It may not be a very merry holiday season for Nintendo Wii owners.

Just two years after the console’s release, it looks like Nintendo’s innovative gaming platform may be running out of steam with an abysmal holiday lineup of games.

It’s downright pathetic when major gaming Web sites list games that have been released for more than seven months as part of their holiday gamers guides for Wii owners.

It seems to say to the only good games for the Wii this year have been “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” and “Mario Kart Wii.”

Although the Wii will feature popular multiplatform game, its exclusive support follows the same mistakes Nintendo has made with its previous three consoles.

The Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube and now the Nintendo Wii have all only featured one “Super Mario” title and usually lose support from game developers in the waning years of the console.

Nintendo owners love their consoles because of the fantastic first-party games developed by Nintendo, such as “Mario,” “The Legend of Zelda” and “Metroid” titles.

What new games do Wii owners have to look forward to this year?

“Animal Crossing: City Folk” and “Wii Music.”

That’s right, Wii owners can either enjoy a cutesy game for 8-year-olds where all you do is collect and sell items or play a slightly innovate music game that is easily overshadowed by more expansive and established franchises.

Sadly, no major Nintendo franchise games are available this fall for the Wii, which is all too familiar for Nintendo fans who have now crossed over to Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Playstation consoles for this specific reason – no longevity.

The Nintendo Wii is a gaming console that is banking on the innovation of its unique control scheme, and it has been very successful in doing so by attracting alternative audiences such as older individuals and women who are weary of traditional gaming.

Furthermore, Nintendo initially supported this curiosity with games that showcased the unique abilities of the Wii with titles like “Wii Sports” and “Wii Fit.” However, Nintendo’s classic franchises were not designed with the Wii’s unique controls or Nintendo’s new audience in mind.

Therefore, Nintendo is focusing more on innovation and exploiting its new audience than appeasing the fans they have had for years.

But who can blame

Nintendo?

This new strategy is a business decision. Nintendo had to change its philosophy because of its decline in support from gamers who also own competing consoles.

However, the company originally lost that support by not supporting its console with games Wii owners truly want.

So get your Wii owner

something he or she can really enjoy this holiday season – another console.

lifeline@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Eric Joyce