Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata Announces Online Gaming Network • Hacker News Board

Re: Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata Announces Online Gaming Network

#31

Post by peterb » Sat, Jan 28, 2012, 3:00 AM UTC

ConstantineXVI wrote: post #19

chaostheory wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't feel that they'll ever die either. It'll just be another Gamecube period that they're entering. Their indy catalog pales in comparison to their competitor's catalogs. Not to mention the pricing sucks in general

More accurate would be comparing to the N64. The [N64|3DS] came out using overpriced, relatively low storage cartridges when [Sony/Sega|Apple/Amazon] moved to [CD-ROM|cloud!] which is cheaper, more powerful, and allowed for easier distribution; as well as their competitors being easier to write for.

In Nintendo's market cartridges are an advantage. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt & Uncle want to give a tangible present, not a gift card or "points". It is not about the technology, it is about the experience. I'm a dad, Nintendo has nailed it.

Re: Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata Announces Online Gaming Network

#32

Post by betterth » Mon, Jan 30, 2012, 3:06 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #22

betterth wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you of the belief that Nintendo needs to bow out of the hardware business? Because 2011 was incredibly rough on Nintendo -- they lost $500 million last year. Even Nintendo says that Apple and Facebook (iOS and Facebook games) are a huge reason for this first-in-a-generation-loss, and let's face it, they're doing jack shit to accommodate a changing industry. What has Nintendo done for a long time? A console, a…

R&D isn't free. Companies lose a lot of money at the start of a hardware cycle, this always happens to everyone . The Wii has sold 90m units and unlike their competitors, Nintendo makes a profit on every unit sold. In the past year they've had the 3DS and the Wii U in development. That's an investment. iOS isn't the competitor to the Wii U. Making the Wii U more "iOS-like" would not change a thing (except lose more m…

"Something tells me you don't know a single thing about the console industry."

It takes a fanboy to swallow a FIVE HUNDRED MILLION loss without batting an eyelash.

Something tells me you don't know a single thing about business or investing.

Nintendo can't win at consoles and lose at business all day long. Unlike Sony and Microsoft, they can't be loss leaders. Xbox can run 500,000,000$ losses and be fine.

Nintendo can't.

You know what the difference between past-Nintendo haters and new ones?

In the past, Nintendo ALWAYS profited. Every weak console = profit. They have never lost $500,000,000 in a single year.

But hey, MASSIVE losses are nothing, right?

Re: Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata Announces Online Gaming Network

#33

Post by chaostheory » Mon, Jan 30, 2012, 7:24 PM UTC

peterb wrote: post #30

chaostheory wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't feel that they'll ever die either. It'll just be another Gamecube period that they're entering. Their indy catalog pales in comparison to their competitor's catalogs. Not to mention the pricing sucks in general

How many indy games target 4-10 year olds? Pricing doesn't matter as long as it is an affordable birthday present for grandma, grandpa, aunts, etc.

Actually a lot. Currently there are hundreds of titles on Apple's store. I wouldn't doubt if Google had a similar number. Have you seen the library for iPad and iPhone?