Nintendo seeks massive conversion of those who don’t play games

The Wii is consistently sold out and even your mother owns a Nintendo DS. One would figure that Nintendo is more than happy with the profits from their devices and software. In a recent interview with MCV, Nintendo’s UK general manager David Yarnton still thinks that Nintendo has some work to do – namely with the two people who have yet to take the casual plunge.

From the interview:

We [Nintendo] really have only scratched the surface in terms of the number of potential users still out there. As long as there are still people who do not play video games, then we still have a lot of work to do.

A business always seeks out more profit, that much is certainly true, but what Nintendo wants to do is far beyond the typical realm of hardware sales. They want your grandmother, your infant brother, and alcoholic father engrossed in Wii Sports or Brain Age. Sure, Microsoft and Sony can play at the ridiculously casual market with stripped down consoles and the promise of an easy-to-learn experience, but is that opportunity actually tangible?

In my mind, Nintendo actually has the unique opportunity that Yarnton touches on. Nintendo has the ability to transcend preconceived notions of non-gamers and put themselves in a position to cater to everyone, even if it sucks for the hardcore crowd.