Nintendo made its fortune by providing players with some of the best games ever made on systems offering the most advanced hardware at any given moment in time. But with the Nintendo Wii, that pattern stopped. While competitors Sony and Microsoft took the leap of faith into the next generation with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Nintendo delivered the Wii, a motion controlled-system that fell short of the HD threshold.
The system struck a chord with Nintendo fans and millions of casual gamers, but the rift between the major consoles and Nintendo has only grown with time. So it wasn’t a massive surprise when Nintendo officially confirmed a next-gen console was on the way, and while some might see the Wii 2 as an inevitable creation designed to bring hardcore gamers back into Nintendo’s territory, that’s not the only possibility.
Nearly every single Nintendo hardware launch has turned out to be a milestone moment in games history, from the Nintendo 64 to the glasses-free 3D of the 3DS, and the Wii 2 could do the same. Sure, we have fears about the Wii 2, but what some may view as Nintendo arriving late to the party, we see as a potential game-changer in the making.
To help explain our thinking, we’ve put together a list of the 5 ways that Nintendo’s upcoming console may reshape the entire industry, both directly and indirectly. If even half of the rumors circling on ‘Project Cafe’ turn out to be true, Nintendo may just show that their ability to rock the gaming world hasn’t diminished one bit.
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#5. The Merge of Mobile/Console Gaming
Gamers have been arguing about this topic since handhelds and home consoles first began to co-exist, but the recent surge in mobile gaming due to the iPhone, iPad and Android devices has stirred the wishes of the masses into all out demands. It’s a simple enough problem: players who want to experience triple-A games on their HDTVs are out of luck when work or travel is required. We’d love to sit and play through an entire season of MLB: The Show from beginning to end, or spend every waking second inside a world like that of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but if we’re not at home, it’s just not possible.
But why? With devices capable of delivering HD experiences in our pockets, and the interconnectivity of digital devices growing more complex by the day, surely game developers can figure out a way to expand the boundaries of their property. Some games have included mobile aspects into various areas of gameplay, but never on the scale that we lie awake at night dreaming of.
We know that Skyrim isn’t trying to blow current graphics out of the water, so why not give players the ability to raid some dungeons or level up skill trees during their commute? If it means that fans can extend their game experience from their living rooms into the other free time in their life, then it’s only a matter of time until someone makes it possible. And it may just be Nintendo.
The first leaked controller mock-ups for the Wii 2 showed an input device that looked more like a handheld platform than a typical controller, with later sources claiming that the controllers were capable of streaming games remotely. Rumors even suggest that the controllers would allow players to take them on the go as an alternative to the DS or 3DS. While still a rumor, this functionality holds more promise than any previous integration of console games with mobile variants.
Nintendo has shown two things in their history: they have the properties people want, and nobody understands mobile gaming like they do. Combining the company’s console franchises (Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong) with the uniquely-crafted mobile experiences that have earned them awards as well as profits would be more than we hoped for. Some ability to connect a mobile experience with the typical gameplay at home, sure, but a unified experience of The Legend of Zelda on my TV and mobile controller?
Such a move wouldn’t just prove that the technology was possible, but Nintendo being the ones to pioneer it would once again send their competitors scrambling to keep up. And after being left in the dust for recent years where tech is concerned, that would be something Nintendo would enjoy.
#4. It’s Official, Motion Controls Aren’t For The Hardcore
Not every impact that the Wii 2 could have would be a positive one, especially with the success of motion peripherals and Facebook games leaving gamers and developers alike wondering what the future of games holds. One of the major development questions being circulated these days is how to get those who haven’t played your games in the past to try them out now. Electronic Arts is trying to expand the appeal of Dead Space 3 beyond the standard survival horror fans, and Mass Effect 3 will be doing the same.
Publishers and developers have their fans taken care of, but the path to higher sales and popularity is to get people who don’t even like games to buy your newest release. Insomniac Games, makers of the Resistance series even created a brand new studio to get their own share of the ‘casual’ gaming pie, and the absurd profitability of social-gaming studio Zynga removes any doubts that Facebook users are just as interested in games as hardcore players.
With the Wii’s introduction of motion controls and user-friendly launch titles, Nintendo became the first console-maker to make a play for the casual audience, and their gamble more than paid off. The system also delivered on the same excellent hardcore titles the company’s fans came to expect, but the Wii’s dedication to drawing in the uninitiated was at odds with Microsoft and Sony’s drive to push graphics and mature content to new heights.
We all knew that Nintendo would do something to win back their past fans who didn’t love the way waving their arms around their heads made them feel, but gamer sentiments have reached a fever pitch. The people who became gaming fans thanks to the Wii have every right to expect bigger and better from Nintendo as well, so how will the company please both sides?
The bottom line is that if Nintendo wants to compete directly with the Xbox 360 and PS3, and gain release of multiplatform titles, the motion-control-first design mindset has to go. The controller mock-ups all show designs more in line with standard gamepads, but what does that mean for the Wii’s new crop of casual gamers? While Nintendo fans have been arguing for years that the Wii’s titles are just as hardcore as any other platforms, and their controls are as well-designed and intuitive as any gamepad, the Wii 2 abandoning the concept undermines that completely.
If Nintendo cuts out motion controls in an effort to win back the hardcore masses, then the obvious statement is that the casual fans who clicked to the Wiimote and Nunchuck are not the same as those who use the layouts of the other systems. We’re not saying that’s necessarily true, but Nintendo launching a console aimed more at the hardcore after a massive success among the casual can be perceived in many ways, both complimentary and damning for casual audiences.
Is it Nintendo returning to the established gaming population now that casual sales have started to decline? The casual scene may continue to do just fine on its own, fully supported by new Wii titles, the Kinect, and Move, but Nintendo re-focusing on the traditional hardcore demographics sends many clear messages. Only time will tell if Nintendo’s newest hardware will be seen as a return to form, or the company who saw the potential in casual gaming leaving a sinking ship.
#3. I Guess We Haven’t Tried Everything
Anyone who takes a look at the successful and doomed consoles over the past 25 years will begin to notice a few similarities, namely that those who stepped too far away from the norm were more often met with failure. The 3DO, Sega CD, Dreamcast, and many other creations all showed that having a good idea wasn’t nearly as important as having an audience ready to embrace it. So what we end up with now is a few past generations of games that all look similar, work similarly, and use controllers that are designed to be intuitive to players of any system.
But with developers and designers focusing on making subtle improvements to an established formula, what’s been overlooked is just how much the gaming population and potential audience has expanded. A larger number of people playing games means that the minority of gamers ready to adapt to an inspired design choice may just be feasible enough for a company to pursue. This was flat-out proven by the amount of Wii fans who owned more than one console, supplemented by the number of newcomers who preferred the Wii’s approach over a more traditional control scheme.
There’s no question that the Wii 2 will be a financial success, especially if the rumors of its hardware prove accurate. And if the video screens contained in the controllers work as well as we hope in uniting mobile gaming with console gaming, then it would show that the old design philosophies of avoiding reinvention and risks is out of date. Just when it seemed that every controller would be the same from now to eternity, Nintendo goes and slaps a video screen in the middle of it, and once again send their competition reeling.
What would be next? Greater integration of accelerometers, video screens, force feedback, voice commands? It only takes one success to encourage others that outlandish ideas are worth pursuing, and Nintendo may just encourage Microsoft and Sony to continue down the path of Kinect and Move, and use their clout in the industry to show that even in an age of juggernauts, a great idea is a welcome thing.
We don’t know what other physical aspects of consoles could be modified to offer new experiences, but please feel free to offer your own. Maybe some sort of smell-o-vision integration?
#2. They Still Make Great Games in Japan?
While Japan used to be not only the stomping ground of the industry’s biggest superpowers, but of forward-thinking and innovative game design. All that’s changed in the past decade. While the West used to struggle to keep up with the work being done across the Pacific Ocean, the past few years have seen a major power shift to the studios and publishers making their bread and butter off of the HD consoles.
The major blockbusters like Call of Duty, Halo, Assassin’s Creed, and other successful franchises were spawned by the minds of North American and European studios, proving that westerners have figured out how to make a game that catches on with audiences. The fact isn’t lost on Japanese developers, with the CEO of Square Enix going on the record as saying that Japanese titles receive less attention, giving weak gameplay design as the reason.
Major Japanese titles aren’t in short supply, with The Last Guardian leading a barrage of Japanese titles that are bound to hit consoles sometime in the next two years, but there’s no mistaking the fact that the West has stolen much of the momentum from Eastern developers. But with the Wii 2 launching against no new competitors, it’s safe to say that the console’s games will have an unequaled share of the spotlight in the months following release. Every fan will be lining up to see what the Wii 2 can do, which means plenty of attention given to the games being played.
This could go either way for Japanese properties. If Nintendo sticks to their habits and releases some inspired and creative titles fully entrenched in Japanese style and sensibility, the new amount of exposure could get a larger audience to take note of the games that have flown under the radar in the past.
On the other hand, if Nintendo makes good on their promise to attract more Western developers for the Wii 2, then one of the best opportunities to showcase lesser-known Japanese gameplay will pass them by. Instead, Nintendo will imply that to get the most buzz and interest generated, they left the more off-beat games of their past behind in favor of more mainstream, Western titles.
And let’s face it, the smaller Japanese development houses may not be able to take a blow like that and keep any momentum going in their favor.
#1. Graphics Aren’t Everything
For all the time we gaming fans like to spend trying to convince non-gamers that the medium is a home to real storytelling and engaging experiences, these days it seems that the prettiest and most polished visuals get all the attention. Not that the world can really be blamed, since shockingly photo-realistic graphics impress fanatics and the uninitiated alike. But with developers spending so much of their time developing better looking games, the amount of innovation and inspired creativity isn’t following the same trajectory.
Don’t get us wrong, we are just as amazed by the visuals produced by DICE’s new Frostbite 2 engine as anybody, but we’re at a crossroads. While games like Battlefield 3 and RAGE may show that the potential of home consoles still hasn’t been fully realized, the desire for top of the line technical performance seen in the PC market just isn’t feasible for consoles. Consoles aren’t cheap, and the average consumer has shown that they want their tech to last, not grow obsolete within months.
So with PC developers claiming that consoles are a generation behind PCs, and rumors of new consoles growing as manufacturers decide they need to catch up, we have to wonder if Nintendo is the only company that sees the future elsewhere. EA Sports’ Peter Moore certainly thinks so, having voiced his opinion that graphics may not matter anymore. They could always be better, but the Wii’s success proved that people want to have fun when they play games, not watch a simulation of a sport they could just as easily watch on TV.
Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney disagrees, with the Gears of War studio believing that getting graphics to portray realistic actors is integral to having players be as emotionally invested as they would be watching a film. It’s a fair point, since movies and games are the two mediums most often compared in the games industry. But c’mon, games aren’t movies. Game developers need to remember that while storytelling is the greatest aspiration of gaming, its first responsibility is to give players something rewarding to do.
And that’s where Nintendo comes in. What modern game development could definitely use at this point in time is a reality check, and Nintendo releasing a console that possesses - you may want to sit down for this - graphics that aren’t light-years ahead of the competition would deliver just that. Since the Xbox 360 and PS3 have started to show their age, the general consensus was that the next generation of consoles would be similar, but more powerful machines. The Kinect and Move took a page out of the Wii’s book by offering experiences that were merely different, but the old way of thinking is still king.
There’s no guarantee that the Wii won’t blow the PS3’s hardware away, but with the various specs leaked, and extensive controller functionality, a Wii 2 on par with Sony and Microsoft’s machines is most likely unless Nintendo wants to bankrupt their fans. So maybe by spending development time on something other than graphics, Nintendo is bringing the initial promise of the Wii to fruition.
Continue to the last page for our explanation and conclusion of how the Nintendo Wii 2 can change everything!
Let us explain. By releasing the Wii - a motion-controlled sub-HD system without state-of-the-art online integration - while the competition was in a graphical fidelity arms-race, Nintendo made it clear that their perception of what games needed to be was vastly different. Both directions paid off, but the fact that the Wii came anywhere close to competing is a phenomenon that often goes overlooked. Nintendo made a cheap, widely-appealing and competent games machine that introduced an entirely new type of gameplay to an entirely new audience.
The main complaint fired against the Wii was that the system’s days were numbered, given the worldwide shift towards high-definition entertainment. So perhaps the Wii 2 is Nintendo’s way of making up for that, taking the slight step into next-gen and calling it a day. Motion controls could remain, and simply offer gamepad compatibility for multiplatform titles. This would likely be less of a game-changer than some might already be hoping, but what reason does Nintendo have to abandon the philosophies that paid off just a few years ago?
If a brand new system, with brand new gameplay and brand new installments of some of gaming’s most famous franchises grabs the headlines after Nintendo unveils the Wii 2 at this year’s E3, the flurry of excitement over the breathtaking graphics of yet another military shooter could easily be forgotten. Hardcore gamers may disagree with the idea that people who play games don’t really base their purchases on graphics, but it’s no longer a theory: the Wii’s dominance proved it.
We could argue over what audiences or consumer groups purchased the system, but no one demographic could be responsible for the Wii’s success. But even if graphics and control schemes kept the Wii from gaining a foothold among ‘serious’ gamers, then a Wii 2 with a more traditional gamepad and third-party titles could be the solution.
If that is what transpires, then Microsoft and Sony could suddenly find themselves directly competing with a brand new console with a wealth of first-party properties already familiar to global audiences, and a company releasing it that already put their consoles’ sales to shame with a technically inferior machine. We don’t know about you, but in those conditions a brand new landscape in the games industry seems like a real possibility.
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Hopefully our list demonstrates that while many may see the Wii 2 as Nintendo finally getting around to releasing an HD console, the true potential of the machine is far greater. That past has shown that it’s always smart to bet on Nintendo when they innovate, and this case is no different.
What do you think of our list? Are there any possibilities that you think we missed, or ones that just are too far-fetched to believe? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.
We’ll find out what kind of weapons the Wii 2 is bringing to the console fight when it’s shown at E3, but the true impact may not be felt for months. Rest assured, we’ll keep you posted every step of the way.
