Nov 13, 08:30 PM

Nintendo Plans to Screw Consumers Again?

So earlier this year, I bought a Nintendo DS because I got really excited about what they were doing with the system, specifically games like Brain Age. Then just a few months later, they go on and release the DS Lite, which is supposedly a lot better. This was really annoying, because whenever they do something like that, it sends out the message to all the existing DS owners that “sorry, what you guys bought earlier is total crap – give us another $130 if you really want the best experience.”

And this is how it has been for years with Nintendo – I remember they first had the original game boy, the big clunky gray thing. Then they came out with the one that had different color plastic. Then it was the game boy pocket. Then it was the game boy pocket in different color plastic. Then it was the game boy pocket in different colors. Then it was the game boy color. And so on, making the kid who maybe only had the original game boy feel bad, when other kids got their parents to buy them every single new one.

What is even more annoying to me about this is that consumers are willing to bend over and take it up the ass like this ad infinitum – sure it’s good business for Nintendo, but when will people learn?

That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised now that it looks like Nintendo might be trying it again – with the Wii. First they handicap the original Wii by taking DVD playback away from it, then they release another Wii version (maybe with different color plastic?) in late 2007 with DVD playback added in again? Hilarious.

At least with a 360 or a PS3, you can buy one today with a reasonable assurance that you will be satisfied with the system for the entire generation of this console cycle. With the Wii, there is no such expectation.

And so I can’t see how this news is anything but Nintendo giving a middle finger to all those dedicated fans who plan to camp out 6 days from now to get their hands on a Wii. Because even though they will get one on the first day it comes out, it will already be an inferior product from the start.

-Jon
- permalink

commenting closed for this article