"I'm Playing Nintendo!"

I had a rather interesting experience several years ago. Well, it was interesting because I made it interesting.

Anyway, it was the simplest thing you could imagine. I was just hangin' out with my sister down in the basement, watching her play Madden on her PlayStation 2. For me, this was one of those "I'm-so-bored-I-don't-know-what-else-to-do" moments in life. Why else would I sit and watch someone else play Madden? I don't even play Madden myself! I hate football!

So my sister got a call on her cell phone.

"Hello?........no, I'm just playing Nintendo."

Playing Nintendo?! You're not playing Nintendo! You're playing PlayStation! And that's when it hit me! Nintendo must be so widely-played and -known that it often replaces the term "video games". Video games are Nintendo. Nintendo is video games. They're interchangeable.

I've pondered this a lot since. It has actually been long enough to where Xbox and PlayStation are just as much a presence in the video game industry as Nintendo is. But those who are outside of hardcore video game culture recognize video games as Nintendo. Everyone knows who Mario is. And the majority of humanity has played Mario or at least seen it being played. What big franchise does Sony have? Or Microsoft? Whatever the answers, I do not believe they are even close to the same league as Super Mario Bros. Nintendo is the people's choice!