Nintendo Buzz Likely a Bust for Game Makers

Nintendo could be the big winner this holiday season in the video-game wars, but that might not be great news for game publishers.

The venerable video-game company's Wii console was the surprise hit of the industry's E3 conference this spring, and many analysts now believe that Nintendo could have a big hit on its hands once the Wii debuts later this year.

But don't expect game makers such as Electronic Arts (ERTS Quote) to cash in right away on the Wii's success. Indeed, such companies will likely have few Wii games to offer this holiday as stocking stuffers.

The publishers "were caught off guard" by the buzz around the Wii, says James Lin, a longtime industry analyst and a consultant with Simba Group. "They weren't expecting anything." ...