Nintendo commercials for the Wii console attempt to lure in gamers with the slogan "Wii would like to play." Gamers worldwide are echoing that statement and letting Nintendo know that they too would like to play.
Based on sales through January, the $250 Nintendo Wii is outselling the $500 to $600 Playstaion 3 and the $300 to $400 Xbox 360, according to the market research group NPD. The same group has also said within the next four years Americans should expect to see a Wii in 30 percent of households.
Along with that, the latest data from VGCharts.com reveals the Wii is in second place of the three consoles in overall sales, reaching 5.4 million in the worldwide market and outselling the other two consoles completely in Japan.
Ball State University Graduate Student Mark Bell, who is conducting his own research on the console, said the Wii is gaining the sales because it presents gamers, and even nontraditional gamers, with an alternative to what they have seen from past advancements in video games.
"The biggest three complaints people have about video games are they are violent, not communal and sedentary," Bell said, "And the Wii conflicts against all of those-most of the games are kid-oriented, and they have more E-rated games than any other consoles. Those three major criticisms are superseded by the Wii instantaneously."
Bell said the console appeals to people of all ages because its high level of interactivity and communal involvement.
"You can play at the same levels as adults, kids, older people, and more than anything, this is a culmination of Nintendo's appeal to the female gamer," he said. "Usually, 30-year-old guys who work at computer companies are always going to buy your games, but that's not the market you want-you want housewives. I cannot imagine what would happen to the Wii if Oprah had it on her show-and I think she should, because it represents all her same values."
Junior Jeni Mendenhall was 18th in line at Best Buy the day Wii was launched. She said she still plays her Wii just about every other day, but the most fun she said, is represented by the system's communal aspects, such as playing it with other people at Wii parties.
"It goes the same way with anything that makes you look ridiculous," Mendenhall said. "Some people like to do karaoke because you are getting up and ultimately looking silly. With the Wii, observing your friends acting funny is sometimes more fun than playing."
Mendenhall said the Wii is an especially good social tool for college students.
"I am a strong believer that you don't need to get drunk to have a good time," she said. "With Wii you can get people together and occupy them with activities instead of standing around and getting into trouble, especially in an area like the Muncie area where there is really nothing to do with a small budget."
Freshman Kyle Hovanec said he agrees. Wii parties give students another way of partying, he said.
"It requires you to get up and have fun," he said. "You look like a total fool waving your arms and contorting your body when playing, but it causes a laugh out of everyone involved. You simply have fun. It's almost like going to bar and joking around with your friends."
While the Wii offers players a unique experience compared to other consoles, Hovanec said people should not judge it against them.
"I purchased the Wii just to have fun playing video games with friends," he said "If I wanted 16-player deathmatch I'd choose the 360. If I wanted Blu-ray discs, I'd choose the PS3. The Wii is made for one thing: fun. Just try it, and don't compare it to the other consoles, it's in an entirely different class of its own."
The NPD group released a study in November, before the sales revealed the Wii's popularity, that said many people were interested in the Wii, but not as their primary console. Heavy gamers showed a stronger interest in purchasing a Wii than a PS3, but that among those interested in purchasing only one of the Next Gen systems, the majority was interested only in purchasing a PS3, the study said.
Bell said this is understandable. Many people own more than one gaming console, and research shows that very few people would just buy the Wii, he said. Many people would purchase it as a secondary console. However, after buying his own Wii, he now plays it more than any other console he owns.
"Everybody underestimated how good this console was going to be, and I have no problem saying that it is the best console I have ever played any game on," he said. " I play it more than any other console I have ever had."
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