Few comeback stories bring a smile to my face like Nintendo. Look back at the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s and the name Nintendo was synonymous with video games. Nintendo single-handedly revitalized the video game industry, and brought us back from the video game market crash of 1984. Nintendo continued to dominate, using strong-arm tactics, until Sega released the Sega Genesis in 1989. Here in the US, Sega gave Nintendo a run for its money (anyone remember blast processing from Sonic the Hedgehog).
Nintendo remained on top until an ill-fated collaboration with Sony collapsed, and the PlayStation was born. That story is the topic of another post, but the point is that by 1996, Nintendo was no longer on top, and even Sega was struggling against the Sony juggernaut. This marketing battle ultimately killed the Sega of the early 1990s, as the Sega of today is a platform agnostic software developer. Children of my era used the term “Nintendo” to mean video games, much like other brands like Coke and Kleenex are generalized. However, the children of today use “PlayStation,” as the Nintendo consoles of the mid ‘90’s failed to maintain its market hold.
Flash forward to 2005, and Nintendo begins to talk about revolutionizing the video game market with the Nintendo Revolution. Revolution was the code name for the console we now know as the Wii. Not much information was available on this new console, and what little information that was revealed indicated only marginal hardware improvements from the GameCube, and both Sony and Microsoft were touting high-definition and massive improvements form the then current generation. Nintendo did not seem like they cared about this, and did not comment much. There were several interviews (such as the E3 2005 interview with Miyamoto) where not much was said, and Nintendo made it clear that they thought Revolution was something special.
Christmas 2008, the Nintendo Wii has been on the market for a two full years, and is still hard to find. The little Nintendo console that could, continually outsells the technological superior Microsoft and Sony systems. Once again, people know Nintendo. Words like Wii and Mii now have meanings, and this system has crossed the vaunted casual/hardcore gamer barrier. How did this happen? Nintendo approached the concept of video games in a new way. Instead of making a more complex controller, they simplified it. A television remote style controller accomplishes navigation, and selections are made on “channels,” terminology that most people can understand, as opposed to having to learn new methods and concepts.
However, the biggest innovation made with the Wii, is how people communicate and interact with each other. Before the Wii, communication in video games occurred via chat rooms and sometimes voice chat systems that took some configuration and did not always work universally. Microsoft made strides in this idea with its Live service, but until recently, they had no face. Microsoft launched what is termed as the Xbox Live New Experience , which features avatars, that are distinctly Mii-like. They say that imiation is the sincerest form of flattery….
Say hello to Mii! The Mii is a unique avatar that is a prominent feature of the Nintendo Wii. You create your Mii when you setup the system, and this Mii is your face to the world. Games such as Wii Sports prominently feature this avatar as opposed to an impersonal publisher defined character. Plus this avatar is setup once, and follows you to other games. Most recently, the popular game Guitar Hero World Tour has a mode where your rocker on screen is your Mii.
Before the Wii was released, Nintendo started a program where they linked games purchased at retail, to their website. In all Nintendo published titles, there is a code that the owner can use to activate extra features at Nintendo.com, such as computer wallpapers and screen savers. This integration was taken to the next step with the Wii. The Nintendo codes are still included with games, but with the release of the Wii Shop Channel, the website is linked to the Wii interface. Pictures and previews of available items are featured at the website, but are accessible in the Wii Shop Channel (assuming you have it connected to the web) directly. So, people who may be intimidated with navigating a website, get the same information, right on the Wii.
This article has already gone on too long, but the last technology I want to talk about is a new device called the Wii Speak. This is a speakerphone attachment that just went live on 5 December 2008. Attaching the Wii Speak to your console, transforms your Wii into a personal communication device. You can new have two-way conversations with fellow Miis right on your Wii. Select a friend (by their Mii) in the address book, and you can send voice messages, even if they do not have a Wii Speak. The real breakthrough of the Wii Speak is the simplicity in its use.
Nintendo has embraced technology differently than its competitors, but as the sales show, Nintendo is the comeback kid.
Speaking of kids, I leave you with a little video that illustrates how I felt about Nintendo as a kid:
References:
IGN Cube, 7 Dec 2008. IGN Entertainment Games. 7 Dec 2008. http://cube.ign.com/
IGN Wii, 7 Dec 2008. IGN Entertainment Games. 7 Dec 2008. http://wii.ign.com/
Nintendo, 2008. Nintendo. 7 Dec 2008. http://www.nintendo.com/
VG Chartz.com. 7 Dec. 2008. VG Chartz. 7 Dec. 2008. http://www.vgchartz.com/
XBOX Live. Nov. 2008. Microsoft, 10 Dec 2008.
http://www.xbox.com:80/en-US/live/nxe/
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