Does anyone think that Nintendo may pull a Sega? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Rigali]

Can anyone see Nintendo getting out of the Harware business if the GCN isnt successful?
Dont get me wrong I think that Nintendo will give the system 100%. But...
If the userbase of the X-box and PS2 is that much greater than the GCN, wouldnt it make sense for Nintendo to ditch the Hardware?
That OWN the portable market, no ones gonna touch them anytime soon. They have arguably the best 1st party software in the business.
Imagine the chaos they could create buy going games only.

 

[Howard_A]

I doubt Nintendo will ever leave the hardware business as long as they have a choice.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Someday, sure. The hardware market is a money-loser; and I figure if someone finally manages to make the Nuon/3DO model work (where you basically develop a chipset and get multiple vendors to license it), Nintendo would have to be nuts to stay in the console market.
Of course, considering how Nuon hasn't exactly set the world on fire, I don't know what would motivate anyone to create the console equivelent of MS-DOS. Even then, Nintendo may feel it's worth being the equivelent of Apple if it means being able to tailor the system to their strengths as a developer.

 

[Joshua Moran]

Nuon is dead. It was dead before it got started and is nothing more than what Philips tried to do with CD-I.
As far as Nintendo goes. No they won't leave the hardware market anytime soon.Sega has had a history of quiting support for their systems and losing money. They have always screwed over the customers in the long run. I think the Gamecube will do fine I went to get a prepurchase and it is all sold out. There are still X-Box pre orders available at my local Babbages and EB. Nintendo had a very strong show at E3 and actually had Microsoft reps and Sony reps playing their system. I talked with my local Babbages after playing the demo unit and they said that they had alot of people change their X-Box pre order to a Gamecube pre order after they got the X-Box demo unit. Go play the systems and judge for yourself. Because the only opinion that counts is your own. Also you may want to head over to Link Removed and download some of the Resident Evil movies for the Gamecube. If that doesn't impress you I don't know what would. So check them all out see which one fits your gaming needs. My advice is look at the upcoming games not the lunch games because those are always rushed. See which system has the titles you want to play in the future that would be the one to get.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Not as long as Yamaguchi's alive
I think when he dies, they will have 1 or 2 more consoles and then go software-only. Of course, Game Boy will still be around.
Jeff Kleist

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Nintendo will continue to make hardware for a long time. They have done pretty good so far, and are actually getting overlooked (IMO). Its all about how a game is made that decides if it is good or bad, so if there's anything wrong with their libraries, then its not their fault. They have always made good games, and if they did go to software only, I would be more than happy. One fewer console, more games, less money spent, me happy.

 

[BrianB]

quote: Its all about how a game is made that decides if it is good or bad, so if there's anything wrong with their libraries then its not their fault. [/quote]
Spoken like a true non-developer. How well Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony support third party developers with libraries & tools & information is *incredibly* important to a console's longterm success.
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Nothing In Particular
[Edited last by BrianB on November 06, 2001 at 02:46 PM]

 

[John Berggren]

I thought I posted to this topic already. Perhaps there was another very similar one.
Very simply:
NO.
Nintendo has a few billion dollars in liquid assets and they do VERY well in software sales, which is why they are in the market.
It's not going to happen anytime soon. I can confidently say that it can't happen with the GCN and that it can't happen with whatever the next generation is after that.
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[AndyVX]

Nintendo may leave the console making market a few consoles down the road(going multi platform for console software) but I'm sure they'll still be going strong with the GameBoy.
Andrew
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ICQ# - 119869807

 

[Morgan Jolley]

If Nintendo wants to make money, they should release basic versions of their games (Zelda, Mario) with toned down graphics on its competitors consoles and then release ultimate versions (way better graphics, lots of extras) on its consoles. That would spread the appeal and they would also benefit greatly. Had Sega done that before they went under, we might have seen a livelier DC or even another console.
Then again, I highly doubt it.

 

[AndyVX]

Oh come on Morgan...do you actually think that would work? No one in their right mind would buy a totally toned down version of a game(graphics/audio), when they full well know a far superior version is on another console.
Andrew
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ICQ# - 119869807

 

[Camp]

"Hi...can I get me one of 'dem Mario games wif the bad grafix?"

 

[Michael St. Clair]

If Nintendo wants to make money, they should release basic versions of their games (Zelda, Mario) with toned down graphics on its competitors consoles and then release ultimate versions (way better graphics, lots of extras) on its consoles.

This is from the guy who moans about the XBox version of Silent Hill 2 having an extra mission that is not in the PS2 version.
So let's get this straight. You want extra features for games on your consoles, but don't want anybody else to have extra features for the games on their consoles.
And you are not a fanboy.
Riiiiiiight.

 

[Graeme Clark]

As long as they're still making money, I think they'll continue to make hardware. I don't know if there's really any more money to be made developing for other consoles.
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[Michael St. Clair]

As long as they're still making money, I think they'll continue to make hardware. I don't know if there's really any more money to be made developing for other consoles.

OK, release a game for one console (your own) and sell 2 million.
Or release a game for three consoles (your own and everybody elses) and sell 5 million.
Considering how most consoles are sold for a loss for the first few years of production, I can definitely see opportunities to make more money developing for other consoles.

[Edited last by Michael St. Clair on November 07, 2001 at 12:11 PM]

 

[BrianB]

Considering how most consoles are sold for a loss for the first few years of production, I can definitely see opportunities to make more money developing for other consoles

The benefit of making your own console is you make money off every game that's released for it - every third party unit that ships generates a nice royalty for you.
Unfortunately, that's less of an issue if your thirdparty support was weak like the N64

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Nothing In Particular

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Brian,
Agreed. The devil is always in the details. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you will.
So far Nintendo is somewhat righting the wrongs of the N64; EA and Namco support from the get-go. If they can keep up the support and grow it, I could see them making money on using their old approach on the GameCube. But if not...

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I'm sorry if you guys missed the part at the end of my suggestion to Nintendo that they make bad versions of their games for other consoles. I said it was highly unlikely, and I never meant it as a real idea. God, calm down.
Anyway, Nintendo has always made good games, will always make good games, will always make money, and thus, will always make consoles.