Have you ever met Nintendo's executive vice-president of sales and marketing, Mr. Reginald Fils-Aime? I mean, in person? I nearly bumped into him at E3 last year (and I mean that literally - a few more steps in the wrong direction and I'd have bumped right into him on the show floor) and take it from me, the man is tall and intimidating in person. After all, this is the man who (according to Nintendo fandom) is here to "kick ass and play games". So when I read that part of his strategy for Nintendo in the next generation of gaming is to be disruptive, I get a different mental picture than I think he wants to convey. For some reason I picture him going from door to door with a baseball bat and beating the hell out of competing products.
Nintendo's counterpunch is disruption. We've determined that the video game market is ripe for revival—and we're looking to make it happen by reaching out to the millions of players still on the sidelines, including those over the age of 35.
I'm interested in seeing specifically what Fils-Aime and Nintendo as a whole have in mind for disruption. Of course, I also want new versions of my favorite game franchises. It remains to be seen if the company will dive into disruption 100% or if it'll split the difference and try to keep everybody happy in the next generation. Chances are they'll eventually go where the money lies. Let's hope the money lies with fun (no matter what form fun takes). When it comes to Nintendo though, I'm the eternal optimist. Unless, of course, Mr. Fils-Aime shows up at my door with a baseball bat.
