Sega: Wii is “most expensive board game on Earth”
The Wii is way ahead of the competition in this generation console war, not in terms of graphics or technology, granted, but it can’t be matched in terms of sales. But that hasn’t stopped Sega pronouncing the Wii as the “most expensive board game on Earth”.
The Nintendo Wii has done what very few people ever imagined it would: beat both its true next-gen rivals in to the dust in terms of sales. But while selling hardware is key to why Nintendo is making record profits while Sony and Microsoft struggle to break even, long-term success for the console requires people to actually play the Wii on a regular basis, and that is something Sega doesn’t think is happening at the moment.
Sega A&R’s head of content, Darren Williams, recently spoke to GI.biz about the state of the industry and what challenges each console and each console manufacturer is facing over the next 12 months. As well as wanting to see game prices being lowered, and intrigued to see what becomes of the PS3 and Xbox 360, he also gave his views on the Wii.
I think on one hand the Wii has become the most expensive board game on Earth – it’s the kind of thing that families will play at Christmas, and probably won’t play again throughout the remainder of the year.
This is something I touched upon in an article at the end of October, asking why people are continuing to buy Wii’s when there’s really very little long-term appeal. Some commenters (you know who you are) picked me up on this point, stating that there are a huge amount of must-have games beyond Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
While I think this is true, the majority of people buying the Wii aren’t doing so to play Zelda, Paper Mario and other such games that offer in-depth single player experiences. Instead, they want one just for the week-long thrill of hitting a virtual baseball out of the ground. And Sega seemingly agrees.
Williams is also asked whether the Wii could act as a gateway to the high-def consoles by giving kids the gaming bug at a young age but leaving them wanting more, which they’re likely to get from the Xbox 360 or PS3.
Your point about a gateway, an entry point to gaming – certainly I think the Wii needs to have more titles. So whether or not it will become an entry point to go onto different gaming, high-def gaming? It’s an interesting one, and comes back to my point about tangible value. The Wii is great fun because it’s a very physical machine.
So I think there’s a market on the Wii for different tastes of gaming. Whether then people will graduate upwards, that’s an open question. I’m skeptical about it, because I think what the Wii offers is a very physical, fun experience.
I think the Wii is definitely acting as a kind of introduction to gaming and will in effect help the industry as a whole for years to come. However, it will also likely change the industry at the same time, meaning casual gaming becomes the norm and motion-sensing controllers also become common.
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November 7th, 2008
Yes – This generation gave birth to the whole “Casual Gamer” craze… but I still do not see Casual Games taking over the hard core market. The record breaking sales software sales of GTA 4, Halo 3, COD 4, MGS4, etc, etc, etc proves my point. All of those games have been extremely profitable. They are all hard core and none are available on the Wii.
Just as the NES got me into gamming all of those years ago… the Wii will have the same impact. I’m sure most of the kids with Wii’s will end, growing up, maturing, and blossoming into Hard Core gamers. I do not think that the casual market will last long.
November 7th, 2008
I’d say as a board game, the Wii is awesome (if you ignore the price). But as a games console, it’s the worst one in history.
-Arvis
November 7th, 2008
YEAAAAH!!!
I GOT MY SOCOM!!! RIGHT NOW!!!
YEAH BRITCHES!!! FREEEE HEADSET!!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!
November 7th, 2008
“the majority of people buying the Wii aren’t doing so to play Zelda, Paper Mario and other such games that offer in-depth single player experiences.”
And the fact that Zelda has sold more copies on Wii than MGS4 on PS3 seems to suggest that PS3 owners aren’t interested in in-depth single player experiences either.
November 7th, 2008
Yes, I know who I am.
And I think all the normal readers didn’t even need you to point out that someone said that, since even if they read the article and not the comments, they would likely roll their eyes and say “Matt.”
At any rate, the Wii didn’t give birth to the casual gamer. In fact, it’s not even the first console to go to mostly casual gamers.
The PS2 was certainly a console of the casuals. In fact, like the Wii, it had piles of bad games that no serious (and few casual) gamers would dare look at, it had a lot of the little fun games for casuals, and it was inferior to the “real” consoles of the generation.
Some people will pick up the Wii, play for a week, and then never play again, as some will do with the 360 (which actually has board game games, but all of them probably have a couple, just not as advertised as Scene It) and PS3. Some people will buy all the consoles and play them over and over, as well.
Earlier this year, a game released shortly after the holiday season broke 1 million sales very quickly. This game wasn’t for the casuals, either, it was Brawl. If a game can sell that well after being delayed to next year, meaning no Christmas to help (and looking at a short time frame, as well), but long enough after Christmas for people to forget about what they got, and its not a casual game, to top it off, who’s to say people are forgetting their Wii?
November 7th, 2008
Why do you ignore the fact that sega higher ups who have openly stated that there is a lot of room for hardcore games on the wii? Simply put, Sega doesn’t agree with you. One person does.
Upcoming releases:
Madworld
Sonic and the Dark Knight
House of the Dead Overkill
Sonic Unleashed
Sonic and the secret rings was a success on the wii. Sonic 360 and Sonic PS3 got horrible reviews.
Cut me a break here. Sega knows the wii has potential.
November 7th, 2008
Another hardcore sega game coming out in 2009, “the conduit,”
Give it up. Sega is putting most of their hardcore eggs into the Nintendo basket.
November 8th, 2008
I guess Mr. Williams doesn’t want to KEEP his job at SEGA. Of all the idiotic statements I’ve read regarding the Wii, this one takes the prize and it isn’t even from an Xbox fanboy [or is it?].
Not only does it bite the hand that feeds, it is completely without merit. DO THE MATH. Sales figures do not lie.
November 10th, 2008
This coming from a company that made the dream cast LOL.
They don’t know what gamers (hard core or Casual) want.
This guy is a retard and shouldn’t have that job.
Nice post Matt. as usual.
November 22nd, 2008
Right wii games are expensive but interesting and funny also. This christmas I am planning to buy mari o kart. People like more than others so it ig going to higher. It totally depends market.
http://www.spudmobile.co.uk/nintendo-wii-mario-kart.aspx