The Nintendo Revelation

[coolie]

Remember when we were kids (I'm talking about those of us in our 20s)? Was it a system that only boys played? It wasn't. It was a system that everyone was playing. It was pretty much gender neutral.

When I was growing up, every girl was playing NES and loving it. They weren't alienated yet. They had no reason to not like video games.

What happened?

As the NES aged, Sega entered the fray, and they marketed Genesis to a group the could count on. Boys, grade school age and teenage. Their technique was doing so well, that by the time Nintendo answered back in 1991, they had to travel the same route, or lose badly.

Nintendo originally answered with some of the same types of games from the 8-bit era, but Sega countered this, emasculating the system in countless ads.

What I'm saying, is that Sega didn't accuse Super Nintendo of being "kiddie". No, they were accusing it of being FEMININE. Something far worse to boys, esp, in the society we live in, where gays are so viciously attacked.

Think about it. Sonic was a cartoon character, and it was being marketed for children, yet somehow Mario was uncool? Why? Because Nintendo used the same methods as before, using bright colors, and thematic elements that were gender non-specific.

As each generation has passed since then, Nintendo has had a rep as being the kiddie console. The truth is, it's the feminine one. Luckily, Nintendo has decided to finally embrace this.

Fast forward to today's systems, and you'll find very little that's female friendly. Most games are testosterone fests, with unflattering portrayals of women. Games, as they were in the early 90s, are still for boys only. Gamecube, the least popular system, had more games that women might like (think Pikmin, Animal Crossing, etc.), but because the perception of video games is extremely male oriented, women have stayed away.

This is why I understand what Nintendo is doing with Wii. They are separating themselves from the pack COMPLETELY. Everything about Wii is contradictory to the 360 and PS3, and video games since 1989.

Example 1: The specs for Wii are completely unrelated to the two other new systems.
Example 2: The control scheme is unrelated.
Example 3: The NAME is unrelated. Those of you who whined about losing the Revolution name didn't get it. "Revolution" was a name that could be lumped in with the other new systems. It makes sense. By using a ridiculously different name, it simple CAN'T be confused with the other consoles.

Which leads me to the most important part of this: when Nintendo said they were making Wii for everyone, they were LYING. Nintendo isn't trying to get the boys. That segment is tapped out.

They want the girls.

They're making a system that from a marketing and control stand point, cannot be confused with XBox 360 and PS3. They aren't even playing the same sport. Wii is so different, that it can't even be compared head to head.

And this might be the crazy genius of the system: to get women to take a second look. To tell them, "This isn't one of those machines." From a marketing stand point, they are removing themselves from the machismo. They're actually trying to look as little like a video game system as possible. They're trying to look like a different experience entirely.

This is the craziness of Wii, and what we've all been missing. Analysists have written the system off because in the current model of video games, it won't sell. Adolescent boys scoff at it. It has no place in the male-focused marketplace.

But throw analysis away. It's a totally different ballgame now, with different rules. To properly analyze anything, you need all the facts. Right now, no one knows ANYTHING. Wii is an unknown quantity until it actually launches.

Basically, if Nintendo gets the girls, they get a market totally untapped.

A market that just might make them #1. Can it happen? Who the fuck knows, but it's going to be an awesome trip.

See you at E3.
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[mrfreeze]

Metal Slug anthology was just announced as a Wii exclusive. I was pretty much already in their pocket with the backwards emulation thing, but with this and the things I am hearing they are planning with a new Madden game, they have me sold. As a side note, I hate sports games, and haven't really played one since Baseball back on the NES. But getting to throw a controller and having the football respond depending on how you do? I'm sold.
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[pipes]

>They want the girls.

I see...

I remember people talking about how they could get girls playing games.
Will it work?
<P ID="signature">The pipes clangor all the time!</P>

[Cornellius]

nt
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[Dark Knight Kain]

> nt
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http://dragonsbrethren.elazulspad.net/</a>
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[The 9th Sage]

> They want the girls.

I don't think I would say they only want the female gamers/non-gamers out there. You just said that in the SNES/Genesis era, games started alienating women, right? If all they wanted were these women, then why bother with the Virtual Console feature (which includes Genesis games, which seems to be what you were focusing on)?

No, those aren't for the non-gamer or whatever you call it so much, that's for the hardcore people like most of us. The old school folks. I'm sure tons of other people who buy the Wii will download the games as well, but I still think that this is a major lure for us I think.

There's already been some games announced that I don't think fit in with this women-only thought either...Metal Slug like Mr. Freeze was saying (and that rules by the way...I love Metal Slug), Red Steel...a lot of Nintendo's games you can't count either way as really, they are for EVERYONE...like Mario, Legend of Zelda.

I mean, they are definitely trying to tap into 'uncharted territory' but I really doubt they want to lose their current and past fanbase either.
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[thegodofhellfire]

> They want the girls.

I'd completely agree with that. But I don't think they're just after the girls. It's non-gamers generally, or long-since-alienated gamers they're after. To an extent, that's what the Gamecube was getting at, to a greater extent, that's what the DS is getting at (Brain Training, anyone?), and I think the Wii is going even further. You can fight over the adolescent male demograph all you want, but when your target demograph is the entire population, and you make a good job of marketing to everyone, and catering for everyone, you'll do much better.

Would my girlfriend ever give a second look to a PSP? No.

Did she end up buying a pink DS with Nintendogs? Absolutely.

My parents, and hers, were shown Nintendogs. Blown away in a manner Sony and Microsoft would never have managed.
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[maq112k2]

I can say that they still wanted the girls with the GameCube. My sister and I will occasionally drop what we're doing and just start playing a game of Mario Party. Why? It's a fun game. Every round is different, and even though she's not a completely alienated gamer (she still plays the Sonic mega collection, and such), this isn't the only game I hear this happens with.
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[soniczip]

> Adolescent boys scoff at it. It has no place in the male-focused
> marketplace.

Not true. I fit the criteria, I love the concept, and I'm getting one ASAP.
<P ID="signature">We port Kid Cuisine to the Playstation 2.
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[thinkagain]

> No, those aren't for the non-gamer or whatever you call it
> so much, that's for the hardcore people like most of us.
> The old school folks. I'm sure tons of other people who buy
> the Wii will download the games as well, but I still think
> that this is a major lure for us I think.

abso-fucking-lutley <img src=smilies/werd.gif>
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