Nintendo's “Revolution”

Sangbeom Kim, Ian Lamont, Hiroshi Ogasawara, Mansoo Park and Hiroaki Takaoka

“As soon as we complete one system, we start thinking about the next one. Needless to say, we don’t design new components or technologies from scratch.” – Genyo Takeda, General Manager of Integrated Research and Development Division, Nintendo

In late 2004, engineers at Nintendo Corporation were busy developing a next-generation, nontraditional, video game console, codenamed “Revolution.” With Sony and Microsoft leading the charge in the video console space, the question was whether and how the “Revolution” could help get Nintendo back on its feet.

To illustrate how an also-ran in the gaming industry used an unconventional product strategy to expand the market for video games while escaping a technological arms race espoused by larger competitors; and highlight the decision-making processes and product development methods used by Nintendo’s new CEO and top engineers to create the Wii.

system dynamics, technology strategy