Alright, this is a weird one, but I spend a lot of time around Nintendo products as both my kids are fanatical video gamers, and seriously partial to Nintendo stuff at that. I was just reading an article about the new Sony PS3 preparing to do bloody battle with Microsoft's new entry (name escapes me), and poor old Nintendo is just dismissed as the feeble also-ran. This bothers me.
From a technological standpoint, this may be the case- let's assume it is. What Nintendo has, however, which neither Sony nor Microsoft can say, is something far more valuable: the hearts and imaginations of the industrial world's children, via its compelling and interesting characters. In this respect, Nintendo is a perfect candidate for a takeover by a company like Disney. Nintendo's character's (Mario and Luigi being to most recognizable to the childless) are noticably absent from the "stages" of the world's amusement parks, while Disney flogs on with the mouse and duck and other characters in which American kids (if not the world's) have long since lost interest. I was constantly reminded of this on a recent visit to Universal Studios; while I was blown away by the quality of the park and the experience, I could not help but notice the conspicuous absence of my childrens' favorite characters: the Nintendo crew. Clearly, this is a classic "walk down Wall St." opportunity. Someone should wake up and smell this coffee.
Meanwhile, I'll be adding to my position in Nintendo.
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