Wii U: Mario's retirement plan

I have never considered myself much of a “gamer.” Sure, I owned a PS2 as a child and occasionally dabble with my roommates’ Xbox 360. However, I have never found more than casual enjoyment out of video games.

Coming from a family who rarely plays video games at all, you can imagine my surprise when my parents purchased a Nintendo Wii about a year ago.
 
I automatically assumed my mother and father were going to start spending their free time playing “Mario Kart” and “Zelda.” This would have been a radical change of pace compared with their usual entertainment.

It is really interesting to see how older generations are using new entertainment technology. Instead of rescuing Peach from the depths of Bowser’s dungeon, my parents used their new console to use applications like “Netflix” and “Wii Weather.”

It seems that video games are becoming more user friendly for older generations. One example that comes to mind is the Internet craze for Farmville. With its easy levels and visually appealing graphics, it seems aimed toward attracting older, less tech-savvy gamers.

According to an article by Mathew Ingram, the average social gamer is a 43-year-old woman. I believe this marks a continuing trend in games and consoles becoming designed and marketed increasingly for older individuals. With baby boomers nearing retirement age, millions of people will have ample time for things like video games. It would make sense for game producers to start thinking about how they could tap into that market.

With games such as Farmville and consoles like the Wii being utilized by older generations, it will be intriguing to see how entertainment companies continue to make programs more and more designed solely for unconventional gamers.

­— ogwise@indiana.edu