Ahead of the curve: How Nintendo stays in the forefront of gaming

Xenoblade Chronicles X

In current gaming, there exists four primary platforms: Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, and PC. Each platform provides their own benefits and, in theory, offers experiences often not found on the competition. In theory. In reality, outside of hardware differences, Xbox and Playstation share many of their titles with PC, and recently, amongst each other, with former Xbox exclusives now appearing on all consoles. The odd one out remains Nintendo, with their new hardware often releasing a year or two sooner than that of the others, and a primary focus on 'gimmicks' above all, unlike the others who have always seemed to focus on graphical fidelity. Even with the changing gaming community, Nintendo has always remained in their own wildly successful (mostly) realm. The question beckons, how does a company with 'outdated' hardware receive more accolades and sales than its colossal sized competition?

Beginning in 1889 as a playing card company, Nintendo has been around the longest of any other gaming company around, though their first step into actual video gaming didn't come until 1981 with Donkey Kong. Since then, the company has developed some of the highest selling and most iconic game series of all time. Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Metroid were all created within the same decade, with Zelda and Metroid being made the same year. Although not owned exclusively by Nintendo, Pokemon's release on the game boy in 1996 set the company into more of a super stardom than they were already at, somehow.

Since throwing their hat into the ring of the video game market, they have outlived many of its competitors. SEGA was their largest competition originally, however with several blunders, they are now just a video game producer, with their last console being released in 1998. Other companies that have come and go include Atari, Mattel, 3DO, and SNK. As of 2025, only three primary ones remain, being Xbox, Playstation, and of course, Nintendo. Even with a couple commercial disappointments such as the Gamecube and WiiU, Nintendo's most recent system, the Switch, is the highest selling video game console of all time.

IR Information : Sales Data - Dedicated Video Game Sales Units

Nintendo's most recent recent sales numbers has their most recent console has them over 50 million sales above the Playstation 4 and about three times the amount of the Xbox One. This comes over the severe disappointment that was the WiiU, with sold only 12 percent of its predecessor. Many were concerned how the company would recover from the monumental flop, and the Switch put all those worries to shame. Launching alongside one of the highest rated games of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the console really came out swinging, even with outdated hardware at the time, and came out on top rather quickly.

The "Fun" Factor

Nintendo games have never been known for the ultra-realistic graphics that other studios seem to focus on. First and foremost, Nintendo titles have always seemed to put fun before anything else. Each of their series vary wildly from each other. The 3D platforming of Mario contrasts heavily from the 2D non-linear survival of the Metroid series, for example. In their vast library, Nintendo has something to offer for almost every kind of gamer. Platforming, RPG, racing, sports, and PvP, among others, all have an offering in their repertoire. Throughout the years this has remained the case, and many people's early gaming adventures are taken up by Nintendo's properties.

What defines fun is obviously different per person, but a vast majority of gamers seem to find at least some enjoyment in Nintendo and their products, given their impressive sales and review statistics. With the introduction of the Nintendo Switch, many consumers who were new to the gaming landscape as a whole flocked to the hybrid system. This may be for many reasons, such as the portability, family and new user friendliness of the hardware, and the easy to pick up gaming library offered. Whatever the reason may be, the fun of the games provided have always been a large drawing force for Nintendo, and has seemingly remained the case up until presently.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

For all

Sometimes to its detriment, Nintendo has always been seen as a family friendly/kid gaming company. Playstation and Xbox were always seen as the more 'mature' gaming consoles, while Nintendo was for family time. Even if this stigma seems to be going away in recent years with many more rated M games joining the Switch's library, the 'couch co-op/family get together' of it is actually a large draw for consumers. Games such as Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and Switch Sports, it remains the easiest console to play as a group, with many more offerings for all ages between all the competition. This isn't to say the other options have zero family games, but Nintendo has always been known for it, and they continue to use this to their advantage with each subsequent release.

Consistent Quality

A look at gaming review aggregate site Metacritic's Top 15 highest rated games of all time shows a whopping six games coming straight from Nintendo. Going further down the list shows constant games scoring 90 and up, with almost all of their flagship series having multiple entries into this coveted designation. Where Nintendo seems to thrive where others falter comes to the long standing viewpoint of 'quality over quantity'. Nintendo has been known to not release a game until it is up to standards, and to even fully restart development on games that are deemed unsatisfactory, like Metroid Prime 4.

This isn't to say Nintendo ONLY makes good games. Like any studio, Nintendo has had their share of mediocre to flat out bad releases. However, unlike many others, not only is this number surprisingly low, it pales in comparison to how high of a quality their major releases are. It is easy to look past a Everybody 1-2 Switch when a title as good as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom released several months prior.

Nintendo Switch OLED

Proper Upgrades

Games would be pointless without something to play them on, and that is where their consoles come in. Though some haven't been as well received as others, every system makes sure to have a reason to buy. The Wii had the Wiimote and pioneered the motion control era, the Wii U had a, at the time, rudimentary game pad allowing gaming away from the TV screen, and the Switch capitalized on both and allowed fully detached and portable gaming. Even if the offerings may not be as powerful as their Xbox and Playstation counterparts, the gimmicks accompanied by the aforementioned high quality games tend to draw in much larger audiences. Giving people a way to play their libraries without being chastized by their family for hogging the living room TV is appealing to most, especially toward a younger audience.

The Price

In lieu of the aforementioned features of the consoles, what may be the biggest draw in above all, is the low price. At the time of the Wii, it was the lowest of the generation between itself, the Xbox 360 ($300-$400) and Playstation 3 ($500-$600). It was no surprise that the Wii pulled ahead and sold the most of the three options, and has done so with the Switch as well. Given all of the previously stated benefits to the consoles as is, having it be the most cost effective of all the others gives it the edge in its 'primary' demographic, kids. It is much easier to convince a parent to buy a $300 system and a game with it than it is to get a $500 console, games and an almost required online membership out of them.

Staying on top

It is obviously too close to call, but with the lackluster reception of the Xbox Series and Playstation 5, Nintendo already has a foot in the door for making the 'Switch 2' another breakout success. As long as everything mentioned in this article remains true for this successor, and the future, Nintendo will continue to have a prominent hold on the industry and top sale and ratings charts, as they have been for the better half of a century. We won't know until at least the April showcase for the new system, especially with all the new handheld devices on the market nowadays (Steam Deck, ROG Ally, etc) . For now there's plenty to keep us tide over until then, especially with Xenoblade Chronicles X releases next week. Hopefully this article remains true post release, but with all the years and history behind them, Nintendo has all the power to make the Switch 2 its next flagship and set new industry standards with it