The poor performance of the N64 and Gamecube after launch was primarily caused by Nintendo's inability to sell consoles in Japan and attract exclusive support from Japaneese developers. The main reason the N64 didn't take off in Japan was that companies like Namco, Bandai, Square, Enix, Capcom, and Konami all decided to focus support on the Playstation based on the hubris of Yamauchi; people who blame cartridges for the N64's failings have a very poor understanding on why developers abandoned Nintendo.

Iwata (since taking control of Nintendo in 2002) has spent the past several years mending fences with publishers around the world and has focused on ensuring that subsidiaries of Nintendo are run by people who know what they're doing (Reggie). As a result of Iwata's efforts every major publisher released games for the Gamecube.

Iwata is very unique across the entire gaming industry as he is the only former game developer who is in charge of a large videogame publisher; if you look at other publishers they tend to be run by laywers or marketing drones who often are from the Movie and Music industries. His unique perspective is the reason why Nintendo is moving in a different direction than everyone else, and is probably the reason they have been so successful.

I'm talking about the amazing launch sales. Sony seems to do wonders with their launches (poorest record compare with PS2). However as the 1st party game die down over the next 5 years, the consoles do the same thing. (For some reason handhelds don't die down but have to survive in hard by price cut, and compete with the king of multimedia player - ipod).

Too bad to Sony.....

When can we finally put this argument to it´s grave where it belongs to? No, there was no Nintendo home console with a big launch. The NES launched slow. The SNES launched slow (not even 200k consoles sold in the first week in Japan and US was not high too.) The N64 sold about 340k consoles the first week in Japan - and struggled in the second week. The GC sold 125k consoles in the first week I think and the US launch was poorer than XBox launch.

So where did a Nintendo System sell well in the first months? Not even the DS sold good when it launched, just the GBA. So there goes your argument...

N64 went on to sell 20M in NA after a successful few months, if the Wii then goes on to sell 20M in each region that's 60M total, is that then a failure?

You will see that day when PS3 outsell Wii in probably 4-5 years later and then PS3 is being outsold by Wii 2 ! (PS3 claim to have 10 years lifetime, right ?). Good try ! 

 I have the 360 and the wii and I never play the Wi, no good games (for me), I  only play with the 360 now, never had a problem with it, but if it breaks I'm sure i'll buy a new one.

For me the wii is fun if you are playing with someone, but I usually play by myself, and the control is not very accurate and if a game is available for the wii and the 30 I know I'll buy it for the 360.

Yes I'm a fanboy of microsoft, but I recognize that nintendo is helping the game market a lot by incrising the number of players, and Sony they have a very good system but very expensive, I'm looking foward for some wii games but I'm really exited about the 360 games.

 Of course you couldn't help yourself, even doctors are incapable of helping you...

This thread is too funny, it's almost like a Shane said thread. Shane has a strong future as a troll

Anyone who honestly believes PS3 will sell 20-30 million units, raise your hand. Hopefully we'll get fewer hands than those who believe Wii will sell 100 million units.

Nintendo published I-VI. Sony published VII. EA published VIII-X. Square published X-2 on. I personally think Square should make Sony publish them all in the west. Make them work for the exclusivity, and they'll probably do a better job anyway.

The likely hood that the PS3 will sell over 20 million units is MUCH higher than the Wii selling over 100 million.