What the Nintendo Wii Console Creators Did Right

The Nintendo Wii console was officially released to the public in December of 2006. Many people were surprised by the success of this console and other video game console makers struggled to keep up with the Nintendo Wii system. There are many reasons why Nintendo Wii is the leading video game console as of September 2007 (Source: The Financial Times).

Cool Name

The Nintendo Wii name was different and cool. There is no question of which system one is referring to when they mention the name " Wii ." Nintendo developers have said that they decided to call the system Wii because it invokes a feeling of togetherness. Everyone, all of us, "we" can play this game!

Cool Advertising

Nintendo released a huge advertising campaign around the Nintendo Wii release. In their television commercials, two Japanese men travel throughout America to bless families with the system. The demonstrations of what could be done with this new game system is what lured most people in. And again, the travelers in these clever Nintendo commercials used the "Wii / We" play on words to get their point across with the slogan "Wii would like to play!"

Clean, Fun Design

In addition, Nintendo Wii did well on sales because of its clean, sleek design. The Nintendo designers were able to see that packaging is extremely important nowadays, for everything from game systems to cellphones. People want their electronics to be smaller and easier to handle with a pleasant design.

No More Lazy Americans

Whether intentional or not, the Nintendo Wii is a way to get people off the couch and into some physical activity. Kids and adults alike were able to justify the cost of the Wii system by simply looking at it as a fun exercise program.

For example, video games used to be the bane of a woman's existence because their husbands and boyfriends would spend hours on the couch playing games. But now many women who disliked video games before have embraced the Nintendo Wii and started playing video games themselves. This is mostly because they heard that using Wii regularly can help you lose weight and stay healthy (Source: Linda M. McCloud, "It's Been Documented, You Can Lose Weight Playing Video Games [Nintendo Wii]" Associated Content).

The Nintendo Wii continues to enjoy an amazing demand and as of late 2008 there is actually a shortage according to major retailers. Just two years and over 34 million worldwide sales later it's definitely clear that the Nintendo Wii creators have done something right.