Nintendo Comes Up Short…Again

When the Big Three game companies made their last big hardware announcements, I was shocked to find out that Nintendo had made the decision to forego networked gaming even as Sony and Microsoft pushed forward with plans to allow for game play over the Internet. It was a bad decision by Nintendo, and one for which the company has paid dearly, sinking to third in the console wars.

Surely, they would have learned from that last gaffe. On the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, though, it appears as if Nintendo is once again shunning the latest advances in technology.

The New York Times has a piece detailing Nintendo’s decision not to embrace HDTV, once again even as Microsoft and Sony are wooing high-def television makers.

This is a bad decision on Nintendo’s part for two reasons: 1) there is so little separating these companies, that turning away from advances in technology – even if it’s just display technology – will likely turn away potential buyers; and 2) the future of the console is in running the home entertainment network, so turning your back on the most important part of that hub is foolish.