Exactly. To be honest, I think Nintendo has the right idea. They try thinking of new ways for us that changes how we experience and interact with games. Sadly, the right idea isn't the most popular one.
Someday the industry will reach a certain point where games cannot have their potential improved any further to make a big difference. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will be sitting around with video games of the same caliber.
I think companies will have to innovate or else they will fail, because games by then will only go so far if they are creative. Or if we have revolutionized ways of playing games. And that is where Nintendo does best, they aren't afraid of trying new things.
Wii U proof of that. It's basically a console where everything good Nintendo learnt from previous consoles and handheld generations are packed together in one controller. It
is promising.
Sony was leading before because they always had the cheapest console (everybody could afford), it doesn't matter if their consoles were always the weakest of their generation, they were AFFORDABLE. So game developers were willing to stick with it and pushed the PS1 and PS2 to be ones of the best consoles ever. Then Sony had some sort of identity crisis, and made the PS3 the most powerful console of this generation, being also the most expensive (for good 5 years or so, it was the least sold console of this generation). I don't know how sales picked up to date.
I can't say anything about Microsoft because I didn't own a Xbox 1, but I do own a Xbox 360. Also, can't say anything because they are fairly new in the console gaming industry (only 2 generations of consoles so far, no dedicated gaming handhelds and etc).
And what I know about Nintendo is that it doesn't matter if they have the cheapest or most expensive, weakst or most powerful console, they are always trying to innovate. Sometimes it is bad (virtual boy, power glove, R.O.B, N64 not having discs [arguable], GC having diff disc format than a normal dvd and etc), but sometimes it is good (Seal of approval [which saved the gaming industry], Rumble Pack, d-pad, shoulder buttons, popularizing portable gaming, applying dual-screen in handheld, applying gyroscope to a handheld and a joystick and etc). So yeah, doesn't matter the occasion, Nintendo tries to differentiate itself from others, which attracts consumers simply because they know they will get something new in return.
About games, Nintendo have first-party goodness. I mean, look at Super Mario Galaxy, maybe the best platformer of all times. Yet, nobody tried to copy its formula simply because they are too shy to do so. Nobody wants to take that kind of risk. So I have everything to believe that the Wii U will be a success, at least it will be meaningful and bring the competition to have higher standards. ^__^
