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freebs2 on 06 January 2016
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Soundwave said:
freebs2 said:
Mummelmann said:
zorg1000 said:
RolStoppable said:
Nintendo isn't going to raise a wall between casual and hardcore gaming.

 

I think it is more likely that they will try to bridge the gap and make games designed to appeal to both sides.

 

That's basically what they attempted with the Wii U and its hardware design though; it didn't work out so well. I think it's a fairly bad idea to chase both markets in one product or setup. If the NX is indeed two consoles in one, they would be better off tailoring each unit to specific demographics and markets. The "one size fits all" marketing ploy is something only John Lucas sees as possible and it has never succeeded, not hugely at any rate.
Look at the iPhone, for instance, massively popular with more casual consumers but almost universally shunned by tech fanatics, Volkswagen Golf sells million to more casual drivers while it doesn't really appeal to those who want more excitement in their cars.
You can modify both the iPhone and Golf by offering a range of models with different specs, made so to appeal to customers with different preferences, but the products at their core, and their basic appeal, will still apply mostly to one specific overall group in the vast majority of cases.

If you chase two rabbits, you'll lose them both. This is exactly what happened with the Wii U and it could be seen coming from a mile off. Let's hope they don't repeat their mistakes and aim properly this time instead of attemting mass appeal and hardcore appeal all at once with one product.

I agree. But generally a radical innovative product in a mature industry is defined by segmenting the market in different and original ways. We are accustomed to distinguish between hardcore and casual gamers because of games like WiiSports, Brain Age, Nintendogs, Just Dance etc. etc. Before that we didn't make such distinction even though it's quite clear there are always been more passionate and more occasional players.

Nintendo won't raise a bar between casual and harcore games, because their new system will likely be designed with a different maket segmentation in mind, hence its target will be trasversal to casual and hardcore players and also trasversal in terms of plaforms adopted (Smart devices, handhelds, console and PCs). That's the reason why they are a creating a cross platform account system.

In other words, the aim is to render the difference between hardcore and casual gamers irrilevant.

 

There's nothing wrong with market segmenatation. Some people are confusing this as a problem when it's not. If for a certain group of gamers a dedicated home console/portable just has the features/functionality that can create the games that scratch their particular itch .... *great*. For casuals if smart devices that provide tons of free games that are constantly updated with new content, on a shiny big HD display, with no complicated buttons or joysticks needed ... *great*. 

What the Wii addressed was not market segementation but a lack of games being made for casuals in 2006 period, which is no longer a problem today as thousands of games are available for this audience now, just in a different way. 

Market segmentation is just the sign of a good, maturing, evolving market. Some people like Coca-Cola. Some people like Sprite. That doesn't mean you can mix both and both crowds will like it, in fact, what is far more likely is you end up creating a drink that no one likes because it ruins the unique individual flavor of both. 

And that is (one of) the problem with the Wii U .. it's a system that wants to be something "both sides" can enjoy, but it ends up being a product that is dissatisfying to both groups. 

You pick one side of the road to walk on, if you chose to walk down the middle of the road, don't complain when you get run over. 

Creating a new product with a different market segmentation is not a sign that the current segmentation is wrong, its just a sign there's an hidden demand or that you could cater to a certain target (not described in the current segmentation) more effectively. Creating new products using different segmentation criteria is someting that happens quite often in many competitive markets.

There wasn't a lack of casual games before the Wii: Ps2, GC had those too: party games, eyetoy games, music games like guitar hero. Also, many sports games like FIFA and PES could be considered at least partially casual games, since a large share of player are soccer fans who aren't really interested in playing anything else.

You're analogy of mixing Cola and Sprite is good to describe the WiiU, but it's not what I'm talking about. The WiiU didn't try to cater to any particular new or trasversal segment, in fact it was created with the attempt to cater former Wii users and former Ps360 users (both already existing segments).

If you use the example of Soda, a trasversal way to enter the market were Sprite and Coke are competing is to produce orange sodas or energy drinks. You're still producing soft drinks but you are not trying substitute neither Sprite or Coke, you are making a product that can appeal to a certain share of both markets, plus to some people who don't like neither of those.