A combination of both due to the types of software that are the blockbusters on the Wii and DS. Without recruiting ninjas to hide out at walmart to spy on unsuspecting shoppers its hard to be more specific than that but this quote straight from Nintendo's mouth...
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/japan/article2629649.ece
As the same types of software are selling throughout the world, you can make the assumption that similar demographics are buying the console in the west too. I don't think even the PS2 can boast of having 50% of owners being female or attracting older adults although there was a strong following of the singstar series in Europe.
No, they can't. How does that help your initial argument? If you want 3rd party publishers to pander to women, you have that already. You have multiple iterations of 'weight loss coaches', many of them far better at the 'fitness' thing than Wii Fit itself. You have titles like Imagine Party Babyz. Who do you think that's aimed at?
I've already shown that a cheap port of RE4 Wii can sell nearly as well as the GCN and the PS2. There are plenty of other non-shovelware games with decent sales that suggest there is a market for more complicated games.
Noone will truly know until they properly test the market but if you were a betting man you would assume that you could find a profitable niche from such a massive install base...... especially considering that the HD consoles are so flooded with these types of titles and the Wii so barren.
But you're not talking about a niche! You want full support from 3rd party publishers. But you yourself argue that the market to the Wii is not like the market for other systems. So should 3rd party publishers retool their developers, throw away all the experience they've developed making 'core games'? Should 2K push 2K Boston to start making interactive fiction? I'm not sure what you're asking for, here. Are you looking for top-tier from 3rd party developers or do you want them to cater to this new market. They're already doing the latter, they don't need further encouragement.
Did anyone think that a dog game and a pseudo-scientific collection of brain teasers would be amongst the biggest blockbusters in videogames?
obviously developers didn't until Nintendo showed the way and now there are a multitude of clones struggling to find recognition.
Its like the start of a gold rush....... you can try to find a new area for yourself that hasn't been over mined and test it out....if it works.....you hit jackpot....you have captured a new audience all to yourself.
or you can let Nintendo suck your Milkshake with their ginormous straw
Sure. Or you can go for more conventional games targeted at the multi-million (and growing) fanbase that you know enjoys such things. I'm an advocate for cheaper HD games; I'm extremely forgiving when it comes to games that aren't polished but are still fun.
The romance genre targeting women are a proven financial winner in other mediums like literature and movies......theres no reason why it can't be the same with videogames.
Also, yes... no reason why you couldn't have a version on the DS too...especially for building recognition of your new franchise but I was hypothesing a way for developers/publishers to target people buying wiifit rather than just making a exercise game ripoff.
Gravitation, a shounen-ai (boy love for lack of a better translation) manga/anime has a pretty big following in the West.
Also Harlequinn, one of the gorillas of the romance literature industry has published several hundred manga versions of their bodice rippers in the japanese market.
It seems that romance and love transcends cultural borders.
Why would women play these fiction games on a CONSOLE, rather than just reading the book itself? On the DS it makes some sense, but playing a bodice-ripper on a TV? Well, I believe MMV is bringing a few 'adventure' games over to the US. Maybe they'll do tremendously well and western 3rd parties will listen, but if I were the betting sort I'd put money on it not being the case.
but its still a recognisable brand and considering that sales have gone backwards since the transition to the HD consoles, it would suggest that the investment would have been better spent elsewhere.
obviously its not as huge as mario kart......yet...... but the philosophy of both games are similar and customers are not going to know that unless you tell them.
Burnout will never, ever be as big as Mario Kart.
A publisher like EA should be consolidating their brands rather than wasting money making new ones.
Don't worry, they'll do that next year. We won't be seeing much new IP from EA, they're going to develop sequels to the new IP they introduced this year. I know I'm certainly thrilled by the prospect.