Topic: Wii, maybe This is Nintendos Marketing Strategy?

That's not fanboy language. Not in the least. Nintendo is doing the same thing it's always done. there's nothing different about their strategy. They've always been about fun, and pleasing family and all that jazz. Yes, third party developers haven't done their part in creating worthwhile games for the Wii, but people are complaining about all these "new" directions Nintendo is taking when their strategy is much the same as it ever was. That's not fanboy language, that's fact. If you think NIntendo has "abandoned" its core audience you are sadly mistaken.

I'm much more hardcore than casual with video games, but I wouldn't know what to do with another console if I had one. I'm much more interested in Wii exclusives than the games that aren't on Wii, and the multiplatform releases that I like are either just fine on the Wii or have improved gameplay with motion controls. Sure, the multiplatform releases have better graphics on the other systems, but gameplay is much more important than graphics, and I don't have or care to have an HD TV, anyway. The only game that I really wish had come to Wii was Soul Calibur IV. Anyway, I'm just saying that I've always been perfectly happy with just a Wii, and the incredible 2010 lineup is just icing on the cake...Metroid: Other M, Sin and Punishment 2, Lego Harry Potter, NBA Jam, Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2, Sega All-Stars Racing, Rage of the Gladiator, possibly Project Needlemouse, this will be the best year for the Wii yet!

@grenworth..... I dont think they have abandoned the core. NES is considered the ultimate Hardcore System, and barely any of the games are made by Nintendo. Its the 3rd Party that is to blame. I got my NES in 1986 and it came with a lightgun and Powerpad, not much different then WiiMote and Balance Board. I think Nintendo need better relationships with there developers. Nintendo has always made family oriented games, nothing has changed. Its not Nintendo its the 3rd Party Devs. Tecmo, Konami, etc.

A major problem is the Wii is under-powered, so third parties either disregard it or put little effort into it because they want to push the most powerful hardware and frankly, features (achievements, Wi-Fi, etc.).

@Odnetnin... but you know man, that is why it should be a Hardcore Heaven. Hardcore Gamers tend to love old school 2D style games..... look at how Mega Man 9 had all us older H. Core Guys freaking out. I ran home to download, actually left work early that day, and of course downloaded on the true place it should be..... Wii. You would think that Konami, Capcom, Nintendo, Hudson, SEGA and every other old hardcore companies would have been jumping on the train, but they didnt. Yeah some are now finally and being smart and using WiiWare as a download service, it just really shocks me this didnt happen sooner........ Ninja Gaiden, Kid Icarus, Gradius, RTypes, Sonic 2D, Bionic Commando, etc You would seriously think they would have BEEN released. When I do get my Wii #2 lol...... I think I will have quite a few H Core titles to download on WiiWare and be one very happy camper..... this whole thread was created as praise for Nintendo from a old hardcore gamer. You really dont see/hear any of that anymore.

@slapshot82, you have a point, but I'm personally happy with the lineup the Wii has. Sure, it's kind of disappointing that Wii gets overlooked a lot of the time when 3rd parties are making games, but, as I said before, there are very few titles on the other consoles that interest me, so I'm kind of glad they choose to stay away from the Wii. It just depends what kind of games you like, I guess. The Wii is a great console for kids, or for hardcore gamers. I'd rather play Wii Sports than Halo or Call of Duty any day.

@Grens.... yeah that is completely cool. Play whatever you think is fun. That is what gaming is all about. Ive been a hardcore gamer for a long time. Its strange with Nintendo not being the hardcore platform anymore lol. Its all good. In ten years things will all be different then they are today. That is what makes gaming great

slapshot82, I dont know what is your "hardcore gamer" concept. But the times of the fighting/karate games and space invaders has passed away many years ago. Current hardcore audience looks for adventures, RPG, strategy, FPS, flight/car sims. IMHO, for any of these the very best platform is a PC, and the very worst is the Wii. Even if the game concept itself is superb (case of ZTP for example), there is something "new" and mandatory for all the HC audience known as "game immersion" which is always dependant on graphics, sounds and music. All these were quite well mxed in Wii Metroid which demostrates the main weak point of the Wii: lack of memory. Metroid developpers used all and every possible trick to make the game "immersion-wise" quite good, but then, almost every time you try to open a door you see the Wii loading the new room from disk for several seconds.

That phrase is so open to interpretation as to be rendered absolutely meaningless.

Personally, I'd say that Nintendo's strategy is to bring more non-gamers into gaming. That also includes the children of adults who lived in the NES/SNES Era, so you're basically saying the same thing but narrowing it down to one crowd in-particular. Just saying, not trying to start a flame war or anything.

The big picture here is that Nintendo knows what consumers want. Looking further into 2010 and seeing all the great releases is utter proof that Nintendo and 3rd parties have not given up on us Wii owners. Basically, it all boils down to the super-hardcore gamer fanboys who like to brag about how great their favorite system is. If you take look at it, gaming is really nothing more than a hobby and a way to kill time by yourself, but too many people take it too seriously. I like to think that Wii owners shoot for the best gaming experience possible, that is why we trust Nintendo and 3rd party developers to give us a great game. A big reason the Wii is looked down upon is all the shovelware that is on it. That's just a by-product of people getting too cocky about the Wii's success. Many people who hate the Wii's guts use that shovelware as evidence towards their argument. If we all just sat down and realized that gaming is universal, no one would care.

I think the issue is exactly what grenworth is saying though. You and I may still enjoy "old school" gaming, but the fact is that those games aren't what the kids are playing these days, which is all about 3D and lots of special effects and explosions. We're what you call "retro" gamers and like it or not that's a nice audience.

I actually feel pretty well catered to by the Wii; the variety of game styles is great and I like the motion-controlled games as well. Probably the most exciting time for gaming since the 2600 from my perspective!