It is generally understood that the future of any long-term product or brand is in grabbing people early in their lives -- i.e. kids -- and hooking them.  See cigarettes for an example...  I've been in elementary school classrooms all week and took some quick polls...  Half a dozen different classes and I always got the same response:  Room full of 20 kids -- roughly 60-70% had a Wii.  Maybe a handful of 360s and 1 or 2 PS3s...

If Nintendo finally breaks through and sells enough consoles THIS gen, are they setting themselves up to be the defacto leader next gen?  Todays K-5 kids are tomorrows hardcore gamers...   If the Wii pushes 100+ million consoles out the door by the time the next generation comes around AND they decide to build something with some serious horsepower in the next generation, Nintendo could very well end up as the leading gaming company for the forseeable future...

On a side note, one kid had just finished COD4 on his PS3.  7 years old.  I don't know what to say there.... 

To that kid I would say congratz but thats nothing ask him if he's ever beat Super Mario Brothers 3 at the age of 5 =P (It's hard to do now ='( though mind you I'm so out of practice XD)

I have had the exact same thought kn. Nintendo is in a very good position for the future.

The last-gen leader has a big advantage in the next generation. As much as Nintendo deserves credit for seizing this generation, they had a lot of help from Sony. Sony made a lot of mistakes, and Nintendo was ready to catch a lot of those lost customers.

Nintendo will have a big advantage next generation... just as long as they don't blow it.

I agree with you kn, however Nintendo usually makes a console that runs at least one generation behind in raw horsepower(no offense).

Although you have to wonder how bad it would be to have Nintendo release a console as powerful as a PS3...

as any console leader...

Ninty was in good position just after NES/SNES
Sony was in good position just after PS/PS2

dont you think so ?

When you say, usually, do you mean 50% of the time, because of the 4 consoles (besides Wii) that they've made, 2 of them were more powerful than the winning console. And surprise, the winning consoles those two times were the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2. It seems Sony's actually the one that releases a "last-gen"  less-powerful console.

Nintendo just has to play it safe. I bet Sony's take over of the market with the PS1 still stings Nintendo... and I'm sure both companies won't forget the massive swing from this generation. But Nintendo is in a really good spot right now.

I don't think the Wii can be put in the same catagory as the 360 and ps3. So even if they win this gen which i believe they will, it won't bother Sony and Microsoft too much because they benefit too.

I think Sony and Microsoft see the Wii as a stepping stone for people joining the HD consoles.

 I think when he said "usually" he meant "for the first time ever."

The 3rd console curse is something I´ve always found interesting in this industry....if history repeats itself (which we have no clue if it will...),the Wii is "the new NES/PS1"....its successor,the "Wii 2" ,will be "the new SNES/PS2"...as for the  "Wii 3"....TEH CURSE OMG 11!!!!1111