Wii madness is in full swing. This weekend, Wiimbledon–the first ever organized Wii tennis tournament–was held at Barcade. Unlike other game systems, the Wii gets people off the couch and in this case, to Brooklyn. We made the trek to check it out.
The online sign-up closed earlier in the week, but many people turned out as spectators (though it would’ve been great to have a big screen). The lucky competitors dressed in costume–we spotted the A and B buttons (right), Mario and Luigi (who took home the grand prize Wii) and a giant bear (who gave it to him).
Even CBS News with Charles Gibson (formerly Peter Jennings) and MTV News showed up to document the occasion:
The Wii has been dominating other consoles in sales. In the first four months of 2007, it sold 1,860,000 units and is still going strong. What’s unique about the Wii is its group-friendly dynamic. Games can be played with 1 to 4 people and can start and end on a dime. You can easily have a pick-up game of Wii at a party (or jump on a free consoles for a few serves like we did at Wiimbledon). It’s also becoming a family activity–stress on active. Now have a something fun they can do together, anytime, besides veg in front of the TV.
But the Wii hasn’t only brought gaming to the masses, it has brought avatars as well. Nintendo’s Mii on the Wii even lets users create their own game characters. There are several sites that have made a business of it. Miiplaza.net is one of many websites that collect and share Miis, Miistation.com creates characters based on photos, and Miiware.com offers apparel with Miis emblazoned on them. We’ll have to get t-shirts for the NGT team at next year’s Wiimbledon.
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1 » Getting Hits with the Wii » Next Great Thing // Oct 2, 2007 at 8:45 am
[…] What a great way to integrate a brand into the best-selling console worldwide. Now, let the real Wiimbledons begin… TAGS | Marketing & Branding, Gaming, Entertainment, Sports Permalink Email […]
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