Sega’s Chief of Creative Operations, Toshihiro Nagoshi, stated on a recent interview that Nintendo, and its current gaming platform is geared towards kids and teens.
The following is the exact statement made by Nagoshi:
“I think even now the Nintendo platform is still a game console that is played by a wide range of age groups, but basically, I think it’s hardware for kids and teens. Amid all that, at that time, Nintendo was also putting a lot of effort into the kids market, and I thought it would suit.”
Nagoshi’s response was an answer to a question pertaining Super Monkey Ball’s status as Sega’s first game released on a Nintendo platform in the GameCube days.
As expected, Nagoshi’s comments started a fire storm of social media backlash with Nintendo fans of all ages voicing their displeasure with the statement.
In Nagoshi’s Defense…
He was replying to a question about something that happened nearly 2 decades ago. Super Monkey Ball was deemed by Sega as a great choice for the GameCube platform, as that console was generally geared towards a younger audience.
So, Nagoshi is not wrong. He should know, he was in the midst of those Sega discussions back then. His statement that Nintendo caters to a younger audience isn’t exactly wrong either.
Nintendo’s first party stuff has – in great part – been composed of family oriented content. That said, its second and third party catalogue has had violent games. The Nintendo 64 was home to some of the most violent games of its day. Golden Eye, Turok, and Perfect Dark featured eerily realistic violence.
The GameCube had Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Zero, and the excellent Resident Evil Remake running under its “kiddie” lunch box design. The Switch is home to violent games. The console runs games that feature sex and nudity such as The Witcher 3. Many of these games have succeeded -commercially – on the platform.
Still, when you think of Nintendo’s first party lineup, the reality is that family content for all ages remains at the forefront. It is an approach that has kept Nintendo a top a successful perch over the last 15 years (The Wii U being the one glaring blemish on its track record).
The Switch appeals to a wide variety of gamers, even if its highest selling titles remain Nintendo’s own first party “family oriented” material.
Was Nagoshi’s Nintendo Comment Misunderstood?
If you watch the entire interview below, you will see that Nagoshi is very candid, and open about his work on Yakuza. He also seems honest in his replies to all of the topics discussed. There was no malice, or ill intent when he made the statement about Nintendo’s focus on a younger target audience.
My guess is that is his words were taken out of context. You be the judge:
Agree with the author? Couldn’t disagree more and are frothing at the mouth to tell him? Leave a comment here, on Facebook or send an email and make sure to follow Never Ending Realm on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!