Comments on: Why won't Sony or Microsoft admit Nintendo is a competitor?

Don Reisinger thinks Nintendo is a direct competitor to both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. And he doesn't understand why neither company is willing to admit it.

[tln145]

I've been playing games since the Commodore 64 and I think Wii is a little more than a "fad," and just because there's garbage being made for it doesn't mean that it isn't a video game console. I had a PS2, and there was an enormous amount of junk made for that, but no one went around saying that it wasn't a game console. And the "fad" argument I thing is kind of dead, it has outsold the 360 and the PS3 since it was released and continues to do so.

[tyoungbe]

I currently own a Wii, and I'm getting a PS3 for Christmas. I've actually owned a PS3 in the past and took it back after a week, because 1.)the price and 2.)after about an hour of fiddling with my PS3 I wanted to bust out my Wii and play it with my wife. Now, I've been a gamer for quite some time, and I do like some of the exclusives for PS3 such as Little Big Planet and Drakes Fortune, but when it comes down to it, I really have more consistent fun with the Wii. It may be because I'm a more social gamer most of the time, but I really feel like my Wii has served me well since launch, and the only reason I bought a PS3 is because I got a screaming good deal and wanted a Blu-Ray player/Media hub for my entertainment system. In that regard I'd say Sony and MS are the only competitors, but that's not gaming. At E3 ,two of the biggest announcements from Sony and MS were about movies, not games.

[crusadex]

Wii might be a rival to Sony and MS but as far as gaming goes i wuld take the 360 or Ps3 first.
we have owned a Wii for a year now and gotten a couple weeks of solid gameplay out of it.It collects dust.A $300 dust collecter is not impressive.
Our 360 is on more than it's off,Dvd,HD Netflix movies,music,movies from our pc,pics,Arcade and Games.If MS ever got around to IPTV we would use it for that too.The Wii on the other hand,after you play the few solid titles doesn't have much to offer,a little surfing,beating up your mii....
At least it doesn't use power when it's off,as if i gave a crap about the Green-nazi-BS.

[crusadex]

You got to remeber too that Nintendo has been playing the,"limited release game" since the wii came out.If people percieve they can't get one it make them want t more.Sadly our slice of the next gen gamecube looks more like a paperweight these days.Nice system but nothing to do with it,no real solid games or options.

[dingobully]

Sony and Microsoft's comments are just desperation, spin, if you will. They know they got beat this time around and are just trying to protect their jobs and their reputation with stockholders. When the Gamecube was beat these companies didn't mind bragging about it. Now they are down and won't even acknowledge that they owe a lot to the innovations of Nintendo. Not a "real" gaming system? Please! What does that even mean? I play video games to have fun and the Wii is hands down the most fun, period. If I want "real" gaming I can fire up my P.C. and pop in the latest Blizzard release.

[rok_out]

Totally agree. Most of the arguments on this thread are being made by regular (hardcore) gamers, but the market is slowly losing interest in them. It takes millions of dollars and dozens of programmers to make a single "killer" hardcore game that may flop regardless. Making a "casual" game that sells twice as much for, half as much, is a far easier investment. I am sure, however, to read about how the Wii is a fad for another year or two--until the successor talks come up. How many years does the Wii have to constantly sell out (and outsell competitors) before it stops being a "niche" product?

[dtpape]

@rok_out: Your comment is so far off the mark it's laughable. For a direct refutation of your entire premise just look at the sales of hmm...I don't know....just off the top of my head how about: Mass Effect, Bioshock, Fallout 3, Gta 4, Gears of War, World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, Skate, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, Metal Gear Solid, Left for Dead, Half Life 2, do I need to go on? Ok, how about Crysis, Far Cry 2, Dragon Age, Knights of the Old Republic Online, Neverwinter Nights 2, Battlefield Series...blah blah blah etc. etc. Yea, the hardcore games really seem to be going the way of steam power. The hardcore games market is still growing exponentially as more and more money is coming in from sales of these blockbuster titles. In all honesty the only people I know that own wii's are old people, chicks, and stoners.

[distant2nd]

In the actual game industry, developers see the Wii as viable as the other consoles. The Wii share of the current generation console market is just shy of 50%. What this means is that if a game came out on the Wii and sold a copy for every Wii owned, it'd compromise nearly half of the entire market, whereas if the game came out and sold on every 360, it'd only reach 30% of the market, and 20% if sold on every PS3. Now, if the game was made for both HD systems, it'd have to sell a copy for every XB360 AND PS3 to match its potential for maximum Wii sales.

That said, development for a Wii title is generally $5 to $10 million dollars, whereas HD console development starts at $15 mil and can shoot to $60 mil for a triple-A title. Thus, development for the Wii allows for a bigger profit.

Lastly, if a development studio decides to make a Wii game, their development resources are tied up, making them unable to develop a PS3 or XB360 game, unless they are a large studio like Capcom, where they have multiple teams. So, as the Wii expands its market share, more developers are turning to it, which will leave the HD consoles with less games in their libraries.

Thus, the Wii is a competitor - ESPECIALLY for developers' attention.

[tsi26]

Thank you for proving my point though I don't think you meant too! In the actual game industry developers DON'T see the Wii as viable as the other consoles. Why because it doesn't even come close to the same horsepower as the other consoles and it has those "screwy contollers". So I believe most game devs will take the 50% from the 360 and the PS3 since they can easily be ported to one and other over making a "downgraded" version and trying to port it up. The game devs can then release the game to the PC market from the 360 and the PS3 (which is really sad in my IMHO...I can remember when the PC got all the great games first!!!) Sure there will be some game devs who'll make Wii games...it just isn't going to be a majority. Besides has any game dev even utilized the controls the way Nintendo has? I don't think so. So you see...why would a game dev put a ton of effort in the Wii and have their title only play there when the can put it out on 3 different platforms! The Wii is on the outside looking in when coming from the 3rd party devs viewpoint.

[MegaraptorRed]

I work in a retail store that sells consoles and games and I have to say, talking with the reps from all three, plus my own gaming experience, the Wii IS considered a competitor. Just not publicly, apparently.

As stated, it is a family friendly gaming system. Nintendo has always held this "niche" and has run like heck with it since the beginning. However, just because a console is "family friendly" doesn't mean it isn't a competitor. Sony has tried to reach out to the younger gamers with titles such as Diego and Dora, Wall-E and Neopets. And, of course, Microsoft doesn't even try. Why? Because it is figured that there isn't any money in the younger than 13 years category. However, I have seen more parents and families coming in to buy Wii consoles and games than the 360 or PS3. Even with the drop in price for the Arcade system, people would still rather buy the Wii. Personally, I'd rather get the Wii than the PS3. Sure there are games that are cool that are only out on the PS3, but I like the look, feel, and playing style of the Wii better.

The biggest thing here to think on and consider is not so much is the Wii a competitor to the MS or Sony systems. The thing to consider is Nintendo starts out and reaches to the youngest players, building a foundation for their gaming system from the parents, to the children, and even grandchildren and grandparents. Sony and MS only go for a small target range of players to start with, most 18-25(ish). That's fine, great, good and all, but what happens when those 'kids' start their own families? Many of them won't want their kids playing the games mommy or daddy did. So they go to the the family friendly Nintendo system and everyone gets hooked. Friends of mine who happen to have all three systems still prefer their Wii over the 360 and PS3. Let's face it - It's just more fun to be able to have actual lightsaber duels than just sitting on the couch and looking at the pretty pixels.

Bit of trivia... The Wii is being used in many schools and senior centers because of the level of activity involved. Name one other gaming system that has EVER been accepted into a school, much less actually used in conjunction with physical education. Closest you might get is DDR. Just because a system doesn't have pretty pictures doesn't mean it isn't competition. It's just a different level of competition. Now... If Sony could make their system with the same pretty graphics they have now, interactivity level as the Wii, AND can keep it within a decent buying range, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Until then... Wii still is a better system in many ways.

[12358]

I own a Wii and it is a great family entertainment system. I'm 50 years old, and my wife, who could care less about video games, enjoys the Wii also, BUT I would never buy a Wii version (if they even existed) of any of the shoot em up, auto race, graphic intensive games that the Xbox or PS3 supports. If I wanted to play those type of games, I would buy an Xbox/PS3. They are two very different types of game consoles and actually compliment each other. Of course Sony and Microsoft are losing out on a big share of the market and have been out innovated by Nintendo and the Wii certainly has taken some share of sales away by people who only want to spend money on one system, but they are still two very different types of machines and really not a direct competitor any more than a Harley is to a Vespa.

[Angry_Ginger]

I agree with Microsoft and Sony the Wii is not a DIRECT competitor. They have been after different markets, the Wii is after people who play games, the PS3 and 360 have been after 'Gamers', the more hardcore players who spend more time gaming rather than just occasionally. Are there gamers that have a Wii, of course but you will undoubtedly find a PS3, 360, or high-end gaming PC in their house. tsi26 is absolutly correct that Nintendo has a limited amount of 3rd party games that are on the other platforms, and when they have the Wii has been the weaker port with few exceptions.

[gordonthefreeman]

Its pretty obvious why Sony and Microsoft don't consider the Wii as a DIRECT competitor. For one, what Angry_Ginger said, and for another, the Wii provides a social gaming experience that is often more fun to play with company. The XBox and PS3 and powerful gaming machines that bring the latest graphics and a truly immersive gaming experience to people who are serious about gaming. For example, i would use the Wii to entertain at a party at home, but i would use a PS3 to play a game like Resistance 2(a game that a Wii could never do just to) for eight hours straight, an experience that only PS3 or Xbox can deliver

[Swampalicious]

I'm a lifelong Nintendo fanboy who mocked my friend when he bought a 360 last year. "The Wii is the future," I said. "The Xbox is just more of the same," I said.

A year later, he's the one who's laughing. I bought a 360 this summer, after it became apparent that Nintendo doesn't need to publish games anymore, at least so long as the Wii still comes with Wii Sports packed in. Mario Kart Wii's rubber band AI showed me that, to Nintendo, "difficulty" still means the same thing it did in 1985: "Let's make this s#&$ so hard that you'll only clear it one out of every twenty times you play, and even then only because you got lucky." Smash showed me that they're perfectly happy to dress up a classic game, tack on lame waggle controls, and charge $50 to new Wii owners. Why not? It's not like any of them bought these games when they were out on the 'Cube, so only dorks like me know any better, and we're clearly not a concern of Nintendo right now.

And hey, that's fine. It's capitalism at work. Just like it was when my jilted a#& bailed for the comforting arms of Microsoft, and discovered that, HEY! Third parties suddenly know how to make good video games! GTA IV really IS fantastic! Online functionality isn't supposed to be painful!

Anyway, I'll go ahead and bring this back to the original discussion. Is the Wii a competitor of Sony and Microsoft? No. I never thought I'd say it, but no. The fact of the matter is that the Wii flat out doesn't offer the traditional gaming experience, and it doesn't look like it ever will. Most people buying the Wii right now wouldn't buy the other consoles because they still see them as button-heavy, impenetrable, and esoteric. The Wii represents some hybrid of "the latest gadget" and an actual gaming system, but there's just not enough of the latter for me to consider it a real console. Third parties agree with me. Just look at the dumbed-down, goofy-a#& versions of EA Sports titles for the Wii. I didn't like the new tweaks they added, but Madden '09 was beautiful on the 360. The Wii version? Not so much. Oh well, it had waggle. It's just too bad that I've been waggling so infrequently of late, I actually had to remove dust from my Wiimote when my in-laws visited a few weeks ago.

[cpopken]

I don't think MS copied the avatar idea from Nintendo. They have been around the internet for years.

I don't really see the Wii as a direct competitor to the 360 or PS3 either. My PS3 can play movies,(DVD's or Blu-ray's), music, photos, browse the internet (the browser isn't the greatest, but it works), I can stream video from my computer and it looks great on my 55 inch widescreen, mine has memory card slots to view photos from a digital camera, play games, can download add-ons and full length movies. Can the Wii do any of that? I can't even watch a DVD on it, can I? The PS3 is so much more that a gaming device, that is why the Wii is not a competitor. I don't really know about the 360 because I don't own one, but I know it has a lot of the same features as the PS3. Just like someone said before, it is like comparing a smart phone to a cheap flip phone, sure they both can call, but one does so much more that the other, that they are really in a different league.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Same reason that BMW could care less Toyota sells more Carollas.

[Robot-Killer-Bee]

I think the root of the issue is what defines "gaming"? What is a "hardcore gamer"? The Wii provides different types of games and all are relevant, if different from the Xbox/PS3. Are you more "hardcore" because you spend an hour a day playing a First Person Shooter, or are you more "hardcore" playing WiiFit an hour a day? Or Rockband an hour a day?

The fact is that if you define gaming in a broad sense, Nintendo is definitely a competitor because gaming in the broad sense, is interactive entertainment, which Nintendo is doing amazingly well in by tapping demographics that haven't been associated with video games and creating innovative games and new gaming experiences to draw them in.

If you define gaming in the sense of cutting edge graphics and restricting the spectrum to genres associated traditionally to stereotypical video gamers (i.e., RPG, FPS, Adventure, RTS, etc), then Nintendo clearly isn't competing, because the Wii wasn't created to exploit this niche exclusively.

Regardless if Nintendo is competing or not, depending on how you see it, you can't ignore the fact that the Wii's impact has pushed the PS3 and Xbox to explore other areas of gameplay and interactivity that wouldn't have occured if the Wii hadn't existed.

[dtpape]

Wow, this is so off the mark. The wii and xbox/playstation are not direct competitors in any form. They may have the same developers crafting titles for both systems but the games are completely different. Any serious "gamer" would never consider buying the wii in exclusion of a playstation or xbox. The wii is picking up sales from a lot of people who would normally never even consider a gaming system, ala my friend's parents who have probably never played a game in their life, but bought a wii because of things like wii fit and some of the other campier titles. The lack of understanding of gaming culture in the media is hilarious.

[Gibby29]

Nintendo is like a side dish that comes with your gaming meal. Everyone I know that has one has a PS3 or Xbox in addition to it. Realistic game play is not possible on a Wi but if you like playing cartoons its a ball. Come on folks its a novelty no competion for real consoles.

[pedro009]

Have you ever played any video games aside from wii tennis?

[aztec92154]

Wii BOWLING! :) It comes free with the Wii system. :)

[AdventSign]

@aztec92154....LOL nice. Aren't those part of Wii Sports though?

[mikefarren]

In fact, most of the games I really like on the Wii are third-party. Homestar Ruiner. Rayman Raving Rabbids. Others.

The Wii and the PS3/XBox are *different things*. They appeal to different styles of games. It's the height of arrogance to say something like "If it doesn't play Gears of War, it isn't a gamer's machine." I've been involved in video games since the early seventies, both as a player and as a part of the industry. I don't like *ANY* of the modern-day "must-have" games. That's okay, it's not my style, and more power to those whose style it is. The Wii is a throwback, perhaps, or more precisely, an evolution of a considerably older style of games, where hot graphics and an abundance of options and split-second reflexes don't really play a part. An older style which I, in fact, find much more appealing than newer, fancier games. So what? That's why I got a Wii, and will never own an XBox or a PS3 (except for Blu-Ray playing, anyhow). I'm not cutting-edge, but I am pretty hard-core, and the Wii is appealing to people like me and below. Why do you have a problem with that?

[pedro009]

mike, you just proved my point.. they are not competitors.. they dont play the same types of games and thus do not compete for the same audience... argument closed.

[etshea]

I would venture to say that Xbox 360 and Playstations are the niche gaming devices. The Wii has a bigger audience. As many have pointed out, Xbox 360 and Playstations are for hardcore gamers. In my opinion is a niche market.