Wednesday, February 27, 2008
No more sore thumbs
It’s a stroke of software design genius.
For years, Nintendo generally marketed its products to a single, predictable demographic: 10- to 30-year-old men.
It explains the popularity of early games like Super Mario Bros., where a pudgy, pasta-eating plumber attempts to rescue a princess from a corrupt dragon and his legion of goombas.
But after being edged out of the 21st century video games arms race by companies like Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo had some time to retool and eventually decided to think outside of the box after the miserable failure of its Gamecube console.
Specifically, whether intentionally or not, Nintendo finally went after a market never before targeted by videogame makers: seniors.
It’s an interesting group to target: the kind of crowd who have never suffered thumb cramping and have yet to master the select/start button concept.
The Nintendo Wii is incredibly easy-to-use and it offers a variety of easy-to-understand games. I say this as a casual video gamer who endured years of increasingly difficult video game advancements.
Though there aren’t any games about bridge or Murder She Wrote, seniors across North America have caught onto the Nintendo Wii craze.
It’s a great way to stay in shape, since it requires so much physical mobility, and an even better way to socialize.
I caught a glimpse of Wii potential at a retirement residence in Kanata last weekend.
A cluster of about 30 seniors gathered to bowl using white Nintendo wands in place of hefty bowling balls.
Though none of them had ever played video games, had never taken on a friend in a blood-shedding virtual street fight, everyone seemed to catch on quickly.
After a few moments of orientation, people seemed to forget that the game wasn’t real because they cheered each other on as if they were actually at a bowling alley.
In good time, they will likely use the console to bond with their grandchildren over sore shoulders.
For years, Nintendo generally marketed its products to a single, predictable demographic: 10- to 30-year-old men.
It explains the popularity of early games like Super Mario Bros., where a pudgy, pasta-eating plumber attempts to rescue a princess from a corrupt dragon and his legion of goombas.
But after being edged out of the 21st century video games arms race by companies like Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo had some time to retool and eventually decided to think outside of the box after the miserable failure of its Gamecube console.
Specifically, whether intentionally or not, Nintendo finally went after a market never before targeted by videogame makers: seniors.
It’s an interesting group to target: the kind of crowd who have never suffered thumb cramping and have yet to master the select/start button concept.
The Nintendo Wii is incredibly easy-to-use and it offers a variety of easy-to-understand games. I say this as a casual video gamer who endured years of increasingly difficult video game advancements.
Though there aren’t any games about bridge or Murder She Wrote, seniors across North America have caught onto the Nintendo Wii craze.
It’s a great way to stay in shape, since it requires so much physical mobility, and an even better way to socialize.
I caught a glimpse of Wii potential at a retirement residence in Kanata last weekend.
A cluster of about 30 seniors gathered to bowl using white Nintendo wands in place of hefty bowling balls.
Though none of them had ever played video games, had never taken on a friend in a blood-shedding virtual street fight, everyone seemed to catch on quickly.
After a few moments of orientation, people seemed to forget that the game wasn’t real because they cheered each other on as if they were actually at a bowling alley.
In good time, they will likely use the console to bond with their grandchildren over sore shoulders.
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