If you’re anything like me, the recent rumour that Nintendo’s NX console will be using cartridges was met with a bemused raise of an eyebrow. In a world of enormous file sizes for games, digital console updates and downloadable titles, the idea of going back to a form of software last seen languishing on dusty Gamestop shelves in 2002 seems backwards.
But Nintendo has always had its eye on fertile blank spots in the market, those that go unnoticed by other first party publishers in their race toward the “future”. In a recent report from DFC Intelligence (via Gamesindustry.biz), the research firm predicted that Nintendo might be capitalising on the “lost console-generation” ...kids.
"One of the ironies of the latest generation of console systems is how children under the age of 12 have been largely ignored,” reads the report. “The Nintendo Wii U is the only dedicated system remotely targeted at kids and it has been a failure. Twenty years ago many casual outside observers viewed children as the ONLY market for video games. The fact that console systems can thrive without targeting a younger audience speaks volumes to how the industry has grown. However, it also highlights a major missed opportunity.”
It would be a smart move on Nintendo’s part. Right now, under 12s who want to primarily play on console are largely neglected (outside of the relentless torrent of “toys-to-life” and LEGO games). iOS and Android devices are a far better option for parents who want to keep their kids occupied, which seems counter-productive to consoles’ biggest selling point versus other game-capable devices: they’re easy to use.
Of course, nowadays, they’re not. The action of putting in a disc and hitting ‘start’ has evolved into a convoluted dance through menus, installation and updates. While most kids are fairly adroit at navigating tech these days, consoles are simply not as accessible as they could be. Even adults find their finickiness - “gaming wasn’t like this in my day” - frustrating.
Although a cartridge-based console would restrict what Nintendo could deliver in terms of cutting edge graphics and ever-evolving (patched) gameplay, I wonder if that’s such a bad thing. Nintendo doesn’t need to be the industry leader to be profitable, and it’s been a long time since the company has bought into the console arms race - a race that it’s in no position to win anyway. Nintendo has often excelled when going against the grain, offering new ways to play and targeting untapped markets. The Wii was a casual console “that even your grandmother could enjoy!” while the DS forced developers to cater to its peculiar - but inspired - dual screen feature set.
Nintendo’s not had much success in recent years at gaining traction in the adult market, either. Third party publishers all but abandoned both the Wii and Wii U when it became clear audiences weren’t buying their products on those systems, and exclusive games for the latter aimed at adults - like Zombi U, Devil’s Third, and Ninja Gaiden 3 - didn’t make enough of a mark on a machine that never lifted off the ground.
Certainly, with its confused marketing and awkward title, a lot of people still have no idea the Wii U exists ("I feel like people never really understood the concept behind Wii U and what we were trying to do," Miyamoto told Fortune magazine last year.) With the NX, Nintendo has a second chance at rebranding, and there’s little doubt that “Nintendo’s new kids’ console” would have clear and powerful cut through for parents.
Nintendo’s legacy as a family-friendly company is strong, so it would be both filling a (potentially lucrative) niche, as well as doing what everyone - from casual audiences to core - knows it can do: make games for kids. For siblings who argue over taking turns, for dads who wrap their hands around their daughters’ as they play Mario Kart, for children who will remember their discoveries within these worlds as defining moments of their childhoods, talked about with reverence for the rest of their lives.
None of this is to say Nintendo would forget us, its adult audience. One of the core strengths of the best of the company’s back-catalogue is an uncanny ability to appeal to all ages and genders. The gamers that grew up with Nintendo may not be the focus, but considering how adept Nintendo is at banking on nostalgia we wouldn’t be left behind, either - especially if the machine gains traction.
And it’s worth reiterating the best case scenario here: this would be a console you could simply turn on and play almost instantly.
As the rest of the industry surges forward in their race towards being the most technologically advanced; towards VR and AR and an entirely digital future, a cartridge-based machine would be a reminder, especially for kids, that sometimes simple is better.
Lucy O'Brien is an editor at IGN’s Sydney office. Follow her ramblings on Twitter.
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