GoNintendo 'End of day' thoughts - 15 minutes with Nintendo's Denise Kaigler...the most meaningful conversation I've ever had while in this industry

This is one hell of an ‘End of day’ thought. It’s definitely long, it may ramble, and some of it may not make sense. That’s part of the fun of these posts! I really hope, at the very least, my passion and opinions come through. I hope you get a bit inspired as well! Catch you guys in a few hours, I am off to bed. Have a great few hours while I’m getting some rest!

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My interview with Denise Kaigler, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Nintendo, came close to not happening. Due to schedule mishaps, stretched time limits, and general chaos…I almost missed my opportunity. The good news is, I did manage 15 minutes with one of the new Nintendo brat pack. This interview was one of the E3 events that I was truly looking forward to. I have had the pleasure of meeting up with Denise numerous times, and have gotten to know her quite well. The funny thing is, we hadn’t met in an interview setting until earlier this week. It felt just a bit awkward heading into an interview with someone that you know well, but haven’t grilled!

This meeting was taking place two days after Nintendo’s media briefing, with left a bad taste in many a Nintendo fan’s mouth. Some of you are still trying to wash that taste out, while others have moved on. I can see that in our comments sections for various articles, the war still wages on. With it being such a hot topic during E3 week, I had a notepad full of questions related to the core gamer. That was my plan for the interview…focus on the core gamer and find out just what Nintendo had to say about the entire situation.

Usually, when you head into these meetings, you have a checklist of questions that you run down. Over 90% of those questions are answered with “Nintendo isn’t ready to discuss that at this time”, or something along those lines. I always felt bad doing interviews…it almost seemed like a waste of everyones’ time. I had a feeling that this interview with Denise Kaigler would be a bit different, but I had no idea just how much it would mean to me by the end of my time. A lot can be said in fifteen minutes…you can truly learn a lot.

I made my way into the meeting room with Denise, reached into my bag of E3 tricks, and whipped out my notepad for reference. Obviously, the first question was related to Nintendo and the core gamer. Where were these two crowds heading, and what was their future? That single question lead to one of the most interesting, heart-felt, passionate conversations I’ve ever had with someone in the game industry. It was extremely eye-opening, and almost mind-numbingly refreshing. Denise Kaigler was ready to address all my concerns, and really listen to what I had to say. She wasn’t waiting for me to stop talking just so she could shoot down my questions. Denise was really interested in hearing what I had to say, and wants to know what we all are thinking.

Obviously, the first reference point for core gamers was the Animal Crossing/GTA DS/Star Wars: Clone Wars trifecta. I went at each game and explained why they didn’t exactly fit what we were looking for. GTA DS is great, but it left many wondering why we couldn’t have this project happen on the Wii. Star Wars is a game that truly interests me, but it does skew younger. Animal Crossing City Folk will sell like crazy, and many a Nintendo fan will pick it up. Having said that, core Nintendo fans know that Animal Crossing is a different experience from other Nintendo titles…titles that any core gamer would want in on.

This lead into a discussion of the support that Nintendo has thrown our way from the staple of franchises that we consider core. During the back and forth, it was hard to deny that Nintendo has kept up a blistering pace with their AAA franchises. Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Galaxy, Prime, Twilight Princess…and that’s just talking Wii. Think about all the great core titles that Nintendo has served up in the last 12 months alone. I can’t name any other time when Nintendo has managed to bring us so much in the way of their core franchises, all in such a close release proximity. They’ve also given us new experiences that expand our horizons, and bring in the new gamers.

Denise stressed the point that Nintendo is not leaving the core behind at all, but they do want to widen their user base. How on earth could we expect Nintendo to continue on if no one is going to try and bring in new gamers? These titles may not be the typical fodder for the core gamer, but the people Nintendo is trying to woo are not the core gamer…they are non-gamers. Who are we to say that Nintendo shouldn’t expand, and try new things? Look at their systems on the market, Wii and DS. These two platforms are completely different from everything else on the market. With unique platforms like this, shouldn’t we expect Nintendo to be branching out to bring in a new crowd?

As the conversation went on, I started to realize something. Nintendo is working hard to bring new people into our ranks. They have gone out of their way to do so, and have created some amazing platforms for gaming along the way. They’ve also kept gaming cheaper, both on the hardware and software sides. We’ve had a very quick turn-around when it comes to staple characters and titles, plus we get new ideas unlike anything else on any platform. Forget third party successes and shovelware, I am referring to Nintendo only. Such a steady flow of content for gamers around the world. Titles for core, titles for expanded audiences, and titles that bring the two together. With all this great stuff going on, perhaps we are getting a bit selfish.

Growing new audiences, building new markets…these things take time. It’s fantastic to see video games getting such widespread coverage, but many of us want nothing to do with these new gamers…or the titles that they enjoy. We have had the gaming industry to ourselves for over 20 years, and we turn bitter the second new lifeblood starts inching towards us. Isn’t that a bit silly when you think about it?

Think about TV, movies, and music. Just look at all the different content out there. If gaming is going to be around for another 20 years after this, developers have to expand their thinking. We have to stop fighting new types of games that interest people other than us. You have a TV, I have a TV, and your grandmother has a TV. Our crowd may love Adult Swim, while your grandparents are more into documentaries, the 5 o’clock news, and Matlock. That’s fine…let them have those programs. There is more than enough programming out there for everyone to enjoy. Than, there are those titles that we can all enjoy…like The Price is Right! Look at the audience that attends that show. Old folks, college kids, armed forces, and everyone in-between. The Price is Right is a bridge game…while Moment of Truth is more for the younger crowd, and Jeopardy is for the later generations. Do you jump in-front of the TV when Jeopardy is on…because you hate the show so much? Do your parents yell at your for liking cartoons instead of medical dramas?

Nintendo is much like a TV channel that provides all kinds of content. Us long-time gamers can tune in and play Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and all of our other favorites. The new gamers can visit and try out Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit, and a host of others. Then, we can all sit down together and play some Mario Kart. How in the world is this a bad thing?

Yes, Nintendo’s E3 was a tad disheartening for the core gamer. We really didn’t see anything that sparked our interest. Later in the week, Miyamoto stated that E3 isn’t really the place to show off core games anymore. Still, that didn’t stop him from telling us that Pikmin is on the way, and that the Mario/Zelda teams are hard at work. Those are our teams, and they are making our time of games. To go back to the TV reference…think of E3 as a giant commercial. We saw an infomercial for expanded audience titles. There were some bits that caught our interest, but overall, it wasn’t our thing. We did see a commercial for things our taste, and that news is coming our way. We just have to wait to find out more on those titles.

Denise Kaigler made one simple statement during our time that really hit home. She said it with a sincerity that once again, I am yet to see from anyone else at Nintendo, let alone the industry. She looked right at me and told me that she hears you guys, and that Nintendo really does love you. This wasn’t some BS PR line thrown out to calm the masses. This was a meaningful statement. She knows that the core gamers are upset, but she also knows that Nintendo will always take care of that crowd. We are the ones that sleep outside for midnight launches. We visit online forums to rant about how Link should never be right-handed. For better or worse, we are the ones that discuss the beautiful furry that is Krystal. We have a passion for everything Nintendo, and the bigwigs in Japan know this. Nintendo of America knows this too, even though they may seem a bit fake when talking to us about it. Denise Kaigler’s words were true, honest, and clear. Hearing that statement after 15 minutes of extremely focused conversation really hit home. Nintendo does get it…they get you guys…and they know what we want. We just have to be patient.

Mario and Zelda games need time to be created. We would love to see these titles come out every 6 months, but that just can’t happen. This is Nintendo’s old line of quality over quantity. If we had new core titles every other month, there’s no doubt that quality would suffer. Why on earth do we care about these franchises so much? It’s because we know that we can depend on them for amazing experiences, and memorable gameplay. The bar has been set high from day one, and it has stayed up there ever since. Nintendo’s titles take years…not months. Nintendo is so dedicated to bringing us those amazing titles that they begin work on the next sequel as soon as the previous title wraps up. Yes, Nintendo does like money…we all do. They also really care about their products, and don’t want to tarnish the names of franchises that have 20+ years of history. They begin work on new sequels as soon as possible…because they know they may need years to perfect things. We are a very picky group, but we have none of the patience that we need.

The game industry is changing, and Nintendo is way out in-front of that pack. Like it or not, we are part of a new frontier. New gamers are coming, and they want experiences that may differ from our traditional tastes. Interests evolve, and we should too. Be more open-minded, but never stop loving the games that made you a Nintendo fan. Nintendo will never stop making those games…but they aren’t going to sit by and be happy with what they have. They want the world to see gaming for how we’ve seen it for years now. They want new people to share our passion. We can be passionate with Mario, and they can be passionate with Cooking Guide. They are still part of the the Nintendo fanclub, and more importantly, the ever-growing game industry. Nintendo is not going to abandon us…they are just bringing us some new friends for the ride. Maybe we should extend a warm welcome, instead of a cold shoulder.

I would never have been inspired to write this if it weren’t for my time with Denise Kaigler. As I said, a lot can happen in 15 minutes. I really, really look forward to meeting with Denise in the future. Our E3 meeting (her first E3) will always stand out in my mind. She reconfirmed to me why we love Nintendo, and why they are worth loving. Our conversation will forever be one of the most important discussions I’ve ever had while dealing with this industry.