Nintendo Moves Into The Educational Market
from the whatever-happened-to-burgertime? dept
While Sony and Microsoft duke it out with price cuts on the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, Nintendo keeps chugging along in the background, with the Wii continuing to sell well despite still being hard to find at many retailers. A big part of the success of the Wii, and Nintendo overall, has been the company's focus on creating products and games that appeal to a wide audience, and don't rely on sheer processing and graphics power, but rather innovative and creative game play. This is the sort of strategy that EA's new CEO recently alluded to, when he said his company has become stagnant and caught in an endless loop of franchise title updates, and isn't doing enough to court casual gamers and other non-traditional market segments. Even more so than the Wii, Nintendo's DS portable console reflects its strength in this area. It started with things like Brain Age, which attracted an older demographic by blurring the line between learning and gaming, but now the DS is becoming a platform for reference materials and educational programs in Japanese schools. The DS is an attractive device for the schools because it's relatively inexpensive (compared to laptops), and it's easy to use, while its touchscreen and voice-recognition functionality provide a useful platform. Nintendo trumpets the fact that 60% of DS buyers don't consider themselves videogamers -- and it's by catering to this market that Nintendo is finding a lot of success, rather than by rolling out expensive, yet powerful, consoles that focus on complex, involved games.
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I am not a gamer at all (IMHO all video games are a waste of time) but I am really tired of fanbois asserting their personal favorite is "the best" without giving the decision parameters.
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Anyone know what's become of Mike Masnick? Or if there's a better place to post questions about the site itself than the comments for the most recent article? (I can't find one, and i know email to webmaster@ will either bounce or simply be ignored, since that seems to be the industry standard behavior nowadays.)
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But that is a bit contradictory.
I mean - Is the 'XBOX vs. WII' debate any different from 'My Hobby is ok, but your hobby sucks' debate?
I do play my share of video games, but I also have a project car I work on. Honestly - I think the games are a bit more of a time waste, but the car's certainly more of a cash waste...
True - I can always re-sell the car, but I'll never get out of it, what I put into it. Percentage wise, the car's a better return, but video games don't cost $300.00+, like a set of Chrome Valve Covers do either... heh
TV... ehh, other than a couple old shows I DVR, I don't really watch much of the tube.
It's ALL just a matter of personal taste :)
If the XBOX was the ONLY system out there, well - then the choice would suck. I only play PC games though - I personally dislike console games and their cost. The TV is just too resolution for me and I just like the mouse and keyboard better.
But the games I like are more involved. I don't really care for simple games at all.
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If the XBOX was the ONLY system out there, well - then the choice would suck.
If any one of the current gen systems were the only choice (PS3, Xbox, or Wii) it would suck.
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The point of my post is that there really is no one best anything. Best must be stated as the most fitted for a set of decision criteria.
Wii is "the best" if your criteria are initial price and appeal to an entire family.
XBox is "the best" in a gamer cafe environment, since Sony restricts the rental of game units under their licensing.
PS3 is "the best" if you play a single-platform title that is not available for Wii, XBox, or PC.
None of these is "the best" if you desire a game device to carry on an airplane.
So whether you are talking about game devices, cars, or whatever -- none is "the best" for every situation or set of criteria.
PS -- I prefer the cast aluminum valve covers, more stength to avoid gasket pinches and leaks. Alas, my project car has been gone many years.
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But
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Im a gamer, i love ps3 but that wont make me less interested in playing wii or x-box or Pc. cmon if you are dedicated you can play all.
Hommo Ludensis concept we learn playing.
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everything = waste of time
For now, I live off YouTube for my TV 'needs', and I commend Nintendo for what they have done to revolutionize the video game industry. While they may not offer the BEST educational software, they are at least offering it on an interface that is quickly becoming familiar around the world. I know I would have been MUCH more enticed to do my homework if I were able to do it with my NES controller. Today, I own a Wii, and I'm lovin' it. :)
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Re: Many
I myself am a PC gamer primarily, and do not even own a Wii. When I FINALLY get around to getting a current gen system, it will probably be the wii with how everything currently adds up. But that probably won't be for over a year still.
And Buzz Post #15, very well said, very well indeed. =)
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