EG Analysis: Nintendo – A Brief History
For many gamers, including myself, Nintendo has been the archetype for console gaming. Personally speaking, the NES was my first system and my introduction to the glorious world of video gaming. For me, Nintendo has been the example of innovation and the most responsible for the growth of the industry in many ways. On the flip side, Nintendo has had its moments of sheer stubbornness and conservatism that it would suggest the facilitation of the stagnancy of the interactive medium rather than the evolution.
The introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System was the signal of major shifts in the video gaming industry. For the first time, games of higher quality than arcade can be experienced at home. The technology, back then, set a new, very high standard for years to come. The introduction of the D-Pad itself was industry changing as evidenced by the mimicry of the form in future competing consoles. Nintendo established itself as a new, innovative force to be reckoned with.
Nintendo seemed more bold and confident when they introduced their SNES featuring, the now standard, four-button layout and shoulder buttons. History, it seemed, was repeating itself. Nintendo’s innovative genius was paying off with another generation of console dominance.
Not surprising that Nintendo would continue to try to trail blaze with their Game Boy, the archetype for portable gaming. Many have tried but no one has yet to topple Nintendo in the portable market. Of course, Nintendo can’t be too cocky. It’s not like they haven’t experienced some failures.
The single greatest shame, the blackest stain on their otherwise impressive history would no doubt be the Virtual Boy. Sometimes trying to innovate can take a turn for the worst. Sometimes your imagination gets in the way of practical thinking. As a result, you might end up with something like the Virtual Boy. Nintendo was so concerned about graphical fidelity that they completely forgot about practical use. The irony was that, for a portable system, it wasn’t very portable.
Nintendo seemed to be running into a lot of bad luck ever since the Virtual Boy. The Nintendo 64 was, in many cases, a failure. The single greatest weakness was the cartridge system which was archaic even back in 1996. Costly and restrictive, cartridges were going the way of the Dodo. The decision to stay with cartridges is a prime example of Nintendo’s stubbornness and conservatism. To their credit, they did introduce analog control for 3D gaming which revolutionize control once again for the gaming world.
Console-wise, the Nintendo 64 might be the darkest point in Nintendo’s sales history. Matters didn’t fare better for Nintendo with the Gamecube. Although initially promising, in the end, Gamecube wasn’t the runaway hit Nintendo was hoping for. The booming success of the NES, SNES, and Gameboy would suggest that being the king of the hill is a normal thing for Nintendo, so seeing the company struggle for nearly a decade is an odd thing to witness.
One thing has been consistent for Nintendo: the success of their portable systems. The portable gaming crown has been passed down from Gameboy to Gameboy Advance to the Nintendo DS. The key to Nintendo’s success is their progressive attitude coupled with their keen understanding of what a gamer-on-the-go truly needs (i.e., good battery life, scratch-and-dent resistance, etc.). Although deceptively simple, the formula to Nintendo’s success has yet to be duplicated.
The single most innovative move in Nintendo’s history could arguably be the introduction of the Wii and motion control. Although motion control, in general, isn’t a new idea in interactive media, the concept in the console arena is still novel. The irony is that this new method of control is relatively new and complex technology borne from the philosophical idea that gaming needs to simplify rather than continue to convolute the medium. To further the irony, the lack of sophistication of motion control has made gaming more difficult and frustrating rather than simple and entertaining in some instances.
The current generation of gaming is one that demands online capabilities, something that Nintendo appears to be stubbornly hesitant to jump into. Instead of going online with full force like Microsoft and, in a lesser way, Sony, they bring to the table a weak online effort with a tedious, user-unfriendly Friend Code system, a great example of Nintendo’s conservatism and need for control.
Nintendo’s motto appears to be “two steps forward, one step back.” As much they innovate and revolutionize, they always keep some old standard or refuse to budge and go with the contemporary trends. Watching Nintendo throughout the years has been a confusing and frustrating experience. You cheer for their innovative successes but jeer them at the same time for their stunning refusal to change. I hope for the future that Nintendo sheds the shackles of its conservative mind set. The recently unveiled 3DS shows promise for two reasons: 1) it shows that Nintendo is willing to go with the treads (i.e., 3D gaming), and 2) it shows that Nintendo still has the guts to do something new and innovative that might propel the industry much like past achievements.
I would hope Nintendo could learn from their mistakes and become a ubiquitous company for the hardcore and casual audience. As it stands now, Nintendo appears to side with gaming dabblers instead of the gaming enthusiasts. However, if E3 2010 is any indication, Nintendo appears to be winning my hardcore, enthusiast heart once again.
-jj
