Topic: Nintendo's Gamepads: Episode 4 (Finale)

[John Rairdin]

What if I told you, that everyone else is just copying Nintendo?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39679/nintendos-gamepads-episode-4-finale

In this epic final episode, we cover the Gamecube, Wii, 3DS, and Wii U. It's time to see how it all fits together, and how gaming as a whole has been influence by Nintendo's controllers.

Thanks for sticking with me through my first series here at Nintendo World Report. Don't forget to subscribe to NWRTV on YouTube for even more great content.

[mereel]

John, this is a very well-produced video. I just happened across this and will definitely watch the others in the series. Nice to hear from a real fan of Nintendo's innovation. You speak the truth. It's not about being a fanboy, it's about recognizing history and Nintendo's (continued) importance in this industry due to their continual innovation, even if they aren't in the #1 spot. This is especially true for input methods (controllers). I hope big N rebounds eventually. This industry would be in a world of hurt real fast if Nintendo weren't around to innovate.

[chilenozo]

I don't think Nintendo has invented anything, well, maybe the D-pad. But they have been the 1st in implementing, with mild or great success, old ideas that were failure or just experiments before.

Different from MS and Sony, they can't create technology, and since their revenues come only from gaming, they have to make sure to make profits relatively quickly. Before the WIiU Nintendo used to make profit from every HW sold, this is the old Gumpei Yokoi/ Hiroshi Yamauchi doctrine that helped Nintendo become what it is today, and actually I don't think Nintendo has enough infrastructure and know how to change and become a Sony or MS.

That's why I'm totally ok with them looking at old tech and try to find neat applications to gaming. You can tell that all the industry (e.g. SEGA) looked to Nintendo when finding the best way to design their controllers. Same with Sony....they probably were thinking in Mario 64, Zelda, Goldeneye, etc. when they saw the successful implementation of the analog stick, and later with the Move. Same with the Vita and smartphones, implementing gaming the way the DS did, and so on.

Ppl expect too much from a company that don't have a proper R&D, their R&D is pretty much engineers trying to reuse old tech...sort of remind me of that scene in the movie Apolo 13, were engineers back on Earth try to design a device from spare parts that can be found on the Apolo capsule. Even if Nintendo were to use all their war chest in R&D it would be too big for the necessity of releasing new tech every couple of years. Only companies that sell tech on a regular basis in different areas, can afford to have a stable R&D team/budget.

I don't expect their next console, the famous "hybrid" everyone talks about, will be more powerful that the current gen, as I said, they need to make money, or at most lose little money per unit sold, they can't risk selling a state-of-the-art machine that will be too costly and too risky financially. I guess anyone can dream, but realistically they will stick with what have kept them afloat all these years.