Ahe hem, my first game system ever was a sega genesis, but I had friends with a SNES or NES and still played those a decent amount. I updated my systems when needed but I always loved games and the potential they hold, both then and the ever more realistic games that can be made now. There is one thing in this article that I absolutely agree with Nintendo has always made some of the best hardware, delivering what they said they would with a durability topped by no one.
Behold how the gamecube dominated the ps2 and xbox
Nintendo might not have the best hardware specs, but they are great at knowing what is a good amount for the time. The Wii though underpowered compared to the others, was the only one making money off console sales at launch, and was still cheaper! My Wii has worked perfectly since launch, though I have had a friend, or 7 witha failed xbox 360.
As far as games go, Nintendo has unfortunately alienated 3rd parties from their system. This is mainly a result of Nintendo games being too good. Glitches are hard to find on Nintendo games, camera angles are normally as good as they get. If I had a nickle for everytime I got annoyed at the camera in sonic adventure, I would have a lot of nickles, and yet I never remember such frustration in say ocarina of time, a game before Sonic Adventure. Some Nintendo games have become a formula, but at the same time Nintendo has been the company behind most major advancements in anything with gaming. Do some things fail? Yes but somethings revolutionize the industry. From the first 3d console games, to the D pad, to their new controller (that both other companies are copying fyi).
This brings me to Miyamoto, he is a man I idolize, he is still young at heart over so many years and still occasionally gets out an amazing and new game. Pikmin was amazing! It was just soo much fun for me, and it was done in a fairly creative style. He made entire worlds of intrigue with characters as memorable as Micky Mouse if not more so.
By no means does it mean it is always at the top nor always makes the right ideas, the point is they know when to adapt something new. That is why they survive and still have profits out the wazoo. Yes they keep making new games that seem to copy old ones of theirs rather often, but every so often a game sparks into existence from them that changes the face of gaming. Lately a lot of repeats are because they sell extremely well among a demographic they finally got gaming. They expanded their base and yes it has upset those who claim to be "hard core", but they will return because soon their new demographic will also be "hard core", and then that will be what is profitable for them again.