What the Wii Has to Do to Win, Part 2
Continued from What the Wii Has to Do to Win, Part 1
Keep Pushing Innovation:
Controllers, sound, design, genre… everything. Innovation is key. At the moment, if given a choice between a free Wii and a free PS3, most people would choose the PS3 because they feel it is more valuable. Nintendo needs to put the focus back on the quality of the games. Nintendo is honestly the god of games, and if anyone can do it, Nintendo can. There is already great movement in this direction with Super Smash Bros. 
Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy. Now if only the third party developers can get their act together and make some good games.
When the PS3 and Xbox 360 prices start to drop, people will have to actually prefer the Wii. I think this is possible. I think it is starting. But they have to make a strong case to keep people away from that technology loaded PS3. One thing that might ruin everything is if PS3 developers catch on and start releasing titles with more motion sensitivity. One huge PS3 blockbuster in this area could put the nail in the Wii coffin.
Keep the Controllers Coming:
The Wii seems more like an entire game box instead of just one console. Nintendo needs to take advantage of that by keeping the new controllers coming. Also, they should stay away from giving people the impression that they are doing it to make people buy more attachments. They are making good strides with the Wii Wheel and how they are including one with the game. Keep including these attachments, it is important that people don’t feel like they are being forced to buy them. The wide array of controllers is already making the PS3 and Xbox 360 look kinda boring. Lets emphasize that even more. The Wii needs to be seen as an arcade emulator, not just a console.
More Genres:
The Wii is a little top heavy in the genre department. Too much casual and light children’s games. We need to make the case the the Wii is all you need, and in order to do that we need a broader range of genres. RPGs, first person shooters, real time strategies, 4X, simulation, massively multiplayer online. All of these genres are almost completely missing and the Wii. If Nintendo is going to win the console wars this generation, they need to broaden their horizons.
On the whole, I think Nintendo is doing a very good job. But only the battle is won, not the war. We still have a long way to go. Nintendo’s lost cost system was a good way to sprint in front at the beginning of the race, but it is possible that Sony’s Playstation 3 — with almost 25 times more processing power — has the endurance for the long haul. Remember, there are 120 million people out there with a PS2, and they’ll want a console that can play the games they already have. Nintendo is doing everything right, but they might have a run for their money is Sony does the same.
