Is it possible for Nintendo to lose?

Nintendo are wise. On our forums, a while back there was a topic, "Games Companies as People." You'd describe a game company as you would a friend. For example, one person described Sega as "that kid who was really smart in elementary school. Then he just gets into some bad shit and completely fucks up his life. He's still cool, but he's thrown himself completely out of the loop."

How does this relate to Nintendo? One user said something which seems more true today than ever: "Nintendo is that really crafty, clever kid. You never know what they're thinking, but whenever they reveal what they're thinking, it's always awesome. If somebody crosses the line and steps into their place they just show them who's the boss."

I think this very much describes the Wii. Nobody knew what Nintendo's thinking or strategy was, but now that it is clear, we can see that it's awesome, and it's set to show everybody else just who the boss is. Looking at their strategy in detail, I think only one thing: To be blunt, it'd be damn hard to screw this up. And here, I'm going to explain why.

Price Advantage
Kids everywhere may well ask for a PS3 this Christmas, but thanks to the $599 price tag, they won't all get one. Nintendo have sacrificed some extra graphical power in order to make a cheaper, more affordable console that parents won't feel violated by when picking one up for their kids. This extends far beyond parents on a budget, too -- students and young adults who want to game on a budget will be better placed to purchase the cheaper Wii that also has cheaper software than it's rivals, and gamers who buy more than one console are unlikely to buy both of the more expensive options. The price advantage simply makes the Wii an easier sell, making their chances of success this generation significantly increased.

Stylish Design
Looking at Nintendo's console history, design has never been their strong point. The NES was a box, the SNES didn't look as slick as the Mega Drive/Genesis, the N64 was a strange shape that I found struggled to fit into any entertainment setup, and the Gamecube was, while small, an unappealing shape with an even more unappealing default colour. Gone is the purple; gone is the cube, traded in for a stylish design that is reminiscent of Apple products. Part of the problem with the Gamecube was its "kiddy" image, and the actual design of the dinky purple box didn't help the situation. With the Wii, this should help to abolish that image.

That DS Thing
Without a doubt the Nintendo DS is Nintendo's ticket to Wii success. It's already been established that the success of the DS has been the driving force behind the Wii and its change of direction compared to the other consoles on the market. With Nintendogs, Brain Training and other similar games, the DS has become a staple of the lives of people who never would've considered themselves gamers. How does this benefit the Wii? Two ways.

The first way, the DS/Wii connection. The GBA/Gamecube connection was toted as a big thing, but like many aspects of the Gamecube (such as the SD Card reader), it vanished into obscurity fairly early on. The launch of the DS, which ended up replacing the GBA despite being a "third pillar" didn't help this. Nintendo have promised the DS/Wii connection will be put to better use, and with the absolutely unquestioned DS Supremacy, we can probably afford to trust them this time. If the connection is put to proper use, it should see the new DS users flocking to the Wii to use the connectivity features.

Linking straight in with this, the second point is simple -- the new gamers that have made the DS sell like hot cakes -- the parents and women who have been introduced to the world of gaming with the DS -- will find themselves buying a Wii because it offers a similar gameplay style and model to the DS. People are beginning to downplay the motion sensing remote, saying the PS3 can do similar, but they forget one thing - the Wii remote is simple, and will appeal to non-gamers just as the DS' touch screen did. Big Brain Academy and Trauma Center have already migrated from the DS to the Wii -- what next?

The Brand Name
Sony have boasted that many people would buy the PS3 at launch even without any games at launch "based on the brand name alone." If this is true for the PS3, it's certainly true for the Wii. While the Nintendo name still holds the kiddy image with casual players of the PS2 and Xbox, it carries a lot of weight with the all important market of parents and kids. Us gamers tend to underestimate that market -- but to parents Nintendo means good, wholesome games for kids (as opposed to Grand Theft Auto) and that'll help sell the Wii. Of course, the brand name also powers not the most powerful, but perhaps the most fearsome of the reasons the Wii will sell...

Nintendo Fans
Brand loyalty to Nintendo is the closest thing I have seen to an all new mass religion being formed. Nintendo fans are the most loyal and voracious group of videogame fans I have ever met. While Sony fans are prone to insult and critisize their lords and masters and Microsoft fans are more easily swayed to other consoles, Nintendo fans simply never give up the good fight for Power, Glory and Miyamoto. Nintendo fan that I am, I am always amazed at the speed and velocity that a Nintendo fan can tell a fan of another console to 'suck a dick.' At least if everything else about the Wii fails, we can at least count on them to bail Nintendo out... not that they'd need it, with their phenomenal DS sales.

The above is a mish-mash of extremely useful things Nintendo has going for them with the Wii. As I said before, with this much going for them, you'd think it would be difficult for the Wii to not trounce its competitors completely. But perhaps there I'm underestimating the loyal market of casual Playstation gamers...

Regardless, the Wii is set to take the gaming world by storm and introduce even more non-gamers to our world this November. While it may not be the most technically advanced, and it may not have the best graphics, it's an incredible machine nonetheless.

Will it win the console war? Only time will tell.