Rubin: "Nintendo Is Irrelevant As A Hardware Manufacturer In The Console Business”

GameRevolution: "Former THQ president Jason Rubin recently discussed Nintendo's current state as a hardware maker, saying that the company is essentially "irrelevant" in the console space."

[dbjj12088]

And Jason Rubin should know...

[Mikelarry]

oooh BURN!!!!

lol if you watch the episode he was already scared after uttering those comment he had to clarify

[nosferatuzodd]

Nintendo will be fine 3ds is the hottest handheld right now i have a vita and i'm
getting the 3ds to play Zelda when a serious Zelda game drops for the WiiU I'm getting one has well srew the haters they hate on every company that's not Microsoft

[ShinMaster]

""However, that isn't to say that he doesn't believe there is a lot of value at Nintendo, it's just found in the software.""

Let's not leave out the rest of the quote.

The thing is, Nintendo consoles and Nintendo handhelds are in two entirely different realms. Nintendo handhelds have always been extremely successful no matter what.

[minimur12]

and THQ are irrelevant as a publishing company :D

[Cuzzo63]

@ Shin
So Nintendo is to survive off just 3ds sales. Hmmm. Interestimg

[colonel179]

I wonder how this generation would be if Nintendo had made a console with specs on par with PS4 and Xbox One.

They have never had problems with first party. Their games are great and have heat quality and great gameplay, but they should've learned that they cannot survive on just first party, and the Wii U lacks almost every third party support.

Just look at the 3DS, the reason it is successful is because of the software it has, but most importantly, it has great third party support. Looking back, the SNES was also very successful because it had incredible support. PS1 and PS2 also dominated because of third party support.

Third party developers might be right in not wanting to develop for Nintendo because they will need to optimize their engines and games to fit in the Wii U. The same thing happened on the Wii. However, I think this time is worse since both the PS4 and XBO have the same architecture, and now it's the Wii U which is different. In the case of the PS3, the different hardware and the difficulty was something they had to deal with because the PS3 was a console that was selling well.

So, Nintendo made a big mistake going for the weakest console again. Had they released a console with specs comparable to XBO and with the controller to have the ability to use it wirelessly (like PS Vita, but without the ability to play own games), at the price of the XBO, it would have been an epic win. You would get a console with comparable specs as the XBO, a controller that you could use to play games with remote play anywhere, for the price of $450-$500, and every third party game available on the Wii U, it would have been awesome.

[MONKEYDLUFFY]

It simply is not true. The gamecube was the technological equivalent if not superior to the ps2 abd xbox and it still fared poorly. The gamecubes failure was solid proof that the only way nintendo can win is to make a different experience than the power console twins

[colonel179]

I didn't say that it has to have great specs to sell well, but need third party support. However, in this time and age, third party publishers want as much money as possible with at least effort as possible. They won't make a modified version of their games in order to make it playable to the weaker Wii U. Maybe if it was selling much, much better, but as it's currently, Nintendo should have been better releasing a console with specs compared to PS4 and Xbox One, so that third party can easily port their games and make them available to Wii U.

It didn't happen, so Nintendo will struggle to convince developers to make games for Wii U. They have Bayonetta, and if that sells well, it would be a testament that things can get better with Wii U and third party devs might start considering the Wii U again.

So in short, third party developers won't spend more money trying to make a game for a weaker console. So Nintendo either has to sell Wii U much better to convince them. Otherwise, they should have released a more powerful console.

[Prime157]

Nintendo had always done what they wanted, and they have done well with their mission statement, whatever it may be.

@monkeydluffy

GameCube didn't (exactly) fair poorly. It turned a profit. The fact that people cat that system out AND it turned a profit is an interesting thing to say about Nintendo; not good, but not bad.

[ABizzel1]

@colonel179

It would have really suffered IMO. Nintendo needs to market itself as a entry console and price itself at $199 - $299.

[Wni0]

Coulda! Woulda! Andddddd Shoulda!

[lizard81288]

Well, atleast the Wiiu can output 1080p, unlike the Xbox One....

[fenome]

@dbjj1208

I know right? THQ went bankrupt, but now all of a sudden I keep seeing his name pop up on here when I never really heard about him before that. Now he's got all kinds of things to say.

[MONOLITHICIDE]

Did you know he was the co-founder of naughty dog.

[Death]

All the nice things people generally credit Mark Cerny for, they actually mean Jason Rubin. Jason was the creator of Crash which also turned out to be the mascot for Playstation for some time.

[fenome]

Oh, right on, I stand corrected. Guess people didn't give his words much credit in the past then for some reason because I never saw articles about little things he said before. Looks like I'm the one with all kinds of things to say, my bad :p

[Muffins1223]

Well do you have a wiiu?No one has one,he stated "irrelevant" and "console" he meant no one cares or buys the wiiu compared to ps4 and even xbox one.

[itBourne]

I have had plenty of arguments about this, If I do get something outside my pc/ps4/ps3/handelds, it will most definitely be a Wii U over an Xbox One, why? Because Nintendo although I think it is absolutely insane to own just that console, as a secondary console Nintendo does have exclusives actually, where as Microsoft has no studio/games for me to get it as a second or first console. So for me Nintendo actually makes more sense as another console then Microsoft. Now if I was not able to get a ps4/ps3 for whatever reason then I would 100% get an Xbox One/360 over a Nintendo console.

[Ol_G]

says the person who went bankrupt

[Magicite]

In my time I would never believe SEGA will fall out of console business, but now I see than any company can fail, Nintendo is a no exception.

[n1kki6]

Can't say I disagree from a hardware perspective, when looking at the hardware exclusively. But, I'm torn on what would happen if Nintendo would develop games for other platforms. After the Wii-u launched they said they under estimated the labor that was needed for even just a hi-def game let alone developing for multi platforms. They may benefit software wise being able to focus on their own platform, but when that platform isn't selling, than something is better than nothing.

[admiralvic]

I think a lot of that has to do with Nintendo's insistence on quality over quantity, which is part of their "problem". Going off what people say about the Wii U and Nintendo in general, it seems like they would want Mario, Zelda and Metroid to be yearly series, with a development cycle similar to say Call of Duty. Like, they year 1 we get a 2D Mario, 3D Zelda (like OoT) and FPS Metroid (like Prime), then the next year we had 3D Mario, top down Zelda (like Between Worlds) and classic Metroid (like the originals).

However, Nintendo puts a lot of time and effort into their games and it shows by them lacking glitches and such you see in titles like Battlefield 4, plus they don't rely on updates (the only one I've ever seen was to fix the save bug in Pokemon...). Not putting down other games or praising Nintendo, but I am saying that they choose to develop their games that way, which is why you don't see a lot of serious problems and extremely high review scores / consumer praise.

[spektical]

nintendo games which are often single player do not scale to many of the multiplatform, and physics intensive games from other publishers.

Nintendo is on a one man boat. They are churning out the quality content, but like you said its just them.

[TheDivine]

True. I love Nin because of their high standards but I'd love a new handheld Fire Emblem every 18 months, a new 3s and 2d Zelda alternating every year, a 2d and 3d Metroid alternating every year, and a new Kid Icarus every 18 months or two years (all on 3ds mind you). For big console releases every three years for Zelda, Metroid, Fire Emblem, and Xenoblade would be fine. Mario is already annualized and it does fine although the New series has become genric but that's due to using the same sub series and artstyle, not being annualized.

They need to maintain quality but I can't wait a whole gen for one great console Zelda, Metroid, and Xenoblade. They need to hire more people and split their best teams into two. I'd also like Myamoto to allow their best devs to create entirely new ip's instead of being stuck on one ip or shuffled around to direct different established ip's. the main Zelda team creating an entirely new action adventure rpg would be ridiculously awesome. Same with retro creating a new scifi shooter rpg or Intelligent Systems creating a jrpg. There's so many generations of the best talent in the industry stuck directing new Kirby, Nintendoland, Wii Sports, and other not too important games.

Just my opinion though. A link Between Worlds, Kid Icarus, Metroid Prime, Xenoblade, and Fire Emblem Awakening prove why Nintendo is hands down the best devs in the industry. Sony and MS don't really have a single ip as good as a dozen Nin ip's and most are forgettable. They do get a lot of games out and far more frequently though.

[itBourne]

See to me Nintendo plays it completely safe with consoles. If you keep 1 or 2 Mario and Zelda games per console gen you preserve the franchise over a longer period of time. Also, Nintendo has done nothing to innovate. Zelda/Mario games have not changed almost at all since the 64 days, why not innovate them for once? Better yet, if those games are soo good(not just getting a free pass because of the name) why not have those talented devs actually make something new. Also, why has there not been a full on Pokemon game on a console. Nintendo has no interest in actually doing something new, EVER! They literally play it safe 100% of the time. When in fact a full fledged Pokemon game or a Pokemon MMO could almost single handedly save their failing console.

[admiralvic]

@ itBourne

1) Please, don't use innovate. This is quickly becoming my least favorite word used in an argument / debate / discussion (almost as bad as entitled), because people say innovate, when they actually mean something more like revision or restructuring.

For those wondering, this is what innovate actually means...

"make changes in something established, esp. by introducing new methods, ideas, or products."

Speaking literally, adding the cat suit in Mario, dog to CoD, owl to Killzone and many such things are, in fact, innovating. So while it might not be the drastic change you want, don't blame a game for not doing something that it's actually doing.

2) "Also, Nintendo has done nothing to innovate. Zelda/Mario games have not changed almost at all since the 64 days, why not innovate them for once? Better yet, if those games are soo good(not just getting a free pass because of the name) why not have those talented devs actually make something new."

I don't know what kind of drastic changes you want, nor do I know what other games have made these drastic changes (I mean, on a fundamental level, Killzone 1 and Killzone SF are about the same as Mario 64 and Super Mario 3D World using your logic), but Nintendo has changed these games up. Since the 64 days, they created Paper Mario, which is a completely different approach to the standard Mario formula. They also spun Luigi off in his own adventure called Luigi's Mansion, which has almost nothing to do with Mario and is fairly unique next to other games. They also made a portable series called Mario and Luigi, which is an RPG and plays completely different than the standard Mario Bros. games. Sure, Super Mario Bros. plays like Super Mario Bros., but the second you change it from a platformer (which lets be fair here, how different can the game get before it changes genre?), it starts to become one of the various spin offs Nintendo has done in later years.

3) "Also, why has there not been a full on Pokemon game on a console. "

I forget where I read this or when I read this, but Pokemon is a game they feel is right on portable consoles and is a social game, which is how they justify releasing 2 versions like X and Y. While some people would love an HD Pokemon game, I can understand where they're coming from. A lot of RPG fans have noted they prefer games on the PSP / 3DS / DS / PSV (hence why so many of them release on portable systems when compared to consoles), because it gives them a pick up and play feeling. I understand this to a degree, since I can pick up Pokemon for 5 - 20 minutes, do a few battles while waiting for someone or to pass the time at my desk.

[Ausbo]

i love nintendo. I grew up on thier consoles. But I have to say i agree. Playstation and xbox just have so much more for us since the third parties don't support the wiiU. Although it would be wierd to see, i wouldn't mind seeing mario and zelda on playstation and xbox.

[knifefight]

I hope Nintendo's sales improve. Mario 3D World is great.

[dbjj12088]

It is. It feels a little derivative, but it is still so much fun to play in co-op.

[spektical]

agreed. seen everything before in the mario game. slap on a different paint.

really fun with friends though.

[jay2]

Fully agree,

[dbjj12088]

I'd say the jury is out...

[for we are many]

Nintendo= Biggest Video Game company in the world.

rubin= Jobless Tool.

[theDECAY]

What makes him a tool? Nintendo isn't really giving developers any motivation for putting games on WiiU. Now that the PS4 and Xbox One are out I can only see the WiiU selling less as time goes on.

[for we are many]

He is even worse than a tool, the guy's sinked a big name 3rd party publisher for goodness sake and still has the audacity to dismiss an essential pillar of this industry like this. You liked what he said despite the success of 3DS and the innovation in the Wii U and the level of quality in its games that use the features of Wii U to conduct the full experience. Wii U is on the comeback whether you and mr. rubin like it or not, and that's the best time for useless reports like this one, convenient isn't it?!

[Soldierone]

@for we are many

THQ was sunk before Jason stepped in. Paying attention to the timeline, he actually nearly saved a company that should have already went bankrupt a year before he stepped in. If he would have come sooner and had the chance to stop UDraw, I believe THQ still fights today.

[InTheLab]

He co-founded Naughty Dog and inherited a company that was already on a downward spiral. THQ was a mess when he took over and despite trimming a lot of fat that was killing THQ, it simply wasn't enough.

Meanwhile, that little developer he started with friends has become one of the top devs in the business if not THE top.

So you might disagree with his opinion, he's most certainly not a fool.

Only a fool would blame a man for ruining a company that was ruined years prior to his arrival...

edit:

Most of you are just mad he said something you don't like about your favorite console maker and are spouting nonsense about Jason and THQ when you really don't know what you're talking about so here....I've done the work for you...

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/r...

[PlayGamesNotConsoles]

@ inthelab: Tool is different from Fool, good sir.

Nintendo is successful through generations upon generations of gamers, young and old, and their franchises never faltered in quality and their hardware never cease to introduce new ideas and innovations that get adopted by the the ever changing competition almost every time and in every generation. It is really "corny" to say that Nintendo is irrelevant when they seem to be on the comeback in sales for their Wii U and achieving milestone after milestone with their 3DS and software quality while the 1st party exclusives introduced by their competitors are shrouded in mediocrity.

@Blacktric: Thank you my friend. This same effect happens sometimes in sports where fans of a newer team hate on the older and more historically established team, or sometimes more conservative team, than they love their own. It's an intriguing part of human psychology.

[Back-to-Back]

I am so happy he is not apart of Naughty Dog. I personally would like to see him go to Activision or EA and send them bankrupt too.

[KillrateOmega]

THQ was in a downward spiral long before he arrived. If anything, he slowed down their descent into bankruptcy.

So many people here are disappointingly uninformed concerning this subject.

[ftwrthtx]

Nintendo has always had great family oriented games with a focus on mulit-player couch games. I'm sure there will always be a market for whatever console they produce.

[Skate-AK]

I understand he created one of the best video game companies in the world, but I rarely agree with anything he says. Like when he said Darksiders is a crappy franchise.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

THq lol you're irrelevant
so much for Nintendo being irrelevant making Darksiders your Zelda

[AO1JMM]

Good job with THQ Jason....

[JackieCruise69]

Yeah, coming from a guy who's company is dead.
I'm sorry but.. just because Wii U isn't doing all that hot, doesn't mean they should quit the hardware business. :)

[Thatguy-310]

Most of their consoles aren't really a success. The wii was the milestone for them which says a lot. If thinking that the wii u will follow that success I'll just assume your just delusional. Software wise Nintendo shines because they're all about the games and the point of them which is gameplay.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Not really a success, eh?
Then how come they were even able to make a profit off of the Gamecube, despite it being one of their lowest-selling consoles?

Oh wait, I forgot.
In dudebroland, a console's only a success if it's got huuuuuuuuuges sales for everything about it, hardware and software alike, and everyone has to love and defend it.
/s

[JackieCruise69]

I never said that the Wii U would follow the Wii's success. So I'll just assume you can't properly read.
Nintendo consoles up to now have been pretty successful, having earned profits for Nintendo which is the point. As long as Nintendo makes money off of them, they're a success.
And my point was, that just because one console they made out of many is doing horribly, doesn't mean they should quit the hardware business.

[InTheLab]

"He then went on to say how the company is a "worldwide treasure," adding that "it is a crime that we do not play those games on the systems that we have."

Based on the performance of N's latest, I'd say he's right about that. Many won't like it but many also forgot about the Gamecube that flopped and the N64 that flopped.

The Wii found success in a market that has moved on but hardcore N fans pretend like N has been hitting Wii sized homeruns for the last 4 gens and that's simply not the case.

Nintendo is and has been basically about handhelds as that is really the only success they've consistently had.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

Nintendo 64 and GC made a profit.

[Metallox]

Actually, that's true.

[InTheLab]

And had very little support from 3rd party and no one bought them.

Also, making a profit and being in the red are two different things. N has a board like all public companies and the members of that board have expectations. You can't tell me anyone was happy with 2 failures in a row.

Lastly, N made a profit on each sold but were at a loss every year of the Gamecube's existance. As a matter of fact, the first recorded yearly loss for Nintendo since the company started in the 60's were due to the failure of the Gamecube. So while they sold the thing for more than the cost to manufacture, they still were unable to recoup losses for other aspects of business like RnD, shipping, Manufacturing, etc.

So all of you talking about how much money N made of the Gamecube are lying. The Gamecube was an embarrassment for Nintendo.....the first of it's kind. Sure the N64 was a tough one for them but the GC was a Disaster.

Thank god for the Gameboy Advance and Pokemon. That's the only reason why there is still a Nintendo.

And here we are again in the exact same situation with the WiiU. The games are here but no one wants it but hey...some day they'll make a few bucks off another failed console....

Edit: How do you disagree with facts? Google it if you're not old enough to remember. Everything I wrote is true. Or at the very least tell me why I'm wrong...

[Realplaya]

@ InTheLabhit

Research is a valuable tool you should do more before you analyze things and create your own fantasy world of facts.

Yes, most of the money Nintendo made in that time period was based on the GBA, but the GameCube was sold for a significant profit - about $6 per unit, on average. Over 22 million units, that averages to $132 million in profit just on one product over a five-year period. Sony did not make $132 million on just the PS2 in its first five years. It actually made less than $100 million due to the losses it had procured initially, compounded over the massive sales it got in the beginning. Then, when you figure in the amount Sony paid to deal with the rash of worn-out PS2's, you get the idea.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

The reason the games are as desirable as they are, are because they were made in-house at Nintendo, for their own system.
Not for unfamiliar architecture by teams who the creators of the games would feel could not do the games proper justice.

It would be just as disastrous as moving Halo to a Sony platform; no one makes a Halo like Bungie.
No one could do Mario justice like Nintendo's teams on a Nintendo system.

To me, it just sounds like he's salty about having to get another system, despite how much of a value it is.
That, or he's defensive about how "mature" he is viewed if he were to ever publicly say he likes the Wii U.
I dunno, this just sounds like a load of bull from someone who's grown to hate Nintendo, that's all.

[InTheLab]

@realplaya

You have no clue what you're talking about so you misdirect with this Sony talk.

You talk about doing research which is funny because you've clearly done none. A simple google search won't cut it here because most of the related articles are from a decade ago....but for those of us old enough to remember, we know what went down.

So you say N made a profit of $132m. You have no idea what the cost of creating a console is. You don't know what N did with the millions of Gamecubes that sat around in warehouses for years after production. You don't know how businesses work...clearly.

I acknowledged the fact that N sold the GC for more than it cost to build but that does not mean they made a profit. They sold through well under projected goals and relied on the GBA to pull them through to make a profit most of the years the GC was a thing.

That's what's confusing you and the 11 disagree'rs. You probably googled N making a profit in that era and because they count GBA numbers, you believe the gamecube was a success.

That's what those 11 disagrees really mean. You think N made a profit on a failed console and you're wrong.

[Ohohoho]

I echo the statements that a man who ran a company into bankruptcy and then oblivion has no right to call anyone irrelevant.

The core gaming audience may not necessarily agree with Nintendo's family centric approach, but the tens of millions of sales of some of their biggest franchises due in large part to the unique experiences offered by the hardware show that Nintendo is far from irrelevant.

[dbjj12088]

I think you're right. If you want to play all the good Nintendo games (and there are a lot) then you buy the hardware. It speaks to how much people like Nintendo software that they usually buy Xbox and Wii or PlayStation and Wii.

At least that's what I did last gen.

[Hicken]

And I echo that people really should stop repeating false information as if it was the truth. THQ was in trouble BEFORE Rubin took the helm. If you had been paying attention at the time, or had bothered to look it up yourself, you'd have known that.

But, of course, you did neither of these things. You and a dozen others just saw some partial bit of info you thought you could use as a way to discredit this claim against a company you love, and you ran with it.

[Ohohoho]

Is he your dad or something? Would it have been extremely difficult to say "Hey, just so you know, Rubin took over after THQ was already struggling" instead of that tangent?

[Bathyj]

Only speaking for myself, but thats how I've felt about Nintendo since the first year of the Wii. I'm not a Nintendo hater, I grew up on them like everyone and it was probably Game&Watch more than anything that made me a gamer.

I also predicted maybe in the 2nd year of Wii that Nintendo would be the first to abandon their console and first to release the next one, and that it would be underpowered, forever setting a pattern and forever relegating them to being behind Microsoft and Sony in hardware.

They will also be the first to drop this new gen and the next Wii will probably only be a slight increase on Xbone and PS4. They seem to have fixed themselves on a downward slope as far as progressing hardware is concerned by not making machines advanced enough to see out the extended life cycles consoles have now. WiiU is already outpowered and soon outsold. How dated is it going to look in 2 years when XB and PS are starting really to shine?

[Misaka_x_Touma]

Nintendo releases new system every 5-6 years for console and 8-10 for handhelds

[PlayGamesNotConsoles]

Ohh..the irony.

[Nodoze]

Says the guy with the bankrupt company....

[stuna1]

Finally someone willing to speak the truth! Nintendo has tried to rely on gimmicks these last few generations. The WII was developed around a gimmick, the WII U is attached to a gimmick, yes even the 3DS is part of a gimmick. The fact that these system were integrated with the gimmick being the selling point says alot.

Note I also believe the move & camera of the PS4 are gimmicks, but they're not required to enjoy the console, whereas the Kinects camera is the total opposite requiring extensive use of the camera. All in all Nintendo has really fallen off as far as hardware is concerned.

Edit: To those saying that he ran a company into bankruptcy, so even people, companies in bankruptcy can't be right or make accurate assessments on certain situations. I guess every company that has ever faced bankruptcy it was always due to them being wrong! SMMFH.....

[Ac7iVe]

Keep playing COD and sports games lol at least Ninty changes things up

[Majin-vegeta]

What you mean Mario,DK,Mario,Mario etc....yea changes it up so much /S

[dbjj12088]

Good point. A lot of THQ's problems were set in motion before Jason took over.

[Ac7iVe]

Who's still in business?

[Metallox]

Sorry, but both of you are irrelevant. Just watch your company, Rubin.

[Kalebninja]

i just can't believe people would dare to say nintendo should just become a 3rd party for xbox and playstation they were making games and consoles long before the other two

[AceBlazer13]

So was sega and atari :| I agree with you though show some respect to one of the pillars of gaming.

[gamernova]

How is AMD irrelevant? *facepalm*

[GraveLord]

Can't argue with cold hard numbers.

[Skate-AK]

I can't believe people think THQ was Jason's. He got the position handed to him while they were already close to dead. He couldn't have done anything.

[LOL_WUT]

Nintendo why didn't you buy Atlus? And this Rubin guy has a point ;)

[AKR]

I find it amazing how much people are coming out declaring "THE TRUTH HAS BEEN SPOKEN!" Wow, just wow.

- Firstly; this is coming from a man who led one of the most successful game-companies ever ~ that has now gone bankrupt.

- Secondly; let's just "forget" that the 3DS has been topping charts for almost an entire straight year. Yeah, that's not happening at all.

- Thirdly; let's also "forget" that this is the same company who manufactured the Wii and DS; two of the most (and in the DS' case - THE most successful) ~ video-game consoles ever.

- Fourthly; let's just "forget" how Sony lost BILLIONS of dollars over the lifetime of the PS3, but nobody dares call 'failure' on them.

- Fithly; let's just "forget" that Nintendo is sitting on over 16-billion+ in cash reserves - making them the finically biggest video-game company in the industry.

...I find it quite funny how people never go after Sony or Microsoft, saying they should sell the PlayStation and XBOX divisions of their companies. The PlayStation division who has lost boatloads of money, so much so that Sony was forced to close their US HQ. Or about the XBOX division who set the game-world ablaze with the announcement and road-to-launch of the XBOX One, with all the former policies and constant 180-turns.

No, but nobody has the gall to raise their hand and speak "doom" on them; but for whatever reason, N is the main victim of doom-&-gloom. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Yes, the Wii U isn't selling in droves the same way the Wii did. But hey; PS3 wasn't selling as good as PS2, and still has yet to do so. Vita wasn't selling anywhere near what PSP, and still isn't. What about 3DS? When it launched, it was miles behind the DS' sales performance.

But what happened to those consoles? No need to say; you already know.

The video-game industry never ceases to surprise me...

[Majin-vegeta]

- Firstly; this is coming from a man who led one of the most successful game-companies ever ~ that has now gone bankrupt.

No just no.

Like soldierone said.

THQ was sunk before Jason stepped in. Paying attention to the timeline, he actually nearly saved a company that should have already went bankrupt a year before he stepped in. If he would have come sooner and had the chance to stop UDraw, I believe THQ still fights today.

[Soldierone]

If you want to attack one side, you better not go and put false facts on the opposing sides or you lose credit.

Sony didn't lost billions, had the PS2, and sold their HQ only to open an even bigger one a month later. Rumors of Xbox being sold off from MS have popped up and people said to go for it, you must not have read N4G for two months?

Sony also faced the doom and gloom articles during EVERY launch recently. PSP, Vita, PS3, all started slow and all had the "sony is screwed" news, so its not just nintendo.

Lastly, Jason didn't bankrupt THQ, he came in to try and save it and it was too far gone for him to actually do anything. He did however help co-create what is now one of Sony's strongest first party companies....

Morale of this story, these articles pop up for every console, its nothing new.

[darkstar18]

lol most amazing thing iv read all day XD

[Garrison]

Nintendo IS irrelevant when it comes to making hardware. Nintendo's Hardware is what's keeping the company from becoming what it should be right now, A huge entertainment company possibly as big as Disney.
Mario and Nintendo's characters are much bigger than the companies consoles. Nintendo is really limiting what these characters who are now worldwide recognizable, can do. There should be movies, TV Stations, Shows and theme parks under Nintendo but yet they are still thinking consoles with Mario kart.
Every kid in the world should be able to play Mario Games wherever they can.
Nintendo should of gone third party a long time ago.

Just because a company goes third party doesn't mean they are going to go "bad", if a company keeps the talent they will keep the quality. Sega didn't and that's what happened but they are slowly getting back up.

[Brucis]

I'm gonna have to go and say 'no' to that. Also, Mario has been in cinema and shows.

[Lil_Richy21]

Nintendo is a great company!

[Crossbones]

In my opinion Nintendo is very good in the handheld business but can also be good in the hardware business as well. The problem is Nintendo. Their poor decisions have really hurt the Wii U. I mean launching a year before next gen systems come out with weaker specs and because of the weaker specs Nintendo Wii U owners are going to miss out on FF XV, MGS V, Destiny, Witcher 3, & more. Releasing the same franchises and not introducing enough new hardcore titles for the hardcore fans. X, Smash Bros, Bayonetta are all cool but that's not enough. Their image has also hurt the Wii U because every time they do release a commercial it's about Mario.

I feel like Nintendo should have waited to release the Wii U in 2013 and launch it with specs closer to the PS4 and have New Hardcore titles in development and not just rely on Mario,Luigi, Zelda, Donkey Kong . Then on top of that they would have gotten a lot more 3rd party support.

[iliimaster]

this guys a joke just wait n see the only move i would like is for nintendo to band together with sega exclusively it just makes so much sense to me anyways.

[The_Villager]

Haha that was funny.

Rubin wants to be the next Cliff Bleszinski.

[Grimhammer00]

Ninny has $.

Big deal....handhelds like the DS and Vita will be done in 5-8yrs. Unless they can prove they can produce games that tablets/phones can't do.
And even that will hit a wall as screen size becomes an issue.

Since Ninny don't wanna create a robust online. And don't wanna create ips that aren't Mario (oversimplification to make a point), then what future does ninny have?

Seems like we're living it. Rehash same ips since early 80's ad nauseum. Do other corps do this? Absolutely. Tired of all of it to be honest.

[AKR]

At least when N releases new versions of their IPs; it's always different.

Compare Mario 64 to Mario 3D World. Different.
Ocarina of Time to Skyward Sword. Different.
Donkey Kong to DKC: Returns. Different.
Kirby 64 to Kirby's Return to Dreamland. Different.

...I think you're getting my point here. Even though some core elements carry over into the newer titles; the game still plays, looks and feels different from past iterations. This isn't a copy-&-paste thing like CoD, Madden, FIFA, or NBA-2k.

And how is Nintendo not creating a robust online? Right now; they're the only ones with a new home-console with a free online service. Miiverse kicks serious butt. The eShop is fluid, fast, and navigational. Games like Wii Sports Club and Need for Speed Most Wanted U have decent online systems.

Yes, they could do a little more (ie: party chat, trophies/achievements) - but what they have now is MILES better than what we saw on Wii and DS.

[Wni0]

You do realize mario literally takes the same puzzles from previous entries and just adds a new layer of paint?

Stop being so extreme to the max. Is call of duty reptitive? Yep. But each campaign is wholey different from eachother. The only real copy and pasted games are either ports or remakes or some sports games. Mario is one hell of a franchise as is CoD, both are in a low point in their respective genres... Ghosts aint no Cod4 and the new Mario is no Mario64.

Nintendos online is capable but not anywhere near relevant. They really have underestimated internet gaming as well as HD.

[RPG_Lover]

Nintendo is irrelevant as a console manufacturer? really? Right now Wii u is the best new console out there and 3ds will CRUSH ps4 and X1.

Jason is sort of a sony fanboy who just wants Nintendo games on those systems. Its irrelevant what he says.

Wii outsold wii U in year one?

So did ps1 over ps2, ps2 over ps3, and ps3 will sell more than ps4 in year one and psp sold more than vita..................

yeah lets look at the numbers but lets put it in context.

God thank this is the last week with jason.....

And that guy on the far right, you want Nintendo to be like Disney? A company that milks everything, hasnt made a good iconic movie in years, and lives on its past glory? really? you want Nintendo to sink so low as to be a Disney?

Aside from Pachter, the show was just embarrassing. He was the bright spot.

Look back at this weeks black friday numbers and see how irrelevant Nintendo was. 3ds was SOLD OUT

[just-joe]

I like how no one points out that Nintendo is still turning a profit despite the Wii U sales. But pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

[mechlord]

Because of the 3ds. Nintendo doesnt just do WiiU...

The problems isnt Ninty's profitability, but WiiU's situation

[mechlord]

I had a 6000+ chars response to you which i cannot post and i wont sit my ass and edit it, so:

PS2 sold more than PS1, PS3 sold LESS than PS2, PS4 sold more ALREADY than PS3. ITs not as you say.

Ninty DOES live in the past AND milks everything. Its just putting out Zelda, Pokemon and Mario ad infinitum...do you know how old are these franchises? contrast that with SONY, creating new shit everytime: Uncharted, TLoU, LBP, KZ, Infamous on PS3 ( i know, i know, KZ right? but it took off on PS3, so...)
DriveClub, The Order on PS4...

[RPG_Lover]

So sony making Killl zone 4 and imfamous 3 isnt living in the past?

PS4 has not sold more than PS3 already look at the numbers. But I see your willing to lie and make shit up

[mechlord]

@ElementalKnight

1.
I was referring to first year sales, not life-time.

2.
Killzone started on late PS2.
Infamous started on PS3.
How many of those games Sony made and how many
Mario games Ninty made?

Ps4 is starting with two (so far) fresh IPs...what and how many fresh IPs Ninty created for WiiU ?

One thing is using some already created Ips for continuity, other is not creating new Ips at all.

Whatever is your angle, you cannot deny that sony is continually putting out new IPs every generation...can you say that about Ninty?

[nanotech_Ninja]

Nintendo has , and always will have a place in the console market.

[Schatt3nwelt]

Wii U sales speak for themselves. Nobody wants to waste money on it. Even 3D World sold horribly, and that was supposed to be the 4th "system seller". Honestly, it's only the Nintendo fanboys who are being stubborn with accepting the Wii U's fate.

[Realplaya]

Did you check the numbers on 3D world sales?

The internet does not tell the wholes story.

[Schatt3nwelt]

I did actually. The numbers were much lower than previous 3D Mario installments. You can also look at the Wii U sales. Weekly sale numbers are pretty much abysmal until a 1st party game releases. Then it goes back to it's usual low sales pace.

[Realplaya]

I hate commenting on these articles but I will because I feel the urge to purge.

First off this guy left a company that was doing good to go work for one that wasn't and he's working where?
People are defending by saying they were in trouble when he got there which means his decision making skills are seriously not good. So now we take your opinion with a grain of salt.

Second in 3 days Nintendo has sold 300,000 plus Mario 3D world games at $59.99They don't pay anyone outside of their company anything so that means that this game sold at pure profit.

Looking at the numbers the Wii U numbers are steadily going up.

In order to put the Wii U in a space of relevance all Nintendo has to do is market the system via commercial bombing everyone, and keep making great 1st party titles. Last but not least they need to not focus on Japan and focus more on NA and EU the reason Sony didn't drop in Japan is they know that Japan doesn't buy consoles like that. So I say shift the focus here and create need and want in Japan.

[spektical]

only in n4g do you find a lot of misinformed people.
Rubin was a minor voice in THQ bankruptcy. Google is a powerful friend when you have no clue what you are talking about.

[ibrake4naps]

I wish nintendo would just drop the hardware and make badass zelda, metroid, etc. Games for sony and ms! Make it happen!

[SpiralTear]

So putting these franchises on another company's system is the only way to make these games "badass"? I hope you realize that those would still be Nintendo's franchises, not Sony's or Microsoft's, and Nintendo would still have creative control over their development.

Putting them on another system wouldn't do much to change them from a design standpoint at all.

[Miraak82]

I used to love Nintendo back in the day but unfortunately I stopped supporting them along time ago . Until I see a true next gen Metroid or Zelda running fully open world 1080 60fps while playing it with a regular ol controller ( no touchscreen, motion and gimmicks ) then i'll never buy another console from them again .

They have to give the people what they want and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone on this . I can only dream of they day I get a next gen Metroid running on ps4 like hardware seeing samus in all her glory

[-Gespenst-]

"fully open world 1080 60fps"

God this is all I hear out of people these days. Do you think your own thoughts? None of that crap is necessary for a game to be good. You've got to have a more open mind.

[WPX]

Agreed. They speak about Nintendo "gimmick this, gimmick that", but they don't see that the "1080p 60fps" is the BIGGEST gimmick out there this generation.

[MadMen]

Rubin, is spot on, WiiU is dead.

[-Gespenst-]

Lol, pretty much ALL gaming hardware owes a debt to Nintendo. To say nothing of their games.

Playstation Move? Wii Mote.

Vita / Smart Glass as a touchscreen gamepad that conveys extra information? The Wii U. (Funny that one. People hate the Wii U but seem to enjoy the very same feature on their non-Nintendo consoles. Corporate thralldom.)

Handheld game consoles in general? Nintendo

3D platformers? Mario 64

Many, many rpgs? Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda.

In fact, many games that seem innovative? Nintendo.

Controllers in general? This: http://tinypic.com/view.php...

I hate anti-Nintendo stuff like this. So ungrateful. All these types care about are "profits and "sales." Because Nintendo aren't doing great in those areas these days, they're somehow "worthless." It's just this cult of money worship. They don't care about the history of the medium and it's growth and development, they just care about spouting rhetoric that feeds into the elimination of their competition. No doubt a ton of ignorant people will read this and think "oh yeah, Nintendo do suck, they AREN'T making any money," and that'll definitely contribute to the public "doom" consciousness which will in turn exacerbate Nintendo's perceived "failures."

I'm not denying that their "family" orientation is pretty whack and a major cash-in, but they've done more for the games industry than pretty much any other. If people think they've "underestimated" current trends in gaming, it's only because they just did what they thought was good. We've been made to think we need HD; we've made to think we need online competitive multiplayer; we've been made to think we need more and more powerful machines, but that's all bullsh!t - it's a simple way to appeal to people by offering all kinds of power-fantasies, but quality isn't guaranteed by these dumb, shallow things - as most games and consoles these days demonstrate so invariably. Games these days are graphical showcases and benchmarks for technology, they're barely anything more, and people just lap it up, not to mention defend it despite how completely vapid it all is. Nintendo have been surpassed by people who literally just thanklessly filched their ideas and then had the audacity to claim that Nintendo are irrelevant and have nothing to offer. It's almost like now that Sony and MS are seeing a bit of success, they feel Nintendo's use-value is exhausted - now they can be eliminated. If they do succeed in eliminating Nintendo, god they're going to begging them to come back before long.

[alti]

Phones were doing touch screen like 5 years before the wii u came out. Computers did touch screens for like a decade. Mark cerny made a touch screen game back in the freakin 70's or 80's.

Lastly, iPads are what brought touch screen experiences to the forefront. If anything, Nintendo was last to the party. Do a bit of research, please. People are not trying to get Nintendo to stop making games. Just hardware. Hardware is holding them back. They can make peripherals to control their games just like harmonix does. Or DDR creators. Or rockband, etc. Peripherals have been done before, so if they want things to control differently for ALL of their games that could potentially release on stronger platforms, they have that option. They can innovate until the cows come home, but if their console isn't selling, they need to put their games where they can sell, because their brand is dwindling.

Read my comment below yours. It's controversial, but it's for the best that, at least with home consoles, Nintendo releases on more popular platforms. People with a wii u may be totally opposed to call of duty or assassins creed (i know nintendo hardware sees iterations of those releases, but they are sold for the same price with less features and less performance each time). But people with ps4 and x1 are not opposed to Nintendo software. We would all buy it, but a second console is honestly not an option in this economy. Hell, a second social networking site is pushing it for some people. Nintendo is fantastic, but they are not bigger and better than all other developers combined, and it is that combined mass of impressive software that is popularizing the x1 and ps4 to heights that Nintendo cannot keep up with. That's why they should become a third party developer, and stick to peripherals for the hardware that controls differently for their IP, if they need it.

If Nintendo can offer a better hardware, network, and population of gamers than its competitors, then you wouldn't be reading these thoughts. But there is honestly no way for then to compare with the giants that are Microsoft and Sony.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

You are right about the Computer, who did Touch Screens in the 1970's but you forgot that the DS was out way before the IPad and before IPod.

The DS stole the tech/idea from Palm Pilots.
They admitted it, when they teased the DS, before the reveal, they said that they would [use an existing technology that had not "really" been used for gaming.]"

[Hicken]

There's all sorts of misinformation in your comment. Vita and its uses as a second screen predate the Wii U.

There are handhelds that predate the GameBoy.

3D platformers that predate Mario 64.

And what the hell is "many games that seem innovative?" It's like you're trying to pad out your list now. Even that image of yours is wrong, assuming Nintendo was first with analog sticks, when they weren't.

Did you watch the video? He was asked to make a prediction about who'd win the console war this gen. He said it would be between the XB1 and PS4, but he couldn't choose, and that, as far as consoles were concerned, Nintendo has become irrelevant.

It isn't about Nintendo hate. It isn't about "these types" and what they care about. He answered a bloody question.

Jesus, get your panties out of a bunch.

[alti]

I wish Nintendo would stop making consoles, and just focus that attention on building theme parks. I'd rather pay a hundred bucks a year to go to Nintendo land (Nintendo world, galaxy, w/e) a year than buy their consoles. Honestly, their platform is the only thing stopping me from playing those games. I would buy their units, if it was't so incredibly obvious how much better their competitors are at creating a device that fully immerses one in the games it offers. They cannot compete with microsoft or sony on hardware or network or third party support.

Nintendo will not lose any of its software sales when porting their games to ps4 or Xbox one hardware. All Nintendo fans of the last generation had two consoles because they needed an Xbox or playstation. So their market is already on those devices. It wasn't just because sony or ms make a game just for their platform. They're competing with assassins creed and call of duty now too. The battlefields and maddens/fifas. That's their competition. If those games have no business on a Nintendo platform, then those games are the defacto when gamers choose a more powerful console over nintendos offerings. And i only hope that Nintendo doesn't drive their IPs into irrelevancy, just because the economy isn't strong enough to support a second console in everybody's home, like it did last generation. There's only $100 difference in the price of a ps4 from a wii u, but sorry Nintendo, that's too expensive. If they want to try to be that second console, they can, but because ea, activision and other emerging third parties are SO BIG, they will never be the majority's only console, because those companies don't support Nintendo at the level they do sony or ms. Anybody with eyes can see that Nintendo has been getting scraps for the past 7 years. Their only friend was ubisoft, and unless rayman does well, i think they'll lose them too.

The only thing Nintendo loses when deciding to become a third party developer is hardware sales. Their entire market (and then some) are already on their competitors console. If they need a peripheral for some games, or ALL Nintendo games, then that's not stopping them either. The market will buy a compatible wiimote for ps4 or x1 if all Nintendo games required it. Hell, if harmonics can sell u a plastic guitar, Nintendo can sell you a wiimote peripheral or anything of the sort. I don't even want to hear your comments about how games control on Nintendo platforms, because we're all fresh with games that require peripherals and it has never stopped us before.

[SpiralTear]

Immersion is not dependent on specs and it never has been. If hardware drove the ability to be "immersed" in a game, no one would buy handhelds, retro consoles or even the less-powerful current gen consoles. Hell, indie games on PC can immerse you, even without photorealistic graphics or technical ferocity. It's a design element, not a technological one.

The PS2 was the least powerful system technically during the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube gen, but it still was the frontrunner. Why? Because the games were good. They were REALLY good. Same with the DS and PSP, with the latter being the projected destroyer of the competition, but ultimately fading into obscurity (at least outside of Japan).

If you really want to play Nintendo franchises and you want them to grow and evolve, just refusing to play them without any backed criticism and demanding Nintendo go third-party isn't a solution. It's an excuse and a really selfish one at that.

[mechlord]

Why is this still a debacle?

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

I bequeath to Rubin a “Boot to the Head”

[iceman600]

This guy has some nerve as nintendo basically is responsible for him even having a job right now, and then he contradicts himself by saying oh their games are good.

[CAB1802]

Rubin, first i'm gonna kill you, then I'll hide you in forest and let the bears eat Rubin the fucking idiot

[Cuders]

and why would anyone take jason rubin's opinion seriously?

[Hitman0769]

"FORMER" THQ. Um why are you talking about games? THQ is a failure and abused so many developers with their horrible business practices. I said it once I'll say it again, shut up THQ, nobody cares what you have to say.

[Tzuno]

STFU!!! Nintendo started all at least have some respect.

[modesign]

so when nintendo had the chance to utter in the next gen, they release a wii with a kiddie tablet, they dropped the ball and sony and micro were able to capitilize on ninte's mistake. the wii is dead, and now the wiiu is dead, nintendo now has to depend on their handheld until they do eventually make a "next" gen console and at that time its too late.

[JessiePinkmanYo]

TH-Who?
Nintendo will be fine. 3DS is a great system, and I recently picked up a Wii U. I also own an X1 and PS4, but the U is in a class of its own. There is no comparing it to the other two. I stated earlier, its like comparing a Prius to a Camaro. Some people want speed, some want MPG, to each his/her own. I enjoy them all equally, but each in their own way.

[Budz_McGr33n]

I actually agree with his statement. Nintendo doesn't have any consoles used in the MLG, it is irrelevant to hardcore gamers.

[SpiralTear]

I'm sorry, but the MLG is not anywhere near the standard by which the industry is measured. Try again.

[Rock_On_PS4]

Nintendo relies upon its own first party series to sell consoles: Mario Bros/World, Mario Kart, Zelda and Smash Bros. Besides the few stand out game series Nintendo has weak third party support. Sony and Microsoft both benefit greatly from having strong third party support as well as exclusive games on their systems.

[McDaygo]

The Wii U is fun, and Nintendo has made, and will make great games for it. Hopefully for everyone it's around next Christmas. A two dog race doesn't sound as fun to me.

[Damd_Bowsr]

Just by him making this comment proves Nintendo is relevent or else no one would ask the question.
Also, for those that think 3rd parties dont develop for Nintendo due to it being the weaker system, here's a bit of reality for you... 3rd parties don't make games for Nintendo because they dont want to. They fear it would ruin the hardcore image of that game.

Remember when PS2 & Xbox got GTA and the GameCube didnt... yea, at that time the Gamecube was the most powerful console. GTA did not come to the console because Rockstar didn't feel that GTA would keep its hardcore appeal on Nintendo. They did however give the two titles, Bully and that killer based game whose name I can't remember.