Virtual Console Games – Monday, December 17, 2007

Here are this weeks virtual console games:

• Cybernator – SNES – 800 Wii Points
• Alien Storm – Genesis – 800 Wii Points
• Monster Lair – CR-ROM – 800 Wii Points

The Average Nintendo Wii Player is 29 Years Old

Ever wonder what the appeal is of the Nintendo Wii? Although kids love it, the true appeal is to adults who don’t have endless hours to invest in a typical video game. I’ve had every Nintendo gaming console, but I didn’t have the renewed interest until the Wii was released, and I know several other people have felt the same way. Even nursing homes are using the Nintendo Wii for entertainment!

If you are looking for some proof that the Nintendo Wii’s primary appeal is to adults, PC World has done a study that shows the average Nintendo Wii player is 29 years old.

In a group conference call on Friday, the boss man said that Wii attach rates are actually higher than the PS2 attach rate for the same period, suggesting that a healthy number of games are being sold.

When asked if Nintendo was happy with the current quality of third-party games, Fils-Aime said, “Any system will have a range of quality.” He went on to say that developers are “working hard” to push the limits of Wii hardware.

On the subject of online functionality, Reggie dished both good and bad. “We do not anticipate making online playable VC games,” he said before speaking on the future possibility of voice communication for Wii.

Nintendo Losing $1 Billion Due To Wii Shortage

Whenever I talk to someone about the Nintendo Wii and the shortage, the first thing I hear is something along the lines of “I can’t believe Nintendo is holding back to increase demand.” Every time I hear that, I have to wonder if that individual has taken the time to step back and give what they are saying some thought. How is a shortage benefiting Nintendo?

People who want a Nintendo Wii can’t find one. Some get really mad at Nintendo, while others may just buy another unit such as an XBox 360 or a Playstation 3. At the same time, 3rd party video game publishers don’t want to make their games for the Wii because to many potential buyers don’t have a unit to play it on.

Today I ran across a post over at the New York Times that backs up my thought process a little bit. Here is part of that article:

“It’s pretty amazing,” Jim Silver, editor in chief of Toy Wishes magazine and industry analyst for 24 years, said. “By a year later with hot items, inventory usually catches up.”

“It’s staggering,” said James Lin, MDB Capital Group senior analyst. He estimates that Nintendo are losing $1.3 billion in unmade sales. “They could easily sell double what they’re selling.”

Is it worth $1.3 billion dollars to keep the demand that high?

What Are The Best Selling Consoles of 2007?

I found this post over on Codename Revolution detailing the best selling consoles world-wide. Here is the list:

Sony Playstation 2 – 120 Million* (shipped)
Sony Playstation – 102.49 Million (shipped)
Nintendo Entertainment System – 61.9 Million
Super NES – 49.1 Million
Nintendo 64 – 32.93 Million
Atari 2600 – 30 Million
Sega Genesis – 29 Million
+Sega CD – 6 Million
+Sega 32x – 200,000
Microsoft Xbox – 24 Million
Nintendo GameCube – 21.66 Million
Sega Master System – 13 Million
Sega Dreamcast – 10.6 Million
NEC TurboGrafx-16 – 10 Million
Sega Saturn – 9.5 Million
ColecoVision – 6 Million
Intellivision – 6 Million
Panasonic 3DO – 2 Million
Atari 7800 – 1 Million
Neo Geo - 1 Million
CD-i – 570,000
Magnavox Odyssey – 340,000
Atari Jaguar – 250,000 (first-year recorded)

*Currently selling in the market as of December 2007

This list is surprisingly lacking the Nintendo Wii figures, but its still a fun list anyway. My grandparents had an Intellivision when I was growing up. Oh how I remember Dungeons and Dragons on there.

10 Best Nintendo Wii Games for 2007

The Nintendo Wii has been out for more than a full year now and the games are just starting to roll out. I expect 2008 to be an incredible year when it comes to Nintendo Wii games, but 2007 is about complete and there are quite a few great games already available. Infendo is celebrating the upcoming new year by looking back at the 10 best Nintendo Wii games of 2007.

I can’t tease you with #1, because that is probably the most obvious one on the list (Super Mario Galaxy). So I’ll just throw this one out to you, the readers. What is your top 10 for 2007?