A good example of why Sony Consoles always succeed.

[S.T.A.G.E.]

curl-6 said:

S.T.A.G.E. said:

I will admit that a large chunk of the PS2 base was casual, but we're not talking non-gamer casuals. There are casuals who buy one or two games a year and are fine with that. Im sure some people who had PS2's bought the Wii, but the PS2 in numbers was split right down the middle between the 360 and PS3. The Software sales between the PS2 and 360 and PS3 correlate strongly as well. This is why I keep saying that Nintendo was credited for expanding the market to a larger size than it was the gen previously. The market was never that large. 

Go to the games database on VGChartz and look up the totals of the specific consoles. Rhythm and motion gimmick games were huge on the Wii. They were big on the PS3 and 360 too, but the fact still remains that the consistent market when it cames to yearly purchases and genres were on the PS3 and 360 were stronger for a broader range of games.

The PS3 and 360 only account for the PS2 audience if we assume that none of the gamers that started gaming last gen bought a PS3 or 360, and that's clearly not true. For the mainstream casuals, the guys who don't go on gaming forums, but just buy what's trendy and play it with mates or at parties now and then, Wii was the go-to system, like the PS2 before it.

https://hbr.org/2008/04/nintendo-wiis-growing-market-o

Read up on the new market casual Nintendo opened up known as the "non-gamer" by opening wooing previously alienated consumers of all ages with a simplified motion driven product. Nintendo finally made a product everyone could be proficient with because it was dumbed down and the could enjoy. it was created using what is known as "disruptive innovation".  This explains why Nintendo had high sales but quickly dwindled and paled in comparison to the consistency (especially on NPD) to their competition who have greater purchasing habits. Just because Nintendo sold a 100 million...it doesnt mean it sold majorly to the same market, because the sales say otherwise. The majority of the casuals Nintendo wooed were not interested in long term gaming and even less than the traditional casual. 

This is why the Wii was called lightening in a bottle. It was a gimmick with great marketing at the right time and most likely will not be duplicated anytime soon.