Still being the number one way ahead the competition and it is "not healthy" according to them.

I wonder what are the microsoft and sony thoughts on this Iwata comments.

*giggle*

They failed to do a blockbuster for this holidays. NSMBWii will sell good for shure but it isn't a Zelda or Mario Galaxy.

Fact is he's speaking of Japan and Wii isn't way ahead of the competition there this year.

YTD it has actually been outsold slightly by the PS3..

No, it isn't a Zelda or a Mario Galaxy, it's in fact bigger than that... Zelda has a 5 millions potential, "as usual" i'd say, and Galaxy sold 8-9 millions...

While NSMBWii will be huge, really huge, and will easily do between 10 millions and 20 millions... not in two months, but by the end of next year, that's for sure... now, will it be enough to attract millions and millions of newcomers? That's the problem: most of the "Mario fans" are already there...

Most of you guys need to stop analyzing Japan like it behaves like the rest of the world for Nintendo.

While Wii sales went through the roof in US and Others in 2008 they were already down compared to 2007 in Japan.( 20% lower)
So there is more to it than releasing a few good third party because Nintendo did that in 2008...

Oh I love you sometimes Nintendo. You're winning the generation, yet you still know when to be humble.

Much has been learnt since the days of the SNES.

That´s one VERY good post, sir....everything you say makes me think how this gen is very odd when it comes to situations we were all used to in past generations, such as the leading console getting "all the love".

Also, it makes me wonder if we´ll ever see a Nintendo home system just like the SNES and NES, when it comes to getting Nintendo´s titles and MAJOR 3rd party love on a single machine.

Do you think we´ll ever see it again, 68soul?

You're right, Japan is a very different market... the population is gettin' older and older, with less and less kids than anywhere else in the world: and no gaming company can do anything about this... except of course, release more games that may appeal to an older userbase, like Nintendo has done with the Brain trainings, Wii Sports/Fit and such...

But there's still a "core" market in Japan anyway... and these guys have different tastes: they want a new Dragon Quest, a new Final Fantasy, a new Tales, or a new Monster Hunter to get their fix... the console with the best JRPG's usually win in Japan, and if DS has succeeded so far in that department, Wii has still many difficulties: because the hardware is too limited to release the best-looking JRPG's on it, and because the userbase isn't "core" enough...

But as PS3 and X360's userbases are still very small in Japan so far, the JRPG's makers are in a though position: how could they still make money with such games, then? One home console userbase is dedicated to Mario and Wii Sports/Fit, the other home console userbases are already too "niche" to become an healthy local market... and the western gamers don't care, or at least don't transform such games into mega-hits (with the exception of Final Fantasy): so the export isn't a solution either...

It must be hard for them, hard for most of the japanese devs these days, with the possible exception of Nintendo... and Nintendo's big boss himself is complaining about the japanese gaming market, so what then? Is the japanese gaming industry approaching its fall? Sad news this would be, when like me, you do prefer japanese games...

Thanks for the compliment...  :)

Well, that 3 console race is a very crowded one, and with the actual differences in hardware specs, i don't think that Nintendo may have that opportunity this gen... the market is kinda splitted, and it's already too late to convince most of the 3rd parties...

In the same time, Nintendo was wise enough: they weren't sure if the Wii's control method would meet success or not, so they tried to minimize the hardware's costs, to avoid any big losses... while the other 2 went all out with HD, and lost billions and billions competin' with each other... i think Microsoft is finally doin' a few hundreds millions on the 360, but to know the Wii and DS profits, and regain all the losses of their past, they would need 20 or 30 more years on the market, so...  :)

But to answer your question: it will really depend on what Nintendo will do next gen... imho, they need the best of both worlds: innovation in controls and huge hardware specs, great 1st party line-up and most of the best 3rd parties games as well...

The PS3 and the X360 are moving into the control's territory, and maybe into the "casual market" as well, cos they have learned from Nintendo's success... so Nintendo will need to move into higher spec's territory, to be able to stay relevant and compete for the 3rd parties investments, as well as for the gamers money... both "casual" and "core", btw...

But Nintendo has done billions of profits, while the other 2 are in a bad situation: so the Nintendo guys have the opportunity to be the "real" market's leaders if once again, they are wise enough, and release the Wii's full potential with the Wii's successor...with maybe a brand new innovation to really make the difference... once again...

But of course, i may be wrong: Nintendo is sometimes so unpredictable...  :)

"The PS3 and the X360 are moving into the control's territory, and maybe into the "casual market" as well, cos they have learned from Nintendo's success... so Nintendo will need to move into higher spec's territory, to be able to stay relevant and compete for the 3rd parties investments, as well as for the gamers money... both "casual" and "core", btw..."

No. THEY copycat the Wii means THEY have to stay relevant, NOT Nintendo. That's like saying Grand Theft Auto needs to stay relevant because of all the ripoffs. Do you not see the crappy logic there? Or are you just so desperate for Nintendo to jump back in the hardware race (which you admit lost the other guys billions) that you are twisting logic to make that wish fit (which a lot of the gaming press is doing)?

Except these aren't "rip-offs", both MS and Sony's devices OUT DO what the Wiimote does even with the WM+.  Ripoffs imply a lesser clone.  Like Simpsons Road Rage vs GTA.