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170°

This is why you should never count Nintendo out

Fortune: "Former Microsoft chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach explains why Nintendo isn’t going away despite lackluster Wii U sales."

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marloc_x3142d ago

"Bach knows first-hand how formidable Nintendo can be in the video game industry, especially when the market is all but counting the Japanese game maker out for the count."

Godmars2903141d ago

Um, what?

Who listens to this guy?

Concertoine3141d ago

"...including a decade leading the video game division as chief Xbox officer (and has also recently written a book about the strategy Microsoft employed to successfully enter the video game market dominated by Nintendo and Sony)."

He saw them go from selling 3 million less than the newcomer Xbox to winning the 7th gen with the Wii.

Godmars2903141d ago

So, the guy responsible for the mistakes in the first Xbox's production so it couldn't be changed, sold at a loss and needed a kit to play movie DVDs, and maybe had a hand in passing the design errors on the 360 that caused RROD? Nevermind selling 23 million vs Nintendo's 20, or Sony's 100 million plus.

If the Wii, by console sales alone, can be considered a hands down success of its gen when its appeal to Soccer moms made that success contested, invalidated Nintendo's position among consoles especially after the WiiU, then what this guy did for the Xbox was positive when only looked as positively.

Otherwise, when examined critically, it was a mess and the man was bad at his job.

Concertoine3141d ago (Edited 3141d ago )

LOL dude, do you think consoles are made by like one guy sitting in a room throwing parts together? The xbox consoles are a product of an entire team working for multiple years to build a design, not one guy. Also this guy was president of the whole E&D division, not just Xbox.

Wow, big talk from a guy on the internet talking about a dead man. Iwata may not have future proofed the company but let's stop and look at the picture here.

-He headed the third best selling console of all time and the best selling handheld of all time.

-Nintendo made more money in ONE YEAR than Sony and MS made in the entire generation.

-Touch screens, dual screens, and motion controls have all become increasingly important aspects of gaming which Nintendo brought into the industry under Iwata's lead.

-And even when he did mess up with the Wii U, he still found a way to turn a profit.

Iwata made more money than ANY other CEO in gaming history, and you call him a failure. Think about that. I've said before that he had issues with fans, but OBJECTIVELY, he was a great CEO.

Godmars2903141d ago (Edited 3141d ago )

I hardly called Iwata a failure. I said that the Wii appealed to what at the time were non-gamers. That at the same time it failed to draw 3rd party support, its sales flatlined, makes *it* a failure.

Just like this Bech guy failing to catch fundamental mistakes in regards to hardware, that such seems to be a thing with MS in general, does not make him a valid authority on the console industry. That he says what he does about Japan's gaming market given the Xbox's history there, the known early reaction to this year's TGS, exemplifies it.

gamingpro3141d ago

Who listens to you? Nobody with a brain

Concertoine3141d ago

My bad, i thought the "bad at his job" comment referred to Iwata.

We don't even know what Bach's role is in hardware, or if he had anything to do with the 360. But regardless of any of that, his opinion is still worthwhile, and his assessment of Nintendo as being unpredictable is correct. Presidents like Carter or Bush 43 are still sought for their opinions on political matters despite being almost unanimously considered poor presidents.

Imagine how difficult it was to enter an industry next to Nintendo and Sony? That's no easy task.

freshslicepizza3140d ago (Edited 3140d ago )

@Godmars290,
"So, the guy responsible for the mistakes in the first Xbox's production so it couldn't be changed, sold at a loss and needed a kit to play movie DVDs, and maybe had a hand in passing the design errors on the 360 that caused RROD? Nevermind selling 23 million vs Nintendo's 20, or Sony's 100 million plus."

feel better getting all of that off your chest? that has nothing to do with his views on not counting nintendo out despite the wii u failing to gain traction.

"If the Wii, by console sales alone, can be considered a hands down success of its gen when its appeal to Soccer moms made that success contested, invalidated Nintendo's position among consoles especially after the WiiU, then what this guy did for the Xbox was positive when only looked as positively."

oh, so now we should ask you what is and what isn't regarded as as success? nintendo made a lot of money on the wii and just because you want to label certain consoles to suit your own argument doesn't make what bach says any less viable. nintendo started long before sony and microsoft and just because you somehow think sony is king of the hill because it caters more to your needs does not mean the ps3 somehow trumped the wii last generation.

"Otherwise, when examined critically, it was a mess and the man was bad at his job."

yet you think your worth is somehow more valuable to all of us.

"I hardly called Iwata a failure. I said that the Wii appealed to what at the time were non-gamers. That at the same time it failed to draw 3rd party support, its sales flatlined, makes *it* a failure."

the attach ratio of software to hardware on the wii was actually quite good.

"Just like this Bech guy failing to catch fundamental mistakes in regards to hardware, that such seems to be a thing with MS in general, does not make him a valid authority on the console industry. That he says what he does about Japan's gaming market given the Xbox's history there, the known early reaction to this year's TGS, exemplifies it."

more off-topic baggage you seem to want to carry around waiting anxiously to plug whenever you see fit.

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BenRage33141d ago

People do count Nintendo out when history is on Nintendo's side. Many gamers talk about the Wii being a fluke, but what about the DS? 154 million units sold, is that a fluke? Their handheld division has always been successful, and that's half the equation when it comes to Nintendo.

Nintendo is in a precarious situation, but if they can introduce a platform that can spark the interest of gamers who spend a lot of their time on their phones an tablets, Nintendo could easily return to prominence. Their next handheld better be in HD, preferably 720p, so they can perhaps (maybe I'm dreaming) get some of the 3rd party titles being played on the current consoles. A man can dream.

OhMyGandhi3141d ago

let's just be honest, if Nintendo doesn't plan on making any "big boy" experiences that a more powerful hardware iteration can provide, then they should just stick to mobile gaming. And that should not be perceived as a bad thing.

Coming from someone who now owns a PS4, There is an undeniable charm to Nintendo being in your pocket.
I still have a craving for an old gameboy every now and then.

The n64 and gamecube were the more powerful platforms, and with the gamecube in particular, it saw games like Metroid Prime, which to this day, holds up surprisingly well.

Now, it's time for Nintendo to choose a side.

plmkoh3141d ago

"Now, it's time for Nintendo to choose a side."

They already have: Amiibo. Merely going back to it's roots as a toy company first.

Bigpappy3141d ago

Because you out grew Nintendo, doesn't mean there are NO MORE children in the world.

N4g_null3141d ago

The nintendo needs to choose a side thing is interesting. The craving for gameboy games wow? Then you ask for a big boy experience. I'm not trying to be mean but your realize those are opposing ideas? Right?

Also I would love more power my self. Simply because nintendo art in most of their games would shine better.

Yet are people willing to pay for the tech?

How would you feel if the rumors where true about nx being a platform of varying degrees of power and or portability where one game scales across multiple consoles?

OtakuDJK1NG-Rory3141d ago

yet when they did they were ignored.

N64 and espicially GC.

People avoided to GC for idiotic reason instead of looking at one of the best library of games.

OhMyGandhi3141d ago (Edited 3141d ago )

What I find so interesting is just how much opposition there was to my original post. Did you guys actually read it? was it all strawberries and sunshine? or was it a validation of every major publication that has the same exact questions that I do.

With the recent passing of Iwata, the new CEO can take Nintendo in a multitude of directions. I suppose I meant to say "direction" and not "side".

With companies like Konami and Capcom focusing on bringing their games to mobile, with smaller budgets and larger profits, Nintendo has to make a huge decision. The NX may very well be, as scissor_runner mentioned,a scaleable console optimized for the best screen...But to me, that sounds way too much like the Wii U.

Bigpappy mentioned that I am not the last child on earth, which I understand and appreciate (way too much responsibility on my end) and yes, turning 25 does make you look differently at games, as compared to a what and child sees and enjoys.

But technology has changed, and rapidly. The original Wii came out in 2006. It's major distinction being it's choice of motion-controlled input, which could draw interest from customers young and old. Accessibility was a huge selling point.

The arrival of tablets like the iPad in 2010 has satiated a demand from customers that wanted an all-in-one device with a big screen and good battery life. Major companies, whether we like it or not, are going to mobile.

The 3DS success speaks volumes about Nintendo. They continue to thrive against the modern smartphone and tablet manufactures because of core franchises like Mario and Zelda...But my question is, for how long?

How will they respond to the increase in market demand for broader experiences, and the consumer's expectations of a more powerful device, and an absolutely massive install base on ios and android?

Bigpappy, understand that I mean no illwill to Nintendo. I love the company. I grew up with the company. But you have to be entirely ignorant to not see a huge rift in the mobile world. The masses aren't walking around with 3DS's, at least not in America, or more specifically, the Detroit area I live in. They have only enough room in their pocket for a smartphone, and room in their briefcase for a laptop and one other tablet for other purposes. Now, even the Surface line of tablets is vying for that extra room in the bag.

I am not the last person in the world, or that when I grew up, that younger ones cannot seek enjoyment from a company like Nintendo, but you must admit that the marketplace has changed dramatically since the launch of the original Wii.

Also, scissor_runner, You've made my point exactly. My love for gameboy and the acknowledgement of a potential bump in specs for a new console are completely at odds with each other. And that's exactly my point.

thelwebb1003141d ago

I don't why you got so many disagrees but that's typical trolling on this site. I agree, I do still get cravings to go back and play classics Earthbound, Donkey Kong, Metroid Prime, Twin Snakes etc. But Nintendo really needs to bring it instead of playing it safe with weak hardware and gimmicks. Go hard or go home Nintendo!!

user89668283140d ago

Wow so now if a console is underpowered then it and it's games can't be adult or geared towards adults spoken like a true child who only cares about graphics

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Shnazzyone3141d ago

Wii U is currently HD dude. Mario Kart 8 runs at 60fps in 1080p, bayonetta 2 runs 60fps at 1080p too.

BenRage33141d ago

Hey, I was referring to their new handheld. Not their new home platform. I want their new "handheld" an HD system in 720p. OK? Wii U is not a handheld.

Sonyslave33141d ago ShowReplies(1)
PhoenixUp3141d ago

Nintendo will always have a spot in gamer's hearts for their hardware

TheOneWhoIsTornApart3141d ago

I would say they have a spot in gamers hearts for their games and not their hardware.

Picnic3140d ago (Edited 3140d ago )

I admired them for the Gamecube hardware. I liked the cute discs, the controller was nicer to hold than N64's and, apart from not having the disc memory to do much FMV, the graphics capability was better than PS2. Lovely 'elemental' effects - water, lighting, fire. And snow. I loved Wave Race Blue Storm and 1080 Avalanche.

gamerlive3141d ago

Nintendo NX needs to really kick ass as a console next year.

wonderfulmonkeyman3141d ago

You mean the year after next.
New Nintendo home consoles come out every 5 years, and always the year following their official announcement.
Wii U released in 2012, and the NX is getting announced in 2016, not 2015.
Do the math.

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80°

Nintendo's Massacre Of The 3DS And Wii U Is Finally Complete, Regrettably

Hanzala from eXputer: "The cruel hammer of Nintendo has fallen. Farewell, 3DS and Wii U, you surely brightened my life and many others; you won't be forgotten."

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280°

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

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

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purple10112d ago

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

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

Nice one ☝️

Zeref12d ago

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

DarXyde12d ago

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

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

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

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

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

PhillyDonJawn12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

Einhander197212d ago

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

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

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

MrBaskerville12d ago

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

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

shinoff218311d ago

Zeref

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

Profchaos11d ago

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

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isarai12d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref12d ago

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

MrNinosan12d ago

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

mkis00711d ago (Edited 11d ago )

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

Einhander197212d ago

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

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

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

12d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197212d ago

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

12d ago
12d ago
Zeref12d ago

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

DarXyde12d ago

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

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

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

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

Einhander197212d ago

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

Einhander197212d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

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

BehindTheRows12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

Zeref12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

Chevalier12d ago

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

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

Tacoboto12d ago

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

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

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

shinoff218311d ago

Yay steam

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

Tacoboto11d ago

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

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

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Hofstaderman12d ago

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

crazyCoconuts12d ago

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

Xeofate12d ago (Edited 12d ago )

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

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

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

crazyCoconuts11d ago

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

FinalFantasyFanatic11d ago

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

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90°

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

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

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XiNatsuDragnel19d ago

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

banger8818d ago

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

Jingsing18d ago

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

PRIMORDUS17d ago

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

mastershredder17d ago

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

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

shinoff218317d ago

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