150°

Can partnerships save Nintendo?

Digitally Downloaded writes "Nintendo is going to tackle this problem it has with a limited lineup of development projects for the Wii U through outsourcing. It's going to farm out its most valuable resource - its masses of IP - to collaborate with other developers and publishers to keep the flow of games coming."

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digitallydownloaded.net
Gimmemorebubblez4100d ago (Edited 4100d ago )

Who said Nintendo needed saving???

Trenta274100d ago

Exactly what I was going to say. :/

MikeMyers4100d ago

The Mayan calendar is now taking a more conservative approach.

Venoxn4g4100d ago

yea, you are right.. ninty ftw

Fierce Musashi4100d ago

People to this day still think Nintendo are going to go third party.

Shame that, ignorance must truly be bliss.

EddieNX 4099d ago

Selling 155 million DS' and 100 million wii's and having the highest selling Software isn't enough for some , LMAO.

And the 3DS is already the fastest selling system ever.

Nintendo has Billions in the bank in capital. They can afford to fail about three generations in a row . lol .

hduce4100d ago (Edited 4100d ago )

Only the assholes that write these articles thinks Nintendo needs saving.

ElectricKaibutsu4099d ago

You should probably read the article before you bash the author. It congratulates Nintendo on their good decisions in the face of developing HD games for the first time.

morpha4100d ago

So I come to N4G today too see how people spin that amazing Nintendo Direct in a negative light.

I swear its a skill.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4099d ago
refocusedman4100d ago

I think the writer has a pt. After nintendos dismal software showing with the Wii, I dont think that most (not all) consumers have blind faith in yhe fact that they can fully deliver on the software end. I remember all of the complaints that nin abandoned the hardcore. I doubt this sentiment is gonna change without a ton of support from all developers.

Slapshot824100d ago

Hi refocusedman,

Thanks for taking the time to read Matt's article, instead of simply jumping to conclusions like the above comments have done.

Nintendo is indeed struggling with the Wii U by raw sales data, but of course, it is still very early on in the system's life cycle. Not only is Nintendo in the hole R&D wise for the Wii U right now, but they are losing money on each console sold too. Then they are spending money to acquire all these developers, as well as to fund their games as well. The Wii U simply doesn't have the install base to cover this kind amount of cash outflow right now.

HD development is very expensive and third party games aren't selling very well on the Wii U - only 5% of Wii U owners have bought Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Are they going to sell any better if Nintendo owns/funds them?

That's the question of the day - isn't it? We shall see, but there is no denying the fact that Nintendo is taking a massive risk financially with this business decision.

Gemmol4100d ago

although it sold less then wii when it was announced, they said that it made more profit then the Wii, I was wondering why people ignore that.

lilbroRx4099d ago

Waait, so you Nintendo is expected to sell as many copies of a game as have been sold on a console with litteraly over 20X the userbase and has a history of huge sales of that game?

By raw sales data, their launch still outdid the PS3 and 360 launches respectably. If that is failing, then Sony and Microsoft must have been bleeding to death when they started last gen.

ElectricKaibutsu4099d ago

@Gemmol
More *revenue* than the Wii, not profit. The system costs more so more money comes in. The problem is it costs more for Nintendo too so more money goes out.

@lilbroRx
I believe Slapshot82 was talking in percentages not the actual number of copies. You have to admit the best selling game last year only being purchased by 5% of Wii U owners vs. NSMB Wii U which had almost a 100% attach rate doesn't look good for third parties.

Slapshot824098d ago

@ElectricKaibutsu Thanks for your clarification on my behalf and you're absolutely correct in your assessments - Bubble Up. :)

On the other hand though, if the new "Mario" and "Zelda" titles excite consumers and the console starts to truly shift units, then Nintendo's acquisitions of these third party developers have a real potential of paying off for them. That's what I really hope to see happen in the very near future.

At Digitally Downloaded, we write pieces just as this every week and we enjoy getting into insightful conversations on these topics - we'd love to have you around the site. :)

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4098d ago
LOOK_AT_THIS_I4100d ago

If they would strike up an exclusive deal with COD the consoles would fly off the shelves. I can't tell you with all the games available to pick from at any given time 10+ people on my list are playing the newest COD. It's all they play, it would be a system seller just because of that game alone. Top it off with all the old franchises and they would be set for the next gen.

G-cis4100d ago

nintendo needs to pay billions to make COD an exclusives ._.

LOOK_AT_THIS_I4099d ago

Don't know how I got the disagrees. There were idiots spending 500+bucks on eBay to play the game 3-4 days early. If they would pull a ms move and strike up a 30 day exclusive launch deal they would reap the rewards.

Activision would never give up their cash cow but a launch exclusive like that would do them a lot of good. The release date had come and gone by the time Nintendo got black ops 2, the install base is going to be smaller because most people who are fans of the series ha already bought it for ps3/xbox

Slapshot824097d ago

I think it's the fact that the Call of Duty sells worse on Nintendo consoles than any other console. Activision wouldn't even consider this kind of a contract, unless the Wii U's install base was double/triple that of the next generation consoles after a few years of them being on the market, but even then, the Wii U will most likely be inferior power wise - in short, it just won't happen. I think that's why you got the Disagrees.

wiiulee4100d ago

lol what is this craziness about saving nintendo from who and what besides silly haters...wiiu is ahead to stay , nintendo is just reaching out to third parties in new ways, which is great for gamers

LordHiggens4100d ago

Saving Nintendo? Don't they have like truckloads of money or something? I think they're doing just fine...

MattS4100d ago

The article wasn't about Nintendo's finances...

Show all comments (40)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1012d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref1d 16h ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde1d 15h ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn1d 15h ago (Edited 1d 15h ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19721d 14h ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville1d 13h ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21831d 5h ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos1d 4h ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 4h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref1d 16h ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan1d 16h ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis00720h ago(Edited 20h ago)

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19722d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

2d ago
1d 22h ago
Zeref1d 16h ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde1d 15h ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19721d 14h ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19721d 14h ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows1d 14h ago (Edited 1d 14h ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref1d 12h ago (Edited 1d 12h ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier1d 11h ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto1d 13h ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21831d 5h ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto1d 2h ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 2h ago
Hofstaderman1d 17h ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts1d 13h ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 9h ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts15h ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic23h ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)
90°

Nintendo's War Against Player-Made Content Will Hurt The Company In The End

Danish from eXputer: "Nintendo has historically gone against player-made content and emulation of its games. This has done much to harm the company's image."

XiNatsuDragnel8d ago

I agree nintendo hire some these folks to help in your games it'll help imo.

banger887d ago

They need to stop announcing these mods and fan remakes until they're finished. Finish it, upload it, and then if Nintendo dmca's it tough shit. Once it's online, people can share it around, even if the original download gets taken down.

Jingsing7d ago

True, but most modders need constant admiration during the process to motivate them.

PRIMORDUS7d ago

Yup, once it's a torrent nothing can be done Nintendo is helpless at that point. But it would be wise if they just had a site on the dark web, it's also easy to use with Tor and no one will bother you.

mastershredder7d ago

This is all coming from the mouth of short-sighted fandom and grifting madness.
No.... it wont. There is a clear defined reason why they don't. This is nothing new. Make your own shi7 from your own original ideas especially if you are trying to capitalize of it it. Duh.

Yeah, hire people that have zero respect or understanding for an established process. Wow. Yep. Totally makes sense.

shinoff21836d ago

Those guys that made that sonic game got a gig from sega or something along those lines and that game was dope as hell. One of the best sonics as of late.

80°

The Nintendo Partner Spotlight Sale Is The Perfect Excuse To Get These 6 Gems

Huzaifa from eXputer: "The Nintendo Partner Spotlight sale event has discounted a number of worthy titles on the Switch. Here are 6 of them you should check out."