Nintendo's Success

[dante]

So it seems like 's recent jump in sales being credited to "casual" gamers has become a pretty embraced theory. A lot of the hardcore gaming crowd feel pretty betrayed, and rightfully so. But can you really blame ? Is it safe to say Sony and Microsoft wouldn't do the same thing? They try to tap that crowd in little ways, but if they had the leeway to appeal to it more, do you think they would abandon their hardcore crowd as well?
I'm still undecided, really. 

[Brian Moy]

So it seems like 's recent jump in sales being credited to "casual" gamers has become a pretty embraced theory. A lot of the hardcore gaming crowd feel pretty betrayed, and rightfully so. But can you really blame ? Is it safe to say Sony and Microsoft wouldn't do the same thing? They try to tap that crowd in little ways, but if they had the leeway to appeal to it more, do you think they would abandon their hardcore crowd as well?
I'm still undecided, really.

I don't have a problem with it.  Funny you say that, as I see it the other way around.

Actually, the thing that has in its favor (as opposed to Sony and Microsoft) is that their systems are specifically for video games and that's all they do.    and  both market themselves as media players, the PS3 as a movie player as well as a video game player, the Blu-Ray player making it so expensive.  People like myself that don't care about using system as all-in-one to play and download movies, it means that the game player is forced to pay for extra features they aren't going to use.

Personally, I prefer a system that JUST plays games.  I don't want to pay more for functionality to play Blu-Rays, HD-DVD's, UMD's, or download movies.  I see as being more for hardcore game players, and  and  marketing more to a bigger casual/non-game player market.

[dante]

Very interesting perspective. My only issue is that seems to be abandoning a lot of their franchises, or at least neglecting them.

The Wii has become a part of pop culture, and that's not the stablest place for a system to be. People will buy it on a whim, and statistically most people don't buy many or any games to go with it. They just play Wii Sports at a few social gatherings, and shelve the system for the remainder of time. I think sales are going to slow down rapidly not too long from now, and may not have too many hardcore gamers with them.

Don't get me wrong. I love , and I love the Wii. I just wish they'd handle things differently, not that I blame them for going about their business the way they do.

[G.A.Pster]

I don’t think it’s because of casual gaming I think it’s because it’s so much cheaper than the others, some of the games are $20 less new.

[Josh Parr]

A lot of the games are shovel ware too, but the average consumer for the Wii being parents and small children they don't understand that those cheap games are crap.

[dante]

Some Wii games make the shovelware of the previous generation look almost playable.

[Brian Moy]

I don’t think it’s because of casual gaming I think it’s because it’s so much cheaper than the others, some of the games are $20 less new.

That makes more sense to me. 

With the economy especially tight lately, I don't believe the average person is able to buy new PS3 and 360 games for what they cost retail. 

[dante]

True. I suppose I just mean the games that specifically has been releasing. Wii Fit, Wii Music, etc. Which is fine, I just miss seeing more games from their original franchises. I feel like that's why a lot of people, myself included, bought the Wii to begin with.
I doubt I will, but I've contemplated selling it a few times now.

[Brian Moy]

some of the games are $20 less new.

"You're going to spend $20 a month on paper towels anyways.  You're throwing your money away."

[Josh Parr]

That guy is awesome, however a bit annoying. The new dicer thing he is pimping is a funny commerical.