Wii, An Xbox 360 Gateway?

Is Nintendo Wii an Xbox 360 gateway console? Microsoft seems to think so. Jeff Bell, Microsoft’s VP of Global Xbox Marketing said to 1UP on Friday:

“We’re positioning ourselves to be ready if, in fact, gamers find they’re ready to graduate from a certain experience potentially with the Wii, either because it’s limited on the type of gameplay that’s available or the technology in that box.”

It's believed Mr. Bell followed the interview with a discomforting invitation to lunch:

“I  have, in fact, positioned my metabolism in such a way that I find it prepared for communal experience involving physiological absorption of, but not limited to, food energy and its corresponding oxygenation of various cellular structures.“

Allow me to translate the marketing-speak

Microsoft thinks Wii is a gateway console, like the marijuana or beer of gaming if you will. As a lightweight entertainment system it'll leave gamers hungry for more. Due to Wii’s lack of graphics technology and media features, gamers will eventually find themselves unable to reach the same high playing with a Wii that they did in 2007. Then Wii-gamers everywhere will need to turn to stronger game consoles, like Xbox 360.

Many in the gaming industry believe Wii’s success is unsustainable. They cite a lack of third party games publishers that have found Wii to be a very profitable platform. The theory says that new and interesting games will dry up for the Wii and its surge in popularity will not simply wane but will burst.

Critics like Jeff Bell believe there is a Wii bubble that is going to burst at any time now. Bell also believes that Microsoft is there with its Xbox 360 to pick up the casual gamers ready for a more serious gaming fix.

We'll see if Wii critics are correct though the next several month's sales figures.

Don't discount Nintendo! Lightweight graphics and fewer features hasn't kept DS from dominating the portable market, despite high-powered competition from Sony.