I was away yesterday so you may have already seen this but really, I couldn't let it pass. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has suggested that the Wii is a novelty and users will eventually want to "graduate" to the 360. Talking about the Wii he said:
"You see they're not buying games on it, right? They're buying it, it's like something they break out when people come over, and it's maybe a fun thing, but it's almost like the same people that buy a karaoke machine, you know? They're not really buying it for games, they're just buying it as a novelty."
Ouch. Though obviously he does have a point. Sure the likes of Okami and Mario Galaxy are worthy of any gamer. But if that was all the Wii had to offer it would be bumping along in third place Gamecube style. Clearly Wii Sports, innovative controls and that "break out when people come over" factor are the main reasons the Wii has been such a hit. But where Greenberg goes wrong is assuming that all Wii owners are pre-teens who will eventually want to play on the 360.
"I think that there's a difference in the type of customer that is buying the Wii. When you think about it, there's a difference between trying to be the number one console with nine year old gamers, and being the console that offers the most experiences from 13 to 33."
What about older Wii owners perfectly happy with more casual stuff? Or those Wii owners potentially tempted by online play but who don't fancy grief from 15 year old sharpshooters? And of course, he doesn't mention Wii gamers "graduating" to the PS3. Anyway, what do you think then? Is the Wii merely a novelty training platform for young gamers? Or is this just fighting/desperate talk from a Microsoft desperate to expand the 360's market away from the hardcore?
