Iwata Doesn’t Fear Duplication

It’s been heavily rumored that both Microsoft and Sony are looking to create their own Wii Remotes for their systems. It’s an obvious move. The Wii has done incredibly well, so logic dictates that a Wii Remote-like controller for the other systems would do well too, right? So everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and getting motion control. Does this scare Nintendo? Hardly.

In a recent statement to investors, Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata said:

“…what matters to us is whether or not we can continue to constantly create and offer new surprises one after another. If we can, then (other attempts to mimic the Wii Remote) should not be a big threat. The efforts in this field to try to appeal to a wide variety of customers are something in which we saw potential early on and that we have been working on the longest, so there appears to be no reason whatsoever why we need to be concerned.”

I say this is absolutely true. Of course Iwata fails to mention that these added-on motion controllers for the 360 and PS3 will probably also lackluster since they’ll likely garner little developer support, and will probably fade off into gaming history like so many needless peripherals before them. The reason the Wii Remote works and works so  well is that it is Nintendo’s main focus, not a secondary form of control. Developers are forced to work with the innovation, not just encouraged to. There is a difference between committing yourself to an idea and being involved in it. It’s like my rowing coach use to say, “The difference between commitment and involvement can be seen in a breakfast of eggs and bacon. The chicken was involved; the pig was committed.” The point? Motion controls and ideas like the Wii need to be all-in or they’re just going to suck.

Also, it’s a well known fact that the first to the party always does better than the late comers looking for a quick buck. Fashionably late does not apply to the world of gaming.