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Nintendo: because someone has to keep gaming fun...
You have to love Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft wear themselves out with their ongoing battle to bring out the fastest, meanest, most expensive console ever known. Nintendo dance about laughing, say something really daft now and again, and surprise everyone by making loads of money without seeming to worry. Genius.
This time, they really seemed to be pushing their luck. They called their new console 'Wii'. Then they wrote a beautiful poem explaining why on their site, in terms that suggested they might be able to bring an end to human suffering altogether by harnessing the power of collective gaming, and channelling it into some sort of healing love-ray. I digress. Nintendo then announced that they would not be developing a 'next-generation' console, and were planning to make no financial losses on the Wii hardware in their first year. Their cold, calculating whimsicality seems to be paying off.
Whilst no price has yet been confirmed, the Wii is expected to be fairly cheap, and Nintendo tend to keep the prices of their consoles down by offering lots of optional accessories separately. Nintendo stole the show from Sony at E3 recently, by demonstrating that they were strongly focussed on keeping their products fun above all else. Whilst Microsoft and Sony pour money into superior graphics, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata insists that they will not move towards more complicated gameplay, and that expensive innovations that will only restrict their market.
To this end, Iwata announced that he doesn't consider the Wii a 'next-generation' console as it is more than simply an extension of previous instalments. With their innovative new control method (a motion sensitive 'wand') it is hoped that newcomers to videogaming will be able to take part without a steep learning-curve. Their vision, to increase sales, is of the whole family learning to play (and buy) Nintendo games together. [I can just hear it now: “Mum, do you want to play with my Wii?”]. But with Nintendo DS titles like 'Nintendogs' and 'Brain Age' already broadening the traditional 'young male' gamer demographic, I wouldn't bet against them pulling it off.
Making a loss on consoles is established practice (profit is traditionally clawed back through software licensing), so it is ambitious for Nintendo to make the announcement that they will not lose money on Wii hardware. As a comparison, the Xbox has been on sale since 2001 and Microsoft has never made any money out of its hardware.
So when Nintendo announced that “Wii will break down the wall that separates video game players from everybody else”, they really seem to mean it. They are aiming to keep the price low, the games accessible and are trying to broaden the appeal of gaming throughout society. Does this mean Nintendo can bring us all together and heal the world? I doubt it, but if they can sell your granny a DS Lite, it's hard not to be impressed.
You have to love Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft wear themselves out with their ongoing battle to bring out the fastest, meanest, most expensive console ever known. Nintendo dance about laughing, say something really daft now and again, and surprise everyone by making loads of money without seeming to worry. Genius.
This time, they really seemed to be pushing their luck. They called their new console 'Wii'. Then they wrote a beautiful poem explaining why on their site, in terms that suggested they might be able to bring an end to human suffering altogether by harnessing the power of collective gaming, and channelling it into some sort of healing love-ray. I digress. Nintendo then announced that they would not be developing a 'next-generation' console, and were planning to make no financial losses on the Wii hardware in their first year. Their cold, calculating whimsicality seems to be paying off.
Whilst no price has yet been confirmed, the Wii is expected to be fairly cheap, and Nintendo tend to keep the prices of their consoles down by offering lots of optional accessories separately. Nintendo stole the show from Sony at E3 recently, by demonstrating that they were strongly focussed on keeping their products fun above all else. Whilst Microsoft and Sony pour money into superior graphics, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata insists that they will not move towards more complicated gameplay, and that expensive innovations that will only restrict their market.
To this end, Iwata announced that he doesn't consider the Wii a 'next-generation' console as it is more than simply an extension of previous instalments. With their innovative new control method (a motion sensitive 'wand') it is hoped that newcomers to videogaming will be able to take part without a steep learning-curve. Their vision, to increase sales, is of the whole family learning to play (and buy) Nintendo games together. [I can just hear it now: “Mum, do you want to play with my Wii?”]. But with Nintendo DS titles like 'Nintendogs' and 'Brain Age' already broadening the traditional 'young male' gamer demographic, I wouldn't bet against them pulling it off.
Making a loss on consoles is established practice (profit is traditionally clawed back through software licensing), so it is ambitious for Nintendo to make the announcement that they will not lose money on Wii hardware. As a comparison, the Xbox has been on sale since 2001 and Microsoft has never made any money out of its hardware.
So when Nintendo announced that “Wii will break down the wall that separates video game players from everybody else”, they really seem to mean it. They are aiming to keep the price low, the games accessible and are trying to broaden the appeal of gaming throughout society. Does this mean Nintendo can bring us all together and heal the world? I doubt it, but if they can sell your granny a DS Lite, it's hard not to be impressed.
It's interesting Nintendo taking this new direction, but I have a feeling that if it takes off and becomes a global craze, it will be easily adopted on the other consoles through a simple add-on.
I stopped having to love Nintendo ages ago when they were the only game in town in the handheld market. No competition around so loveable old Nintendo decided to jack the price of handheld games to the same level of console games because they could get away with it. Yup got to love them indeed.
So, if it's not a 'next-generation' console, how do they expect to keep with the already stated 'next-generation'.
A fancy remote? I think not.
To be fair though, I love the idea of Nintendo moving away from all the money wasting graphical enhancements, but I'm worried that such a move could leave them with only a small childs market.
But then, that coupled with the supposed cheaper price tag, could lead to a very high market from the parents.
Still, what child above the age of 10 is going to want a console that makes him/her look cheap or shabby compared to a PS3 or 360 owner?
A fancy remote? I think not.
To be fair though, I love the idea of Nintendo moving away from all the money wasting graphical enhancements, but I'm worried that such a move could leave them with only a small childs market.
But then, that coupled with the supposed cheaper price tag, could lead to a very high market from the parents.
Still, what child above the age of 10 is going to want a console that makes him/her look cheap or shabby compared to a PS3 or 360 owner?
Nintendo: because someone has to keep gaming fun...
You have to love Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft wear themselves out with their ongoing battle to bring out the fastest, meanest, most expensive console ever known. Nintendo dance about laughing, say something really daft now and again, and surprise everyone by making loads of money without seeming to worry. Genius.
This time, they really seemed to be pushing their luck. They called their new console 'Wii'. Then they wrote a beautiful poem explaining why on their site, in terms that suggested they might be able to bring an end to human suffering altogether by harnessing the power of collective gaming, and channelling it into some sort of healing love-ray. I digress. Nintendo then announced that they would not be developing a 'next-generation' console, and were planning to make no financial losses on the Wii hardware in their first year. Their cold, calculating whimsicality seems to be paying off.
Whilst no price has yet been confirmed, the Wii is expected to be fairly cheap, and Nintendo tend to keep the prices of their consoles down by offering lots of optional accessories separately. Nintendo stole the show from Sony at E3 recently, by demonstrating that they were strongly focussed on keeping their products fun above all else. Whilst Microsoft and Sony pour money into superior graphics, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata insists that they will not move towards more complicated gameplay, and that expensive innovations that will only restrict their market.
To this end, Iwata announced that he doesn't consider the Wii a 'next-generation' console as it is more than simply an extension of previous instalments. With their innovative new control method (a motion sensitive 'wand') it is hoped that newcomers to videogaming will be able to take part without a steep learning-curve. Their vision, to increase sales, is of the whole family learning to play (and buy) Nintendo games together. [I can just hear it now: “Mum, do you want to play with my Wii?”]. But with Nintendo DS titles like 'Nintendogs' and 'Brain Age' already broadening the traditional 'young male' gamer demographic, I wouldn't bet against them pulling it off.
Making a loss on consoles is established practice (profit is traditionally clawed back through software licensing), so it is ambitious for Nintendo to make the announcement that they will not lose money on Wii hardware. As a comparison, the Xbox has been on sale since 2001 and Microsoft has never made any money out of its hardware.
So when Nintendo announced that “Wii will break down the wall that separates video game players from everybody else”, they really seem to mean it. They are aiming to keep the price low, the games accessible and are trying to broaden the appeal of gaming throughout society. Does this mean Nintendo can bring us all together and heal the world? I doubt it, but if they can sell your granny a DS Lite, it's hard not to be impressed.
You have to love Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft wear themselves out with their ongoing battle to bring out the fastest, meanest, most expensive console ever known. Nintendo dance about laughing, say something really daft now and again, and surprise everyone by making loads of money without seeming to worry. Genius.
This time, they really seemed to be pushing their luck. They called their new console 'Wii'. Then they wrote a beautiful poem explaining why on their site, in terms that suggested they might be able to bring an end to human suffering altogether by harnessing the power of collective gaming, and channelling it into some sort of healing love-ray. I digress. Nintendo then announced that they would not be developing a 'next-generation' console, and were planning to make no financial losses on the Wii hardware in their first year. Their cold, calculating whimsicality seems to be paying off.
Whilst no price has yet been confirmed, the Wii is expected to be fairly cheap, and Nintendo tend to keep the prices of their consoles down by offering lots of optional accessories separately. Nintendo stole the show from Sony at E3 recently, by demonstrating that they were strongly focussed on keeping their products fun above all else. Whilst Microsoft and Sony pour money into superior graphics, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata insists that they will not move towards more complicated gameplay, and that expensive innovations that will only restrict their market.
To this end, Iwata announced that he doesn't consider the Wii a 'next-generation' console as it is more than simply an extension of previous instalments. With their innovative new control method (a motion sensitive 'wand') it is hoped that newcomers to videogaming will be able to take part without a steep learning-curve. Their vision, to increase sales, is of the whole family learning to play (and buy) Nintendo games together. [I can just hear it now: “Mum, do you want to play with my Wii?”]. But with Nintendo DS titles like 'Nintendogs' and 'Brain Age' already broadening the traditional 'young male' gamer demographic, I wouldn't bet against them pulling it off.
Making a loss on consoles is established practice (profit is traditionally clawed back through software licensing), so it is ambitious for Nintendo to make the announcement that they will not lose money on Wii hardware. As a comparison, the Xbox has been on sale since 2001 and Microsoft has never made any money out of its hardware.
So when Nintendo announced that “Wii will break down the wall that separates video game players from everybody else”, they really seem to mean it. They are aiming to keep the price low, the games accessible and are trying to broaden the appeal of gaming throughout society. Does this mean Nintendo can bring us all together and heal the world? I doubt it, but if they can sell your granny a DS Lite, it's hard not to be impressed.