Nintendo’s Gamble

Jul 23, 2007

Nintendo announced a new peripheral at this year's E3: the Wii Fit. It's an interesting concept, but one that has sharply divided the gaming community. I've read a number of comments saying that Nintendo is further alienating the "hard-core" gaming community; catering to the "soccer-moms" of America isn't what gamers are looking for, so how could Nintendo sell out like that?

Other comments have praised the device, saying that kids clearly need to get exercise, and this is one more step in encouraging such behavior. I tend to agree with this latter group; the Wii Fit is a great idea, though the 'games' they've shown for the device seem bland. As far as alienating the hard-core gaming community is concerned, I don't think Nintendo is doing that at all. It's simply a matter of broadening their horizons. While Microsoft and Sony are locked in the never ending battle of "bigger, faster, better," Nintendo is quietly expanding their horizons, gobbling up market share that no one has claimed. And they are making a profit the entire time. Microsoft is losing money like crazy with the 360 (especially after the recent "recall" announcement), as is Sony. Nintendo has made a profit since day 1, and continues to do so.

In the end, I think Nintendo will come out on top. The Wii may not have the flashiest graphics around, but it's got creativity, something the other guys don't. What do you think of the Wii Fit? Will it be a success, or a flop?

2 Comments

kip

8:54 PM on Jul 23, 2007
I think it will sell very well, but I personally won't be getting one. I don't know if you've seen it or not but this parody of Wii Fit is incredibly funny.

Jonah

2:09 AM on Jul 24, 2007
That video is incredibly funny. It comes from the Sarcastic Gamer website, which I highly recommend. I recently subscribed to their RSS feed; some of their stories are absolutely hilarious.

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