Nintendo’s 10 Biggest Failures EVER
7. Underestimating Online Capabilities
The Sega Dreamcast was the first mainstream console to have online capability. The console tanked but Sony realised that the Internet was the way of the future and so, made the PlayStation 2 online-compatible. Nintendo, on the other hand, saw the internet as a fad.
Although the PS2 could use the internet, it focused more on its games and its DVD capability. But when Microsoft set up Xbox Live, popularising remote multiplayer, Sony got their head in the game and released the PlayStation Network Adapter with several online titles. Sony may have been a bit late with embracing the internet but when they did, their sales went up.
However, Nintendo did nothing of the sort with their console at the time, the Gamecube, which is one of the reasons it didn't sell well. While developing the Gamecube's successor, the Wii, Nintendo finally came to their senses and allowed the console to have online compatibility.
The most ironic thing is that the Nintendo Entertainment System, which was released in 1983, was meant to have online capability!
It's bizarre that Nintendo could have been the first computers to go online and yet, they were one of the last consoles to embrace the internet.