This is turning into a bit of a problem I think. On the front page articles, mostly the latest ones posted like the Microsoft releasing Mii like avatars for the Xbox 360, fanboys have been flaming at each other because Microsoft (and Sony) is apparently copying Nintendo's ideas and Nintendo should sue them for it. Well I am here to tell you why that is a stupid assumption.
First of all, Nintendo has NO legal authority when it comes to Microsoft or Sony using a Mii like service in their systems. The Mii's are avatars aren't they? Well Nintendo didn't create avatars or the concept of them. Email services and most online games use avatars; look at Tony Hawk and The Sims for example. Does this mean that Nintendo copied all of them? Also so everyone is clear, the Mii Channel is a very VERY essential avatar service. All you can do with a Mii is make their faces, change the colour of their shirts, alter their height and weight and to an extent, add facial features. The Xbox 360 avatar service however looks like you have full customization over your characters, being able to dress them up and have more creativity with them. Simply, the Mii Channel is nothing that crash hot to begin with.
As for wireless controllers, do I need to repeat what I've said countless times in other threads? Wireless was around way before the Gamecube controller. Remote controls are wireless, and I'm sure that keyboards and mice are wireless too. It was going to happen eventually too; I mean in 2008 do you expect to be playing games with wired controllers? None of the current generation consoles would be selling in this day and age with wired controllers. Once again, Nintendo DON'T own wireless.
So now I bet youre wondering "why did Nintendo sue Nyko over the nunchuck then"? The answer is because the Nyko nunchuck attachment infringed a number of copyrights held by Nintendo, such as the design of the nunchuck and the materials used to make it. This is as you'd guess, a little different than making an avatar system similar to that of Nintendo's. If Nintendo sued Microsoft for doing this, then that gives Yahoo the right to sue Nintendo for using it doesn't it?
Something you need to learn that half the point of business is getting ideas from competitors. I mean we probably wouldn't have Wi-Fi in the
Wii and
DS if the Xbox hadn't proved how much fun online play can be, because during the Gamecube generation Nintendo said online play wasn't necessary. Also if Nintendo didn't start using online play, this site wouldn't exist would it, therefore wouldn't that mean it's a good thing Nintendo decided to go with online? Companies getting ideas from each other shouldn't be looked at as a bad thing, its evolution and we need it to go forward. So stop complaining for goodness sake.