Continued...
Nintendo has very successfully made a point that could have an immeasurably significant impact on the entire videogame marketplace: Everyone wants to play videogames, but not many people want to play our games.
Uh-huh. They made a point which was proving they could sell their console, thanks to the clever and very agressive marketing campaign, coupled to the lower available price on the market - but still incredibly expensive for what it fundamentaly is - and the fact that we're dealing with a recognizable brand.
Now, to say that this proves everyone wants to play video games... it's a conclusion I would not jump to. It seems to have reached more people, but I'm not very convinced that the audiences have changed that much. And until we get a good look of the profiles of the Wii owners, I think all those glamorous claims we hear all over the internet are to be considered with much precaution.
Does that new kind of owners represent a solid basis, one that is now firmly convinced of spending a noticable amount of money in video games on the long term, for decades?
Even more, the good sales of the Wii, notably in Japan, is largely explained by the utter lack of competition. No one can see the 360 sales rising, and the PS3 sales won't start to kick in until many hits are available, with a machine's price significantly reduced.
The japanese market is an oddity on its own.
NPD sales charts show that the Wii does not even manage to sell twice the amount of the many years old PS2.
When you look at the sales in the rest of the world, the 360 is nearly 5 millions units sold ahead of the Wii. Of course, the 360 also had a one year head start, and the console's monthly sales are below the Wii's everywhere now.
Not surprising either, the Wii's been doing better, in its first sales months, than the 360 (not far from the double), in the US.
But again, the price, and other factors, play a large role in that.
The PS3's and Xbox 360's prices are also higher, and the 360 is a Microsoft machine. This might play against the console, due to the company's image, which often appeared negative over the decades. It may not be a brand affectively associated to gamers, safe possibly in the US.
I'm not here to bash Nintendo. I have no reasons to. But the numbers
really need to be put in perspective.
There's also no doubt that the console will finally sell far more units than the higher priced consoles.
In the end, you're still spending at least 240 quids to get a decent Wii package to boot, for what is just a game console, not a multi task, multi purpose and entertainment machine.
That does not sound very casual, when put in contrast with the "real" casual PC and mobile phone stuff.
The Wii sells more. Doesn't mean it's some products are necessarily shaping the whole market in a different way.
However, what also matters is also the games sales, and what kind are working, and how much this could turn novel customers into long term ones for the next years.
Besides, Wii Play and Wii Sports have made good numbers because they were directly associated to the console's sales, as in bundles [http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1&product_id=B020070S], packs [http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-RVLSWCUSZ-Wii/dp/B0009VXBAQ] and special offers [http://www.simplygames.com/info/15033/Nintendo-Wii-Console-Sports-Pack--Wario-Ware-Smooth-Moves--Wii-Remote-Grahics-Pack-WII] (an example for Wario Ware).
In fact, Wii Sports shipped nearly 9.5 million copies worldwide. I guess that's because everyone wants to play Wii Sports.
Didn't Microsoft deliver numbers which showed that in the end, their console was selling much more games than the Wii, notably for games unrelated to packs and bundles?
Once again, what largely drives the Wii right now is principally first party games, which have
absolutely nothing to do with the casual market (if there's anything like a true and solid casual market on the Wii), just as much as Resident Evil 4 & Call of Duty. As for the others, yet, how many of those games do sound casual?
Zelda? Mario? ... Metroid?
Let's not either forget that the good sales of certain products are essentially boosted by their "novelty", or more appropriately, the lack of competition in the console's early stages.
The console works better as a social machine, but seems to drive off certain hardcore gamers at the moment.
Keeping them means putting as much efforts on the harcore branch as ever, with products for them.
Which will just emphasize the actual situation even more: the Wii lives because the various degrees of classical gamers support it, and it will not get better in the future. The "casual" market will grow a few more numbers, but will be nothing more than sugar coating. A coating that may be thicker than on other consoles, but coating nonetheless.
