I just read an article talking about game system sales for November. I’ve also been reading a lot about how people are still having a hard time finding a Wii.
It seemed a little silly at the time, but I’m glad we waited in line all day to get one last year.
It really is amazing that one thing has remained so in demand for two seasons in a row. I’d be bold enough to say the Wii is the must-have item for Christmas this year and it certainly was last year. Pretty amazing being as just 18 months ago, the geeks of the world were writing the system off as a repackaged Gamecube that would be the final nail in Nintendo’s coffin.
The sales numbers for November 2007:
Wii: 981,000
Xbox 360: 770,000
PS2: 496,000
PS3: 466,000
I think it says a lot when the last generation seven year old system outsells a newest generation console. I’m not sure if it speaks of the greatness of the PS2 or the lack of excitement for the PS3…or both, but that’s nuts. Even crazier is that the PS2 and PS3 sales combined roughly equal Wii sales.
Nintendo delivered – simple as that. They didn’t get wrapped up in the same old approach, they took a chance and they scored.
Yay, Nintendo!
When others were more interested in looks, Nintendo proves that fun is still the reason why people play videogames.
But where are the games? Seriously, I think the Wii is pretty cool, but there aren’t really any games that say I’d call killer apps. Apparently Mario Galaxy is a step in the right direction, but still. Beyond the controller novelty, I got bored with it pretty quickly. I’m playing an N64 most on it!
But that’s just it – gamers want 40 hours of hardcore action and online, multiplayer whatever.
The rest of the world wants an easy, fun timekiller.
The rest of the world is buying the Wii.
I dunno, Zelda is supposed to be a serious game, I’ve read/heard nothing but good about Paper Mario (I know you didn’t dig it), Mario Galaxy is being called one of the greatest games ever made in certain (fanboy) circles. Mario Kart should be just around the bend.
I’m not sure it really is a gamer’s system, nor that it was meant to be.
I wasn’t suggesting they needed hardcore games, I was suggesting they needed games period. How many mini-game games can they have? I’m not going to keep buying those over and over. Who is going to buy Mario Party 32521?
Like I said, I’m mostly playing Mario Kart 64 on it right now.
Nintendo rarely ever had any ‘killer app’ aside from a great Mario or Zelda game (which is why the fanboys supported them, those games usually rock and are exclusive), but Gonch is right, the rest of the world who doesn’t have that kind of time but just want to have fun are buying the Wii.
That’s why I want one. I used to have time and be a hard core gamer, but got out of it and had less and less time. I want one now because I’ve played it and it’s fun to play for short periods, and if I get adventurous and want to play for longer I can get other games.
You’d probably be surprised, Jeff. I’m in the same boat as Tekno – used to be WAY into games, but now it’s more of a passing time diversion.
Add to that the kids and it’s a recipe for Wii success.
I’m also guilty of the minigame whoring. We still play Wii Sports and have Wii Play, Rabbids, Wario, Carnival Games. One of the games I picked up for X-mas was Rabbids 2.
The mini-game thing is exactly the appeal. No commitment, easy to do for everyone. We can sit down and play for 15 minutes or for 2 hours. Everyone can play. I never saw Jamie play a video game until we got the Wii and with those minigame titles – all four of us can play together and given the nature of the games, it’s not just Dad whooping ass – they’re time wasters, not games of skill. Silly fun…blah, blah, blah.
I think the minigame thing is exactly why the Wii is so popular. Halo 3 isn’t going to sell the Wii – :generic collection of minigames with a different theme” will keep them flying off of the shelves for some time to come.