Reggie White

This is a little column I wrote and then posted on the gamers.com boards a few weeks ago. I guess I stepped on a few toes because I got quiet a few harsh reactions to it. Anyway, here it is.

Nintendo: Not What It Used To Be
By Reggie White

Back in the late 1980s Nintendo had a firm grip on the entire video game industry with the NES. When the Genesis came along in the early 1990s, the company faced serious competition. For a few years the SNES was a second place but when it was all said and done, the SNES was the preferred console for 16-bit gaming. In 1996 the Nintendo 64 blew us all away with Super Mario 64 and many other games like GoldenEye 007, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask and other noteworthy titles. Still for all the great titles that did come from the N64, Nintendo’s last cartridge console is where the company really began to trail behind. Sony’s PlaySatation offered a much wider variety of titles, no matter what kind of gamer you were. The PlayStation also had the support of many third party publishers while Nintendo charged an arm, a leg, and a kidney for third parties to make games for their 64-bit machine. That and the fact that the N64 was tough to develop for and it’s pretty easy to see why so many third parties jumped off that ship.

Fast forward to the current generation of consoles, the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo’s GameCube. While I do think the GC is doing better than the N64 did, things still aren’t looking too good. Yes, the console has better third party support then the N64 did, but it isn’t getting the attention that the PS2 and Xbox are getting. Some third parties have already begun to pull out. Some developers and publishers have lost faith in Nintendo and if their games don’t sell on Nintendo’s console, what’s the point in having them there to begin with?

Now before all you Nintendo fanboys start sending me hate mail and claiming I’m anti-Nintendo, let me say this: I’m a huge Nintendo fan. I’ve loved the games the company has made since I got my NES for Christmas back in 1988. Super Mario Bros. is the reason I love platformers and 2D games. I even buy most multi-platform titles for my ‘Cube to support it because I love the system so much. However, for any self-respecting Nintendo fan (or any gamer for that matter) to just say things are fine and ignore the position Nintendo is in, well that would just be foolish.

Nintendo has slipped to third place, they have pretty much ignored online gaming, and they seem to think their name alone will carry them through. Wake up, Nintendo. Gaming has changed a great deal since you made the NES and SNES. Your archaic business practices aren’t working anymore. Mario, Zelda, Samus and the rest of the Nintendo crew are fine and dandy but for crying out loud, please invent some new franchises. Give a rat’s about online gaming.

Yeah, the Game Boy Advance is doing superb, better than the GC actually. But as a big supporter of Nintendo, I’d like to see the GC be better then merely adequate. I’m excited about the Metal Gear Solid remake, F-Zero GX, Soul Calibur II, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Animal Crossing 2, and Mario Kart: Double Dash. But I also want to see Nintendo really get it together. I’d like to grab the suits and big wigs at Nintendo, shake them furiously and ask “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with yooooouuuuuuuu?!”

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Play your games.

cAtDaFeLiX

Very good article Reggie. I was in that N64 boat when it happened. Got hooked on the original Turok when my friend bought the system. Goldeye ruled of course, best game on that system (I’m even thinking of picking up a N64 again for that game alone.....with Killer Instinct Gold of course, you gotta love those 99 hit combos!!!!)

I got burned, like many other gamers did. Hoping for the best games, then nothing. I jumped ship to the PSX with GT and MGS. Leaving my N64 to be sold in a garage sale.

I was a big Nintendo fan also. First games to get me hooked on gaming. River City Ransom (Out on GBA SP soon!!!!!!!!! ) SMB, SMB2 and 3. Gauntlet (Ohh, those late nights....playing 3 hours non-stop) and many others.

I really don’t know what Nintendo is thinking these days either...

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PlaystationFan

I still like nintendo, but there about out of good ideas. Nothing original is what is pushing me away.

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<b>I have nothing to show!!!</b>

Reggie White

Hey, thanks. Glad you liked it. When I posted this over at gamers.com, some people told me to shut up and that online gaming didn't matter. Guess to some people, the truth really does hurt.

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Play your games.

Goten

good article reggie, I've never been a big nintendo fan, infact the games that got me hooked were on the sega mega drive (genesis I think in america)with games such as: sonic 1,2,3 and knuckles,streets of rage, street fighter, toejam and earl 1 and 2 and of course fifa 95. If nintendo don't watch themselves they'll be making third party games for whatever consoles will be out in a few years time, they will be the second sega.
I too also jumped ship, I had never thought of gettin a saturn even though I loved my mega drive, I was just happy waiting for the playstation with nothing but the mega drive to play.
Then a few years on I bought a dreamcast I loved it but rather like the n64 it didnt have many third party titles so one year after the ps2 launch I sell my dreamcast and buy a ps2, wich I regret later on (not buying a ps2 but selling my dreamcast ).

I really like the gamecube and considering I don't have broadband I can not say anything about that, but if I didn't have any of the three consoles I would personally go for the xbox, its cheaper than the ps2 (same price as gamecube) has as many thrid party titles as it and has great online playability (apparently).

Well just thought I'd put my 2cents in

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Rosencrantz

There is one major problem with your article.

According to official world wide sales numbers, as of the END of June, 2003:

CG has sold 10.35 million consoles.

X-Box has sold 9.4 million consoles.

Therefore, as of July 1, 2003...the GC is in second, not third as you say they are.

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“Life is no way to treat an animal.\"

Cowboy22

Very well written article. It's been truly sad to see a once great company take such a slide over the past few years.

Reggie White

Hey, thanks for all the coments, guys. BTW, Rose. I wasn't aware of that fact at the time I wrote it. Just saying.

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Play your games.

Rosencrantz

Well, it turns out those numbers have been corrected and Nintedo only has about 9.65 million GCs out there.

I like Nintendo but they are hurting lately, no doubt about it. At this rate, by the end of the year they will be in a solid third place. I don't undretsand either, how the future kings of consoles could be so clueless.

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“Life is no way to treat an animal.\"