Innovation: to revolutionize, change, transform, or evolve.
Iteration: to repeat, improve, patch, or expand.
Historically, Nintendo is a very iterative company. Most of their characters and concepts came from the mid-80s, when the company created its first batch of games for NES.
For many subsequent generations, they’ve followed the formulae, making a Mario game. A Zelda game. A Metroid game. Sequels got marginally better, improving upon past issues.
They’ve been honing their craft. Perfecting.
The only problem with this tradition is that it’s not very exciting. People start saying things like “if you’ve played one, you’ve played them all,” and “they keep recycling the same story over and over again.”
Nintendo Wii was the company’s first major hardware innovation in a long time—and they knew it, naming it codename “Revolution.” We were starting to see a brand that was ready to transform the gaming industry. Funny enough, the console’s success caused the console-maker to follow up with a safe “half-step” successor, but the masses weren’t listening anymore.
The good news is: innovative Nintendo is back, and that culture is seeping into their most beloved franchises. Breath of the Wild and Odyssey took a big leap in evolving the gameplay front. Next, we’ll see bigger shifts in story and presentation.
Buckle up! Your responsibility is being open to the change.
Scott
Latest posts by Scott (see all)
- TBC 033: Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 - 08/24/2022
- TBC 032: Pokémon Legends: Arceus - 05/21/2022
- TBC 031: Metroid: Dread - 11/26/2021
