Consumers aren't ready for online gaming, says Nintendo VP

Dom · Jul 7, 2003, 06:26 PM

George Harrison, Nintendo of America VP of marketing, has hinted strongly that Nintendo will not be rolling out any online strategy in this generation of hardware, although the company is looking into it for N5.

Speaking in an interview with the Puget Sound Business Journal, Harrison commented that "we just don't believe consumers are ready for [online gaming]. Right now, no one's paying for subscriptions. The real test comes when you have to start coughing up $15 a month."

He did concede, however, that online gaming is a "consideration" for Nintendo, and said that the company is "looking into it for the next iteration of the GameCube" - the home console which Nintendo is known to have in development at present, but is known only by the moniker "N5".

This tends to suggest that we will not be seeing any change in Nintendo's current stance on online gaming. At present, the company supports online game launches from third party publishers (such as Sega's Phantasy Star Online), but claims that it is not planning any online titles itself.

Microsoft and Sony have now rolled out online services in all three major global territories for their consoles, but the numbers of subscribers remain relatively low - with estimates for the combined numbers of console online gamers ranging from one to two million players, only a tiny fraction of the 60-million odd installed base of the two consoles.

Harrison was speaking to the Business Journal about the future of the GameCube following Acclaim's decision to stop developing new titles for the console, and Microsoft's continued claims to have made significant gains over Nintendo in the "race for second place".

He told the publication that Nintendo remains in contact with Acclaim, and said that although existing projects at Acclaim will be finished and released, no new Acclaim games will appear on the Cube once they are completed - confirming the statements made by Acclaim CEO Rod Cousens recently.

However, as Wedbrush Morgan Securities research director Michael Pachter told the Journal, the race for second place doesn't matter greatly given the size of Sony's lead over the competition. "It's not a good announcement that Acclaim won't be supporting GameCube anymore, if it's the first of many," he commented. "I don't think it will be. I can tell you the GameCube is in no more trouble than the Xbox."

__________________________
Source: GameIndustry

~~BMG_Cya=-~~ · Jul 7, 2003, 06:40 PM

Nintendo is and has been living in the past, visions of Mario have clouded their business thinking.
Consumers love onine gaming. Nintendo, imo, is a dinosaur. If they had thier way, all the console players
would be alone in their rooms, in the dark, turning pale, and gaining 20 pounds a week as they play the latest
and tired version of Mario or Zelda.

Nintendo lives in it's own little world and it's about 5 years behind the times.
I don't play console games anymore, although i do still have a Dreamcast, which featured prominantly online play.
In fact, Dreamcast and Sega inadvertently caused thousands if not millions of people to leave console gaming
and step up to PC, with it's more Online friendly and promoted gameplay.

IMO, Gamecube=Gaycube.

DriveEuro · Jul 7, 2003, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BMG_Cya=-
Gamecube=Gaycube.

that's great!!

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jul 7, 2003, 07:58 PM

lol .. nintendo what have you been smokeing? draino?

consumers are not into Nintento is more like it

DriveEuro · Jul 7, 2003, 08:01 PM

Nintendo still draws more to the younger kids... I mean, think of all the titles that Nintendo has...... Then think of xbox and ps2....... those two are catered more towards people in the teens and older.

BWX · Jul 7, 2003, 09:44 PM

It's to bad no one makes an online game worth paying a monthly fee for. Nintendo should try to change that instead of just saying we aren't ready for them- that's just ridiculous. Consoles are worthless anyway.

No_Style · Jul 7, 2003, 10:00 PM

Online gaming is not for the masses yet. Who here has money to pay for online gaming? Especially on consoles. It's bad enough you have to pay for the High Speed internet, and then cough up an extra $10~$15 for Online Gaming.

Jul 7, 2003, 06:26 PM	#1
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Consumers aren't ready for online gaming, says Nintendo VP George Harrison, Nintendo of America VP of marketing, has hinted strongly that Nintendo will not be rolling out any online strategy in this generation of hardware, although the company is looking into it for N5. Speaking in an interview with the Puget Sound Business Journal, Harrison commented that "we just don't believe consumers are ready for [online gaming]. Right now, no one's paying for subscriptions. The real test comes when you have to start coughing up $15 a month." He did concede, however, that online gaming is a "consideration" for Nintendo, and said that the company is "looking into it for the next iteration of the GameCube" - the home console which Nintendo is known to have in development at present, but is known only by the moniker "N5". This tends to suggest that we will not be seeing any change in Nintendo's current stance on online gaming. At present, the company supports online game launches from third party publishers (such as Sega's Phantasy Star Online), but claims that it is not planning any online titles itself. Microsoft and Sony have now rolled out online services in all three major global territories for their consoles, but the numbers of subscribers remain relatively low - with estimates for the combined numbers of console online gamers ranging from one to two million players, only a tiny fraction of the 60-million odd installed base of the two consoles. Harrison was speaking to the Business Journal about the future of the GameCube following Acclaim's decision to stop developing new titles for the console, and Microsoft's continued claims to have made significant gains over Nintendo in the "race for second place". He told the publication that Nintendo remains in contact with Acclaim, and said that although existing projects at Acclaim will be finished and released, no new Acclaim games will appear on the Cube once they are completed - confirming the statements made by Acclaim CEO Rod Cousens recently. However, as Wedbrush Morgan Securities research director Michael Pachter told the Journal, the race for second place doesn't matter greatly given the size of Sony's lead over the competition. "It's not a good announcement that Acclaim won't be supporting GameCube anymore, if it's the first of many," he commented. "I don't think it will be. I can tell you the GameCube is in no more trouble than the Xbox." __________________________ Source: GameIndustry

Jul 7, 2003, 07:58 PM	#4
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	lol .. nintendo what have you been smokeing? draino? consumers are not into Nintento is more like it __________________

Jul 7, 2003, 08:01 PM	#5
DriveEuro HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Gurnee Illinois Posts: 4,677 Rep Power: 0	Nintendo still draws more to the younger kids... I mean, think of all the titles that Nintendo has...... Then think of xbox and ps2....... those two are catered more towards people in the teens and older. __________________ [color=orange]ASUS P4P800 Deluxe [color=black]-[/color] 2.4C --> 3300mhz [color=black]-[/color] Mushkin PC3200 at 220 5-2-2-2 (cpu limited) [color=black]-[/color] BBAti 9800Pro at 430/375 [/color] [color=black]3[/color][color=gray]D[/color]M[color=black]a[/color][color=gray]r[/color]k[color=yellow]01[/color] [color=black]3[/color][color=gray]D[/color]M[color=black]a[/color][color=gray]r[/color]k[color=yellow]03[/color] 16001200 12801024

Jul 7, 2003, 10:00 PM	#7
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,034 Rep Power: 0	Nintendo is right Online gaming is not for the masses yet. Who here has money to pay for online gaming? Especially on consoles. It's bad enough you have to pay for the High Speed internet, and then cough up an extra $10~$15 for Online Gaming. __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here

Jul 7, 2003, 06:40 PM	#2
~~BMG_Cya=-~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 718 Rep Power: 0	Nintendo is and has been living in the past, visions of Mario have clouded their business thinking. Consumers love onine gaming. Nintendo, imo, is a dinosaur. If they had thier way, all the console players would be alone in their rooms, in the dark, turning pale, and gaining 20 pounds a week as they play the latest and tired version of Mario or Zelda. Nintendo lives in it's own little world and it's about 5 years behind the times. I don't play console games anymore, although i do still have a Dreamcast, which featured prominantly online play. In fact, Dreamcast and Sega inadvertently caused thousands if not millions of people to leave console gaming and step up to PC, with it's more Online friendly and promoted gameplay. IMO, Gamecube=Gaycube.

Jul 7, 2003, 09:44 PM	#6
BWX unplugged Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: USNY Posts: 19,665 Rep Power: 109 System Specs	It's to bad no one makes an online game worth paying a monthly fee for. Nintendo should try to change that instead of just saying we aren't ready for them- that's just ridiculous. Consoles are worthless anyway.