Over the years the Wii has developed a casual gamer stigma as a result of family-friendly advertising campaigns and software released for the console.
Surprisingly, according to Nintendo boss man Satoru Iwata, this was all a “misunderstanding” and that it wasn’t the firm’s intention to focus on the casual gamer.
Iwata, in a recent investor meeting, said:
“We do not think that developing video games for casual or light users is the only way to expand the gaming population. There was a misunderstanding that Nintendo was dedicated to such games at some stage of the lifespans of the Wii and the Nintendo DS.
We have made efforts to develop video games that are in tune with various consumer tastes; however, we have not been able to gain adequate consumer understanding regarding our intentions, while in the common perception there are no or few core users playing Nintendo platforms, which is not the case.”
He also called for the company’s business strategy to focus on creating a “flow from beginner to expert” to help lead casual users into the core gamer setup, otherwise the video game industry would “gradually shrink”.
Sorry Nintendo, no matter how much you try to fight it, NOTHING will erase the memory of adverts such as this:
Source: Nintendo
nofi
“There was a misunderstanding that Nintendo was dedicated to such games at some stage of the lifespans of the Wii and the Nintendo DS.”
Rubbish.
Forrest_01
I think he means EVERY stage rather than some stage. XD
Their advertising obviously doesn’t help, but i have never seen either the DS or the wii as anything other than ‘family friendly’ (which in essence means ‘casual’ i guess).
Burgess_101
The DS has some great games out there it seems to have grown out of the brain training phase and turned into something with great games prof. layton springs to mind. Wii on the other hand has stayed in the same casual market for all its life span and the Wii U will fail as long as the normal Wii keeps getting support from zumba and the likes.
Jaffa-the-Cake
I think the Execs are on another planet. You can’t allow tonnes of shovelware party games and then say your console is hardcore.
Klart
Hahaha. What a joke. Now that the cash cow seems to have died (or turned away to the Apps market), they suddenly want to win the core gamer back. “Please, come back, it was never our intention to reek in billions with lacklustre games”.
cam the man
They may be suffering a bit know but it certainly brought the Yen in over the last 5 years or so.
R4U Eldave0
“while in the common perception there are no or few core users playing Nintendo platforms, which is not the case” *begs to differ* I’m not saying it was a bad move on nintendo’s part to go down the casual gaming route (because it clearly wasn’t) but saying they have a lot of hardcore gamers is complete horses**t
Sympozium
You never know could be millions of core gamers, The Wii as a great libary yet limited in quantity and the download store is probably the better (bit pricy but Retro bias hehe)
Forrest_01
With the amount of people that say their wii is “gathering dust”, i doubt that there are anywhere near millions of core gamers tbh.
Speculation of course, but i just can’t see that being the case.
Porcupine_I
Doesn’t the latest Super Mario Brothers play itself if you put the controller down?
TSBonyman
Looking at their continued Fischer-Price design ethos with the Wii U i’m not sure anything has changed.
TheDeathAvenger
It definitely does have that look to it, doesn’t it.
hazelam
yeah right, and if you believe that let me tell you about this bridge i’ve got for sale.
Forrest_01
Go on…
:)
hazelam
um, aww crap, didn’t think anybody would take me up on it.
right, there’s this bridge i “acquired”, and i need somebody to take it off my hands, it might have towers and a section that raises in the middle, but i can’t promise that.
i accept paypal. ^_^
Forrest_01
All sounds good so far, but you cunningly haven’t mentioned a price… Suck me in & then hit me with an extortionate price eh? Good technique – Kudos.
Am glad you mentioned a raising part though – I really need to repel those boarders from my castle.
hazelam
how about you tell me what you think it’s worth and we’ll go from there eh? ~_^
The Lone Steven
I’ll buy it for LOOK OVER THERE! *points in that direction and sneakily steals Hazelam’s bridge and towers*
TheDeathAvenger
I’d like to see them back that up.
bacon_nuts
I like how they claim they made a gateway console, to tempt people in to being hardcore. Really?
Sympozium
They do have the chance… its just that the Wii was overshadowed with poor western software.
Its sad that many core games would’ve been ignored