No one can deny the huge response that the Nintendo Wii got from e3 2006. There was no doubt that the Ntendo boys and girls cast a huge shadow over MSoft and Sony. Whether it was the motion sensing controller, new game mechanics, a new version of Duck Hunt or the Wii’s built in microphone, the response from the e3 crowd was huge and perfectly tracked the geek crowd over at Digg.
But the lingering question is whether the early adopter, geekman, fanboy enthusiasm will translate into console dominance. Well, we all know that Sony didn’t help its current place on the console throne by declaring a $500 and $600 price point for the Playstation 3. That alone gives Nintendo some room to maneuver.
Now, there is some evidence that enthusiasm for the Wii is trickling down into the masses. Famitsu magazine recently released a poll of Japanese gamers indicating that 73% believe that the Wii will win the console wars. Further, 70% of the readers are looking the most forward to the Wii… and we all know how wishing for a system is 90% of the sale (oh, how many hours have we all wasted drooling over the latest rumors, screenshots, specs for upcoming systems!).
Now, these numbers only tell us so much. They don’t tell us how Nintendo will manage in a comeback effort against the XBox 360 in America. But what they do tell us is that the gamers are in love with Wii and mad as hell at Sony. This can only be good news for Nintendo.