Nintendo gambling on novelty? Well it wouldn't be the first time, but then again, why not? Sure, there have been some failures like the Virtual Boy and Power Glove, but the two screen Nintendo DS has taken off dramatically, and with the Wii coming out in November, with its innovative control system, perhaps it is time to hope that gamers want gameplay innovation rather than gorgeous graphics. So is Nintendo really gambling on novelty?

From the article:

Nintendo has developed the Wii not to please hardcore gamers with lifelike graphics but to entice game novices with innovative but easy-to-play games - the same concept that helped the DS far outsell Sony's PlayStation Portable.

But the novelty of Wii's one-hand controller may fade quickly if game makers are slow to come up with fresh titles, analysts say.

"Software makers and distributors are holding such high hopes for the Wii," Deutsche Securities analyst Takashi Oya said. "Their latest stance is like, 'Why don't we reallocate some of the resources from the PS3 to the Wii,'" he said, referring to Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 3.

Electronic Arts, the world's biggest video game publisher, is working on seven Wii titles this business year ending March 2007, up from its previous plan for five, in a bid to capitalise on the unexpected buzz around the console.

In the year to March, Nintendo aims for global sales of 20-million DS units. The DS lets users navigate games by touching the screen with a stylus instead of manipulating a keypad, and carries a price tag of $129,99 (about R1 000) in the United States.

Sony, in comparison, expects to ship 12-million units of the PSP, a basic model of which sells for $199, over the same period.

Read the full article over at ioltechnology.co.za