When Nintendo announced the Wii console, the big boys scoffed. Sony and Microsoft both believed that motion gaming would be forever relegated to a niche market, and that hardcore gamers would stay with their relatively hardcore consoles. Five years later, both companies have motion-based products on the market and still fall far below the total unit sales for Nintendo’s “casual” system – a pretty clear indicator that Nintendo, as usual, was ahead of the curve.

Now it seems like the time of the Wii is winding down. The Wii U is expected to hit shelves sometime next year and there doesn’t seem to be much for Wii owners to look forward to. A new Kirby title launches this month, followed by what could be the most eagerly anticipated title on the console: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on November 20th.

As far as I can tell, Skyward Sword is the last big game headed to Wii; certainly the last big game developed by Nintendo. Some of the big multi-platform titles are still getting to the system one way or another, but the rest of the release calendar for this year and next looks pretty bleak for Nintendo fans, with not one major franchise making a return to the system before the Wii U launches.

From where I sit, it’s pretty clear that Nintendo has opted to leave the system with a bang, dropping a massive Zelda title which will surely be well-reviewed and financially successful, then moving on to focus exclusively on Wii U development. They’ve also likely got their sights on improving the market share of the 3DS, so it’s questionable how much time they may have to focus on keeping their previous console alive.

What do you think? Is this holiday season the Wii’s last gasp, or does Nintendo still have a few tricks up its sleeve?

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