International Front

With Wii and DS games dominating the chart for sales across the world it’s no small question to ask… What is Nintendo doing right?

We see games like Halo 3, GTA IV and LEGO Indiana Jones jump to the top of sales shortly after release as these highly anticipated titles deserve but are then quickly replaced in sales by yet another Nintendo release.

However, looking at time usage on game systems, Xbox and PlayStation systems almost always trounce their Nintendo counterparts. According to Nelsen, gamers are playing on their Xbox 100% and Playstation 50% more than Nintendo consoles. If people are playing the games released for Microsoft and Sony systems with more fervor and dedicate more of their time to these systems, why is Nintendo still leading the pack in sales?

The reason Nintendo is able to retain top positioning over months of sales despite this lower engagement level is perhaps somewhat obvious. It doesn’t follow that because a game offers 100 hours of in depth gameplay that more people will be drawn to it. Quite the opposite is true, with low engagement trouncing more complex games in week by week sales. Nintendo’s move away from the core gamer to the casual is filling the needs of a wider population. New games that promise to help individuals to improve themselves (such as Brain Age or Wii Fit) and heighten interaction with others (Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii) are leading the field in this new era of gaming.

Not that Nintendo takes all the glory of this new breed of game. Guitar Hero and Rock Band have done their part to appeal to a wider audience of player while still resonating with that core group that we as an industry have spent so much time pursuing.

A game-play sweet spot somewhere between casual and core that is executed well and has well established player feedback and awards systems is game industry pay dirt. Assuming of course that you have any sort of budget for advertising…

So where is the next hot game coming from then? Shall we continue to look at daring innovators (Rockstar and Nintendo) to lead the way? Or will we dare to innovate ourselves?

Things to remember about the next dynamo game you make:

1. Access Granted - Make it accessible to a wide audience: no extreme violence or sex, controls that easy to use and gameplay that anyone can understand

2. Bit sized pieces – Make it easy to pick up AND put down

3. How Deep – offer complexity and depth for longer gameplay

4. Good Job! – create a system of accomplishments that reward your players