How Nintendo revolutionised Gaming... Again – Part 2
Sony continued to dominate the market throughout the fifth and sixth console generation with the PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 which sold over 103 million and 150 million units respectively. The PlayStation 2 is considered as the bestselling video game
console of all time and is still being supported by Sony and continues to sell.
The PlayStation 2 is also responsible for knocking out Sega from the console business as the PlayStation 2 completely destroyed the Sega Dreamcast and the company stopped console production and started to focus primarily on developing games.
Nintendo’s sixth generation entry, the Nintendo GameCube, was graphically superior to the PlayStation 2 but was held back by Nintendo’s decision to use a proprietary disc format which featured 1.4 GB of disc space compared to a regular 4.7 GB DVD that the
PlayStation 2 used.
This meant that lots of third party games could not be ported over to the GameCube because of size limitations which resulted in Nintendo missing out on killer franchises like Grand Theft Auto which was available exclusively for the PlayStation at first
but also made their way to the original Xbox and the PC later on.
No one could’ve guessed that Nintendo would bounce back from their third spot in the seventh console generation. Microsoft was first to the party with the Xbox 360 in 2005 which was followed by Nintendo’s revolution, the Wii, a year later in 2006.
Nintendo decided to go for a different approach with the Wii. Instead of developing a top of the line console, the Wii had the same graphical capabilities as the original Xbox which meant that it was a generation behind when it came to graphics. The main
catch was Motion controls.
Nintendo believed that it could break into the market with a low end console which would be priced lower than the competition and the motion controls would draw in new audiences. Nintendo’s plan worked flawlessly as the Wii quickly turned into a phenomenon,
much like the iPod and the iPhone, after launch.
Even though the console did not boast the best graphics, it offered a completely different experience to a completely different demographic. The Wii quickly overtook the Xbox 360 and become the top selling console worldwide. Sony’s decision to set a $600
price tag for the PlayStation 3 also helped Nintendo a lot as the Wii retailed for only $250.
Microsoft and Sony had first shunned motion controls by claiming that they were not accurate and did not suit the core gaming experience that the two consoles provided. A Sony representative was noted to compare the Wii remote to a ‘lollipop’ which is ironic
as Sony blatantly ripped off the Wii’s motion controllers with the PlayStation Move controller which actually DOES look like a lollipop.
Microsoft was quick to follow in the Wii’s footsteps as well but took Motion controls one step further with the Xbox Kinect, a full body motion control camera completely removing the need for controllers altogether. The addition of motion controls to the
Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 slowed down the Wii’s momentum and has forced Nintendo to bring out another console.
It seems that Nintendo is about to take the lead once again with their upcoming Wii-U console which will be released this fall. The Wii-U will feature a tablet controller which, according to Nintendo, will change the way gamers play.
DISCLAIMER: The views and the opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the editorial policy of bettor.com.
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