Nintendo: first place, not third

When measured in terms of profitability, Nintendo is actually the most successful player in the video game market. Dig this New Yorker article about Nintendo's happy existence in "third place."

The Wii has few bells and whistles and much less processing power than its “competitors,” and it features less impressive graphics. It’s really well suited for just one thing: playing games. But this turns out to be an asset. The Wii’s simplicity means that Nintendo can make money selling consoles, while Sony is reportedly losing more than two hundred and forty dollars on each PlayStation 3 it sells—even though they are selling for almost six hundred dollars.

[via Daring Fireball]