Well, this was definitely an interesting year for sure, especially from my perspective of gaming shenanigans. Let's start out with the most important thing: the games. Here's a list of the games I've bought/played this year (I'd focus on DS and 360, but I'm too lazy right now ).

Wii:
A Boy and His Blob
Bit.Trip Beat
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Little King's Story
Metroid Prime Trilogy
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
MadWorld
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Sonic & the Black Knight
The Conduit
The House of the Dead: Overkill
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
Wii Fit Plus
Wii Sports Resort
World of Goo

You'll see a list that's surprisingly loaded with 3rd party (11/16) games (suprising because, well, Nintendo software usually dominates a Nintendo user's game list). I really do believe that this was the year that Nintendo let 3rd parties have their say, well at least until the holiday season. With all of their complaints about how hard it is to sell software in a Nintendo dominated market, Nintendo stepped back and let them have their way... with unfortunate results. See, niche titles can only go so far, but that's what 3rd parties kept releasing. I mean, the "biggest" (aka most hyped) 3rd party game this year was The Conduit, developed by a team that's finally stretching their wings after making mostly liscenced games for other publishers. I'm scratching my head on how there's really no big budget 3rd party Wii title... but that's the way it goes. Still, being a niche title isn't bad. In fact, there were some crazy (Overkill), beautiful (Muramasa), quirky (Bit.Trip Beat), endearing (Little King's Story), and just overall fun (Sonic and the Black Knight) 3rd party titles that have come out this year, big budget be damned.

Of course, Nintendo knew that they couldn't just stand there and do nothing, and after an E3 full of wonderful announcements (2D Mario! A new Metroid! Zelda!) they released Wii Sports Resort with their Wii Motion Plus (another step that Nintendo took to help 3rd parties... look how that turned out.) and it was just like I opened my Wii for the first time. And then of course New Super Mario Bros. Wii has come out recently. More Nintendo magic, and my Game of the Year. 2D Platforming goodness, the way things should be in this world.

So yeah, it's been an interesting year this year, it almost felt like a "test" of sorts between Nintendo and 3rd parties. Of course, the test didn't go as well as Nintendo thought it would (and 3rd parties are still turned upside down on this whole "Wii" thing), but things are looking up next year for 3rd party titles that take advantage of the Wii technology and demand a budget beyond a niche title. So for many, at first glance the Wii might have not offered anything you may have wanted, but take a closer look. There's plenty of gems that have come out this year that are amazing (read: amazing) titles. Take a risk with your game choices, and enjoy a game that you may have thought you would never have played. That's what I did this year, and I'm a better gamer for it.

Overall grade for Nintendo Wii: B+

I uh don't have to? I go on an adding spree every so often and add games once I remember I actually own(ed) them :P right now there isn't a whole lot of need to add more lol

Sony clearly had a good end to the year... But to me Microsoft and Nintendo have to be enjoying thier holidays as well...

Think back to 2005 just before 360 was released... If someone would have told you:

- Nintendo will have a 60 million selling console by 2010
- Microsoft will have a 35 million selling console by 2010
- Sony will have a 30 million selling console by 2010
- Nintendo will do that by having almost no AAA third party support
- Microsoft will have almost every Playstation brand loyal 3rd party franchise at the same time the PS3 gets it (FF XIII, Tekken, Street Fighter IV, GTA IV, etc)
- Sony will just be starting to make a comeback in late 2009
- Home and blu-ray will have had very little effect by 2010
- Most multi-platform games will run just as good still by 2010

I know I would have laughed at that person very loudly... When PS3 comes out it will dominate... MS will be in 3rd by 2007. The Wii is a gimmick and has no chance of getting to 60 million. etc...

Therefore Microsoft and Nintendo are winners no matter what happens the rest of the generation... While Microsoft and Nintendo have rolled along, Sony has backed away from backwards compatibility, implemented Home before it was really ready, killer games like LBP and KZ2 ended up having very little affect, blu-ray is not catching like wild fire, etc.

I hate the idea of rating E3 conference performances, largely in part due to the misconception that it's a fair/carnival meant to entertain gamers instead of its true purpose, a trade show to please investors and would be investors. I liked the jab by Microsoft about not speaking about sales figures, if they were in Nintendo's position they would be boasting about their sales too.

Maxwell- well thank you. I enjoyed your posts as well haha. It is nice when you can make long meaningful posts haha.

As for the PSP, I was purely talking on a sales perspective. The entire post was actually a purely sales perspective. Considering I don't play or own all the consoles and games that are significant I find it hard to talk too much on a certain level like that although I could have done it hypothetically. But instead I kept it on a sales level which I think I have the ability to comment on quite well.

But I do like this thread. Allows people to comment on the year as a whole and look at the bigger view rather than a narrow week by week one. I always love to look at the yearly sales charts in comparison with the monthly and weekly ones as it gives a great range for things.