I can't shake the feeling that Capcom might have more than a valid point...
The number of Wiis purchased is growing--and growing fast. Nintendo's strategy to appeal to non-gamers with their console is definitely working, but I'm starting to feel that this strategy is something that is going to bite them on the ass...at least partially.
I was at a party last night that was made up up of mostly grad students. A lot of them didn't know much about video games. Someone brought up Wii Sports, and the reaction was amazing. I sat and listened to 5 people who admitted they didn't play video games each talk about how awesome Wii Sports is and how they would buy a Wii to play it. It was the first time I really believed in Nintendo's strategy.
However, that didn't last very long.
As the conversation went on, however, it became more and more apparent that NONE of the five people knew anything about other games for the Wii outside of Wii Sports, nor did they really seem to care. Someone mentioned Warioware, and the only response it got was someone saying it looked weird. Nobody knew what Wii Play or Wii Music was, and they weren't really interested when I described them. There was basically a room full of non-gamers that wanted to buy a Wii simply for Wii Sports.
This setup is good for Nintendo. Their initial Wii push and focus on WiiSports has hit their blue ocean they were going for. There's still quite a demand for the system. So far the tie in ratio with other games like Zelda is pretty good, too. But I think it's still fairly safe to say that the majority of the systems purchased at this point have still gone to games with the determination and know-how to snatch a console off the shelves the second it comes out. However, I have always feared, and it seems Capcom is also fearing, that when non-gamers REALLY start to flex their muscles on the console, that there'll be a lot of numbers, yes, but a lot of shallow numbers made of people who really aren't intending to purchase much anything else outside of what comes with the console.
You can get a non-gamer to play a game if you do just enough to make it appeal to them. But it takes more than a game to turn a non-gamer into a gamer. I think Capcom, and maybe a few other developers, are still unsure of the Wii's numbers because, though the number is growing at a surprising rate, they really aren't sure of who makes up those numbers. Capcom is right in that Nintendo is going for a broad audience, and that broad audience isn't unnecessarily gamers, but kids and grandparents. People who are interested in the console and the game it comes with, but still not interested in purchasing the harcore, mature games true gamers want. And if this demographic becomes dominant on the Wii, then to a lot of developers it won't matter if the Wii outsells the 360: The 360 (and maybe even the PS3) will still look more appealing, if it looks like there are more people wanting to buy their mature titles on those systems than on the Wii.
I think Nintendo's done enough to attract the non-gamer at this point. The console is a smash hit with them, and when Nintendo finally catches up with the demand, I think the Wii is going to catch up to the 360 a lot sooner than Nintendo expects, and definitely leave PS3 in the dust. But it's the GAMERS that the system is still struggling to appeal to. Most Nintendo fans are on board, sure. But a lot of gamers who might not be Nintendo faithful are still not swayed by the Wii's graphics, the wishy-washy controller (that no third party has yet to push into the territory of unparalleled awesome), and lack of mature and committed third party support (Dewy REALLY doesn't count). Nintendo has still got a lot to do if it wants to sway THOSE gamers, and they're going to need those gamers if they want third parties to seriously bring over their mature, blockbuster titles.
Nintendo needs to get it in gear and seriously kiss major developer butt and convince them that the Wii truly is for EVERYONE, and not just "everyone else". It won't matter how much the Wii sells if it looks like most of those Wii only only want titles like Wii Sports. Up to this point Nintendo really pushed and catered to the non-gamer. Now they need to shift their focus if they want Nintendo to really be taken seriously by developers and get those tried and true hits that are, so far, going to other players.
(ohhh, and I really didn't mean to write that much)
Topic: Capcom has a lot of Wii games planned, but... (Read 33506 times)
