I didn't claim that it was repeatable but nonetheless it had 4 very good years, sold 85-90 million systems in quick time and contributed to Nintendo's 4 year run of multi billion dollar profit. Calling it a fad doesn't change the fact that it thrived, and represents a level of success that no other console manufacturer has ever realised.

Sony may have sold more consoles with PS2 but never came close to the profit that Nintendo pulled in during those years. 

I think outside of Nintendo only EA has a real chance. With FIFA and the other big games they have they'll probably take most of the 'hardcore' market with them. I don't see any of the others having a real chance. Activision would need to have Call of Duty be so successful that it can carry the rest of the company, assuming World of Warcraft or it's potential successors don't become console-exclusives. Ubisoft will be lost and I don't see Sony or Microsoft bringing enough to keep heads afloat either. Hypothetically Microsoft could, because they could pump unlimited funds into XBox 'just because'.

EA cannot survive on its own. People here seem to forget that EA gets licenses for developing FIFA, Madden NFL and NHL games only because they can publish them on multiple platforms. If they become a hardware manufacturer they will either lose the licenses or will have to develop the games for multiple systems.

Of course, Nintendo made the Wii for very cheap and their games are very cheap as well. But that's besides the point, which is that Nintendo isn't thriving very well this gen.

Sony might survive. Maybe, just maybe, M$ and Ubi$oft can too.

This is all a bit silly. Nintendo is the only company that does without Third Party Support because they're the only company that HAS to do without Third-Party support. They've structured their business model around that fact. Most of the larger publishers could do the same, but they're naturally not structured the same because they don't need to be.

It's be like saying that the only one-legged marathon runner was the only man who could run a one-legged marathon.

I don't think Wii U is "surviving". It will probably sell 20M lifetime, PS4 or X1 could do it hands down even with only 1st party titles. Heck, even Vita is on almost 10M with the same lack of support and it can do Wii U LTD numbers.

Wii U is a proof that Nintendo won't survive in the home console market without thirdy parties. I'm sorry, but MS and Sony could do Wii U numbers easily without 3rd parties.

If Nintendo created several more development teams, bought a few other studios, and had them work on every single one of their old IPs, they would never need a single third party game ever game.

THIS!!!

Happy that someone sees it, sports licences don't belong to EA, they would lose them all in a blink!

The Wii u is not making a profit -  this Info is in their fiscal year end financials and in Iwatas investor Q and A-   

However, if the Wii u was selling at a profit 20, 000 sales per week would not be enough for a net profit - Nintenso is not a small company and between R and D, marketing , general admin ect 20k would not be enough to met a profit