In Nintendo Wii Trust

With the video-game market becoming dangerously vertical, Nintendo has introduced its new Wii console as an answer to gamers looking for a more satisfying experience -- and as a must-have on every gadget lover's Christmas list.

The learning curve to play and enjoy most next-generation video games has steepened, forcing potential consumers out of the market.

While other video-game makers are presenting increasingly realistic graphics with more gore and violence, Nintendo instead has focused on bringing the experience to everyone.

"As an industry, we were faced with trying to convince the same group of hardcore players to buy more and more product in order to achieve growth," explains Anka Dolecki, public relations director at Nintendo of America. "Our answer ... was to focus on eliminating the complexity of game play, instead of just improving its graphical appearance."

Enter the Wii.

Ahead of the Pack

After its Nov. 19 debut in North America for $249.99, game players flooded stores searching for the console.

If you weren't able to snatch one, don't worry -- Nintendo should have ample units available by year-end.

"We are on track to ship four million Wii systems worldwide by the end of the calendar year, and demand seems ready to account for every one of them," says Dolecki. "The early returns indicate that we've made a very positive first step in our goal of both giving current gamers a new way to play, and nonplayers a reason to get into the game."

By comparison, Sony (SNE) officials previously warned that only 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles, which launched just days before the Wii, would ship by the end of this year -- half of what Sony had previously forecast.

In addition, the PlayStation 3's European launch was delayed until next March.

The Wii's pricing also comes as no surprise, as the company maintained for months that the console would be priced below its rivals.

Microsoft (MSFT) is charging $300-$400 for its two Xbox 360 models, based on hard-drive space and extras, while a PS3 will run $500-$600.

"We believed giving [players] the system itself, with both Wii Remote and Nunchuk controls, and a software package of five different games for $250, could convince them to take a chance," says Dolecki. "If we had to charge [these players] hundreds of dollars more than that for the system alone, our chances were much less promising."

The real genius behind the Wii, though, is the way it plays.

This is where Nintendo has been the most innovative in the video-game wars: The new console comes packaged with the Wii Remote control (or Wii-mote) and Nunchuk attachment.

The Wii-mote resembles a television remote control, simplistic in design when compared to the complex controllers of the PS3 or the Xbox. The intuitive controls make it easy for anyone to pick it up and play games immediately.

The Nunchuk addition gives users a small joystick and enables dual-handed controls.

To view Robert Holmes' video take of today's Good Life segment, click here.