Nintendos Biggest blunder?

[sabre2922]

From Joystiq.com:

We asked Joystiq readers to weigh in on what they believed Nintendo’s biggest blunder of the last 20 years to be. Here are the results, out of 5,814 votes cast:

1,703 votes (29%): sticking to the cartridge-based format for too long
1,507 votes (26%): focusing on the younger gamer demographic
947 votes (16%): gimmicky products (ROB, Virtua Boy, etc)
932 votes (16%): draconian 3rd-party development contracts
584 votes (10%): Late rollout of the N64 and GameCube (vs PlayStation and PS2)
141 votes (2%): Other (write in)
Of the “other” votes, the top write-in had to do with the botched Sony relationship that ultimately lead to the creation of the PlayStation console and to Nintendo’s fall from the top spot.

Do any of these mistakes have bearing on the console war now underway? Some say that Microsoft and Nintendo are repeating the “cartridge” format mistake by not including support for Blu-Ray or HD-DVD disks with their new systems, but the difference between cartridges and DVDs was and is far greater (both in terms of storage capacity, cost, and techology) than the difference between regular DVDs and DVDs with higher storage capacity.

[Chronodriftersx]

http://puzzles.ngenres.com/screens/48/blendercube.jpg

Huh? What? Yeah? Oh...

[comrade]

I would say when Nintendo declined Sony's offer to make the Super Disc.

[fishsandwich]

I would say when Nintendo declined Sony's offer to make the Super Disc.

BINGO. Nintendo seriously f**ked up when they backed out of the SNES CD attachment (I assume that's a Super Disc?)

The result... The Playstation, aka the console that started Nintendo's downward spiral.

Don't get me wrong... I love the SNES, and I love the N64. I'm sure I'd love the GameCube if I had one.

I don't see the Revolution being a success. I see Nintendo getting out of the console (not handheld) market and being a developer/publisher for Sony and MS.

<ducks fruit>

Making the N64 a complicated, cart-based system didn't help manners.

[sabre2922]

I would say when Nintendo declined Sony's offer to make the Super Disc.

That was going to be my first choice also but I had to go with "sticking with the cartridge format for too long" in that it SEVERELY hampared the overall performance and potential of the N64 in many ways wich was the big Ns first home console to not be #1 for its respective generation and began its fall to the distant third that they find themselves in now.

I think the Revolution could change this more and more everyday in what is quickly becoming a stagnant over saturated industry with too many me-toos and hangers ons and very little true innovation wich the REVO (hopefully) will provide and could quite possibly put Nintendo back into the race and become viable competition for Sony even if Nintendo themselves try to state that they arent trying to "directly" compete with Sony or Microsoft this next generation.

[JJNova]

Wow, what a genuinely new and creative topic! Finally, someone with the guts to come out and start a conversation regarding where Nintendo's biggest failure was!

Besides this thread being done a large number of times on it's own, it has also been done as sub-topics to numerous threads (considering Nintendo's demise, their 3rd position, their lack of developer support).

But, anyway, Nintendo's biggest failure was buying the Seattle Mariners, which isn't even on the pitiful poll that you stole.

[Sylentwulf]

Tough choice, they were all such BAD moves, especially at the time. If dissing sony had been an option, I probably would have gone with that as well.

[segagamer4life]

I would say when Nintendo declined Sony's offer to make the Super Disc.

good call, I was going down the list of issues, and this one stood out to me, gotta love the guy who made that decision... OUCH...

[slip81]

Yeah, ditching Sony did it. If the SNES CD came out, Sony wouldn't have released a console, and Nintendo would probably still be on top.

Though I can understand why N would ditch the idea of a console add on, consider the dismal falure of the Sega CD and 32x at the time.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I actually liked that they stuck to the cartridge based games for longer than their competitors. It may have been a blunder as far as business goes, but I loved it.

[Push Upstairs]

Biggest blunder? Doing everything listed in the poll.

But i'd have to agree that the Sony thing is where they really F'd up.

[boozi2]

Biggest blunder? Doing everything listed in the poll.

But i'd have to agree that the Sony thing is where they really F'd up.
Definitely. Wonder what the world would look like today if the joined forces of Nintendo and Sony would have been against Sega LOL

[Sega Hitman]

Regardless of how most of us disliked the cartridge format during that generation, or the fact the most n64 games haven't aged very well, the n64 still made a lot of money. Regardless of what we think about them aiming towards kids, they've made a boatload off the gameboy systems and pokemon. I'd have to say Virtual Boy was their biggest mistake. It came out at a ridiculous price, it didn't have any games to make it worth that price, and even when the system hit $30 brand new in stores, there were still piles of them everywhere. I remember seeing sealed Vboy games in game stores even into 2000. IMO, it was the biggest flop in video game history, not just Nintendo's.

-Hitman-

[hezeuschrist]

Regardless of how most of us disliked the cartridge format during that generation, or the fact the most n64 games haven't aged very well, the n64 still made a lot of money. Regardless of what we think about them aiming towards kids, they've made a boatload off the gameboy systems and pokemon. I'd have to say Virtual Boy was their biggest mistake. It came out at a ridiculous price, it didn't have any games to make it worth that price, and even when the system hit $30 brand new in stores, there were still piles of them everywhere. I remember seeing sealed Vboy games in game stores even into 2000. IMO, it was the biggest flop in video game history, not just Nintendo's.

-Hitman-

The Virtual Boy was the most successful failure in the history of the industry. Nintendo knew it wasn't going anywhere so they canned it. It had nothing to do with their long term strategy or image, or why they're in the position they're in today.

[cyberfluxor]

cartridge-based format?? Man, I love cartridge games. You can fit a lot of memory on a disc, but now, and with future nano technology you can expect really high quality cartridge-based products to be placed on them. If you really think about it, the space available on data media today is getting so huge that eventually there will be more space than most designers can use. The speed of cartridge systems can also get faster than reads from a disc ROM drive. I don't recall the stats on it, but on average a CPU can fetch memory from RAM a few houndred, if not thousand times faster than the disc ROMs. With todays faster processors, you'll see Discs being the main media type, but cartridges will become superior I think.

Basically over time:
Discs: Increase density with better laser read/write technology, but the read speed is pretty much already maxed out.
Cartridges: Memory is still increasing with newer micro or even nano technology, data access is as fast as the CPU fetching functions and the BUS can handle.

Oh, and how many people know about multi-dimentional data storage discs? It's also known as holographic data storage.

[hezeuschrist]

cartridge-based format?? Man, I love cartridge games. You can fit a lot of memory on a disc, but now, and with future nano technology you can expect really high quality cartridge-based products to be placed on them. If you really think about it, the space available on data media today is getting so huge that eventually there will be more space than most designers can use. The speed of cartridge systems can also get faster than reads from a disc ROM drive. I don't recall the stats on it, but on average a CPU can fetch memory from RAM a few houndred, if not thousand times faster than the disc ROMs. With todays faster processors, you'll see Discs being the main media type, but cartridges will become superior I think.

Basically over time:
Discs: Increase density with better laser read/write technology, but the read speed is pretty much already maxed out.
Cartridges: Memory is still increasing with newer micro or even nano technology, data access is as fast as the CPU fetching functions and the BUS can handle.

Oh, and how many people know about multi-dimentional data storage discs? It's also known as holographic data storage.

Superiority != cost efficiency, especially not in 1995.

[kainemaxwell]

Definitly when Nintendo screwed Sony over. 2nd would likely have to be sticking to cart format for too long. Cost them a good number of possible ports (though RE2 was great!) and fans.

[AMG]

Definitly when Nintendo screwed Sony over. 2nd would likely have to be sticking to cart format for too long.



Agreed.

[Push Upstairs]

Oh, and how many people know about multi-dimentional data storage discs? It's also known as holographic data storage.

I saw some stats on that stuff...mind boggling storage capacity.

25 Terabytes of storage on a single disc. The discussion focused on the fact that an entire TV series (like Friends) could be done full bitrate audio & high definition on a single disc...with room to spare.

Still kinda pricey now, $120 a pop for a disc & like $15,000 for the recorder/player but that kind of technology really puts Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to shame.

[neuropolitique]

I support JJNova.

[Lothars]

I would say when Nintendo declined Sony's offer to make the Super Disc.

I would have to agree with this to

I think if it wasn't such a screwup that they did it would be fine now.

but since they messed up by doing this

it was just a really big screwe up

[Icarus Moonsight]

Oh, and how many people know about multi-dimentional data storage discs? It's also known as holographic data storage.

I saw some stats on that stuff...mind boggling storage capacity.

25 Terabytes of storage on a single disc. The discussion focused on the fact that an entire TV series (like Friends) could be done full bitrate audio & high definition on a single disc...with room to spare.

Still kinda pricey now, $120 a pop for a disc & like $15,000 for the recorder/player but that kind of technology really puts Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to shame.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2005/12/12.html
http://www.historianofthefuture.com/

I'm very excited about the recent breakthroughs in computing and technology. Check out the links... was a damn fine interview I listened to Monday night. Mind blowing when you consider this stuff is literaly around the corner in the consumer market. :)

Away from the aside there... Nintendo sending Sony packing is definately #1 mucho sucko mistake-o. Sticking with carts wasn't so bad. The Saturn didn't do as well as the N64 and it was out first and used cd's. Sony just came out of nowhere and dominated. A little wake-up call to Nintendo. We'll all see if they learned anything when the Rev hits stores. Honestly, I'm excited about that particular machine. :)

[Buyatari]

Where is the choice for "Inviting Sony to join the party in the first place"

[The Brown Eye]

I will have to agree with Nintendo abandoning the CD project with Sony. However, forgetting that for a second, Nintendo's biggest problem is not enough third-party exclusives. Sure they had RE4 (for a while), Tales of Symphonia, REmake, RE0, Twin Snakes, and others, but that's not enough. And losing Rare didn't help (although they haven't made much remarkable as of late).

[syd]

I voted for sticking to the cartridges for too long. If Nintendo went to a cd format for the N64 like everyone else in that generation did they would probably still be on top. Because of their cartridges and anti-piracy mindset, great games like FF7 couldn't be released on the N64 because of the cartridges. And because of that, Nintendo targeted the younger audience with a barrage of Mario games. To me it all goes back to the cartridges! Don't get me wrong, I love cartridges too, but not so much as to limit the quality of the games. :/

[Vroomfunkel]

Ditching Sony is only a bad idea with hindsight.

(a) At the time, Sega CD and 32X came out and flopped
(b) the possibility that a new console maker would enter the market and even reach half the sales that Sega / Nintendo were achieving was barely conceivable.

I think the next new console maker will probably be a film studio, as film revenues fall and the studios want to muscle in on the inevitable game tie-ins. Might be a few years off, but I won't be suprised to see it happen ...

Vroomfunkel

[Buyatari]

Ditching Sony is only a bad idea with hindsight.

This whole poll is based on hindsight.