they could build a more powerful machine but instead they opt for some gimmick

they don't want to compete with sony or microsoft for the same stagnating audience

I wouldn't mind the gimmicks all so much if they weren't so half baked

and poorly rolled out

They are capable of keeping the gimmicks reigned in. Like they did with te 3DS. They just don't seem to be able to contain themselves with their consoles.

It's always some stupid control gimmick and cripples the console in some way.

The Wii sold well but it was absolutely horrible for selling games because the overwhelming majority of Wii owners never bought a single game beyond the games it was bundled with and most of those only used the system a few times before becoming a paperweight they never used again.

Their pandering to the casual appeal to a ridiculous extreme backfired on them badly.

Hopefully the next iteration of the switch isn't such a mess

So many regard the Wii as a resounding success when really it was a crippling failure that marked the company's turning point they have still not recovered from and it's only getting worse with each new system.

What's the point of selling a lot of systems if the people who bought them won't buy games?

The profit margins on the systems themselves are not that large (but absolutely are never at a loss despite what some might try to tell you), but all that goes to Nintendo. Game developers get nothing.

It was an extremely unattractive system for developers and publishers because the consumer base, of customers that'd actually buy games, was incredibly small compared to the PS3 and 360.

Then add to that how painfully difficult it was to code games to use the Wii Remote.

And the icing on the cake was how Nintendo treated third parties like shit.

And most of the only good uses for the thing were covered by crap shovelware

The GameCube was their last real, successful console.

you should work for nintendo, emma 😀

That wouldn't help.

well at least there will be one reasonable voice

Nintendo of Japan doesn't listen to its branches in other countries.

yeah I've heard that before

It's kind of a stretch to call the gamecube a success don't you think

They are actually an extremely conservative company in Japan and conservatives in Japan don't like and don't trust foreigners, regarding them as small children who need to be handheld through everything that can't be a source of useful information.

Maybe, but compared to all systems since, it faired far better.

in the games department sure

Nothing like the glory days of the NES and SNES

Well that way of thinking seems to be working out for them

gamecube was the last ninty console with a good library

The GameCube was their last home system with substansial third party support. But it had already been diminishing since the SNES ended.

Their antics aside, the main reason was actually just that they treated third parties so horribly.

That attitude I mentioned them having about foriegners....

Yeah that extends to developers, AND in context they use the same line of thinking for other Japanese developers too because it's not them.

They are just so terrible to them and no one really likes working with them.

So when Sony made a more open and accepting platform, to developers, with the Playstation, that really was it for Nintendo and third parties.

Support has been declining ever since.

yeah

It's too bad

I think the switch is really cool on paper

I groaned the second I saw it was yet another hardware gimmick.

I never had my hopes up.