But as new gamers around the world embraced the Wii, what did the Mario and Zelda loving Nintendo loyalists think? Nintendo faced the ultimate challenge in rapid brand growth: how to appeal to a new audience without upsetting its core.įour years later and the signs of this inner brand turmoil are starting to show. Taking a page out of Apple's marketing playbook, Nintendo positioned the Wii as fresh, yet familiar and successfully capitalized on the mainstream potential of the technology. For newbies of all ages, the Wii was easy to pick-up-and-play and made people feel like they were part of the game. During this time, Nintendo attracted a new breed of gamers no longer alienated by complex controls or the antisocial stigma that pervaded the gaming business. In case you haven't been paying attention, these new peripherals essentially level the playing field when it comes to motion control gaming, a side of the business that Nintendo has dominated for several years thanks to the Wii. Most of you have probably heard about this holiday's must have gaming gifts: Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation Move. While it is true that 2010 was the year of Zynga, Angry Birds, and the emergence of Cloud Gaming (just to name a few trends), this post is all about the ongoing chess match and arms race between Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. As we approach the end of another fascinating year in the videogame biz, it seems appropriate to reflect on the current state of the console wars and look ahead to what's in store for 2011.

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