The Nintendo Wii, less than a month out from launch day, has been gaining a lot of press in recent weeks. The New York Times and ABC News have both run stories on the system, and now The Economist out of Great Britain. They are running a story titled “Playing a different game” talking about the Wii’s distinctions from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
The industry had been preparing for a showdown between Sony, the current champion, and Microsoft, its deep-pocketed challenger. Nintendo was expected to be an also-ran, peddling its familiar game brands, such as Mario and Zelda, to children and die-hard fans. But its unusual new strategy means that Nintendo is now the company to watch. As it sets out to broaden the gaming population, Nintendo is not fighting against Sony and Microsoft, says Mr Iwata. Its real enemy is the indifference that many people still feel towards gaming. Of course, says Mr Iwata, he would be happy if Nintendo became the leading console-maker again as a result of its new approach. But a victory over Sony and Microsoft in a shrinking market, he says, would not be a victory at all.
