Is Nintendo Pursuing a More Mature Audience?

One of the writers here at Nintendo Enthusiast talks about Nintendo's recent focus on bringing mature content to their home console. How do you feel about Nintendo funding and publishing mature games for the Wii U? Do you think it's a smart move for The Big N? Or do you believe Nintendo is after the wrong crowd?

[Concertoine]

Its just a return to gamecube days, they published Geist and Eternal Darkness back then and did a deal with capcom for those resident evil games.

They've already published more M-rated content this gen than last lol...

[SirNintend0]

It's a good sign as well. Not that "M" games are automatically good, but that they are now offering a better variety for everyone.

[PeaSFor]

MadWorld was on Wii..

[randomass171]

So were several Resident Evil games, No More Heroes and The Conduit.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

They own those. Not just published

[Segata]

Nintendo had nothing to do with Madworld. Sega published Platinum developed.

They did publish/develop games like Disaster Day of Crisis which was full of cursing. Zankegi no Regionliev which is EDF in norse myth and the bloodiest Wii game,Samurai Warriors 3,Sin & Punishment,Pandoras Tower (forcing a girl to eat flesh of monsters to prevent her from turning into one) The last Story but the most surpising one was Captain Rainbow where one mission you have to prove Birdo is innocent of a crime by finding his dildo.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

@Ryudo9
I was referring to this "they published Geist and Eternal Darkness "
Not MadWorld

[Shnazzyone]

what was the authors first tip? was it zombi u being a flag ship title at launch? how about an immediate introduction of the pro controller? How about courting team ninja for games? focus on tournament level improvements in smash? It's honestly nothing new. It's been the premise behind wii u for a while actually.

[Activemessiah]

I remember when Madworld came out and newspapers gave them a lynching and screaming betrayal for releasing something for adults.

[Summons75]

Don't forget about Manhunt 2 which got pulled off shelves shortly after launch (Wii version)

[bacrec1]

That may still be the most violent game available.

[jc48573]

Gamers grow old, so even their tastes change.

[brettnll]

For sure!

[jc48573]

sigh...let me put it in other words. Tastes just keep on expanding.

[CloudRap]

its make it or break it for nintendo, release a console that can at least hold its own against x1/ps4 hardware wise, and get some real 3rd party support or wither away. If a fourth competitor joins the ring this gen or next, its over for nintendo.

[voodoochild346]

No one anywhere in the world should listen to you.

[thehobbyist]

Nintendo has profited every generation and with little third party support every generation.
Their hardware was actually the weakest(Wii) for their most profitable home console.
Also a fourth competitor exists(The Ouya) and it's basically a failure. Barely breaking even and constantly discounting it's price to sell.
Now tell me again, how is it make it or break it for Nintendo? Because really. 2013 was their worst year in decades and it only seems to be going up from here.
2 million copies of MK8 in less than a month. WiiU sales quadrupling and it's outselling PS4 in Japan.
Your argument is grasping at straws.

[CloudRap]

I smell fanboy

[InTheLab]

It is a myth that Nintendo made a profit on the GC and N64 that continues to spread by way of plain old ignorance and fanboyism.

Nintendo's first loss in over 30 years was due to the poor performance of the Gamecube. What saved them that gen was the Gameboy Advance. They made a profit during that era solely based on their handhelds.

Now where the confusion comes into play is the fact that 3 years after the launch of the GC, they finally made some money on it thanks to cheaper parts despite the insane number of price cuts.

Now, the reason why selling a console for more than it cost to produce does not equal a profitable console is how long it took to become profitable and the amount of stock they were unable to sell. So Gamecubes were returned from retailers and Nintendo made millions more consoles than they were able to sell.

With all of thoses gamecubes floating about, there is no way they made a ROI because they never hit the break even point.

Again, Nintendo was profitable during that generation because of their handhelds. It's the exact same story for the N64 only N was not able to recycle unused parts for their next console.

As for them needing or not needing 3rd party support, that's just flat out stupid. If Mario and all the games they slap him in is enough to sustain you for the next 3 or 5 years good for you....but most gamers will stay away from the WiiU or make it a companion console and that should not be Nintendo's goal and you shouldn't be cheering on "just enough to get by".

[jholden3249]

Lol, your entire statement is one, big logical fallicy.

Nintendo hasn't had "real 3rd party support" in 20 years. This isn't anything new. In fact, I think the Wii U has had MORE "real 3rd party support" than any Nintendo console in the last 3 generations. Logical fallicy number one.

And Nintendo doesn't make games for the same type of gamer as PS4 and Xbox One. They make a different KIND of game, and a different gaming experience altogether. A fourth competitor wont' touch Nintendo's marketshare, unless they do what Nintendo does and can do it better (highly doubt that). A fourth competitor will pretty much just eat Sony and MS marketshare. They're different kinds of games aimed at different kinds of people. Logical fallicy number two.

Nintendo has the highest selling gaming device in the world right now (3DS) and the Wii U is the number one selling home console in Japan, and has been ever since the launch of the PS4. It is also the 3rd best selling gaming device in the US. And Nintendo has what, like 16 billion in cash and assets? So no, it's not "make it or break it" time for Nintendo. Logical fallacy number three.

Lastly, the audience Nintendo is targeting is not gung-ho about having the most powerful console. Nintendo targets gamers that just want fun games. Of course they want the games to look good, but Wii U games DO look good. REAL good. No gamer is going to be playing Mario Kart 8 and say "ya know, I WOULD be enjoying this game if only I could see the poors on Mario's face". Nintendo targets gamers who just want fun games that look good enough to not detract from the experience, all at a solid price point (beside the fact Yoshi's Wooly World looks just as good, IF NOT BETTER than Little Big Planet 3). The difference in power is negligible for the types of games on Nintendo's hardware. Logical fallacy number four.

And in response to InTheLab:

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
ZombiU
Pikmin 3
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Sonic Lost World
Wonderful 101
Zelda Windwaker HD
Lego City Undercover
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Wii Sports Club
Sonic Boom
Hyrule Warriors
Bayonetta 2
Pushmo World
Smash Bros
Captain Toad
Splatoon
Yoshi's Wooly World
Kirby Rainbow Curse
Star Fox
Devil's Third
Zelda U
SMT x Fire Emblem

All exclusive games. Not one of them has "Mario" in the title, and this is what we know about at 18 months in. Imagine the span of non-Mario exclusives after the full 6 years has passed. If it truly were JUST Mario games on Wii U, then no, it wouldn't be enough to sustain me. But when you couple the huge Mario universe of games like NSMB series, 3D Mario series, Mario Kart, Mario Party, and the Mario Sports games (which are all top-shelf btw) with all the games mentioned above (and we're only 25% through the Wii U's lifespan), AND the occasional multiplat like Sonic Racing, Rayman Legends and Watch Dogs, you get a pretty hefty span of games, most of which are exclusive. Which is MORE than enough to sustain me.

Granted, I own all 5 consoles and handhelds just because I like cherry picking the best of each, but if I wanted to I could very much game on Nintendo alone. Don't be ignorant. And who gives a flute if they're profitable? Seriously, that's fanboy fodder right there. Shut up and play games.

[Geekman]

They're yelling to their old fans who grew out of Mario.

"YO! GET YO STUPID 'I'M TOO MATURE FOR E RATED GAMES' BUTT BACK HERE!"

[thehobbyist]

I wonder if those "Mature" adults realize the E rating means E for EVERYONE(Key word here, it's pretty important).

[Spotie]

Except those E games don't typically cover the same sorts of themes that M games do.

Can you think of a way to make an E rated Persona that still has the same depth? I can't.

Nintendo would, traditionally, pass up on such a title. If they're changing that, I can only see it as a good thing.

[deafdani]

I hope ypu realize that your assumption against people that prefer "mature" games is just as bad as the assumption that only kids play Nintendo games. You criticize them for supposedly being on one extreme, but then you fall on the other extreme.

-.-

[gamerfan0909]

They should've been making mature games for the last 10 years now. I told a buddy of mine this the other day. Nintendo was really moving towards being a different company with the gamecube. That was a hard core gamers box with Nintendos charm and had mature new and old IP that pushed that system. Once that thing bombed and the Wii did 100 million units sold, that's when Nintendo became the company they are now in terms of their console business.

Their third party aspirations are dead. They need to either build new studios or have great studios like retro to make legit AAA blockbuster new IP that appeals to not only the core gamer of today but also to the Nintendo crowd. There has to be a 50/50 split with the console.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

To be fair, the Gamecube tried to sell itself as a core gaming console, and it sold very poorly.

It's no surprise that they turned away from the mature crowd when the mature crowd abandoned them for no understandable reason.

Also, @ your comment below regarding not paying top dollar for it.....
It's $199 on their main site.
If that's not low enough for you, you're being cheap.

[Emanno]

Nintendo should have a variety of different kind of games.

[DivineAssault]

I think theyre doing a good job of appealing to ALL gamers... Nintendo did amazing @ E3 & im glad i own wii u... PS4 is my primary console & gets way more 3rd party support but wii u does have plenty on gems & more incoming just like PS4 does

[infinitewords]

I bought a Wii U a few days ago because of how good the showing was at E3. And I must say ,I'm really enjoying it. My PS4 is still going to get most of my attention, but I think Nintendo is doing a really good job with the Wii U so far.

[DivineAssault]

good to hear.. I think if more ppl were open minded & actually tried the console, theyd realize how awesome it is... Its not just some gimmicy childs toy.. Its a really great home console! I dont like using the gamepad for the more "core" titles so i use the pro... The gamepad can sit as a secondary window to the title for maps & inventory management

[fattyuk]

nope and how can they without any third party support!

[CloudRap]

and competent hardware, controller, online infrastructure

[gamerfan0909]

It's an extremely flawed console. The Wiiu doesn't have features that my 360 had 5 years ago. Navigating the UI is painful on my gf's wiiu and the online is dreadful. I actually like the gamepad functionality and the hardware is moot to me because Nintendo doesn't build games that challenge the hardware too much. Overall I can never pay top dollar for a Wiiu. I'm not that huge of a fan to justify it.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

The hardware is more than competent[Xenoblade X, Zelda U, Devil's Third, Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, etc etc etc], and the controller is literally one of the best ones on the market.[All the buttons a normal controller has on top of a large touch screen for lots of additional gameplay options and the ability to play off-screen without having to squint at a small screen]

Their online infrastructure does need some strengthening, but that will happen.

[thehobbyist]

LOL you're all spouting uninformed crap.
It's online infrastructure? It's great. Just look at how MK8 plays online. Flawlessly even in races with a guy from GERMANY and two from JAPAN with the rest of the racers being different corners of America.
"Nintendo doesn't build games that challenge the hardware"
Better they do that than have a game that runs at 30fps and has a letterbox resolution "Because it's cinematic" Sure guy. Reduced resolution and not having the ideal framerate is SOOOOO cinematic.
"It's an extremely flawed console"
Runs pretty flawlessly. Never froze or did something I didn't want it to.
"Navigating the UI is painful on my gf's WiiU"
Now I know you're lying. Because the WiiU has the easiest UI to navigate ever. It literally has everything you would want to access on one screen. Look for yourselves
http://www.gamnesia.com/ima...
If that's hard to navigate. You must be three years old.
"Overall I can never pay top dollar for WiiU"
Good. Because you can get one for half the price of a PS4. That doesn't sound like top dollar to me.

[Dubaman]

@KrimzonSnow
I had the same thoughts about the PS2 when comparing it to NGC and Xbox.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

By offering good exclusives like Bayonetta 2 and Devil's Third.
Third party support doesn't mean jack for Nintendo anyways; most of the AAA multiplats from third parties on the wii u are SHOVELWARE quality! The devs couldn't design their way out of a paper bag on the Wii U, even when compared to some INDIES.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the Wii U version of Sniper Elite V2, and compare it to its cousins on other consoles.

That's not support; that's half-assed crap.
And if that's all that third parties would do on the Wii U, then the Wii U has a better chance of gaining ground WITHOUT those bad examples ruining its reputation further.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

It's just their way of broadening the appeal of their system, and I think it's a great move.

[brettnll]

I agree! I hope Nintendo continues to publish exclusive mature games! :)

[sk8ofmnd]

I was a nintendo fan thru and thru from the nes and snes days. Seemed they just cranked out the games that turned me into a gamer. They will realize we no longer live in an era where gimmicks and 1st parties are enough to whet our appetite. Dont get me wrong im hoping they can turn this thing around but most games they come out with sadly as of late are either for kids or not for me. I also wanna state I still believe you dont need 1080p 60 fps. Heres hoping zeldau is amazing. Skyward sword... not so much.

[jholden3249]

Never played a Nintendo game I felt was "for kids". Pokemon is the closest thing and even THAT game is enjoyed by millions of adults.

But even if a game WAS "for kids"- if it's fun, who cares? Are we playing games to satiate teenage egos or are we playing for entertainment value? Cause if we're playing for entertainment, "who it's for" shouldn't be relevant.

As for "1st party games and gimmicks" not being enough. Never played a console I felt was a gimmick. A gimmick is "pre order now and spin the wheel for a chance to win in-game DLC!" That's a gimmick. The gamepad? That's called a CONTROLLER, a very awesome one with a screen on it that allows for all kinds of things you couldn't do on a limited screen-less controller. As for the 1st party games, shoot... that's the whole point of buying the console! You don't buy a Wii U for multiplats, you buy it for the exclusives! It's offering something different, not an alternative means to play the same games as PS4/X1. Nintendo is huge- gargantuan. They're an industry in and of themselves. Anyone who says Nintendo exclusives aren't enough isn't being honest with themselves. Because it's not how many games are on the system, it's how many games WORTH BUYING are on the system. And I swear I buy as many Wii U games every year as PS4, as Xbox One, as Vita, and as 3DS.

[sk8ofmnd]

Another side note. I hope they get with the program with their next system. And who wants to bet they are the first out the gate once again. This ship isnt sinking but the next few years will paint a better picture if its flight or fight.

[Chrono]

No, they didn't even have the guts to show the trailer of Devil's Third during their E3 digital show.

[brettnll]

The gameplay that was shown afterwords did look a little rough. I still have faith it will turn out okay though.

[KonsoruMasuta]

They didn't show most of their games during the digital event. In case you didn't notice, they told you to tune in to the treehouse stream where they would showcase everything they didn't show during the direct.

Devil's Third got a good 30 minutes in the treehouse stream.

[Moonman]

It's going to help for sure!

[BoneBone]

They're making a console to appeal to real gamers with real skills. They're filling that gap where people are sick to death of all these cinematic 'press ▲ to view yet another cut-scene' type of games - and a fun livingroom friends & family party local multiplayer experience.

Sony and MS continue to fight over fake low skill gamers who squabble over graphics and think CoD and Assassin's Creed are hardcore and really top quality games and 90% of their games collections are made up of FPS.

[HeavenlySnipes]

If we're being honest I'd rather play The Witcher 3, Arkham Knight, Destiny and MGSV than any game Nintendo had shown as of now

Sorry

[tortri]

A little late Nintendo? (Mortal Kombat 1 comes to mind...)

[paulcek]

Nintendo hasn't censored a game like that since the SNES days....but their image already changed to the "kiddy" one the have today. I think it's good that they are trying to change their image again to appeal to a bigger audience.

[Metallox]

The next Mortal Kombat on SNES had blood.

[cee773]

Censored finishing moves, no decapitations etc.

[sk8ofmnd]

Lol bone bone please remind me what console didnt have demons souls dark souls dark souls 2 and now project beast. Those are most hardest games ive ever played on a console. Dark souls being my fav game of last generation. These games are not noob friendly or for the casual crowd.

[BoneBone]

What a deep and varied selection of games you listed there.

[Ol_G]

It's the only thing he can think of the funny thing is those games are just as easy with a checkpoint every 100 meter or so

[alphaomega88]

I am guessing you never played Megaman(nes), Ninja Gaiden(nes), Battletoads(nes), or dozens of other intimately difficult 8-bit games...which only allows me to insinuate that gaming for you started on PS1 or PS2, and that you have never seen a truly hard or demanding game in your life, because quite frankly games keep getting easier each generation...even the rarities like Viewtiful Joe or Dark Souls are just that, rare. I am of the opinion that if you can beat most of those blindingly difficult games from era's past, you can beat pretty much anything today.

[il-JumperMT]

Bayonetta is for immature audience...

[jcnba28]

Them tears...

[McScroggz]

I don't think it can be seen as anything other than positive. It may not make a big difference with the Wii U, but if Nintendo is able to create some more diverse, mature franchises like Xenoblade Chronicles then their next console has a chance to offer games for every demographic.

Also, I feel the need to point out that "mature" doesn't even have to be a violent, M rated game. Journey is a very mature game, and based of aesthetics alone it would look like something Nintendo themselves made. So while I think Nintendo does need to create a diverse ecosystem, that doesn't mean all of their mature games need to be violent shooters - despite what some cynics would say.

[HacSawJimThugin]

During the PS2 days I owed a GameCube and loved it. Had no regrets. The Wiiu is starting to catch my eye and I would love to get one just as long as they get more original IP from some studios that I like. Bayonetta 2 is a start, let's see what else they can get and I'm on board.

[NintendoSonyfan]

As a 33 year old gamer it is good to see Nintendo trying to get back into the M rated arena by bringing in third parties to do those games, but I hope Nintendo remains Nintendo and keeps making their games for everyone. I have grown up with them and the Mario's and Donkey Kongs are still more interesting than most of the other games out there. And people think that those games are for kids but most kids struggle with those games because they require real skill to beat. Kids these days unfortunately have been bred with games like CoD, Uncharted and Halo that don't require much thinking or skill.

[desy64]

32 yo myself and I agree.
Anyway, kids nowadays go for the hip sh*t so they won't try Nintendo stuff unless it becomes popular. As for now it's ok to mock it.

Nintendo games are pure gold, hear that dumb kids?

[DoggyBiscuit]

Bayo 2 and Devil Third are 2 games that core gamers will most definitely enjoy but the truth is Nintendo need more games like this if they want the core gamers back

[Sincere0121]

Nintendo has always had a "mature" audience. Dumb article. Nintendo is always the place to be for the real gamers who actually like to play challenging and fun games instead of constantly watching cinimatics with no real gameplay.

Immature/fake Gamer = someone obsessed with the sales of console. Someone who judges how good a console purely on spec/power.

[renerak]

A person who can play games without looking down on its style is the most mature. Nintendo makes brilliant games, and where there are brilliant games, there will be a dedicated audience. And i am 100 percent certain nintendo has the most mature audience after pc(don't judge pc gamers by the pathetic idiots you see at n4g, go to master race subreddit, while we poke at consoles and make fun, we are all nice guys who help each other and knows what defines a console more than most console owners, warning: the only consoles we respect are nintendo and ps2 and back). And i 100 percent certain sony has the most immature audience with very low iq's. I know i said not to judge by what u see at n4g but sony fan boys seem to be the same everywhere. Now disagree and troll u sony idiots.

[stragomccloud]

I agree. I too am a PC gamer, and I think that being a PC gamer is the only way to have a clear perspective on consoles and console gamers. I believe that part of the reason why that is, is because we don't really have brand loyalty. Except in the case of the whole Intel,AMD, Nvidia thing, and even then it's not so bad, as a lot of people go different ways.

That said, I'd have to agree with the statement about Nintendo gamers. After all, it's only those who are immature that can't handle playing games that aren't "dark and gritty." A mature gamer plays good games, and isn't embarrassed by admitting to enjoying things that are "cute." Why does that even matter, anyway? Too much of one style is boring. I like diversity!