I agree with that article but also find it kind of ridiculous that people just jump to mobile being the answer. Nintendo is more or less in a position most companies would love to be in: They have a set of IPs that people will pay for time and time again, they have a dedicated fanbase that will buy their hardware no matter what, and they have years of history and nostalgia they can tap into for sales: they pretty much raised a generation. Nintendo's problem isn't that they can't cut it in the hardware market, Nintendo's problem is that they have been wearing blinders for the last 10-15 years and have no idea what's going on in the rest of the world. Sony, Microsoft, and Steam have made major advancements and it seems like Nintendo just fucking realised that they can connect to the internet and use it for something other than weather reports. But they're still pretty much on the Dreamcast level of connectivity and features.
-They need to unify their accounts and treat them like every other company does. They JUST unified Nintnedo accounts in December so that if you use the Wii U and a 3DS you can use the same Nintendo account with both of them (AWESOME!). So now you have one account with one ballance...how it was ever different is mind boggling. But, and here's the thing, as far as I know purchases are still tied to the hardware serial and not the account. Great Nintendo. You JUST overhauled your system to 2005 standards (if even).
-I've heard their online pricing for their Eshop is ridiculous, but can't really say
-Nintendo has completely bucked any significant hardware trend for generations. They've innovated, which is great, but they've also stagnated in key categories and been at least a generation behind in those areas, leading to problems with cross platform gaming and appearing less appealing to the consumers. Sure, the motion controls of the Wii were a great idea (the execution for most games is another matter), but I have no idea how they didn't see the importance of HD when everyone else did.
-Constantly behind the hardware curve. Sure, you don't need all that power for great games, and I think we all get that philosophy, but you'd think Nintendo would have an easier time selling their console if it was more comparable to Sony or Microsoft's latest offerings. Not just because people like things to look at, but because one thing has consistently been chipping away at Nintendo's market appeal since the N64: they are ALWAYS the console on the market with the weakest library of games. They have all these great franchises, but that's pretty much all they have : 6-10 games a generation that you know you'll want to play. Want to play any sports game not staring Mario? Fuck you. Want to play any racing game not in a kart? Fuck you. The latest multiplatform title taking all the consoles by storm? Well, all the OTHER consoles at least. Of course, part of this is because the market share just isn't there to make it worth it. I mean, it was with the Wii but no one was buying games. But a large part is because Nintendo is always in it's own hardware category which necessitates a completely different game being developed. Usually a completely different, shittier version.
Honestly, Nintendo just needs to sit back and actually compete rather than throw in the towel and I have no idea why everyone always just jumps all the way to them waving the white flag.
