Gamers who are grumpy about the Wii's overwhelming success have often chalked it all up to the console's marketing and popularity, but they weren't alone -- market researchers and analysts alike publicly considered the idea that the little white console was fueled by its own hot reputation, but would fade out of the public eye after the hype died down.
DFC Intelligence, a market research and analysis firm, has spoken out about their take on Nintendo's little cash cow, and now only do they think that the Wii is not a fad, but that it also has the potential to become one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Who'da thunk it?
Not factored into these predictions (in print, anyway) was the fact that Nintendo has delivered a two-part punch to consumers with the release of the Wii itself and now Wii Fit, cleverly keeping their interest high while implementing new ways to use the console. It's genius marketing for sure, and if they keep it up I have no doubt that these predictions could be right.
However, as other consoles continue to push the envelope with graphics and online capabilities, the Wii still falls (intentionally) behind. Do you think it'll hurt Nintendo in the end? Or will they have come up with some new master plan by the time that the difference becomes a deal-breaker?
[Via Kotaku -- Thanks, Joe]
Contest:
4:50 PM on 07.02.2008
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Is one of the requirements for a game analyst job to be certified mentally retarded?
1. The success of the Wii took game developers off guard, wich is why we havent seen anything decent. And as a result we'll see a heap of hardcore games announced at E3.
2. Developers still dont care to spend time developing something decent on the Wii, and just release shovelware.
No hardcore games are announced at E3, wich means we hardcore gamers can finaly declare the Wii dead (for us).
@Projectexodus: I agree with you 100%. Hell, the popularity of the Wii caught Nintendo off guard! It's no surprise that the developers didn't see anything in the Wii. The success of games like GH3 and Rock Band on the Wii should be enough proof that people are getting tired of the cutesy games for which the Wii is condemned by the fanboys.
I don't necessarily care about shovelware as long as the game is deserving of it. Case in point -- Okami. OMG, that game is so-o-o f**king awesome! That's the kind of shovelware that I'll be glad to take. Sadly, Okami is in the minority of ported games that are worth buying.
Though once hardware sales of the Wii drop, Nintendo will announce a new machine with graphic power equal to the PS3 and 360.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again: of my friends who are hardcore gamers, all but one have a Wii. The odd man out bought a PS3 like 3 weeks ago just for Metal Gear Solid 4. My only friend with a 360 is a very casual gamer, and he just bought a Wii as well. These hardcore gamers have been gaming for years, and every single one of them owned a PS2.
Why aren't any of them getting PS3's or 360's? Survey says: the games are unoriginal, and the price is way too high.
The graphics for the Wii are underrated. One of the first games that I bought for mine was Need for Speed: Carbon, and I think that the graphics are very nice. I've heard that the latest Need for Speed is even better looking.
Unfortunately, you seem to be falling into the same falsehood that the rabid asshole fanboys love to spout -- graphics == gameplay -- which is a complete fallacy. Graphics are only one part of the equation. Look at the outrage from the GH3 Dolby ProLogic screwup, and that has nothing to do with graphics.
The problem is that the idiot fanboys (sorry for being redundant) continually equate quality with the power under the hood. They don't realize that what's under the hood means nothing if the games aren't worth playing because the gameplay sucks.
(And before I get accused of being some kind of Wii-lover, I just bought the MSG4 PS3 pack today.)
If graphics==gameplay the Wii wouldn't be selling at all.
Wii is selling because of it's novelty gameplay and because Nintendo is great at marketing stuff.
I love what Nintendo has done with WiiSports and WiiFit, but I don't think they can continue forever with those graphics.
Also the gameplay of a lot of Wii games sucks really hard.
If Wii2 sells as just as good, then I'll believe it. Until then I think it's jsut a bun cf overzealous non gamer types jumping on the bandwagon.
Mate that with an attrative pricepoint, bundled with WiiSports, it'll continue to collect dust on shelves in peoples homes worlwide.
Anyway, as stated by level-headed people before, from here on out third-parties ignore the Wii at their own peril. Some (like Marvelous) are jumping on the train; but the parties who refuse to deign and make "last-gen" graphics will be paying heavily with their wallets, as almost everyone involved in HD gaming is losing profits right now.
Certainly plenty of people that have heard of these new fangled video games before the Wii have purchased said console. However they certainly do not account for the vast majority of purchases. I have no idea what percentage of purchases they account for...
@John B
No, I am quite certain that most of the complaints stem from the lack of quality gameplay available on the Wii. I can't really comment on it as all of my friends who own a Wii pretty much gave up on purchasing games after the awesome onslaught of launch titles that promised the moon and delivered a parisian toilet. I am curious what these awesome gameplay experiences are so I can suggest some of my friends pick them up though.
Also WiiWare, VC, and the entire Gamecube library.
Keep in mind, of course, that these opinions are fueled, in part, by the fact that for two-plus years I haven't been able to find the fucking thing anywhere.
Sure, Nintendo has brought new gamers to the market, but what are they going to do when those new gamers turn hardcore?
The Wii has numerous flaws. The online system is a joke, the controller isn't very accurate and seems like a cheap ad-on, strong third part support is not there (I'm guessing it will be trickling in "soon"), and the hardware is something to laugh about.
Nintendo is always a couple generations behind when it comes to the technology behind their consoles. The Wii is no different. The Wii can be compared to those cheaply made products you see on infomercials at 2:00 in the morning. It's a "spur-of-the-moment" console.
Sure, the Wii isn't a fad...it's a novelty.
They don't need a new master plan. They've been pretty much dominating in demand alone for the past year and a half, with little signs of that momentum slipping up. Yes, they know how to market and that has played a vital role in Wii's success, but I've seen it firsthand when people who don't normally game play games pick up the Wii and they're not just having fun, but an absolute BLAST. Sony and Microsoft are kicking themselves in the ass for not capitalizing on the casual market sooner.
The problem I keep seeing from gamer opinions is that those are always grounded in their long tenured history of being hardcore gamers. Sure, your (general 'your') opinion might be valid when speaking on behalf of gamers, but the general public (gramps and middle aged soccer moms) are just getting introduced to the medium through the Wii and could give a damn about how many polygons can make up a single character model or what the processing power is of their system. Novel gaming concepts will always trump technological know-how anyday.
Besides, I think a year and a half in video game console terms is a pretty good indicator that it is not a fad. All I can remember is Summa's constant flamebait of how the system will be a failure and how the games will be terrible...he may be right on one count (not that I'm going to be the one agreeing with it, I actually enjoy the Wii more than my other systems), but on the system's success, that you cannot argue. And to think, everyone predicted doom and gloom from the day the system name was unveiled. I personally think it is time for those people to stop making predictions at all anymore.
Personally, I think Nintendo is secretly listening to the hardcore gamers and their (our) desires. My prediction is that both the Wii and Nintendo's next console will be fully supported --- The Wii for the casuals and the new console for the hardcores. Either way, everyone will win.
@Alexradl
"Nintendo is always a couple generations behind when it comes to the technology behind their consoles." I don't believe that's completely true --- I wouldn't exactly call the GameCube "a couple generations behind" just because it used a smaller media or something. That console was pretty damn powerful --- More powerful that at least the PS2. If developers wanted to make a game based on raw power and graphics, the GameCube would have been the best choice for such a project.
What you say is true, but bad gameplay is the fault of short-sighted developers who completely miscalculated the popularity of the Wii. That is not the fault of Nintendo or the Wii, but yet they are always and unfairly what get the blame.
@Alexradl:
Spoken like a true, clueless XB360/PS3 fanboy. Do you and the other elitists get some kind of perverse pleasure out of being condescending to other consoles? They can't keep the damned things in stock because people want them, which means they're doing something right. Try saying that about 2AM infomercials.
And I say this is a Wii owner.
I was referring to things like the lack of serious online capabilities on the Gamecube and cartridges on the N64 and the lack of a DVD drive on the Wii. You are definitely right, the Gamecube was the most powerful, but things like the mini discs made it seem technologically primitive.
@John B:
I owned a Wii, but sold it 5 months after I purchased it. Is it just me or is the "your a PS3/360 fanboy" argument used anytime someone criticizes the Wii? I didn't see you comment on any of my points, you simply told me I was a fanboy. I never said Nintendo isn't doing anything right. They have done a brilliant job marketing the Wii.
A CENTER FOR ANTS?!!???!!!?????????
Cut the "Wii is not for the hardcore" bullshit. Since when are Zelda, Mario, Metroid, SSB, No More Heroes, Monster Hunter 3, and Fatal Frame not hardcore? I've been gaming for seventeen years, have an extensive knowledge of the industry and professionals, and the Wii is the only system I choose to buy this gen. I simply don't care about the direction of HD gaming and how damned expensive it is to get "the full experience," and the Wii satisfies my needs.
The next stop is for the Wii to surpass the N64's lifetime sales.
I think third-party support of high quality Wii titles has been mostly lackluster but I think things are finally starting to turn around and will most likely get even better next year especially with games like Mad World and The Conduit.
Evidently, I'm not one because I appreciate a console that innovates and isn't just trying to be a mini-PC with a few exclusive titles.
I already have a gaming PC; a 360 offers me next to nothing, and PS3 doesn't seem like such a sweet deal either really.
But I lose my hardcore title if I mention enjoying a little cheap console that allows me to do a lot of unique things I can't readily do on a PC...oh well!
Welcome to Destructoid, where fanboys leave their humanity and tolerance at the door.
I still think you're an asshat fanboy, and your pointless threadcrap just strengthens my opinion.
:P
You speak truth.
@DToid:
NOW YOU KNOW HOW MEXICANS AT MACY'S FEEL!
Not that I like to lump games in an "either/or" capacity, but saying that Mario, Zelda, SSB, and Metroid are "hardcore" games gave me a nice chuckle.
Come on man, I bought those games for my 8 year old nephew, is he a "hardcore" gamer???
Everyone remember, in the 80's Nintendo promised that they would prevent crappy third party games from being published on their systems.
I think now they should prevent crappy first party games as well.
Transformers the Game ( I Don't <3 you. I </3 you!)
Yes. Mario, Zelda, and Metroid are definitely for the hardcore audience, Metroid in particular. They aren't necessarily the pick up and play games that you would associate with the Hardcore crowd.
Age has nothing to do with it. I have an 8 year old cousin who owns at Halo 3. Why would his age make him any less hardcore?
I wont buy a PS3 until they are last gen.
People forget that not every gamer has a HD ready TV to play these great HD games on, so why bother getting a console for the graphics.
The graphics are not top-notch like 360 and ps3 but there are a lot of descent games out there.
The only things that Wii misses is the Capacity and the online implementation. (Online meaning online games because all the other online services are plainly neat.)
Even though there are more thing that the little white console could do without fancy peripherals, Nintendo seems pretty lazy on stirring things.
Still, Wii is a good offer on the Videogame Market.
- Rock Band
- Guitar Hero III
- Okami (now that it's been ported)
- No More Heroes (awesome game)
- Zack & Wiki (also an awesome game)
- Tiger Woods Golf (try replicating the golf swing on a PS3 or XB360)
- Need for Speed: Carbon (which actually has really nice graphics)
No Mario or Zelda in that list.
Man, you are so true, IMO too. My g/f went from a Nintendo fan, (ever since Mario 1, and she owns a Gamecube) and was all excited about the Wii, to now, as she told me, she doesn't care about Wii - and won't touch it, even when I bought her one of her favorite games: Dr. Mario. That says alot to me, and resonates completely with your quote.