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« on: August 14, 2006, 11:27:18 AM »
In my mind, there are four major demogrphics in the video game world. These demographics are all very different, and Wii may well be the first console to appeal to all four. Similarly, if forum pessimists like Ian Sane or Mario are right, Wii may fall flat like Bandai Pippin.
The first demographic is the hardcore gamer. People like the ones on this forum. The hardcore gamer loves retrogames, so the VC is a big plus. The hardcore gamer loves innovation and genres like JRPG, space shooter, and adventure, which have fallen out of favor. The Wii brings the potential to revive a lot of these genres through open and acessible development and the Wiimote brings about potential for innovation and new gameplay. The only downside is that very purist hardcore gamers may hate the Wiimote, but for them the Virtual Console may be worth the cost of entry if there are enough new titles and translated titles.
The second demographic is the softcore gamer. He is looked down upon by the hardcore gamer yet looks up at the hardcore gamer with disgust and confusion due to kitschy tastes. He asks, "PS2 or Xbox"? and reserves every Madden and NCAA game that comes out. The softcore gamer's only other real interest is FPS games like Halo. Sadly, this stupid gamer is the main demogrphic today and all the schlock that sells proves that. Wii can appeal to these people if PFS and sports games work as well on the console as we hope. This softcore has little if any appreciation for classic games, so it's unlikely Virtual Console will hold much weight for them. It all rests upon the success of games like Red Steel and Madden. If these don't turn out well, this audience is gone.
The third demographic is the casual gamer. This gamer occasionally plays a round of multiplayer with their friends, and occasionally freeware PC games. They know little about games and feel that they "contribute to a lack of focus" or something else stupid. Probably a fan of professional sports like the softcore gamer, and also a fan of but cannot differentiate well between soft and hardcore game players. Games like Wii sports will appeal to this demographic and they may occasionally try something like Mario Galaxy. Usually has some nostalgic memories of Mario or Sonic, and annoyingly as hell refers to Genesis as "Sega" and NES as "Nintendo". Wii's success in this demographic lies completely on viral marketing success. This, more than anything else, is up to Wii the fans. We need to have people play Wii when they're at our house or whatever, and if (when) they're impressed the low price may sell them on a console.
The fourth demographic is a hell of a tough nut to crack. This is the non-gamer. This is your mom, your dad, your grandpa, your ultra-religious cousin. This demographic knows little. They need games like Wii sports and you to be there with them. Nintendo has been the first company, in my mind, to have truly succeeded with this demographic as demonstrated with Brain Age and Big Brain Academy. This non-gamer can be weened through people like us onto simple games like Wii sports and simple VC fare, and hopefully move up on their own.
If Nintendo can capture the hearts of all these demographics, Wii win. Otherwise, Wii lose. The biggest deciding factor is us, the Nintendo fans. We need to try Wii with everyone we know and watch the revolution spread. If we go out there and be proactive in lieu of Nintendo's bad marketing, for the first time in over a decade Nintendo will be the king.
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