Is The Nintendo Generation a Dying Breed?

Sean from Pixel Gate writes:

There have been so many theories flying around the internet recently pertaining to why Nintendo are struggling, with some of them being incredibly bizarre. Theories aside, there is one element to Nintendo’s situation which makes me a little sad, mainly for a generation of youngsters who are growing up with the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, and various other ‘big hitters’ that all tend to blur together. Simply put, the Nintendo generation may be dying out.

[GamerEuphoria]

It's a shame but times change I guess. They'll always be some younglings discovering classics via family am fiends!

[JodyCones]

It better not be. I want my kids to grow up on nintendo like I did. Still love nintendo, no company is perfect.

[RPG_Lover]

no, Nintendo sold the most software and hardware of any company in 2013.

[Beastforlifenoob]

Couldnt find anything like that SOURCE PLEASE?

Please stop pulling sh*t out of your ass and tossing it around the room where nintendo fanboys will happily gulp it down and fight over it

[No9]

Actually ElementalKnight right, they at least sold more hardware than anyone else, this from vgchartz.com...
2013...
Nintendo about 21 million combined
Sony roughly 19 million combined
Microsoft about 9 million combined

3DS 14,849,340
PS3 8,282,795
X360 5,828,960
PS4 4,397,385
WiiU 3,232,667
PSV 3,121,285
XOne 3,087,421
PSP 2,973,884
Wii 1,949,850
DS 818,084

[No9]

Haha, how can any disagree with my previous comment, they are figures pulled from vgchartz.com, my math is close enough.

Even if you say green peas are green, someone will be here to argue!

[Chrischi1988]

If a troll becomes angry, it has no meaning talking logic to it.

It is not able to understand the simplest things, it would even call modern physics a lie, if it were against its plattform of choice ;)

[Sincere0121]

Only to trolls and Sony fanboys.

All the real gamers know that Nintendo is far from over and will always provide the best games and gaming experience.

A better question would be is Sony a dying breed as there riddled with debt.

[TheEnigma313]

Nintendo will become a dying breed as far as home console are concerned.....UNLESS they adapt to the current gaming climate. They aren't finished yet. One thing I like about Nintendo is they don't do DLC. They will continue to own the handheld market though.

[RPG_Lover]

Nope.

Nintendo games on Wii U are selling millions of units, even with that low install base.

[TheEnigma313]

Only games that are selling is Mario. The WiiU can't just survive on mario alone. Nintendo has to adapt. The WiiU can be revived. Nintendo already said that WiiU sales aren't where they want, but let me guess you know more than them?

[Hicken]

... And yet, if the install base remains low, there won't be a console left to play those games on.

[Chrischi1988]

They also said the 3DS sales are not were they want them, that doesnt automatically make the 3DS bad.

And it is not true, that only Mario sells. Actually, Zelda, Smash Bros and Mario Kart sell even more. But it is nice how you guys degrade everything about nintendo to it, because you guys are so mature. But that is not as true, as to say, that you guys like movies, with some FPS action, which is almost all times the same. But then you act like, oh its a new IP and so it is so different^^ Like you do not still walk around and shoot at things. Yeah, Killzone is something totally different, am I right?

[TheEnigma313]

Chrischi1988

I'm only talking about the Wii U not the ds. Zelda, Smash Bros and Mario Kart hasn't released on the Wii U, so we don't know what the sales will look like. Nintendo say "The Wii U isn't selling to our expectations" and Nintendo fans say "the Wii U is selling fine".

I want Nintendo to do well; the gaming industry wouldn't be the same without them. But some of you all act like Nintendo is exempt from criticism.

[Chrischi1988]

They will never be a dying breed, a lot just wait till its cheaper or wait for the good games, before investing.

It is funny, how you all make it seem, that it is a good thing, if Nintendo made a console, which is exactly the same as the PS4 or Xbox1, even though there are alreadyy 2 of these FPS and Cinematic Game consoles.

[TheEnigma313]

No one is saying make them the same, just adapt. Decent online gaming, HDDs, console with decent spec, and 3rd party support shouldn't be too much to ask for.

[N4g_null]

Cohise this is why you can't listen to the nay sayers. The online is fine. Nintendo just doesn't throw it in every game. Servers cost money for many years it can be a waste. Many things sony and ms do would bleed nintendo dry.

These nay sayers know this and want this to happen. Yes fan boys have that much hate in them. Yet investors are pushing these bad ideas. They simply won't stop. Lots of money can be made if Nintendo fails.

Tech wise the wiiu is pretty good. It is soc that is a custom gpgpu uses sram fast external hdd can be used, we have tons of input options that are used pretty well.

The system is balanced. Nintendo can nor afford to waste anything yet the other two are throwing money around like they can't fail. Sony is at risk but ms is like a zombie.

I don't understand why sony fans feel sony is doing what it takes to survive their own mistakes. What has happened is sony can't do things like Nintendo, they can't make addictive game play. So they are following the ms way.... hardware and services. That is not a game sony nor nintendo can win. Nintendo is smart not to go rushing into this path.

[nintendufus]

Good article, but I think you're forgetting one important point: games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, et cetera may be smash hits, but even their influence and popularity will wane like all monotonous game series. I had good fun (in short spurts) with some of those "Violent, flashy, linear, and rather unimaginative games" you mentioned, but I always come back to Nintendo. Their game quality is unmatched and consistent, if not always the financial leader of the pack. In my opinion, Nintendo is the tortoise to modern gaming's hare.

[Beastforlifenoob]

I would say Sony exclusives blow Nintendo exclusives out of the water.

Well The Last OF us IS the most acclaimed game in history. And its actually a new ip unlike mario which is easy to make because they copy past the basic linear storyline, stereotypical charachters and make semi0decent level design.

[Brucis]

Source on that? Because last I checked that was Ocarina of Time, both in terms of score and number of times it's topped Best Game lists. If you like TLoU more, great, but don't try to make stuff up to support your argument.

[fonger08]

TLOF is technically the most "awarded" game of all time. That comes from the goty site. However HUGE astrisk to this, Ocarnia of Time came in 1998, 5 years before this site started keeping the Game of the Year award information. If going by ratings/metacritic OoT is at 99 while TLOU is at 95. Also video games were far more a niche market with less publications giving awards and reviews pre cira 2000.

[StockpileTom]

You can't really fault the level design for Mario games... they are masterfully paced and the difficulty is always a smooth transition. It always adds a new challenge or mechanic at almost every level and builds upon that by slowly adding more challenges. Easy to start- difficult to master.

Every Mario game I have played since SMB3 had brilliant level design.

[oricon]

lol easy to make your comparing a game where the story is the main focus, last of us gets most of its praise because of its graphics and story, whereas mario your only going to be watching a cutscene for its 2 minute intro and ending, in this day and age most people care about having a hollywood like story and graphics, i can easily bash a game like the last of us where most of the game is giving ellie a boost and finding a ladder to climb.

[DC777]

Well that's great and all but Sony didn't make the game so it's kind of off topic.

[fonger08]

Nintendo's name is synonymous with gaming, as Disney is to cartoons/theme parks. That being said no software or electronic company is invunerable to being in a decline or even irrelevant. Nintendo was the gaming company I grew up with, they educated me to become a gamer. If they were gone to pages of history, I would still game.

[redonix76]

Well said...to me when I hear Microsoft, I think Windows OS, when I hear Sony, I think Bravia TV. When I hear Nintendo...nothing else comes to mind except Game company.

Before any fan boys jump at me, know this, I have a PS4, Xbox One and a Wii U. All 3 systems have games that I'm looking forward to playing in the near future! I'm a fan boy of gaming!

[N4g_null]

Sony true place in gaming is to create hardware. I think nintendo should make an interface and base model hardware for gamers and Sony should make variations with more power.

This would be the Japanese version of steam. The snes cdrom should have happened. Sony wanted to take over Nintendo in the process though and I'm so glad they didn't. Yet they need to start working together. Ms is an endless army.

If sony can die nintendo would be on the way or vice versa.

[Tex117]

Its not over yet for Nintendo.

But there has always been some sort of brilliance to their game design.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

That Nintendo extra coat of paint always bring me back. One thing about Nintendo when you fire up a first party Nintendo triple A title you alway find beautiful colors funny goony chracters! When I fired up Super Mario 3d World for the first time I got this really happy feeling. It's the same as when I fire up Mario Power Tennis. For the Game Cube. It's like this is where the ultimate video game fun hides just waiting for me to push that power button and play the best of the best. There's the fun!. I guess that's why I like Nintendo so much. I think there will always be people drawn to video game entertainment and I think Nintendo can innovate and change enough to capture peoples interest.

[DryBoneKoopa85]

I don't see how considering I own every Nintendo console and buy there software every time they release something. Like this month I'm picking up Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.

I'm also raising two children who LOVE Mario and Sonic. Throwing my son his third birthday and its all Mario themed. There not dying its just time for us to pass it on. Any true Nintendo fan has the love and magic in there heart from when they were children.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

That's great dude! Yeah!

[No9]

Same here, both my kids are well versed in Nintendo.

Everything is cyclical, right now Nintendo isn't as fashionable as it once was, I used to go crazy over FIFA and still play now and again, but eventually, you go looking for other experiences. When all these 12 year old's pretending to be 28 really grow up, they'll know better.

[GamerEuphoria]

It's not a piece discussing if Nintendo is dying as a brand, it's focused on what majority of youths play these days. Hope this clears up any confusion!

[No9]

Ha, if you think about it, Nintendo's problems are caused by bad parenting. Games like Call of Duty should only be played by 16-17 year olds and over, according to the rating system.

We all know tons of under 16s that play Call of Duty, etc.

[DC777]

Exactly

[N4g_null]

This is so true. We got a lot of self destructiveness in our gaming ranks now.

[McScroggz]

Unfortunately, I don't see how any rational person can disagree. Take all personal bias aside for a second.

Every Nintendo home console has sold fewer than its predecessor since the beginning, aside from the Wii. Now, this has nothing to do with profitability of those consoles (mainly because I've never seen a figure divorcing home console profits from handheld profits), but merely the fact the the audience for those who buy the hardware has continuously shrunk. Gamers grow up, and Nintendo is no longer the primary console for them.

Conversely, Nintendo has done an excellent job with their handheld. That being said, I'm not sure how much longer they can compete with the ever-growing mobile gaming scene. I'm not going to write off Nintendo in this sector, but I wouldn't just brush off the real possibility that a dedicated handheld will be a niche product in the future.

There are a lot of extremely passionate Nintendo fans - and that's a good thing - I just hope that they will A) listen to reason on topics concerning Nintendo and B) be willing to voice their concerns rather than just accept what Nintendo offers.

I've said it before, but I want Nintendo to find its place in the industry where it has a viable, sustainable business model while still offering the great games and quirkiness that only Nintendo can really offer.

[No9]

I always have a problem with the 'out grown' Nintendo.

I bought the Nes, Snes and N64 when they came out. The decision to stay cartridge based with the N64 caused the problems I feel, that's where publishers were alienated, they lost the 3rd party support and caused the gaming consumer base to choose Nintendo or the 'other'.

Making a choice between exclusives is one thing, but when 3rd party games don't appear on your system, what are people going to do?

Nintendo stayed cartridge based and Sony swooped in and give people what Nintendo didn't want to.

Nintendo's lack of ability to adjust has been it's failing. the tighter they tried to keep control, the more publishers slipped through their fingers.

[Hicken]

If this site were filled with rational people, you wouldn't have even needed to make the comment.

Just look at most of the responses here. Almost NONE of them are even paying attention to the actual article. Hell, they didn't even read the damn title correctly.

For whatever reasons, the crowd that grew up primarily on Nintendo gaming is getting smaller and smaller. The folks that are in here, defending Nintendo like somebody just insulted their mama, are a pretty small number of the gaming community. Younger kids DO still get a Nintendo device to game on, but it's not long before they move on to one of the other two consoles for a more "mature" experience.

It's kinda hard to deny this is happening... though, I guess if you're rejecting reality as a whole, it's not so difficult... and it's something Nintendo needs to address, particularly for the success of the Wii U.

[jagstatboy]

I was hardcore Nintendo back in the day. So much so that I totally skipped out on the PS1 and PS2 as I bought and played N64 and Gamecube. I wanted Nintendo first-party games. I've had every Nintendo home console.

Now, other than the occasional 3DS game I might be interested in, I'm totally PS3 and soon PS4. Haven't touched the Wii in months and have zero interest in the WiiU.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Well, I may not be super young anymore, but I'm far from being "dead".
I still love what Nintendo does with its games and I just turned 30.
They create experiences that very few other titles can lay claim to, games that live on and on like legends because they're just that solid.
It's only very rarely that I'm fully disappointed with any Nintendo title that I add to my collection.
I don't go for games like Wii Fit and stuff, but my collection on most Nintendo systems is usually pretty damned large.

[StockpileTom]

I wouldn't exactly say they are dying out... more like sleeping. I felt the way they abandoned the Gamecube was a slap in the face and then they followed it up with the Wii. I do hope that they get out of their current struggles but I am just sitting here waiting for them to make me want to buy their consoles again.

A big reason for the NGCs failure was the increasing popularity of online play (SOCOM was the first PS2 game I had bought) and the fact they they had a woefully undersupported network adapter. If they would have had more first party support for it I'm sure more people would have bought the adapter and that would cause the 3rd parties to jump on board. Instead N decided to stick to the old Japanese net-phobia ways (look it up). They are only just now really starting to take online connectivity seriously but now their hardware is inadequate...

The hardware isn't so underpowered that I wouldn't purchase it, my main issue is with the hardware user interface in which I would have to play the games with. I don't want gimmicks, I want full control.

Disagree with me all you like but me and several other people I know and probably many others out there are just waiting for Nintendo to wake up.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

I'm sorry, but compared to the Wiimote, the Game Pad is nowhere near being a gimmick.
It has a very solid and comfortable grip, it's light despite its size, AND it supports ALL of the buttons a core gamer demands out of their controllers.
The screen is just an extra that only adds DEPTH to the system's capabilities.
Off-TV play right out of the box and the ability to use the screen for more inputs like hot buttons for more skills at the edges of the screen for quick access, bigger and more detailed maps than a normal minimap on the main screen usually provides, quicker inventory management, and many, many other options that other controllers simply cannot match.

The Wii U's control interface, the game pad, is practically the very definition of "full control".

It's the people who still think Nintendo's hardware is built around gimmicks that needs to wake up.

[Knushwood Butt]

Bigger mini-maps, and quicker inventory management are non-essential.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

@ Knush
They're still an improvement to the experience, so that doesn't matter.

[N4g_null]

I'm sorry the wii mote plus is not a gimmick. I rarely play ghost or bop2 any more. Yet when I pick up the sticks I obviously get massacred lol. Yet I'll plug up a wii mote and it's like I'm playing quake 3, unreal etc on a pc but better with a laser. In the older games we loved campers you could kill 2 at a time with out zooming.

If cross game fighting did happen the wiiu could murder the stick based fighters and rival the pc gamers. You wouldn't know this and you've probably never been able to fight a ranked online gamer and stand your ground.

The wii mote plus is the superior control. On top of it all once vr is the rave nintendo will be ready after 7 years of using vr like controls.

Internet on line play is easy hell quake 3 is open source now. When smash comes out we will get another stress test to see if Nintendo is ready.

[StockpileTom]

If you have to think about how to use it then a hardware interface isn't working as intended. I have used many input methods over time and I can say the main disadvantage of the sticks is that to change direction there is a very small delay due to the stick having to return to the neutral position.

I also frequently play on my mid-high end PC using Joy2Key mappings and still end up on top of the scoreboards in the games I play. I do not play the CoD games because most of their player-base is too stupid to use strategy and only care about personal achievement rather than team play.

As far as SOCOM games go I have been a top 100 player at several points and have been in some top 10 clans before I decided to just settle in with my friends and form our own small clan. We weren't doing ladder matches but I will tell you that you can take any group of willing players regardless of their skill level and groom them into a good team by instilling some situational tactical knowledge. Over half of the game is mental.

Shooters aside... hardware interfaces need to be more adaptable to easily and naturally play any type of game. The WiiU gamepad is an improvement sure but there were some significant trade-offs for that improvement.

[curtis92]

The reasons people loved nintendo back in the day were because of the sheer amount of awesome games (Looking at you, SNES). I'd say right now that PS4 is the equivalent to that as it's getting the best everything: 1st part, 3rd party & indies. Hard to go wrong.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

If you had said the PS3, I would have agreed with you.
But the PS4?
It's far from being anywhere near the same as the SNES in terms of quality games.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

I don't think any other home video game console for all time could ever dream of having a library of video game software anything like the SNES.

[stragomccloud]

@AJBACK2FRAG
Wii and Wii U both have virtual console which sports NES, SNES, N64, Megadrive, Genesis, TurboGrafx16, NeoGeo, and more, all available officially and legally. Ergo their own libraries not withstanding, both of these systems sport an amazingly diverse lineup.

[stragomccloud]

The same was true of all of Nintendo systems. Unfortunately most "gamers" have tended to ignore the amazing titles on the Wii(1st and 3rd party alike), as well as the very impressive pickings of the current Wii U. It's an apathetic attitude towards Nintendo and its software, as well as a band wagon attitude that enables people to become unable to enjoy what is offered out of an unconscious fear of being ostracized by one's peers.

[N4g_null]

This is so true.

[blastergun]

getting ps1,2,3, or 4 never get wrong. however as a gamer you may be missing out some of the most interesting gaming experience that wii u has to offer. wii is a terrible console for gaming but wii u is in a totally different league. do yourself a favour and try the new wii u. and you will know what i mean. many of wii u owners will tell you that. .. give it try.. nowsaday it is quite common for gamer to own more than one console.

[Dunban67]

What Nintendo games have been released on the Wii u that have captured the young gaming sector today like they did on pat consoles?

Ill tell you the game that is taking the lions share of Nintndo type young gamers and future gamers: it is Minecraft and Nintendo does not have it- when if they do get it, it will be we'll after Xbox and playstation. Check out YouTube and look up some of the many popular lets play type Minecraft guys- they have many millions of views and subs- very dedicated fans and a huge pcnt of them are 8 -10 and under

Nintendo does not have n answer for Minecraft and when if they get one it will be after they ave lst a huge number of future customers

[blastergun]

nintendo just need to release pokemon game.. and will win over most of the kids.

[level 360]

Parent will always be the driving factor for Nintendo.

Nintendo is the safest bet for kids to start onto gaming.

When they grow up and want something different they move onto Sony/Microsoft.

But when they become parents themselves for sure it's still Nintendo that they would recommend for their kids.

You can consider this both truth and irony.