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Analyst: Rival Motion Control Tech Won't Break Wii Dominance

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

June 8, 2009

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Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says that Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sony’s planned motion control technology won’t be enough to break the Wii’s market dominance.

“This year’s E3 again focused on software, with motion control a popular theme (meant to capitalise on the success of the motion control Wii), and all console manufacturers focused on broadening the appeal of their respective consoles,” said Pachter.

“Sony and Microsoft each fired cannon shots across Nintendo’s bow, with Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sony’s Motion Controller (based on the Eye Toy). We view Microsoft’s proposed offering as intended to provide a user-friendly interface for Xbox Live dashboard access, and view Sony’s offering as Wii-nis envy. We do not expect either to displace Nintendo’s Wii from its leadership position,” he said.

Last week Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto claimed that the company is "not worried at all" by its rivals’ technology. "The fact that both of those companies are looking at getting the gamer off the couch, taking advantage of motion control, and getting them to control the game by moving their body shows that they have looked at what we have done with Wii. And now they are moving in the same direction. To that end we are very flattered," he said.

SaintJude's picture
On June 9th SaintJude said:

It's a common theme isn't it? Nintendo lead and the rest feverishly jump on the wagon.

Jarrad's picture
On June 9th Jarrad said:

Yeah, it won't be because of these new motion-control devices that Wii dominance would be broken. Wii will only fall if it turns out the more casual audience Nintendo has been courting loses interest.

However, the announcement of these new motion-controllers is important because it says this is where gaming is going. There will still be non-motion control too, but now all of the Big 3 are going to be finding ways to use motion-control to get the casual and the hardcore.

NickgamertagO1's picture
On June 8th NickgamertagO1 said:

50 million plus consoles already? Of course MS and Sony are going to take notice. I don't think this is going to affect sales at all. People aren't buying the Wii JUST because it has motion control (though I'm sure that was a huge draw). It was the perfect storm of marketing, price, and content (and the fact that $250 got you everything to include a game at launch) that appealed to the casual audience. Having high prices and a peripheral years past launch potentially without compelling software (Nintendo struck gold with Wii Sports) will do nothing but please only the most devoted. I can see the next slate of consoles all launching with motion-tech included and only then would I think it'd make a difference.

Who knows though, maybe if this gen lasts as long as everyone thinks it will that could give MS and Sony time to get some interesting software out there to take advantage of their respective motion-control stuff.

DubsTF's picture
On June 8th DubsTF said:

You tell 'em, Patchy Fog!

He's the only analyst regularly quoted here whose opinion is generally worth a damn.

kingheff1's picture
On June 8th kingheff1 said:

I watched this bloke on the Gametrailers E3 coverage and liked what I saw, he seems to have a good grasp of the industry, coming at it from a business point of view, rather than a gamers perspective.

Jack_'s picture
On June 8th Jack_ said:

I'm not sure if I've ever read a game market analyst's report that wasn't either completely off the mark or what any gamer already knew.