When I first heard that Nintendo wasn’t having a major press conference at E3, I thought it was a perfect idea because they were already generating talk about what was going to come from them this year. With announcements about Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon X and Y, there was plenty of excitement, but I felt like they could have capitalized more on the announcements. They took a major risk by not showcasing their new titles on the big stage, and to some degree it paid off, but there could have been bigger announcements that were different from previous titles.
Nintendo has a wealth of franchises, but only focuses on a select handful. Star Fox is a franchise that has huge following from Star Fox 64, but never really created any buzz for the Wii with remakes, and still hasn’t seen a title for the Wii U. Kid Icarus is another title that deserves more attention, and if Nintendo would make the effort to tap into these different franchises, it would attract the attention of a younger audience, as well as bringing back an older fan base.
Strict guidelines also prevent some indie games, like The Binding of Isaac, from coming to Nintendo platforms, and restricts franchises, like Metroid, to be shown through a M rated perspective. I understand that Nintendo is known for its family friendly games and when making certain titles for a younger audience, Nintendo should follow these guidelines, but there should be some leniency when it comes to developing a game for an aged audience group.
Although, it’s important to note that franchises like Pikmin have already seen a Wii U title, and giving the spotlight to Luigi with New Super Luigi U and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon were needed to push their next gen consoles forward. Also bringing back Sonic: Lost Worlds and Rayman Legends to Nintendo as exclusives was essential to maintaining the focus of fans, and also developers.
As much fun as Super Mario Bros., Zelda, or Pokémon games are, Nintendo has a whole other spectrum of titles to work with. Allowing developers to branch outside of Nintendo’s restrictions would generate a larger audience of older gamers, which is originally what Nintendo was focused on when they released Batman: Arkham City and Zombie U. They have the right franchises to revive their next gen console, but with their restrictions in place, it almost seems impossible. Does Nintendo need to loosen up on their content guidelines or is there any way to bounce back with the Wii U? Sound off in the comments section.
