Nothing like healthy competition

Gone are the days when you could call Nintendo a big fish in a small pond. Modern gaming has undoubtedly expanded the size of the waters, and there are once again, several big fish that inhabit said pond.

Speaking at the Learning Without Frontiers conference yesterday in London, General Manager of Nintendo UK David Yarnton spoke about the range of software that can be found on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with the ability to encourage industry growth, even citing LittleBigPlanet from Media Molecule as a "fantastic example" of such software. On recognising competition from Sony and Microsoft is good for the industry as a whole, and that all three companies have an important role within the industry, Yarnton goes on to say that it's crucial all three are able to:

... promote game development, providing the extra tools for developers and help them experiment and explore new ideas and concepts... As an industry we can provide people with a lot of different options across formats with the view of having something that can appeal to everyone.

Although Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are all part of the same industry, all three companies have taken slightly different routes, but a common thread that runs through them is the concept of motion controls. As the early pioneer in the control method, and now a leading figure in the world of stereoscopic 3D gaming, Nintendo prides itself in resisting governmental aid ― apart from issues relating to intellectual property protection ― and being instrumental in reshaping the image of the stereotypical gamer:

We’re very proud to be different... We have children and families all paying [sic] together... Almost 50 per cent of Nintendo users are female. We believe at Nintendo games can have more social credibility than being something enjoyed in isolation.

[source mcvuk.com]