Is Nintendo the Next Atari?
The rise in popularity of Nintendo’s last two video game machines, the DS and Wii, has really gotten me thinking about how this meteoric rise in is similar to another video game machine, the Atari 2600. Now I really can’t say I was around to witness much of Atari’s reign over the industry, but the impact that resulted from the video game crash primarily caused by them is still felt today. At this point the scales could tip either way, a prosperous future for Nintendo and the industry, or a colossal crash that could dethrone Nintendo and profoundly affect the way in which the video game industry operates.
Why Nintendo will survive:
1. Brand Loyalty
This is something that Atari wished they had. If you have ever talked to a so called Nintendo “fanboy” you know how much loyalty they have towards the Nintendo name and the characters created by Nintendo. No matter what happens to video game hardware, the Nintendo name will live on as long as video games because of the unabashed love that most gamers hold for the brand.
2. First Party Games
The gems of both the Wii and DS, first party games make up most of the software sales on both consoles. One of the problems with Atari was that their internal studios were weak and they pushed marketing dollars towards projects destined to fail (ie ET the Extra Terrestrial). Nintendo has never had this problem and as Miyamoto has always said “A delayed game is eventually good; a bad game is bad forever.”
3. Expanded Audience
Nintendo’s concept of expanding the video game audience has worked immensely in their favor so far. New gamers are being converted each day and even old gamers are coming back. This expanded audience is exactly what the industry needs to see growth, and allow for a greater sense of innovation.
4. VC
Even if Nintendo stopped releasing games all together, and just did virtual console games, the Wii would still sell. The ability to download games not only from Nintendo, but Hudson, Sega, and SNK lets the Wii be the ultimate old school arcade machine.
But here’s why Nintendo could fail:
1. Shovelware
The amount of shovelware on the DS and especially the Wii has increased with each passing month. With ports from PS2and PSP it seems like developers are seeing the Wii purely as a money making machine, which it is, but fans may soon realize that they may have to go elsewhere to find quality.
2. Lack of third Party Support
Just like the problems that plagued the Gamecube, third party support is a huge issue that is surrounding the Wii and DS. Although support is getting better with games such as Dragon Quest 9 going to DS, it is still an ever present issue that continues to hold Nintendo back from true industry domination.
3. The Nintendo Seal of Quality doesn’t mean what it used to
The Nintendo seal of quality was conceived as a way to insure that games were of a certain quality following the video game crash that was caused by Atari. However with games like Ninjabread Man, and the ….Z series by Ubisoft (Babyz, Dogz, Catz), it seem like the Nintendo Seal should read as the Nintendo Seal of Mediocrity instead of Quality.
4. The HD Era
As HD content continues to grow over the next five years, the graphics and overall feel of the Wii may hurt it. With the 360 and PS3 being equipped to handle and show off gorgeous graphics on an HD set, Nintendo may see a drop in sales. This realization may lead to the much speculated end of the Wii as a “fad.”
So as you can see, we are at a point where Nintendo could either succeed or go out in flames. We have seen what can happen to a once great, market leading company (Atari), but in Nintendo’s case only time will tell.
-Eric Wall
