Ten years ago, Nintendo was a has-been in the console gaming industry. Sony and its Playstation reigned supreme; the House that Mario Built was being kept afloat mainly by the popularity of the Game Boy and the Pokemon franchise.
Today, Nintendo is the reigning champ of both console and handheld gaming. Want to buy a Wii? Good luck, stores are perpetually sold out of them. If you want Wii Fit, you'll need a double dose of luck, as they fly out of the stores just as fast, if not faster. And then, there's the DS, which shows up in the hands of everyone from children on the playground to commuters on the bus.
How did they get to where they are now? The answer is simple, basic and something anyone wanting to make a splash in any kind of business endeavor should take to heart: They thought outside the perimeters of what a video game system was supposed to be.
In developing the Wii, Nintendo expanded its scope far beyond the traditional "sit on the couch and mash buttons" mode of video gaming. They created something that got you up, moving and involved. And with the software, they cast their net far, far wider than the traditional gaming audience. Sure, there were the Mario games (Super Mario Galaxy has been acclaimed as the best Mario ever) and the Wii versions of popular franchises (Electronic Arts built a special version of Madden for the Wii from the ground floor up).
But Nintendo reached far, far beyond the fanboy gamer to reach his mother, sister and father, too. The most popular title for the Wii by far? Not a button-masher, not a Mario game, not a first-person shooter – it's Wii Fit. This device removes the video game system from its place as mere entertainment and makes it a part of everyday life, practical, useful and healthy – but still very much a "fun" thing (especially if you play its aerobics and balance games).
Nintendo has continued this philosophy with recent offerings for the DS. In addition to Final Fantasy games and the next generation of Pokemon, they've introduced a number of "coach" titles designed to help the user learn another language. And one of their new releases, Personal Trainer Cooking, turns the DS into an interactive cookbook that takes users through recipes step-by-step, with photos and videos to offer assistance. Overseas, there's even a lineup of cyber-books that can be read on the DS.
What Nintendo has done is think outside the box on a grand scale. In coming up with plans for the DS and the Wii, they didn't ask themselves what a video game system was. They asked themselves what a video game system could potentially be, in every aspect of life, and then set out to create that system.
This is why they've survived, even thrived, in a hideous recession. Because they've literally become the company with something for everyone.
When you go to present an idea, think of how you can maximize that idea's potential to its furthest extent. Don't just think outside the box, remove the box entirely.
– Bonnie