Nintendo vs the Casual Market

[Discoalucard]

So I’m at work right now, and I’ve had to tell people that I’ll be out on vacation next week. They ask me “Where are you going?” And I say, “Out to Los Angeles”. And then they ask me “What are you going to do out there?” and talk about Hollywood and the beaches and stuff. And I say, “I’m going to a video game convention.”

Every single time, I get funny looks.

You see, people my age shouldn’t be playing video games. According to one of my co-workers, if you’re over 18 and still play video games, there’s something wrong with you. (I think she was just kidding around, but still, that stigma is still there.)

Anyway, I don’t really care, but I keep thinking about Nintendo and about how they’re going after the “casual” market, the non-gamers. That’s a pretty big chunk of people right there. The thing is, does this target audience even care? I’m sure Nintendo can bring in younger kids with girly crap like Nintendogs, and probably bring in some lapsed gamers with its controller. But is this “casual” gamer market really as big as Nintendo thinks it is? And more importantly, will they be willing to dump enough money into it?

I know using anecdotal evidence shouldn’t be taken as fact, but I sometimes get the feeling that they’re trying to market ice cubes to Eskimos.

Another misconception I see on Nintendo’s part is assuming that most people don’t play video games because the controller is too awkward. I think it’s more because they don’t give a damn. And if they do – well, yeah, they certainly need to be simpler, but they also need to be less expensive. The cell phone market is so profitable because, hey, spending $5 on a game to keep you busy when waiting at restaurants isn’t a big deal. Spending $50 on something that requires a lot of time and dedication is. Nintendo’s working on the “Wii will be cheap” ticket, but that’s only in comparison to Microsoft and Sony.

I’m sure Nintendo will do OK overall – their fanbase is large enough to drive things in droves, and even though they say they aren’t catering the hardcore gamers, they still are (especially with the Virtual Console.) But is there some kind of train of thought that shows Nintendo is really doing the right thing?

[Weasel]

Nintendo may attempt to cater to a specific audience, but they also take care not to disappoint the loyal fan base that's been with them from the beginning - look at the various remakes and compilations (Game And Watch Gallery, anybody? How about Mario All-Stars?).

[Malroth]

Feh, I don't really see why people believe you should stop playing games after a certain age. I mean, most people stop playing games because they don't have as much time as they did when they were younger, not because games are "kiddy" by nature.

[Shinigami]

"If you're over 18 and still play video games there's something wrong with you". That's how it's been for ages. Nevermind the fact that now more and more games are being released with an M rating. The majority of people still think video game music and sound is still composed of synthezised blips and pings. They don't see it as a legitimate form of entertainment.

Now as for Nintendo wanting to market to "casual gamers" it can't be done. One of the reasons is that it's too expensive. Casual gamers are like casual movie viewers, they would rather rent it than buy it. Unless Nintendo starts selling new games at $20, it's not gonna happen. Another reason it can't be done is because there is no universal game machine. You can't play Nintendo games on an Xbox, and you can't play PS2 games on a Dreamcast (or vise versa). If you don't have the specific machine to play a specific game, you aren't playing it. On the other hand most PC games have the capability of being playable on a Windows or Mac system. Console games aren't like that. Even if a game comes out for several consoles, it is sold seperately for each different console. Now try to imagine what would you do if you were a casual gamer interested in buying a console. There aren't any specific games that you want to buy, you just want to get something. If it was me, I'd probably go for a PS2 or an Xbox. Either of these systems has a wide selection of games under the $19.99 mark. Not only that but they have a large selection of games period. The Gamecube has a much slimmer library. Some will argue "Quality, not quantity," but that's not what the casual gamer is looking for. Even the casual gamer will want his purchase to last a good while.

There's also another reason why I don't think Nintendo can successfully win over the casual market. For years Nintendo has been trying to shed the "kiddy image" they made for themselves. Or at least that's what they say. But if so, why does the Gamecube controller look like a child's toy? What are Mario and Yoshi doing in Metal Gear Solid? I'll tell you what they're doing: not helping. And on that note, why does Nintendo still have a mascot? Sony and Microsoft don't have mascots. Not only that but Mario is a mascot that most people associate with the NES, something that kids played with. Just like Mickey Mouse, Mario is not intended to attract adults, but kids. Well, that's how I see it today. Maybe when the Wii (stupid name but I won't get into it) comes out Nintendo will have a new marketing strategy that eliminates Mickey-- err I mean Mario.

[MRSKELETON]

Sony has a mascot. It's Kratos.
Microsoft's mascot is Master Chief

[grad]

Now as for Nintendo wanting to market to "casual gamers" it can't be done.

I disagree. Try to keep an open mind:

Do you know the part from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer where Tom has to paint fences? A little fat kid comes along to ask Tom what he's doing, and Tom calls it "whitewashing." He says how it's the most fun thing to do, and he's having a blast and all. Pretty soon, the little fat kid wants to try it, and Tom says no. He keeps pleading, so Tom finally agrees and lets him take over. The little fat kid starts squealing with excitement, and Tom takes off--free of work.

Anyway, the "casual market" is that little fat kid: They don't know what the fuck they're doing. They're a big blob of potential energy that corporations vie for. So, perhaps you're asking the wrong question by wondering whether the target audience cares--because they don't. On their own accord, the casual market doesn't care about anything. The real question is whether you can make them care. If Nintendo is as clever as Tom Sawyer, they'll have fat kids all over the world painting fences (maybe even your co-worker). Otherwise, it'll be another generation of fan support. Thoughts?

[Malroth]

In that case, Nintendo is going to have to produce a TON of causual games and promote the hell out of them. To date, I've only seen one "Brain Age" commercial, and that was at 11PM.

What's more, I seem to connect your example of whitewashing with games that are...pretty much like whitewashing. But, if it gets casual gamers, then what the hell.

[Bloodreign]

It always pisses me off that people would say that when you're an adult you shouldn't be playing video games. I'm 30 years old, and the only way I'll stop playing games is when you pry the controller from my cold dead heads. Gaming isn't about age, it's an experience that once gets ahold of you, never lets go, unless you want it to.

[Deleted]

bloodreign said:

It always pisses me off that people would say that when you're an adult you shouldn't be playing video games. I'm 30 years old, and the only way I'll stop playing games is when you pry the controller from my cold dead heads. Gaming isn't about age, it's an experience that once gets ahold of you, never lets go, unless you want it to.

You've said it better than I ever could. I'm still just in high school, but I don't know if the future will bring anything that will distance me from games, and a couple of weeks ago, I started to come to the revelation that games are not the most important thing in the world. All that aside, I have always played video games, and I'll keep on jamming with them.

[Sac (a.k.a Icaras)]

The casual gamer market can be cracked...you just need to find the right appeal. I've talked to women where I work, and they have no interest in games, yet I've also heard them talk about having karoke partys using the singstar game on the PS2.

Stuff like that, eyetoy, and the buzz quiz...THAT kind of thing is what you need to attract the casual gamer. Get them to get a system. While alot of folks may stick to the one gimmick game and accesory, there may be people who will gte bored of it and branch out, or buy a game for somebody else they live with. You may even see somebody buy a game who doesn't own a system but has access to one...if they lose said access, they could well end up buying their own console.

[kaisel]

I think what Nintendo would need to do to get the casual market is to make cheap, short games, or games designed to be played for short periods of time. I mean, I'm only in my second year of college, and I don't game nearly as much as I used to just because I keep thinking "there's something more productive that I could be doing with my time". I just don't have the time to sit, and put in more than a half hour into a game, before I decide I either have other things to do, or that I'm bored.

[isfet]

i think part of what they may be basing this strategy on is the success of the DS. games like Nintendogs, Brain Age and just the DS itself seem to appeal to the curiousity of people who don't necessarily play games a lot. the PSP wanted to try to capture this with its mp3-playing, movie-watching capabilities, but i think the cost is what put a lot of people off.

since Nintendo doesn't seem to be going for things like cell processors, etc., i think it's safe to say that the Wii will be the cheapest console available. add to this its uniqueness, and it's basically kind of the DS - Console Edition. no one really knows what kind of games are coming out for it yet (except for that FPS-type game), but i think, for at least the first wave of games, a lot of them will be exploring the controller's capabilities. so maybe the games won't be completely deep and engaging at first, but i really enjoyed Pac Pix and Yoshi: Touch and Go.

[jameseightbitstar]

admin said:

You see, people my age shouldn’t be playing video games.

Of course you shouldn't. You should be doing heroine and getting AIDS from hookers, and be like all the shallow college conformists.

Of course there's a stigma attached to game playing. Of all entertainment activities, its the most worthwhile. Unlike books and movies, with games you're actually DOING something, and often learning as you do. Who but you could get all six Chaos Emeralds in Sonic the Hedgehog, or unlock every character in Tekken 2? Any moron can read a book or watch a movie, but it takes actual effort to play a game, and that you put in that effort--and get a reward for it--makes other people scared, uncertain.

Sorta like how people hate the X-Men. It's not because they're different, it's because they feel the X-Men having superpowers makes them superior to "normal" humans, and of course, people don't like that.

Wow, I just went off my own little deep end there. I'll stop now.

[YourAverageJoe]

"We've got dozens of hundreds of thousands of cars completely computerized in this game, but you have to race four times that to get them all, and you don't even get to keep them all!" -Gran Tourismo 4, custom presentation.

Doesn't quite appeal to some guy on the street, now does it?

[jameseightbitstar]

youraveragejoe said:

"We've got dozens of hundreds of thousands of cars completely computerized in this game, but you have to race four times that to get them all, and you don't even get to keep them all!" -Gran Tourismo 4, custom presentation.

Doesn't quite appeal to some guy on the street, now does it?

Heck, that doesn't sound like it would appeal to me! Or even the most hardcore racing fans for that matter.