Everyone knows that the Nintendo Switch was Nintendo's most successful gaming console of all time, also being within the top 5 gaming consoles. It was a great mix of console gaming, portable gaming, handheld gaming, multiplayer and single-player gaming and more! And you may remember Nintendo's other successful consoles like the WII and Nintendo DS. But it wasn't all simple for the company. Let's explore how Nintendo managed to become a gaming giant competing with the likes of Xbox and PlayStation.
Please note: In this blog, we're focussing on Nintendo after the 2000s, we're focussing on their growth after PlayStation and Xbox claimed the top spots for gaming giants.
Related blog: What Was The WII U?
How many games consoles were released for the Nintendo?
- Nintendo Colour TV-Game - 1977
- Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
- Nintendo Gameboy - 1989
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System - 1990
- Nintendo 64 - 1996
- GameCube - 2001
How long is Nintendo been around for?
2001 - PlayStation and Xbox completely dominated the gaming field. Nintendo had a couple of big consoles that put them on the map but nothing major, they needed to modernise their consoles and create a breakthrough to compete with these giants.
2004 - The Nintendo DS was released; it expanded the Nintendo audience beyond gamers appealing to older audiences and casual gamers. The console was a huge success, with other DS series consoles released like the DSXL.
2006 - Nintendo released another major console, the WII. It was a TV console that used an innovative motion-sensor controller to interact with the screen. These two consoles became smash hits and propelled the name Nintendo back into the industry.
2011 - Nintendo took a dry spell in terms of console releases, holding off and focussing on their next big thing. This was a modern version of their original successful console the DS called the 3DS. Initially, the console didn't take off but eventually grew in sales.
2012 - With the 3DS eventually performing well, Nintendo did the same with the WII, creating a new adaptation called the WII U. Unfortunately this console didn't take off at all, being Nintendo's worst-performing console and eventually being discontinued.
2017 - Again, Nintendo took a dry spell to console releases, focussing on their new model the Nintendo Switch. This was a combination of all the successful aspects of the DS and WII. The Switch became a global success fully placing Nintendo safely in that third-place spot just underneath Xbox and PlayStation. The Switch had 5 straight years of record sales and juiced the stock price.
2025 - And now it's time for an upgrade, with the Switch 2 releasing this year. Again, Nintendo put all their focus into the Switch 2 so we can only hope this console won't disappoint. If it's a success the name Nintendo may officially take the top spot for the best gaming company, what do you think?
Related blog: Nintendo Switch Vs Switch 2 Comparison
Conclusion:
Usually, big tech companies will have 1 major release, then smaller releases around it to boost sales and keep the internet talking. Take Apple for instance, they release an iPhone annually however still release smartwatches, iPads and MacBooks at random times of the year. Focussing on gaming, PlayStation also release major consoles (just with large gaps in between) but still makes the time to release digital edition consoles, special editions and new controllers.
Nintendo has purely focused on one console. They know what works and know what they need to copy exactly so it's a success. If the Switch 2 doesn't perform well, where will the company turn next? After dedicating 8 years to this new production?
