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After overseeing several years of rapid growth at Nintendo Co., President Satoru Iwata faces new challenges: how to keep players of the company's videogames interested, and how to cultivate a new wave of customers.
Under the 48-year-old Mr. Iwata, Nintendo has already redefined videogames and widened their appeal beyond the typical young male player who favors fast, action-packed games. Its DS portable game device, launched in November 2004, has attracted young women and an older audience with a touch-sensitive screen players can write on and simpler games, such as the brain-training quiz game Brain Age and the virtual-pet game Nintendogs. The Wii videogame console, released two years later, allows users to wield a controller as they would a tennis racket or sword. Using body movements to play games has enthralled customers and turned the console, which sells for about $250, into a global phenomenon.
Both products have allowed Nintendo to emerge from the shadows of Sony Corp. and its PlayStation and Microsoft Corp. and its Xbox. Nintendo's stock price has more than doubled in the past two years, at one point propelling the company to the No. 2 spot -- behind Toyota Motor Corp. -- among Japanese companies based on market capitalization.
Now, Nintendo is adding more games and functions to the Wii. For instance, Wii Music lets players simulate playing music together in a band. Using a new accessory called Wii Speak, players can communicate with each other remotely during a game. And the Wii Motion Plus attachment makes the controller more responsive to a player's movements. It will be bundled with a new sports title called Wii Sports Resort, which offers games based on activities such as jet-skiing, Frisbee and fencing.
more here
Under the 48-year-old Mr. Iwata, Nintendo has already redefined videogames and widened their appeal beyond the typical young male player who favors fast, action-packed games. Its DS portable game device, launched in November 2004, has attracted young women and an older audience with a touch-sensitive screen players can write on and simpler games, such as the brain-training quiz game Brain Age and the virtual-pet game Nintendogs. The Wii videogame console, released two years later, allows users to wield a controller as they would a tennis racket or sword. Using body movements to play games has enthralled customers and turned the console, which sells for about $250, into a global phenomenon.
Both products have allowed Nintendo to emerge from the shadows of Sony Corp. and its PlayStation and Microsoft Corp. and its Xbox. Nintendo's stock price has more than doubled in the past two years, at one point propelling the company to the No. 2 spot -- behind Toyota Motor Corp. -- among Japanese companies based on market capitalization.
Now, Nintendo is adding more games and functions to the Wii. For instance, Wii Music lets players simulate playing music together in a band. Using a new accessory called Wii Speak, players can communicate with each other remotely during a game. And the Wii Motion Plus attachment makes the controller more responsive to a player's movements. It will be bundled with a new sports title called Wii Sports Resort, which offers games based on activities such as jet-skiing, Frisbee and fencing.
more here
