If the news about sales numbers seem to be getting a little stale, then so too are the stream of executives and analysts who continue to hark on the Wii for having inferior graphics and hardware.
Sega’s Scott Steinberg, vice president of marketing for SEGA US, is the latest guy to “just not get it”:
Steinberg, vice president of marketing for SEGA US, has said he is “concerned” about the future of the Wii – suggesting that PS3 is more likely to be the market leader in this console cycle. “I am a little concerned about the creative depth of the Wii pool,” he told Reuters. “I’m not sure if they will top out in 2008 or 2007.”
For now, we’ll conveniently forget that some of Sega’s own IP has already topped out (ahem *Sonic* cough cough). Instead, I once again have to reiterate the most obvious point about the Wii: it’s not a hardware powerhouse; it was never marketed as such; and to say silly little things like this is both indicative of an industry that has still not come to grips with the disruptive strategy behind the Wii and another exec who has been so confused by the Wii’s current success that he has digressed into making a apples to oranges comparisons. And since when is “creative depth” tied to graphics and horsepower?! WTF?!
Newsflash: The Wii already looks dated! This would certainly be an issue if Iwata got up on that stage two years ago and said “Nintendo is entering the next generation full steam ahead. We will deliver a superior graphics chipset and a true HD gaming experience.” But…. he didn’. Not even close.
The Wii’s success or failure will be based on the merits of its software; on game play and fresh ideas. Attempting to group it in with these hardware behemoths like the PS3 and Xbox is like comparing an airplane to a blender. Sega, apparently, is still trying to figure that out.