Grand Theft Auto IV. Gears of War 2. Guitar Hero World Tour.Wii bowling?
Yep. At first I was like, you’re joking. But no. Wii Pro Bowling leagues for money are the new senior bingo, and they’re popping up all over. (Maybe Madden will try it?) What’s been surprising over the past though year is how Wii has nudged its way back into prominence as a viable gaming platform right alongside PlayStation and Xbox. Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64 were always there, but those names faded when Xbox started blowing up and Playstation started juicing.
Now? Wii has overtaken both in total sales for the actual console. Another thing, look at the messaging. Since Wii first appeared and those crazy Japanese travelers went door to door, the Nintendo name has been almost non-existent in ads. As any wannabe in a tight field knows, getting a share of the lead is all but impossible without help of some kind. (ABC, NBC, CBS > Fox. Ford, GM, Chrysler > Toyota. Pepsi, Coke > everyone else.)
Wii did it by walking away from the Nintendo name. Risky, but when you have a unique controller and console, you need to shake things up. (Ouch). Just as important, they went after an older crowd. While boomers make up an increasingly larger segment of video game users, (26% of gamers are over the age of 50 according to the ESA), nobody seemed to pay attention to their parents.
Except Nintendo.
The platform appeals to a much wider base than either PS3 or Xbox currently does. Bowling? Boring. Not for that age group. The controller has a lot to do with this as well, encouraging movement for a demo that needs it more than teens, which brings up another point: Why hasn’t Microsoft pushed their comparable Zune integration feature more and go after grandma? MP3s for the grandkids, golf for grannies = wiin-wiin! Sure Wii got there first but Microsoft could still try and catch up. Or, even an iPhone PS3 adaptor.
Maybe even a virtual bartender feature so George can pour as many as he wants.
Tags: Playstation, Xbox, Wii
4 comments:
Wow, that is surprising. There were so many popular gifts, I mean, I could hardly find the digital frame that I wanted. Of course, I also couldn't find the xbox, so I guess it makes sense that it was this popular.
"Wii will overcome"
will sing the Baby Boomers.
The Wii has been an amazing case study. Most of us with our eyes on the game industry have known this would happen over the last year. They've just been doing everything "right" for mass market appeal.
And don't forget the DS in your analysis. The Nintendo portable device is poised to take over the top selling console of all time spot, with a total install base larger than the PS2.
Can't help but put some plugs in here for my show, since we've discussed the gaming industry on multiple shows. Here are some of the best:
World of Warcraft and the Gaming Industry
Gaming Industry Soaring Discussion
Our fabulous Year-End Show, featuring Mr. Green himself!
And see you on the show again this Sunday, Bill!
@Anon - I’m sorry you couldn’t find a frame.
@ET - Touché!
@Bob - Yep. I considered it with my 18-year old focus group at home who played handhelds like the DS for a long time, but moved onto gaming consoles like most of his friends who now play online via headsets. I also didn’t factor in the PC connection even though many titles are also released for that platform as well.
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