It seems that Nintendo is succeding in reaching a new demographics with the DS

Monk

Banned
Turning to the DS, Toyota revealed some new demographic figures. According to a recent Club Nintendo survey, 22 percent of DS owners are female, which represents a 7 percent increase since the last survey was taken. Use of the DS among the over-19 "mature" set has also risen from 49 to 59 percent. Toyota added that Nintendo's massive marketing campaign for the handheld, featuring pop vocalist Hikaru Utada, was a success.

I wonder if they can keep up this trend. Can you imagine half the gaming demographic of a console/handheld being girl gamers? @_@ Would be kind of weird.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/02/03/news_6117814.html



And with nintendo trying a "new direction" with the Revolution:

When the subject of the Revolution arose, Toyota said, "E3 will be the starting point for the Revolution. [We haven't decided] whether we will show the real machine, videos, or unveil the concept. ... We want to receive some level of evaluation, but releasing too much information is also another issue. We don't have the slightest intention of making a machine that follows the same path as conventional game hardware. Right now, we are thinking of how we can accurately convey to people at E3 the different path that the Revolution will take and how it will change the way that games will be enjoyed."


...it seems Nintendo know that they are fucked the way that they are going and know that they need a real change.



Anyone have any thoughts on this "new Nintendo"?




EDIT: ARE fucking ARRGH
 
This just means all of those dating games with half-naked girls will be replaced with dating sims with half-naked men!! YAY!!!!
 
The oddest thing about that. It seems that those dating games with a male protagonist are played by girls. It supports my theory that all girls are really closet lesbians.
 
In all honestly. I've alway thought that age demo thing was off. I mean, every kid I see wants an Xbox or a Playstation 2. I think it was the older crowd, be it nostalgic purposes, or the quality of Nintendo's games that drove people to buy a Gamecube. I'm not saying that younger gamers don't have one either. It's just that there are a lot of people gaming now who's first platformer is Crash and not Mario. I'd feel weird not having a Nintendo console in any generation, and I'm 25. No matter their direction of their future, I'll always have one, for nostalgic purposes and their games. I feel at 'home' playing a Nintendo game. I'm sure there are other gamers like myself as well. I don't have a DS, waiting for the Zelda game, if it ever comes. Nice to see them doing well though.
 
well they reached my demographic "used to think all handhelds were shit" I started warming to the sp, I'll buy a DS soon as it launches here.
 
the DS needs a resident evil game now. chix dig it

(maybe not but I just want a portable RE2 :~( )
 
Why chicks dig the DS:
1o37zo


Boyfriend's reaction?
1o3ebq
 
My GF has played my DS almost as much as me, and will be getting one of her own at the first price drop.
 
iceberg187 said:
In all honestly. I've alway thought that age demo thing was off. I mean, every kid I see wants an Xbox or a Playstation 2. I think it was the older crowd, be it nostalgic purposes, or the quality of Nintendo's games that drove people to buy a Gamecube. I'm not saying that younger gamers don't have one either. It's just that there are a lot of people gaming now who's first platformer is Crash and not Mario. I'd feel weird not having a Nintendo console in any generation, and I'm 25. No matter their direction of their future, I'll always have one, for nostalgic purposes and their games. I feel at 'home' playing a Nintendo game. I'm sure there are other gamers like myself as well. I don't have a DS, waiting for the Zelda game, if it ever comes. Nice to see them doing well though.

i've got to agree with this 100%. i was just at an old friends place last night. he lives with his brother who is at least 30 years old. when i walked in, i was surprised to see them playing 007 nightfire on a platinum cube. it turns out that it's his brothers and he owned a ton of nintendo games. mario sunshine, mario golf, ssb:m etc... i think the other companies just try to 'play' (ebonics) nintendo....
 
My point is that there isn't a significant demographic difference between the average, say, 16-year-old and an average 19-year-old. Neither one of them is likely to have a ton of disposable income or be concerned about adult issues such as career or family. It's not a slag against teenagers, but they just aren't there yet.

I've had this argument with marketing people many times about why lumping people together in the "classic" 19-to-35 demographic makes any kind of sense. "Younger" people (that is to say, college age or younger) tend to have more free time for hobbies and find gaming more socially acceptable. It's not a surprise that segment WOULD enjoy a handheld game...it just isn't worthy of a press release.

On the other hand, if Nintendo was finding that a significant portion of their buyers were, say, in their late 20s, or bought it to use on their daily commute to work, or were females who had graduated college, then I'd believe they had tapped into a truly new demographic.
 
the over-19 crowd who don't go to college are likely to have a job yet not have to support a family yet (well, i guess they might be saving up to...), which is a big difference from the high school group.
 
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