Question. Is this article actually implying that the PS3 could eventually...beat the Wii in raw userbase this generation?

He wrote, "then it's a trend that may translate globally down the line. Nintendo is going to have to act fast to stem the PS3's progress in the Japanese market if they are to retain their market-leading position long-term."

What in Gods name is the logic behind that vast ignorance? Is up down? Down up? The impossible possible?

Nintendo could drop software support for the Wii right now, and it would still outsell the PS3 this gen, just on brand power, assuming someone was willing to manufacture it. Get this straight, the 360, nor the PS3 have any chance of outselling the Nintendo Wii this generation. Even if Iwata himself showed up at every potential Wii customers house and took a shit on their welcome mats. It would still outsell the PS3 this generation, because IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED! The winner of this gen is DETERMINED. There are no miracles of record in recorded history that even approach the level of suspended disbelief it would take to actually think the Wii would not win this generation, in raw userbase.

Just because you don't want something to be true, doesn't mean you can change it with propaganda.

Guys chill the Wii still has DQX and MH3 that would give it an edge on Japan.

haha LOL

That's a great idea!

i dont get people thinking nintendo has 'rested on its laurels?'. this past year theve been doing what they always do, develop games. As Iwata has said time and time again many titles planned for release in the first half of the year were not completed in time. having a sizeabke gap between the first and second waves of software was always part of nintnedo's long term stratergy. however, the lack of speed with which third parties are aproaching wii and many first part games getting delayed has amde this gap much larger than nintendo anticipated. Now with the userbase established the first party release schedule should be less eratic in future

Might be a bit overboard but IGN does make some very good points in that article.

Nintendo had a massively lackluster holiday line-up with Wii Music (just a poorly executed game), and Animal Crossing (good for a spring/summer/early fall game). I know Nintendo has to have the games ready to release them but wow that was just really poor planning on their part. Nintendo was saved buy Mario Kart and Wii Fit though which luckily had massive legs.

It doesn't help either that the spring line-up featured remakes of old Gamecube games as the best offerings. The summer doesn't look too much better either. Don't get me wrong Punch-Out does look like fun but at this point Nintendo needs something far better to make consumers interested again.

The solution? Well for starters Wii Motion+ could really boast sales if Nintendo is willing to pack it in with as many games as possible. Wii Sports Resort, Tiger Woods, Grad Slam already have that which is a good start. But they should continue that into the fall and holiday season with Red Steel 2 and any other major title that makes use of it (even if it's just optional).

Nintendo has many third party games coming out that are very good, they themselves should help push them, would benefit them by having stronger console sales. The Conduit, Monster Hunter 3, Red Steel 2, Rabbids Go Home, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Chrystal Bearers, Spyborgs. All look to be very solid and in some cases system sellers cough*Monster Hunter 3 in Japan*.

For this upcoming holiday season Nintendo NEEDS to have a much stronger line-up. A one-two punch that includes Pikmin 3 in September and Zelda Wii in November (early December) would draw consumers interest in a big way, sell systems, and keep current owners happy.

Nintendo should also try expanding their genres and at least publish a few mature games including a couple great(something that can compete with Halo & Killzone) FPS games. This would be a great way to make use of the Wii Speak and would also expand Wii's appeal. Nintendo should also encourage third party devs to do the same thing.

Last but certainly not least Nintendo absolutely needs to bring back their seal of QUALITY. Devs like Data Design, Majesco, and Conspiracy games are polluting the shelves and hiding quality games in a sea of junk. If a devs doesn't have many resources they should focus on one or two GOOD games not ten mediocre games.

"Mr. owl, how many white consoles does it take to send every petty journalist into a butt-hurt frenzy?"

I realize that just posting FAIL pictures is kind of lazy, but the idiocy displayed in that article is just so staggering ... I don't know if I could do it justice.  I'm not even sure if Zen picked out the worst part. 

Two notes. First of all, Animal Crossing (3.00M) and Wii Music (2.55M) may not be all gamers "cup of tea" but their sales are not to be dismissed.  Not many games cross the 2-1/2 millon threashold (eight for PS3, 13 for Xbox 360 -- and at least one PS3 and two Xbox 360 games have been bundled in that group.

Second, the Nintendo Seal of Qualty only serves to peave third-party developers. That (as well as other practices) caused everyone to make a "bee line" to Sony in 1995. Nintendo still is working to get some of those developers back almost 15 years later. Neither Sony nor Microsoft have "quality seals" and the PSX and PS2 saw their share of junk as market leaders (heck, a lot of the Wii junk is actually PS2  ports).

But you are right that Nintendo needs to show more for the 2009 Holiday Season -- and they probably will.

Mike from Morgantown

Yeah it really sucked for them when they got cold cocked by the motion sensing and IR pointing revolution in gaming.  Totally knocked the wind out of them.  And when the D-Pad took them by surprise.  And rumble.  And the analog stick, they never saw any of these things coming.  I can't believe it took them so long to have a touch screen and a microphone on a handheld either!

Also, Nintendo hasn't shunned mature games, or even M-rated games.  If you're still mad about the lack of blood in the SNES Mortal Kombat, well then... that's one of the most immature games ever made, and part of the reason we have an ESRB today is because Mortal Kombat was heavily marketed towards 13 year olds instead of 17 year olds.  And by Mortal Kombat II, blood was back.  Back then Sega had just as much censorship as Nintendo, and so did every company.  There was no ESRB, so all game companies censored their own games.  Since the formation of the ESRB, Nintendo has allowed M rated games on its consoles.  3rd parties fled Nintendo for many other reasons, but not a lack of blood.  And it wasn't Nintendo banning M-rated games.  BMX XXX is a game where you ride bicycles around topless and watch strippers dance.  It's on GameCube, PS2, and XBox.  Which company censored it in the U.S. and didn't allow nipples in the game?  SONY.  Nintendo and Microsoft allowed nipples. And now Wii has the most ultraviolent exclusive games, MadWorld, No More Heroes, and Manhunt 2.