Playing a new game

摘要

Crushing competitors while racing past obstacles is the basis of many video games. Nintendo, the most successful of the three big games-console makers, has done just that in the past few years. Cumulative sales of its Wii console, launched in 2006, recently surpassed 50m-about as many as Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Microsoft's Xbox 360 combined. The Nintendo ds, meanwhile, is the bestselling hand-held games device. Over 100m have been sold-more than twice as many as Sony's PlayStation Portable.rnWith both the Wii and the d s, Nintendo has prospered by promoting simple, accessible games that have far broader appeal than the more elaborate titles typically found on rival consoles. As a form of cheap, stay-at-home entertainment, gaming is one of the few industries to have done well during the recession. But now there are signs that things are about to get much more difficult for Nintendo.