Heard of that guy? He took influences from american comics and cartoons and basically founded manga as we know it. He also refused to limit himself to one category or genre, and could action in one comic and romance in another.

Because of his diversity, a lot of those doing their own manga needed to diversify even further to set themselves apart. The result is that today, manga is read by basically all ages, and is one of the most popular mediums in Japan.

Now Nintendo is trying to do just that, with the difference being for worldwide audiences. And as for core gaming, manga still has action stories. Just because Nintendo doesn't make those does not mean they are against those now. This is not the Nintendo trying to avoid any kind of controversy as in the NES and SNES days. This is Nintendo trying to get every kind of gamer.

Every kind. That means the core gamer. It's just that Nintendo is focusing on expansion right now. Core gamers are already gaming. When Nintendo feels the core are ready to come back to them, Nintendo will court them more. But for now, the point is to make video games universal.

Or would you rather video games go the way of American comics? In case you don't know, they lost redears over time as they appealed more and more to fanboys, and are now actually run by fanboys. Spider Man is probably the most notorious example, but I have several other peeves about my favorite characters.

I think both kinds can coexist, but games need to become more like Mario Galaxy, in that they can be enjoyed by almost anybody.

But, for comparison, Spider-Man comics used to be almost Archie-style, but now they're all deep and full of depression and moral ambiguity.

How is a deep storyline a bad thing?

Nothing at all, I'm just saying it's not nearly as approachable.  Everyone liked the old comics vs. a select group of hardcore fans (in the true definition of the word).  Take, for example, the Spider-Man films.  They're great movies, simple but understandable themes, expertly told, and highly enjoyable.  Try saying the same of the comics.

"Try saying the same of the comics."

They no longer represent Spider Man. They're now just fan fiction those people are charging money for.

Seriously, would Spider Man making a deal with the devil, trading off his marriage rather than finally letting his aunt rest in peace, actually happen? That smacks of something from fanfiction.net.

"I think both kinds can coexist"

I actually mentioned that in the third paragraph. They do coexist in manga.

Should all books be written with the stipulation that they can be enjoyed by almost anybody?  Should everything be dumbed down so that all the masses can enjoy it?

Nope. Niche games on Wii have a chance to meet with the moderate success thanks to low costs and a huge userbase. You just have to realize that the size of your investment has to correspond to the scope of your project's appeal. The Wii has tons of niche games which were too risky to pay HD developer costs to make.

I agree. The more you cater to the fanboys (who are already buying alway) the less accessible your product becomes to anyone else. It's fine if some stuff is pure fanboy wet dreams but Nintendo is right in making games for the masses. That's where the greatest sales are to be found. Once you have the masses then niche titles that appeal to certain groups can also find success.

When the storylines don't make sense... like making a deal with the devil to bring your aunt back to life at the expense of your hapiness....

despite the fact that your aunt is like 80 and doesn't have much of a natural lifespan anyway... and that since the devil is literally offering you a deal that implies there is a heaven too and your aunt being the nicest person in comics no doubt would be in that heaven anwyay...

So you end up making a deal that makes all 3 of you less happy just because the editor in chief has a problem with the marriage.

Or when you reveal your secret identity, only to have everyone forget... a month later... for no good reason.

Or when... Every month or two your wife forgets why your a superhero and acts really....

ah forget it.  Lets just say Spiderman is a mess... and has been for a long time.