Nintendo’s woes have been well-documented in recent weeks: both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One managed to outdo the first-year sales of the Wii U in a matter of weeks, sales projections for the Wii U were severely lowered by 70%, stock prices have begun to bottom out, and investors have called for president Satoru Iwata’s resignation. No one wants to see the company that made gaming what it is today fall, so we have a humble suggestion: What if Nintendo became a PlayStation developer?
Don’t get us wrong. We don’t think this is even remotely likely to happen. However, that doesn’t change the fact that we believe Nintendo would be a perfect fit for the PlayStation family. Today, we will discuss five reasons why the House that Mario Built would thrive as a Sony-centric developer.
Games, Games, and More Games
As interesting as the Wii U and its gamepad are, no one buys a Nintendo console for the hardware. People buy a Nintendo system because they want to play Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros., Donkey Kong, and more. Developing for another company’s console instead of creating and marketing their own system frees Nintendo to do what they do best. Imagine a slim, trim Nintendo focused solely on developing a truly next-gen The Legend of Zelda title or making a Metroid title that would make everyone forget about Other M. This could even let Nintendo have the chance to breathe and create new, original IPs again.
While it’s true that Microsoft could provide Nintendo the same level of freedom, what sets Sony apart is the company’s…
Dedication to New Tech
Sony pushed the advent of CD-ROM gaming for home consoles. They made the move to DVD with the PlayStation 2, only to follow up with helping design Blu-ray for the sole purpose of using the new optical media format for the PlayStation 3. Sony was the first to attempt motion gaming on the PS2 with the EyeToy, and then continued their foray into the field with the Move and the PS Eye. Most recently, Sony has implemented touch screens and touch pads on the Vita and the DualShock 4. In other words, Sony has never shied away from testing new technology.
Nintendo is the company that revolutionized motion controls with the Wii Remote, made the idea of a handheld with two screens seem cool, and started streaming gameplay to a handheld device before Remote Play was announced. The ability to be “different” is important to the company. Sony’s willingness to try new things would help Nintendo remain unique in an era where game developers continue to become more and more homogenized.
Sony’s Funds
While Microsoft has a huge pocketbook, Sony has proven their willingness to shell out a lot of cash for quality titles. In fact, it is being suggested that Sony’s funding of third party developers is one of the reasons Nintendo is in its current predicament. If Sony is willing to open its wallet for Activision and EA, why wouldn’t they be more than willing to help fund the next HD Mario adventure? If Sony’s financing of projects is partially responsible for Nintendo’s struggles, maybe it is time Nintendo turned that weapon to their advantage.
Crossover Possibilities
Between Nintendo and Sony, the two companies host the biggest collection of iconic characters from the last thirty years of gaming. While PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was… fine, imagine a Super Smash Bros. game featuring match-ups like Mario versus Jak & Daxter, Samus versus Col. Radec, or Link versus Cole McGrath. How about a Mario Kart with weapons and tracks straight out of Ratchet & Clank? These crossovers and more would be possible if Nintendo became a PlayStation developer. It would be a wonderful marriage between two companies that could allow all of their “children” to play together as one family. The mere idea of such a relationship is enough to make any gamer smile with delight.
Nintendo Offers A Lot to Sony
We’ve discussed how a partnership with Sony and PlayStation benefits Nintendo, but Sony would also gain much from such a deal. Beyond access to Nintendo’s vast library of IPs and characters, Sony would have the name Nintendo forever associated with the PlayStation brand. While that may not seem like a lot to some, think about how many people still refer to video game consoles as “Nintendos” even today.
In the (extremely unlikely) situation where Nintendo fully came under the Sony Worldwide Studios umbrella, the “Big N” could also lend their expertise to Sony’s handheld division. While the Vita is certainly an impressive piece of hardware, its sales and legacy are far overshadowed by Nintendo and the 3DS. The handheld market is one area of the video game hardware business that Nintendo has simply dominated over the decades. Sony would be foolish if they did not want that level of history and expertise working on the next iteration of PlayStation portables.
Finally, consider the PlayStation Now service, set to launch later this year. We already know that PS3 games will be available for streaming, with PS One and PS2 games sure to follow. Now imagine if Sony were able to bring in Nintendo and add their massive history of titles to the service. Imagine streaming Metroid Prime on your Vita. How about playing a game of Mario Kart: Double Dash on PSN? The possibilities would be endless. A partnership with Nintendo could potentially make PlayStation Now the single most “must have” product in the history of gaming.
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