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[qizah]

I did a search and didn't find anything, but if there is already a thread about this please lock.
--
It seems like GameSpot is another site that's had something negative to say about Nintendo's announcements of future Wii U software. The article, written by Tom McShea, is here.

I'll post a few quotes below.

A television psychic could have proven his telepathic might by forecasting Nintendo's latest announcements. Coming soon to a Wii U near you are the latest iterations of franchises that anyone who has a mild interest in the industry saw coming a mile away. Nintendo's hallowed Tokyo studio tries its hand at another Mario platformer, Eiji Aonuma vows to "rethink the conventions of Zelda" in his latest attempt to top Ocarina of Time, Yoshi enters a world that looks strikingly like Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. add more fuel to the flames of friendly competition. Anyone playing Nintendo Bingo at home would have won with a clean sweep, though a couple of surprises caused a mild stir. Intelligent Systems is working on a mash-up of its own Fire Emblem series with Atlas' revered Shin Megami Tensei, and Monolith Soft looks to be taking on Monster Hunter in another expansive role-playing game.

[...]

Nintendo has a knack for catering to its excitable fan base. It has earned that trust through years of churning out top-notch games, so it's no surprise that people are willing to forgive Nintendo for every misstep the company takes. But Nintendo is so infatuated with its history that it seems reluctant to pull away from it, even slightly. They are being smothered by their own legacy, forced to endlessly resurrect elderly franchises to appease the unquenchable desire for the same-old experiences. A ripple tore through the industry when Nintendo announced a slew of new franchise installments. But how much longer can Nintendo rely solely on the same tried-and-true characters to push its products? At some point, Nintendo has to step boldly into the future, without the rope of frayed memories holding it back.

[...]

Nintendo has earned goodwill by periodically reinventing its most enduring properties. Mario has been as malleable as he is portly, pushing the bounds of platforming in every 3D adventure he undertakes. Kirby and Donkey Kong are just as flexible. The pink puff can be found in a delightful world constructed of yarn or floating in a dangerous land as you use the stylus to guide him to safety, while his simian pal might fancy the rhythmic tapping of a plastic bongo drum. It's these forays into previously unexplored realms that keep aging Nintendo franchises feeling fresh despite their years of digital work, but they are rare exceptions to the rule.

It's hard to get excited about the newest round of Nintendo announcements, because it feels as though we've been in this exact place before. What can be done with Mario Kart that we haven't seen before? Why should we trust Aonuma's claim that he's going to reinvent Zelda when he has failed to do so in every attempt thus far? Does a new Smash Bros. have much appeal beyond the requisite roster update? Chances are that every one of these games will exhibit the high quality that Nintendo is known for, but that doesn't change the feeling of sameness that suffocates this upcoming lineup

--

There's a couple of points made by McShea (that also extends to a lot of people) that I've never understood. I know people want new IPs from Nintendo, but I think people also undermine the fact that Nintendo is very good with creating titles on existing IPs that incorporate fresh while keeping with what makes that franchise so beloved. Nintendo's not perfect, but they've done this fairly well in my opinion throughout the years. Furthermore, while I too would like to see at least 1 or 2 big IPs from Nintendo, Nintendo has been making new IPs in places like the eShop. Just look at stuff like Pushmo and Crashmo, which are some of the best pieces of software you can buy on the 3DS, retail or eShop.

McShea also doesn't really talk about one of the bigger announcements from this Nintendo Direct. Nintendo's desire to collaborate with others developers to ensure there's more software on their platform was a big deal for me personally. Working with third parties on collaborations such as Namco Bandai for Smash Bros 4 and Atlus for SMT x Fire Emblem is definitely a right step. Not only that, but going after other developers who have an expertise in that genre to help create some awesome software is a great strategy. Here's hoping that Nintendo can also build these same relationships with Western studios as well.

McShea also questions how much Nintendo will be able to evolve franchises going forward. As new trends in the industry happen, Nintendo will find ways to do exciting things. Hell, the fact that Miiverse can work with every piece of software is a big deal. It's already been an awesome experience with games like NSMBU and ZombiU, it'll only extend further to a new Mario Kart and a new 3D Mario. The implementation of the GamePad for Mario Kart and a new 3D Mario has potential. Going even beyond that, I'm just excited to see these games in HD. There's always room for improvement, in any IP. 25+ years old or 5 years old.
--
Those are my thoughts! Agree with the article? Disagree? Is Nintendo really lost in their old ways?

Edit: Woops, forgot to put the "Its" in the title D:

 

[Evolution_1ne]

No

 

[Zomba13]

So we've had 7 Mario Karts and that is getting old but we've had 6 CoDs, one each year(with another this year) and they aren't getting old? They aren't asking what new can be done with them?

Seems a bit silly to hound Nintendo for this when also praising CoD for the EXACT same thing in a shorter time span.

 

[Maxrunner]

Says all this while playing cod BLOPS II am i rite?

 

[electroplankton]

I'm out
.

 

[andymcc]

.

will this gif ever stop getting used

 

[Diddy Kong]

Tom McShea. Move along people.

 

[DieH@rd]

GameSpot: Is Nintendo Trapped by Legacy?

Absolutely YES.

 

[Shard]

Why would they leave their legacy in the dust?

 

[MormaPope]

No

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

 

[partyphone]

what were the top 10 best selling exclusive games this generation?

 

[Meelow]

Nope, I think Nintendo knows they have to work hard to get good things, I don't think Nintendo thinks they will win because they are Nintendo, they even said them coming first in the 8th generation doesn't mean they will have the best selling console.

Tom McShea sounds familiar, did he do other articles about Nintendo, or Sony and Microsoft?

 

[Mael]

Yes Nintendo should totally mess with Mario Kart and never release it when the last one sold something like twice the usual annual CoD.
We know nothing of the games and they're saying it's gonna be same old same old when that wasn't the case before?
Agree on Zelda though, can't exactly trust Aonuma on this one.

 

[Dave Meltzer]

They're trapped by their own fear to take any kind of risk. Why make a new game when the Zelda name will increase sales?

 

[netBuff]

So we've had 7 Mario Karts and that is getting old but we've had 6 CoDs, one each year(with another this year) and they aren't getting old? They aren't asking what new can be done with them?

Seems a bit silly to hound Nintendo for this when also praising CoD for the EXACT same thing in a shorter time span.

Says all this while playing cod BLOPS II am i rite?

What the hell does CoD have to do with anything? Why are Nintendo fans so intent on pointing towards others, instead of commenting on the matter at hand?

Tom McShea is probably the last gaming journalist you would find praising CoD: Black Ops 2, or any similar war-styled shooters.

 

[miksar]

So we've had 7 Mario Karts and that is getting old but we've had 6 CoDs, one each year(with another this year) and they aren't getting old? They aren't asking what new can be done with them?

Seems a bit silly to hound Nintendo for this when also praising CoD for the EXACT same thing in a shorter time span.

We've had at least 8 CoDs, and it is without counting old console spin-offs.

 

[The Albatross]

OP: Yes., though I think that Nintendo does a very good job to take their tired franchises and invigorate them with new gameplay components, leading the industry. But, IMO, for every runaway success at modernizing an old franchise, there are a score of rehashes. Mario Kart is probably the best example, it's a game that I have felt no compulsion to ever play since Mario Kart 64... and I really don't think that there have been any meaningful improvements to the game since then.

So we've had 7 Mario Karts and that is getting old but we've had 6 CoDs, one each year(with another this year) and they aren't getting old? They aren't asking what new can be done with them?

Seems a bit silly to hound Nintendo for this when also praising CoD for the EXACT same thing in a shorter time span.

Seriously, who praises CoD anymore?

Unless you're admitting by accident that Mario Kart and CoD should be considered similarly. I'd agree with that.

 

[KillerTravis]

Nintendo can't win lol. Doomed if they announce things and doomed if they not.

Also, stop posting that damned X gif on every thread. Reminds me of the Killzone gif that kept being posted and it reeks of insecurity.

 

[wsippel]

will this gif ever stop getting used

When a new X trailer comes out. Then it'll be replaced by a new X GIF.

 

[maverick40]

Unfortunately yes 100% but most people on GAF will say no

 

[SolarPowered]

This is the fate of every large game company. Nintendo just knows how to handle it gracefully despite the complaints.

They've really cornered themselves as of late with the Wii U, though.

 

[Coolwhip]

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

Because it's all about new mascots? Why

As for new IP's, I'm too lazy to list all the new IP's from the Wii. But there are a lot.

 

[Cosmonaut X]

Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed III

Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War: Judgment

Halo 3
Halo Wars
Halo 3: ODST
Halo: Reach
Halo 4

etc. etc.

EDIT:

Nintendo are going to bring out their tentpole series - 3D Mario, 3D Zelda, 2D Mario, Mario Kart, Smash - on their new system. But - with rare exceptions - each system gets one shot, and they normally try and bring something new to the mix each time. This isn't a case of them bringing out MK, then milking it for the rest of the system's life with another 3 or 4 similar releases.

In between, they will resurrect older series and try and make them work again - Kid Icarus, for example - use their characters as "dressing" for odd little experiments, or smaller-scale titles, bring out a handful of new titles, and collaborate with other companies on more novel games.

 

[partyphone]

oh wait. maybe they mean Nintendo executives are trapped under large piles of money?

 

[Alexios]

Another outlet sad they didn't get an exclusive scoop on X and the other announcements while Nintendo did their job? Sigh.

And yes, every fan wants the token current generation update of a franchise they love like Mario Kart and Smash Bros. much like Tekken fans wanted TTT2 and SF fans wanted SFIV, SSFIV, SSFIVAE, etc. Of course they do hope they make it a great one but all the long running franchises have had their misses and MKWii was still good fun for all its flaws. There's no reason to assume every next installment they do will be a miss but I guess you need some way to attract hits before E3 where we can see it all and put doubts to rest or stop looking forward to whatever looks unworthy and only wait for the good shit like X.

 

[CecilRousso]

Those are my thoughts! Agree with the article? Disagree? Is Nintendo really lost in their old ways?

I think so. They have become so comfortable with their old IP's that it's close to being cowardly. Sure, I want a couple of new Mario titles from time to time myself also, but it's very rare that any game announcements from them feels exciting.

 

[zruben]

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

sorry about the list... it's just a copy paste.


Nintendo Gamecube
Luigi's Mansion
Pikmin
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
GiFTPiA
Donkey Konga
Battalion Wars
Geist
Chibi-Robo!
Odama

Nintendo Wii
Art Style
Wii Sports
Excite Truck
Wii Play
Endless Ocean
Wii Fit
Wii Music
Disaster: Day of Crisis
Captain Rainbow
Common sense of people power TV
Tact of Magic
FlingSmash
Dynamic Slash
And-Kensaku
Pandora's Tower
Kiki Trick
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Last Story

Wii-Ware
Bonsai Barber
Rock N’ Roll Climber
PictureBook Games: Pop-Up Pursuit
You, Me and the Cubes
Eco Shooter: Plant 530
Snowpack Park
ThruSpace
Line Attack Heroes
Fluidity

Wii-U
P-100
Panorama View
Nintendo Land

Game Boy Advance
Golden Sun
Magical Vacation
Napoleon
Kuririn
Horse Racing Creating Derby
Stafy
Tomato Adventure
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
Drill Dozer
Rhythm Tengoku
bit Generations

Nintendo DS
Polarium
Nintendogs
Jump Super Stars
Electroplankton
Big Brain Academy
Brain Age
Clubhouse Games
Magnetica
Elite Beat Agents
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Trace Memory
Master of Illusion
Slide Adventure MAGKID
Soma Bringer
Jam with the Band
Fossil Fighters
Style Savvy
Glory of Heracles
Friend Collection
Walk with me! Do you know your walking routine?
Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What To Eat?

Dsi
Aura Aura Climber
Art Academy
Kappa Trail
Pinball Pulse: The Ancient Beckons

Nintendo 3ds
Steel Diver

3DS Ware
Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
Pushmo
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword
Dillon's Rolling Western
Ketzal's Corridors


sauce:
http://kyoto-report.wikidot.com/forum/t-469495

 

[Shard]

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

Quite a fair few actually, people just tend to dismiss them since they are they either casual fare like Brain Age, Wii Sports or more niche fare like Another Code, Exictebots, Steel Diver and the Operation Rainfall titles.

 

[Malvingt2]

I'm out
.

/Thread

will this gif ever stop getting used

never..

 

[Mael]

That said the less said about Steel Diver the better...

 

[skypunch]

will this gif ever stop getting used

No.

 

[kitsuneyo]

I think the article raises some interesting points. I'd love to see Nintendo take a bold step with a whole new IP for Wii U, and really put their weight behind it. They didn't really manage to establish any new 'core' game series with Wii, so I can see where this is coming from.

 

[BowieZ]

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

At least 20. Arguably much more.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

It's not a trap, it's a blessing. I like my stuff guaranteed.

 

[daripad]

will this gif ever stop getting used

Not until E3 it seems

There have been new IPs from Nintendo, but they oftenly get obscured by Mario and Zelda, but you guys cannot say that we didnt get anything new from Nintendo in the last 5 years

 

[KillGore]

I dont mind Nintendo developing the same franchises over and over again because they are fun but I wish the would make new fun franchises. I know I'll probably be getting a list of games from some gaffers but the last big Nintendo franchise I remember being created was Pikmin. I could be wrong though. I just want something that can compete with the bigger Nintendo franchises.

 

[Alrus]

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

They created a ton actually. Not all of them turned into franchises though. A bunch of them are also casual games so they tend to be dismissed for some dumb reasons.

Edit: Bunch of dumb articles about Nintendo these days... Still this doesn't beat Kobun calling all of the Nintendo Direct announcements Vaporware, that was truly stupid.

 

[PixyJunket]

Oh goodie, another "blogger" (LOL) desperatly lashing out at Nintendo for exposing how easily these failed journalists can be made irrelevant. Yawn.

 

[pr0cs]

I sort of agree with the article. As someone who missed the nostalgia of the NES and SNES era they've done very little to reel me in with their stable of characters.
Nintendo just seems like it isn't really interested in attracting anyone outside their current audience.

 

[grimshawish]

Are the press having a meltdown or somethin?
Is this what that looks like.

 

[TreasureHunterG]

I don't think GameSpot opinion about Nintendo is valid because they praise games and series who does exactly the same stuff they're complaining about it.

By the way, after that Skyward Sword and Zombi U reviews, it's pretty much clear GS has some kind of agenda against Nintendo.

 

[Rush2thestart]

If there was ever any doubt that Nintendo is the gaming medias whipping boy, it should be gone now.


Their Nintendo Direct was spectacular. It had so many game announcement that it may as well have been an E3 conference. The reaction to it has been ridiculous from the gaming "journalists."

Damned if you reveal games, damned if you don't.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

They're trapped by their own fear to take any kind of risk. Why make a new game when the Zelda name will increase sales?

The Wii and The Wii u are huge risks because they tired something that never been done before, and in terms of game development, Skyward Sword took few risks here and there for better or worse.

 

[keakster]

Sometimes it seems like the Nintendo Direct messages are aimed at investors as well as fans. Nintendo seems to be under constant pressure to live up to previous successes which understandably leads them to focus on the past for future gains.

Nintendo has such a broad library of IPs that the push into new territory is probably not worth the risk. Especially when there are so many people who will be pre-ordering the next Mario, Zelda and Smach Brothers games.

Do they even have enough dev teams to work on their existing franchises and create a new IP at the same time? Investors want guaranteed returns and thus far Nintendo has proven that they can still mine Mario for gold.

Also, what is Retro working on?

 

[herod]

How many new IP's/mascots has Nintendo developed or created in the past decade?

how much new gameplay is in the average "new IP"

 

[Portugeezer]

Nintendo can't win, but this is Troll McShea. How can he review SMG2 10/10 then not be excited for the next mainline console 3D Mario?

"Hey I loved this game, new iteration coming? Nope not excited."

Anyway, we will be seeing more of these blogs/articles, look at the comments compared to other articles, in a few hours it surpassed other Wii U articles.

 

[Derrick01]

Yes and it's baffling to me how their fans not only get excited for but demand another mario kart and smash bros. I agree with gamespot, what else can possibly be done with those games other than roster changes?

 

[Thoraxes]

Asking this question, to me, feels no different than asking if Disney is trapped by legacy.

There's so much iteration in their established IP that I really see no problem with it.

It's like calling every Final Fantasy game the same exact game because they all have Final Fantasy in the title.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

To answer the question: No. Nintendo is not trapped. They are free to do as they please. They're sitting on plenty of millions they can invest in creating new development teams to create new IPs and reworks of old franchises to go along with their standbys like Mario and Kart and Smash and Zelda.

Hire 1000 developers, break them into 10 teams and have them each make a new, AAA IP game.

They choose not to. God only knows why.

 

[Shalashaska161]

will this gif ever stop getting used

Maybe when it stops being awesome.

And I wouldn't say so. Nintendo isn't held back by legacy at all, especially if you look at what they've done in the casual space.