But Nintendo gave it Gamecube/Wii/Wii U-level support? A console consisting entirely of Nintendo exclusives, at the rate of 7-9 per year, with the occasional VC release and eShop original?

Just curious. If you knew that, say, the Wii U would have absolutely ZERO third-party support, would you still buy it/have bought it, knowing that?

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Yes. I'd probably buy a console that just had Smash Bros. alone.

I would, also. Nintendo is still ringing my bell. I'd probably take their output over all other companies, combined. Perhaps due to the focus on local multiplayer...

Absolutely. They are the best games all around I've ever played. And frankly nearly the only consoles games I PLAY anymore. Sure, there's the occasional Wonderful 101 or Elebits, which I would miss, but I would be perfectly content with a first-party only console from Nintendo. Especially with Steam and their ridiculous sales holding down the fort for most of my other gaming desires.

Hell Yes. The majority of games I play on the Wii U and 3DS are published by Nintendo, and Nintendo's games are the main reason I buy their systems. Third party games are just a bonus.

Any time I buy a piece of Nintendo hardware, I go in with the knowledge that I'm going to be getting Nintendo's support. And by the end of the system's "life" I'll have 20 or 30 games I'm probably really going to like.

So "YES" would be my answer...despite thinking back, the last few Nintendo systems I bought were because of 3rd party games selling me on it, not Nintendo's.

Absolutely. Historically, Nintendo's third party exclusives have been great, but I would be okay with just Nintendo's games.

Absolutely. Nintendo's pretty much the reason I'm still playing videogames, so I could live with that. In the case of the Wii U, though, ZombiU did one hell of a job convincing me that GamePad had potential, so I might have waited even longer to get it if it hadn't been there.

Sure.

I'd just like to know that was the score ahead of time. It might be worth waiting a year or so down the road before picking one up.

Absolutely. They're my favorite developer.

I buy more 1st party games on Nintendo consoles than all of the games I buy on other consoles.

Of course I like more variety, I want 3rd party games on my favorite systems, but purely on a game per machine basis - a Nintendo only console would still be the must-have machine for me.

Y'know...isn't this what people do nowadays anyway? Who buys a Nintendo system for 3rd party games anymore?

Yeah. Ever since the N64 got virtually no support from anyone else, I've bought Nintendo consoles pretty much expecting just Nintendo games and anything else is an added bonus.

Sure, although I'd hesitate to pay full price at launch for it.

@GameDadGrant I don't know about "for" but probably around half of my retail Wii games and probably 95% of my WiiWare games were 3rd party games. Right now all 4 of my Wii U retail games are Nintendo published but most of my eShop games are not.

And on the handhelds I have even more 3rd party stuff. Without 3rd parties there would have been no Castlevania, Contra, Mega Man, Phoenix Wright, Shin Megami Tensei, etc. on the DS!

@DeputyVanHalen

Yeah. I guess the Gamecube did try to nip the idea of "Nintendo systems are only for Nintendo games" in the bud, what with the announcements of the Resident Evil franchise being exclusive to the 'Cube, the announcement of Link in Soulcalibur II, and propping up Star Wars: Rogue Squadron - Rogue Leader as a premiere launch title for the console all before launch.

Still, most people just bought it for Melee and little else.

@Zero

I don't think 3rd party support was ever really an issue for Nintendo's handhelds. It's mostly just a console problem for the Big N.

In any case, as far as buying a system for 3rd party games, I know *I* bought the GBA, GCN, DS and 3DS specifically so I could play certain 3rd party games...while also knowing in the back of my head I'd also get fantastic Nintendo support, too. But I figure I'm an outlier, and most people buy Nintendo systems for Nintendo games for the most part. If not entirely.

Practically that's what I did with the Wii, DS, 3DS and soon the Wii U. Sure there is an occasional 3rd party title but 90%+ of my library on those sysems are Nintendo published.

@Stephen

Yeah, and I figure that's fairly common, in the grand scope of things. I'm not sure exactly how it would shake out in this particular community though, to be honest. We have some of the most hardcore Nintendo fans on this site, and I don't know how "open" they are to third party games.

That's what I buy Nintendo consoles for nowadays, so yeah. I do have a few third party games, but I generally buy cross-platform titles on my computer.

Of course, their games are typically the best ones on their platforms. It would help if the system and games cost less, though.

The Wii U kind of does have absolutely zero third-party support, and I bought one on the notion that it'll just be getting Nintendo games in the future and there aren't going to be the kind of third-party titles on it that I enjoyed on the Wii.

@-JKR-
Wonderful 101 is still Nintendo-published. I'm assuming that the console would still have second-party titles like that, as well.

Damn, a unanimous YES so far? So what are you guys always complaining about, then?

Kidding!

I do hope that the Wii U gets some interesting third-party support. Third-parties produced some truly innovative Wii exclusives. Even some of the enhanced ports that took advantage of the control scheme were cool.

@GameDadGrant I think at the end of the day though most people buy Nintendo platforms for the library. The Nintendo games may be the primary appeal, but it's not the only factor in the decision for most people.

I imagine.

@Anand I also pay $8 for a Portillo's salad sometimes but that sure as heck doesn't mean I'm not going to complain about it.