How long will Nintendo last?

[Tetra's Wink]

Sadly Nintendo just isn't as popular as Playstation or XBox. How long will Nintendo last? I think that as long as it still has Mario and Zelda, it will still last quite a few years.

 

[Salem]

It will last longer than the Human race, mark my words.

 

[RedLink]

You do realize the Wii U is outselling the Xbone currently right? Granted it's been out a year longer, but it shows they're far from over. The Wii U had a rocky start with these problems:

• Name- Most people who don't read the tabloids thought it was a mere extension to the Wii initially, like the 64DD.
• Buggy launch- Now granted even the ps4 and Xbone had required long-ass patches, but this doesn't mean the Wii U having one didn't hurt it.
• No good launch games- The 64 was released with Super Mario 64, the Gamecube with Luigi's Mansion, the Wii with Twilight Princess. The Wii U? Nintendoland and a bunch of dumb third party ports.
• Bad marketing- I remember all those Wii commercials with the two Japanese guys who say "Wii would like to play". I remember seeing a total of maybe 2 commercials for the Wii U, and they weren't memorable.

Now Nintendo has picked up the pace with awesome games, but they've still yet to explore their other IPs. The upcoming Star Fox and Zelda U games look promising, but we still need others. F-Zero and Metroid are two popular series that keep getting mentioned, but how about a Pokemon Snap sequel? The gamepad would be perfect for it.

 

[Wolf Sage]

I honestly don't know. Nintendo has been around for over 100 years, though, so that could either serve as a testament to its resilience or a sign of its impending doom.

 

[Mercedes]

You do realize the Wii U is outselling the Xbone currently right?

That isn't actually correct, the Xbox overtook the Wii U in worldwide sales last November. But with that said, I don't really think that's too relevant. The Wii U was selling badly when it was the only next-gen console out there, it's not like the Xbox and PS4 just came out and pushed it aside. There was nothing to push aside.

As for the thread question, I don't think they'll die anytime soon. We could discuss if we think they will survive in the home console market, sure, but Nintendo, as a company, dying?! We'll be up to the PlayStation 10 before we even hear a whiff of that, and that's if every possible worst case scenario happens; if their console business dies, and even their handheld business too (though it's not like the 3DS is doing badly), they'd still likely find success as being a third-party developer, and perhaps publisher too. If SEGA can, Nintendo sure as hell could.

 

[Heroine of Winds]

When the world eventually comes to an end.

But seriously, they probably won't be gone anytime soon because they're still gaining profits. They'll only die if they don't have any money left.

 

[Iridescence]

Nintendo will last for a long time. Worst case scenario, if they don't get third party next gen, they just will be a niche company rather than a major competitor.

 

[Triforce King]

I don't know if they will last long, they already starting plans on Mobile and PC gaming. Dammit Nintendo!

 

[Dan]

I predict this game will save the Wii U, and bring upon a new age of gaming.

In all seriousness it's hard to tell, Nintendo aren't really in that much hot water. Their consoles are selling okay amounts. As long as they hold their own games hostage on their own console they will be fine. Plus they haven't made really bad moves like Sega have... well maybe the virtual boy.

 

[Dio]

Nintendo in its current form will not continue on, however the brand will exist for years and years to come. I think it is likely they will fail as a console developer and have to put their games on other consoles. I don't think this is a bad thing however because concentrating on making their games the best experiences for the best consoles would be better than what they are doing now which is making limited games for limited hardware.

 

[the8thark]

I think Nintendo will do an Apple one day. - I'll explain.
Apple changed it's name from Apple Computers to Apple to show it's change from being only a traditional computer company to a company that is now dealing with the non traditional PCs and computers (tablets/phones/watches etc etc). I think Nintendo will do this again. Nintendo will not change it's name. Nintendo did it's last major shift in the 1980's when it took the risk and entered the video game market. A risk that paid off in the long run. I think Nintendo is slowly expanding on this risk by taking more risks. The mobile phone market, the online world, etc etc. All avenues that are not multiplayer fun around the same TV in the same building.

Nintendo will not fail in their main IPs stay exclusive to Nintendo. I think this is essential for Nintendo's success. Just like OS X being Macintosh exclusive is part of Apple's success. If you could buy AAA games on non Nintendo hardware, no one would buy the Nintendo consoles and then Nintendo would have to port the games to the lowest common denominator. And all their hardware exclusive features (like game pad support) would have to be watered down for the other consoles or just removed from the games. Nintendo hardware is the price of entry to play AAA Nintendo games. And that price of admission is helping Nintendo stay in business.

 

[ihateghirahim]

Nintendo is adapting, slowly. The way they're doing mobile shows a commitment to keeping their fanbase happy and they're stockholders in line. They've shown a hatred of micro-transactions and selling-out that even the most avid of haters must admire. I believe they will make the necessary reforms to preserve their status as a developer. I think with a little more focus on getting third parties on board their upcoming consoles, they'll sell well and be here for years to come.

 

[the8thark]

Nintendo is adapting, slowly. The way they're doing mobile shows a commitment to keeping their fanbase happy and they're stockholders in line. They've shown a hatred of micro-transactions and selling-out that even the most avid of haters must admire. I believe they will make the necessary reforms to preserve their status as a developer. I think with a little more focus on getting third parties on board their upcoming consoles, they'll sell well and be here for years to come.

That new freemium pokemon game on 3DS reeks of micro transactions though. I'm not sure if that is a one off or a start of a longer term strategy.