It appears that Nintendo may have even doubted itself and the Wii against the much anticipated Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s XBOX 360. Many believed that Nintendo’s more simple gaming system didn’t stand a chance against Sony and Microsoft’s newest high end gaming machines. Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata, admitted that the shortage of the Wii console was “abnormal” and promised to increase production of the Wii which would increase deliveries in the upcoming months.
Many predicted a short lifespan for the Wii console due to its tough competition. Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBOX 360 both offer state of the art graphics, high definition gaming and an option to play high definition movies. Although the price tag for these two systems is record breaking for the gaming world, they have had no problems selling their own systems. Out of the three gaming manufacturers, the biggest surprise has come in the popularity of the Nintendo Wii. Although it doesn’t offer some of the high end features of its competition, it offers a new style of gaming that gets users off the couch and more involved. The gaming control has changed form a paddle to a want which can be used for different purposes depending on the game. The wand is motion sensitive so you can swing it like a golf club, tennis racket, sword or other object to control your player on the screen.
Nintendo has definitely enjoyed this new found popularity as its sales have nearly doubled due to the demand for Wii and DS portable, their handheld gaming machine. Nintendo’s net profit boosted $1.74 billion. Nintendo Wii encountered some early problems with their controls because the motion sensitive wand would often fly out of the gamers hand resulting is some damaged walls and TV’s. Nintendo quickly resolved the problem and has not felt any effects of this slight road bump. The Wii has outsold Sony Playstation 3 which encountered some of its own, more serious production issues. Part of Nintendo’s Wii success is its aggressive pricing, making it a much cheaper option than its competition. The Nintendo Wii starts low at $250 while the XBOX 360 starts at $399 and the PlayStation 3 tops the list at $599. Both the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 offer two different customizations of their systems, hard drive size being the biggest difference. The Wii’s low pricing makes it an attractive option for those non-hardcore gamers that are looking for more traditional graphics and a new approach to video game consoles. Nintendo also has a strong following from its many years of video game production.
Nintendo seems to know what the video game world wants. In addition to the Wii production, Nintendo currently produces 2.5 million DS portable game machines every month. They have sold more than 40 million since it was introduced in 2004. The DS gaming machine has its own unique style like the Wii featuring a touch panel and easy to play games for users of all ages.
wow that is alot of wiis and ds sold r u sure these figures are correct?
Comment by rehan — May 29, 2007 @ 1:46 pm