When we reported on how the video game industry outpaced both movies and music in 2007, one reader had a very informed, very spot on observation to make.
Jeff, take it away with the Infendo Comment of the Week:
I certainly hope they credit Wii and DS alone for this growth.
The growth rates of both the 360 hardware and the PS3 combined don’t even match the PS2’s, while the Wii is beating the PS2 single-handedly.
It is the utmost cynicism to pretend that the Wii and DS serves “another market” and then to suddenly count them amongst your rank and file when it’s convenient to boast about how big the games industry is.
Make up your mind, industry and third parties. Either the DS and Wii owners are gamers or not. They can’t be both at the same time.
In defense of publishers and the industry as a whole right now, let me say this: they’re confused and many of them were caught with their pants down. Hence, the lashing out at Nintendo and the criticism even in the face of now overwhelming evidence that they’re the ones in the wrong, and not Nintendo.
Another cynical observation: How is it that Nintendo can be stifling development on the Wii by holding back “secret info” because they’re the creators of the system? I find it ironic that those who use this argument were often the first to label the system “Gamecube 1.5.” If that were truly the case, developing games for the system would be easy, given the technology is so “dated.” And yet, people persist in saying the console is difficult to develop for because Nintendo holds the keys to the castle. Again, quoting Jeff, they can’t be doing both at the same time.