Nintendo Devising Its Comeback

R

Rich Tate

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
5,955
I have to say that I never saw the console wars shifting the way that it did or that Nintendo would presently be firmly at the top of sales. According to the Big N however, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“We have about 25 people call or stop in asking about the Wii every day,” the clerk at an EB Games retail store here said on Tuesday night. “When we get a few units they just disappear. It’s almost like people are camped out waiting.”
Click to expand...
 
This quote from the article says it all "Games like Nintendogs for the DS have pulled in girls and women, while the Wii’s easy-to-use style (you just wave the controller around) has made it a must-have in households that would never consider buying an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3". Nintendo isn't trying to get the "hardcore" gamer they want EVERYONE to buy their systems and games. If Nintendo can keep the momentum going they will be the one at the top of the pack in the long run.
 
Nintendo is back, no doubt about it.

Its fighting the 360 for the #1 spot and it just might get it.

I don't like the wii, its underpowered, I don't like any of its games and the controller looses its appeal quite rapidly, but that's ok for nintendo since I'm not a target, they are targeting kids and casual gamers and that's a huge market. Parent's will think twice about buying a 360 much less a PS3 for a kid but get a Wii instead, simply because its cheap and it has kid games.
 
I think one thing that emphasizes your points is the fact that N chose not to discuss their upcoming blockbuster games.

They know those titles will sell well with little marketing. All people need is a date. Let's talk about the new games we are making that take advantage of the control system and introduce those to our broad market.

I honestly hope the Wii sales aren't a fad, and with the DS still rolling strong I'm inclined to believe it isn't, but I am a big N fan so maybe that's just personal hope. ;)
 
Nintendo is doing for consoles what WoW did for MMO's. Instead of fighting over a relatively small market population they design their product to create a whole new section of the market in which they have a monopoly.
 
Dont get me wrong the wi is pretty damn fun but I think the wowness will wear off and sales will fall
 
rcf1987 said:
Dont get me wrong the wi is pretty damn fun but I think the wowness will wear off and sales will fall
Click to expand...

6 months and people are still camping out for it, 6 months and you rarely ever see them on store shelves, not due to a lack of production, but due to incredible demand. Of course sales will even out but I don't think they will crash as if everyone came to some drastic realization or something, it would have already happened.
 
I think Nintendo got it right. Basic economics: Consumer tastes and preferences have been the same for a long time in the videogame industry. Those tastes and preferences split the general public into two broad categories: hardcore gamers (us) and everyone else. So consoles from Microsoft and Sony were designed to tap into the market of people who (theoretically) want the best graphics, fastest CPUs and action-packed shooter games. Nintendo bet on a different market, but the GameCube was so similar to the other consoles (same controller style play) that it remained baffling and confusing for many of the average Joes and Janes Nintendo was trying to attract.

Then the Wii arrived. The controller is so much different now, it is no longer a baffling mass of buttons and triggers, instead it is almost "point and click," you just wave it around when you want your character to do something. The interactive "Miis" are fun for almost everyone, and I have seen friends spend hours just making Miis of themselves and famous people. Mind you, some of these friends will do that, then jump on their computers for rousing rounds of Counter-Strike: Source, so this Mii thing appeals to more than just kids.

Because the Wii is so different, and more accessible in the eyes of the average consumer, and the fact that it involves some movement to play (rather than just the "thunder thumbs" that people stereotype other consoles as to requiring), people are snapping them up left and right.

End result is that a change in consumer tastes and preferences causes the demand curve for videogames to shift to the left, especially for Wiis. The market for videogames has expanded from the 16-40 male base to something more. Nintendo just happened to be the one to tap into it. I don't think it's a fad, because with even some parents expressing enthusiasm for Wiis, the only way for the Wii-buying to end is 100% market saturation, that is, everyone who wants one has one. And people who might not want one today could end up wanting one next week.
 
I'll give Nintendo credit,they identified a niche in the game industry,and filled it.They targeted the family and casual gamer market,came up with a system just powerful enough to handle games that appeal to them,came up with a unique controller system,and put an affordable price on it all.I'm mainly a FPS fan,so I don't see a Wii in my future,but I can understand why it's been successful.
 
If you create an appealing light saber based fighting game, you will have filled created the next big thing. Get to it, snap snap, chop chop.

Screw George Lucas, call them Photonic Swords(c). Yes it's my (c). If you want it to put on your motion controller game box, just ask! I'm easy!
 
The thing about the 360 and the PS3 is that for the majority of games the cost makes them mutually exclusive. The same is not really true for the far less expensive Wii, which I believe many people are buying in conjunction with other more expensive systems as well as separately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top