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Analysis: How Nintendo Created a New Market through the Strategic Innovation Wii

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Book cover Die Blue-Ocean-Strategie in Theorie und Praxis

Part of the book series: FOM-Edition ((FOMEDITION))

Abstract

In the year 2009, Nintendo was placed fifth in BusinessWeek’s ranking of the world’s most innovative companies. This confirms Nintendo’s significant transformation into an innovative design powerhouse that redefined the predominant business value factors of the video game industry. However, a few years ago no analyst would have anticipated that Nintendo would develop in this direction.

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Notes

  1. 1.

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  2. 2.

    cp. ‘Gameplayer—The Complete History of Nintendo’, Gameplayer.com.

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  7. 7.

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  8. 8.

    cp. Entertainment Software Association (2008, p. 11).

  9. 9.

    cp. ‘The whole world is playing’, Thr.com.

  10. 10.

    cp. ‘Analysis: The New Reality of the Video Game Console Business’, Gamasutra.com.

  11. 11.

    cp. Entertainment Software Association (2003, p. 2).

  12. 12.

    cp. ‘Gameplayer—The Complete History of Sony’, Gameplayer.com.au; ‘The History of Nintendo’, Gameplayer.com.au.

  13. 13.

    cp. ‘Classic Systems’, Nintendo.com.au.

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    cp. ‘PlayStation2: Killing the Competition’, Businessweek.com.

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    cp. ‘The Console Wars’: Game on’, Time.com.

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    cp. ‘Microsoft buy top games producers Rare’, News.bbc.co.uk.

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    cp. Lewis, Leo (2003), ‘Game Over’, Thefreelibrary.com.

  22. 22.

    ‘The Console Wars’: Game on’, Time.com.

  23. 23.

    cp. ‘Seventh Generation Gaming Consoles: Thinking Outside the Box’, Seekingalpha.com.

  24. 24.

    cp. ‘Microsoft macht mit jeder Xbox Verlust’, Handelsblatt.com.

  25. 25.

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  26. 26.

    The Elite Version had more memory capacity and additional high-definition cables.

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    cp. Microsoft (2006).

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    cp. ‘Sony PlayStation 3: Fünf Tage im Test’, Chip.de.

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    ‘The Console Wars: Game on’, Time.com.

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  32. 32.

    cp. ‘Ich Wiill doch nur spielen’, Chip.de.

  33. 33.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games to the People’, Businessweek.com.

  34. 34.

    The Wiimote is the controller unit of the Wii.

  35. 35.

    cp. ‘The Video Game Industry: Nintendo back in the lead’, Seekingalpha.com.

  36. 36.

    Porter, Michael E. (2008, p. 78).

  37. 37.

    cp. MarketLine (2008, p. 4).

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    cp. ‘Wii are swimming in a clear blue ocean’, Timesonline.co.uk.

  39. 39.

    cp. ‘The Nintendo Wii: A Case Study’, Bizcovering.com; Cheng et al. (2007, pp. 14–16).

  40. 40.

    cp. Ockenden (2004, pp. 6–9).

  41. 41.

    cp. Cheng et al. (2007, pp. 14–16); ‘The Nintendo Wii: A Case Study’, Bizcovering.com.

  42. 42.

    cp.‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  43. 43.

    cp. ‘Profile: Satoru Iwata’, Ign.com.

  44. 44.

    cp. ‘How the Wii is creaming the competition’, Cnnmoney.com; ‘Profile: Satoru Iwata, Ign.com.

  45. 45.

    cp. ‘TGS 2005: Iwata speaks’, Gamespot.com.

  46. 46.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games to the People’, Businessweek.com.

  47. 47.

    cp. Wirtz, B. W. (2009, p. 610).

  48. 48.

    cp.‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  49. 49.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Storms the Gaming World’, Businessweek.com.

  50. 50.

    cp. Porter, Michael E. (1998, p. 16).

  51. 51.

    cp. ‘Wii Like It Very Much’, Businessweek.com.

  52. 52.

    ‘Breaking: GDC Detailed Nintendo Keynote Coverage’, Gamasutra.com.

  53. 53.

    cp. Tidd, J.; Bessant, J. (2009, p. 171).

  54. 54.

    cp. ‘Nintendo & neue Zielgruppen’, Gamezone.de.

  55. 55.

    cp. ‘Nintendo and blue ocean’, Forbes.com.

  56. 56.

    ‘Wii will rock you’, Cnnmoney.com.

  57. 57.

    cp. ‘Nintendo and blue ocean’, Forbes.com.

  58. 58.

    cp. ‘Nintendo and blue ocean’, Forbes.com.

  59. 59.

    cp. ‘Ich Wiill doch nur spielen’, Chip.de; cp. ‘Nintendo Wii: One Ferocious Underdog’, Businessweek.com.

  60. 60.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Wii: One Ferocious Underdog’, Businessweek.com.

  61. 61.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games Back to the People’, Businessweek.com.

  62. 62.

    cp. ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  63. 63.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Storms the Gaming World’, Businessweek.com; ‘Nintendo’s New Brand Game’, Businessweek.com.

  64. 64.

    cp. Wolf, M. J. P. (2008, p. 171).

  65. 65.

    cp. ‘Videospiel-Industrie setzt Kurs auf die Massen’, Computerwoche.de.

  66. 66.

    ‘Nintendo Praises Wii as a “Social Hub”, Edge-online.com.

  67. 67.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games Back to the People’, Businessweek.com.

  68. 68.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Wii: One Ferocious Underdog’, Businessweek.com.

  69. 69.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games Back to the People’, Businessweek.com; ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  70. 70.

    cp. ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  71. 71.

    cp. ‘Der Computer als Fitnessmaschine’, Handelsblatt.com; ‘Wii Fit Puts the Fun in Fitness’, Businessweek.com.

  72. 72.

    ‘Wii are swimming in a clear blue ocean’, Timesonline.co.uk.

  73. 73.

    cp. ‘Er, Nintendo, Wii have a problem’, Timesonline.co.uk.

  74. 74.

    cp. Anthony, S. (2008), ‘Nintendo Wii’s Growing Market of Nonconsumers, Harvardbusiness.org.

  75. 75.

    cp. Nintendo (2008, p. 5).

  76. 76.

    cp. ‘How the Wii is creaming the competition’, Cnnmoney.com.

  77. 77.

    ‘Iwata asks: The Wii Hardware’, Nintendo.com.

  78. 78.

    cp. ‘How the Wii is creaming the competition’, Cnnmoney.com.

  79. 79.

    cp. ‘Iwata asks: The Wii Hardware’, Nintendo.com, cp. ‘How the Wii is creaming the competition’, Cnnmoney.com.

  80. 80.

    cp. ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  81. 81.

    cp. ‘Stromverbrauch von Spielekonsolen: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii im Vergleich’, Idealo.de; ‘Test: Nintendo Wii’, Computerbase.com.

  82. 82.

    cp. ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  83. 83.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Patent Reveals The Wii Remote Was Originally Made For The Gamecube’, Siliconera.com.

  84. 84.

    cp. ‘Reggie: More than 1,000 Kits Shipped’, Ign.com.

  85. 85.

    cp. ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com, ‘Test: Nintendo Wii’, Computerbase.com; ‘Iwata asks: Wii Remote’, Nintendo.com.

  86. 86.

    ‘Iwata asks: Wii Remote’, Nintendo.com.

  87. 87.

    cp. ‘Iwata asks: Wii Remote’, Nintendo.com.

  88. 88.

    cp. ‘The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo’s Wii’, Businessweek.com.

  89. 89.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games to the People’, Businessweek.com.

  90. 90.

    cp. ‘Analysis: M-Rated Games Halve From GameCube to Wii’, Gamasutra.com.

  91. 91.

    cp. ‘Die Silver-Gamer’, Derwesten.de.

  92. 92.

    cp. ‘Interview: Nintendo’s Unsung Star’, Edge-online.com.

  93. 93.

    cp.‘Mii channel’, Nintendo.com.

  94. 94.

    cp. ‘Wii Would Like to Play’, Effie.org.

  95. 95.

    cp. ‘Reggie: More than 1,000 Kits Shipped’, Ign.com.

  96. 96.

    cp. ‘Console Wars: Sony Fights Back’, Businessweek.com.

  97. 97.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Brings the Games to the People’, Businessweek.com; ‘Wii are swimming in a clear blue ocean’, Timesonline.co.uk.

  98. 98.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Wii: Wii-Kanäle’, Nintendo-europe.com.

  99. 99.

    cp. Wolf, M. J. P. (2008, p. 171).

  100. 100.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Wii: Virtual Console’, Nintendo-europe.com.

  101. 101.

    cp. ‘Test: Nintendo Wii’, Computerbase.com.

  102. 102.

    cp. ‘Wii + Internet’, Nintendo.com.

  103. 103.

    cp. ‘Iwata Comments On Wii Controller, Online Functionality’, Gamasutra.com.

  104. 104.

    cp. ‘Er, Nintendo, Wii have a problem’, Timesonline.co.uk.

  105. 105.

    cp. ‘Wii Fit Puts the Fun in Fitness’, Businessweek.com.

  106. 106.

    cp. Fron et al. (2007, p. 316).

  107. 107.

    cp. ‘Wii are swimming in a clear blue ocean’, Timesonline.co.uk; ‘Gaming gets in shape’, News.bbc.co.uk; ‘Der Computer als Fitnessmaschine’, Handelsblatt.com.

  108. 108.

    cp. Wolf, M. J. P. (2008, p. 171).

  109. 109.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Revolution Officially Named Wii’, Gamepro.com.

  110. 110.

    ‘Nintendo Revolution Officially Named Wii’, Gamepro.com.

  111. 111.

    cp. ‘Xbox drags on Microsoft profit’, Cnet.com.

  112. 112.

    cp. ‘Microsoft’s Red-Ink Game’, Businessweek.com; ‘Microsoft verliert 126 Dollar bei jeder Xbox 360 Konsole’, Xbox360info.de.

  113. 113.

    cp. ‘Xbox 360 costs $715 to make’, Joystiq.com.

  114. 114.

    cp. ‘Sony’s loss is at least $240 on every PS3’,Cnnmoney.com.

  115. 115.

    cp. ‘Sony boss reveals plans for PlayStation’, Timesonline.co.uk.

  116. 116.

    ‘Iwata: We Want A Wii In Every Household’, Exophase.com.

  117. 117.

    cp. ‘Nintendo’s Wii, Radiating Fun, Is Eclipsing Sony Machine’, Nytimes.com.

  118. 118.

    cp. ‘How the Wii is creaming the competition’, Cnnmoney.com.

  119. 119.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Wii marketing to exceed $200 million’, Joystiq.com.

  120. 120.

    cp. ‘Wii Would Like to Play’, Effie.org.

  121. 121.

    cp. ‘Wii would like to play—Nintendo TV-Spot’, Sevenload.de.

  122. 122.

    ‘Nintendo Storms the Gaming World’, Businessweek.com.

  123. 123.

    cp. ‘How the Wii is creaming the competition’, Cnnmoney.com.

  124. 124.

    cp. ‘Die bundesweite Nintendo Truck Tour 2008 macht bei der Hanse Sail in Rostock Halt’, Mvticker.de.

  125. 125.

    cp. ‘Report: Nintendo to Pump $200M into Wii Marketing’, Gamedaily.com.

  126. 126.

    cp. ‘Wii Invades Norwegian Cruise Line’, Kotaku.com.

  127. 127.

    cp. ‘Next-gen consoles: The push and pull strategies’, Qj.net.

  128. 128.

    cp. ‘Report: Nintendo to Pump $200M into Wii Marketing’, Gamedaily.com.

  129. 129.

    cp. ‘Nintendo’s New Brand Game’, Businessweek.com.

  130. 130.

    cp. ‘Wii Would Like to Play’, Effie.org; ‘Report: Nintendo to Pump $200M into Wii Marketing’, Gamedaily.com.

  131. 131.

    cp. ‘Word Of Mouth Best Way To Reach Gamers’, Mediapost.com.

  132. 132.

    cp. ‘International Distributors’, Nintendo.com.

  133. 133.

    cp. ‘Nintendo Retailers’, Nintendo.com; ‘Nintendo Online Retailers’, Nintendo.com.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brüssel, Belgium

    Jörg Ziesak

  2. Illingen, Germany

    Thomas Barsch

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  1. Jörg Ziesak
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  2. Thomas Barsch
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Correspondence to Thomas Barsch .

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  1. pionierfabrik GmbH, Illingen, Germany

    Thomas Barsch

  2. FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, Essen, Germany

    Thomas Heupel

  3. Blue Ocean Strategy Partners GmbH, Aschaffenburg, Germany

    Holger Trautmann

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Ziesak, J., Barsch, T. (2019). Analysis: How Nintendo Created a New Market through the Strategic Innovation Wii. In: Barsch, T., Heupel, T., Trautmann, H. (eds) Die Blue-Ocean-Strategie in Theorie und Praxis. FOM-Edition. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-15480-6_20

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