So..

We all harp on the 'casuals' thing for the Wii. Ok? Good. From this point we will refer to 'casuals' as 'normals'

Can we all agree that the next generation of consoles (all of them) will put some more focus on normal ppl because of the money-printing capabilities? Ok? Good.

Do we all really think that normal ppl gives a dam about brand loyalty in gaming? To some parts yes ("hey i want a nintendo!") but mostly NO. In fact, most normal ppl would have gotten their 'fix' with one system for their lifetime.

So where does this leave good old ninty, who has a majority crowd of normal ppl, in the next gen? Normal ppl will just see some luscious marketing and go for what looks......nice.

The 'core' crowds for each system varies.......and I say nintendo being......the smallest. Yea, I said that.

Why?

Take a look at the last generation. The playing field was LEVEL....not any normal/core differential like this gen. And what happened? YEA, you all can mutter reasons like 'no 3rd party support' and all that but let's be fair: THESE ARE NINTENDO SPECIFIC PROBLEMS THAT HASN'T SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF GOING AWAY. These reasons culminate to why ninty gradually lost it's fan base.

This is, of course, why they went the way they did this generation. And we all see it works. But how do they sustain next gen?

So, with the smaller core crowd (whether or not you agree) and their recurring problems each gen, how can ninty solidify such success next gen when there is no real brand loyalty, competitors upping their marketing to get normal ppl and the fact that most normal ppl won't bother to buy another system????

I take a look at two things (well systems really):

1) NES - Well we know NES saved the gaming industry or whatever. But how many of us, who are here now, have become serious gamers because of that era? How many of us started off as a normal person and then just stuck with it as the years went along to become an avid regular gamer? This can be considered, in some aspects, as converting the crowd.

2) PS2 - With a thousand billion PS2's sold worldwide and still being sold, there is bound to be a percentage of this figure (in the millions) that are normal ppl. So to this extent the system HAS done what ninty did this generation, but to a smaller extent. How many of these normal ppl graduated to a current gen system? I don't know but it's an interesting point towards this piece. Maybe they graduated to the Wii because it's a step more comfortable to them than any other.

Therefore, I believe, that if ninty, this gen, does something like in the NES era to somehow get these normal ppl to crave playing games on a more regular basis, and therefore create a brand loyalty, it will create larger chance of success next generation.

How can they do it? GAMES, MARKETING. that's it. Do it now so that normal ppl can get it etched in their heads that they actually like games, from nintendo.

Bottom line, if ninty can really convince/convert all these (wiisportsonly) normal ppl into individuals who genuinely enjoy games, then they have created a (HUGE) longterm market for themselves that would guarantee sustainability.

If they don't, well the next gen will be back like 1 or 2 gens before.

btw forums are all about reading so go flog a goat if this is too long for you.

ohhh those poor goats..

Well, what Nintendo does with it's position in the market place will be very interesting. The landscape might be very different, Microsoft will continue their push for the living room probably, but where will this generation leave Sony? Already bleeding throughout the entire corporation, they might have to adjust their ambitions in the console market, maybe establishing BluRay will be a success factor for them anyway and they will give up the hardware market to other bidders?

Anyways, if you look at Nintendo and what they are doing, it's all basically based on the singular vision of Miyamoto. It's all about accessibility and ease of use. So the question will probably not be how Nintendo will convert the crowd, but how Nintendo will continue to develop for the crowd. After all, people don't need to be converted into liking games, everybody loves games already. The key is to make games that people will be willing to invest time and quite a bit of money into.

So, further expansion into the mainstream markets will be their goal, the strategy will probably be quite similar to what they are doing now, marketing very broad and specifically go after the untapped markets. Why wouldn't they, they seem to be doing ok.

I know this sounds like some players worst nightmare, but in time they will also come around and appreciate how Nintendo once again is evolving the industry. The typical video game market is not a viable market for continued growth, the 16 - 25 year old males in the world is too narrow a market to grow as fast as the industry needs to, as evidenced by the fall of many of the players in the market when new powerhouses enter. The expansion of Nintendo will hopefully break video gaming out of it's public image once and for all, and open up possibilities for the industry that will only benefit everyone involved.

I didn't read the whole thing yet, but I would like to point out that last gen had the beginnings of the genre divide. When the Xbox came out, it was marketed towards what we consider hardcore today. The PS2 managed to rope in the casuals, the only difference was the PS2 had a stranglehold on 3rd party support before the original Xbox could really get going.

Nintendo has always been the industry maverick. The closest Nintendo ever got to "normal" as the games industry would see it was back with the SNES, otherwise, they've always gone against the grain. For the NES and Wii, it was to their benefit, for the cartridge-equipped N64 and the no-online GC, it was much to their disadvantage. Even with the Wii, however, you can see the errors that crippled the GameCube in spades. A backwards online system, an erratic first-party release strategy, and sour 3rd-party relations.

I'd imagine Nintendo has something up their sleeve. The "normals" as you call them largely want normal entertainment. By and by, they don't want space marines or elfen warriors, galaxy-jumping plumbers or badass archaeologists. Look at the top-selling stuff across the consoles: a relatively down-to-earth gangster game, fitness, sports, go-karts, and rock n' roll. If Nintendo can provide the superior model for normal entertainment, they can get the normals to upgrade.

Studies have shown just how sensitive the Wii remote actually is, add motion plus into the equation, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in R&D, then put in the kind of physics that the PS360 can do, and you could have a worthy successor to Wii Sports in terms of immersion, and light the fire all over again.

in all wii matters, looks at the DS, it shows to future.

just like the wii, DS has both normal (casual), gamer (hardcore) and core (nintendo fanboy) in its audience. the difference is DS got more third party support and therefore has a greater percentage of hardcore gamer. thats nintendos big task.

the depite the after E3 moaning the core will stay with nintendo, weve already seen that there looking to release more frnachises on wii than any other console.

the normals, may upgrade slower, therby nintendo will want to not rush out wii's successor first like everyone thinks. as the wii __ series draws to a close they will need a new hook, perhaps a nintendogs wii, or a completely brand new idea.

gamer theyll go where the third partys go and right now thats on the HD consoles. nintendo needs to bring them to wii and thats already happening. In japan they look to be developing a real stranglehold on third party exclusives. nintendo wont get many quality multiplats so exclsuives are extremely important. They already have the backing of sega and marvelous, and many more. with DQX and MH3 nintendo is bringing the gamer japan crowd to wii, and the 3rd parties will follow. This however is not happening the west. Ubisoft, Activision, EA, whist supporting the wii to some extent are not giving it their full backing. nintendo needs to change this and fast, in order to change the wiis image with the gamers before this gen is over.its gunna be difficult, third partys are styill having more luck with multiplatform HD and unlike japan there are no huge exclusives to amke use of. They could prob get a GTA game but the main title is already out. They've already used up most of their own major franchises.


so nintendo needs to get out some big games of its as well as preasuring for more exclusives These big games must appeal to the gamer as well as the core. the other tactic, is converstion. whilst bringing in new normals nintendo is hoping to turn these normals into cores. there putting a greater emphasis on the social abillities of online and releasing the play on wii collection to get the normals interested in nintendo's franchises. Theur stratergy worked with DS and im sure it will work with wii