Wii Lures Parents to Press Play

Last week Nintendo announced that the Wii sold its 30 millionth unit making it the fastest selling gaming system ever.  Premiering in November 2006 the Wii was expected to be playing third banana to PS3 and Xbox 360.  Rather than going after the hardcore gamers Nintendo positioned its system to expand playing beyond traditional console audiences.

Sales demonstrate that the Wii has been a financial success and has reached a broader audience neglected by other consoles.  With the Wii earning the moniker as the everyman’s system we wondered which particular consumers Sony and Microsoft have been playing without?

Baby Boomer’s Console Appeal and Usage

Using E-Score Brand we looked at the three consoles Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 and compared their appeal among different age groups.  The Wii leads the pack with an overall top two appeal of 57% followed by the PS3 with 41% and Xbox 360 with 35%.  Where the Wii really starts to separate itself from the group is among older audiences. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) scored the Wii more than 15 percentage points higher in appeal than both the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Aside from appeal Baby Boomers are also sneaking in some swings with the Wii-mote.  39% of Baby Boomers have purchased/used the Wii, where PS3 and Xbox 360 scored only 22% and 18% among Baby Boomers respectively.  The Wii’s flatter learning curve and lower time investment is an attractive feature to older gamers that may see other consoles as too advanced.

E-Score Brand offers the ability to look at usage and appeal among specific age groups including Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials.  By understanding where specifically the Wii has increased its user base Nintendo can take the necessary steps to sustain its advantage and market efficiently to prevent alienating existing and new users.