tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9611352.post7033690517367443419..comments2024-02-19T19:53:01.688-08:00Comments on Cathode Tan: Signs Nintendo Might Be Losing ItJoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04260309971152360156noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9611352.post-81347045378262769422009-06-02T12:28:06.995-07:002009-06-02T12:28:06.995-07:00Some of this is pure conjecture based on industry ...Some of this is pure conjecture based on industry rumor - but the impression I get is that Nintendo is strangling themselves with their licensing program.<br /><br />Sony and Microsoft have to be smart about their software licenses because they're losing hardware cash. So they're in this massive competition to cultivate good relationships, help out developers, promote good titles, wrangle exclusives, etc. Which, except for Sony kinda sucking on the exclusive side, seems to be working pretty well for this generation. Since the PS3 hit, both consoles have had just awesome library build ups.<br /><br />Nintendo, on the other hand, seems to be content with just saying "We have the Wii, give us your money." And that money seems to be largely in the form of some kind of franchise tie-in willing to pay the fee. Without a strong second/third party pool, Nintendo's left to their own first party tricks.<br /><br />And I think we've seen the sum of those tricks. It is either:<br /><br />a) Revive/Re-release a Nintendo icon / release.<br /><br />b) Create a new piece of hardware, find a clever use for it.<br /><br />c) both.<br /><br />Wiiware looks like a bit of an exception, except for being slaughtered by both XBLA and PSN. Aside from that, these tricks are feeling pretty old from halcyon days of seeing Wii Play demoed.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04260309971152360156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9611352.post-16676359052600945722009-06-02T12:07:02.741-07:002009-06-02T12:07:02.741-07:00Also I expect to hear announced at E3 that there w...Also I expect to hear announced at E3 that there will be a shark jumping game in the upcoming Wii Sports Resort.<br /><br />I think Nintendo's going into full bore panic mode. Microsoft and Sony lose money on hardware to make money on software licensing. Nintendo has been about selling the hardware, and with iffy licensing revenue coming in, they're left with making more hardware. That's my guess anyway.<br /><br />The other possibility, I suppose, is that Nintendo has become too enamored with the Wiimote's success in saving their hides. So now they are just throwing anything out there that hints at playing off that success. Release an enhanced Wiimote, a Wiimote with a heart monitor and next, presumably, a Wiimote with mind reading capabilities.<br /><br />It seems to me that Sony and Microsoft can last for a few more years off of their current consoles. I expect though that Nintendo, needing the revenue stream and being behind the curve on hardware, will come out with a new system ahead of the others.sternohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02245940881311545520noreply@blogger.com