Next-Generation Gaming Consoles - Why I Want Nintendo in India

The insane amount of hype (yawn!) over the worldwide launch of Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii over the weekend will now make way for the next-gen wars in full earnest.

All three consoles ( if you've been living under a rock, the XBox 360 is the other) are now here. We'll soon see the usual pleasant surprises, broken promises, price cuts and fanboy comedy that are so integral to any console war. When the dust settles, we'll know who won.

Here's why I hope (against hope), that it will be Nintendo.

In an earlier article, I had expressed a simple wish - that developers would take advantage of all this next-gen horsepower to do more than just provide better production values. Improved graphics and sound are just par for the course. That's what next-gen consoles are supposed to do. In fact, that's why they're called next-gen.

However, early indicators are clear - if you're looking for ground breaking gameplay on the 360 or PS3, you're largely out of luck. None of the marquee release titles, good games as they may be, offer anything other than admittedly off-the-scale production values in the grandiosely titled 'next-gen' experience.

The Wiimote is our only hope.

Of the three console manufacturers, only Nintendo seems to be making a conscious effort to take gameplay forward. They've always been known for innovation, and this time I believe that they've done exceedingly well to not lose the plot and stay focussed on what makes their products special - unpretentious (yes, Sony and Microsoft, I'm looking at you) simplicity, innovation, and bucketloads of fun factor.

Yes. Nintendo gets it. They've taken one of the most basic gamer's responses, the physical reaction to what's happening on the screen, and turned it into an input mechanism. Noticed how gamers, in all their excitement, sway their controllers (and their bodies), from side to side - to prevent their on-screen Ferrari Modena from going into a hopeless tailspin? With the Wiimote (and, to be fair, with Sony's far less exciting Sixaxis), it would actually work

Thanks to the Wiimote's motion sensor technology, your physical movements while holding the controller will be translated on to the screen. Swing it like you will a tennis racquet, and your on-screen player will do likewise. Point it at a baddie and fire, like you would a real gun - no clumsy d-pads or analog joysticks. Very exciting.

And very newbie friendly. This is important. Most high-profile PS3 and X360 titles are increasingly aimed at a gamer audience - a short-sighted, incestuous attitude that's stifling the industry's growth. Companies continue to put out products that are difficult to learn, and have features that can only be truly appreciated by experienced gamers. I've experienced this first-hand when trying to introduce friends to gaming. Many of them never really get into video games because the learning curve is too intimidating.

This is why I believe that Nintendo's products are best suited for getting a whole new segment of people into gaming. Markets like India are chock-full of people who've never played games before. Products like Gears of War aren't going to convert too many of them into gamers. Fancy explosions and realistic physics will get their attention, but won't hold their attention long enough to convert them.

Yes, I know. I'm an idiot. Your friend started playing games because of Half Life 2. I'm talking about the majority, here. For every newbie who was converted thanks to the beauty of Halo's gameplay, there were 20 potential gamers who were put off because it was too hard to get into.

Only simple, fun friendly, easy to learn products have the potential to break through and go mainstream in markets like India. Like the Wii. And the Nintendo DS. Games like Super Mario Bros, Brain Age and WarioWare. Among the present gaming giants, only Nintendo seems to have the ability and attitude it takes to penetrate mainstream markets and attract new buyers by the dozens. Now, if they'd only get some real marketing brains to work for them.

Go, Nintendo! India needs you.