probably build their whole console around the Zapper or ROB.Sony didn't make the Move the main focus of their system and neither did Microsoft with Kinect

[KrisButtar]

well said, to me the SNES was king, why it just had a great controller and great games, then it went to the n64, boy i hated that controller so i moved onto saturn and ps1,and so on, point is nintendo has not come back to the great controller model and therefore i have skipped there systems,

i did get a wii though and didnt like motion control so back to the ps360

also been in stores trying the gamepad, dont like it either :(

[MizTv]

In my eyes Nintendo hasn't had a good controller since the snes

[EddieNX]

The gamepad is awesome. It's the most expensive and glorious controller ever made. The pro controller is super comfy aswell and litteraly lasts for weeks on one charge.

The gamepad is way better than any controller before it IMHO. I can't even pick up a dual shock or a 360 controller now , they just feel empty...

[Pedantic91]

But maybe you should wait a year or two til more devs actually try and make proper use of the rear touch pad.

I mean Tearaway looks to be using the rear touch pad feature pretty nicely.

And forced use of touch screens isn't a bad thing, if properly implemented.

[Zodiac]

Handhelds have officially become based around gimmicks. I own a Vita and a 3DS, but i think Sony and Nintendo have both made very gimmicky handhelds this time around.

Vita: Two touch screens, Motion/tilt controls, AR functions, two cameras that are used in some games.

3DS: 3D effect, touch screen, AR functions, two cameras that are also used in games.

The next handhelds from Sony and Nintendo will be transformers for sure.

100 percent of home consoles being gimmicks(i forgot to add that this is not a negative term. Some people seems to think it is, but it can also be a very positive term)
has yet to be seen, but handhelds have officially become gimmicks all around.

[majiebeast]

If its properly implemented it isnt bad when its shoehorned in for no reason or hinders gameplay i dont like it.

I didnt like Skywards sword's controls. When i get home from work i want to sit down on the couch controller in hand and play, not swing my arms around to kill enemies. Prof Layton on the other hand has amazing touch screen gameplay and it only makes the game better.

[r21]

There hasnt been alot of gaming use to it but i dont really see how its gimmicky. I actually like scrolling down websites using the back touch and in some games, the touch screen adds more to the experience like AssCreeds Liberation and LBPV.

[KangarooSam]

Oh, someone's talking shit about the Vita? Not even gonna bother reading the article until I'm done writing this. The author is f*cking retarded. YES NINTENDO IS GIMMICKY. SOME Vita features may be gimmicky but at least it has some god damn effort put into it and it's quality! My 3DS XL is a pile of plastic.

Edit: I read the article. The rear touch pad? Really..? Here's my retaliation: sub par SD 3D, touchscreen on a console controller, not having a good controller since the '90s, producing 50 damn variations of controllers for the Wii.

Nintendo's so good at milking gimmicks I consider them a dairy farmer.

Sony: let's add a unique feature and not implement it in any gimmicky way, we'll let developers do what they want with it.

Nintendo: ching chong lesh makee fitty controlla fah no reason we gonna be sooo ruch. They can yoos fa menyous, drilldos, whatever! But yoo hav tooo by a nunchuck sepritry and WII U onry cum wit won controlla so yoo spen hundrids of dorrars byin mooor!

(I'm not racist, I know Sony's Japanese too. Just how I imagine Satoru Iwata scheming.)

[Ben_Grimm]

"Here's my retaliation: sub par SD 3D, touchscreen on a console controller, not having a good controller since the '90s, producing 50 damn variations of controllers for the Wii."

How is that relevant to Nintendo being about Gimmicks?
The touchscreen on the controller shouldn't be a gimmick if anything it's an evolution of basic the controller the same way the Vita can also be used in the same way.

50 controllers? Nintendo offered a variety of ways to play your games to the consumer and the developer too. If you didn't like motion controls you could play the classic controller, developers could also develop for the motion control or for the classic also.

The same thing for the WiiU, you don't like the Touchscreen? Play the pro, need motion controls? You can use your controllers from the Wii. Where is this 50 controllers coming from. I know you're trying to be funny but you are over doing it A LOT.

And for Sony they also sold the Nav controller separately too and the PS3 came with one controller. At least mine did. So you need to jump off that BS.

And that whole last part was immature, extremely uncalled for and indeed racist. The fact that you got agrees is really disturbing.

[KangarooSam]

@Ben_Grimm:

It puts some consumers off. For me: a current gen console that doesn't support HD, online play isn't really viable, and makes the possible buyer have to figure out what controller(s) is compatible with what game is ridiculous.

I was not trying to be funny, it was a LITTLE exaggeration. I don't wanna have to buy 3 more nunchucks to enjoy local multiplayer. Some games need a nunchuck with the remote. Some need "Wii Remote Plus". Then there's the Classic Controller Pro, and although the racing wheel is not needed it's just a gimmick that some parents may fall for. (I know Sony does the same thing with guns but at least those have triggers and aren't just a circle of plastic.)

The Wii U SHOULD come with at least some Wii Remote Pros if not a second gamepad.

All consoles come with one controller but if the Wii U is being marketed for family gaming then include enough for a family! Especially considering how cheap the original Wii remotes must be to make. Because believe or or not, not everyone who's buying the Wii U owned a Wii last gen.

The PS3 is marketed to hardcore gamers. 1 person = 1 controller. And the Nav controller is just a recent copy of Nintendo's gimmick to garnish some sales; any company would do that.

It's called having a sense of humor. Perhaps it was immature, but at least I have a legitimate point that people agree with.

[Ben_Grimm]

"I don't wanna have to buy 3 more nunchucks to enjoy local multiplayer."

You complain about this and yet you would have to pay for three more controllers for Sony/MS. And those cost 60 a pop, how come it's now a problem for Nintendo. Not to mention if you want to play a multi player Move game you have to do the exact samething.

"All consoles come with one controller but if the Wii U is being marketed for family gaming then include enough for a family!"

The WiiU is not being marketed for family, who told you this? It's being marketed as the next console for Wii and its being marketed to kids and the people who play video games.

"The Wii U SHOULD come with at least some Wii Remote Pros if not a second gamepad."

How many controllers do you expect Nintendo to include? The reason consoles come with one controller is so the price can stay low. Could you imagine the price if the WiiU came with more than one or two controllers. You have to think beyond that and look at other factors like cost.

"It's called having a sense of humor."

Well if writing in a stereotyped Asian like speech is humorous to you and others then like I said I'm worried and very disgusted.

[KangarooSam]

Microsoft and Sony have sales or bundles for controllers. I've never seen Nintendo do that (although I may be wrong).

EVERY Wii U advertisement shows at LEAST 4 people if not more for the karaoke type games, but they only need one controller anyway.

If you're so confident in Wii U then think about this cost: PS3 came out at $600 with one controller and has sold 70 million+ (with price drops). Nintendo could include another gamepad for cheaper than that and possibly even 3 Wii Remotes for MUCH cheaper than that and still sell successfully.

Then you're going to spend the majority of your life worried, disgusted, and alone. I'm not some racist asshole who hates Asians, it's light humor. I'm white but I'm not from America and I moved here as a child, you would not believe how much shit I got for my accent. It was hard. But eventually, you have to realize that it may be funny and even if it isn't; smile, accept it, and move on. Otherwise, you'll never truly enjoy life. And considering Mr. Iwata wasn't around to get offended, I figured why not give people who find that kind of thing funny a laugh, and the people who may find it distasteful can just move on (or reply to my comment nagging and bitching about it).

[CaptCalvin]

The 3D getting thrown out of whack when trying to use the gyroscope shows how well thought out the 3DS was.

[Adolph Fitler]

Yes, but Sony doesn't skimp on power. So, while Vita has all these gimmicky kinda features,......they are just the icing on the cake, as the Vita is a frigging little powerhouse......Oh, & unlike that 3DS crap, Sony learnt from PSP that a 2nd analogue stick is unnacceptable.

Sony's foremost feature is the most important, & that is as up to date tech under the hood as is financially possible, then all the other sh!t comes.
Nintendo push the gimmick as the frontrunner feature, like nothing else counts. I mean, there 2nd greatest feature they flaunt is friggin that FINALLY they can actually run HD games this time........ 7-8 yrs behind the true innovators in MS & Sony.
These guys are willing to lose money to give us the very best tech, & this is at there own peril, as both lost money on there consoles on launch & for some time beyond, so, with Nintendo miracously profiting from console sales on day 1 shows exactly what they think of the customer, as your basically with Wii you got a really expensive PS2 with a crappy innacurate controller type that had a couple of 1st party titles that sold the gimmick well, cleverly dancing around the innacuracy problems, then the other handful of games played as normal, with a couple of mini games type interuptions to hide it' uselessness.