What would happen if Nintendo released the next Zelda on a pre-GameCube console?

[gbpxl]

Really this question is for any major company still producing consoles and any series but Im using a well known example.

Say Nintendo announced that the sequel to Breath of the Wild would be an EXCLUSIVE to the Nintendo 64.

1) How much would the game cost?

2) Would stores carry it? And if so, which ones? What section would they carry it in since its divided between Switch, X1, and PS4 right now.

3) What would consumer reaction be?

4) Would the prices of used N64s skyrocket?

5) Would Nintendo start manufacturing N64 consoles in order to meet demand?

6) How fast would it sell out?

7) Critics' reactions?

8) Reactions of young fans of the series who may have only played Zelda on newer consoles?

9) Would it be pirated? Would people put this game on their Ever Drives like they do with everything else?

10) Would other companies follow suit?

11) Would there be renewed interest in N64 games in general (moreso than now)?

12) What kind of warranty would there be?

13) Could/would it lead to a future where new games are produced on old hardware and compete against the Switch?

I know there's a snowballs chance in Hell of this happening but itd be interesting to see what would happen. Id love an N64 sequel to Majora's Mask or OoT

[Aussie2B]

I would imagine consumer/critic/fan/etc. reaction would be "That's fucking stupid." It would be heavily pirated because most people wouldn't care to track down old, used hardware to play a new game, let alone a new game that's severely limited by its hardware compared to modern hardware, though some would take interest, and prices of N64 stuff probably would go up in general. Price would be impacted by whatever it'd cost to open facilities that could manufacture official N64 carts again. The warranty would be limited considering Nintendo can't guarantee hardware that's 20+ years old won't somehow fry the new carts. If Nintendo made new systems, they'd be some sort of simplified clone. Nintendo probably has enough clout to get stores to carry it, and they'd probably be sold as some sort of novelty. I don't think it would change the future of gaming or influence other companies to any significant degree. There's a niche market for mini versions of retro consoles, homebrews, and what have you, but most gamers want games to take advantage of powerful, modern hardware, and most game developers want the fewer restrictions of modern hardware too. I mean, there's a reason why the N64 was made to begin with, instead of just endlessly releasing games on SNES or NES. A big part of why Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were successful is because they were pushing the limits of what home console hardware could do at the time and gave players experiences unlike what they ever had before.

[gbpxl]

They kinda have never stopped releasing SNES games endlessly. The last American SNES game came out 2 years after its successor. And the last Japanese SNES game came out 2 years after its successor's successor. And there have been lots of games released for the system as homebrews, hacks, and now even licensed re-prints. The only thing that stopped is the games showing up in brick and mortar stores as well as the official Nintendo license.

I just think there is a vast audience for new (good) N64 titles. I think a lot of people who are really into the Switch would line up outside stores for a new N64 Zelda/Mario/Metroid game. I probably would

[jb143]

The closest (official) thing you're going to get to something like that is unreleased games, like with Starfox 2 . Or maybe someone along the lines of a Super Fighter Team getting rights to games and then releasing them on older consoles.

[Gameguy]

I doubt this will ever happen, they're still in the hardware business so they want people to keep buying their new hardware. I doubt they even still have development hardware around for new games to still be programmed efficiently, or at least that their current programmers won't know how to code for such old hardware in enough numbers for development to be efficient.

You would expect them to start manufacturing N64 consoles again? That's basically what Sega did with the 32X and Saturn, dividing their userbase, and it didn't work out well for them.

[Edmond Dantes]

Really this question is for any major company still producing consoles and any series but Im using a well known example.

Say Nintendo announced that the sequel to Breath of the Wild would be an EXCLUSIVE to the Nintendo 64.

You mean they didn't in your timeline? In mine it was massively panned for only having five shrines.


1) How much would the game cost?

$200 plus tax, tho the re-release on Dreamcast was only $50. The Neo-Geo version caused rioting in the streets.


2) Would stores carry it? And if so, which ones? What section would they carry it in since its divided between Switch, X1, and PS4 right now.

Amazon exclusive.


3) What would consumer reaction be?

PEOPLE DIED.


4) Would the prices of used N64s skyrocket?

I was able to put my kids through college with a spare N64...


5) Would Nintendo start manufacturing N64 consoles in order to meet demand?

Nope.


6) How fast would it sell out?

Six hours after it was announced. I had to live with just youtube videos.


7) Critics' reactions?

ONLY FIVE SHRINES.


8) Reactions of young fans of the series who may have only played Zelda on newer consoles?

ZORAS NOT SEXY ENOUGH.


9) Would it be pirated? Would people put this game on their Ever Drives like they do with everything else?

You pretty much had to.


10) Would other companies follow suit?

It wound up being the thing that made Sega decide to get back into consoles and the Dreamcast 2 thoroughly trounced the Switch in 2023.


11) Would there be renewed interest in N64 games in general (moreso than now)?

People wound up remembering how good Goldeneye was so much that Eon Films preferred to build a Pierce Brosnan robot and have that be the next James Bond rather than keep the Daniel Craig train going.


12) What kind of warranty would there be?

Game manufacturers now have to warn people about the nanites....


13) Could/would it lead to a future where new games are produced on old hardware and compete against the Switch?

That doesn't already happen in your world?


I know there's a snowballs chance in Hell of this happening but itd be interesting to see what would happen. Id love an N64 sequel to Majora's Mask or OoT

Wait, you never played the third N64 game, which took the infamously odd choice of being based on the Zelda animated series from the 1980s? Best game in the whole series, that one.

[Suddenly reality begins to bend around Edmond and he hits the "post" button before the Mandella Effect erases everything]

[Aussie2B]

Most successful systems have some really late releases that come out past the hardware's successor. But the rate of releases past that point is drastically lower, as are the sales, and it's only profitable on an official scale for so long (and is why those late releases are often low-budget releases too). By the time homebrews and other releases that aren't fully licensed come along, it's even more niche, with even lower sales.

I mean, even with as huge as the Fire Emblem series has always been in Japan, the third Super Famicom Fire Emblem, which was a very late release, was produced in small quantities and saw low sales, a stark difference from the first Super Famicom Fire Emblem, which came out when the system was still very alive and active and sold like gangbusters, staying at the top of the sales charts in Japan for like half a year or some such.

[gbpxl]

I doubt this will ever happen, they're still in the hardware business so they want people to keep buying their new hardware. I doubt they even still have development hardware around for new games to still be programmed efficiently, or at least that their current programmers won't know how to code for such old hardware in enough numbers for development to be efficient.

You would expect them to start manufacturing N64 consoles again? That's basically what Sega did with the 32X and Saturn, dividing their userbase, and it didn't work out well for them.

The 32X was also a mushroom that was hard to assemble, required additional outlet space. a better comparison would be the Dreamcast competing against the Master System. Which is plausible especially considering Brazil kept getting SMS games for quite some time.

[Aussie2B]

It's not like Brazilians are particularly fond of retro technology. It's just that their market is so different from ours, due to government regulations on imported goods, that modern systems are generally not available at all until years after they are in Japan, North America, Europe, etc., and when they are available, they're ridiculously expensive, even more so in comparison to the average Brazilian's salary. So far a lot of Brazilians, their choices are to go without games at all or they can accept playing cheap outdated tech.

[Gameguy]

Comparing two separate unrelated markets is kind of dumb, unless he was implying that the N64 would now be sold in a separate area with no other consoles available from anyone else. Within the same region, Sega did try marketing multiple systems/platforms at the same time and it failed. The 32X interfered with Saturn sales, the Saturn would have sold much better if they would have tried phasing out the Genesis at that point(I still prefer the Genesis personally). I see no reason why it's not valid comparison. Or there's the comparison with Atari and their various systems, with the 2600 surviving longer than it's successors.

The only time when multiple systems are for sale at the same time are during the transitional time between generations. It would be neat if Nintendo started making and manufacturing new games for old systems like the NES or SNES but it doesn't make sense from a business perspective, the closest we have are the NES classic or SNES classic systems which are mostly novelties.

[gbpxl]

I think it makes sense from a business perspective and the comparison to the 32X is invalid because the 32X was a piece of shit.

secondly, foreign markets are a valid comparison when you stop thinking that Westerners are somehow different from the rest of the world. If Japanese people like playing SNES games well after the consoles initial release believe me when I say Americans will as well. If Nintendo starting releasing SNES or NES games again and made say Super Mario Bros. 4 on the NES, it would be one of the best selling video games of all time.

[Edmond Dantes]

I think it makes sense from a business perspective and the comparison to the 32X is invalid because the 32X was a piece of shit.

That's some great reasoning you've got there.


secondly, foreign markets are a valid comparison when you stop thinking that Westerners are somehow different from the rest of the world.

Hey, Japanese people love playing games in Japanese, that means they should just release games untranslated for western markets. After all, we're not different from the rest of the world!

(You can call that a reducto ad absurdium but it IS basically what you wound up suggesting, especially since other people DID outline the unique situations places like Brazil had which made older tech viable in those areas).

[gbpxl]

That's some great reasoning you've got there.



Hey, Japanese people love playing games in Japanese, that means they should just release games untranslated for western markets. After all, we're not different from the rest of the world!

(You can call that a reducto ad absurdium but it IS basically what you wound up suggesting, especially since other people DID outline the unique situations places like Brazil had which made older tech viable in those areas).

2020 is a lot different from 1995. Trying to have the 32X compete as a "low-budget upgrade" for customers who didn't want to spend the full price for a Saturn is perhaps one of the most idiotic moves in video game history. These days a lot of gamers want to buy games for older hardware. They wouldn't be competing against Switch products the way that the 32X was competing against the Saturn. I would say a better example would be if I had suggested Nintendo start releasing Wii U games to compete against the Switch.

Yes Brazilians may not have had as many choices but still, if they enjoy playing 8 bit games well into the 2000s, it stands to reason that non-Brazilians would as well, more choices notwithstanding.

I cant comment on the "untranslated" thing, I have no idea what youre even referring to or why you think someone would be saying that they shouldnt translate games.

I think a lot of people dont realize how popular vintage games are. Old video game tech has seen a resurgence lately in the same way that vinyl has. people drop thousands of dollars on old cartridges and to this day, Super Mario Bros for the NES still sells online every day

[Ryudo]

Not even possible to make a new N64. No chips exist to use. NES Mini had more powerful hardware than Wii. As much ram as a PS3. That was the cheapest hardware they could get. Even the clone systems use emulation. Be more expensive and very difficult to have custom parts that are as low as the N64 power level.

[Edmond Dantes]

Yes Brazilians may not have had as many choices but still, if they enjoy playing 8 bit games well into the 2000s, it stands to reason that non-Brazilians would as well, more choices notwithstanding.

Sorry, you can't just discount very relevant things (like more choices) because you didn't want to account for them.


I cant comment on the "untranslated" thing, I have no idea what youre even referring to or why you think someone would be saying that they shouldnt translate games.

[facepalm]

Okay, let me try to explain this very slowly.

Your statement was "if they like a thing in other parts of the world, they'll like it in America."

I was attempting to show how silly that thought process was by pointing out the most obvious example of something that would not fly in America.

I was hoping that if you can see it in one case, you'd start to see it in others as well. But apparently you've got this segmented way of thinking where Subject A is Subject A and never has any overlap at all with other subjects. Just letting you know now... this isn't normal. Most people can see overlap between subjects in a field.

(or, to use a metaphor: most people who learn its bad to get into accidents with other cars also assume its just as bad to get into accidents involving trucks, diesels or airplanes).


I think a lot of people dont realize how popular vintage games are. Old video game tech has seen a resurgence lately in the same way that vinyl has. people drop thousands of dollars on old cartridges and to this day, Super Mario Bros for the NES still sells online every day

Oh people DO realize, and this is why you see retro-style games, but as for whole new games for old hardware? Well, that actually happens as well (look up Gunlord or Sydney Hunter)... its just that its understood these are gonna be niche products primarily for collectors, not something with mass market appeal.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because WE would buy these things, that everyone would.

[Gameguy]

2020 is a lot different from 1995.
And yet you're saying they should start manufacturing N64 consoles again, a mid-90's console.


These days a lot of gamers want to buy games for older hardware. They wouldn't be competing against Switch products the way that the 32X was competing against the Saturn. I would say a better example would be if I had suggested Nintendo start releasing Wii U games to compete against the Switch.
So buying used games for their older systems isn't competing with their Virtual Console or eShop releases of their older games? Would releasing new desirable games on an old system convince them to not buy their new current system? Nintendo wants people to think that if they want new games to play that they'll need to buy new hardware to access those games. Maybe as a single novelty like how they rereleased their Ball Game and Watch handheld a few years back but that's it, so a limited promo item available online only, but that's rereleasing a title rather than developing a new one.


Oh people DO realize, and this is why you see retro-style games, but as for whole new games for old hardware? Well, that actually happens as well (look up Gunlord or Sydney Hunter)... its just that its understood these are gonna be niche products primarily for collectors, not something with mass market appeal.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because WE would buy these things, that everyone would.
It really comes down to price, not just a basic demand for playing these games. There would be demand to buy these games, but what would consumers be willing to pay? Manufacturing cartridges is much more expensive than manufacturing discs, would gamers or collectors be willing to pay $60-$100+ for a new game to play? Even having to program new games would have a large production cost as they would be developing these new games too. Would they still be able to sell 500,000+ copies like they used to when the console was current? This just won't happen. Most people interested would maybe pay $20 for a copy.

What I could possibly see happening is if Nintendo eventually allowed other developers to produce games on their old consoles, but only for disc based systems and they would still get a royalty for every copy sold as well as having an initial licensing fee. This would still involve manufacturing games though but on a cheaper medium than cartridges, and it's still a long shot. It's more likely Sega could go this route as they no longer produce consoles.

[gbpxl]

in 95 you didnt have people worshipping old consoles. in 2020 you do.

[Greg2600]

Limited Run Games HAS released or re-released stuff on old cart systems, but Nintendo would never do something official on a system they haven't supported in 2 decades or more.

[gbpxl]

Limited Run Games HAS released or re-released stuff on old cart systems, but Nintendo would never do something official on a system they haven't supported in 2 decades or more.

they should

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

Zelda, meh. But I don't think they'd release a new game on an old console. Maybe a third party could make a Zelda knockoff on an old console, but Nintendo tends to be an asshole about copyright.

[Aussie2B]

Also, just throwing this out there: A random Zelda would be one thing, but a putting a sequel to Breath of the Wild specifically on N64 would be a real slap in the face to fans of that specific Zelda. Not only because the sub-series started on Switch and should stay on Switch (or move to the Switch's successor once the Switch is done), but because Breath of the Wild plays very different from any prior Zelda. It's an open-world game, and the N64 lacks the power to retain that kind of gameplay. Breath of the Wild has a massive, expansive world, whereas the N64 Zelda games have overworlds that are tiny hubs in comparison. Breath of the Wild also has a huge amount of dungeons (albeit small ones). A N64 Breath of the Wild would be a sequel in name only and would disappoint anyone who would want more of the same.

[Gameguy]

I never liked the N64 Zelda games to begin with so I wouldn't want any more of them. If Nintendo would release the Satellaview Zelda games on the SNES officially then that would be something exciting, at least those games already exist so there wouldn't be as much development cost compared to making entirely new games. But I still doubt Nintendo would bother considering the manufacturing costs of cartridges. Maybe they'll be included in a future plug and play type console.

[Aussie2B]

Best chance of Japan-only Super Famicom games seeing English release is the Switch Online service. I believe they somewhat recently put Pop'n TwinBee on there, and that's the first time it's ever been available officially in North America.

[gbpxl]

I never liked the N64 Zelda games to begin with so I wouldn't want any more of them. If Nintendo would release the Satellaview Zelda games on the SNES officially then that would be something exciting, at least those games already exist so there wouldn't be as much development cost compared to making entirely new games. But I still doubt Nintendo would bother considering the manufacturing costs of cartridges. Maybe they'll be included in a future plug and play type console.
Is it any different than labels going back to vinyl though? I imagine it's more expensive to make an LP than it is to make a CD.

I think if Nintendo sold them at $150, lots of people would buy them. And Im sure like most Nintendo products, you wouldnt even be able to get a copy. You underestimate how popular vintage tech is and how much money people are willing to blow on it. but as always the CEOs dont have a clue what fans want.

And ok maybe not a sequel to BotW but how about a sequel or prequel to MM or OoT? id be willing to spend $120 on that, possibly more, for a standard edition brand new copy. Why? Because I know I will get 100+ hours out of it easily and it is a game I can pass down to my kids when I leave this planet, and because Id be supporting a product I believe in that isnt going to require bullshit updates, patches, DLC

[Aussie2B]

Id be supporting a product I believe in that isnt going to require bullshit updates, patches, DLC

Unlike the different revisions of Ocarina of Time and then the Master Quest? At least the Breath of the Wild updates/patches are free, not requiring somebody to drop another $60 buying the same cart all over again, and at least the DLC is only $20, as opposed to having to buying an entirely new system and preorder an entirely different game at full MSRP to get the Master Quest version of the game.

[Gameguy]

Is it any different than labels going back to vinyl though?
Yes there's a difference, as vinyl is still a widely accepted format that never fully disappeared and new players are still manufactured with parts and servicing of existing players still widely available. And artists would be recording their music anyway, vinyl is just the manufacturing cost.

What you're suggesting is more like labels deciding to start releasing 8-Track tapes again, after also deciding to start manufacturing new 8-Track players as nobody else is still making them. Also they'll be first forming a new boy band consisting of established professionals(at their expense) and would pay them to write and perform new music, in a genre like Gospel Country instead of what's currently popular.


I think if Nintendo sold them at $150, lots of people would buy them. And Im sure like most Nintendo products, you wouldnt even be able to get a copy. You underestimate how popular vintage tech is and how much money people are willing to blow on it. but as always the CEOs dont have a clue what fans want.
It would cost around 5-10 million dollars to make the game first, maybe more or possibly less. It would be difficult to find anyone who can still program for the N64 as that's so outdated technology wise and few people who programmed N64 games would still be working for Nintendo today. They'd basically have to train programmers at their expense which would be on top of that. It's not the same as programming a new game for current systems or PCs, modern indie studios can produce content much cheaper though. Then add the cost of manufacturing the game to cartridges in a format that's currently no longer produced, and the cost of manufacturing new consoles that aren't produced either.


Unlike the different revisions of Ocarina of Time and then the Master Quest? At least the Breath of the Wild updates/patches are free, not requiring somebody to drop another $60 buying the same cart all over again, and at least the DLC is only $20, as opposed to having to buying an entirely new system and preorder an entirely different game at full MSRP to get the Master Quest version of the game.
Master Quest was basically a remake of Ocarina of Time, it wasn't just an update or a patch. It's more like the PS4 Resident Evil games compared to the PS1 versions, those aren't a patch either.

[gbpxl]

Its be a massive gamble but I think theyd still profit. I brought this up to ReviewTechUSA and he seemed to agree that an N64 Zelda would be massively popular. He's an industry commentator on Youtube.

BUT- I agree completely that Nintendo probably will never do it for a multitude of reasons including the fact that they want to support the hardware they produce that they already are taking a loss on

[Aussie2B]

Master Quest was basically a remake of Ocarina of Time, it wasn't just an update or a patch. It's more like the PS4 Resident Evil games compared to the PS1 versions, those aren't a patch either.

I was comparing Master Quest to DLC, not to patches/updates. It uses all the same assets as Ocarina of Time and is the same game in terms of story/progression. It just has rearranged dungeons. It's basically the same concept as the first game's second quest. These days, stuff like the Master Quest is often available as DLC (sometimes free, sometimes paid), as an additional mode. But given the technology at the time of the N64, there was no way to just add the content to the carts people had already bought. Had it actually been released for the 64DD, getting access to it would've required an expensive add-on, and I imagine it would've been sold as a full-price game. Instead, we first got it for GameCube, but again, you had to buy expensive new hardware, and since it was a preorder bonus for Wind Waker, you had to buy that game at full price to get it. Much later, it was included with the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time, but again, you need to buy new hardware and another full-price game. On top of that, you have to beat the original version of Ocarina of Time first to access the Master Quest on 3DS, so people who had already completed Ocarina of Time on N64 couldn't just immediately jump into the Master Quest.

Meanwhile, Breath of the Wild's DLC is only an extra $20. You don't have to buy a new system, you don't have to buy a new full-price game, and you don't have to replay the game to access the content. A lot of people love to vilify digital gaming, whether we're talking full games released that way or additional/updated content (patches/updates/DLC) released digitally, but it allows for conveniences and affordability that were impossible in the past.