Nintendo is in for Big Changes… But What Does This Mean for Zelda Fans?

Nintendo is doing something many thought they never would, at least under Iwata. It’s been clear for many years the culture of video games is changing. Nintendo’s Wii and DS crowd of newer gamers have moved on to more convenient and easier to access platforms (Smart devices), and their latest efforts succeed and failed at the same time at capturing a more niche gamer crowd. The 3DS, on one hand, succeeded at holding on to the more serious Nintendo fans, while the Wii U has failed to take hold among a niche crowd – something the PlayStation 4 and yes, even the Xbox One are doing a much better job of.

This of course has nothing to do with games, let alone exclusive games. Nintendo is still right there with the very best developers and publishers in the industry in terms of producing quality content – some would argue they are ahead of them all in this regard – but slowly it has been proven that software alone no longer sells hardware – this is even more true if we watch the trend in sales with the PlayStation 4. The system has yet to have one major blockbuster exclusive hit, but it’s breaking sales records all across the globe. Gamers are buying in because of perceived value and future potential. They are buying into the console not for its games, but for what it might provide them at a price they feel is cheaper than expected. They did this while charging $50 more than the Wii U and having, arguably, just as bare of a first year for exclusive games.

Nintendo is making a lot of bold moves today that seemed unlikely years ago. Iwata is admitting the market has shifted and that Nintendo can’t continue to do what they do and stick around – even if profit margins have rebounded from the years of loss. Reality is that long haul, their old model was not likely going to be able to sustain. Sure, they were venturing into Quality of Life and when it is all said and done, it very well may become Nintendo’s most financially viable branch, especially if governments and hospitals start to buy in. But it is a brand new industry and there is a very real reality that Nintendo could end up failing in that venture. It’s a risk you take anytime you try something new – and this is largely why their stock didn’t budge a whole lot because of it.

The risk to go mobile is somewhat minimized by the reality that the consumer base is already there buying up and spending a lot of money on mobile games already. Nintendo would become an instantly recognized brand in the various app stores and end up likely moving several million in downloads right away. To go from that to being the most popular games on the app store involves releasing a quality game – but Iwata has stated over and over again they are not going to jeopardize the integrity of their IP – so don’t expect a Dungeon Keeper situation with their games.

Still, they aren’t abandoning hardware – that’s what the Nintendo “NX” is for, and I’ll go into more details on that in an episode of the Boss Man. Rather, today I wanted to talk about what this all means for us as Zelda fans. What it means for you, for me… for everyone.

Impact for Zelda Fans

For starters, it means our fan base is going to be absolutely blowing up in the next few years. Yes, there are going to be Zelda mobile games and yes, we are going to cover them. We’ll be welcoming in a brand new audience that might have their first experience with The Legend of Zelda through their own Smart Device, rather than Nintendo hardware. The sooner we accept this reality, the better all of us will be. We need to show them how inviting of a community and a fan base we can be, and encourage them to expand their horizons and yes, maybe try out a non-mobile Zelda experience. To me, it doesn’t matter how someone became a fan, it matters how we embrace them.

Beyond that, it doesn’t mean the end of Zelda as we know it. We’re going to still get our console and handheld gaming device games. Zelda U is still happening. Another console Zelda game after it as well and probably remakes too. The every 2 year cycle still doesn’t show any end in sight – if anything, Iwata confirming new hardware is in the works merely maintains the future of the Zelda software business.

It’s a brave new world we’re stepping into, with Nintendo creating a unified OS and Membership program, and yes, we have to begin to welcome in Smart Device gamers who play something related to Zelda with open arms. Zelda’s future isn’t in doubt, not now or in the next 5 to 10 years. If anything we have a new opportunity to expand as a fan base and get even more people into the franchise. Let’s embrace it – because frankly, Nintendo is doing the same. This doesn’t mean you need to like what is going on or like any of the games, but we shouldn’t shun the ones who do. Welcome to a new age.