I remember reading this ages ago

Just finished reading it - its a great article. Agree completely with it.

I like this comment:
"The example given of Brain Training on the DS, which was created in a mere 4 months comes to mind. Even though it isn’t selling what are typically considered ‘blockbuster’ numbers, it is an unqualified financial success. During this period a large number of new genre attempts will be successfully vetted."

...

So much for "not selling blockbuster" numbers... the game is STILL selling - and we are almost in 2008!

I read this article a few months ago, I think.

The only thing that is really outdated about it is mentioning that Brain Training "isn't selling ... blockbuster numbers."

However, that mention highlights how good of an article this is. Brain Training was the first in Nintendo's recent string of disruptive mega-hits, and it hadn't broken through yet. But this guy already understood Nintendo's strategy.

It doesn't need to be entirely in the context of new genres, though. While Mario Sunshine shows that even the biggest brand in history can only go so far when competing by traditional means of differentiation in a mature genre, Mario Galaxy will reinvent that mature genre. Everyone who is or ever was a fan of 3D platformers will be interested in Mario Galaxy NOT because it's "a new Mario game" but because of the revolutionary new mechanics. The fact that Ratchet and Clank might look better or have more content (traditional differentiation) will be irrelevant.

Meanwhile New Super Mario Bros. is a case where the genre had faded to a niche, and Nintendo was able to simply re-introduce an old genre king, and maintain the luxery of no real competition that a genre inventing game has. Link's Crossbow Training may do the same thing for lightgun games.

Questions ranging from "why does Nintendo say they will never leave the hardware market without leaving the software market?" to "why hasn't Wii Sports 2 been announced?" could be answered just by understanding this article.

I read this article way back when it was originally written ...

Unlike the other console developers Nintendo is (essentially) a videogame developer who designs their hardware to make their software vision possible. Myiamoto's vision is unmatched when it comes to new and intuitive controll schemes and the ability to create new genres; his weakness is that he doesn't really understand the "Core" gamer market which Microsoft and Sony (currently) are focused on appealing to and thus the hardware does not represent their interests (high definition graphics, online gameplay, etc). 

That's a great article. Anybody that doesn't appreciate Nintendo, or thinks that "hardcore" games are all that matter should really read that article.

The success of the wii does leave me to question what will happen next gen. Microsoft and Sony will be at an odd pass. Keep appealling the the hardcore with old stuff (dualshock 4?) which will continue to dwindle, or adopt new IR and motion sensing controllers?

I will bump this article for great justice!

ha ha, Rol i had a rugrats board game for the N64, it was awful.

I havent read the article (it's midnight, i'm watching the last of Skins series1 then going to bed) but i shall read it tomorrow.
I have read most of the comments though and it looks like it's going to be a good read.