Ok, so well. Everyone always likes to talk about how the Wii has gotten people playing games who have never done so before, such as granparents and females on a large scale, but I think their is a certain demographic on the Wii that people always fail to reconize.

The Atari/NES boys. People played NES and Ataris as kids but lost interest due to the growing complexity of games, and some maybe just "grew" out of them, since until maybe the last few years gaming was seen as childish by people not actually into gaming. I think there are two major selling points that have brought them back on board in mass.

1. Virtual Console, originally when I was hoping the Wii could at least get back to the sales level of the N64 (mid 30s) I thought that this was the key. I the ability to play all the classic on one box would surely sell the Wii as at least a good second console to the PS3 (the assumed victor back in Mid 06). I think that the VC is moving ALOT of Wiis, more than we know, and it is just being overshadowed by MK, WiiFit, WiiSports, Brawl and SMG. I guess right now I would call the VC the sixth man of Wii killer aps. I first started realizing this when I would be in Walmart or BB and a man and his wife both in the late 20s early 30s would be "discussing" the Wii, most of the time the Wife wanted one and the husbend did too, but was not as sold on it... But when they found out that they could play NES games they "freaked" it is usually pretty funny too : ). Needless to say they always want to buy them at the point, but it is usually sold out...

2. The second reason is that the Wii has brought back the simplicity that use to exist in the old NES days. On the Nes controller you had, Start, select, a, b, and a D-pad. The Wii in essense for certain games is even less, with maybe just 1 or 2 buttons used. Many of the people who liked SMB, Excitebike, and Duck hunt becamed turned off when games grew into complex monsters. The Wii brings back that simple fun that has been really non existent in the last 15 years or so.

So to sum it up, The people who used to play the NES and Atari systems but soon after quit gaming are offered alot on the Wii, they can play NES games that take them back to their Childhood, or they can play new experiances on the Wii that have the same qualities they loved so much back in the day.

You're probably right, I was playing Super Street Fighter II and one friend asked.... Are you playing that on the Wii?

- Yeah! You can buy Nes, Snes, N64, Sega.... games.

- O_O Really!

hahaha, just too funny

Yeah, I think Iwata or someone at nintendo used to talk about their being lapsed gamers saying they needed to do something about it before it was too late.

Yeah I kinda fall into that category but being a bit younger I played the NES and SNES instead of the Atari and NES (althought I still have an Atari but it was my dad's). Then I quit gaming really (did some PC games mostly RTS and sometime during the PS2's time got an original PS1 to play FF but that was it) and now I have a Wii, DS (bought after my Wii) and buttloads of Wii, Gamecube, DS, and VC games :)

That's my demographic. I went to PC through much of the 1980s and 1990s. Then I got into the classic (pre-crash) and neo-classic (NES-era) games. I have kept creeping up on being current since then. But the Wii is the first generation where I am current, I got my Wii just six months after introduction.

Mike from Morgantown

That is my 2002-2007 era :p bought games but barely played them.... then got the wii in jan 2008 360 in may and DS in june. I do play more now than in 2002-2007 about 3 times as much i'd say.

This. I believe that was one of their proclaimed targets early on, when they were cautious about proclaiming their new demographic focus

While you are probably right I want to mention that Wii Virtual Console is the biggest rip off since 60 GB ps3 at 599.

First of all we are all paying money again for games that we own, have owned at some point. Secondly, none of these games come with any sort of new features but are straight forward roms.

And here is the saddest part of it all. There is a Gamecube Sega genesis emulator that runs on the wii of the SD card. That emulator actually makes games look better than official VC downloads. That's just sad...and it shows that VC has become a place where companies dump their old roms for a quick buck.

Xbox live arcade is the way to go for classic gaming but that takes time and effort on the gaming companies part...

 I mostly buy games I missed, Like Super Paper Mario (N64), Marion RPG, and others. BUT most people have not had their nes for years and years, and would like to LEGALLY play games again. Also, I do not think 5 buck is a ripoff for and NES game. I do have are harder time with the 8 bucks for Snes. I personally wish it was 4 for NES and 6 for SNES, and 8 or 10 for N64.

Right now I consider it "pricey" but not a ripoff.

i think the games were at their best in their original state, therefore i like that vc is the exact game with noting updated.