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If you read my last blog post, you'll know that I'm a pretty big Nintendo fan. Last July when I obtained my first iPhone 13, and a year later when I now own three more Apple devices, I became an Apple fan. And as someone who closely follows the tech and media world, keeping track of recent developments and news with great interest, I have noticed some very interesting trends. It might seem crazy. Nintendo and Apple are two companies that come from different countries, different eras, have different target demographics, and make products on two different ends of the tech and entertainment universe. They aren't allies, and they aren't competitors. Even so, they're more similar than they might seem.
And here's why.
The Walled Garden
The iPhone. The iPad. The MacBook. The Apple Watch. The Apple Vision Pro, for god's sake. All of these products, as different as they are, all work together in symphony to create a user experience like no other. And let me tell ya, the Android homies just don't get it. I got my first Apple product last year, and since then, the allure of the Apple Ecosystem has been hard to resist. Today, I read all my sheet music on an iPad. It's taken over!
But the Walled Garden isn't just a patch of lovely flowers and herbs sprouting in tandem... it's also, well, walled. In other words, it refuses to extend an olive branch out, and only lets selective parties in. With Apple, you obviously have a bunch of devices that aren't exactly compatible with the competition. Beyond that, it's software. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Procreate are examples of professional-grade software that are only available on Apple devices, and of course encourage you to own more than one.
But I think this aspect is even more evident with Nintendo. Nintendo is a very conservative company, and they are extremely protective of their intellectual property. This past year, the developers at Epic Games reached out to Nintendo to have the main character from Metroid, Samus, added to Fortnite as a skin. Nintendo said no, barring the case where the Samus skin would only be viewable on the Nintendo Switch version of the game. It ended up not happening. Adding Samus to Fortnite would have had ONLY a positive effect on both the Metroid series and Fortnite, yet they still chose to protect their IP and keep Nintendo things on Nintendo consoles. Some see it as an insane decision. "Just play nice!" they say. Yet both Nintendo and Apple are calm and collected, confident in their decisions to remain independent, and even though it creates friction and real detractors, it also creates millions upon millions of fans for life.
The Cult Fanbase
This is a big one. Everyone's a fan of something, whether it be Android, Samsung, Xbox, or PlayStation, but it seems like fans of Apple and Nintendo products are a little more passionate and committed than the rest. The Walled Garden, mentioned previously, does a great job of cultivating a userbase that cares about their products... sometimes a little bit too much.
Nintendo had the advantage of starting early. Many of our parents grew up with Super Mario and Zelda in the 80s, and with Nintendo's family-friendly marketing appeal, their franchises often feel like a family institution that everyone can enjoy. I have no evidence for this, but I believe that growing up on Nintendo games fills you with a sense of whimsy that carries on through adulthood. This makes Nintendo games and characters very personal for a lot of people, building lifelong fans.
It also helps that Nintendo is currently in a period of huge success. To put it lightly, the video game industry is in a rough patch at the moment, with thousands of layoffs and a handful of studio closures announced by Microsoft and other companies just this year. Nintendo's business practices, on the other hand, are proving to show great results. When Nintendo hires someone, they intend to keep them employed long-term. They also don't drastically fire and cut the pay of their workers when in a tough spot financially. Nintendo may still be a megacorporation, but compared to the slimy greed found in the rest of the industry nowadays, it's easy to root for them.
But when you're a Nintendo fan, you don't fear fans of different game companies. You don't discriminate against them en masse, looking down upon them like they're inferior beings with no chance for redemption... like the GREEN BUBBLES.
I love Apple products, but the Apple hivemind is real. This is especially evident in the blue versus green bubble war. You all know how this goes: a pesky Android user joins the group chat, brings along their clunky text reactions, steals your read receipts, tanks your video quality, and of course infects everyone with the dreaded light-green text bubble. I think most people over-dramatize the conflict, because it's a fun and harmless thing to tussle over, but some people take it way, way too far. Luckily though, at Apple's recent WWDC24 event, they announced that RCS support would be coming with iOS 18 this Fall. What does that mean? Well, in short, texting with non-iMessage users is going to become a whole lot more bearable, adding high-quality images and read receipts among other things. Maybe true unity is possible! At the very least, it's something to look forward to.
Anyone can be an owner of an Apple or Nintendo product regardless of whether or not they deem themselves a fan. However both companies have certain qualities that can allow for the creation of these "in-groups", which can form a strong identity for the brand and retain millions of users... even if they may ostracize the rest.
The Premium Tax
This one's simple but obvious. Both the "Nintendo Tax" and "Apple Tax" are common phrases in their respective communities, with the assumption being that prices are generally higher because the product is of premium quality. But is it really true?
Nintendo isn't exactly known for overpriced hardware, rather, they're known for creating a strong bond between a product's price and perceived value. For instance, the Nintendo Switch is a seven year-old piece of hardware that was $300 at launch and remains $300 today. You could argue inflation rose high enough that this is technically a price drop, but optics matter. Nintendo is a company that is largely against lowering prices of their consoles and games over time because, to them, it shows a devaluing of the product, which in their view is not worth the additional sales said price drop might garner.
Compared to the rest of the industry, being a Nintendo fan 100% is actually one of the less expensive avenues. However, I still believe this "Nintendo Tax" idea holds up, as Nintendo sees the prices of their items, and the premium quality put into them, as having a direct connection. With Nintendo, you don't pay for the game cartridge, or the labor used in manufacturing, or the development costs, or anything concrete. Instead, you pay for the premium experience that they're so confident you'll have. It's a pricing strategy that shows confidence, not only in their financial strategy, but in the quality of their products.
Apple, however, is notorious for this.
$3,500 Apple Vision Pro.
$1,200 iPhone 14 Pro.
$7,000 Mac Pro from 2023.
Hell, even a $1,000 stand for a monitor. Not even the monitor, just the stand.
This is the infamous "Apple Tax". It's a price that all consumers of Apple products pay. In return? Well, you get excellent (usually) build quality and long-lasting (oftentimes) hardware. Apple products are designed to feel good and look good on top of being functional. A $3,000 MacBook Pro running MacOS is a hefty machine, but the physical experience of lifting the lid, gliding your finger on the trackpad, and clicking the butterfly keyboard just feels like a premium experience. Of course, Apple is not a stranger to shortcomings regarding their devices. However, their commitment to pricing that ideally reflects the direct experience of users is evident and, in my opinion, shows honesty. They're not afraid to sell you a thousand-dollar smartphone, because they know they're giving you a thousand-dollar experience.
Both of these companies are known for pricing their products at a level above what might be considered... acceptable. But to truly understand them, one must realize that this premium tax comes not from a place of malice, but from a place of intent. They rightly believe that price reflects value, and it shows a unique confidence in the product; almost like instead of an item they're selling, it's a creation they're allowing you to use.
The Bottom Line
This one is a little bit less obvious, but it ties together each point I've discussed so far. Both of these companies have a "bottom line" that they stand for, beyond simply making profits and appealing to investors. Now, of course, every single corporation does this. For better or for worse, right? But if you dig deeper, you can see the true intentions of Nintendo and Apple alike, and how this vision is reflected in not only the products they release, but the way they communicate with their customers.
With Apple, it's WWDC. With Nintendo, it's the Nintendo Direct. Both of these events are live presentations that happen either annually or a few times a year respectively, and they're aimed at clearly showing off new products and announcements. Fans of each company anxiously await these presentations, speculating as to what will be announced. But the kicker is that these shows are always fun and somewhat mysterious, which only helps to create even more excitement. When you watch, you really get the impression that the executives and engineers are legitimately excited to present their work.
Ten years ago when Apple CEO Tim Cook presented the Apple Watch for the very first time, he was smiling, laughing, and even a little giddy. It was clear how thrilled he was to be unveiling this new product which he believed was a game-changer.
In any given Nintendo Direct, Yoshiaki Koizumi has a little smirk on his face when he says "That's all for today's Nintendo Direct. Well.... actually, we have one more thing to show you". He knows the impact Nintendo games have on fans around the world and is confident enough to present it in this fashion.
In 2007 when Steve Jobs first unveiled the iPhone, a product that would literally change the world forever, it was clear that he was, above all else, a tech nerd just like everyone watching. He kept saying "Isn't this cool?" and "Isn't this awesome?". In that moment, his status as a CEO fell away. It was just a guy showing off the latest smartphone, casually dropping a bomb on the entire tech industry. And 17 years later, we all have one in our pockets.
In 2019 when Nintendo released a video explaining that development of Metroid Prime 4 was not meeting the standards they have for a Metroid Prime game, and they had made the difficult decision to restart development from the beginning, Shinya Takahashi had a real look of regret on his face. He knew how the news would be received, but he made everything as clear and understandable as possible.
Companies like this are special because you can easily see their bottom line. With Apple, it's delivering high-quality premium tech products that are user-friendly for both everyday users and professionals. With Nintendo, it's delivering high-quality gaming experiences that seek to innovate and prioritize fun over everything else, appealing to gamers of all ages. All companies that make products like this have similar statements (mostly because they have to), but Apple and Nintendo are the two biggest companies right now where I really feel like each and every employee cares greatly about the mission statement. Most of the time, you can see it in their own faces.
But the corporate world is a huge rat race. Companies are always trying to one-up each other while fighting over our dollar, hoping they can be the victor and someday buy up all the rest. And right now, Apple and Nintendo are at the top of the tech and video game industries. How are they doing it?
These two companies, different as they are, follow one core belief: innovation must come only when it is the right time. Apple innovated like never before when releasing the iPhone, the world's first fully touch screen smart device. But they have not yet released their response to the latest AI craze that is overtaking the tech industry. For the last 2 years, the major tech companies are racing to integrate AI into their software however possible, hoping to win the rat race. But Apple? They're on a different schedule. Their response, Apple Intelligence, is only gonna start rolling out to devices in 2025 after announcement in June 2024. It'll come when it's ready. And Nintendo? The Switch is the second best-selling console of all time. It's beating the competition with flying colors, and yet the console is severely underpowered by today's standards. It released in 2017, and when it did, it was still rocking past-generation hardware. But Nintendo's commitment to quality games, hardware innovation, treating their workers with respect, and appealing to everyone has made this a moot point. They're on a different schedule.
So, then, how have Nintendo and Apple both won the game?
By not playing.
Conclusion
If you've stayed with me for the duration of this diatribe, I really do appreciate it. All I'm doing here is sharing some observations I've made about two companies I follow closely. But really, I believe that they're more similar than meets the eye. The walled garden, the cult fanbase, the premium tax, and the bottom line are really unique qualities that they share, and they're things I haven't noticed really anywhere else. And the examples I listed are FAR from being the only ones.
If you're a fan of either Apple or Nintendo, what do you think of my analysis? Agree, disagree? I'm curious as to what you have to say.
Until next time!
Jabe
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