Nintendo Is The Most Predatory Company And I’m Tired Of Pretending It’s Not

Video game companies have been around for years, but when it comes to console wars, fans only pit Sony and Microsoft against each other. While both companies are easing up on the exclusivity and overall predatory behavior, most tend to forget about Nintendo, the third company that’s killing it in console sales.

That’s right, I’m talking about Nintendo, the home of legendary IPs like The Legend of Zelda and Mario. However, I’m here to say that Nintendo, the company that markets itself as the most family-friendly of the bunch, is actually the most predatory.

Nintendo Has The Weakest Hardware But The Most Iconic IPs

While not every Average Joe knows video game characters like Ellie, Kratos, and Master Chief, everyone knows about Pikachu. IPs like Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda have been pioneers in the gaming industry for years, so why do they have to limit themselves thanks to poor hardware?

The Switch was decent for its time and Nintendo developers could make games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild run well on it. However, that’s in the past, as recent first-party games show the hardware’s weakness. For example, Pokemon: Scarlet and Violet is a stuttering mess in many places when playing it on the Switch.

Most Switch fans typically argue that you buy the hybrid console for the software and games, not the hardware. However, things get concerning when the hardware holds back the software. Sony and Microsoft have been leagues ahead of the Switch in terms of visual fidelity and FPS since the start of the eighth generation.

With the two competitors making more gaming-related leaps and a direct competitor in the Steam Deck, I think Nintendo should finally put those billions of dollars it has at hand to use and develop a console for the present.

Another Full-Priced Nintendo Rerelease With The Bare Minimum? Not Surprised

2020 was a bad year for Nintendo, mostly thanks to a certain pandemic delaying the company’s releases. However, I would argue that it was an equally, if not worse year for Nintendo fans. After all, it’s the year rereleases like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX and Super Mario 3D All-Stars came out.

For an accurate comparison, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team was released on the DS for $35 in 2005. However, Nintendo made minor tweaks to the game, slapped a $60 price tag, and released it for the Nintendo Switch. With the Pokemon case, one could argue that the Switch version made meaningful changes. However, everyone agrees that Nintendo fumbled the bag with Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

Thoughts on all the rereleases being full priced?
byu/bleedingwriter inNintendoSwitch

Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy are beloved classics that countless players grew up enjoying. Instead of giving them the treatment they deserved, the company behind the games opted to run them on emulators, something fans have been doing for years. Apparently, joy-con support and increased resolution were enough for a $60 price.

With these blatant examples of Nintendo prioritizing money over loyal players, Nintendo’s image is continuously tarnished. The Japanese company looks worse when considering how competitors Sony and Microsoft let players upgrade their previous-generation games to the current generation for little to no cost.

Asking For New Features To No Avail

Examples of why Nintendo is the least consumer-friendly company are practically limitless. The base Switch dock lacked an ethernet port so players had to buy a separate adapter if they wanted a reliable internet connection. Fortunately, the OLED dock fixed that. The company hasn’t fixed the lack of customizable themes players can choose. The minimalistic light and dark themes get boring quickly, after all.

themes? why are there no customisable themes?
byu/mangophat inNintendoSwitch

With Sony and Microsoft moving toward a more user-friendly future, gamers are opening their eyes to Nintendo’s predatory practices. As games like Genshin Impact and Palworld give competition to Nintendo IPs that have stayed uncontested for years, I think it’s time for Nintendo to make some major changes to how it does things.