How is Nintendo so successful when they’re consistently behind the times, whether it’s media format (cartridges instead of CDs) or online?
Two words: Mario, Zelda
They make games that are fun for a lot of people. No, really, that’s the entire secret. Yeah, they don’t have the high-end graphics needed to run the latest Biweekly Call of Warfare or whatever, but you can still have a lot of fun with characters that look like disassembled spheres floating in space, and Nintendo makes games that take advantage of that.
But they’re not always behind the times, either. The original NES was unlike anything else available at the time, and that’s built up a steady account of nostalgia for them to bank on (see: Mario, Zelda). And the Wii motion controls were a huge leap forward compared to what else was available at the time.
They’re one of my biggest clients. Pokemon. Lots of stuff really.
I bought the Wii just for the Mario game. I bought the Wii U just for the Mario game. I got other games of course but the main reason was Mario. I have not gotten the Switch yet. Not really planning on it either.
1 Pokemon Mario Zelda and about 5 other franchises
2 they do innovate …I mean with the switch they’ve made something that everyone’s been trying to do for 20 years I mean the last portable game system that didn’t use games that were two gens behind the main consoles was the portable turbo grafx 16
3 Nintendo is the only system that doesn’t go for the hardcore graphics whore gamers they learned when the ps2 destroyed the n64 you didn’t have to have the best games you just had to have what people like
Also Nintendo machines tend to be hundreds of dollars cheaper other systems
I should maybe point out that they have a very strong domestic market. They make as much from domestic sales as they do in all of Europe.
Games with high end graphics are cool and all, but games that are just fun to play are also cool. You don’t need the latest graphics for a good game. My family plays “Crossy Road” on our NVidia Shield and the graphics are primitive, but it’s fun as hell.
Nintendo has, quite wisely, cornered the market on games that maybe aren’t the highest technological achievement but ARE social, group-fun games.
It’s fairly simple, really. They make extremely well-designed, fun, and playable games.
I hardly find the time these days for much video game playing, but when there’s a new Mario title in the house I basically can’t put it down. I’ve done 100% of Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 and the 3DS title 3D Land, and when we get a switch I’m sure I will grind out all 870 moons or whatever as well.
To echo others, Nintendo focuses on fun games. They may not be the best graphical powerhouse of games, but they are highly enjoyable. Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite games of all time. Mario Odyssey isn’t far behind.
And the Switch is just a brilliant idea. A portable/home console depending on how you want to use it, which functions good enough on a big screen TV. They probably also benefit from the fact that most people don’t have 4k TVs yet, so that technology from Microsoft or Sony isn’t really on their radar.
They’ve also made a truckload of money recently by licensing their properties. Fire Emblem: Heroes is hilariously successful in the mobile game space, and I’m sure they’ve had some other deals that I don’t remember right now.
I wouldn’t say its the reason they’re successful, but a major factor is that the game developers aren’t forced to roll-out before being ready. The games come out polished, which isn’t usually the case for PS4 or XB. Look at the amount of patches that need to be released for the blockbuster game releases just to make them playable (ie. BF4, GTA5, etc.).
Same here, except it was for Zelda, and that I did get the Switch, for Zelda. Hadn’t had a Nintendo since the NES, or played a Zelda game since Zelda 2, but I had become a grown up and here was a good opportunity to play Zelda again.
I like how almost every answer is, “they make games that that are fun to play.” But it’s true! Also, Nintendo’s demo certainly skews younger than Xbox or PS. There are a hell of a lot of people who enjoy video games but aren’t hardcore gamers. Especially elementary school age kids.
How exactly is the Switch’s online behind? What’s it missing?
Well cloud saves are the most obvious.
And IIRC, playing Splatoon 2 with friends was an exercise of frustration to the nth degree (you couldn’t just ‘create a team of 4’). And speaking of Splatoon 2, you have to use a smart phone app if you want to chat with your friends.
Wait, did you write the OP without knowing? 
Cloud saves are coming with the paid online service, so at least the option will be available. I can see some of their reasoning for doing voice chat on an app, with all the different configurations the switch can be in, but it was a solvable problem. The truth is that they just don’t put much value on voice chat, so it gets put to the side. It’s not a huge negative for me personally, but I can see why it is for some.
Not so much any more, but a couple of years ago Pokemon Go was the biggest thing ever.
I assume it’s true with the Switch as well, but I know for the previous couple of generations, Nintendo was the only one making a profit on the actual console sale. So all those people like my mom who bought a Wii and did nothing more than Wii Sports for a little while still made Nintendo money, whereas Playstations and Xboxes needed people to buy games for Sony/Microsoft to make money.