Thats why they have one of the highest Profit per Employee ratio of any company.

haha!

I can see it happening. And I think he'd have a right to do so. Sony has had to eat a big helpin' of humble pie (witness E3 this year vs. last in tone). But I think the greatest indicator of success is Microsoft's tone.

Microsoft tried to use the Wii to gang up on Sony, but they've shifted over time. First they were dismissive, then they were "buy both", then they shifted to "different market", and finally they are eyeballing the white box with fear.

Of course Sony said the same thing, but I think Microsoft actually believed it for awhile. Personally, I'm appreciating my own karma for wondering why anyone would want a Xbox or a Gamecube last generation.

@FenixKnight

If you do pick one up, you owe it to yourself to grab Metroid Prime 3. It really is great, even if you're skeptical of the Wii you'll love it.

God damned comment system!

@ Jerkface

Yeah I thought about that one too. I wouldnt buy a console for just one game. Im lookin at these so far

MarioGalaxy
MarioKart
Metroid Prime
Smash Bros looks like itll be a
decent rent =) and of course,

Im all about that damn Virtual console (why must we want to re-live our freakin past? lol)

I guess it's fair to call it a success, but when you're best selling game to date is the one that comes with the console (and the best game for the sytsem period), it has to be a worried success at best. They have one other title that's broke 1mil sold. That's not good for a console with so many units in homes.

I still have my doubts for the long term viability of the console. Nintendo can only carry it so far with 1st party rehash of its classic characters and with reports of hesitant devs and so many games bypassing the controllers that were supposed to be what made the console unique, it doesn't bode well IMO.

I think this insane success is due to the "wow"-factor. PS3/Xbox360 has the wow-graphics. Wii has the wow-fun. I've always had fun playing Wii games with people. And always after playing, someone who tried it for the first time talks about it later with someone else. This talk is why people are buying the console. Word of mouth is the best advertising, better than TV/Radio/etc can ever do.

Think about when visiting some place you don't know well. If a friend suggests to go eat at restaurant A, wouldn't you go there above some restaurant B you never tried but only heard of from TV?

PS. while on food, the dominoes Oreo pizza sucks, words from my mouth that tasted that crap.

"They have one other title that's broke 1mil sold. That's not good for a console with so many units in homes. "

If you're going to bash the Wii, at least get your facts straight.
Wii Play, Zelda, Mario Party, Wario Ware, Rayman and Red Steel have all broken the 1 million mark.
And Strikers, Big Brain Academy and RE4 are all closing in on 1 million.
Hell, even SONIC has sold a respectable number of copies.

"I guess it's fair to call it a success, but when you're best selling game to date is the one that comes with the console "

How could any game outsell a game that comes with the system? If 6 million Wiis are sold, 6 million copies of Wii Sports are sold. Unless there is some other game that is so good people buy 2 copies per console they own, nothing can top that. Why do you think Super Mario Bros. and Sonic 2 sold so well? They were also pack-in games.

@ Skeffington

I too am surprised about the Wii's success. Ive played it and Ive never been like wow I wanna buy one. My kids on the other hand are obsessed with it. As well as my nieces and nephews. Anyway I think Ima have to buy a damn Wii because Mario Galaxy reminds me so much of Mario 64 which was one of my all time favs EVER =) They need to pack in Mario lol then Ill be set, Wii sports got old already.

And not only are there several million-sellers, a few of those are multi-million sellers:

Wii Play (4.49 million)
Zelda: Twilight Princess (3.61 million)
Mario Party 8 (2.89 million)
Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (1.82 million)
Super Paper Mario (1.25 million)
Rayman Raving Rabbids (1 million)
Red Steel (1 million)

Which is why they raised their profits.

If Wii Sports alone can sell so many consoles, just think how many consoles would be sold by their heavy hitters when they come out. (aka SMG, SSBB)

The last figures I have for the Wii put it at 13 million units sold in the space of almost a year. The GameCube sold around 21 million over the course of six years. The unit's sales are not going to dwindle significantly enough that it won't surpass the GameCube's total.

Whether folks like Iwata and Fils-Aime expected it or not, it's caught a lot of people on the hop outside of Nintendo. I think that's why there's such a dearth of great titles out right now - other than maybe UbiSoft and EA, even the most enthusiastic supporters didn't want to blow their wad on developing games. I really do feel they're going to turn it around in the second year of the system's life cycle.

This is a great contrast to the Sony story.

Cellien --- I second that.
If it wasn't for 'BRAWL, I don't think there'd be anything on the console I truly could sit down and play for hours on end compared to most the titles for PS3/X360.

As for MONSTER HUNTER, that really only applies to excite Japan, right? I mean, sales of that series there compared to the rest of the world were totally different. I was bored as all hell with the earlier versions, I can't imagine(even with "Wii Waggle")that it would prove much different.

Zack & Wiki and Mario Galaxy say hi.

-waves- I'll see you in the bargin bin, Zack. As for Mario... well, I stopped playing those with 'Sunshine.

Z&W is ALREADY 20 bones cheaper than "next-gen" titles, so y'know, you COULD actually support quality third-party games on the Wii by picking it up now. I'm sure you'll get more enjoyment out of bitching about the lack of such games later, though.

I haven't played a Mario game since Sunshine, either. Maybe it's because there haven't been any (RPG's and sports games don't count).

You know, the "alienated hardcore gamers" Fanspeak is getting as annoying as the "RROD machine", way to get in a stab while sounding like you really care about nintendo. I can do it too: "I loved the PS2, but with the media center features and Blu-ray, sony just totally alienated me as a gamer"

See how retarded you sound?

I dont see how the hardcore have been sacrificed. What exactly has changed between Gamecube and Wii, with respect to hardcore games?

whoa, whoa, whoa... Don't pass off the comment as sounding like a stab at Nintendo. I *like* the console, the inexpensive cost, and their marketing strategy(albeit a bit humorous in the initial one... the Wii guys handing the farmer a controller, the farmer giving the Wii guys a coc--er, rooster).

Zack & Wiki(from viewing articles, gameplay, etc.)doesn't appeal to me at all, and as I said, I personally doubt the experience in Mario Galaxy would differ *that* greatly from Sunshine. The same could be said about MGS, HALO, Final Fantasy, Zelda, et al... if a person's not a fan of the series/genre, they're just not a fan and that's it. No harsh feelings for those titles(Zack/Mario), they've all got something great to offer... just nothing to me personally.

And yes, I *do* feel somewhat alienated by Nintendo's focal point with the Wii(and pretty much any piece of hardware they've released after SNES)as being a much more light-hearted approach. For me, that's good to show off to the non-gaming parentals, relatives, or would-be drunk friends coming over to party that aren't playing FPS(Yay TF2 ;D). But if it's down to the nitty-gritty serious game playing ... well, even YOU have to admit, that kind of experience is in the majority on X360 and PS3.

I don't understand anyone who isn't even remotely interested in Zack & Wiki. The art direction is slightly off-putting, but point and click-style games > all.

Dale --- It's quaint and obviously 'different', no doubts there. But there's a slew of other games this holiday season I'm after... and yes, at least 3-4 of those games on the Wii alone(I'm hoping like hell GHOST SQUAD makes it this holiday season... the arcade game was surprisingly better than expected). Z&W just doesn't fall on the '07 holiday priority purchase list for me in comparison to Wii games like RESIDENT EVIL(I'm still on the fence about this one), SOULCALIBUR LEGENDS, NiGHTS, and NITROBIKE(not sure if this got delayed). If Blockbuster surprisingly gets Z&W, I'll give it a rental at the very least.

@ FOXHOUND:

Meh, you sound like just another "better graphics + M-rating = HARDCORE" elitist. As for "nitty-gritty serious gameplay," if Nintendo consoles didn't offer that, I wouldn't buy them.

Fox, if you liked mario 64, chances are great you'll love Mario Galaxy.

I still don't understand the Sunshine hate. It was different, but still a stellar platformer. And I don't care what anybody says, the ability to place the camera EXACTLY where you needed it was a big plus.

Wii60 owner who really does not care for the Wii...but DAMN, they know what they are doing over there

Just goes to show that Wii owners are the kind of people that buy games because the cover looks nice.

@ slaziman,
Sure they do, in the same way that PS3 and xbox360 owners buy games based on if the rating on the cover looks like an "M" and says something about "strong language", or "partial nudity", or "violence". Like that, right?

Based on the above, I guess I'm in that rare faction that bought all three consoles. ¬_¬

I give it a [+]. I lol'd a li'l bit.

GENIOUS!!

LOL I thought it was good :)

Nice, except "online is gay just try Wii Play", that one really didn't make sense.

"P-p-playstation lurks behind you!
Haters claiming "Just two Gamecubes!"
Wiped your tears with money at

Nintendo! Woo-OO-oo"

Thats the funniest thing I've read since... well, a long long time.

You won an internets and an honorary NDF membership.

FUCK. That was supposed to be a reply.