by Stacey Pace

Created on: May 23, 2009

The Wii was born of Nintendo's Clear Blue Ocean Strategy, a marketing strategy that aimed to focus on a market that was free from competitors. They had no plans to venture into the bloody red oceans of the high end graphics battle that was already raging between it's two main rivals. It's constitution was "that it is best to zig when others zag". Here enters the Wii!

The core focus for the Wii was to "reach people who generally don't play video games". The games industry had changed considerably over previous years with the majority of new titles being targeted at young men with dispoable incomes, leaving women and older generations especially under-represented in the gaming market. This was a perfect opportunity for the Wii to gain a new audience that wasn't currently being catered for.

Titles like Wii Sports and Wii Fit have been a hit with many people who would never have considered buying or playing on a games console. It's not only helped the way we look at the games industry but also helped push back the boundaries of what consoles can be used for. There have been numerous reports of nursing homes buying a Wii for entertainment, with some homes having as many as 20 residents signing up for bowling tournaments. The idea that the controller resembles something as simple as a TV remote has helped connect with many people that would be intimidated by playing video games.

The interaction you get with the Wii has made family gaming look much more appealing with older generations getting more and more competitive. Playing computer games as a form of physical exercise has attracted many people who were put off by the idea of just sitting there pushing buttons and getting carpal tunnel. Having played some games for long periods and getting thumb blisters I can agree with this sentiment.

None of us are getting any younger and while we may not be ready to be packed off to the old peoples homes this is something to consider. When I'm old it would be nice to think that I could still enjoy a few video games with my grand kids and that I won't be considered too old for such past-times. We need companies that are prepared to buck the trend and go in the opposite direction of other more traditional thinking corporations.

Another of the aims for the Wii was to bring in a console that was affordable and they managed to achieve this. Although the Wii has recently had a price rise, Nintendo put that down to the current recession. They bucked the trend that other companies fell into by believing that consoles have to make a huge loss at the start, only to be recovered later through software sales. By starting off so well it's managed to maintain being a console that has lived within it's means, this is a good example to set in times of a recession.

This way of thinking says that having a unique product is more important than an attractive price point. By not slashing the price to compete with other consoles it's kept it's value and meant that when consumers fall on hard times their investment was worth it as it still gets a good price on the second hand market.

I'm writing in praise of the Nintendo Wii as it's helped give me faith that gaming will continue to grow into new uncharted territory and therefore continue to provide entertainment for us in the future.

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