Nintendo Valued at $85 Billion USD
Nintendo's diminutive, modestly-powered gaming machines have helped make it the third most valuable company in Japan, behind Toyota Motor Corp and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group - Japan's biggest bank.
Nintendo's stock rose 5.3 Percent on Monday, putting a market value of 10 Trillion Yen ($85 billion USD) on the once-struggling Japanese company.
A couple of new exclusive titles for the now one year-old Wii are expected to drive major sales: Wii Fit and the new installment of Monster Hunter. The latter, a Capcom title, was a big success for Sony's consoles, but further episodes of the franchise are not planned for the PS3.
The casual gaming market, an audience sometimes known as "sisters, moms, and girlfriends," has been an immense aid to Nintendo's success. Casual games, which typically have a shallower learning curve and demand less of a time investment, are quite at home with the unique, modular control schemes of Nintendo's systems.