The Nintendo Revolution, and Why Wii Were Wrong

"I don't give a fuck what they call it, I'm calling it the revolution."

The real uprising started the day the Revolution died.

It was April 27, 2006, and gamers were primed for Nintendo's next-gen box, codenamed Revolution. In the all-important console war, the company had ended the previous generation in last place with its GameCube. Thoroughly beaten by Sony's juggernaut PlayStation 2, and even edged out by newcomer Microsoft with its Xbox, Nintendo was sucking wind--or just plain sucking, depending on who you asked.

Despite a healthy business, both publishers and consumers were losing interest in Nintendo's approach. Though the Revolution and its motion controller seemed a radical move, it was also seen as a possible gimmick, a last-ditch effort that wouldn't play with real gamers. One got the sense that the company's next big play in the home console game might be its last.

And then, like an oblivious plumber bending over in a bow, Nintendo...