We Need to Talk About Nintendo's Age Demographics

[Terry Bogard]

How did this happen?
You might not think this is a big deal, but this is something that concerns me because I want Nintendo to be popular with everyone so they can succeed. I also want my own children, if I decide to have any, to play Nintendo. However, Nintendo seemingly lost their kid audience. I've tried doing my own research before making this thread, and most people say it's because Gen Alpha (the current generation of kids and teens) cares more about socializing than overcoming challenges or competition (two things prevalent in almost every Nintendo game). It's why Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft took off. They're like social media sites disguised as games. Call me old fashioned, but I think a game is defined by a sense of victory. Victory can mean something as simple as stomping on a Goomba in 1-1, or something as massive as winning EVO (I'm Gen Z, so no saying "okay boomer" like my brother has). Basically, Gen Alpha doesn't care about video games. They only play those "games" because they know games are popular with Gen Z and Millenials. They'd much prefer social media, but that means they can't call themselves a "gamer" and would be seen as uncool.

Am I right or wrong? What are your thoughts on this? I'm curious to know!

 

[Wario Wario Wario]

View attachment 399109

How did this happen?
You might not think this is a big deal, but this is something that concerns me because I want Nintendo to be popular with everyone so they can succeed. I also want my own children, if I decide to have any, to play Nintendo. However, Nintendo seemingly lost their kid audience. I've tried doing my own research before making this thread, and most people say it's because Gen Alpha (the current generation of kids and teens) cares more about socializing than overcoming challenges or competition (two things prevalent in almost every Nintendo game). It's why Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft took off. They're like social media sites disguised as games. Call me old fashioned, but I think a game is defined by a sense of victory. Victory can mean something as simple as stomping on a Goomba in 1-1, or something as massive as winning EVO (I'm Gen Z, so no saying "okay boomer" like my brother has). Basically, Gen Alpha doesn't care about video games. They only play those "games" because they know games are popular with Gen Z and Millenials. They'd much prefer social media, but that means they can't call themselves a "gamer" and would be seen as uncool.

Am I right or wrong? What are your thoughts on this? I'm curious to know!

All you're doing is repeating a cycle that has gone on as long as entertainment itself - of adults looking down on what children enjoy for being different from what they grew up on. This happens with cartoons, toys, movies, video games, and even advertising. Passing down culture of the past to younger generations is important, and something I'm very outspoken on, but so is nuturing the culture of the future, and if that culture is one that wants games not based in the conventional idea of victory, that's ultimately good for them. There are MANY valid criticisms of Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, but this isn't a criticism, it's a preference. As a Gen Z-er, you really should not forget how millennials treated your generation in the past. This is the exact way SNES kids spoke of Angry Birds and COD.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I mean even Nintendo has shifted into an overall strategy of appealing to families/everyone as opposed to just kids. The latter approach was already starting to crack when Sony scooped up the older demographic two generations in a row and the gradual merge of console/PC gaming spaces mean there were older players becoming even more valuable. The strongest virtue the company has now is that its library is something anyone of any age can drift into. Adults that moved away from Nintendo came back to the Switch, stuff like Pokémon media or the Mario movie introduced countless kids to the company, and even teens have found the kind of games like Fortnite or Splatoon on the current console that they dive deep into regardless of not playing many other first party offerings.

For all the dismissive bing bang wahoo jokes online about Nintendo games, they're current strategy is closer to that of a theme park that has at least one attraction for everybody.

 

[fogbadge]

View attachment 399109

How did this happen?
You might not think this is a big deal, but this is something that concerns me because I want Nintendo to be popular with everyone so they can succeed. I also want my own children, if I decide to have any, to play Nintendo. However, Nintendo seemingly lost their kid audience. I've tried doing my own research before making this thread, and most people say it's because Gen Alpha (the current generation of kids and teens) cares more about socializing than overcoming challenges or competition (two things prevalent in almost every Nintendo game). It's why Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft took off. They're like social media sites disguised as games. Call me old fashioned, but I think a game is defined by a sense of victory. Victory can mean something as simple as stomping on a Goomba in 1-1, or something as massive as winning EVO (I'm Gen Z, so no saying "okay boomer" like my brother has). Basically, Gen Alpha doesn't care about video games. They only play those "games" because they know games are popular with Gen Z and Millenials. They'd much prefer social media, but that means they can't call themselves a "gamer" and would be seen as uncool.

Am I right or wrong? What are your thoughts on this? I'm curious to know!

so in short "Kids Today"

 

[Terry Bogard]

I mean even Nintendo has shifted into an overall strategy of appealing to families/everyone as opposed to just kids. The latter approach was already starting to crack when Sony scooped up the older demographic two generations in a row and the gradual merge of console/PC gaming spaces mean there were older players becoming even more valuable. The strongest virtue the company has now is that its library is something anyone of any age can drift into. Adults that moved away from Nintendo came back to the Switch, stuff like Pokémon media or the Mario movie introduced countless kids to the company, and even teens have found the kind of games like Fortnite or Splatoon on the current console that they dive deep into regardless of not playing many other first party offerings.

For all the dismissive bing bang wahoo jokes online about Nintendo games, they're current strategy is closer to that of a theme park that has at least one attraction for everybody.

You're right in saying this is Nintendo's current strategy (and one I 100% approve of) but that doesn't answer why there are more adult players than kid players. Shouldn't it be a 50/50 balance if that's the case?

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

You're right in saying this is Nintendo's current strategy (and one I 100% approve of) but that doesn't answer why there are more adult players than kid players. Shouldn't it be a 50/50 balance if that's the case?

Well the thing is many of the alternative options out there (tablets, smart phones, smart TV's, PC's) very often end up being played by kids because for parents they're either cheaper (with the former three options) or are already in the house (in the case of the latter). Combine that with many such titles tending to be simpler and it's not really a surprise that many kids are playing those as opposed to starting the hobby with Nintendo consoles. Now those wanting a more complex and deeper gameplay experience can move onto something like the Switch and many have, but that tends to be when they're older and parents have been convinced that a full-blown gaming system is worth buying.

Essentially Nintendo has been around for so long and the variety of gaming options has exploded so much that the company's games tend to be something younger players eventually discover later and/or are introduced to by their parents at some point rather than being their first complex experience like kids in the 80s had with NES, the 90s with the N64/GB or the 00s with the Wii/DS.

 

[Terry Bogard]

This is the exact way SNES kids spoke of Angry Birds and COD.

I made fun of both of those when they came out
I guess I'm just different

 

[Otoad64]

It's not like Minecraft or Fortnite don't have a conventional idea of victory.

And if you want your kids to play other games, all you have to do is introduce them to them.