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Nintendo is Bringing Hardcore Gaming to its Knees

Wii Sports. Wii Fit. Dr. Kawashiwa’s Brain Training. Ubisoft’s Imagine series. Each title summons a bevy of emotions from those who’ve donned a controller since their infancy. Some claim that Nintendo’s foray into the world of casual games is merely a trend; a blip on the hardcore gamer’s radar that will be squashed once Sony’s Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gain steam. Others believe that the widespread popularization of video games can only be good for the industry and increase the potential for marquee hits. The truth is, when titles such as Carnival Games and MySims (EA’s bastardized iteration of the popular PC series) can outsell big-budget releases including Devil May Cry 4 and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, the potential for developers to continue releasing big-budget titles catering to the hardcore decreases dramatically.

The unbridled success of the Nintendo Wii in America and Japan no doubt took gamers by surprise. A number of reasons accounted for its positive entrance into the market. At its launch, hardcore gamers got their fix from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (which has sold six million units to date) and with a realistic price point of two hundred fifty dollars, didn’t burn a hole in many middle-class gamers’ wallets. Secondly, the Wii’s favorable media coverage during the 2006 holiday season made Nintendo’s fledgling console the hot item, and it hasn’t looked back since. With popular TV personalities like Al Roker and Conan O’Brien giddily playing Wii Tennis on their respective programs, parents saw something they had never seen before: people their age actually playing, and enjoying, video games. As I watched Venus Williams and O’Brien return volleys on the Late Show, an uneasy feeling suddenly came over me.

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