Not die, no.

Be reborn, maybe.

yes, I like to see the world burn

Not sure if switching to a more generic genre that has been used by gazillions of other games for years, most of the time much better, is really an improvement.

IMHO no need to change a formula if the formula works; also there is a difference between improving a formula and switching to something totally different altogether.

Nowadays, Nintendo is a lot like LucasArts in its final moments. It was absolutely fantastic in its prime, both its hardware and games. Nowadays, they've fallen into mediocrity and milking the same thing over and over (that thing being nostalgia). We get a newly released console that is outperformed by the seven year old Xbox 360 and uses what should be a gimmicky peripheral as its main controller with fuck all 3rd party support and the same bloody "New Super Mario Brothers" over and over again. Not since Super Mario Galaxy have they done anything new and interesting with the franchise. Their e-shop is a complete and utter joke. Any purchases are tied to the console they were bought on rather than a user account. I mean really now, even Origin of all fucking things is a better digital distribution service. Not to mention how criminally under-utilised it is, given Nintendo's massive back catalog of absolute gems. The only thing left worth a damn is the 3DS, since it has decent hardware, sensible controls and hardly relies on any stupid gimmicks for a modern Nintendo console, but whether or not that's enough of a redeeming feature is highly debatable.

While I'd much rather see Nintendo go back to being good, I honestly would be hard pressed to care if they went under.

I think its not the age of nintendo, the wii uu failed because they bring out games that are on ps 3 and xbox already.
And with the expansive price tag.. I do am glad that they dont use dlc crap hat other consoles got but then again those extras wont be on the games that already is out already.

I haven't been able to afford a console in a really long time, and the last console I've ever touched was the dreamcast so it really makes no difference to me what they do because I've been out of sync with that world for a really long time.

No, not die.

Going back to the EA thing briefly, Nintendo have certainly done more for games and gamers than EA ever have.

So I don't want them to die, however, I wouldn't be adverse to some kind of merger with Sega and Namco. I would expect that to happen before they died.

Be glad the console world isnt as pretty anymore what it used to be.

I think Nintendo could use an overhaul. Here is my step-by-step thoughts:

1 - Create a virtual console that delivers all games within Nintendo's library. These are tied to player accounts.
2 - Make a home console and portable console that tie into the library.

3 - Retailers give customers Nintendo Cards, which are USB devices that container the player's ID. When inserted into a console or PC, it tells them who the player is and what they have in their library. Multiple players can insert their cards into a single console, allowing their multiplayer profiles and game libraries to be accessible from that consoles, allowing sharing between friends.

3 - Give physical retailers a distribution computer that downloads games from Nintendo's library. Games sold by these retailers are copied onto discs and are tied to the player's account for future downloading. Manuals are integrated as a part of the game as part of Nintendo's certification process. Retailers print out case covers to be inserted into generic cases. This removes the issues of supplying specific games to retailers, saving them money. Prices are not controlled by rarity, so Nintendo could require specific price points as games in the library age.

EG:
$10 for a 10 year old game.
$15 for 8
$20 for 6
$25 for 4
$30 for 2
$40 for less than one year. After all, cost of manufacturing and shipping the game is removed.

4 - Allow games for previous generations of Physical Consoles to be playable on PCs, as hardware will have sufficiently advanced to allow emulation of most games. The current generation of games isn't made available on PC, to support sales of consoles and to ensure quality of software by ensuring the hardware can support them. Manuals, saves, and so on can be downloaded and accessed from a PC as needed.

5 - Expand the game library, especially by adding more franchises that have an 'identity': Megaman, Shantae, Castlevania, Okami, Shin Megami Tensei, Sonic, Shenmue, Space Channel 5, Phoenix Wright, and so on. Megaman would be especially prudent right now, as Capcom has cancelled at least five games in a row for that series, so it would be relatively cheap to obtain.

6 - Encourage indie developers, and keep an eye on the talent that develops within their group. The future Miyamoto's of the world are in there.



...Yeah, these steps are probably just wishful thinking. :(

I can't understand why anyone would want to see Nintendo go down the gurgler (although fanboy-induced blind malice seems a particular affliction in the gaming world).

Nintendo might be a little (!!) fond of reiteration, but they've produced some spectacular titles, even for the under-powered Wii. They're a good software house.

And I like that they're in hardware too. For a start, they're the only company that's produced a handheld with staying power (I especially like my Trauma Centre, Layton, Phoenix Wright and multitude of modernized SNES-like RPGs, and mobile games have yet to present a viable alternative for such games).

Plus, I don't want to see console gaming ghettoized into expensive systems bought only by gaming geeks. That's what the US comic book industry did when it turned its back on the 8 year-olds, and it hasn't worked out well for them. With the casual stampede to mobile games, the Wii and DS were the only platforms that held mainstream interest in the last generation, hence they've been a big part of keeping gaming diverse and healthy lately, no matter how deplorable all the shovelware and substandard kiddie titles are.

So, no, I don't want Nintendo to die. :-)

Mind you, they're currently getting evil thoughts from me for a) producing a "new gen" system I have absolutely no interest in, and b) announcing Pikmin 3 and Earthbound (VC) as exclusive to it. Gahhh!

To para-quote Mickey Rourke from the movie Barfly: "I don't hate Nintendo, I just feel better when they're not around."

Seriously though, I'm not much of a Nintendo fan since the Super NES, and original gameboy. BUT...I'd really hate to see them fail, because I am a big believer in more competition creates better products, prices, and service for all. Case in point, Home Depot comes to people's towns, undersells the local competition....competition closes doors, and all we are left with just HD. Prices go up, service sucks, and we're left scratching our asses and screwed. This has happened in my area (and lots of others, of course) and as a Home Improvement contractor, has made my life/business Hell. Soo, no, I don't like to see companies go out of business, it's really not good for anyone, except companies looking to monopolize.

Seconded. Region locking the 3DS when the DS wasn't was a particularly backward step. I still haven't bought a 3DS because of that, although I daresay I'll eventually crack as the weight of decent titles released to PAL builds up.

You can take heart from the fact that Square Enix is blaming their massive losses this year on the Western market. Apparently we didn't buy as many copies of Tomb Raider, Hitman and Sleeping Dogs as they'd counted on.

Personally I'm glad the Japanese companies listen more to their own market than ours. No Western company would come up with something like Phoenix Wright, or Persona, or Animal Crossing. If they listened to us, the Wizardry series would be dead, instead of thriving in a foreign language (not that that does *me* much good). Plus, I don't think Western companies have a good track record of looking out for their fans either, so it's much of a muchness.

EDIT: Lol. Just realised you're in Japan, which gives a different context to your "customers here" comment. Apparently game companies everywhere ignore their fans equally. ^_^

The topic subject is kinda silly (Do you want Nintendo to die), however, I would rather see them wake up and understand the world they live in. I'd very much like to see them and others with their mind set understand that fans and people that are passionate about their games do more to help them than any marketing tied medium like magazines and sites like IGN can do.

In the early 2000's I would buy glossy magazines to read about games but I did not have very good internet access back then and nor was the web what it is today, a multimedia extravaganza. Back the it was all written word and low res still shots. Now people, reviewers and fans can create their own content featuring the games they like/review and share it with others.

Does Nintendo think that they can control this?! They're mad, bat-shit-crazy, raving lunatics if they think that. They should take a gander at the struggle the *AAs have with pirates. Have those guys managed to control the web? HELL NO! What makes them think they can?! It only shows that they do not understand the web as it is today. I wish they and others like them would.

For F's sake, the PS4 will have the ability to record in-game footage and even stream in-game footage and Nintendo are doing the exact opposite. It's amazing how stupid people get elected in positions that allow them to make such decisions and also sad.