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Wii May Be Succeeding in Widening Game Market

Posted by Zonk on from the oldies-but-goodies dept.

superdan2k writes "When Nintendo brought the Wii to market, one of their stated goals was to get people who didn't normally play video games using their console. Based on an article from the AP, it seems they've made some headway in capturing the senior citizen market. With the Wii's price point, and it being a good way to get people engaged in physical exercise, it's easy to envision it catching on with other retirement homes beyond the one mentioned in the article."

12 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. Indeed by 26199 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you'd told me a year ago that my grandmother would actually try a console game, I'd've looked at you most puzzled.

    But Wii tennis seems to have near-universal appeal.

    1. Re:Indeed by Allison+Geode · · Score: 1, Interesting

      if you only have an s-video connection, you don't need HD-DVD. save your money. also, not all last-gen consoles could play dvd: the cube couldn't, and for that to work on xbox, you'd have to buy a seperate kit. the wii itself doesn't go HD, it'd be perfect for you, and its smaller than most home dvd players, too: its about the size of 3 dvd case stacked together. you don't need to use the base and store it vertically if you don't want to: fits great on top of other things. the "but it doesn't play dvd!" excuse is a load of crap, seeing as how you can go to walmart and buy a pint-sized dvd player for less than many special edition dvd releases!

    2. Re:Indeed by Mr_Zed · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I know where you are coming from. There is this old age home in my city that got a Wii for the people and a bunch of old timers love the bowling on the system. The local news did an interview and most of them stated that during their younger lives use to love to go bowling but had to stop because the ball just got too heavy for them. Thanks to the Wii it brings back one thing they loved doing. At the time of the interview they haven't tried the tennis or golf yet but after they hold their first bowling league tornament they said they will try golf next. Also, half of these old timers said it's better than just sitting around doing nothing or just sitting around to watch some lousy show on tv. I am glad to see the old timers playing vid games.

  2. Not just seniors... by Gothic_Walrus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Lest we forget, the Wii has also captured the elusive 22-month-old demographic, as evidenced by this video.

    If that's not widening the demographic, I don't know what would be.

    --
    Goo goo g'joob.
  3. Do it for the kids by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm normally reluctant to bring a new tech into my house that will make the kids sit around turning into lumps. But with the Wii's apparent success in inducing physical activity and playing games *together*, it offers something that just doesn't seem to happen with the PS/3 or 360.

    So I find it interesting that the Wii cracked its way into *my* home: the home of a gamer who didn't want his kids (previously) to have a console. Now if I could only find one in stores...

  4. Too widened to find in stores by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Interesting

    OK, so I'm a member of the widened market. Unfortunately this widened market seems to be soaking up all the Wii's as soon as they hit retailers' shelves.

    Does anyone know when the northeast U.S. is supposed to have a supply to meet demand?

    (I know you can get them at Ebay etc., but they're pretty over-priced. And walmart.com sells the bundles, but I don't want to drop $650 initially.)

    1. Re:Too widened to find in stores by MtViewGuy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think Nintendo should publicly admit that Wii demand has far exceeded supply, and should seriously consider opening at least two more production lines--with one dedicated to the USA market ONLY.

  5. The DS started it by QuantumHobbit · · Score: 2, Interesting

    People seem to forget that the DS started widening the game market with titles like Brain Age and Nintendogs. The Wii is just an extension of that.

  6. No Doubt About It by Colourspace · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My wife, who has never played games in her life is now regularly beating my ass at wii sports. Tennis and Bowling. Shes scored 273 best score on bowling on wii, I've only managed 144 and I've been playing games for 25 years. Go, as they say, figure.

  7. what's that stray "may" doing in the title? by Tom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know for a fact that my Wii has people hooked who are no gamers. From my wife to my neighbour, everyone who's tried it loved it, and yes it's the controllers, the fun-factor, the "fuck the graphics, let's try to make an actual game instead of a tech demo for our graphics engine" attitude.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
    1. Re:what's that stray "may" doing in the title? by TeamSPAM · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I have to agree. My friend is a casual PC gamer and didn't own any consoles. He and his wife came over for dinner and we played some Wii bowling. She liked the Wii and mentioned that they might need one. Within 2 months, my friend got his hand on a Wii. That a sale from a person that wasn't really considering any of the next gen consoles.

      --
      Brought to you by Team SPAM! where we believe: "Information in the noise!"
  8. Physical Therapy ? by reachums · · Score: 2, Interesting

    My Friend's Father recently suffered a head trauma and is having problems with his balance and is a little slow to react. They are thinking about getting a Wii so he can work on his balance and his reaction time with the Wii Sports. It's a fun way to achieve those things, he is already using my friend's DS and Brain age to try and speed up his reaction time.

    I think that using the Wii as a Physical Therapy tool may be unorthodox, but honestly I think it might help him.

    --
    "Just call me Girly Blank"