3-D Games
Nintendo: Thriving with Diversity
In an industry where changing tastes and new technology regularly drive companies to bankruptcy, the enduring stamina of Nintendo video gaming and its place in popular culture is noteworthy. Some companies specialize in either consoles or software, but Nintendo has managed to thrive in the gaming marketplace by diversifying and delivering electronic entertainment in three major categories.
Consoles
New video game consoles are introduced every few years, with companies like Sega and SNK quitting the business while new challengers like Sony and Microsoft step into the fray. Nintendo has kept up through every round of the console wars, and their most recent console, the Nintendo Wii, has been a marked departure from industry standards in a number of ways. Its new and innovative motion capture technology, combined with its lower price and strong marketing efforts reached new and casual gamers who would not normally consider video gaming.
Handheld Systems
While no company has successfully claimed victory over the console market, Nintendo has been the dominant force in handheld gaming since its Game Boy system. There have been other offerings from companies like Atari and Hudson Soft — and Nintendo currently competes with Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) — but Nintendo's DS is distinguished by its dual screens and touchpad controls. Just like the Wii became a hit by offering something new to video gaming, the original Dual Screen caused a stir with its unique controls and innovative games like Nintendogs.
Video Games
Nintendo has been able to successfully design hit games in-house, and they have a knack for creating game characters with a lasting appeal to skillfully promote their systems with kid-friendly and easily recognizable personalities like Mario and Kirby. Nintendo also releases titles that appeal to a broad range of gamers, from action-intensive shooting games like Red Steel and the Metroid Series to less combative and more cooperative titles like Animal Crossing.
The video game industry is a competitive, brutal business that has driven a number of companies bankrupt over the years. Nintendo has responded to the challenges of its peers by innovating and diversifying, trying to head in new directions to earn profits in arenas with fewer companies to compete against. So far, it is a plan that has worked.
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