http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_pivot/2012/10/nintendo_wii_the_console_that_beat_the_xbox_and_playstation_and_saved_nintendo.html
So here is a little history of Nintendo's success, small demise, and re-success story. I think that most of us are Nintendo fanboys, just by virtue of growing up in the N64 era. And even though it didn't sell more than the Playstation, we all know it was the better system.
Personally, I love Nintendo for its games. I jumped on the Wii bandwagon, but was ultimately disappointed as the gimmick wore off. I am really curious to see how the Wii U does. Will it re-define gaming like the wii-mote did (motion controls)? I am also curious to play it, because I don't really understand it. With iPads and tablets dominating the mobile market, it makes sense for Nintendo to include touch-screen in their controls, its the new normal. But I am not sure if that will translate well to console gameplay. And it seems to me that casual gamers are becoming less inclined to be tethered to a tv/console, when they can get their fix on an iPhone or iPad etc.
As with all consoles, it will come down to games. If their are good, fun, innovative games, then the console will sell and perform well. If not, then the Wii-U won't sell well. If the latter is the case, then Nintendo will do what it has always done, redefine itself and shift the gaming market.
Nintendo has always done things their own way, and tried to innovate gaming. If you look back at many of the things gamers find commonplace, Nintendo started. While some accuse the Wii's motion gaming as a "gimmick" (not sure how that same mentality is not applied to the PS3 and Xbox 360 since they seem to focus on graphics instead of how gamers actually play their games), I viewed it as an attempt to add a new way for gamers to interact with their games and feel immersed into those worlds. Soon after the Wii, we go PS Move and Xbox Kinect. It is still early in motion gaming history, I figure we give it some time and we may be shocked at how Nintendo and Microsoft may come up with.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Wii U, the screen thing is a simple, yet affective strategy. I can not wait to see how it impacts sports games where people can make adjustments and view stats on the fly like actual coaches are able to.