Nintendo’s Wii is a peculiar gaming entity; while allowing for countless new gameplay opportunities, levels of interactivity and evolution within established genres, the system itself is in-fact more retrospective than any other on the market.

Nintendo’s ethos for Wii is now clear as day; the Nintendo Entertainment System propelled the company into international waters and eventually global recognition, but somewhere along the way, the Nintendo64 and GameCube lost them the reputation of pioneers – maybe not amongst the Hardcore Gamer, but certainly within the eyes of the wider public. So, how better to regain public interest than with another Nintendo Entertainment System?

“Simple games for simple people” is a term you often here in the UK when discussing the placement of Wii’s software catalogue in the market. It’s a difficult opinion to argue against when the top sellers - not only on the console, but of the generation so far - are Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Wii Play. Simple games they may be, but the audience purchasing them would be best referred to as “average”, opposed to “simple”. Mr. John Doe is the biggest audience Wii has, and he’s not interested in any deep routed mechanics or artistic merit in videogames – he simply wants entertainment.

Though Wii’s marketing clearly features modern aesthetic and a much bigger budget, the patterns which Nintendo have used are clearly reminiscent of other products in the UK market. Yogurts, soft drinks, vitamin supplements and even that often thought of as “teenage technology”, such as iPods are all marketed with crisp, bright, lively presentations, typically featuring a notable celebrity – even if you’re not particularly sure how the personality became notable in the first place. These products aren’t marketed towards their target demographic directly, but towards the parents. Here in the UK, in much the same way that The Sun newspaper is infamously purchased mainly by men, but read by more women, Wii is a console bought for use with the children, and then used as a vehicle to entertain adults.

Artificially placing Wii into the “lifestyle” market, as opposed to following the technology route of previous generations, has allowed Nintendo to work within an audience that are almost oblivious to the rival systems. PLAYSTATION3 and Xbox360 are undoubtedly performing well for their respective ages, but Wii has somehow managed to carve itself an image of being part of a daily routine for those who had previously seen videogames as an unappealing alternative to the likes of television and film.

Though it could be argued that Wii is a fad, that sales will likely drop considerably and the system will be relegated to future television shows discussing trends of the 00’s, it’s highly unlikely that Nintendo is without a contingency plan to support the system once the initial (two-year-long, thus far) allure dissipates. Sporadically releasing new titles that continue to sell years after initial release has been a rewarding strategy thus far, and it’s likely that this will continue beyond the lifespan of one system.

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