A few years ago the idea of anyone outside a group of teenagers or college kids sitting around playing video games would've been laughable. Mom and Dad just didn't get Grand Theft Auto (and probably still don't). Then came the Nintendo Wii. It's broken barriers with games that transcend age lines, and gaming ability. To wit: Even Slate's running a story this week asking if the much-hyped Wii Fit—the console's new workout platform—can get your "Sorry, Lazy Ass in Shape." You can bet that question isn't directed at 17-year-old gamers.
With the Wii, Nintendo has tapped into an entirely different audience with games like Wii Tennis, Bowling, and now Wii Fit. They've managed to disrupt the market this way through making video games that are easier for everyone, rather than offering sharper graphics or complex RPG storylines, as one Harvard business blogger astutely notes.
There's an excellent lesson here for entrepreneurs, even if you're not in the tech or gaming industry. Don't just fight your competitors for expensive shares of an existing market; reinvent the marketplace by finding new channels and audiences that competitors hadn't considered. Sometimes those untapped markets are obvious because they've been ignored purposely. Gamemakers knew that Mom never wanted to play a tough, shoot 'em up games they were making, like Halo—in fact, they figured she didn't want to play any games at all—so they didn't market to her. What Wii did was make a critical leap in thinking by realizing that maybe some older adults don't want highly-technical games—they just want to bat the ball around on TV tennis. The result has been a revolutionary rethinking of the gaming market led by Nintendo.
| [comments (4)] | 
|
Nintendo definitely hit the approachability mark. The Wii is not for gamers, it's just a SuperFunToy. Everything on the xbox360 is reality training. When the Covenant arrives, myself and a legion of geeks will be ready to destroy them. You slow-moving Wii-geeks will be wondering what the hell a plasma rifle is.
—matteo
18:02, June 3rd, 2008
Because sadly we have become a society that stays indoors. To much sun causes skin cancer and all other problems. If you could do the same inside instead of outside in the open seems to be the preference these days. Not to mention that it is a scary society and if children want to go outside and play, if you are a good parent in my opinion, you feel like you need to be outside watching them. Sadly, that is the reality of it all. And yes, we future entrepreneurs can benefit from that in a great deal of ways.
—Netrentatoy
17:24, June 3rd, 2008
Next is WiiSleep. Like sleeping but you get points for lying very still on the wii board without fidgeting. Not as good as a real nap but why not... its through a Wii.
—bryanh
17:16, June 3rd, 2008
Am I the only one that thinks there's something inherently pathetic in preferring fantasy to reality? Seriously, why would you rather swing a WiiMote around your living room than play tennis with a racket and fuzzy green balls on a court with people?
That said, I'm looking forward to the release of WiiBocce. That's going to earn some serious cool cred for the game.
—richard
14:49, June 3rd, 2008
You must be registered
and signed in to leave comments.