What Nintendo taught mobile game developers
In May 2015, Nintendo announced its intention to enter the mobile application market and adapt its cult games, including Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda, for smartphones and tablets. Considering how rapidly the company developed earlier, there is nothing surprising in this decision. Nintendo has been releasing games and gaming consoles since the 1970s. Only 5 years ago, company president Satoru Iwata said that Nintendo gaming systems "create an exciting gaming experience that is not available on other devices and represents a vital aspect of the company's development." At first glance it may seem that the recent decision contradicts the previous policy of Nintendo. Nevertheless, modern technologies and capabilities of mobile platforms make it fully justified. The new Nintendo course not only foreshadows the bright future of mobile games, but also shows how important an niche they already occupy in the gaming industry.
The release of Nintendo Entertainment System , the first Nintendo console available worldwide, came in the crisis of the gaming industry when the market was on the verge of collapse due to a glut of mediocre games . Nintendo understood that only vivid characters and fascinating plots, which require large creative teams, can restore consumer confidence. But to support these specialists is possible only on condition of large sales volumes. History repeats itself - today mobile game developers are in a similar situation.
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The NES console was a dizzying success thanks to games with simple addictive gameplay, which eventually migrated to smartphones and tablets. Game Super Mario Bros. taught us to pay attention to game characters. At the time of its release, the developers relied solely on game mechanics, but the Mario series added a new ingredient to them - catchy memorable characters who turned video games into something more than just entertainment.
Today, colorful characters are still helping mobile game developers to attract new players and warm up the interest of those who have been playing for a long time. Returning to the cult hits of Nintendo, it should be noted The Legend of Zelda. It was she who showed gamers and future developers what immersiveness means and how a simple set of pixels can create the impression of a limitless game world. Since then, the immersion effect has become one of the key elements in many games.
In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy portable console, which was positioned as a means of entertainment for the whole family. Just as casual games like Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds contributed to the development of mobile devices, the Game Boy became popular largely due to one of the most successful games of all time - Tetris, around which a whole puzzle genre was formed. And despite the fact that modern developers have already jammed it to holes, Nintendo has proved that a competent rethinking of well-established concepts can bring many benefits.
At the time of the release of the Nintendo Wii in 2006, mobile games (in the form that we know them now) were already available on the market, although they were not particularly popular. The appearance of this console was the most important milestone of the entire gaming industry. While Sony and Microsoft continued to compete in graphics quality, Nintendo opposed them with innovative motion controllers that respond to movement, low prices and exclusive games. At first, it justified itself with interest: the console attracted the attention of casual gamers and surpassed the number of PS3 and Xbox 360 sales (today more than 101 million units are sold in the world). However, Nintendo soon learned from bitter experience that casual gamers' interest in consoles is rapidly weakening, as evidenced by the current scarce Wii U sales. Therefore, the company's decision to create mobile applications is a step in the right direction. Fans of casual games do not have to spend $ 300 on the console itself and buy games for $ 50-60, and most importantly - they can play on the go. It can be said, Nintendo identified the target audience of mobile games long before they appeared.
It's no secret that Nintendo is going through hard times, but their access to mobile platforms promises to be fruitful - provided that the company makes bold decisions. Recently, they announced the release of their first mobile application - the Miitomo messenger games, although they could start expanding with their popular Mario or Zelda franchises. According to analysts , this suggests that the company is still not ready to part with the consoles.
Anyway, Nintendo created the perfect mobile experience long before the advent of mobile apps. We can only observe how they continue to raise the bar of quality and conquer the mobile market.
The release of Nintendo Entertainment System , the first Nintendo console available worldwide, came in the crisis of the gaming industry when the market was on the verge of collapse due to a glut of mediocre games . Nintendo understood that only vivid characters and fascinating plots, which require large creative teams, can restore consumer confidence. But to support these specialists is possible only on condition of large sales volumes. History repeats itself - today mobile game developers are in a similar situation.
')
The NES console was a dizzying success thanks to games with simple addictive gameplay, which eventually migrated to smartphones and tablets. Game Super Mario Bros. taught us to pay attention to game characters. At the time of its release, the developers relied solely on game mechanics, but the Mario series added a new ingredient to them - catchy memorable characters who turned video games into something more than just entertainment.
Today, colorful characters are still helping mobile game developers to attract new players and warm up the interest of those who have been playing for a long time. Returning to the cult hits of Nintendo, it should be noted The Legend of Zelda. It was she who showed gamers and future developers what immersiveness means and how a simple set of pixels can create the impression of a limitless game world. Since then, the immersion effect has become one of the key elements in many games.
In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy portable console, which was positioned as a means of entertainment for the whole family. Just as casual games like Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds contributed to the development of mobile devices, the Game Boy became popular largely due to one of the most successful games of all time - Tetris, around which a whole puzzle genre was formed. And despite the fact that modern developers have already jammed it to holes, Nintendo has proved that a competent rethinking of well-established concepts can bring many benefits.
At the time of the release of the Nintendo Wii in 2006, mobile games (in the form that we know them now) were already available on the market, although they were not particularly popular. The appearance of this console was the most important milestone of the entire gaming industry. While Sony and Microsoft continued to compete in graphics quality, Nintendo opposed them with innovative motion controllers that respond to movement, low prices and exclusive games. At first, it justified itself with interest: the console attracted the attention of casual gamers and surpassed the number of PS3 and Xbox 360 sales (today more than 101 million units are sold in the world). However, Nintendo soon learned from bitter experience that casual gamers' interest in consoles is rapidly weakening, as evidenced by the current scarce Wii U sales. Therefore, the company's decision to create mobile applications is a step in the right direction. Fans of casual games do not have to spend $ 300 on the console itself and buy games for $ 50-60, and most importantly - they can play on the go. It can be said, Nintendo identified the target audience of mobile games long before they appeared.
It's no secret that Nintendo is going through hard times, but their access to mobile platforms promises to be fruitful - provided that the company makes bold decisions. Recently, they announced the release of their first mobile application - the Miitomo messenger games, although they could start expanding with their popular Mario or Zelda franchises. According to analysts , this suggests that the company is still not ready to part with the consoles.
Anyway, Nintendo created the perfect mobile experience long before the advent of mobile apps. We can only observe how they continue to raise the bar of quality and conquer the mobile market.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/390165/
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