nintendo's last console?

[Infernal Mass]

NINTENDO'S LAST CONSOLE? (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/front_index.php)





Yamauchi's out and Iwata isn't beating about the bush. Head in for the shock of the year.


NINTENDO IN HARDWARE FREE FUTURE SHOCK

Nintendo chief shows new direction for Mario giant as console war starts to bite. Full story inside

15:35 With aging legend Hiroshi Yamauchi finally out of the frame, Nintendo appeared to make a drastic change of tack yesterday, hinting that, like Sega, the future for the company was in games, as opposed to hardware.
Satoru Iwata, the newly instated president of indisputably the most successful company in games, made a not wholly unexpected move last night from a Tokyo meeting by saying that Nintendo "can't be optimistic about the game market," referring to hardware. "No matter what great product you come up with, people get bored. I feel like a chef cooking for a king who's full," he said.

Many senior sources from all territories have been predicting such a move for months. "The way things are shaping up, this is Nintendo's last hardware," said one, referring to GameCube. "Nintendo's all about the games. You have to ask whether or not they actually need an under-the-TV console for the next hardware generation."

While Nintendo's money continues to roll in – the corporation currently has £4.96 billion ($7.25 billion) in the bank – Iwata made the first indication that the world of the games-only console is finally over, pointing towards entertainment systems for the future in the line of Xbox and PlayStation 2. "We're reaching the limits of how far we can appeal to consumers by boosting the machine's performance or providing more compelling graphics and sound," he said.

The new Nintendo stance will send shockwaves through the company's faithful fans. Mario on Xbox? Zelda on PS2? Or possibly a new Nintendo hardware with multimedia capabilities? You already know the answer...

Patrick Garratt






thoughts?
Here's what i think..Patrick Garret, completely blew the whole thing out of proportion and took it out of context. Nintendo isn't abandoning the hardware business. There's no chance of Nintendo becoming another Sega.

[happy_doughnut]

Ah... noo! That can't be right! Nintendo can't just pull out of the race like Sega did. Just think about it, the Nes and SNes were the ones who practically started it all. I think that if it hadn't been for Nintendo there wouldn't have even of been a "console" war in the first place. But wasn't Iwata the one who wanted to move to a more "multimedia" type of console?
Hmm... maybe all Nintendo is trying to say is that they will be focusing more on making more games rather than jumping into the manufacturing of another console. I don't know...
I just hope Nintendo doesn't stop. To me, Nintendo was the one who started it all. Just imagine... Zelda or Mario on X-box! Ugh! Even if they hopped over to the ps2 it still wound't be the same.

[Mercury Shadow]

I agree that the author blew this out of proportion and that there's no way Nintendo would ditch the hardware. It's like.... sneezing and your mom saying you're staying home from school. Sure, some companies have some rough times, but when we're down, do we give up? No. Well, maybe that sneezing analogy was stupid, but the fact is, people will keep on buying Nintendo's games and hardware (of course) so they will keep on making money. And anyways... how would they split their games up :shock: I can't see Zelda being on PS2 or Mario on Xbox :sarcasm:

[Esjay]

actually, this may not be such a bad thing ya know. I mean sure, Nintendo might still keep on making new hardware, but if they don't and become full software producers instead of hardware+software, not only will they be able to focus their attention more on the software, but all of this 'great' software will be on multiple systems. Nintendo has always been good in the software department, and I have to admit that SSB M and Zelda are two tiltes that would ALMOST make me buy a GC. But it would be awesome if games like these were on the PS2 and Xbox in the near future. Nintendo would also make more money, since they wouldn't be limited to one console. It's similar to MGS2 Substance being on multiple consoles (PC too). Not only do more than just PS2 gamers get to enjoy this excellent game, but the company that makes the game (konami in this case) makes more money. If the big N does something like this, then everyone will be happy....or, they could continue making hardware, and everyone will still be happy....so everyone wins in this case....

[Mercury Shadow]

That's true, Esjay. Nintendo could focus more on software instead of hardware. Also, it'd be easier on consumers' pockets because it's one less $150 they have to spend... and acessories they have to worry about. Nintendo would be one of the biggest developers around for the consoles if they were to drop the hardware game.

[Macceh^]

hmm was expected really since sony brought out the playstation the nintendo hardware ahs always been second best.

[Beretta55]

sound's allright to me that means they can put more work into their game's.

[GaseousSnake]

Nintendo here was referring to both M$ and Sony.Instead of sitting and making the best hardware,they should both sit and think about ways of producing better software.Nintendo wants the GC to live up to 8yrs b4 even thinking about any other console.

[GaseousSnake]

Originally posted by Macceh^
hmm was expected really since sony brought out the playstation the nintendo hardware ahs always been second best.

WHAT.the N64 was better than the PSX.The GC is better than the PS2.

Nintendos hardware has always been better than Sonys

[KraftSLU]

Originally posted by GaseousSnake


WHAT.the N64 was better than the PSX.The GC is better than the PS2.

Nintendos hardware has always been better than Sonys

if you base 'being better' on possible hardware specs. Personally I think the PSX was waaaay better than the n64 as the n64 didn't have a quarter of the games and nintendo was really stupid for limiting themselves with ram-based games instead of cd media. As for the GC, that is a tighter debate...

[Mercury Shadow]

Krafts, he was talking about hardware.

[KraftSLU]

yeah, I know he was. Point is that power does not always make the console. There have been a lot of 'powerhouse' consoles that divebombed due to bad architecture and no support. Turbografx 16, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar... And if you want to talk about raw raw power, then 3do and Neogeo should have been owned by everyone. But its not, and I don't consider either of them a 'better system' than any of their counterparts at the time (snes, genesis).

I guess I am just contesting his use of the word 'better' in his post. 'Faster' would be much more appropriate.

[GaseousSnake]

Dont you think i know that.
I was pointing out that Nintendos Hardware has always been better than that of Sonys.I never said Software.

[KraftSLU]

Originally posted by GaseousSnake

WHAT.the N64 was better than the PSX.The GC is better than the PS2.


You first started out by saying that the N64 was better then the GC is better. Nowhere did you mention hardware until after the original comment. I read it as 'this is better and that is better, because they've had better hardware'. Just FYI. I totally agree that N64 and GC look better on paper, though they both have some big flaws with them.

[Spank-A-Thon]

Both Nintendo and SONY (and I guess to a certain degree now, Microsoft too) make more money from the games. Each company pays a licensing fee to the respective console manufacturer, plus a cut of each game sold goes to the console manufacturer.

That's why consoles are usually sold as loss-leaders to begin with because it is anticpated that the hardware manufacturer will make the money back from game sales.

I think SEGA did the right thing by ditching console manufacturing - now they can do what the do best, and that's making games.

It's not the consoles that make Nintendo so famous or successful, it's the games - it just so happened that their games only ever got released on Nintendo hardware (well, expect for some really sucky Mario game on the Phillips CD-I).

Rather than being bothered if Ninty stopped making consoles - I'd be obscenely bothered if they stopped making games instead!

- S

[BlackThornn]

Hmm... where do you think the franchises will go to? The PS2? Xbox? PC?

Personally, I'm hoping at least now that Nintendo is backing off the Console Wars that Sonic goes to the PS2, or at least to the PS2 as well. Tell the truth I could care less about Mario or Zelda.. maybe it's just residual dislike from when I was a kid and smacked about anything that wasn't Sega with a bat (Gee.. couldn't tell I would end up to be a hot-head, overpassionate twit, eh?), but I have just never really liked either of those franchieses. Ocarina of Time was okay... but (apparently just) I got bored with it after a relatively short while.


Aaaaaaaaaanyway. Origional question. Where do you think Nintendo franchises will go primarily?

[KraftSLU]

Originally posted by BlackThornn
Hmm... where do you think the franchises will go to? The PS2? Xbox? PC? Aaaaaaaaaanyway. Origional question. Where do you think Nintendo franchises will go primarily?

Im sure Nintendo will do the same thing sega did. Sega gave Nintendo Sonic and Monkey ball, XBox got Shenume, wsb, jsrf, gunvalk, and PS2 got Shinobi and Space Channel. They'll prolly divvy up the titles between systems depending on who pays them what money... that is assuming that they give up on consoles.