It wouldn't have been good for the industry, though I guess the "hardcore" gamer types, that hate any games or gaming devices that doesn't fit their image what a real gaming experience is would care. "Hardcore gamer" 'Games must have cut scenes, state of the art CGI, blood and gore.' "Casual gaming girl" 'But what about us millions of girls that want to experience games that were fun like in the SNES and NES days?' "Hardcore gamer" 'You shut your mouth, your money is no good, we the hardcore dictate the market!'

Didn't Sony and Microsoft lose profits the early years, actually you know what I'm going to dig up that article that showed the sales and let's compare it before the Wii got launched.

http://gamerinvestments.com/video-game-stocks/index.php/2008/05/30/playstation-2-may-have-won-last-generations-sales-battle-but-it-lost-the-console-war/

Yeah as you can see I was right. Can you imagine how the industry would be without the Wii, stop thinking like a "hardcore" gamer for once and start thinking business. Why would anyone with half a brain invest in a company competing in a market that's already oversaturated? Not to mention that too many have forgotten that gaming is part of the entertainment business, not the technology. There is a reason why New Super Mario Bros. Wii have sold now over 20 million copies.

No Move or Kinect, PS3 and 360 would be more expensive, the big publisher houses would be struggling badly -- especially EA -- and many more small or medium size developers would have folded by now. Outside the industry, games would receive less positive attention and would find the media more antagonistic to them.

That's a good point.  Been a while since i've heard many mainstream politicians bitch about gaming in any real way.  Even Hilarly Clinton's been quiet about it.

@m25105  thats funny i dont remember, any Just dance or "im insecure about my weight, so let me buy this crap" games on SNES or NES.  Those are what the girls or mostly playing,(at least the ones I know)

I don't know your age group, but nearly every girl/woman I've talked to in my age group all tell the same tale. They've stopped gaming after the SNES and got turned off gaming when it became too focused on FPS and "realism". I think off all the women I know who enjoy gaming, only one enjoy fps games.

I showed them trailers and gameplays from New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns and suddenly they were all interested in getting a Wii as well as getting a Wii fit.

And I like how you disregard the Wii fit as insecurity, this isn't a tool like makeup, it's something to help you with your health and the stats shows it sells.

Get out of the mindset that only 18-35 dictates the gaming market, it's bad business. And ain't no invenstor is going to invest in a company that only tries to appeal to a niche crowd. Gaming got hurt from lack business innovation and from competing in the small pond. The Wii showed investors that there is a big broad untapped market (or better yet a market left to try since SNES) out there.

@m2105  ok, let me stop you right there, I was just correcting you on how you said that Wii brought back the SNES days, thats crap pure and simple, the big sellers on WII are those exercise games and those dancing games, which have NO equivalent on the 16 bit consoles. oh sure your platformers 2d and otherwise do good, but those have always done well, especially on Ninty consoles. Most of the chicks i speak NEVER played video games, at all. And they all bought WIi to play WiiFIt or Sports. and they get bored and never pick it up again or go play Bejewled on whatever smart phone they have.

But I give Ninty credit for WiiFIt that is an ingenious product, but lets keep it real here WIIFit is not a substitute for actually getting one's ass outside or to the gym and doing a real workout. WiiFit is just another exercise bike or whatever hot new "easy to get in shape crap" companies love to push on poor people who dont know better. Just because it sells doesnt mean it works, (FYI i actually did try it at an Ex's one time and it is a well made product, but anyone who actually believes it will get them in shape, I have some ocean front property to sell them)

I dont know how your getting this whole "mindset" I didnt say anything of the kind

Gaming would be so dead, because, XBOX and Playstation have no good Jump and Runs and not games like Pikmin, Wii Sports or so. It would be more boring, than it is actually. Donkey Kong and Mario owned Gran Turismo and Call of Duty.

It did get former gamers back, you're talking about 2D platformers? Nintendo didn't make a 2D Mario platform game for over 18 years. There is a reason why New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold more copies than Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 combined. It's a return to old school gaming, something that has been missing for a long time.

It's about time that developers pulled their head out of their behind and made what people want, not what they think they should want, because they (the developers) like it.

Why do those dancing games and Wii Sport resort sell? What is it they have in common with the old games? Fun and appeal to everyone. The console becomes part of the living room experience, rather than being shoved in the kids room.

The Wii Sports and Wiifit games, were necassary. You can't make a console like the Wii and not offer anything that will interest the consumers. It marketed for families and I'll admit that Nintendo started a bit late to make games in style of the old school games, but I don't think they had much of a choice. Nintendo didin't have the deep pockets like Sony and Microsoft at that time and took a "risk". Now that they're finally got their shield up and raked in the dough they can start making games similar to the old school games (though their own worst enemy now, seems to be themselves, otherwise New Super Mario Bros. Wii would've been out at a much earlier date instead of Super Mario Galaxy).

About Wii Fit: it's not about a substitute, it's about motivation, if Wii fit can motivate someone to actually start excersising, then it's more than likely they will be incited to become more healthy and start doing more excersises.

About women and girls:  then I guess the saying is true, people are different. I can't think of a woman who hasn't gamed in their lifetime other than my mother's family (sisters and mother) or my fathers sisters. And if you're from the U.S. then I'm surprised you don't know any former female gamers either, since at their peak, Nintendo had a NES in roughly every third home in the states.

About mindset: I often brush people over with the same comb, it's a bad habbit. But I'm just tired of the hate Nintendo gets when they actually breathed new life in a industry that was in decay.

^^^^ I have not hate for Ninty, how can I?? if it wasnt for them there would be not PS brand and without that no Xbox brand.  I used to hang around with alot of "girly-girls" the ones who are too mature for games and yes im from the US. I could probably count on one hand how much of them played video games, even back then.

WiiSports Is a new experience, thats why i stated that there was no equilavent for it back in the day and there isnt. As for 2d platformers, theres a crap load on PSN/LIVE, my gripe with most Wii owners is they talk out the side of their mouths and have no idea what the HDs offer, but they talk like they do.  WiiFIt can motivate people but more often than not, they never take that next step and actually exercise, thats why its like the exericise bike for some it just goes in the closet

If the wii failed and nintendo dropped out of the console business and went straight into handhelds, that coupled with how mobile devices are steadily becoming more powerful, could we have still seen the 3ds or perhaps something more powerful? (wii failing- signifying that hardware power matters more than software)

I'd think you'd see all resources pooled and focused on a handheld with power eitherway.