by Lucas Brooks

Created on: May 24, 2008

Yes, the Wii may still be selling like hotcakes. And yes, there may be no end in visible sight. But do not let that fool you: the Wii's success may be more superficial than you think. Once you look past those pretty console numbers and start looking at the future ahead, it is clearly plausible that the console is running down the same exact road that the Gamecube did. In lamen's terms, the console was made to be accessible to Nintendo and screw everyone else.

Still confused? Let me make things clear. What are some of the main games that people talk about when they think of the Wii? Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess all ring a bell. Guess what, though. Each and every one of them is made by Nintendo. That is right every amazingly great title is made by the big N. Now do me a favor and name me a few amazingly good third party games that would appeal to everyone. Point proven.

Sure, there are some solid third party games out right now. Trauma Center: Under the Knife and Resident Evil are solid entries indeed. The new Sonic game looms on the horizon. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer of them making debutes, and for good reason. With competitors such as the XBOX360 and the PS3 lowering prices, those two consoles are becoming more and more player friendly. With better graphics, more standard controls, and a rapidly evolving fanbase, why would a third party developer not want to develop a new game for either?

Now, does that mean that the Wii is done? Surely not. It just means that this rapid success that we are seeing is on a limited life-line, a line that will potentially be pulled if Nintendo does not take on the full load themselves and pump out new franchises and games on a more frequent basis. If they do that, then the surges of console sales they see every time they release one of their franchises will create an artificially high atmosphere and maintain the line, per se. If they do not, then we will potentially see what happened to the GC reinvent itself once again, which would be a true tragedy.

Nevertheless, it is the reality that Nintendo is currently faced with. The innovation surge they were banking on will eventually hit its roof, leaving only the games to pick up the slack. They know it is coming, mainly because any good analyst can tell you that the amount of innovation that comes out in a console's lifetime has purposeful limits, and when those limits are reached, the true nature of the console becomes evident. My prediction: The Wii is Nintendo's next Gamecube, only with a different guise and more success in the beginning stages.

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