I recognize that this site, and virtually all gaming sites, have an overrepresentation of a gaming demographic that will tend to minimize Nintendo’s accomplishments. However, speaking for the loyal opposition, I will respectfully disagree.
1. COMMERCIAL
Pretending to ignore the overwhelming success in the marketplace of both the Wii and the DS is disingenuous at best. These are commercial ventures not hobbies. For a company which was expected to totally fail this time round, their performance has been phenomenal. So much so that we have developed this little convenient little fiction that Nintendo is living in an alternate universe that doesn’t really count. Well it does count. You may turn a blind eye and pretend but I can assure you that, PR BS to the contrary, Sony and MS are under no illusion about being in competition and knowing that they are losing badly. So badly that they are having to cut prices to untenable levels just to stay in the game at all.
As economic conditions worsen you can be damn sure stock holders will not pretend.
Game developers tried to ignore what was happening but are realizing they cannot. Commercial success means improving 3rd party support and funds for new innovations.
COMMERCIAL VICTORY – NINTENDO
2. GAMES
While you may personally prefer MS or Sony games, once again commercial success is important. And although some refuse to believe it, high definition does not guarantee automatic victory, critical or commercial in multiplatform releases. Ranking games is largely a matter of taste. Taking a wider viewpoint and factoring in the extra year…
GAMES TIE – MS & NINTENDO
3. CREATIVITY IN GAMES
The list of nominees says it all. GTA 4, MGS 4, Halo 3. A serial number in the title pretty much disqualifies a game from being consider an innovative new IP and originality should always be weighed heavily. With the notable exception of LBP, which has not enjoyed the sales it deserves, the HD consoles have produced very few truly original IPs. Certainly none are on the scale of Wii Fit, in terms of taking a leap. It’s hard to remember how ridiculed Wii Fit was now that it is threatening to outsell the PS3. Even the much maligned Wii Music is starting to post some serious numbers. Raving Rabbits playing on your butt, the Blob, balance board snowboarding; Nintendo and third parties have both been thinking outside the box and making it pay off.
CREATIVITY IN GAMES – NINTENDO
4. GROWTH
Whether you mean growth in numbers, market, market share, new groups brought in to gaming, expanding features, increased support there is only one possible winner.
GROWTH NINTENDO
5. OVERALL WINNER
Unless you are turning a blind eye towards reality so that your personal favorite platform has a chance there can only be one winner. The only award you could extend to Sony this year might be a “moral victory” for being such a beautifully engineered machine. But if any of you remember POGO, he said it best: “We Won a Moral Victory … That Means We Lost.”
OVERALL WINNER - NINTENDO
