Wii showing signs to rival the PS2

Seeking Alpha caught this nice chart created by Blake Snow for Infendo which visually demonstrates how current and last generation consoles performed in the first six months of their respective runs in the market. You may be amazed but the Nintendo Wii actually edged the legendary Sony PlayStation 2 in terms of blast-off numbers.

In response, Seeking Alpha listed the following points on how they think Nintendo is winning this console cycle. Here are their reasons:

• Low sales price
• Mass-market appeal
• Leverages wealth of existing cross-market IP, i.e., Mario and Donkey Kong
• High margin on console sales
• Comparatively low game development costs
• Lower risks for third-party developers, e.g., due to costs and rapid growth in installed base
• Fun platform on which to engage and excite developers, e.g., Wiimote and portability
• Adequate supply upon launch
• Viral word-of-mouth sales growth

We can't say we haven't heard this line of analysis before but we do agree with a lot of them. The attractive price tag, the broad appeal, and the sheer quality of content especially those coming from in-house developers are factors that really came together and made for financial bliss. It's still unclear whether the  Wii will surpass the PS2's phenomenal run, but if there's anything out there that shows that kind of promise, Nintendo's baby is the odds-on favorite.

Seeking Alpha caught this nice chart created by Blake Snow for Infendo which visually demonstrates how current and last generation consoles performed in the first six months of their respective runs in the market. You may be amazed but the Nintendo Wii actually edged the legendary Sony PlayStation 2 in terms of blast-off numbers.

In response, Seeking Alpha listed the following points on how they think Nintendo is winning this console cycle. Here are their reasons:

• Low sales price
• Mass-market appeal
• Leverages wealth of existing cross-market IP, i.e., Mario and Donkey Kong
• High margin on console sales
• Comparatively low game development costs
• Lower risks for third-party developers, e.g., due to costs and rapid growth in installed base
• Fun platform on which to engage and excite developers, e.g., Wiimote and portability
• Adequate supply upon launch
• Viral word-of-mouth sales growth

We can't say we haven't heard this line of analysis before but we do agree with a lot of them. The attractive price tag, the broad appeal, and the sheer quality of content especially those coming from in-house developers are factors that really came together and made for financial bliss. It's still unclear whether the  Wii will surpass the PS2's phenomenal run, but if there's anything out there that shows that kind of promise, Nintendo's baby is the odds-on favorite.