The Nintendo Wii and Wii Sports was one of the most significant console/game combinations in history, selling well over 100 million units and defining and dominating a whole new genre of gaming: motion controlled sports.
They are therefore the most important indication of and insight into our prospects in the same home-based, motion controlled exercise space, which, since the time of the Wii, has been dormant.
We believe that the essential social and marketplace elements which made the Wii so successful are still very present. A stunning present indication of this is the massive success of the VR swordplay game: Beat Saber, which sold one million copies in nine months, all before the availability of the blockbuster Oculus Quest in May 2019.
In short order, they have garnered Game of the Year honors in multiple corners of the gaming world and in December were acquired by Facebook itself.
So, the market place seems primed for Wii Sports redux, with virtual reality, wireless play, and global networked competition… official competition… sanctioned competition.
Which is why we have studied and understood the Wii phenomenon, and why we provide so much information about it here.
We believe that – in the things they did right and the things they did wrong or didn’t do at all – they are the harbinger for our path and prospects going forward.
Their History… Our Prospects
The Nintendo Wii has already blazed a trail for us to follow, by creating a massively successful motion-driven, sports-based game platform that appealed to every demographic, young and old.
We can do the same, and far, far better, with our competition infrastructure, with global connectivity, and with the virtual reality technology and market power of Facebook’s Oculus Quest.
Wii Sports… The Key to the Wii’s Success
The Wii would not be the smash hit it was if not for its massively popular game series: Wii Sports. This mini-game collection emphasized simplicity and accessibility above all else. Wii Sports wasn’t about blowing your mind with spectacular high-definition graphics, nor was it keen on being the revolutionary next step in game design. Like the Wii, it focused on one thing: reaching people who had not played video games before. Wii Sports single-handedly drove the success of the motion-control trend while expanding the game industry’s demographic reach.
Their Main Market Then Can Be Ours Today.
Our most important and available market opportunity is not the loudest group, but the largest… across all demographic categories, as conventional tennis has been in the past, and as Virtual Tennis can be again.
What Went Around Then Can Now Come Around Again.
The Wii was a stunningly successful look at the future of computer and video gaming, that was cut short ONLY because it did not become a connected SPORT.
Now, with us, it can.
This Is How We Can Do It…