Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Update: The embeddable player gave us some difficulty, so we cut it from the post. Hit up the "read" link below to check out the video.

What better for a Monday than a cartoon talking about the console wars, wouldn't you say? Wait, do you smell that? It's fanboy debate, simmering at a nice temperature and waiting to be turned into a full-on boil. We know you're ready to break the doors of our post down and leave your two cents. So, have at it!

Oh, and watch if only for the PS3's role as an ottoman for the Wii. It's pretty funny.

It looks like the analysts are coming down on our side at last. IDC, a research firm based out of Massachusetts, has come out in favor of a Wii lead over the next two years.

This talk of Sony and Microsoft fighting it out over the core market while Nintendo works (successfully) to expand that market sounds like a lot of those reports we heard last year -- the reports that were predicting another third place finish from Nintendo. The wild card? No one knew exactly how successful the Wii would be at breaking into new markets, and when it comes to the analysts, it looks like that success is turning the tide back in favor of Nintendo.

Ever had the fleeting thought that maybe those video game analysts just don't quite know what they're about? Don't worry, it's not just you -- even they admit that the ever-changing market can be a challenge to ride.

Next-Gen's Krist Graft sat down with Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities to discuss the challenges of predicting the business of video games. How does he do it? The same as any 'armchair' analyst, Pachter keeps up with the news. Some firms (like WMS) change their predictions as often as there are new developments, and this tumultuous week has brought about some major updates. What else? Analysts look for comparisons in gauging what's hot in the console war. He pointed to the success of the DS, particularly games that employ the stylus, as evidence that Nintendo is on the cutting edge of the interactivity that consumers want. Trend-spotting like that forms the basis of so much analysis in video games.

What's the final verdict for us? "The Wii's going to crush," Pachter says. Well, we don't understand all this fancy-schmancy business jargon he's using there, but we have to agree.

Oh, look. Another independent analyst stepped up to predict the outcome of the console war. This time it's Boston-based Yankee Group, and they're in with a win for Sony. According to their report, Sony will outsell the competition with 44% of the market share, and Nintendo will suffer a devastating loss in the "war" with 16% market share. They have Microsoft closing in on Sony with 40%.

The biggest (it was a tough call) problem with this report, from our fan-centric perspective, is not the numbers or the predictions or anything else. It is the fact that Wii is being compared to the GameCube. Sure, there are similarities in hardware. But for the purpose of comparing market share? That's not the same ballpark. It may not even be the same game. If a comparison must be drawn, look instead to the Nintendo DS. Nintendo has opened a new world of potential by looking beyond just the gaming community. The proof is in the DS -- and unless there's some outrageous mistake on an epic scale in Nintendo's future, it's probably a safe bet that Wii will be nothing like the GameCube. Whether or not it'll fare better in the console wars is still somewhat up in the air (though it has price on its side), but comparing the two from a marketing perspective is something of a stretch. And predicting that the Wii will sell fewer units than the GameCube's 21 million? That's laughable.

As for all these predictions ... in 2011, if anyone was right, will we even care?

[Update 1: 12 is totally not 21.]

As fall approaches, bringing with it the imminent lauch of the Nintendo Wii, some of the press seem to be going a little doomsday on us. Over at The Age, Jason Hill has decided that if Wii succeed (that pun just really never gets old), it will kill the entire gaming industry and probably beat up your mom afterwards.

We here at the Wii Fanboy offices think that may be totally insano overstating things just a tad.

Here's the deal: some people are crying because they didn't catch Nintendo's third party development train quickly enough. Now that Nintendo is looking to make a very good showing this year, they're scrambling to catch up. Jason Hill seems to think it will be too little, too late, particularly considering Nintendo's less-than-stellar track record with third party developers. Okay, sure. Perhaps a few companies will take a slight monetary hit by not developing for Wii if Nintendo decimates the competition this Christmas. But that's hardly the sound of a death knell for such franchises as "Grand Theft Auto, Pro Evolution Soccer, Prince of Persia, Final Fantasy, Need for Speed, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Burnout, Guitar Hero, Elder Scrolls, V8 Supercars, [and] Splinter Cell." After all, some of those games are already slated for Wii release! And the support of such industry heavy-hitters as Ubisoft and EA apparently isn't enough to convince Jason Hill that Nintendo really isn't out to cap Solid Snake from beneath the cover of a cardboard box.

Hill says, "A successful Nintendo is great for gamers and the entire interactive entertainment industry, but a dominant Nintendo is not." I guess he forgot about all those years when Nintendo was the gaming industry.

[Via Go Nintendo]

The console wars are everywhere these days -- even in Businessweek magazine, and the Wii and PS3 aren't even out yet!

Nintendo's high numbers in the market haven't been missed by stockwatchers; the Businessweek article points to the incredible success of the DS when projecting how the Wii will fare. But the article ventures behind the numbers and into surprisingly apt analysis, considering the type of publication. But perhaps that just goes to prove the widening of the gaming market, and its emergence as a true force in the global economy.

While the piece kicks off as a look at projecting the business side of the console wars, it quickly becomes a Nintendo love-in. We understand that mentality around here and can't help but fawn over the Wii ourselves. However, there are some interesting tidbits therein.

Why Wii will succeed (according to Businessweek):

• Unique and innovative system offers developers more latitude
• Price point -- no one can argue that Wii're cheaper!
• Wider market -- count on the business-minded to pick up on Nintendo marketing to everyone, not just gamers

The glowing praise drops off near the end with the article's projected sales numbers for the PS3 and Wii. Despite the PS3's exorbitant pricetag, Businessweek expects the console to outsell Wii. Wii may just have to prove them wrong on that one.