The GC is the last Nintendo concole I really enjoyed. Almost every Wii game I've played has been lacking. I'm not even interested in the Wii U games, except for Bayonetta 2. Good thing for Nintendo they can do right on handhelds. Let's hope they don't ever screw that up.
Marketing 101: Nintendo
The console wars are underway! How has Nintendo handled them in the past?
For two generations, Nintendo had struggled to regain the market share that they had had with the NES and SNES. After the GameCube, the company took a completely different direction, even going so far as to say that they would let Microsoft and Sony battle over the high-definition market.
Yes, Nintendo was in effect bowing out of the console fight, and in doing so, came back into prominence.
Even though the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were touting HD graphics, elaborate online gameplay, and a multitude of media features, the Nintendo Wii came out from behind and took the world by storm. This was in large part due to the motion sensor controller (the Wii Remote) and the inclusion of Wii Sports. As the early marketing showed, as soon as people got their hands on Wii Sports the system instantly clicked with them. It soon became a must-have piece of hardware.
Huh. I didn't realize Jehovah's Witnesses liked video games so much.
Just as the GameCube was winding down and the Wii was beginning development, Reggie Fils-Aime took the stage. The then Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing soon became the face of Nintendo in the United States, much as Howard Phillips had done way back in the days of the NES. With his assertion that he was about “kicking ass and making games”, Reggie was initially seen as an indication that Nintendo was shedding its “kid friendly” persona.
Nintendo played lip service to the hardcore gamers with titles such as Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and Metroid: Other M. However, it was the casual market that was their true target. The idea was that if they could bring new people into gaming, the industry as a whole would grow. That’s debatable, as the Wii quickly became the mini-game party machine, with games like Carnival Games, Just Dance, and Guitar Hero trouncing most other third party titles on the system. Once the new audience grew tired of these distractions it seemed as if they simply wandered off. Still, Nintendo came to the table with a unique but underpowered console, and completely took on the big HD machines with no problems.
The Wii got even grandparents interested in games, at least for a while.
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