The current holiday buzz on the lips of stay-at-home moms and soccer dads (they're the ones that tuck in their polos and wear a brown belt with shorts) is the Nintendo Wii shortage, and how they desperately need to acquire one for their child. With the focus on Wii as a holiday gift, it's easy to think that the average Wii owner is an arm flailing Wii Sports' Boxing player, but Nintendo says differently.
Nintendo says that the average Wii owner is 29 and is not focused on Wii Sports. They say that this new demographic data shows that Wii owners are core gamers.
Company president Reggie Fils-Aime also points out that Wii's attach rates are higher than the PS2's for the same period, which shows that Wii owners are buying and playing more than Wii Sports. Are they buying third-party games?
In a conference call on Friday.Fils-Amie was asked about the quality of these third-party games.
"Any system will have a range of quality," said Reggie. He went on to say that developers are "working hard" to push the limits of Wii hardware.
Does an average age of 29 and a high attach rate really mean that Wii owners aren't casual gamers?
[Via PC World - Thanks, JR]
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site
Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Contest:
10:20 AM on 12.17.2007
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i wish my daughter would hurry up and learn to walk and communicate better so i can start bangin some single lonely soccer moms... hell, they dont even have to be single.
which reminds me, i just sold me wii to a single mother of three. figured she and her kids would get more use out of it than i did. it is the season of giving after all
Sadly, Zack & Wiki is selling like ass. I need to grab it before it disappears.
RE 4 being a good example of a quality third party so called "core" game which sold well on the Wii.
For lazy developers it's convenient to use the hardcore/casual argument as an excuse for utter crap. I don't know how they have the balls to talk about lack of third party sales on Wii, after the crap which has been released by third party developers for that system..
Oh and the higher attach rate in the same time period? Maybe people are just replacing old/broken PS2s and already have a game collection.
Maybe I'm just a synic.
i've been playing games since before i could read or write and i consider myself a hardcore gamer.... and as of late i've been doing nothing but cookin' my Wii with Endless Ocean, U R MR GAY, No More Heroes and a little of Geometry Wars: Galaxies.
i wouldn't say having a particular system defines what kind of gamer you are, but i'd have to say something about the time one invests in a particular game and the amount of time they spend within several games.
hardcore gamers need to play games, not make their arms sore boxing their bro.
bro rape is on the rise
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3zvTRQr7ns8
a dildo is a toy.
the Wii is a gaming console. last time i checked, a toy game were the monochrome screen pieces of crap i stopped playing when i was 6.
the wii has mario, thus it's a gaming system, not a toy.
It seems that the Wii is great for gamers who prefer Japanese games.
Bigger TV = less room for games! Duh!
You can't argue with that math =P
more then the 10 in a dozen fps games nowadays.
nothing can beat the gameplay of a good mario or zelda game.
The Wii is a huge fad, many people bought it because its unique, I'm sure many of those people haven't touched it in months, this is just more flapping of lips by guys on top at Nintendo.
And I laugh at anyone who thinks that No More Heroes will sell, a highly stylized violent game made by the same dude who made Killer 7.
On a console where its selling game is fucking Wii Play and Carnival games was on the top for a month or 2. Yea, No More Heroes will appeal to a huge demographic allright, that is if even the fans understand it.
A console is on the market to sell games to as many people as possible, not to satisfy people on blogs such as this. It's a simple business concept which can be found in every other medium of entertainment, if this business model is a "fad" then it's a long fad that just won't end.
rubadub wrote: Anyone who labels themselves "hardcore" at anything is a big FAIL
QFT. Only porn and punk can be hardcore.
Thing I don't get is why the fuck everyone is so worried about the games everyone else is playing? Play games that you like.
It just depends on what your interests are. As grrza said, play what you like instead of fighting about which console is the best, or more "core." That way you enjoy the games no matter what anyone else thinks about it. People keep saying the Wii is a fad --- That doesn't matter, because fad or not, it, on its own, has already made Nintendo enough money to carry them into the next generation, and people obviously want to play it, because mailmen are being stalked to get one. That's got to say something, right?
"many people bought it because its unique"
QFT, couldn't have said it better myself. The control scheme is the most qunique and different of any game system to date, and it works well if exectued right, i.e. Mario. If I'm by myself I'm usually playing my PS3, if I'm with family or friends and the urge to play comes up then its usually the Wii. I own a grand total of 2 games for the Wii, Mario and Zelda, while the PS3 I own 5-6 I believe. I wouldn't call it a "fad" but I'm having trouble finding a better word to use. Because it appeals to more people, not the quintesential gamers, that's the reason its selling so well. Shoot my parents even played it when I got it, and I don't think either of them has played a video game in at least 20 years. Would they have bought it if I hadn't, probably not, but they did enjoy it.
Seriously....
As for the core vs. casual debate, who cares? If you like playing video games, does it matter which side you fall in? If you play, you're cool in my book. Don't care if you like playing mini-games, FPS, puzzle games, RPGs, whatever...you play them, you're a gamer.
I'm enjoying the hell out of my Wii, and I've found plenty of first and third party games that are keeping me entertained. For the flamers: if it's not for you, it's not for you. But stop fucking whining about how the Wii is a toy or how casual games are going to destroy the industry. You sound like bitches complaining because other people can find fun in things you don't enjoy. Same with the PS3: there's games out there to have fun with on the system if you stop moaning for a moment and actually look. More will come in the future. If you're too damn impatient, buy a 360 or maybe check out some games from the previous generation you overlooked.
27. check
action/adventure. check.
I don't care what demographic they call me, as long as they keep making good games.
As for 3rd parties, put your monkey where your mouse is, and they'll do the same.