Lifespan of the Wii?

[DoesWhatNintenDont]

I think Nintendo has done their homework, and learned from the humbling they have been on the receiving end of for awhile. They have been great enough in delivering the goods, and smart enough fiscally to keep their heads above water in the last two generations. I think the Wii is something that will be around longer than the standard five years. I also think it is foolish to think the Wii doesn’t have a chance to break sales records ( PS1/PS2/Gameboy) So, if Wii breaks new grounds and taps new markets, you seriously think it’s absurd that they can sell over 100 million units? One day, for instance, if China’s economy shapes up, and their isn’t a huge war as a result, selling a 100 million units won’t be as astonishing as it perhaps is today. While, the Big N might release another console after five years, I still think Nintendo will have support the Wii more so than other systems in the past. The primary reason for this is that the Wii is about converting people. It’s a different approach to the gaming industry as a whole; this includes marketing and sales. It’s about tapping into new markets and getting people who would never think about playing video games into the industry, on top of pleasing old gamers. Now if Nintendo continues to flourish with the Wii, I think they will use it as a crutch to hopefully get the new gaming converts to buy –another– system. This is something that people new to games have a hard time swallowing. I personally have had discussions with people who have bought video game systems for the first time in years ( since probably the 16 bit era and before ) who were telling me that they were not going to buy an Xbox 360 or PS3 because “The same games will come out on my Xbox/PS2.” It is naive, but this statement I heard from different people, in different conversations, who actually had played video games earlier in their life. That is, people who have seen systems come and go before. Perhaps it is in the general public’s knowledge that systems come and go...but honestly most people don’t THAT close attention to the blips in the news about the “new” Nintendo system. Let alone, readily understand that their potential investment will be deemed obsolete in five years. Have you never heard a parent surprised at your local game store because their child wants ANOTHER game system? Perhaps that’s just my experience with the market speaking. Now when I say I think Nintendo will support the Wii after their new console will come out, I don’t mean they will be fully focused on the Wii. Rather, I feel they will still make games that attract casual gamers and new gamers who might not be hooked enough to thinking about buying another system. I think that the Wii will have many third party developers still putting out titles for the system even it its twilight years IF Nintendo is able to crack into different markets. These games might not be defined as “AAA” titles by the gaming enthusiasts such as ourselves, but once more the Wii is not only taking a gamble at penetrating new ground, it is also about converting new people to a hobby. This alone will be Nintendo’s greatest challenge; proselytizing gaming. No matter how many systems they sell, without the games to interest the new converts this attempt is for naught. There will be people who pick up gaming as a major hobby due to the Wii, but I think it’s foolish to think that every newcomer to the gaming industry will be immediately pre-ordering the next system(s). Nintendo’s different approach to gaming market with Wii also must include a different kind of support for a system than we have seen in the past (Perhaps with the exception of the NES.). I don’t think we will see the Wii drop dead once the successor is released. There will be difference influences and currents underneath the types of games that will be designed for the green of the industry. I don’t think it is quite another genre in its own right, but it could be compared to that. On top of all that, Nintendo needs to have great “AAA” type caliber games to please the gaming enthusiast and perhaps give the new convert something to “upgrade” to as their hobby evolves. There is a lot of gambles riding on Wii’s success; And I, for one, hope that they all pay off as I believe it will be the best thing for the gaming industry that could possibly have happen in a long time.