Nintendo has managed to make it 128 years while being nearly universally loved by everyone - but how?
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you have to appreciate Nintendo’s ability to create hype around the strangest products (I’m looking at you, Labo), and their ability to sell those products very well (we shall see if this extends to the cardboard playsets). So what exactly are the secrets of success of this nearly 130 year old company?
One thing Nintendo has always been good at is innovation; creating new, different, interesting technology that stands out from its competitors. In their 13 decade history, they’ve gone from card game company to the cutting edge of gaming tech and software. They’ve dominated console sales in the Switch’s first year of sale, and even conquered mobile gaming with Pokémon GO! and Super Mario Run. They’re not afraid to try new things, even if that sometimes turns into a weird controller that looks like it’s aimed at people with three hand, (see the Nintendo 64 controller, pictured below).
Nintendo is also great at is targeting families, especially ‘non-gamer’ families - and this includes Labo, which I am very interested in watching play out. Their cute, colourful, easy-to-understand games mean pretty much anyone can pick up a controller and join in, especially those with built-in handicaps (think Mario Kart 8’s auto-steer and accelerate functions). Mario Odyssey’s “two-player” mode - in which player one controls Mario, and player two controls his hat - is ideal for older people (siblings, parents) playing with younger children, as player two has limited control and can’t really mess the game up for player one. The Switch’s ‘anti-eat’ coating of denatonium benzoate on its small game cartridges discourages children from putting them in their mouth.
However, there are some that disagree with Nintendo’s habit of releasing new versions of existing consoles with minor tweaks. This is especially obvious in the 3DS family: 3DS → 3DS XL → 2DS → New 3DS and XL. The 3DS XL’s major feature compared to the regular 3DS is a 90% bigger screen, the 2DS is cheaper due to its lack of 3D capabilities, and the New 3DS and XL version have upgraded processors, additional RAM, and Amiibo support - nothing radically different, or that couldn’t have been included in the original 3DS if they’d waited a bit longer to release it.
One user who goes by zaop32 said, as a ‘harcore gamer’, he “can’t really get behind” Nintendo’s targeting of casual audiences, despite their “incredibly good games and probably fun consoles”.
Clearly, however much they try, Nintendo will never be able to appeal to everyone. But you know what? They get pretty damn close, and I for one will continue to be a Nintendo fan as long as they keep going.
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