My Impression of the Nintendo Wii and Its Future in the Marketplace

My soon to be mother-in-law picked up a Nintendo Wii for me and my girlfriend. I was surprised as we had trouble finding one. So, I took it home plugged it into my television and I soon became aware of what people were talking about. This thing is loads of fun. You really can't describe it to others, people have to experience it for themselves.

I particularly liked the Wii Sports games. It includes bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing, and golf. I was getting a good workout and having fun at the same time. I don't know if it is beneficial to be twisting one's wrist for hours but I do feel more fit. Another thing I like about the Wii is that it is very compact, about the size of three DVD cases stacked together. You can put the console in small corners of the house so long as the fan's airway is not obstructed.

Last night we bought Zelda for the Wii. So far it is a fun game to play. The only problem is that I get a little dizzy when sitting close to the TV while playing 3d games. Other than that I plan on buying more games; likely Sonic and Super Paper Mario. The Nintendo generation is still going strong.

The Nintendo Wii will be a success because it is marketed to the widest possible audience. On the other hand the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are primarily marketed to young hardcore gamers. It remains to be seen if Nintendo's competitors will seek a wider audience. For this reason the Wii should overtake the other consoles in total number of units sold.

As the majority of households will have a Wii, game creators will be compelled to make games for it. They will go where the money is. Sure the PS3 and 360 have allot of graphics power but there will be less of those console owners than there will be Wii owners one day. I see the Wii game lineup expanding for the foreseeable future.

The Wii has a novelty factor. It tells a story unlike it's competitors. Right now part of the story is that it is hard to obtain a Wii. This makes it all the better once one is able to acquire one. This creates buzz. I am not sure whether this was intentional of Nintendo or if this is just the reality of a population boom outstripping the supply of gaming hardware.

Essentially when the Wii drops in price there will be even more demand and widespread aquisition of the console. The Wii may go for $100 before we know it. The hardware is not all that expensive to produce, except for a few parts like the motion sensor controller. But, eventually all of the components will come down in price and this will mean that even the lowest of low income families can make ownership possible.