Should Nintendo go handhelds-only?

[WeepingAngels]

If Pokemon is the only franchise to keep a Nintendo handheld afloat, then I wouldn't call that a success. Also, Nintendo has never really handled their VC service well. They couldn't fall back on that unless they were willing to support it better.

Its obviously NOT the only franchise keeping Nintendo handhelds afloat, unless you are just trying to dismiss any actual factual information into your opinion...

Nintendo has handled their VC service just fine, except for overpricing, and the lack of an account based system. Obviously, if they HAD to fall back on it, then it would be supported much better, since it would be a neccesity.

I am just responding to those who say "ONE WORD: Pokemon....will always save Nintendo handhelds". Actually, what saved the 3DS was the price drop, long before a Pokemon game was on the system.

Nintendo has not handled their Virtual Console just fine. We are almost three years into the 3DS lifecycle and we have no GBA games (except ambassadors) and no SNES games on the VC. You are actually the first person I have heard say that.

You probably dont know everything that goes into releasing games on the VC. Now, if Nintendo would have went the SONY route (with their PS1 games) where they dont HAVE to relicense, rerate everything, then Nintendo could have just offered all of the Wii VC games on the Wii U/3DS, instead Nintendo has to relicense, rerate everything, and that takes time and money.

Also, if you were just responding to those who say "One word: Pokemon..." then dont quote me in the post...

I don't need to know everything about the Virtual Console to know that Nintendo hasn't handled it well. One doesn't need to know everything about a subject to have an opinion. Do you have an opinion about your car? Do you know everything about it?

Also, pretty sure licensing is something Sony has to do too. The difference is that Sony made a PS1 emulator while Nintendo packs a customized emulator into each ROM. That still doesn't excuse them though because many games are available in other regions but Nintendo of America doesn't bother to release them here. Do you think I need to know why Breath of Fire wasn't released on the VC in North America to have an opinion about it?

ETA: So I just checked to see what was new this week on the Virtual Console. On the Wii U we have a fuckin NES game called Gradius but that is awesome compared to what the 3DS got....NOTHING! In fact, 3DS hasn't had a VC title in two weeks. You go on telling me how Nintendo is treating the VC just fine though. I could use the laugh.

 

[McMarbles]

I would be fine with this. Haven't owned a console since the N64.

 

[VG_Addict]

Going handhelds-only would mean abandoning a huge chunk of the video game market. It would also mean that all of Nintendo's eggs were in one basket, with one failed handheld (Or a shift away from handhelds as smartphone games mature) killing them dead.

Being too entrenched in a single, narrow business model and product line is death in the fast-moving consumer tech industry. If Nintendo is going to stop making consoles, they should just go third party to take advantage of consumers who aren't interested in handhelds.

Also, this stupid "ONLY NINTENDO MAKES MONEY ON THEIR CONSOLES!" meme has been debunked 1,000 times. The Xbox 360 has been wildly profitable. The PS4 and Xbox One are both being sold close to cost already. The only well-selling console that wasn't profitable was the PS3, which was the result of Sony making the thing too complex and expensive to build.

The 360 has been profitable? Are you serious? Microsoft lost billions on the 360. In fact, they haven't made a profit on the XBOX division since 2001.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

The 360 has been profitable? Are you serious? Microsoft lost billions on the 360. In fact, they haven't made a profit on the XBOX division since 2001.

The Xbox division has been making a profit since 2008.

http://kotaku.com/5026559/xbox-division-finally-reports-profitable-year

And has been profitable even through Xbox One development.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/microsoft-xbox-live-growth-led-entertainment-division-to-profit-in-q4/0118805


It's amazing what you find out when you try fact checking before correcting other people on the internet.

 

[WeepingAngels]

ETA: So I just checked to see what was new this week on the Virtual Console. On the Wii U we have a fuckin NES game called Gradius but that is awesome compared to what the 3DS got....NOTHING! In fact, 3DS hasn't had a VC title in two weeks. You go on telling me how Nintendo is treating the VC just fine though. I could use the laugh.

You didnt state any of your post as "opinion." So I didnt take it as such. You are pretty naive to expect great games every week. Its a business, and costs money. Get over it. Im more annoyed at the prices of these games, rather than the amount. They could release everything and they would still be overpriced.

Really? With all the great games available you think it's pretty naive of me to expect Nintendo to release one a week? They are dragging their fuckin feet and everyone knows it, except you. We are still getting nothing higher than NES and GB Color on 3DS which is 3 years old now.

 

[WeepingAngels]

ETA: So I just checked to see what was new this week on the Virtual Console. On the Wii U we have a fuckin NES game called Gradius but that is awesome compared to what the 3DS got....NOTHING! In fact, 3DS hasn't had a VC title in two weeks. You go on telling me how Nintendo is treating the VC just fine though. I could use the laugh.

You didnt state any of your post as "opinion." So I didnt take it as such. You are pretty naive to expect great games every week. Its a business, and costs money. Get over it. Im more annoyed at the prices of these games, rather than the amount. They could release everything and they would still be overpriced.

Really? With all the great games available you think it's pretty naive of me to expect Nintendo to release one a week? They are dragging their fuckin feet and everyone knows it, except you. We are still getting nothing higher than NES and GB Color on 3DS which is 3 years old now.

They never said they were going to release GBA or SNES on 3DS. So to expect that is just pointless.

I expect them to if they intend to treat the virtual console right. Tell me something, do you even shop on the virtual console? You have whined about the prices so I am thinking that a person who has no intention of buying anything off of the virtual console probably doesn't pay much attention to it and probably has no expectations of it. So in that persons mind, of course the VC is "fine".

 

[WeepingAngels]

ETA: So I just checked to see what was new this week on the Virtual Console. On the Wii U we have a fuckin NES game called Gradius but that is awesome compared to what the 3DS got....NOTHING! In fact, 3DS hasn't had a VC title in two weeks. You go on telling me how Nintendo is treating the VC just fine though. I could use the laugh.

You didnt state any of your post as "opinion." So I didnt take it as such. You are pretty naive to expect great games every week. Its a business, and costs money. Get over it. Im more annoyed at the prices of these games, rather than the amount. They could release everything and they would still be overpriced.

Really? With all the great games available you think it's pretty naive of me to expect Nintendo to release one a week? They are dragging their fuckin feet and everyone knows it, except you. We are still getting nothing higher than NES and GB Color on 3DS which is 3 years old now.

They never said they were going to release GBA or SNES on 3DS. So to expect that is just pointless.

I expect them to if they intend to treat the virtual console right. Tell me something, do you even shop on the virtual console? You have whined about the prices so I am thinking that a person who has no intention of buying anything off of the virtual console probably doesn't pay much attention to it and probably has no expectations of it. So in that persons mind, of course the VC is "fine".

Yes, I bought Mario Tennis. Pretty sure that came out in the last week or two. Didn't really want to pay $6 for it though.

That came out 2 weeks ago on 12/26/13. You can check the release date in the eShop.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Yes, I bought Mario Tennis. Pretty sure that came out in the last week or two. Didn't really want to pay $6 for it though.

That came out 2 weeks ago on 12/26/13. You can check the release date in the eShop.

okay, I said week or two. Man is reading that hard?

I wasn't trying to argue with you about it.