I’m going to add to what my new colleague Jake said in his post from earlier this morning. I’m not going to bash Microsoft in this post. I don’t have to. Taking a page from resident Infendo columnist-at-large Malstrom, I’m going to let the industry players speak for themselves.Xbox Marketing VP Jeff Bell in an interview published on Wednesday:
“I’d like to see the industry grow and be robust” Bell told Canada.com. “In many ways, I’m thankful the Wii has been as successful as it has. If the Wii does grow the market, it’s good for all of us.”
Bell remained skeptical, however, of the popular belief that Nintendo is expanding the market to players other than just core gamers. According to his findings, Wii owners are merely former GameCube owners and Nintendo enthusiasts, not legitimate non-gamers. “The data that I’ve seen has not suggested that in fact these are new gamers,” he said. “It looks like they’re GameCube owners and Nintendo fans.”
Um… Mr. Bell? I think there are a few hundred waggling, bowling grandmas out there who’d disagree with you. That is, if they cared one speck of an iota about your system. Thing is, I think they’re having too much fun to care.
We often talk about how the other console manufacturers are going through the stages of grief here at Infendo. Microsoft, it’s safe to say, has moved onto some weird bargaining/anger hybrid thing.
So, Infendo, where have you seen people who’ve never gamed before *not* playing the Wii? 🙂