Why Nintendo SHOULD have the edge in the console wars

This generation of console sales was pretty one sided with Nintendo dominating in the sales charts. They successfully pulled in the casual consumer with their motion controller, despite weak software sales due to lack of third party support. With Project Cafe on the horizon, that should all change. And if it does, Nintendo is truly a force to be reckoned with...IF...they learn from their mistakes and take advantage of everything they have.

1. Strong Back Catalogue:

Between the three companies, only Nintendo and Sony have the right to say they can pull out games from a vault and sell it to users. Sony is somewhat doing this well with their PS1 classics on the PSN store, the problem being that most of the games people want are being released in Japan, but not so much everywhere else. That seems to changing a bit with recent releases of Parasite Eve, Suikoden, and Chrono Trigger being an upcoming release.

Nintendo on the other hand have the Virtual Console. With almost 30 years of games under their belt, the VC should be packed full of games that nostalgia has us banging on the door for. The problem Nintendo faces is basically ignoring any and all online support they could have had for the Wii and forgetting to market these games that people could want. Nostalgia is a great way to bring in sales, especially if that nostalgia is relatively cheap to put on the system, easy to get to and a cheap enough price that gamers can't shrug off. Nintendo will need to use their back catalogue to the best of their ability to bring in side sales but they need to also market the products as well as Xbox Live instead of what they did with the Wii.


2. The Best First Party and Exclusive Support

Remember that nostalgia thing I just talked about? It's an even bigger component here. Because on no other console will you see Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Kirby, or Pokemon. People grew up with these games. And whether Nintendo decides to do another successful game to capitalize on that nostalgia in the same vein that Super Mario Brothers Wii did or do a fresh new game like Donkey Kong Country Returns; it's these games and characters that intrigue players. If Project Cafe does indeed bring back the hardcore gamer, these will be one reason why. None of these games require a deep knowledge of each respective world. It's jump in and play. Which is more than most first party/exclusive games can say on the 360 or PS3. And like I said, I don't see any of these franchises jumping ship to another console. But Nintendo has featured Sonic in Super Smash Brothers and the same with Solid Snake. Notice however that some games that were at one time exclusive, such as Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect, are now going multi-console. So again, to reiterate my point, Nintendo has first party exclusive games that will NOT be going to a different console. And if Project Cafe puts up the sales numbers that the Wii did, it will be even more incentive for various developers to jump onto the Nintendo console. Whether it big time companies like Activision or the low-on-the-totem-pole Indie developers, they all want money. And there is more chance for money where there is a bigger install base with people who will buy their product. Which again, Nintendo will have if they bring back the hardcore gamers.


3. Learn from Microsoft and Sony

Virtual Console. DSIware. Wiiware. Friend Code. If anyone knows what these are, they also know these are complete failures on Nintendo's part. Despite the Wii having the most sales, it's not motion controlling that has had the biggest impact on gaming this generation, it's the online component. Nintendo can not flounder in this department again with the upcoming console. They don't even need to do anything revolutionary, just get an online system going that WORKS. They need to know how to market games correctly that they are trying to sell online, they need to find an easier way to get some sort of online gaming network going, and they definitely need to keep the music they have for their various shops. Say what you want about their virtual stores, but their music beats out Sony and Microsoft's hands down.


4. Do not worry about the console specs

So rumor is that Project Cafe has more power than the Xbox and PS3. Fine. But as the 360 and PS3 have shown, specs aren't everything. Although the PS3 should be producing better looking games...it really doesn't. There is only a handful of games that I could use as examples for the PS3 being above the 360 in terms of power. So if Nintendo has the "better" console, fantastic. But in the long run it doesn't mean much, especially if you take a look at their track record. Nintendo is not about up-to-date tech. They use older tech for cheaper cost. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. For the good, it makes for cheaper consoles. I'm sure everyone remembers the "new" tech that Sony released that was the PS3. $700 I believe? Too much for an average gamer. It wouldn't be until years later that their price dropped enough for the consumer base to rise to be a contender for the 360. So even if Microsoft and Sony released a console in the next few years, it will probably be more expensive than the Nintendo console's release price, and definitely more expensive than the Nintendo console will be upon the new 360/PS3 console release. The bad would simply be an outdated system the minute the new Xbox or Playstation console is released. So with this almost Dreamcast approach to release a console between generations, Nintendo may actually be making a smart business decision with the release of this console.

5. Backwards Compatibility

More rumors about Project Cafe claims it will also be able to play Wii games and possibly Gamecube games. If this is true, this is something that should also be advertised. Despite the hardcore gamers Snively Whiplash way of thinking (a foolproof plan it is not) that they are the only consumer base Nintendo should worry about, the truth of the matter is that the casual base is quite important still. If they include backwards compatibility, they have a chance of bringing back casual gamers on top of hardcore ones bumping up their sales and keeping the casuals away from Sony and Microsoft. So I would expect the controllers that were purchased for the Wii to still work for some games which would also avoid the alienation of Wii owners.

Remember, Sony and Microsoft both received a bit of backlash when their compatibility was removed from consoles. Microsoft technically did not remove it I believe, but it only allows certain first gen Xbox games to be played. Sony did remove it fully in later PS3 hardware. If Nintendo keeps backwards compatibility, still releases games for the Wii, their Wii software sales will probably increase as well too. Especially if they release older games such as Mario Galaxy or Super Smash Bros Wii that the detracted hardcore gamers never got to play in the first place. So while the Wii may eventually die off, Nintendo could still squeeze out sales from the Wii software and even get more sales for it post-Wii than they did present-Wii.

6. Innovation

Nintendo has done quite a bit for gaming. There has been negative response such as the Virtual Boy and there has been lukewarm response such as motion controls, and there has been positive response like the Game Boy. Say what you will about some Nintendo products, but they can normally put SOMETHING different out there. Some are thinking that the controller may be this type of innovation with it's touch screen and what that could mean for potential games, and some are thinking they could take a step beyond what failed with the Gamecube and find a way to link games between the handheld systems and the console itself. With next to nothing known about the new console, these are the only two real possibilities. Remember, 3D was originally thought of on the Gamecube as well, and the same with motion gaming. Both fell through and showed up in later forms. The link between the GBA (I believe it was) and the Gamecube was also something that never quite worked out. However, with the number of handheld love growing since the release of the DS's all the way to the 3DS, there's a chance that these handhelds may not be required, but can give players more incentive to own both the handheld and console for exclusive gameplay.


7. Third party and indie developers

And the straw that broke the camels back for Nintendo. The only thing that worked for the Wii were first party games or acutal party games. The Wii was not the console for third party developers and very weak for independent devs as well. Any ports from consoles were done poorly and it got to the point where no developers other than first party were worth supporting on the Wii. Project Cafe is already said to be correcting that with Rockstar already being mentioned as a developer for the console. So with Nintendo being the company with the best selling first party games, the third party games now appearing on the new console, and the other consoles finding themselves with fewer and fewer exclusives, Nintendo may be riding high with games upon the release of Project Cafe.


Depending on who you ask, the console wars boil down to two things. The fans will say that the winner of the console wars is the one that gets played the most. The companies themselves would say the sales are what matter the most. If Nintendo takes the proper steps, they can win both sides of the argument and make the next generation of consoles for Sony and Microsoft to be embarrassments. I don't think this will be the case since Nintendo tends to hold back leaving room for the other companies to improve on what Nintendo should do. The possibility is there, however, and if Nintendo wants to put an end to these console wars they need to look past the boardroom and at the fans. We know what we want.

Project Cafe - The Router of the Future

With the recent rumor and announcement of Project Cafe, the upcoming system from Nintendo, "leaks" of pictures have started to hit the web. Although the system is supposed to do everything but butter your toast, the look and design doesn't make the specs seem so plausible.

and a slightly different "SNK Handheld" controller look:

PSN - Awaiting the Next Kevin Butler Commercial

With the recent update from Sony saying that people may have had personal information stolen, I finally feel the need to post my first blog entry.

What the hell, Sony? As one of the biggest electronics companies in the world, how could something like this happen? How could you, a company that has between 50-100 million people using it's PSN service, not have the security to avoid something like this?

Now don't get me wrong, Sony. I am not putting the blame entirely on you. I know the true blame goes to the hacker(s) out there who have possibly stolen this information whether it be for a rush, to purposely hurt others, or even prove a point. However, millions have paid for a product that should be protecting private information for those who purchased it. And if that wasn't bad enough, then the information was held from the public and even worse, the people who it may be effecting. Now, you may not have known exactly how problematic this was going to be. You may not have expected it to take this long. Hell, half the time I'm not sure you know what the hell you're doing at all. But the minute the information from one of your PSN members is possibly at risk, they deserve to know. Instead, you kept everyone in the dark.

I, fortunately, delete all my billing information after I place my order. Now, I don't know if they know a way around this to still find that information, but if not, than I luckily don't have to worry about it. Millions out there, on the other hand, are SOL. It also doesn't help that I tend to use the same username and password most places I go. So now I'm having to take the time to think of any possible site I don't want a hacker to get to and change the password to something I doubt I'll remember within 20 minutes.

So to basically sum this up, Sony...you fucked up. Not a minor scratch, nor a blemish, but you have been left bloody and broken in a dark alleyway left with nothing but some change for a phone call. What you choose to do from here will be a factor to many about whether or not they want to continue with the playstation brand. Stepping up your security is a good move and hopefully that will prevent this from happening again. Hopefully you provide some sort of apology for the inconvenience and something to do to make up for it (and this means something more than the normal PR "oops, we messed up. But dont' worry, we'll still provide the same fantastic experience the PSN offers" garbage). And what I want to see the most is for the ones responsible for this hack attack to be caught. I want to know people like that don't get away with it and put at least a tad bit of fear into others who think they should try something along the same lines. But even with these thoughts, I know many will feel it's not enough and that you have alienated them regardless of what actions you take. What's done is done, and the trust and faith of your PSN service has been broken.

The ball is in your court, Sony.