The answer: Nope.

With regard to the 3DS, I'm not willing to write it off just yet because of initial sales that were more sluggish than people, even Nintendo, were expecting. As I recall, the original DS wasn't all that hot of a seller initially either. In fact, I don't think it was until the release of New Super Mario Bros. that the system really got going and became 'the little handheld that could'. I think Nintendo's dominance in the handheld market is far from over, and we need to wait another year or so before judgement can really be passed.

As for Project Cafe... we'll see. There's so little that's actually known about this thing that everything discussed here is going to be pure speculation. All we really know is that Nintendo does have a rough uphill climb getting back those gamers that will actually buy more than one or two games for a system and actually see the need to upgrade consoles into the next generation.

However, if they actually are calling it the FEEL, then I think it's safe to say that the console is fucked.

I think the 3DS slow sales is in part because people expect a second, improved iteration to be out soon, even though DS versions were 2-3 years apart. "I'm waiting for the 3DS Lite" seems to be a constant refrain among those I speak to.

Combine that with anemic launch titles and lowish battery life and there you go. I think they'll be fine though. People will pick up the 3DS when more publishers switch over.

@mrandydixon

Awesome sentence there, you jackass.

My gut reaction to the screen in the controller thing is "Well, that will be VERY expensive, but awesome."

And then I think about it some more, and I can't really think of much that the screen could be used for. I mean, you could choose plays in secret for football games (which I don't play), and you could put a HUD on it (but HUDs and stats are better left on screen so you don't look away from the action), and you could make another one of those Zelda: Four Swords things (which was decent but the novelty wore out fast), but other than that, what good is it?

Though I pretty much felt the same way about the Wii (still don't think waggle is good for much) and that seems to have done just fine for itself.

I was recently looking at Nintendo's inverted yield curve when I saw the Wii's success dirrrrrrrrrRRRRRREEEGGGGGGIIIIIE IS MADE OF MEAT.

The Wii succeeded by placing themselves utterly apart from the market. Project Cafe sounds like it is throwing itself back in the PlayStation/XBox fight. It can only suffer as a result.

The Wii was indeed a Revolution. With Project Cafe, Nintendo may stand to be scolded.

First of all Nintendo will never lose because Reggie pwns all of our faces. Personally its going to be an interesting to see how long it takes for people to shift to a different Nintendo system. Depending on when someone bought a Wii, that could influence their decision when thinking about purchasing this new contraption, especially if they are of the "casual" group. I think its similar with the 3DS in that they were still pushing the DSi XL and releasing a new variation for the release of the new Pokemon games. Maybe with their new marketing pull for the "core" gamer they might draw in those that never bought a Wii because it was too...kiddie, casual, and gimmicky? But I feel it will be hard to convince those people either way because they might think its another gimmick or its still too kiddie because its Nintendo. My answer: wait/leaning towards not failing.

Jim, I'm a big defender of you, but this is ludicrous! Of course not. Why would you ask such a stupid question. They make money, I've enjoyed all their games, motion controls are everywhere and here to stay. What else do you want? I'm sorry, but this "article" was done out of trolling. I love you, Jim, but this was unnecessary, and was just done to get page views/comments...Which, by the way, you succeeded in. Damn it, I love you, man, but come on!

No sausages? I am disappoint Jim.

Nintendo died after 64, as far as I'm concerned.

I might make a blog on this instead of the usual comment, but I feel that Nintendo is not done. While this new HD shit might not be enough to win them the next Generation, they've got be doing better than Sony. Learn from their mistakes and you'll see a substantial difference in user bases.

I wouldn't argue that they dominated in the first place. There hasn't been as many A+ titles on the Wii as there has been on other systems and selling the most does not a good console make. Its fun, but it relied too much on a gimmick that was never fully realised.

I wouldn't say so yet. The 3DS will get it's good games sooner rather than later. Especially with the promising amount of 3rd part support. What will make the 3DS run away as handheld king is if they can implement a competent online service through software updates.

The online service is a step in the right direction, but the lack of messaging friends, lack of e-Shop until later this month, and software drought is hurting the 3DS big time.

On Project Cafe, there's way too much speculation and rumor at the moment to really know how the hell Nintendo will do in the next year. The "FEEL" name sounds ridiculous, but considering the success of the Wii it won't impact sales at all.

The touch screen controller seems rife with potential, but that's all it is at the moment. Potential.

In comparison with the competition, Sony is in no shape to take that crown with the PSN fiasco and all. Microsoft could take the crown, but the lack of compelling exclusive software for both Kinect and regular 360 hinders their chances of dominating. Yes, the Kinect SHIPPED well, but I only see it as a shallow fad with wasted potential. Kinect hackers has come up with better shit than Microsoft themselves.

The Wii console sold like hotcakes, but that's not where any company makes it's money. They rely on royalties and first-party merchandise, neither of which have reached the levels they did back in the NES/SNES days. I've seen more Wii's traded in and sold as used (meaning no profit for Ninty) than any other system during it's current generation. They made it affordable, so a lot of people bought one and a handful of games, then never really touched it again.

Nintendo only dominates when no one can figure out how to do what they do better. The problem is Sony and Microsoft have, for the most part, done everything better. Online, graphics, games, marketplace content, and even motion control (arguable) are all done better on the other systems. Not to mention the additional features that Nintendo refuses to implement that the others have had since launch.

@Zantetsuken it might not make a good console, but it does make the company richer...and richer...and richer...which is the point of running a business, even though it might suck for us "regulars"

@Dv8thwonder Have you been willfully ignoring all the PSN doom and gloom articles? And I remember the reporting of MS losing a million dollars in MS money point coins. So...it's not funny at all.

I don't think dominance is what any manufacturer will actually see. Too many options, too many fanboys, and way too much money in three different corporate directions.

I think if Nintendo doesn't do something to recapture the magic and the hearts of a lot of gamers then they will lose their dominance. I haven't played my Wii in months because there has been nothing coming out for it that appeals to me. I went from adoring the Super NES and enjoying the N64 to being blown away by the playstation and PS2 library then finding an entirely new gaming existence with XBLA and playing with online friends. A lot of my friends are in the same boat and I get the impression that that's the story for a lot of people.

Nintendo needs to learn how to talk to that generation of gamer that grew up with the early systems and adored them as I feel like somewhere along the way, what I wanted from a console and what Nintendo wanted to make split off. It's a shame cause I miss that magic of Nintendo. I know part of it is my taste in games has changed but I really think part of it is that Nintendo is making a product that isn't really a viable alternative to the experience that Microsoft and Sony offer, especially from a playing online point of view. I dunno, just kinda bums me out that I have the Wii and I look at it and shrug. Shame its come to that for me.

I don't think this will take off as "feeling things" doesn't seem that huge to me and I don't think HD graphics is something Nintendo has ever placed as their number one "reason" to buy their console. I don't think casual gamers will even relly care about HD graphics, they want quirky things like motion control and cheap barriers of entry.

This does not really sound like Nintendo.

They've had those battle chest things wher you can FEEL each punch and I've never seen a single one, nor have I ever felt inclined to buy one.

Were they dominant?

Ask after Wii 2 is out.

I think they are going to have a hard time selling new consoles on the scale of the Wii, since most casuals just used it as a Wii Sports/Wii Fit machine, and those people are not used to the console cycle the way the core is. I think though as a result, building a more core oriented machine may lead to higher software sales, even if the install base never reaches the Wii.

Whatever happened to the Nintendo that made the Super Nintendo? So many of the games of that era are legendary, and since then nothing has been able to compare that has been on a system with a label of Nintendo. They need to carry on with the idea of wii ware, and make the hardware something that at least meets or exceeds that of the Xbox 360/ PS3.

uh jim your kinda wrong on everything...........

Even though the 3ds only sold 3.6 million out of the 4 nintendo was expecting. Thats far better than the ds was.......

And I dont recall any system ever pushing that at launch (during a non holiday no less)