This editorial was done as a direct response to the "editorial" written by Andy Matheson. I have used the same article offered in his editorial. It can be found at http://gamersmark.com/editorials/view/139/.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently did an interview with BBC news online. In this interview, he offers some perspective on what lies ahead for Nintendo and the video game industry as a whole.
Some may question the validity of the claims offered by Iwata and Nintendo as a whole given their less than stellar position in the current "console war". However, Nintendo probably knows the industry as well as anyone else, given that they easily have the longest tenure in the console industry. Furthermore, despite having the worst selling console, they manage to gross the most money and dominate the handheld industry. Seeing as the main focus of the interview is the handheld industry, Nintendo and their president are in an excellent position to offer commentary.
One of the most shocking of his predictions is that people would tire of games given their current direction. Many may see this as a feeble attempt to complain that Nintendo is no longer the head of the industry, but the point is valid. The fact of the matter is that we are quickly approaching the technological limit in the traditional sense. Games like Team Ninja’s Ninja Gained achieve graphics close enough to be mistaken with reality. Given the vast capabilities of the current hardware, it’s a logical assumption that such graphics will soon become common place.
With this, the gaming industry will be met with a frightening prospect that it has never met. What next? Since the humble beginnings of Pong, gaming has followed a logical progression. First it was developing complexity in 2D games, next it was moving gaming out of costly arcades into people’s homes. Next was establishing highly advanced 2D software. After that it was inevitable that gaming would move into the third dimension. But what after that realm has been perfected? That is what Nintendo is trying to figure out. It took nearly 30 years to go from Pong to the SNES, but it has taken less than a decade to go from the primitive blocky graphics of the Sega Saturn to the photo-realism of the Xbox.
One note of interest is that Nintendo led (thus far) the only successful tangent from traditional console gaming, and industry which now is more popular and widespread than consoles, portable gaming. As 2D was reaching it’s plateau, Nintendo decided to take a chance and attempt to move gaming wherever the gamer went with its Gameboy. The rest is history, as now well over ten million people enjoy a Gameboy Advance, the latest iteration of this hardware and quite possibly the pinnacle of 2D gaming.
Nintendo recently joined Sony in taking the next obvious step, moving 3D to the portable realm. However, Nintendo isn’t simply make a 3D portable system, they’re attempting to innovate the industry once again by providing two screens rather than one. Along with the extra screen comes voice recognition and a new stylus for the bottom screen.
At a passing thought, these innovations may seem negligible. After all, how much difference can another screen, a stylus and voice recognition make? But what is intriguing about these additions is that they can be used for both complexity and simplicity. Two screens could be used to double the amount of data a players brain must process quickly, and with voice recognition, one may have to talk out their challenges as well. This is obviously much more complex than focusing on a single goal and only having to press a few buttons to get there. On the other side of the coin, a second screen may merely display additional information to help the help player along. The stylus could be used to shorten tedious processes such as navigating menus and typing in information. Voice recognition could also save players lots of hassle by simply asking for the information they need, rather than scrolling though endless menus. This offers the DS something which no system has ever really had (or needed up to this point, as a new one could be released to adjust) adaptability. Should the market become more complex, developers can produce highly complex games on the DS. If the market returns to its roots, the DS can be used as a very simple system.
But what is the point in predicting the gaming industry in a decade if Nintendo won’t be around to see it? Nintendo recently dispelled rumors of its demise by confirming that their next console codenamed "Revolution" would be present at next year’s E3. Many have rightfully accused Nintendo of being slow to react to the change in media devices from cartridges to disks, but Nintendo’s refusal to become part of the online revolution is predictable. I will be covering why this is in a future editorial, and do not have time to delve further into it now, but let me say that Nintendo has some very good reasons for avoiding the online market at the moment. Nintendo is not anti-technology. The Gamecube has first party games just as complex and pretty as the Xbox, but they also offer variety.
It’s undeniable that that the gaming industry is quickly maturing, and Nintendo is offering plenty of quality games to the older demograph, but still maintain a focus on the younger generation. Some have taken this as a sign that Nintendo has failed to adjust to the changing climate of the gaming industry, and that this behavior is dooming the industry. It’s clear, however, that Nintendo is doing more to save the gaming industry than any other company. Right now, the gaming industry is rapidly alienating new gamers, younger ones in particular. In an era of controllers the size of bricks, and where almost half of the top 10 games are rated M, it would be damn near impossible for new gamers to break in if not for Nintendo. Back in the day, horse racing was the major sport of the time, but then it became so enveloped with betting that it completely alienated any young audience. Result is fifty years later no one gives a shit. If you don’t try to attract a new audience, then your medium will die.
Nintendo consistently dominates the under 13 demograph, and this is where Nintendo "fan-boys" are bred. They become attached to the impeccable quality associated with every game in the Mario, Metroid and Zelda series, and want to continue to enjoy these series. The fact of the matter is that Nintendo has lost almost all of its mainstream appeal in the US, and first party games alone are keeping the Gamecube going.
One can already see the process of gamers returning the roots of gaming beginning. Simple games on the GBA that are relatively inexpensive to make outsell well crafted masterpieces like Ninja Gaiden that cost millions to produce. Furthermore, "retro" gaming is very in right, and ports of many classics outsell their more complex brothers from this generation.
I think that in the end gamers will have a choice between complexity and simplicity, but both must survive in order for the gaming industry to survive. If you prefer complexity, great, but don’t fault Nintendo for offering an alternative.
