Is the Wii bubble beginning to go flat?

Mike Bantick
Monday, 19 February 2007 08:34

Opinion and Analysis

So for Wii owners – who haven’t already tasted the joys of Wii60 ownership, were are we left? Hoping for more Virtual Console releases from Nintendo – currently pumping out new releases at a great rate.  And hoping for more unique Channel releases – the Everybody Votes Channel is cute, but at this point in time, a hollow and short experience.

Of course these hopes are for Wii owners actually connected to the internet, if you were hoping for more offline content to hit the store shelves, then you are hoping for more third party developers to pump out content.

And why wouldn’t they?  Last week sales of Nintendo products in Japan still topped the chart – DS lite up 37.2% to 201K and Wii up 19.5% to 78.5K.  The PSP and PS3 a distant 3rd and 4th at 32K and 23K respectively.

Whilst these figures do not match the post launch frenzy that gripped the nation – It must be heartening that even with the Wii in short supply, it still garners the interest of the general public.

But, Nintendo and their partners need to keep up the supply of interesting software to feed this consumer greed.  Nintendo have created this wider demographic monster, and now must keep it well fed, or a rampage will occur.  You never know, the Xbox 360 might actually gain some ground in Japan, as players look for a platform with content.
 
It is an understatement to say Nintendo has the power to surprise.  They seem to have boundless sleeves from which anything could be pulled.  The Nintendo DS went through a similar lull post launch.  So we wait and see what magic the big N can weave to keep the natives from growing restless.