Back in November, I kinda predicted that Nintendo's Wii would take the world by storm.
While this is far from a Nostradamus-like feat of prognostication (truly obvious to anyone who ever picked up the gyro-controller), it is heart-warming and gratifying to see that a seemingly down-and-out, also-ran can stick to its guns of Surprise and Pow! an entire industry.
The accolades have been fast and furious, and the most recent ish of Fortune Magazine gushes over Nintendo's success. Within the piece, written by Jeffrey M. O'Brien, are several Surprise quotes that vindicate the type of strategies spewed within this blog for months.
Quoth O'Brien:
"More difficult to comprehend is how a company founded 118 years ago as a maker of playing cards came to be pummeling Microsoft and Sony. The answer has something to do with reinvention.
Nintendo has shown a knack for leapfrogging its industry. Sure, some initiatives failed but the company rarely fails to surprise.
This time, in changing perceptions of gaming, Nintendo has surprised even itself."
This from president and CEO Satoru Iwata:
"We are not competing against Sony or Microsoft.
We are battling the indifference of people who have no interest in videogames."
And the final word goes to Nintendo's legendary videogame designer Shigeru Miyamoto, the soul of the company for decades:
"What I want to do, is to make it
so people can actually feel
something unprecedented."
Mission accomplished.
Until the next time...