It has been 31 years since the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the system that revolutionized the world of videogames and helped create the now immensely influential modern video-gaming culture. But unfortunately, after seven home consoles, six handheld consoles, and a boatload of classic games, Nintendo has finally come to the end of its road.
The Guardian recently reported that Nintendo had slashed its Wii U yearly sales estimate from 9 million to 2.8 million. That’s less than one-third of the sales it predicted it would make the year before. What’s even worse is that Nintendo actually sold under its estimates, at 2.72 million consoles.
I’ve always been a fan of Nintendo more than of any other gaming console, mainly because I didn’t have the money to purchase an Xbox or Playstation. Growing up, my first console was the GameCube. Yes, I’ll admit I was a little late in joining the Nintendo crowd, as I was well aware of the explosive popularity brought about by the Nintendo 64, arguably the company’s peak-era.
Before I could finally convince my parents to invest in a Nintendo console, I’d lived the N64 experience through my friends’ consoles. By the time I’d gotten my hands on a GameCube, embellished with Zelda: The Windwaker and Madden 2002, I was well seasoned in the art of racing heavily pixelated Mario Karts, and busting out the jams on my ocarina.
But after the release of the Wii, it was evident to me that Nintendo’s popularity in the gaming community was starting to decline. Yes, the Wii introduced a change in gaming through motion-sensor technology, but as other consoles, like the Xbox and Playstation, were becoming increasingly popular with what were deemed more “hardcore” or mature games, in graphics and story lines, the Wii was struggling to adapt.
Only old crusties will hold on to Nintendo, clinging to childhood through our beloved Mario, Link, and StarFox.
Now, with the Wii U having made its less-than-glamorous debut, it is clear to me that the only thing keeping Nintendo barely running is the release of games with the classic characters that initially made it popular. In other words, Nintendo is running on nostalgic value.
I’ve accepted that, as a Nintendo fan, I have become an obsolete gamer, and have refrained from purchasing a Wii U console. But I will forever remain faithful to those games that played such an important role in childhood life.
However, The Guardian reported that while some analysts (like me) “have suggested that Nintendo may be ready to ditch its troubled machine,” Nintendo plans to “rejuvenate” the Wii U with the release of some new major titles and technologies.
While the company may feel its taking the right steps to boost its profits, I, unfortunately, feel otherwise. The stigma has been placed on Nintendo. With its failure to quickly branch out into modern hardcore graphic games, Nintendo will continue to lose copious amounts of money, and will eventually wither into nothing. Only the old crusties, such as myself, will hold on to it, trying desperately to cling to childhood through our beloved Mario, Link, and StarFox.
Goodbye, Nintendo. It was fun while it lasted. But now you must submit to your own demise in the face of high-definition blood and guts.
If this article is serious, then you have,
unfortunately,
“grown” up Adam, I seriously hope Nintendo never grow up like “many” people do.
The gaming industry need games that can take us grown ups back to our childhood, we need games that have color and cartoons in them that are fun to play and look gorgeous, when people think blood and guts is becoming synonymous with growing up, then i just feel sad for those people.
I hope this article is being ironic.
Nintendo’s stubborn Japanese management will doom it to die in irrelevance and mediocrity.
Hardly, they’ve assured the company longevity through what is unarguably the largest industry turmoil since the 83 crash, that you call Gen 8. Thanks to the many missteps of corporatism that never really added to the gaming narrative, they are almost over. The industry needed the lesson however as 98-2K saw some much beloved indipendants that were raking in the cash get swallowed up by the likes of EA. Truth is I give the current industry maybe 1.5yrs and it’ll be over. If by some miracle they manage to survive, then Gen 8 sales peaks will be top platform no more than 36 million. Its just a shit Gen with no direction and too much reactionary business, existing on business models that have never been profitable. But the current shape of corporatism in gaming, is over. Even investors are starting to scream for their money. Gen 9 will be Nintendo/Valve and a much welcome re-establishment of the gaming industry under profitable business and a relevant narrative.
Anyone who thinks Nintendo peaked in the N64 era has already proved they don’t know what they’re talking about. It doesn’t matter that everything else in the article is bollocks, the N64 represents one of Nintendo’s biggest mistakes and pretty much every 3rd party struggle since.
Yep. For core gamers, the SNES was the peak.
Nope that would be the 8-bit NES. Those SNES fanboys are softcore gamers.
You’re only 6 months too late with this news. Things have changed alot and alot looks to change even more on the immediate horizon since that was news.
Yeah this guy has no idea what he’s talking about… Sorry, if you’re first nintendo system was a GameCube you are not an “old crusty” fan: you are relatively new to the scene… I’ve had a Nintendo system since the NES came out.
Also, you obviously aren’t a fan. You don’t have a wii u out of choice, there are some really good games on it. You want blood and guts and not innovation. That’s cool too, everyone likes a certain type of game. Hell, I like blood and guts too sometimes, the difference is I like all kinds of games and don’t pigeonhole myself into thinking violent games are the only real games. I’ve played all sorts of games where you murder people like it’s a party, but I always come back to super Mario or Mario kart cuz they are much more fun than any murder spree plain and simple.
Typical click bait article.
Another doom an d gloom article?
So just because Nintendo missed their sales projections, they are a failure? What if that projection was 9 billion? Would that make them out to be a greater failure? No, it just meas that they didn’t sell as many as they guessed they would.
The fact is, there are over 6 million sold. When is the install base going to big enough to not be an excuse anymore? Developers started jumping ship way before it reached this level. The install base at thw time of Mass Effect 3 for instance, is too far from where it is now to be any indication of anything anymore.
There are still more wii u consoles in the wild than there are xbox one. The Wii U also has more and better games than either other console.
Nintendo is not done yet.
Pretty much. The PS and Xbox has more better games, face the facts. Over 6 million also means nothing much, and more so when you also look at its competitors’ sales figures. When? Won’t come. It can’t. Read today’s estimate-slashing article and you are wrong yet again.
This article is utter nonsense. The N64, Nintendos peak era? Embarrassed for the author…
The internet: over saturated with articles by people writing about things they do not know about, just because they can. As seen in the above piece that is obviously naive and superfluous.
Busting out my Ocarina; In Wind Waker? Really?
If you read the article carefully, you should notice that he did refer to the Nintendo 64 (Ocarina of Time) when writing that.
I think you’re writing Nintendo off a little too soon. They still have around $12 billion in cash reserves, do they not? They can afford to take a hit on the Wii U; they just need to do better with their next console. They made billions off the original Wii; I don’t see why they can’t strike gold again someday.
Comment bait. Yes, i’m commenting but, only as a warning. Please don’t encourage this “writer”.