5 things Nintendo should do with their next console...
First things first: I LOVE Nintendo! My very first games console was my brother's old SNES and ever since then I've owned every Nintendo console to date, right up to the Wii U and New Nintendo 3DS.
Nintendo get a lot of bother these days
from the gaming community and for a while now it's been because of the Wii U.
It's actually a great console once you sink your teeth into it, but the lack of
third party games and powerful hardware meant more people favoured the Xbox One
and PS4.
And whilst I wouldn't say the Wii U was a
failure, it wasn't exactly the money making machine or ground breaking console
that Nintendo hoped it would be, like the Wii.
Now Nintendo are looking to the future and
have announced they're working on their new console, currently called the
"NX." Question is, will it go well? Here are 5 things I personally
think Nintendo need to do, or at least think about, for the NX.
Number 1...
Get away from the "Wii" brand. Ok, yes the Wii was successful and there
was a point were EVERYONE I knew had one in their house. It was a great console
for families and when you had your mates over, but gaming alone on it was a
bit...meh. I mean there was Smash Bros, Zelda, Mario Kart, sure! But it was
always better with friends.
Then the Wii U
comes out and half the world thinks it's an additional piece of hardware for
the Wii, not a brand new console. Then the negative connotations of the Wii,
the ones that arose when the novelty wore off, creep into things. I've no idea
what "NX" stands for ("Nintendo X?") but I just hope it
doesn't become the "Wii U: Plus" or something similar. We need
something completely fresh and new.
Number
2...
Drop the
gimmicks. Nintendo have always been pioneers in new ways to game and
sparking innovation, and that is great! But the motion controls of the Wii were
a pain at the best of times. The Wii U Gamepad was a big step up as it could be
used as an actual controller, not to mention the Pro Pads. But a fair few
people don't like the gimmicky touch screen (I personally think it's
great).
It was revealed the NX is part of Nintendo's new venture with DeNa... a
mobile company... Please don't link up with smart phones, please dont link up
with smart phones, please dont link up with-
Dropping the gimmicky controls would encourage more third party
developers, which brings me onto...
Number 3...
Don't have LOTS of third party games. Yes you read
that right... DON'T. Whilst admittedly more third party games are needed on
Nintendo consoles for variety, I don't want to see the latest COD or
Battlefield on a Nintendo system. That's not what Nintendo are about. Nintendo
consoles and the games on them are about innovation and Nintendo's established
image, not 360 no-scope kill streaks. (And being blunt, COD on the Wii was
S**T!)
But on the other hand,
they do need to get more third party development and not just regurgitate
Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong games (although I wouldn't complain). Getting some
more third party games will definitely appeal to a wider audience, but the
Nintendo originals and exclusives should be their main focus.
Number 4...
Just focus on gaming. The biggest thing that bothered me
about the Xbox One and PS4 is how much stuff they can do. That might not make a
lot of sense, but I don't want a games console that I can watch telly on,
whilst checking my emails, whilst Skyping my mates, whilst playing Halo.
Believe it or not, I want a games console TO GAME!
"Oh, but, the Xbox
One is a MEDIA CENTRE, it has everything you need in ONE device." Ok fine,
but I think this is the last thing Nintendo need to worry about. They should
stick to what they do best: games. Satoru Iwata said in the announcement that
the NX will be "a dedicated game platform with a brand new concept,"
so that is looking promising.
Number 5...
Don't release it too early. The fact that Nintendo are already talking about a new
console less than three years after the Wii U is slightly worrying. I think
they shot themselves in the foot with how early the Wii U came out. The reason
it "doesn't have any games" was because it hardly had any when it
launched, and most of the ones it did have were already out on Xbox 360 and
PS3.
Hold your fire Nintendo. Wait until the
time is right and make some finished, kick ass, original games for the launch.
It's not about who gets their console out first, it's about the quality. Plus
waiting will allow longer development times with potentially better hardware to
rival the other consoles.
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