Nintendo Super Console Surrounded by Kryptonite

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By Trey Thoelcke Published
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The new Nintendo Wii U may be a super game console, but probably not super enough. The problems the product faces go well beyond the success of competitive products from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE).

The Wii U will be available in the United States on November 18, so it will just catch the start of heavy holiday shopping. That may favor its success, but its lack of original features will hurt it. Owners of the new hardware will be able to make their own TV program lists and record programs through TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) and other time-shift machines. But many American homes already have set-tops that do these things. So, Nintendo has the disadvantage of a lack of originality.

The other hurdle that Nintendo probably will not clear is the same one that Microsoft, Sony and most PC companies have. People have rapidly adopted portable smart devices as their preferred platforms for a number of daily functions — game playing among them. The likely rapid sales of the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 5 and the success of the Samsung Galaxy S III make the challenge worse.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

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