Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product Report (Assessment)

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Abstract

The paper provides the analysis of Wii as an innovative product that was launched by Nintendo in 2006. The paper aims at analyzing the case and answering the questions regarding the nature of the innovation, aspects of the value proposition, and details of the used business model. The analysis is concluded with noting that Wii was promoted as the radical innovation in the broadened market that created conditions for the market competition at a new level.

Nintendo Wii: Case Study Analysis

In spite of the fact that Nintendo experienced difficulties with developing the business, proposing new products, and winning the market position during the 1990s, the focus on the development of an innovative device in 2006 changed the situation. Nintendo launched Wii, a new console for video gaming, and this event changed the market development for the next years. From this point, it is important to focus on analyzing Wii’s place in the innovation matrix in terms of its typology, discussing the value proposition, and evaluating the business model.

Wii’s Place in the Innovation Matrix

Innovation is regarded as the proposition of a new approach, object, or product, and it can be incremental or radical, depending on its nature (Herzog & Leker 2010). The incremental innovation is observed when designers work to improve the existing product or approach (Verganti 2013). The radical innovation usually means the change in a meaning of the product, as well as its form, and the addition of a new product to the existing market, as well as the formation of a new market (Battistella, Biotto & De Toni 2012).

While discussing the location of Nintendo’s Wii in the innovation matrix that has two opposites, it is possible to state that Wii has features of the radical innovation because Nintendo proposed not only a new console for games. Thus, the company changed the approach to video gaming while targeting the new group of customers, altering the meaning and nature of games, broadening the environment, and applying a new technology (Smith 2015). As a result, Nintendo’s competitors focused on proposing alternative products with the similar qualities, and the implementation of the radical innovation led to creating a new market segment.

Value Proposition

While implementing Wii, Nintendo focused on the value proposition for the target customers who were not discussed as potential consumers of products for video gaming previously. Nintendo chose to focus not on skilled gamers, but on female users, families, first-time gamers, and older persons (Smith 2015). The reason was in the fact that skilled gamers traditionally chose the PlayStation and the Xbox that were characterized by the application of the high-level technology and by the high reputation among the target population.

Nintendo could have difficulties with reaching this population while proposing the similar product. However, Nintendo chose to focus on the unique value proposition for the audience in a new niche (Smith 2015). Wii was developed for the wide group of users, and, instead of playing with the help of traditional joysticks and consoles, individuals received the opportunity to simulate different games in three dimensions, and the experience was similar to playing a real game.

The use of the wireless technology to control motions was innovative and attractive for the wide public, including non-gamers. The proposed value was unique for the targeted market, but the demand was high (Abbing 2010). The PlayStation and the Xbox were based on the use of buttons and joysticks to simulate the game, but the use of wireless sensors and controllers in Wii allowed for concentrating on the high-quality simulation.

Business Model and Revenue Generation

The effectiveness of the used business model determines the company’s profitability and the customer’s loyalty (Verganti 2013). The business model used by Nintendo depends on methods that were used for creating and capturing the value. In order to make the audience recognize the advantages of Wii, Nintendo concentrated on accentuating the product’s closeness to the world of real games, the product’s availability to families and non-skilled gamers, and the simplicity of using the product.

In order to guarantee the value capture, it was necessary to demonstrate how the comparably inexpensive device could be more advantageous than the PlayStation and the Xbox because it could be used by the whole family (Smith 2015). From this point, the main revenue generation mechanism used by Nintendo was based on the idea of utilizing innovative but simple sensor technologies in order to provide users with an opportunity to receive the unique experience that was available at a price similar to prices offered by competitors (Smith 2015). However, during a long period of time, the competitors could not propose adequate alternatives for the broadened group of customers, and Wii remained to be a leader in the market.

Conclusion

The focus of Nintendo on using simple technologies for simulating games that are oriented to the wide population of users led to creating a new tendency in the market of video games. The functions that were proposed by the PlayStation and the Xbox did not address the public’s demand anymore. This approach to winning the market position, addressing competitors, and gaining the audience’s recognition resulted in significant revenues. Thus, Nintendo can be regarded as a company that chose a path of completing the radical change and proposing the unique innovation.

Reference List

Abbing, E 2010, Brand driven innovation: strategies for development and design, Ava Publishing, New York.

Battistella, C, Biotto, G & De Toni, A 2012, ‘From design driven innovation to meaning strategy’, Management Decision, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 718-743.

Herzog, P & Leker, J 2010, ‘Open and closed innovation-different innovation cultures for different strategies’, International Journal of Technology Management, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 322-343.

Smith, D 2015, Exploring innovation, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead.

Verganti, R 2013, Design driven innovation, Harvard Business Press, New York.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, August 19). Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nintendo-wii-as-an-innovative-product/

Work Cited

"Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product." IvyPanda, 19 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/nintendo-wii-as-an-innovative-product/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product'. 19 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nintendo-wii-as-an-innovative-product/.

1. IvyPanda. "Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nintendo-wii-as-an-innovative-product/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Nintendo Wii as an Innovative Product." August 19, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/nintendo-wii-as-an-innovative-product/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1