Since the beginning of the current generation of consoles, there have been many prevalent trends or developments that are both frustrating and incomprehensible. The one that sticks out the most for me would have to be Nintendo's obvious lack of foresight and how increasingly out of touch they have grown from their fanbase and the rest of the gaming world in general.

Nintendo used to be the pinnacle of gaming, the king of innovation, and apparently, they still like to label themselves as such. The simple fact of the matter is that Nintendo no longer knows or perhaps no longer cares about what gamers want these days. Their stubborn refusal to accept online console gaming as the next frontier have buried them in a hole I fear they will not be able to climb out of. They insist that gamers do not want to play online, but if that is indeed the case, how does one go about explaining the millions of users that have signed up for Xbox Live of PS2 Online? That to me sounds like quite a powerful testament to the draw of online gaming. Instead, Nintendo opted to put their money into gimmicks and gadgets such as GBA-Gamecube connectivity. This feature, has been, in every sense of the term...a waste. The only games to make full use of this feature REQUIRE that you have a GBA in order to play them. That sounds like an obvious marketing ploy to me.

Nintendo has also begun to slump in the area of innovation, the one thing they value above all else. Take Pokemon for example. When was the last time a significant change was made to the series? The biggest upgrade it's received over the years is an expanded roster of creatures, and frankly, the new creatures become more and more uninspired every time. Why not turn the series into a fully realized, next-gen RPG or even an MMORPG? The nature of the series lends itself to the MMO category: Trainers from across the globe vying to become the true Pokemon master. It lends itself completely to PvP in an MMO format. Also, take Mario Kart and Mario Party. Every itteration of these series haves been, in essence, the same games as the ones that game before. They say they're giving fans what they want, but fans don't want more of the same. We want new, original ideas. Nintendo used to be the chief advocate of originality, but no longer.

Nintendo's demise is in the cards. Anyone with an open mind can see it coming. 3rd party pubishers are fleeing Nintendo's camp like rats from a sinking ship. Sequels to games that have been on PS2, Xbox and Gamecube are now skipping Gamecube entirely, such as Burnout and most multiplatform titles in general. Many games these days are going online and with Nintendo's inability to back the online format, many developers are simply opting out. Take Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow for instance. Without the multiplayer, it 's almost the same game as the first one. The Gamecube version lacked the multiplayer and thus paled in comparison to other versions of the game. Mortal Kombat: Deception will also be released on Gamecube without online play, but with a few added "extras" to try to make up for it, but the bottom line is that without online play, it will be lacking a huge feature that will undoubtedly vault the PS2 and Xbox versions to greatness.

If Nintendo continues on its current path, it's next console may very likely be its last. The DS seems like a monumental waste as well, especially since it will be in direct competition with the PSP. Who needs duel screens, or a stylus to play their games? Who even WANTS that? What ever happened to practicality? The end is near for Nintendo and when it comes, rather than going the way of Sega as a 3rd party publisher, Nintendo will most likely opt out of the market altogether due to their unrelenting stubborn nature. They can't depend on Mario and Zelda forever.