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Akvod on 12 April 2009
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Kenny said:
Akvod said:
You say there's going to be conflict and a war between "core" and "casual" gamers... but do the casual gamers even care for there to even be a fight?

IMHO, I think that Nintendo won't try to do another Wii type of console, or if they do, it'll be a mistake. I just can't see, if graphics aren't a selling point to casual gamers, why they'll buy a more hi-tech version of the Wii. Unless they come up with something just as simple to control (I think it's a mistake for MS to compete against the Wii with the Arcade. The biggest problem for casual gamers with PS3/Xbox is the controller) and unique enough to significantly differentiate itself from the Wii, I can't see why casual gamers would want to buy another one.

All other things equal, better graphics will be more attractive to a prospective buyer (ignoring the uncanny valley), so yes, graphics will count for something no matter who you're selling to.  That said, the key to understanding the Wii's success comes from knowing at what point pouring resources into graphics cease to generate as big a return on investment as paying attention to other aspects of the game.  By capitalizing on these other aspects and rolling them into the Wii's successor at a hardware or firmware level, it's very possible for Nintendo to put out a new system and hold the lead in the Eighth Generation.  The literal million dollar question here is what other aspects will bring their new audience back for more, and what they can do to counter the inevitable copying of ideas from Microsoft and Sony.

Why didn't Grandpa and Granma buy PS2's last generation, and go for Xbox 360's or PS3's this generation when they clearly have better graphics than the Wii?

Because it's a pain in the ass for a person unaccustomed to dual analog sticks to use and control it, while anyone with some basic knowledge of tennis, golfing, etc can instantly play Wii sports.

I don' think those casual gamers would be interested in buying a more powerful Wii, because graphics aren't even an factor for them.