I dont know who your responding to but it breaks down like this. You started this thread about Nintendo failing when they just released one of their biggest titles, and released a new GBA. With statements like "I guess I'm finally outgrowing gaming" just shows that you didnt put a lot of thought into this thread, and that the opinions expressed in Penny Arcade dont exactly mirror your own. Your either A) Someone who is already a member of these boards and created a new name to let out some agression for fear of being flamed by the regs, or B) You just dont know what it is you want out of gaming. Id rather go with option B because You started this discussion, didnt come back to it for two pages and are now posting pics of some of Nintendo's future releases asking if they are "heavy hitters" what does it matter? Some of the biggest releases are bound to let a lot of people down, but that doesnt mean all of them suck, that a company is done. Next time save us all the trouble and start a bashing thread like the ones we've seen so many times before like...

"Am I the only one who hated (Insert popular game title here)"

But dont go reading penny arcade and saying you feel the same way just because

To make you look like the fool you are for posting the nine-millionth "is nintendo leaving the hardware business thread" on this lame forum after Nintendo has 100% reassured everyone that they're in the business to stay (at least through next-generation anyway).

He doesnt seem to need your help in that department.

Pride. They've been in the hardware business for a long time. Plus they have a lot of philosophical differences with the competition (set-top box crap, mature games etc.) that makes them more reluctant to merge.

I'm not saying they'll never disappear or go third party. But going third party will be a last resort (i.e. being totally SOL like sega). And that just doesn't seem likely as the company as a whole continues to make record profits year after year. I think their pride and philosophical disagreements with sony and MS will be enough to keep them pumping out consoles as long as the company continues to make growing profits, regardless of whether or not they could make even more profits by going third party and keeping the gameboy.

I understand that its the intangibles that keeps Nintendo in the game. But the blanket statement that theyre profitable doesnt mean jack. A corporations goal is maximizing profits not just being profitable.

The GC, like the N64, has made innovations in hardware more than it has in software. LIke the RAM pack, the ingenious controller, the Game Boy Pack and the Rumble Pack for the N64; and the Game Boy Player and the Wavebird for the GC. However, their software has been a little lacking. They've had a handful of awesome, industry-shattering games: Mario 64, Zelda: OOT probably the top two first-party titles for the N64; and now ZTWW for the GC (unfortunately SMS wasn't the title everyone had hoped for). Sony is killing the competiton, and the XBox has used their same strategy and force-fed its consumer base to moderate success. Nintendo continues to look the other way and I think it's bit them more than they were prepared for.

Until Nintendo changes their strategy, I don't see them competing in the home console market much longer. They do have a hold on the portable market, but when Sony decides to release their Walkman PSX, like we are all expecting them to at some point in the future, I guarantee that will be the end of Nintendo hardware.

Jeremy

The argument here is not that any profit at all is a reason to stay in the business. The thing to keep in mind is that profit maximization does not mean sticking only with the business area that produces the best profit ratio. Yes, perhaps Nintendo makes more on the GBA per dollar invested vs the GC. My argument, at least, is that the Gamecube is more than profitable enough in its own right.

The problem is confusing flat sales numbers with profit numbers. I want to see some proof that Nintendo isn't raking in the money hand over fist with the Gamecube. If you are going to convince me that Nintendo is going to get out of the hardware business, you're going to have to show me that financially, it is not worth it for them to be in the business.

These arguments about intangibles, are what truly don't mean jack.

And I want proof that water is wet.

Look man. Anyone can try to be funny. It is a lot harder to actually be funny. Its about as hard as finding facts to back up random statements made on message boards.

I dont know if youre trying or not but youre cracking me up.

This is pretty much the standard reply to all of my posts on this board.

Ok. Well it seems to me that you don't believe that statements have to be proven by fact. If you don't subscribe to the concept of the burden of proof, then I agree that there is no point in any sort of discussion. If making bad analogies is enough to prove your statements to be accurate, then I can say with confidence that you are 100% right.

How very odd. This thread began as a good old fashion IGNesque console bash, and has slowly evolved into a court of law. I am sitting on the edge of my seat, my heart all pitter-patter wondering what direction it shall take next!

Doesn't mean you should stop trying! As you can see from above, even I get lucky and make a person laugh once in a blue moon.

I go on record saying that the above is funny.

I'm going to shut it down

Stuff like "Make you look foolish" isn't called for. I'm not sure what point there is to getting defensive over something so untrue either.

Jolt also the "laughing" comment wasn't called for either.

If you and Josh misbehave you'll be locked in a closet for 2 hours together. If you haven't made up by then it'll be longer....