Last week we brought you the story of Nintendo’s continuing blue ocean with the recent launch of Wii MotionPlus — a new, gyroscopic sensor which precisely mimics hand movements for better on-screen accuracy. As a follow-up, this week we bring you an interview with Satoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo. The interview is especially timely, given the announcements by Sony and Microsoft of new motion-control devices meant to infringe upon the Wii’s blue ocean. In the interview, Iwata discusses Nintendo’s Blue Ocean Strategy, the iPhone, the recession, and free games.
From Venture Beat:
When we talked about it two years ago, a lot of people thought the Wii Balance Board was crazy. They thought Nintendo would start selling a bathroom scale. But Wii Fit became a success because we saw a “blue ocean strategy.” But now a lot of companies are fighting in the red ocean of follow-up exercise games. [Note: As discussed in the Blue Ocean Strategy book, too many sharks in one area make a red ocean; but innovators who swim in the blue ocean have no rivals]. When we introduced the Wii controller, we were in the blue ocean and this year is still the blue ocean. But the year 2010 may become the red ocean for motion-sensing controls, based on what Microsoft and Sony say. The advantage for Nintendo is that we always try to do things that other companies don’t try to do. That is something that the general public appreciates. That’s why we have to introduce this Wii Vitality Sensor. A lot of people must be wondering what the hell this is about. But that’s exactly the way people felt two years ago with the Wii Balance Board. Looking at the history of video games, and game controllers in particular, you have always controlled it consciously. That’s what the name implies. Starting from the movements of your fingers to the shifting of the body mass, you always control it consciously.
[Image via Venture Beat.]
