Nintendo Said No To The "Console Wars" - And Ended Up In An Unbeatable League Of Its Own

Nintendo's decision to keep its consoles out of direct competition is no secret. While the notion of there being a "console war" is reductive, as it unnecessarily pits consoles against each other rather than acknowledging them for their own merits, it's still interesting to look at how companies push to make their respective consoles as appealing to a wide audience as possible. And, if there's one aspect that Sony and Microsoft have tended to focus on with each console generation, it's been power and performance.

The focus from Sony and Microsoft on power and performance is perfectly understandable. More powerful hardware opens the door for more ambitious titles, taking advantage of what a console can accomplish to create unbelievable experiences that were once thought impossible. However, Nintendo doesn't have that same focus, instead opting for an alternative approach instead. This change not only proven necessary to prevent Nintendo from falling behind but has since become the key to the company's massive success today.

Nintendo Has Always Done Things Differently

The Company Prioritizes Innovative Play Over Power

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For a long time, Nintendo has chosen to set itself apart in the console market by placing an emphasis on innovative play over hardware power. In fact, all of Nintendo's consoles in the last two decades have been made to appeal to consumers with their unique features that change the player's approach to gameplay. These additional features often result in a far more interactive and engaging experience than what a more typical control style could offer, helping Nintendo's consoles to stand out.

For example, the DS's multiple screens and touch controls resulted in games that often required more attention and concentration from the player, as they would have to keep focus on the various things happening on both screens, while quickly reacting to prompts with the stylus. The Wii's motion controls were an even bigger step towards interactivity. The nearly unlimited movements made possible by the Wiimote resulted in more active and immersive experiences than what was seen before in video games.

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Nintendo's big shift towards innovative play proved to be a good move for many reasons, not least of which is because its consoles have repeatedly failed to reach the heights of Sony and Microsoft's own products in terms of power. The Wii, for example, was extremely underpowered for its generation, with its lower performance and resolution putting it miles behind the likes of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Nintendo's decision to prioritize unique playstyles has become a necessary move to allow its consoles to stand out within the market.

Nintendo Is In A League Of Its Own

Its Unique Approach Has Directly Contributed To Its Success

More importantly, it's this unique approach and rejection of direct competition that has led Nintendo to such huge success today. The constantly changing playstyles of each Nintendo console have resulted in a slew of games that take advantage of these unique features to create entirely original experiences that can't be found anywhere else. Players invest in Nintendo's consoles to ensure they don't miss out on their offerings, allowing the company to find huge success simply by rejecting the expectations that have been set by the industry on what a new console should provide.

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Nintendo has created a league of its own where the company has become seemingly unbeatable. It's a position that has even become recognized by people in the video game industry itself. For example, in an interview with Eurogamer, former PlayStation Studios boss Shawn Layden described Nintendo as being "...in their Own Private Idaho", while discussing whether gaming consoles could continue in the long term.

Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox both have the ability to deliver huge and breathtaking titles, but they can't offer the same thing that Nintendo can.

Nintendo has separated itself so far from other companies like Sony and Microsoft that it's possible it won't face potential issues of longevity. Nintendo is ensuring its success with its exclusivity, offering new ways for players to approach video games that no other console can provide. Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox both have the ability to deliver huge and breathtaking titles, but they can't offer the same thing that Nintendo can.

How Nintendo's Approach Has Influenced The Industry

Other Companies Have Tried To Replicate Nintendo's Success

Other companies have certainly taken notice of Nintendo's unique approach to console development, taking cues from the company's releases to broaden the appeal of their own products. Most recently, the hybrid nature of the Switch has caused ripples throughout the industry, inspiring other products that replicate the flexible playstyles that the console provides. The PlayStation Portal, for example, gives players a handheld alternative to playing some of the PS5's biggest titles, while Microsoft is currently in the early stages of developing an Xbox handheld to allow players to take their library on the go.

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Despite this, Sony and Microsoft have yet to find the same spark Nintendo has. Their attempts to iterate on what has been done before to compete with Nintendo is precisely what the company moved away from in order to make revolutionary consoles like the Wii or Switch. That rejection of direct competition and adoption of a more ambitious approach is what has made Nintendo’s consoles so appealing, while Sony and Microsoft continue to focus on power and performance.

Again, this isn’t a bad focus to have. The consistent push to upgrade hardware capabilities between each iteration of PlayStation and Xbox is what has allowed for such ambitious titles to be made over the years. That being said, Nintendo has been able to craft its own path forward simply by deviating from the norm. By doing so, the company has shown how future consoles can continue to find success by feigning competition in favor of changing the way players interact with video games, offering an experience only that specific console can provide.

Source: Eurogamer