Nintendo Switch Launch Garners Well Wishes from Video Game Industry

Uncle Willy Gaming, Nintendo
nintendo switch launch

The Nintendo Switch has officially launched worldwide today.

I then stumbled upon a GameSpot article that left me dumbfounded for a good second before I recovered my senses: “PlayStation, Xbox, And More Congratulate Nintendo On Switch Launch.” The article mentions how some big names in gaming – including its two erstwhile not-really-competitors – took to Twitter to congratulate Nintendo on the launch, some expressing excitement at the event. It was a nice gesture by all concerned, and one that is routine in today’s gaming environment. 25 years ago, that cordiality was not only rare but heresy.

Back during the very contentious 16-bit area, gaming rivals Nintendo and SEGA would never do such of thing. Part of the reason is silly but true: there was no Twitter back then. But any kind of public niceties between the two was virtually impossible. SEGA of America went out of their way to antagonize Nintendo, beginning with their brilliant “Genesis Does What Nintendon’t” ad campaign. Nintendo, for their part, always dismissed SEGA’s taunts as juvenile, always seeing themselves as too superior to even resort to retaliatory attacks.

The animosity was real, and it was very evident over 23 years ago. On December 9, 1993, the United States Congress held a hearing on the subject of violence in video games. The subject had gained a lot of traction among concerned parents and Congress members after a spate of violent games, including Night Trap for the SEGA CD and Mortal Kombat for the Genesis and Super NES. Concern grew to the point that Sen. Joseph Lieberman took up the cause and called for the hearing. He singled out the aforementioned games primarily and invited video game executives to attend the hearing.

Nintendo sent the head of Nintendo of America at the time, Howard Lincoln. SEGA, in turn, sent SEGA of America spokesman Bill White. During the hearing, they spent most of their time sniping at each other, quickly restarting their feud into Congress. Lincoln took the moral high ground, insisting that Nintendo, unlike SEGA, were very cognizant of the issue of violence in video games and restrict blood and extreme violence their content highly. SEGA, finding itself under constant barrage by legislators, insisted that the violence in their games were not responsible for any real-world violence. He tried to paint Nintendo as pandering to childish sensibilities. Let’s just say that there weren’t any kind notes passed across the table that day.

Things are far kinder now. Nintendo has softened its stance versus the competition, primarily because they don’t see Microsoft or Sony as direct competitors. On November 15th of last year, Nintendo congratulated Microsoft for 15 years of Xbox.

Microsoft and Sony, meanwhile, do not take many nasty shots at each other anymore. The nastiest it ever got that I can remember was when Sony released a condescending video showing how easy it is to share games on the PlayStation 4.

This was, of course, a response to Microsoft’s announcement during E3 2013 that they would restrict the ability to share or buy used video games for their Xbox One. While the video was below the belt, it was good-natured and kinda impossible to avoid doing.

Honestly, it’s good to see the cordial behavior between the Big Three video game console makers. At the end of the day, they are competitors, not enemies. Seeing Microsoft and Sony congratulate Nintendo on the Switch launch shows that competition does not need to breed contempt. They’re civil enough to duke it out on store shelves, not on the air.

Now if only they could teach the insufferable Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo fanboys to do the same, that’d be great! If I have to read another tweet or Reddit post from a deluded “P$4 SUX!!!” or “MICROBLOWZ” shithead, I may just lose it and blast them with both barrels!

Uncle Willy
He has been playing video games for longer than he would like to admit, and is passionate about all retro games and systems. He also goes to bars with an NES controller hoping that entering the Konami code will give him thirty chances with the drunk chick at the bar. His interests include vodka, old-school games, women, vodka, and women gamers who drink vodka.

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