For the past four years the Wii has survived the Next Generation War between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It not only survived but surpassed both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in hardware sales combined. It has not been until this recent holiday season that Xbox 360 has finally surpassed sales of the Wii. How did the Wii a system with minor improvements from the last generation of consoles do so well? What the Wii lacks in shear hardware is made up for with a strong first party software and clear goal for Nintendo as a company.
Lets start off with saying that the Wii is not a next generation console. It is not qualified as a next generation console because it is not a full high definition console and does not push the limits of online connectivity. Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are next generation consoles because they feature full high definition and feature a full robust online experience. The Wii does feature online but is mainly a second thought for most Wii games. In the later years of Wii there has been a movement to push the limits of online gaming with Monster Hunter 3, Mario Kart Wii, and Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition but these games are far and few between.
The Wii has done so well hardware wise because of a clear business model. While Microsoft and Sony were fighting over who had the best graphics Nintendo went the complete opposite direction. Nintendo pushed that video games should be fun for everyone not just for a few. Graphics were thrown to the way side as the shear experience of the Wii was marketed rather than how realistic the gameplay was. The Wii had become the system of the common man rather than video game player.
Lets look at the footage shall we! As one can see Wii commercials involve everyone not just the lone gamer. Notice something new about new about these video games commercials. You see very little footage of gameplay and more footage of people just having fun. Now lets move over to Sony. The first Sony Commercials were meant to simply leave you in shock in owe of the shear power of the system. Microsoft was more of the same letting you know that their system had more features than the rest. Microsoft has finally caught up to the Wii with it’s new advertising for Kinect. Sony is closing in fast as well and could upset the Wii if it can successfully market Move.
In closing the Wii has been losing in sales because it has done what very few systems have done which is saturate the market. The last system that was so widely owned by Americans was the Playstation 2 which still has games in being developed for the system. Nintendo has a hard fight for 2011 and needs to promote a solid software lineup as they did in 2010. Metroid Other M, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Kirby Epic Yarn, and Donkey Kong Country Returns are all amazing games and Nintendo will have to do some hard work to match the caliber of software.
Grant Gaines
December 28, 2010 at 4:33 PMI would disagree, there are a lot of reasons that the wii did so well for so long.
1) It was basically a gamecube which lead to instant turn around for… yeah =P this gave rise to sales.
2) the target market is completely different than the ps3 and xbox, since its basically a monopoly they didnt have to worry about “which version is better” and all that. Most wii games were made just for the wii, where as titles “hardcore” communities would favor like Bioshock have no presence on the wii.
3) The cost, it started at 250. When sony wanted 600 vs 250 this was part of the same reason sega lost to nintendo. They had a better overall product but the cost of that product far outweighed consumer interest. The turn around was over the other consoles becoming far more affordable to everyone. In some places you can obtain a xbox for less than a wii.
4) The wiiware market is basically all exclusive, while some titles are NOW moving over… as a whole many games that we could see on other systems arnt there. Like Contra/Castlevania/etc rebirth
5) Production budgets are lower. This leads to shovelware obviously… but a lot of games even JP side are exclusive to the system due to the low cost.
6) Stronger titles, on the xbox vs ps3 front… Exclusives are much like mario vs drake, link vs master chief, etc. However a lot of “bigger” titles moved from other platforms to a wii setting.
Tatsunoko vs capcom + “All stars”
Anime games for the most part, there is no one piece game but 2 rpg’s on the wii. Same for a lot of other anime’s.
Taiko no tatsujin (former ps)
Exclusive FF titles
While the core concept is true, the wii won more so due to a nearly completely unique line up and an insane savings to the average gamer.
KL
December 28, 2010 at 5:35 PM“It is not qualified as a next generation console because it is not a full high definition console and does not push the limits of online connectivity.”
Says who? Is there some console gaming standards body that determines what constitutes a “next generation” console? Isn’t “next generation” a pretty useless term anyway, since this generation of consoles has been extant for several years already?
Before it was the Nintendo Wii, it was codenamed the Nintendo Revolution. And revolution it was. Sony and MS were in high-end gfx arms race while Nintendo went and turned the whole world of console gaming on its head. Now you’re so-called “next generation” consoles are racing to catch up with the Move and Kinect.
If any of the current crop of consoles should be called “next generation”, it is the Wii – PSX, Saturn and N64 were truly next generation because they changed the whole console gaming paradigm with the advent of 3d graphics and 32/64-bit processing and vastly expanded storage space in the case of PSX/Saturn with their replacing of cartridges with optical discs. All PS3 and X-Box 360 are are evolutions of this same paradigm – trying to do the same thing those original 3D consoles did, only bigger and prettier. By contrast the Wii continues to change the console paradigm in the same way the original 3D consoles did 15 years ago.
For reference, I am a proud owner of a PS3, and have never owned or played a Wii. But give respect where respect is due, Nintendo hit it way the hell out of the park with this one, and grats to them.
Truth
December 28, 2010 at 5:41 PMYou are forgetting the won because they are Nintendo.
Jacob Clark
December 29, 2010 at 12:23 AM@Grant Gaines-I agree that the price point was also a very big factor in the sucess for the Wii but I think that even “hardcore gamers” have fallen for the Wii even if they just own the console and Wii Sports. I would also say that the name of Mario goes a lot further in pop culture then the name of Master Chief, or Kratos any day. Even my great aunt who has never picked up a video game knows who Mario is because Mario has broken past the video game barrier into pop culture.
@KL-If it seemed like I was hating on the Wii in my article by not calling it a “next gen console” it was just mearly to state that graphics was not the main concern for Nintendo. I am a proud Wii owner and totally agree that Nintendo changed the way home consoles are developed for future generations. Some of the best games artisticly I think come from the Wii compared to 360 and PS3. Nintendo though has an uphill battle for 2011 since Move is being marketed as a step up from the Wii since their controls are almost identical.
Thanks for the feedback!
rekof
December 29, 2010 at 4:17 AMNo,.. but they took quite a risk with control scheme,..
Price point was and still is the biggest factor,..
I wonder how much it would sell at 350usd when launched,..it was about 3times cheaper as ps3 (with way bigger supply), and two times cheaper as 360,..
and it is still two times cheaper then ps3.
If anyone denies that price is the biggest and most determinating factor, when it comes to consumer purchasing will at more or less fixed income and purchasing power,..
you are laying to yourself,.. or don’t have a clue about economics,..
I am not hatting on the wii, I own one,.. and probably played more games on it then most wii owners,.. But sometimes some wii kids just piss me off,..
Axe99
December 29, 2010 at 6:08 AMI think Ninty has done a great job of carving out a unique market niche, but I think the audience they aimed at was very different than the people who buy 360s and PS3s, and bought PS2s and Xboxes last gen. I know I traded my Wii months ago, and don’t regret it the slightest, as for what I’m looking for in gaming (immersive, cutting-edge gameplay) the PS3 (my console of choice) and the 360 just do it better.
BUT, the Wii does accessible (but not generally deep) party and mini-games better than anyone which, combined with a number of brands that go beyond gaming (Mario in particular), have helped market this to people that wouldn’t normally buy a games machine. Combine that with a core of 20-odd million ‘Nintendo gamers’ (people who are particularly fond of core Nintendo gameplay mechanics which, while showing their age relative to what’s on the PS3, 360 and PC, are still great fun and are generally ‘classic’ setups which should always be appreciated – think the way that the original Super Mario Bros games are still fun to play) to ensure that core first-party Ninty games are successful on it (but because these gamers tend to be Ninty-focussed, the third-parties have struggled, even when they’ve produced quality software, which has been a shame to watch).
It’s a sensational success, but Ninty has to find a way to make sure that when it moves on to whatever comes after the Wii, it either:
– gets ‘core’ gamers involved again (as opposed to ‘Ninty gamers’)
– hooks in non-gamers with another gimmick
As if it doesn’t, it’ll end up like the Gamecube, and have to survive of the Ninty core again, which would be a shame to see happen.
Mamotte
December 29, 2010 at 8:35 AMThe Wii is a next-gen console. By your standars, all the consoles are last gen compared to a pc: Full upgradeable, best online experience, best graphics, psychics, 1080p is nothing compared to a 5000×1200+ in three 3d monitors.
The wii changed the world, even if hardcore gamers dont want to admit it, cos it chaged the way we play, and that’s more important than any ram/gpu/cpu/HD that u can get in the market. Sony and MS are following their steps, and thats a proof of it.
Lukester!!
December 29, 2010 at 11:31 AMTo the author, I do disagree with the statement that Wii is not next generation. It’s sort of a minor point, but when you say it with such authority and certainty, I simply have to point out to you the fact that the idea of a gaming generation is based on a major console release, which the Wii was. Even if Wii is a re-tooled Gamecube, it’s pointless to focus on branding Wii as last-gen. It simply is not.
JMoney
December 29, 2010 at 2:14 PMI was reading your article until you said that the Wii is not a next gen console. How dare you? Yes it has no HD and doesn’t rely heavily on online play but it did revolutionize gaming. In my eyes, Nintendo shaped this console generation. The Wii lead the way this console generation and for you to come out and say it’s not next gen is ignorant. As for the rest of your article I don’t know what it says but I don’t really care anymore either.
Jacob Clark
December 29, 2010 at 8:02 PM@rekof- I find myself lost as well being a hardcore gamer living in the Wii world. The 350 dollar price is a good point but I think now if Sony can ever bundle Move with the PS3 for lets say $300 they could really cut into the Wii market.
@Axe99- The party games are something that was very unique to Wii and still are. Wii supports more local multiplayer fun then online multiplayer which is another good reason to have. I like the fact that the hardcore gamer can have fun with someone next to you who has no idea about video games.
@Mamotte-Well nothing will ever compare to the PC because the PC is always upgraded year after year. The PC market is dying though because the console gaming is catching up. I had to get out of the PC market myself because of the constant heavy price I had to pay to keep up with the latest games.
Thanks for the feedback!
Jin nin do
January 6, 2011 at 11:36 AMJacob come on you need the get your facts straight. We had online games on the Wii in the first year. From brawl which some times sucked due to peer hosting to ea games which did not have friend codes. To the conduit and Mario kart. Also you have games like bomberman which plays 8 people matches with rankings. You have some of the first and best motion controller fps with online support a monster hunter made for online with co opt even.
The cool thing is most of these servers will not go down. You don’t see a list of nintendo made games that are going offline. Plus you can actualy play two players on this system with a bunch of games locally.
If you actually where hardcore then you would have loved the vc games along with the wiiware. Which has the best catalog of hardcore games period. You got most of intends hardcore games early too.
What is even sadder is your hd games are not even hd and they don’t even play as well. Where is the hd version of red steel2? Where is even a decent 2d platforming game?
Ok ok so hd gaming has fps right why are these games not even close to being better than the last true online fps king quake? The simple fact that cod, halo, and killzone are impressive while actualy lowering frames persecond is quite backwards.
20 million mariokart drivers with 10 million brawl gamers with 10plus newmariobros gamers say this is where the true hardcore is. Even Sony and ms knows this yet they know they can’t make true hardcore games which is why those games will keep selling.
The hd gamers biggest games are the cod series. The lamest fps out ever. Sure Wii fit sold a lot but your main sellers are too noobs and casual collectors. Even the game mechanics are busted.
Hd gamers are so retarded this gen that that knowingly buy a game from a company that has burnt them before and expect them to fix it. So far the only people falling for shovel ware is hd gamers.
I mean come on if you can’t tell a good game from a bad one in hd your hopeless in being an authority on Wii gaming or even claiming it’s not next gen.
You may want to pick another hobby casual hd gamer. Or you could learn a little more about what you are talking about so the 50 million of the 70 million Wii owners won’t look at your page like your a retard.
It’s only a gimmick if you don’t know what your doing.
Eco Friendly
January 20, 2011 at 8:10 PMWhats hattnin, yeuh dis blog right heur is ill, big ups PAAAATNAAAA.