3 million units? Really? Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games was a piece of c*** and it sold more units than that. Wii Play was also a horrendous piece of garbage and it sold 20 million units. Even I, who got sick of all the Wii titles that came out and eventually left the system in a dark closet, thought that playing Wii Tennis was the coolest thing since Halo. Wii Sports Resort is flying off the shelves even though that add-on of the controller costs $20. Shouldn't you, the expert, know the Wii market and it's outrageousness (I'm talking plastic golf clubs you stick on the the "Wiimote") by now? Long story short, the reason Wii sales crush Xbox sales is because the target Nintendo's aiming at is much bigger. Pokemon has more universal appeal than Master Chief.
Exactly, which is why there are so many "kiddish" games on the iPhone, particularly since most users play games casually.
Sadly, there's a whole segment of the gaming community that doesn't consider someone like you a "real" gamer -- in fact, they're probably pretty offended that you're stepping into their turf. As someone who enjoys playing both "adult" and "kiddie" games, I find it greatly encouraging to see devices like the Wii and the iPhone/iPod Touch open up the market and bring in a much more diverse audience. I'm sorry to hear about your cancer surgery; I hope that you are well in your way to recovery.
kids are the market I agree the games do not float my boat but I can see the marketing benefits of games for kids they are the ones spending so much time on the phones.
3 mil units is what was sold separate from the wii, I never said I believed that the game would only sell exactly that many units. I just did the math 46mil - 43 mil. And how am I an expert in any way? I just used Google. The reason (I think) that all those crappy games sold so many units is because when people bought their wii's and played wii sports, they liked it but realized that they wanted more variety in the sports and activities the game comes with. Therefore when wii play came out people might have wanted to get it because they enjoyed wii sports and wanted new activities to play. Lets say wii sports wasn't packaged in the wii, can you honestly say that the game looked good enough for you to buy it? I wouldn't, it looked like a cheep way to make the wii the must have system. I can honestly say that with out the brilliant marketing of Nintendo, wii sports would of sold over 10 mil copes. Basically: If a game ships 46mil units, chances are that a lot of people are going to buy the squeal based on the fact that they thought the original was good. (And the main reason they found out it was so good was because it was pre-packaged with the wii)
I never thought Rolando was particularly kiddish. Peggle is aimed at kids though, right off the bat it seems. I guess its just they think that adults will play kid's games but kids won't play adult's games!
Also, sometimes what people mean by "games for adults" is really, "games for males"--and stereotypical males at that. Granted, those are certainly an important chunk of the market, but by no means the only one. Some of the games people think are "kid-like" may really be aimed more at females. (Whether that's misguided marketing or good business, I cannot say. I CAN say for certain that women do play the violent FPS/other games I enjoy. Any kind of game might sell to any kind of person.)
Welcome to Touch Arcade...it's always nice to have another "adult" member. I agree that when you "grow up" you care less what people think. It helps having a thick skin when you post in forums! The other great thing about being an adult gamer: it's not a big deal to spend $5, $10--or even more-- on a game. My main challenge is not buying too many games, since they are all so cheap! I enjoy many different genres-- everything from pinball to Silent Hill. My sister plays video games with her son, and I agree that it brings families closer. Hope your recovery is going well.
