Introducing Nintendo Wii

Originally dubbed as the Revolution, the Nintendo Wii was initially developed to compete tooth and nail with Microsoft’s Xbox360 and Sony’s PS3, which are both marketed as hardcore gaming consoles with cutting edge graphics and powerful processing capabilities. It is no wonder that majority of hardcore gamers who expected a hardware behemoth were all disappointed to find out that the Wii is nothing more than an upgraded version of Nintendo’s previous console, the Gamecube.




The initial disappointment eventually turned into surprise as the Nintendo Wii went on to outsell its more powerful competitors by a considerable margin.
This is due to the following factors:

Broad Appeal

Unlike the PS3 or the Xbox360, which is marketed towards hardcore and mature gamers, the Nintendo Wii is marketed as a family entertainment machine, and able to provide hours of enjoyment to people of all ages, even the elderly. Add the nostalgia factor for people who grew up with Nintendo’s machines and the ability to play downloadable retro games.

Innovative Control Scheme

While it is lacking in its graphics capability, Nintendo has made sure that their console more than makes up for its shortcoming by using a groundbreaking means of control, using the Wii Remote or WiiMote – a primary controller that uses built in accelerometers and infrared detection that allows gamers to use physical gestures along with button presses to control games. This intuitive control scheme has allowed even toddlers and the elderly to play games without even consulting the Wii guide or manual.

Price Advantage

The Nintendo Wii was originally released with a $249.99 price tag in the US. This made the Wii more accessible to consumers who are under budget constraints, or were not dedicated enough to spend $400 (Xbox360) to $500 (PS3) on a single game console. With price cuts being introduced for all the current gen consoles as they age, the Nintendo Wii becomes even more attractive to price-sensitive consumers.