Yes, You're So Much Better Off When Fewer People Read Your Paper

Nintendo Finds Gaming Success Outside Adolescent Male Market

from the mario-luigi-and-grandma dept

Mon, Jul 24th 2006 1:06pm — Carlo Longino

Nintendo has released its latest quarterly results, showing a huge jump in profits as well as a raised forecast for the rest of the year. The success is being credited to the company's DS portable console, which may not be technically on par with something like the Sony PSP, but has opened up huge new markets of gamers for Nintendo. The company keeps the prices of its hardware relatively low, eschewing some advanced features, while innovating with others, like the DS' touchscreen. The DS and its success also highlight the point that more goes into good games than just realistic graphics, and that innovation isn't solely determined by the computing power of the hardware on which it runs. The emphasis on some other platforms appears to be just on making graphics more detailed, whether it's making a quarterback's uniform look better or blood spatter more realistically. But Nintendo's approach really puts the focus back on the games, and delivering a great game-playing experience that's based around creativity and gameplay, not technical ability. This (as well as their pricing) allows them to cultivate a portfolio of games that are attractive to a wide range of consumers, not the more narrow demographic of other systems.

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29 Comments

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wraaaa, 24 Jul 2006 @ 1:40pm

WHOOT
WHOOOOT FIRST POST
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IntoGamesAgain, 24 Jul 2006 @ 1:45pm

I have to say...
Nintendo is doing a great job getting older people, either previous gamers or those new to games, hooked on their titles. I'm getting a little tired of seeing the big game developing companies more focused a short, boring FPS game with the same story as all the rest (kill, kill, kill) instead of creating a game with a unique style/gameplay and a good story.

Nintendo is doing it right with unique games and gameplay while keeping those old franchise games that give a good taste of nostalgia once in a while.
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Sanguine Dream, 24 Jul 2006 @ 1:46pm

That's right...
Good games at good prices. I'm far from a Nintendo fanboy but I have to say I am very happy with my Gamecube, plan to buy a DS this Christmas (I'm hoping for a black DS model), and the Wii is may be the first system I have every purchased on launch day.

There's nothing wrong with the current gen offerings of Sony and MS (I own a PS2 and intend to buy used Xbox in a few weeks and a 360 sometime next year) but Nintendo does what they say, they may video games. They don't spend a godzillion dollars trying to replace your entire entertainment center.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2006 @ 1:47pm

Re: WHOOT
Wow... inspiring comment. It must have been hard to let go of your mommy's tit long enough to write that.
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wolff000, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:17pm

Re: Re: WHOOT
nice comment, great way to show your opinion and make it count. Now why don't you go back to your bridge and stay off the net, for that matter just leave humans alone in general. Anyways I agree with previous posts nintendo has it right. they have stuck to games instead of focusing on hardware a major flaw in the other consoles. I could care less about great graphics if the game play stinks it stinks fancy blood splatter and good physics engines do not make up for it.
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Twinkie Weiner Sandwich, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:19pm

The Good Ole Days
I used to be a card carrying Nintendo Fan-Boy (10 year Nintendo Power Propaganda Subscription to boot) but lost interest (and funds to keep up) when the xbox-ps2-GC war heated up. But, for reasons as mentioned in Carlos post, i am quite interested to see what the Wii will have to bring to the table by focusing on what all of the fast processors and realistic blood are attempting to be: fun.
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tha cheet, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:34pm

Agreed
The article is fair enough. The DS definetly has a market. I'm the type of hardcore gamer that expects the most from games. Build a platform suitable for nice splatter effects, real time rendering, quality texture mapping etc and the quality games will follow. Probably not on a gaming console of any kind. But not all of us are willing to drop $600 every few months on the latest and greatest video cards. Let alone 2 of them for SLI/Crossfire.
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Justin, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:46pm

Why post if you have nothing to say
Anonymous Coward... If you dont have anything better to do than to start stuff with people who are posting good points to a converstaion then just shutup. Everyone here has been mature and helpful to this converstaion but you. The post before you were mature, thought out, and nothing worng with them... but you just had to show how much of a @$$ you were by posting some off the wall insult... get a life.

I agree with everyone here. I am not a big ps2/xbox/gc type gamer. I focus on computers but I started out with a Super Nintendo and I have to admit the games there were very good. Sure they did not have the best graphics but I played Super Mario for days and days back then. And ever sence then I have always seen how content focused their games are. Xbox 360 is just to dang expensive. Like one person said they try to redo your entire TV system with new AV cables and a HDTV blah blah.
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Mikester, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:55pm

Re: Why post if you have nothing to say
Hey buddy, here's a clue, try viewing these comments in Threaded format before acting high and mighty.
http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20060724/1258207&threaded=false&threaded=true
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Alli, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:57pm

wait
I wanted to know what specific games were attracting other players, not just the DS's touchscreen and lower prices. This "article" was lacking in depth--interesting topic, though. Simply put, I would have liked to have seen a little more.
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Xcetron, 24 Jul 2006 @ 2:57pm

While I rate graphic heavily and play games on the xbox which I think has the best graphic capability out of the PS2 and GC stuff. When I play on my friend's GC machine and all the Mario and Monkeyball games, it was really fun and made me want to get a GC just for those. For a while I forgot that games are for fun and not intense graphic and such.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2006 @ 3:01pm

Re: Why post if you have nothing to say
In addition to what Mikester said, I already did post my comment as IntoGamesAgain - I just chose to post anonymously to jab at the moron who thinks we care what spot he/she posted in.
How was the first post mature and helpful? It's getting ridiculous that the children think we give a sh*t when they posted..... that's one of the reasons I generally don't even bother to read the comments - it's sickening.

Learn what Re: means Justin.
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dorpus, 24 Jul 2006 @ 3:09pm

World Domination Games for Girls
As all girls know, cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The World Health Organization is now recommending that all girls in all nations receive HPV vaccination at age 8, before they can start running around spreading viruses.

So yeah, shouldn't there be a game to fly black WHO helicopters to enforce global vaccination?
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Jrock, 24 Jul 2006 @ 3:31pm

You all
You are all smelly jerks. Anonymous or not.
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Motopsycho, 24 Jul 2006 @ 3:43pm

dorpus
..um....WTF does that have to do with this article?

As for the article: I agree completely, Nintendo has done a good job of drawing me back in, especially since my daughter has gotten old enough to play. Nintendo has great multiplayer games, and games a family can play together have fun. They go for a much different market, and I'm glad they do because if not for them many people would be left out of console gaming in the Xbox/PS wars.
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Subwayslasher, 24 Jul 2006 @ 3:43pm

Re: wait
I've read before that (at least in Japan) the Brain Age / Sudoku type games are huge, and if I'm not mistaken the Nintendogs has some cross-generational appeal. My 51 year old mother got hooked on my little sister's Animal Crossing Wild World enough that I got her own copy of the game for her own town.
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IntoGamesAgain, 24 Jul 2006 @ 3:49pm

Re: Re: wait
Yes, it's amazing that a game where some of the tasks consist of mowing your lawn and paying your mortgage can be so addicting - especially for older people who do those things in "real life" anyway.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2006 @ 4:28pm

Re:
THANK YOU CAPTIN OBVIOUS!
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jul 2006 @ 4:32pm

Re: You all
I am guessing that you are a girll or a guy that is able to keep a sharp minde and play video games at the same time...no offence to the other gerks here:)

(if your wondering if I am a girl I ain't)

(I am not gay eather)
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Dan, 24 Jul 2006 @ 5:13pm

Re: Re: Why post if you have nothing to say
HAHAHAHA!

You know, at first, I reacted to the stupid, pointless "first post" thing with apathy... then after seeing it for the 15 billionth time, I was mildly irritated... but after seeing all the anger it generates, I think it's kind of amusing.

As for me, I think the comments on techdirt are the most interesting part. I can get better news on Google.

Also, as an old school gamer, it pains me to say it, but Nintendo lost the cutting edge long ago, when Xbox came out, specifically. Nintendo will always be in the position of competing on price and should switch to being a purely software company if they wanted to truly thrive.

PS 17th (or thereabouts) post!
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blikefromnature, 24 Jul 2006 @ 5:57pm

Sony fan boy
Ok, I am totally a sony fanboy that just bought a DSlite. Whoever said you can't make a better mouse trap dosen't work at nintendo. With every annoucement they make for this generation of handheld/consoles they are getting one step closer to winning this round. I have purchased 3 PS2's because I have just worn them out. My next console is a Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
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Elif Tymes, 24 Jul 2006 @ 6:17pm

Wii Will Overcome
I'm by no means a hardcore gamer(anymore) I boot my computer(s) up to play games with my family, but that's about it, besides a few rounds of DoD.

I've suddenly stopped caring about graphics. I used to be crazy about "How many Polys can i push?" I had a dual X1800XT Crossfire setup for a few months, but I downgraded to a 6800GT just because of cost effectiveness. My primary gaming console is now my DS Lite, which is incredbily fun.

I can't wait for the Wii. It seems to be the *ideal* platform for me, with 4+ gamers multiplayer support, backwards compatibility, nostalagia titles, ability to work as a DS access point, etc.
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Matt, 24 Jul 2006 @ 7:13pm

Re: Re: Re: Why post if you have nothing to say
I think you're missing one little point in your comment- while nintendo did lose the popularity war in this last console generation, they still were much more profitable than Microsoft. If I remember correctly, Microsoft never completely made it out of the red this generation, and foolishly decided to jump even deeper into the hole with the 360.

Another point you're missing is the one simply stated in this article: Nintendo's jumping back with a passion. They were clearly the underdog with their DS against the PSP, yet they've kicked Sony's butts in that department, due to a marketing strategy (cheaper hardware, and cheap, innovative games that use new control schemes to attract all ages) that they are implementing in the next generation of consoles with the Wii. Furthermore, they have already stated that they are not redlining to produce the Wii, as Microsoft has.

If you ask me, I think Nintendo has a pretty good shot of sweeping this generation (though they may not), while both Microsoft and Sony are in danger of pulling out this generation if they don't sell past a certain point (read: not neccesarily conquering the market, just creating profitability). This is especially a possibility with Sony, whose expensive console and lack of innovation has already spread waves of doubt throughout the industry. IMHO, most people are going to own one or both of the Wii and 360, while the PS3 takes a backseat. If that happens to a high enough extent, Sony'll either need to rethink their console and redesign it to be more affordable, or cut their losses and abandon their Video Games division.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jul 2006 @ 6:16am

From the call-me-an-idiot dept
FIRST POST!!!!

(yeah, I know its not, but its just as stupid to post this at #23 as it is to post it at #1)
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Sanguine Dream, 25 Jul 2006 @ 9:05am

Sadly...

If that happens to a high enough extent, Sony'll either need to rethink their console and redesign it to be more affordable, or cut their losses and abandon their Video Games division.

I think there will be enough Sony fanboys/girls to keep the company from having to pull out of this gerneration much less the console wars altogether.

While Nintendo doesn't hold as much of the console market as say 15 years ago most people don't realize that Nintendo doesn't have the backing of MS or Sony. MS has several years of profits built up from the PC industry and Sony has the same from various electronics markets. Nintendo doesn't have as much to work with and more to lose.

If the 360 fails then that is only one division of a massive corporation. If the PS3 fails that is only one division of a massive corporation. If the Wii fails then Nintendo is finished. The stakes are higher for Nintendo so they have to play smart to play with the big boys which means they can't dump hundreds of millions into a project unless its a 100% garaunteed winner.
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Dan, 25 Jul 2006 @ 9:55am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Why post if you have nothing to sa
Hmm, you're points are well taken.

But I would still counter with the argument that Microsoft won't mind running losses until their competitors cannot run them anymore. Also, the fact is that Nintendo only caters to the youngest of consumers... being in my mid-twenties, I'm not the least bit interested in the cartoonish animation and superficial story lines that represent most, if not all of Nintendo's games.

But you probably do have a point about Sony. They certainly won't be able to run losses indefinitely like MS can.
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4-80-sicks, 25 Jul 2006 @ 3:39pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why post if you have nothing t
Got to disagree with the notion that Nintendo has no appeal for adults. Their games are _fun_ and that doesn't require "adult themes." For that matter, a game doesn't need blood and sex to be "mature." I think that actually a lot of these M-rated games appeal to people who are less mature intellectually. That's not a dig at you, it's just that a game like Geist is no Grand Theft Auto, but is still quite engaging for an adult (and probably boring for many younger-aged people.)
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48sicks, 25 Jul 2006 @ 3:41pm

Re: Re: Re: Why post if you have nothing to say
Re: old school gamer w/daughter

I think Nintendo actually lost their edge with the Nintendo 64. Man did that thing suck. I absolutely loved the controller, but the graphics were pretty bad, even at the time, and there were very few good games for the platform.
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Joshua Michael Dixon, 2 Aug 2006 @ 5:50am

Translation Mistake
On Megman Network Transmission for the Game Cube there was only one error to my knowledge, for staters it did come to the english market, but the word color was not translated into colour. It wasn't a big mistake, but it was a mistake.
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