Iwata admits that casual games can be boring

Ever since the launch of the Nintendo Wii's release, "hardcore" gamers across the world began to question Nintendo's new strategy. What exactly is Nintendo's strategy? To capture the casual audience. It appears the Wii has now transformed into a mini-game machine. We are seeing an ever growing popularity amongst third party developers to jump on the casual bandwagon. Now let’s not blame it all on third parties, Nintendo have been doing a similar thing. Games like Wii Play, Brain Age, Wii Fit and Cooking Mama are growing on Wii like fungus. Now not at any point have I said this is a bad idea for Nintendo, I mean look at their sales! Taking the mainstream audience has brought Nintendo back from the embarrassing purple lunchbox.

But it was always going to have a bad side effect on players who want an M rated experience, or at least want a few good games that don't involve mini-games. I'm one of many who have been left out to the point where I don't even own a Wii. Titles like Carnival games sells like hot cakes, yet Zack and Wiki can't even sell half a million copies. I'm sensing a pattern here. Iwata, the man behind the magic of Nintendo, has come out and said this...

"If all our games mirror games like Wii Sports or Wii Fit, our gamers would soon grow bored"

This is a quote from a recent interview published to Wii.com. Masahiro Sakurai, was quick to agree with Iwata. So even after Nintendo's massive success, many gamers still have a cause for concern, with the added focus on mainstream games expect the lack of traditional games to continue.

This post was last modified: 01-28-2008 11:13 AM by Alex51011.

Yeah...I hardly play my Wii anymore. Plus the only game I used to play was GH3 and now that that's busted it's all 360 for me. I may even get GH3 for the 360...

Wow, they acknowleged it?
I didn't see that comming. Now lets see if they act on it, or are still attracted to the rediculous amount of cash the casual games make them.

Haha. I hope your joking when you say will they act on it. Come on, this is Nintendo we are talking about. They have found something that is really working for them, they won't risk throwing it away just for the more mature gamers. Who like M rated games etc.

also realize how many of those mini-game titles have come from Nintendo themselves. Wii Sports, Mario Party, Link's Crossbow Training to an extent, but that's about it. the third party developers are putting out the ungodly amount of BS party games. Nintendo saying those games are boring just means that when you see the Nintendo logo come up on the loading screen, it'll be to a real game, but Nintendo doesn't make every game on the Wii, so expect those first party titles to continue being of quality (for the most part) and a large portion of third party games to continue with the repetitive cash cow carnival crap

I hear you there--I'm pretty sure I'm gonna sell my Wii GH3 and pick it up for the 360.

OT: Do you know if I would be able to link my online account to my 360 if I've already done so with my Wii? I hope so, cause that'll be the nail in the coffin...

I stop blaming Nintendo when they stop putting their seal of approval on those crappy games.

I really need a PS3, I just bought Pro Street for the Wii 0_o

Not every game is for everyone. Casual games to me are great at first but often lose steam after a short period of time. There are some that I'll still play but not many. My family on the other hand loves the casual games and only play those games. They refuse to try out any of the "less casual" games and give them a chance. Party games are great on the Wii and they sell really well. This is one of the main reasons that I'm getting my PS3. I'll let the Wii be the family system that we can all enjoy if we feel like it and then the PS3 will be my personal system and I'll play all my non-casual games on it.

I agree with Snake on this one. I would love if they acted on it but i know they wont. Its just how they are.

nice editorial

I think was scares me about the whole "casual games" thing is where does Nintendo go from here. Will consumers expect Nintendo to keep churning out inexpensive systems that give you plenty of casual games or will they eventually expect more.

they could easily capture more hardcore gamers of the strategy breed. point and click to select units or navigate menus and using simple but effective gestures. w/ being able to point, the wii could embrace the strategy genre like no other console has ever been able to. these characteristics would even benefit a top down rpg in the ilk of diablo.

the wii could also be used to breath new life into the quickly fading point and click genre. hardcore and casual gamers alike would rejoice. zack and wiki got very good reviews and certainly exceeded its expected sales. myst is also being ported to the wii (not that we haven't all played myst before, but for those that haven't it might be worth a purchase if its $30... it will have one more new world).

the wii doesn't have the same advantages as the sexbox or ps3, but it does have it's own advantages that they don't have. if only developers (including the big N), would start to take advantage of them.

Are you serious? If anything, it was way under expected sales, seriously dude. This game is selling bad.

gwelymernans, you're right about the game getting great reviews and it is actually meant to be a very good game. But, like Snake said, it is very far from exceeding it's expected sales. It's selling really badly at the moment and it's not doing well at all.

sorry, i guess i just had lower expectations for it in terms of sales since they hardly marketed the game. quite honestly, i find it amazing that it sold as much as it did.

Did anyone ever see advertisements for Carnival games?

Nintendo isn't really targeting "casual gamers", technically, they are targeting people who have never played games before.