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[ULTROS!]

I was browsing the damage control of Pokemon Sword and Shield and came upon this post, which is interesting:

This got me thinking: are Nintendo games mostly played by the millennial group or the adults? From my experience, it seems like Splatoon, a game that should target kids, is mostly making waves by the adult crowd. I'd even say Mario is purchased amongst the adult crowd.

I've also read on an article on the most popular games by kids, most of them are online/loot box oriented games (Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront, Roblox, Fortnite):

Kids are getting addicted to gaming - these are the titles parents should know

Worried about the amount of time your kids are spending on video games? You're not alone

www.mirror.co.uk

I'd like to start the discussion: are Nintendo games failing to target the younger crowd and focusing mostly on the adult crowd?

 

[Caffeine]

I was browsing the damage control of Pokemon Sword and Shield and came upon this post, which is interesting:



This got me thinking: are Nintendo games mostly played by the millennial group or the adults? From my experience, it seems like Splatoon, a game that should target kids, is mostly making waves by the adult crowd. I'd even say Mario is purchased amongst the adult crowd.

I've also read on an article on the most popular games by kids, most of them are online/loot box oriented games (Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront, Roblox, Fortnite):

Kids are getting addicted to gaming - these are the titles parents should know

Worried about the amount of time your kids are spending on video games? You're not alone

www.mirror.co.uk

I'd like to start the discussion: are Nintendo games failing to target the younger crowd and focusing mostly on the adult crowd?

It's an interesting take, a lot of us started growing up when the esrb started becoming a thing and main stream media was targeting the violent games so most parents kept buying their kids nintendo games. we were growing up in an era with out the addictive allure of opening lootboxes. We also have to take into account that most of the younger generations are on mobile/tablet and nintendo outside of pokemon go isnt dominating that space. infact that reddit link shows most people who were playing go were over the age of 18. Nintendo keeps making their games for kids but it seems mostly nostalgic adults are still gravitated to them, which isnt a bad thing considering a lot of the AAA market making money syphons. I remember back in 2009 nintendo had a demographic up that showed their fans are aging and they were always trying to innovate to lure in the younger crowds.

So yes I think to some extent outside of parents who have nintendo things bringing that into their kids lives although most milenials are not having kids so well shit. I think they are failing to reach younger audiences and have currently been sustaining on casuals and the diehard nintendo fans. I mean look at me I'm 29 and I usually gravitate to nintendo or even square enix as i've always been a fan if it was that or another AAA title I will just go back to what i'm familiar with and nostalgic for.
why would I play nba lootbox casino its unappealing to me since I grew up when you just bought a game and played it. This additional monetization that's going on I am clearly not the target audience.

 

[Ceallach]

Both? I think the nostalgia group(mainly millennials who grew up with Ninty in the 80s and 90s) and kids. My daughter(7) and her friends all have Switches and pack them around everywhere and care mostly about mario and pokemon and stuff.

 

[Durask]

To me it seems like all kids are just playing Minecraft and only Minecraft.

 

[brap]

I think really young kids and adults. Older kids seem to care about Fortnite, CoD and all that shit.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

It is true they try to appeal to the older crowd through nostalgia but I don't know if I'd say they're failing to reach a younger crowd. Some of their IPs appeal to teenagers/adults (The Legend of Zelda or Metroid) and others can appeal those of all ages (Super Mario). Pokemon has always been designed with kids in mind so it's kind of weird to me that some adults would still be interested in it.

 

[Mista]

To be honest it’s both, young and adults. Adults because mostly they grew up playing Nintendo and young because their parents grew up on Nintendo. That’s something I respect a lot about Nintendo, they appeal to everyone.

 

[-Arcadia-]

I think Nintendo still has kids, but not to a monopoly extent like they used to. Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, whatever’s hot on YouTube atm, a lot of those pull from kids in a way they didn’t in our era.

Also, kids aren’t always necessarily into bright colors and family friendly entertainment. CoD and a lot of the stuff we play, I think has big pull in their crowd too.

Throw in parents who don’t want to/can’t buy consoles, and a lot are gaming on PC or mobile.

So basically, still a big player, just a lot of competition that didn’t used to exist.

 

[Belmonte]

My nephews (boy, 6 years old and girl, 8 year old) loves Mario and Pokémon. They had even a birthday party were they dressed up as Mario and Peach.

But talking with them, it seems more my influence than something they share with their friends at school who likes Minecraft and lame smart phone games.

Kind of impressive how they like Mario though. They only play it when they visit me since they don't have a videogame. I wish to buy a Switch or a WiiU for them but my family have a irrational fear of videogames. Even when I was a kid it was tough to convince them to buy me one.

 

[Spukc]

Boomer console

 

[TLZ]

The correct answer is....

Spoiler

Man-babies

Spoiler

Hold on! Calm your tits! I'm 39 and I love their games too

 

[CyberPanda]

Boomer console

B O O M E R
O
O
M
E
R

 

[TylersProphecy4.0]

When I think about it, most kids into Nintendo probably have only had access to nintendo shit because of their parents, so yeah. This makes sense.

It's not like Nintendo is as prevalent amongst the kiddos anymore. I remember a time when kids talked about nes games like kids do now about fortnite but those times are far in the past.

That and it seems like the name of the game with kids anymore is access at a cheap price or even free. That AINT Nintendo.

 

[Lionel Richie]

I'd like to start the discussion: are Nintendo games failing to target the younger crowd and focusing mostly on the adult crowd?

That's a weird way to frame the discussion and it makes me think it's bait. I'll bite anyway and give the most obvious answer possible: Nintendo makes really good games that are not targeted towards a specific audience. They don't focus on the adult crowd, they don't focus on the younger crowd, they focus on delivering gameplay first experiences that have no age restriction. Their "something for everyone" approach is pretty much the same thing Disney used to do before they went super gigantic trying to ruin the movie business, using capeshit money to watch you masturbate. But I digress. Nintendo is great, best games in the business baby. Maybe guerrilla tape the 3DS camera though.

 

[deriks]

Today, probably is. But more than half are bitchy

 

[Stefan.North]

People in 20s and 30s are OLDER people now? Has life expectancy went down to bellow 50 in your country?

On topic, I'm 34 and I like most of their games. But I don't buy everything, not even most titles. I won't be buying Pokemon, and I never bought one.

 

[ROMhack]

Older people, sure. Adults? Not so sure...

To me it seems like all kids are just playing Minecraft and only Minecraft.

Fortnite??

 

[Alexios]

I don't think more adults trying out/playing Pokemon Go (need a smartphone etc) means as much for Pokemon games overall.

But yes it's been known Switch sold very well to adult demographics. Which doesn't necessarily say much about "Nintendo fans" in particular, it's just damn good hardware with great 1st, 2nd and 3rd party games. It doesn't necessarily mean most Sword & Shield sales will be to adults.

Kids aren't just the teens playing dota, call of duty and fortnite, they're also smaller kids that just play whatever "toys" the parents bring home for them or that they cried for cos someone at pre/school played it or they saw a commercial/ad and so on, not all are neglected and online obsessed yet.

 

[petran79]

Some factors:
-less kids than 80-90s, especially in Europe and Japan. Less than half in many countries compared to few decades ago
-video games target older ages, less focus on kids market, even for Nintendo
-Pokémon anime is not as popular as it once was due to reasons above and stricter regulations in tv toy commercials, meaning more safe kids cartoons.
-more alternatives for similar video games.

Franchise and Nintendo can't survive otherwise

 

[ROMhack]

Some factors:
-less kids than 80-90s, especially in Europe and Japan. Less than half in many countries compared to few decades ago
-video games target older ages, less focus on kids market, even for Nintendo
-Pokémon anime is not as popular as it once was due to reasons above and stricter regulations in tv toy commercials, meaning more safe kids cartoons.
-more alternatives for similar video games.

Franchise and Nintendo can't survive otherwise

I wonder too if it's due to streaming? Pokemon isn't really a great game to watch and that's obviously a lot of how kids are getting into/bonding over games these days.

 

[Ma-Yuan]

Well I am 34 and consider myself a BigN Fan so maybe something is right about that statement^^

 

[Cato]

I am 20 + 30 ! and I prefer DarkSouls3 or BloodBorne to anything they release on the switch.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

Boomer console

Lol how many 60+yo do you think play on a Switch?

 

[Danjin44]

I can speak from personal experience but these all I see kids talk about is Fortnite or Minecraft.

I also think people shouldn’t assume just visuals are “cartoonish” adults wouldn’t play them, I’m in my 30s and I enjoyed the crap out of the Luigi’s Mansion 3 and that game is as cartoonish as you can get.

 

[Saruhashi]

I think if you just want a good old-fashioned fun videogame then Nintendo is really your go-to.

For myself, I would say I am a bit disillusioned by what we get from other consoles and publishers.
Too many online games. Too many games that are desperately trying to appear as mature and "edgy".
Too much focus on impressing the "performance is everything" crowd and not enough focus on accessible, fun, games with widespread appeal.

And I say this as someone who loved Sekiro and Death Stranding more than any other games this year.

I think overall Nintendo is offering the best "old school" gaming experience that comes close to why I was eager to get into games in the 80s.
The games just seem to have broad appeal and a much more carefree attitude.

Add in an absolutely stellar indie line-up AND the console is portable and doesn't need to be connected to a monitor to play?
Fuckin' sign me up.

 

[Mattyp]

Millions of soys out there what can you say.

 

[Grinchy]

My nephew is one of my only connections to the current world of children lol. He thought it was cool when he saw the Switch at my place, and he played some Mario Odyssey. He seemed to be enjoying it, but not caring that much. Most of the time, when I show him a game or some gadget, my sister gets pissed because she ends up having to buy it for him. She did not have to buy him a Switch.

I think kids just aren't really that blown away by technology since they are going from eating with a bib to owning an ipad.

 

[Bodatan]

Kid games = fortnite, cod, FIFA, Minecraft, cinematic game with little gamplay from Sony.

 

[Saber]

That's a weird way to frame the discussion and it makes me think it's bait. I'll bite anyway and give the most obvious answer possible: Nintendo makes really good games that are not targeted towards a specific audience. They don't focus on the adult crowd, they don't focus on the younger crowd, they focus on delivering gameplay first experiences that have no age restriction. Their "something for everyone" approach is pretty much the same thing Disney used to do before they went super gigantic trying to ruin the movie business, using capeshit money to watch you masturbate. But I digress. Nintendo is great, best games in the business baby. Maybe guerrilla tape the 3DS camera though.

Thats a good take. I sincerelly lost track of how many people spit "its target to kids" when they clearly doesn't have specific targets in mind.

 

[Birdo]

These articles always feel like insecure adults trying to justify themselves playing kids games.

"Look! Adults play them too! LOOK!"

Some adults watch Kids cartoons too. But it doesn't mean that they are adult cartoons.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

I don’t see why it’s just Nintendo here for OP I think most gamers are getting older as a consequence of it not being a shameful thing and more and more casual getting in. As millennials get older the acceptance of older people playing games has spread.

As for Pokemon, if u played any of the games in the 90s then by now you are an adult. So no surprise that a lot of adults play them.

 

[garballax]

the older fans seem to be more vocal on social media and such. here's some more details information based on surveys for Nintendo Account owners:

These are the results of an Internet survey that was given to consumers in the U.S. market who had linked a Nintendo Account to their Nintendo Switch system after launch. It is clear to see that purchases are primarily made by male consumers in their 20s and early 30s. The results also show good interest among consumers in the 10 to 19 age range, which we see as a sign of our expanding demographics.

src: https://nintendoeverything.com/kimishima-on-switch-sales-demographics/

most of them are male too, lol.

 

[iNvid02]

mostly manchildren and them forcing their spawn to play as well

 

[Freeman76]

Im 43 and will play a few things on switch, mainly franchises i have fond memories of from back in the day. My kids are 5 and 7 and they both play the switch a lot more than me, which is going to change when i get luigi 3 lol!

 

[Vawn]

My three boys ages 3-11 are big Nintendo fans. I, 40, am also a big Nintendo fan. Therefore, no, Nintendo fans are not in their 20s and 30s. They are kids and men 40+.

 

[ScarletSpider]

I bought a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, and a 4K Bravia to live that cutting edge lifestyle and the Nintendo Switch is far and away my most played console.
I've had the PS4 and Xbox in my closet for a little over a year now. I only keep my Switch hooked up, and bring out either of the others one at a time for like, a weekend at a time. Every purchase I make on those consoles I either immediately regret -OR- regret after about 48 hours.

I'm in my mid 30's, no kids if that matters.

 

[Saruhashi]

These articles always feel like insecure adults trying to justify themselves playing kids games.

"Look! Adults play them too! LOOK!"

Some adults watch Kids cartoons too. But it doesn't mean that they are adult cartoons.

You've got the other side of that coin though which is insecure adults overcompensating by trying to show off how "mature" their games are.

"Look mommy! I'm playing big boy games on my big boy console! It's got realistic graphics and lots of blood! Look! Not like those Nintendo games for kids!"

Same with Game of Fucking Thrones and that. Utterly shit writing and fucking brain dead plot but look it's got tits and violence so it's big boy fantasy for big boys. Not like that PG Lord of the Rings!

See also DC vs Marvel. Etc.

It's dark? Great.
It's gritty? Great.
Is it any fucking good though?

 

[Robhimself]

People in 20s and 30s are OLDER people now? Has life expectancy went down to bellow 50 in your country?

On topic, I'm 34 and I like most of their games. But I don't buy everything, not even most titles. I won't be buying Pokemon, and I never bought one.

This, by TS standards, I'm a fucking pensioner.... I just turned 40

 

[Gormless Noodle]

This, by TS standards, I'm a fucking pensioner.... I just turned 40

 

[IKSTUGA]

Turning 30 soon, huge Nintendo fan since the NES/SNES days.

 

[Lone Wolf]

 

[Bolivar687]

This should have been a foregone conclusion with the Switch reveal video. There were no children, it was all young adults waiting at airports and drinking at rooftop parties in highly gentrified Brooklyn. I believe Nintendo hired the same marketing company as SCEA for the PS4 and the message was clear, about who really is the core audience for gaming that they need to cater to first.

 

[synchronicity]

I'm 50 and I love Nintendo. Who knows how I'd feel about them if I hadn't grown up with them though. They make some great games, so I assume I'd still love them.

 

[Dane]

I think in the western region its mostly adults, where in Japan its kids.

 

[JimiNutz]

Switch is the first Nintendo console that I've ever purchased (I'm 33).

Was never a fan of Nintendo previously and have always been a Sega/Sony/Xbox gamer. I'm loving this Nintendo stuff at the moment though (maybe my gf has been sneaking soy milk into my coffee without my knowledge?! )

I'd assume that most gamers, across all consoles, are 20s-30s males. I don't think it's something unique to Nintendo.

 

[Kamina]

To me it seems like all kids are just playing Minecraft and only Minecraft.

I always thought they play CoD?

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

nintendo does all ages.

my 4 year old loves the shit out of her switch. my mom in her 70s still plays her DS (gonna get her a Switch).

 

[Hinedorf]

I think Nintendo hits 2 very specific demographics.

1. Adults who grew up with Nintendo
2. Adults who grew up with Nintendo that now have kids

 

[Vawn]

I always thought they play CoD?

They play Roblox, proving that kids have fucking horrible tastes.

Get your shit together kids.

 

[StormCell]

Do we have any demographic data for the Japanese market?