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Wii

Nintendo Console Sales are Robust Despite the U.S. Recession

by Jared Rosenberg - December 9, 2008, 6:52 am EST
Total comments: 44 Source: Reuters

According to Satoru Iwata, Nintendo sold around 800,000 Wii systems in the United States during the week of Thanksgiving.

In a recent interview with Reuters, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata revealed that Americans had purchased about 800,000 Wii systems in just the last week of November. During that same time frame in 2007, Nintendo sold 350,000 Wii systems. Furthermore, Iwata stated that sales of the Nintendo DS had increased by close to 20 percent over the sales made during the previous Thanksgiving holiday.

Iwata seemed confident that the recession would not have a negative effect on the sales of Nintendo products. "When the economy is strong, people tend to buy three things from the top of their wish list. But when things are bad, people often buy only the first thing on their list," he commented. "Fortunately for us a lot of shoppers put our products at the top of their list."

While it seems likely that Nintendo will surpass the 981,000 Wii consoles they sold last November, it won't be confirmed until the NPD Group releases their video game sales numbers on Thursday, December 11th.

Talkback

AVDecember 09, 2008

Nintendo is happy now but the casual gamers will dry up sooner or later. Just wait, and all software sales will dry up and hardware  sales will drop like a rock. They will come begging for support from hardcore gamers who are willing to buy games in bad economic times. I wonder how many Wii's have already been sold to pawn shops to get money to pay the bills. This is all to similar to the crash of Atari , because it got so popular that so many horrible games were released.

I love Nintendo still, but I don't like how they are becoming so damn arrogant again. Sin and Punishment 2, Punch Out Wii are great but I need more than 2 games a year to make me happy.

GoldenPhoenixDecember 09, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

Nintendo is happy now but the casual gamers will dry up sooner or later. Just wait, and all software sales will dry up and hardware  sales will drop like a rock. They will come begging for support from hardcore gamers who are willing to buy games in bad economic times. I wonder how many Wii's have already been sold to pawn shops to get money to pay the bills. This is all to similar to the crash of Atari , because it got so popular that so many horrible games were released.

I love Nintendo still, but I don't like how they are becoming so damn arrogant again. Sin and Punishment 2, Punch Out Wii are great but I need more than 2 games a year to make me happy.

OMG. ::shakes head::

Ian SaneDecember 09, 2008

I think being a little overly cautious about this would be a better approach than the unrestrained optimism Nintendo appears to have.  I'm not thinking they're screwed (mostly because logic and Nintendo's success don't go hand in hand) but they can't just laugh this stuff off.  The Wii is very mainstream focused.  Despite what Nintendo or anyone else living in fantasy land thinks videogames are a luxury item.  I've heard arguments that people spend more on entertainment in a recession to "get their mind off their troubles" but that's got to be cheapo entertainment like going to the movies.  Videogames are in the $50+ mark.  They're not the sort of the stuff most people buy willy-nilly on impulse.  DVD's sure because they end up in bargain bins for less than 10 bucks.  But once you get over 30 bucks you start thinking about cost, particularly when your broke ass can't feed yourself or your kids.

But then THESE days who knows?  The amount of people I know with no kids that have higher paying jobs than me but are somehow always f*cking broke is huge.  In a world of materialistic morons with no financial sense maybe videogames will continue to sell like hotcokes.

Nintendo should still hold back their arrogance - that's what f*cked them up in 1996 and will f*ck them up again at some point in the future.  They learned nothing and history will repeat itself.  But when?  I don't know.

King of TwitchDecember 09, 2008

Put the deLorean away and quit fooling with the space-time continuum

GoldenPhoenixDecember 09, 2008

Gaming has always remained consistent sales wise in troubling economic times. Granted the history isn't there but from what we've seen, to say contrary to that is baseless at best. Also I fail to see how this arrogance when you believe it will still sell well in economic times? It seems to be basic PR, would you rather him say "Oh NOES the world is collapsing no one will buy our games".

EasyCureDecember 09, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

I wonder how many Wii's have already been sold to pawn shops to get money to pay the bills.

I miss the Rat :(

GoldenPhoenixDecember 09, 2008

Quote from: EasyCure

Quote from: Mr.

I wonder how many Wii's have already been sold to pawn shops to get money to pay the bills.

I miss the Rat :(

I bet they sell their Wii's to pawn shops and then go out and buy another Wii, a sign of their enslavementr to Nintendo. That is the only logical way to explain the huge sales numbers.

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

Quote from: EasyCure

Quote from: Mr.

I wonder how many Wii's have already been sold to pawn shops to get money to pay the bills.

I miss the Rat :(

I bet they sell their Wii's to pawn shops and then go out and buy another Wii, a sign of their enslavementr to Nintendo. That is the only logical way to explain the huge sales numbers.

*shrug*

Happened with the PS2.

Quote from: Ian

Nintendo should still hold back their arrogance - that's what f*cked them up in 1996 and will f*ck them up again at some point in the future.  They learned nothing and history will repeat itself.  But when?  I don't know.

It's not even just Nintendo. Look at what's happening to Sony right now. They were arrogant as all hell preceding the PS3 launch because they were dominant. Look at them now.
The only difference is that Nintendo has the experience and it seems like they're ignoring it and being as cocky as can be.

I don't think Nintendo's necessarily being cocky. They're basing their optimism, some might even say cautious optimism, on continued sellouts of the Wii console. Only time will tell, but all indicators seem to support them. Stay tuned for November NPD!

NinGurl69 *hugglesDecember 09, 2008

I saw 3 Wii Fit units in stock at Target yesterday.

They're gone today.

King of TwitchDecember 09, 2008

So, 3 thinner soccer moms in a few months from now. This is great news.

Quote from: Zap

So, 3 thinner soccer moms in a few months from now. This is great news.

Now if only we could figure out a way to get the Soccer DADS to be skinnier... hmmm... that'd be the next big hit.

A cheap console sells in tough economic times.  Shocker.

IceColdDecember 10, 2008

Some 360 models are cheaper..

AVDecember 10, 2008

i don't want to sound all doom and gloom and bitter, but its difficult. I was the one who supported them during cube era, I bought n64 games and saved my hard money when i was younger. I supported them in the hard times and now the new people come by and i'm feeling neglected.  I know business is business, but damn man if I DIDN'T buy a Wii and showed it off my casual brother wouldn't of played it, and he wouldn't of bought it and he wouldn't of shown friends who played it as well. I help start the chain reaction in Thanksgiving 06 by showing off Wiisports to family after dinner. I waited in line 12 hours in the cold and it seems more and more Nintendo rather get the money from some soccer mom who will probably play it once every 3 months, versus somebody who plays almost every week.

Club Nintendo better be awesome, I really hope that will help me. If it wasn't for the quality Wiiware and Virtual console of the past two months I might have given up.
I wouldn't be so angry if I had the money to buy a 360, but only Wii and DS things are drying up. I haven't bought any new games in MONTHS and have a job and I might just be jealous that they can buy stuff and I can't buy Dark Knight even though I really want too.

NinGurl69 *hugglesDecember 10, 2008

Wii + Wii Play + Wii Fit + Mario Kart is not cheap.

Wii is VALUED in tough economic times.

I couldn't buy stupid Dark Knight Special Edition cuz it was SOLD OUT TODAY.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterDecember 10, 2008

Jesus Christ...

First off, I don't see a lick of arrogance anywhere. I've seen WORSE. Iwata is just pleased that despite tough economic times people are still buying games. What did just expect in a POSITIVE PR statement?

"Uh..so we sold some Wii...its cool".

Second, Nintendo has said time and time again that they NEED to keep  gamers interested so the product sells. Are we quick to forget that the DS followed the exact, same strategy and its still selling greatly today? Nintendo did not stop at Brain Age and Nintendogs. They followed that success with rock solid first party titles, many more blue ocean titles and excellent third party titles. And yet, I don't see any slowdown in sales, and the thing's been out since 2004! It will likely keep going once the DSi releases across the globe next year.

The exact, same thing is happening with the Wii. So those claims that "sooner or later the Wii will stop selling" are complete BULLCRAP. Stop it.

Third, guys, the Wii was NOT the only one who saw a major boost during the Holidays. The DS, the 200 dollar XBOX 360, Guitar Hero and Rock Band ALL saw massive sales during Black Friday. Many games across all consoles saw a big boost as well. Are you going to tell me with a straight face that these were really bought by casual gamers and that sooner or later "they will be pawned"? Please...

Oh and Mr.Vega, if you honestly believe that Nintendo will only release two titles in 2009 then you are either ignorant or you are being sarcastic.

Wii Sports Resort promises to deliver the same type of fun Wii Sports did so well, even moreso thanks to Motion Plus. Oooh wait, its an EVIL casual title and in your bitchy little Nintendo fanboy land that's a no no...

Trace Memory was a solid little game on the DS and I am surprised that its receiving a sequel on the Wii. Oh wait, its a title where you have to THINK. Another big no no...

You want to support GOOD third party games? Madworld and Conduit look very promising third party EXCLUSIVE titles. Oh, but I take it you either don't have the time or the money to get them. That's fine. Just don't complain about third party titles not selling on Wii because "its aimed at casuals".

Really, all of this Nintendo angst needs to STOP. Many core gamers are hypocrites. They say they "supported" Nintendo during the N64 and GC years, but jumped ship the minute they saw "better" support on the PS2 and XBOX. They are not the ones to talk about loyalty to a company.

Many people ignored them when Sony and MS launched their systems, because they were big and shiny, while they laughed at Nintendo as they tried to innovate their core franchises and kept appealing to their old fanbase, with constant cries of "juveniler" and "gimmicky". Now that Nintendo is finally number one and is bringing in a lot of new gamers into a fanbase that was once uncool and taboo they have the nerve to tell Nintendo its ignoring their core fanbase?

You wouldn't know loyalty even if it bit you in the balls.

GoldenPhoenixDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: Lindy

A cheap console sells in tough economic times.  Shocker.

As proven by Xbox 360 Arcade. Oh wait!

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

Quote from: Lindy

A cheap console sells in tough economic times.  Shocker.

As proven by Xbox 360 Arcade. Oh wait!

Actually, I suspect that the XBox 360 at $200 is what's buoying XBox 360 sales at the moment. MS dodged a bullet there, and their multi-SKU strategy worked out for them in this instance.

GoldenPhoenixDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

Quote from: Lindy

A cheap console sells in tough economic times.  Shocker.

As proven by Xbox 360 Arcade. Oh wait!

Actually, I suspect that the XBox 360 at $200 is what's buoying XBox 360 sales at the moment. MS dodged a bullet there, and their multi-SKU strategy worked out for them in this instance.

Yes but my point is that it still got creamed by the Wii which is MORE EXPENSIVE, in overall sales.

Oh, yeah. Good point.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterDecember 10, 2008

Ignoring the angst, it IS impressive that despite a recession videogames sold EXTREMELY well. Then again, its been confirmed that entertaintment venues see great profit during tough economic times. People seek to escape the grim times.

GoldenPhoenixDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: pap64

Ignoring the angst, it IS impressive that despite a recession videogames sold EXTREMELY well. Then again, its been confirmed that entertaintment venues see great profit during tough economic times. People seek to escape the grim times.

Also with the Wii you get a system that has quite a few games that families can play together for a one time investment.

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

GoldenPhoenixDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

Heck the board game industry is still sticking around. That has always been a more casual (and expensive) hobby (I still love board games).

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterDecember 10, 2008

Well, I think they believe that with the economy slowing down families might cut the purchase of luxury items in order to stay afloat. Since videogames fall under luxury items they suspect that overall sales might slow down.

But the thing is that the economy has been down the crapper for years now and sales have not slowed down.

Wii Fit is a 90 dollar purchase that's been out since May. Its still selling. Mario Kart Wii was released last April. Its still selling.

Once again, this is a stunning feat that despite shortages, big releases, the economy and overall core hate these titles keep selling the way they do. Stunning...

KDR_11kDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix

Heck the board game industry is still sticking around. That has always been a more casual (and expensive) hobby (I still love board games).

The board game industry is as casual as the observer, someone who only cares about the "classics" like Monopoly or Scrabble sees an industry only producing the "classics", someone who wants to kill a few minutes probably goes with card games while those who want a big, complex game read this list. Wait, hardcore boardgaming? Yes, it happens.

UltimatePartyBearDecember 10, 2008

People need entertainment even more when times are tough.  They save money by bankrupting Ford and GM instead.

vuduDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: pap64

Jesus Christ...

First off, I don't see a lick of arrogance anywhere. I've seen WORSE. Iwata is just pleased that despite tough economic times people are still buying games. What did just expect in a POSITIVE PR statement?

QTF

This is a statement made to Reuters, not to EGM.  They're not being arrogant, they're trying to increase the value of their stock.

A CEO's job is to make money for the company's owners.

King of TwitchDecember 10, 2008

Quoted Tor Fruth?

vuduDecember 10, 2008

YSE

EasyCureDecember 10, 2008

Quote from: vudu

Quote from: pap64

Jesus Christ...

First off, I don't see a lick of arrogance anywhere. I've seen WORSE. Iwata is just pleased that despite tough economic times people are still buying games. What did just expect in a POSITIVE PR statement?

QTF

This is a statement made to Reuters, not to EGM.  They're not being arrogant, they're trying to increase the value of their stock.

A CEO's job is to make money for the company's owners.

The statement wasn't even that fucking bad, so anyone claiming it as arrogance needs to STFU already. I don't need to write a long post here cuz Pap and vudu already said it, and I don't want to write more becuase I'll work myself up over nothing.

When the economy is strong, people tend to buy three things from the top of their wish list. But when things are bad, people often buy only the first thing on their list... Fortunately for us a lot of shoppers put our products at the top of their list.

UrkelDecember 11, 2008

Hey guys, you know why Nintendo is boasting about their sales more than they used to?

Come closer and I'll whisper this secret to you.

Closer.

Clooooser.

Good. Are you ready to hear this?

BECAUSE THE GAMECUBE DIDN'T SELL JACK FUCKING SHIT!

They weren't being humble then, and they aren't being arrogant now. They simply didn't have anything to crow about all those years. Seriously, you're going to begrude Iwata because he's actually commenting on record breaking sales during tough economic times? Really?

NinGurl69 *hugglesDecember 11, 2008

neither did xborx

AVDecember 11, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

DSi is proof. DS Lites stopped selling because guess what everyone had one. Sooner or later everyone who wants a Wii will have one. After DS Lite sales fell DSi was born as a cheap gimmick to get out more sales.

I wonder about software sales, I think that might take a huge dip.

I just find it hard to believe this is a long term sustainable business model.

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: Kairon

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

DSi is proof. DS Lites stopped selling because guess what everyone had one. Sooner or later everyone who wants a Wii will have one. After DS Lite sales fell DSi was born as a cheap gimmick to get out more sales.

I wonder about software sales, I think that might take a huge dip.

I just find it hard to believe this is a long term sustainable business model.

How do those two things relate?

EasyCureDecember 11, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: Kairon

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

DSi is proof. DS Lites stopped selling because guess what everyone had one. Sooner or later everyone who wants a Wii will have one. After DS Lite sales fell DSi was born as a cheap gimmick to get out more sales.

I wonder about software sales, I think that might take a huge dip.

I just find it hard to believe this is a long term sustainable business model.

How do those two things relate?

Beat me to it. Mr. Vega must be reading a different thread...

GoldenPhoenixDecember 11, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: Kairon

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

DSi is proof. DS Lites stopped selling because guess what everyone had one. Sooner or later everyone who wants a Wii will have one. After DS Lite sales fell DSi was born as a cheap gimmick to get out more sales.

I wonder about software sales, I think that might take a huge dip.

I just find it hard to believe this is a long term sustainable business model.

But throwing money down the gutter and suffering substantial losses on each console sold is a sustainable business strategy.

KDR_11kDecember 11, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: Kairon

Time and time again, I see the word "family" popping up on these sales stories. I think the Wii is in a good place with its focus on gamers from 5 to 95. I also wonder where people get this argument that "casuals will be the first to abandon videogames in a recession." It sounds very convincing, but I've yet to see proof.

DSi is proof. DS Lites stopped selling because guess what everyone had one. Sooner or later everyone who wants a Wii will have one. After DS Lite sales fell DSi was born as a cheap gimmick to get out more sales.

I wonder about software sales, I think that might take a huge dip.

I just find it hard to believe this is a long term sustainable business model.

OBJECTION!

Everyone WHO WANTED A DS had a DS. The thing's nowhere near reaching 100% saturation of the population. The DSi reached people who didn't want a DS before. What else do you expect to happen, should they just sit back and say "well, hardware sales are down, let's live with this"? They thought "hardware sales are going down, how can we get more customers?". When a product stops selling YOU DO SOMETHING. When you've sold to all customers you can reach YOU REACH OUT TO NEW ONES. Sitting on your ass doing nothing is NOT A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL. Actively working to improve any weaknesses you have like slowing hardware sales IS A SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY.

You're just whining that noone's pandering to you and wish that was a bad business strategy. Well guess what? IT'S NOT. You are no market force and by casting off the belief that hardcore gamers and their review magazines are what matters Nintendo won. The hardcore were always whining about crap like "kiddie" or "casual" or whatnot. Well, guess what, a bunch of spoiled divas aren't an effective customer base. Those who had cast of the belief before have made big money before. How many people cried that WoW was "casual" and that people should play EQ/UO/whatever? Why are flash games so popular? Because the spoiled divas were in power, they dictated game designs and the vast majority was left wondering WTF is going on!

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterDecember 12, 2008

Yeah, we all know what happened when Nintendo focused only on its core fanbase.

In fact, let's go back in time...

When the NES was released it was marketed as a toy that everyone could play. It aimed at an audience that felt burned by Atari and were ready to give up on gaming altogether. We had groundbreaking titles like Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, Metroid and many, many more. The challenge and ease of use led them to become masterpieces and gaming was brought back to life.

The SNES was an extension of this, but with strong third party support and a competitor (Sega) forcing them to innovate harder they gained even more new players while keeping its existing fanbase happy.

The N64 was perhaps the beginning of the temporary fall. Yes, the system did innovate 3D gaming, but the cartridges scared many third parties away, and it took many fans with them. It was still a strong competitor, but everything the PSone did outshine it, even if the graphics were crappy and the FMVs weren't all that great.

The Gamecube focused ONLY on its fanbase, with gimmicks that would only appeal to them and games that were barely innovative and felt rushed and incomplete. It kept releasing gimmicks and features that only the true core would adopt (GC/GBA connectivity, e-reader cards, GBA player etc.). Comparing the GC to the PS2 and XBOX things DID look better. Nintendo was too focused on its core franchises and fanbase.

With the Wii they decide to screw convention and decided to look at the people who weren't gaming at all, people who felt bald space marines, criminals and even quirky plumbers were too silly or conventional.

This is something that Sony did back in the day with the PSone. They sold games at people who thought games were too dorky for them. And thanks to that they became a hit.

Are we quick to forget that the original Gameboy also aimed at a blue ocean audience? Tetris is the best selling and revered GB game ever, and its essentially a casual title (Tetris DS was labeled as a "touch generations" title a few years back).

Nintendo has always sold games towards a big audience, starting with the NES, a strategy they needed to use if they wanted people to get back to gaming after the big videogame crash.

In fact, Sean Malstrom once said that there was the chance that the hardcore gamers complaining about the Wii being too focused on casual ganing most likely grew up with the N64 and GC, two consoles that tried hard to only appeal to its core fanbase.

In fact, lets go back even further. The original Pong was a game aimed at families and children. It became a favorite activity among the people who could afford the systems. Many classic arcade games reached classic status because they were easy to learn and could be enjoyed in small bursts.

The problem is that fans turned gaming into a dorky, elitist activity with the goal of making them bigger and better FOR THEM. The reality is that gaming reached where its at now because the first games ever made were sold towards everyone who understood the concept and could pick up the controller.

Nintendo is trying to keep this alive with the Wii and DS while still keeping the core happy. The Wii sounds like a step back because it decided to make family gaming a norm once more rather than the "bigger, badder, prettier" mantra the other consoles are faithfully following, and even they admit that there's something to "casual gaming" after all.

GoldenPhoenixDecember 12, 2008

Pap pwns everyone again.

I've often thought that those who crucify Nintendo for failing its fans have forgotten how little such fans rewarded Nintendo during the GameCube era.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterDecember 12, 2008

Quote from: Kairon

I've often thought that those who crucify Nintendo for failing its fans have forgotten how little such fans rewarded Nintendo during the GameCube era.

I could go into exact detail why many of the fans complaining about the Wii are hypocrites.

First, Nintendo heavily advertised GC/GBA connectivity, and released games that made heavy use of them (Four Swords Adventures, Crystal Chronicles). When this happened gamers and critics everywhere said that this was a foolish idea that was too much of a hassle. Now, the DS can connect to the Wii effortlessly, but Nintendo decided not to lean heavily on it. In other words, the option was there but it wasn't needed . Now gamers are complaining that Nintendo has NOT utilized DS/Wii connectivity enough, when they KNOW that this idea failed badly during its heyday! So they complain that its too gimmicky, and now its hardly used.

Second, it amazes me that people call both the Wii and DS gimmicky when Nintendo has done much worse. The Gamecube had the e-reader, the GBA player, the GC/GBA link cable, the bongos and finally microphones. None of these proved to be highly successful as neither Nintendo nor third parties used them much. With the touch screen and the motion controls Nintendo managed to make them compelling features that didn't require additional purchases and were easy to program for. They might still be gimmicky but proved successful for people to invest in.

Third, peripherals. Yes, the Wii has a lot of them, many created by Nintendo. But are we quick to forget that the NES also had them in droves? The power pad, ROB, the zapper, the power glove, the NES advantage and many more were created to attract new audiences using different control methods. Not all of these worked and many were quickly forgotten, but are looked upon with fondness and nostalgia.

Finally, Nintendo was HEAVILY criticized for relying too much on its franchises. Mario was whored a lot during the N64 and GC eras. The N64 and GC actually received two Zeldas each, something unheard of back in the day. And don't even get me started on Pokemon...

Now, the issue is that Nintendo is IGNORING these franchises in favor of more casual new IPs. The reality is that Nintendo has released more core titles this generation than before. The Wii received a Zelda title at launch. The following year it got Metroid Prime 3 and Mario Galaxy. This year saw the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii, two of Nintendo's biggest multiplayer titles with online play, back to back, again something unheard of.

Finally, we saw the return of classic Wario in fine form, something players have been yearning for ages. It wasn't a perfect game, but goddammit it was classic treasure hunter Wario! And in 2D!

Then, its been confirmed that they might start bringing back old franchises with the announcement of Punch-Out, and will actually release sequels to small, niche, cult titles in the form of Trace Memory 2 and Sin and Punishment 2.

Not to mention that WiiWare and VC support has been very strong with rock solid and amazing titles coming from unexpected places.

So Nintendo was heavily criticized for its over-reliance of core franchise, and now they are angry that Nintendo for once decided to try something new and its "ignoring" their core titles.

So when Nintendo focuses too much on the core, its a problem. When they decided to focus on other players, its a problem.

Urkel is right. Nintendo is a company, and companies like to seek as many customers as possible, because if they focus on just one demographic their product loses universal value. To believe that Nintendo had to work exclusively for US is being naive and ignorant of the business world.

When Nintendo focused on just the core they nearly disappeared. Be grateful that thanks to the DS and Wii they can be around for years to come and Mario and Zelda will still be around.

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