You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here
Nintendo’s franchises remain strong because it concentrates on the elements that work, rather than on fixing the bits which do not. That’s the opinion of Julien Merceron, worldwide technology director for Square Enix.
“I’m always surprised to see that their [Nintendo’s] IPs are surviving way better than some other publishers’ IPs, and there’s definitely something that they’re doing right here,” Merceron told VideoGamer.com last week.
“It seems like they’re putting more emphasis on improving things that are already great in their games, rather than improving the things that people complain about.”
And where most developers seek to embrace popular trends, supplementing their franchises with mechanics from other games and genres, Nintendo keeps its games pure – a tactic that increases their appeal, says Merceron.
“You see this trend with IPs and publishers that say, ‘I’m making a first-person shooter. People are complaining that there aren’t enough RPG components, so I’m going to add some RPG components.’ But at the end of the day, this might make their IPs more difficult to understand. Because what is it now? Is it a shooter, is it an RPG – what is it exactly? It confuses a lot of people.
“With Mario Kart you never get confused, ever. You know they are adding hovering for the new 3DS game? It’s just [there] for you to get even better control of your kart all the time. It’s enhancing your experience – they focus on what’s great, and they make it even better.”
Later this year Nintendo will release The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and a new 3D version of Super Mario for 3DS, both IPs which have stood the test of time.
About the Author
