Writing for Industry Gamers, James Brightman suggests that Nintendo’s next pioneering move just might be in social gaming. Brightman makes his case by citing two trends: the booming social game category and the growing risks of console development. He points to Nintendo’s track record in developing casual games that are exactly the type of fare pushing social games to becoming a billion dollar category in the game industry. Then there’s the company’s IP portfolio, without a doubt among the most powerful brands in games and with a built-in audience for casual fare. He suggests that by no means is Nintendo hurting to rush into social games just because of a dip in its console business, as perhaps EA did with its Playfish purchase. Instead, Brightman sees the move as possibly the next forward-looking step for a company that seems to stay stubborn about technological trends yet always manages to pioneer in other areas of gaming.