Nintendo's Nostalgic Business Practices

[ Source: http://www.gamespot.com/features/is-nintendo-trapped-by-its-legacy-6402862/
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Is Nintendo trapped by its legacy? Tom McShea suggests that indeed
Nintendo is. Here's how it works in Tom Mcshea's world, and he may be
right. Nintendo produces great games, which its core audience loves.
It makes games like Super Smash Bros., Pikmin 2, Super Mario Galaxy,
Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door; all games I love. The problem
is, they're playing to their fans sense of nostalgia, and moreover,
there are insanely long waiting periods between releases of various
franchise games.

Games in the Zelda series are mostly beloved by Nintendo's core
audience. There is a problem, though. When does a new one come out for
a console, like the Wii? Once in its life cycle? One every 3 years?
What about PIkmin? It's been a long time since Pikmin 2 came out, and
Pikmin 3 is on the way for Wii U. Super Smash Bros games? Same thing.
Takes a good long while to get a new one. Often only one is released
per console life-cycle. When does a 3D platforming, non-sports-related
Mario game come out on a console? That depends, because Nintendo
managed to cram out quite a few by simplifying the process, reusing
the core game, like in the case of Super Mario Galaxy 2, (and for 2D
in New Super Mario Bros U.) It's essentially the same basic overall
game, but with all new levels, a heavily modified overworld, and maybe
some new power-ups.

So what is the solution? Tom Mcshea suggests Nintendo try to step away
from their legacy, from the constant nostalgia, and create wholly new
things. Is it going to happen? No, but I think he does have a fair
point. The wait between new games can be long, and Nintendo is stuck
in an infinite loop of games in various series'. Other games are
produced in a series too, like Halo, Gears of War… In fact, just about
any popular game you can think of. So it boils down to the fact that
Nintendo wants to make money, and so does everyone else. Nintendo's
current business practice of producing high quality games over a long
period of time, and playing to nostalgic Nintendo fans is a pretty
damn spiffy business model. Unless Nintendo goes bankrupt, I don't see
any changes coming to the way Nintendo does business, or produces
games.

-Mark Johnsen