As if the balance hasn’t been shifted already. Reports are saying that Nintendo will have an actual set up at the Tokyo Game Show later this year, and Wired’s Chris Kohler thinks it could serious consequences in the industry - good for some, not so much for others.

So what does it mean that they might show this year? It will probably be looked upon as the event that solidifies Nintendo’s return to domination in their home country; they’ll be invading a show that in years past has been absolutely owned by Sony products. Microsoft was always shoved off in a back room and without Nintendo there, not even the DS got that much love on the show floor in recent years. It was always PlayStation-centric.

But now with the industry no longer PlayStation-centric, Tokyo Game Show can’t be, either, or it won’t be a draw anymore. I imagine that the TGS management lobbied hard to get Nintendo on board this year.

Japan-living NeoGAF poster and accomplished armchair industry analyst “Jonnyram” weighed in with this: “If true, PS3 is officially finished. This TGS is crucial to the PS3’s success. If Sony is outshone by Nintendo, they can kiss the console market goodbye.” It’s certainly not going to be fun for Sony having to go up against Nintendo in front of the Japanese gaming public.

Quite a bold statement to say that this one Japanese event becomes the make-or-break point for Sony. This time last year, only the minority Nintendo supporters could have seen this coming, and look at where we are today. However, it’s nice to see Nintendo’s presence at TGS being so significant, so symbolic and embodying of Nintendo’s reacquired success in the gaming world.

Wired

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