Slashdot Mirror
Is Console Gaming Dying?
mr_sifter writes "PC gamers love to obsess over whether PC gaming is dying, but bit-tech thinks it's time to look at the other side and examine if console gaming is really as secure as publishers would have us believe. All three console manufacturers suffered from the recession — this year, Sony announced its first net loss in 14 years; a stunning ¥989.9bn, which includes record losses of ¥58.5bn in its gaming sector. Microsoft also announced its first loss since it went public in 1986 in the second quarter of this financial year, with a $31 million US loss coming straight from the Entertainment and Devices division, which is responsible for the Xbox 360. Not even Nintendo has escaped the financial plague either, with sales of the Wii dropping by 67 percent in the US, 60 percent in Japan and 47 percent in the rest of the world. In addition to reduced profitability, casual games and the rise of the iPhone further suggest the current model is not invulnerable."
But BSD is.
...and so far Nintendo is doing pretty darn well. They blew passed their previous non-bundled record for a game (Super Mario 3 for NES -- 18 million units) with Mario Kart Wii. Mario Kart Wii isn't the best selling non-bundled game Nintendo is selling. Check:
Top 20 console games of all time
It seems to me that Nintendo may have had a drop in sales, but overall is doing very well considering the economic climate.