Nintendo is my favorite software developer. Nintendo-made games on Nintendo-made consoles are more consistently enjoyable for me than any other. The two parts of this statement are not correlated however. Nintendo games are good regardless of Nintendo's consoles, not because of them.
Nintendo is releasing their new gaming machine, the Switch, on March 3rd, a mere 4 weeks from the time of this piece being published. I am going to be purchasing the console on launch day, and this will be the third time in a row I am an early adopter of a Nintendo console. Nintendo's past two consoles have been fascinating endeavors, something you can't really refute regardless of your opinion on their quality. The Wii was a completely shocking phenomenon that became one of the best selling consoles of all time due to its interesting motion controls and accessibility that drew in a traditional fanbase as well as new audiences that didn't traditionally purchase games, such as "the grandmas" of the world, as so many people like to say. The Wii U tried to ride on the Wii's coattail with a shared name and a focus on another central gimmick, that being the gamepad and the introduction of two-screen gaming to the home console market. Economically speaking, the Wii U underperformed, falling below the sales numbers of any Nintendo console before it.
The Switch is likely a last ditch effort for Nintendo, combining their console and portable markets into one piece of hardware, and if it were to flop, they couldn't muster up their reputation enough to ever make another console (this is regardless of the fact that their astonishing savings from the Wii and DS era could probably fund new consoles for decades, whether they succeed or not). A lot of passionate Nintendo fans are terrified by this prospect, they don't want the console they buy in March to be the last new Nintendo system they ever buy. I understand this concern, and back in the days where we were still hearing whispers about the mysterious "NX" I felt the same way. My perspective has changed since then, especially after Nintendo's big Switch presentation in January.
The Switch presentation was a thrilling prospect for me, finally hearing all the details about the console we have been discussing for many months now. I went into the presentation excited by the console and left excited about the games. Something dawned on me during the Super Mario Odyssey reveal trailer, I was excited for the game they were showing me, and I didn't once consider the hardware it would be played on. Don't get me wrong, the portability of the Switch is an exciting prospect that I am thrilled to use, but I have always been a big fan of Nintendo because of the games they release, not the hardware it's on. They always have a couple games that really nail the gimmick of the given hardware, but most of their games would be just as excellent on a PS4 or a PC.
If the Nintendo Switch falls far below expectations, I am confident that Nintendo will exit the hardware market. This is a mild disappointment for me, no doubt, but I do not think the loss would be too massive. Nintendo would simply move into solely software development for other systems on the market, and as long as I am able to play a new Mario, Animal Crossing, or Super Smash Bros. game every few years, the Nintendo magic that makes me love them as a company and game maker, and the magic that always keeps me engaged in the games industry, isn't going anywhere.
The Nintendo magic that so many people know well and that many consider a major essence in the games industry is very real, and I cannot blame any fans who are scared that it would die if the Switch failed, but I encourage these people to consider what makes Nintendo "Magic" truly magical.
Nintendo magic is not waggling the Wiimote; Nintendo magic is not poking the Gamepad's touch screen; Nintendo magic will not be undocking your Switch to go play on a plane; Nintendo magic, is, always has been, and always will be, the games that Nintendo makes that give you a sense of pure joy and wonder. Even if you are playing your Nintendo made game on a Playstation in 10 years, you still will be in your child-like state of awe for every moment of it. I do not mind if the Nintendo Switch fails. Nintendo doesn't need to remain in the hardware market to keep alive their magic. The Nintendo Magic is not going anywhere.
