It's very easy, after the latest Nintendo Direct, to now think "wow Nintendo is willing to release new games from old entries!" but I honestly think there's a bit more to it than it meets the eyes, and I think I might have a good idea about what's going to happen in the upcoming years and why this is so important to us fans (I swear I'm not clickbaiting here! Bear with with me please!)
But first, it's important to remember Nintendo in the last decade:
1- The Wii U era
Yep, the Wii U was a disaster in terms of profits. Virtual Boy Aside, it's the worst selling console in their entire history. So bad, it was discontinued before the Switch was on the market. What matters is how bad the situation was for Nintendo. Hell, at the time, it was common for people to believe Nintendo could go 3rd developer. Nintendo was struggling, and they really had to come up with a new system that could compete in the console market. A "second Wii U" disaster was just unthinkable.
But what could they do?
2 - The Switch Renaissance
Now, when a company is doing terrible, it's also possible for it to 180º their situation. A "Renaissance" on its own. Frequently, companies tend to go back to what made them so successful and popular then take a step or two beyond that. People has complained that, during the Switch, Nintendo put most of their eggs on their biggest franchises and straight out ignored their other smaller franchises. But that was just part of that "coming back" strategy.
As much as we want more Wario or Golden Sun games... releasing one huge massive game from Mario and another from Zelda is way more profitable and attracts more people. Just look at the results: do you think it's a coincidence the Switch got its very own Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time? These two types of games are what sells the most. This is what a Nintendo coming back from the Wii U truly needed.
Alright. Nintendo has done it. They are finally "back" to business. Their biggest IPs are much bigger now compared to years ago. So what now? Well, over milking franchises can kill them in the long run, and Nintendo seems aware of it. Months ago, in one of their polls, they were asking people if fans were getting tired of Mario, which shows they do know. So... why not shifting their focus to other IPs instead of potentially hurting their biggest IPs at their biggest peak in recent years?
It's very easy to realise all of this now, but I had my suspicions the day they announced remakes for the first two Famicom Detective games. This was out of nowhere to me, until I connected the dots. Looking back, it's possible WWGold was one of the first cases ("The future of WW depends on the success of WWGold", right?) and maybe Samus Returns as well.
There are also a lot of recent trademarks from old IPs that might hint to even more cases. These trademarks fit pretty well into all of this... if I happen to be right, of course.
3 - So... what now?
This is what I think Nintendo is trying to do at the moment: they are giving a chance to many of these old franchises, and we haven't seen the last of it. More to come soon!
Then? They will only stick to the most successful ones, as "minor IPs" to compliment their biggest franchises.
My point is very simple: if there's any new game from a franchise you want to see back, support its release, do NOT waste this chance, specially considering how each IP will directly compete against all the others. I cannot stress this point enough. Gold gave WW a chance... and now we are getting GiT. Samus Returns led to Metroid Dread.
Nintendo can't release games from every single IP they own. They have to pick some, and let the rest... sleep once again for who knows how long. My advice? Start saving money so you can always be ready for that unexpected announcement. I know I will, for my beloved Wario Land and Rhythm Heaven
But first, it's important to remember Nintendo in the last decade:
1- The Wii U era
Yep, the Wii U was a disaster in terms of profits. Virtual Boy Aside, it's the worst selling console in their entire history. So bad, it was discontinued before the Switch was on the market. What matters is how bad the situation was for Nintendo. Hell, at the time, it was common for people to believe Nintendo could go 3rd developer. Nintendo was struggling, and they really had to come up with a new system that could compete in the console market. A "second Wii U" disaster was just unthinkable.
But what could they do?
2 - The Switch Renaissance
Now, when a company is doing terrible, it's also possible for it to 180º their situation. A "Renaissance" on its own. Frequently, companies tend to go back to what made them so successful and popular then take a step or two beyond that. People has complained that, during the Switch, Nintendo put most of their eggs on their biggest franchises and straight out ignored their other smaller franchises. But that was just part of that "coming back" strategy.
As much as we want more Wario or Golden Sun games... releasing one huge massive game from Mario and another from Zelda is way more profitable and attracts more people. Just look at the results: do you think it's a coincidence the Switch got its very own Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time? These two types of games are what sells the most. This is what a Nintendo coming back from the Wii U truly needed.
Alright. Nintendo has done it. They are finally "back" to business. Their biggest IPs are much bigger now compared to years ago. So what now? Well, over milking franchises can kill them in the long run, and Nintendo seems aware of it. Months ago, in one of their polls, they were asking people if fans were getting tired of Mario, which shows they do know. So... why not shifting their focus to other IPs instead of potentially hurting their biggest IPs at their biggest peak in recent years?
It's very easy to realise all of this now, but I had my suspicions the day they announced remakes for the first two Famicom Detective games. This was out of nowhere to me, until I connected the dots. Looking back, it's possible WWGold was one of the first cases ("The future of WW depends on the success of WWGold", right?) and maybe Samus Returns as well.
There are also a lot of recent trademarks from old IPs that might hint to even more cases. These trademarks fit pretty well into all of this... if I happen to be right, of course.
3 - So... what now?
This is what I think Nintendo is trying to do at the moment: they are giving a chance to many of these old franchises, and we haven't seen the last of it. More to come soon!
Then? They will only stick to the most successful ones, as "minor IPs" to compliment their biggest franchises.
My point is very simple: if there's any new game from a franchise you want to see back, support its release, do NOT waste this chance, specially considering how each IP will directly compete against all the others. I cannot stress this point enough. Gold gave WW a chance... and now we are getting GiT. Samus Returns led to Metroid Dread.
Nintendo can't release games from every single IP they own. They have to pick some, and let the rest... sleep once again for who knows how long. My advice? Start saving money so you can always be ready for that unexpected announcement. I know I will, for my beloved Wario Land and Rhythm Heaven
