Nintendo announced on Friday that over 250,000 copies of Nintendogs were sold in the US within a week of the game's release. Apparently, many retailers have sold out completely and are now feverishly ordering in fresh shipments.
So, would anyone like to hazard a guess at the reasons behind the global popularity of this ridiculously cute title? After all, the concept of the loveable pet sim is hardly new, with titles similar to Nintendogs selling well in Japan for years. What is special about this particular care-'em-up?
Well, there are a few elements that make this one special, not least its appearance on a globally successful and daringly innovative device. The tactile and voice instruction elements brought in by the DS hardware, for example, may have proved irresistible to Western gamers. Being able to stroke and talk to your pet is a sensory leap forward, no doubt appealing to animal lovers who don't want to communicate via button presses only.
The fact that there are three different versions of the game is another compelling factor. It appeals to collectors and means that purchasers get to bring personal preference to the experience, which more closely mimics a real pet purchase. The availability of choice also adds a social element - users are able to compare and contrast breeds and to discuss differences in how the training, grooming and competing elements are coming along. Nintendogs, like Tamagotchi all those years ago, mimics the deeply instinctive comparative and competitive behaviours of human parents. And like parenthood it is about belonging, about caring, but also, at a fundamental level, about competition. The desire to nurture the fittest, healthiest and smartest progeny is a type of rivalry that we are all hardwired to understand.
Or maybe it's just brilliant open-ended game design starring cute little puppies. One thing's for sure, plenty of commentators will fall into the trap of looking at Nintendogs as a casual game, perhaps even a 'girl's game' (eurgh). Wrong. Nintendogs is a game with appeal beyond the hardcore, but the hardcore are playing too. This is the beauty of handheld gaming, it makes the oddest titles acceptable and compelling. There is something about playing outside, away from the intensity of the curtains drawn, 100%-focused console experience, that releases us from inhibition. Handheld gaming is like holidaying - a solace from self.
It's like portable music. I listen to stuff on my iPod that I'd never play out loud at home on my big, serious separates system (I had REO Speedwagon playing on the way into work this morning, for heavens sake). Similarly, I probably wouldn't go near console conversions of Nintendogs, Harvest Moon, Pokemon, Touch! Kirby or Wario Ware.
Whatever, the success of Nintendogs in the US is a good thing for the whole industry. Every time a title like this breaks through to become a mainstream phenomenon it confounds those who understand videogames only in terms of violence and destruction. It also opens doors for developers who want to experiment with new forms of gameplay. As long as it doesn't lead to a dozen pet sim variations complete with increasingly bizarre official endorsements I don't mind. This time next year I do NOT want to be playing PDSA Ferret Fancier 3.
