Times Online UK: Wii “stealing” prime-time television audiences in Japan

[XiaNaphryz]

Dunno if this was posted, there's no more search function available. From the Times Online UK, Japan is Nintendoland total or something, some interesting quotes from the article:

According to one senior executive of the country’s largest commercial television channel, Fuji TV, families who used to tune in to its colourful diet of soap operas, panel games and comedy variety shows may, instead, be drifting away and choosing to spend the same, economically-critical “golden hour” time playing on their Wii. His comments come as Japanese television executives are reeling in horror at recent figures from Japan’s audience-tracking firms: last week was the first in nearly two decades where no single show on any commercial station attracted more than a 9 per cent audience share. “The quality of programming has always been a little cyclical in Japan, but there has never been a period of decline like the one we are seeing now. There are outside factors at work. One is people watching TV on their cell phones where we can’t track them, but the really big factor is the time people are spending on the Wii,” an executive of TBS, another major commercial channel, said. He added that the “theft” of audiences was taking place because television producers and programming directors were used only to the idea of competing for time with other channels. ... He went on to say that, as a competitor for prime time, the Wii had yet to show its mettle in the face of a true rivalry. Major sports events, such as the Olympic Games, football World Cup or even the Japanese baseball season finale, have not yet joined the battle for the attention of Japan’s families. Investors have already shown their excitement over the Wii, despite the fact that it has yet to produce a range of titles that appeal to so-called “hard-core” games enthusiasts. Nintendo’s stock has soared of late and the company now commands a greater market capitalisation than Sony – a rival that has a massive portfolio of businesses and eight times the global revenues of Nintendo. .... Analysts at Nomura, for example, pin high hopes on a forthcoming Wii game with the working title of “Wii Health”. The game is expected to offer its users a full range of workouts and fitness activities using the motion-sensitive controller; it is also expected to snatch market share from the many fitness and health shows that dominate the daytime television schedules. Given the versatility of the Wii controller – it could simulate any kitchen utensil from a fish slice to an egg whisk – the Wii might also stage an assault on that bastion of prime-time Japanese television, the celebrity chef cookery show.

[farnham]

seriously

stop producing shit like this and then talk

[speculawyer]

seriously stop producing shit like this and then talk

Yeah "stealing" isn't exactly the word . . . I'd run from crap like that too. If it wasn't for the Blu-Ray player in the PS3 and DVDs, I pretty much wouldn't be watching video at all.

[1-D_FTW]

With the destruction of the video game industry firmly in grasp, Iwata and Miyamoto train their nefarious scheme to the prime time television line-up.

Awesome:)

[Jamesfrom818]

Oh come on. Surely there are more shows in Japan like this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bK63uSTTNs

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Holy sh#t.

I've said it before and I will say it again: Wii Health will be the next seminal event in gaming, the last being Wii Sports. It will storm Japan and cement Wii's dominance in the west from the moment it is featured in an Oprah Winfrey show segment. Wii Health will be the revolution.

In all the previous console wars, whoever took Japan eventually went on to take the crown. This generation is pretty much written in stone now.

[Sharp]

I think a lot of GAF has accepted that the Wii's won, at least for awhile. Most of GAF's interest lies in the 360 vs. PS3 battle. That said, yeah, taking away from Japanese primetime TV can't possibly be that difficult.

[mclem]

Uh, how does the Wii affect audience *share*, exactly? I can see it causing a reduction in the Total TV audience, but that should have little to no effect on the percentage share, surely?

[alex chilton]

Holy sh#t. I've said it before and I will say it again: Wii Health will be the next seminal event in gaming, the last being Wii Sports. It will storm Japan and cement Wii's dominance in the west from the moment it is featured in an Oprah Winfrey show segment. Wii Health will be the revolution. In all the previous console wars, whoever took Japan eventually went on to take the crown. This generation is pretty much written in stone now.

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

[Xisiqomelir]

Man, I wish I still trolled Nexgenwars, this shit would be hilarious

[XiaNaphryz]

seriously stop producing shit like this and then talk

HO~ hora yukouze! :P

[amba]

That doesn't say as much about the Wii as it does about TV not stepping up to the plate when faced with competing forms of entertainment.

[legend166]

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

It's like people have just completely changed the definition of minigames to troll the Wii. Wii Sports isn't minigames.

[ivysaur12]

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

This is getting really old.

[DeaconKnowledge]

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

How's the weather on Mars? Keeping your cave fully furnished?

[viciouskillersquirrel]

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

Was Pong not a seminal event in gaming? It was incredibly shallow, yet it was one event that brought gaming to a large new audience.

Was Pacman not a seminal event in gaming? Pacman fever propelled arcades forward to such an extent that they became synonymous with the 80's.

Was Super Mario Bros. not a seminal event in gaming? It is so engrained into our culture that the theme song still remains with us (albeit in the form of a downloadable ringtone much of the time).

It matters not the form that a seminal event takes, whether or not you or I like it or if it is "good" for gaming. What makes an event seminal is its effect on the gaming landscape.

[Threi]

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

hey look i quoted your post.

[alex chilton]

Was Pong not a seminal event in gaming? It was incredibly shallow, yet it was one event that brought gaming to a large new audience. Was Pacman not a seminal event in gaming? Pacman fever propelled arcades forward to such an extent that they became synonymous with the 80's. Was Super Mario Bros. not a seminal event in gaming? It is so engrained into our culture that the theme song still remains with us (albeit in the form of a downloadable ringtone much of the time). It matters not the form that a seminal event takes, whether or not you or I like it or if it is "good" for gaming. What makes an event seminal is its effect on the gaming landscape.

While all those games might be considered "simple", you are not taking into account the context in which they were released or the technical limitations of their time. Anyway, compare the impact of Wii Sports to any of these games is pure hyperbole. It can be argued that the release of the Wii itself was a seminal event in gaming, but I can't see the way that Wii Sports has affected much so far. Its success can only be contributed to it being packaged with the Wii.

[Threi]

While all those games might be considered "simple", you are not taking into account the context in which they were released or the technical limitations of their time. Anyway, compare the impact of Wii Sports to any of these games is pure hyperbole. It can be argued that the release of the Wii itself was a seminal event in gaming, but I can't see the way that Wii Sports has affected much so far. Its success can only be contributed to it being packaged with the Wii.

[TheGreatDave]

While all those games might be considered "simple", you are not taking into account the context in which they were released or the technical limitations of their time. Anyway, compare the impact of Wii Sports to any of these games is pure hyperbole. It can be argued that the release of the Wii itself was a seminal event in gaming, but I can't see the way that Wii Sports has affected much so far. Its success can only be contributed to it being packaged with the Wii.

No, Wii's success can contributed to being packed in with the biggest system seller in years.

[viciouskillersquirrel]

While all those games might be considered "simple", you are not taking into account the context in which they were released or the technical limitations of their time. Anyway, compare the impact of Wii Sports to any of these games is pure hyperbole. It can be argued that the release of the Wii itself was a seminal event in gaming, but I can't see the way that Wii Sports has affected much so far. Its success can only be contributed to it being packaged with the Wii.

Technical limitations don't mean jack. I'm talking about effect on the gaming landscape.

By the way, Wii Sports isn't a pack-in in Japan. Despite this, it has managed to, by itself, sell more units than every single PS3 title combined.

Your move.

[schuelma]

Technical limitations don't mean jack. I'm talking about effect on the gaming landscape. By the way, Wii Sports isn't a pack-in in Japan. Despite this, it has managed to, by itself, sell more units than every single PS3 title combined. Your move.

That wasn't even fair

[Baiano19]

While all those games might be considered "simple", you are not taking into account the context in which they were released or the technical limitations of their time. Anyway, compare the impact of Wii Sports to any of these games is pure hyperbole. It can be argued that the release of the Wii itself was a seminal event in gaming, but I can't see the way that Wii Sports has affected much so far. Its success can only be contributed to it being packaged with the Wii.

It's not in Japan...

[IceIpor]

No, Wii's success can contributed to being packed in with the biggest system seller in years.

Hmm... If it isn't Wii Sports... then it's...

T-The Wiimote?

[PS360]

the wii is an animal

[alex chilton]

Technical limitations don't mean jack. I'm talking about effect on the gaming landscape. By the way, Wii Sports isn't a pack-in in Japan. Despite this, it has managed to, by itself, sell more units than every single PS3 title combined. Your move.

Ok I concede, you're right.

[Haunted]

say what? A games console stealing considerable amounts of audience from TV.. from ****ing television? wow... that's... no, really - ****ing wow.

Love that pic.

[Jive Turkey]

seriously stop producing shit like this and then talk

What are you talking about? American TV needs more awesome like that. We get stupid reality shows that take themselves all seriously. I want to see a trucker in a bikini singing "I am Woman" with all his heart because he knows if he fails he takes a facefull of boiling water.

[mj1108]

the wii is an animal

[titiklabingapat]

Interesting.

But this is just hot air. There are not enough Wiis(not yet) to actually have an effect on television rating in such a large scale.

[Flakster99]

the wii is an animal

[tnw]

What are you talking about? American TV needs more awesome like that. We get stupid reality shows that take themselves all seriously. I want to see a trucker in a bikini singing "I am Woman" with all his heart because he knows if he fails he takes a facefull of boiling water.

yeah, if we're comparing vacuous frivilous television, I think Japanese television is much more funny.

But maybe it's because I'm not a native Japanese speaker. I find some of what they say to be pretty funny.

Japan also has heaps of cooking shows, a lot more than American television I think. Not really sure.

[Gokurakumaru]

I call BS. How many units has the Wii shifted in Japan exactly? Hardly enough to rock the TV market.

[Mefisutoferesu]

So... Jp tv has bad ratings and an analyst pulls from his bum that it MUST be because of the Wii? Gimme a break, hype is one thing, but this is just dumb.

[moku]

You consider a bunch of shallow minigames a seminal event in gaming?

Your telling me. Sheesh. Good luck getting thru to a bunch of people on GAF though.

The only sure way is to explain it in detail. I got your back man.

[jrricky]

the wii is an animal

thats gold.

[drohne]

so nintendo is killing japanese television as well as japanese games? i suppose literature, film, sport, conversation, cuisine, etc. will follow in course.

[Busaiku]

the wii is an animal

Just as planned?

[felipeko]

So... Jp tv has bad ratings and an analyst pulls from his bum that it MUST be because of the Wii? Gimme a break, hype is one thing, but this is just dumb.

There almost 3 million Wiis sold, if half of them are being used in prime-time thats less 1,5 million homes watching television. How many homes does japan have?

[titiklabingapat]

literature, film, sport, conversation, cuisine

DS novels, not sure, Wii Sports, Blue/Buru, Cooking Mama/Cooking Navi.

[Bildi]

Lucky the Japanese didn't actually play all those PS2's they bought, or Japanese TV would be dead.

[shidoshi]

Hey, Japanese TV companies! I showed my support of you guys by watching the first episode of Papa to Musume no Nanokakan today! And I loved it! So keep up the good work! Screw that stupid Wii!

[mj1108]

Lucky the Japanese didn't actually play all those PS2's they bought, or Japanese TV would be dead.

They built houses out of them.

[XiaNaphryz]

so nintendo is killing japanese television as well as japanese games? i suppose literature, film, sport, conversation, cuisine, etc. will follow in course.

Nintendo already started on the cuisine part...

Lucky the Japanese didn't actually play all those PS2's they bought, or Japanese TV would be dead.

Obviously they used those PS2s during non-primetime TV hours. ;)

[Terrell]

So... Jp tv has bad ratings and an analyst pulls from his bum that it MUST be because of the Wii? Gimme a break, hype is one thing, but this is just dumb.

No, read the post again. Two Japanese network executives from two different networks are claiming it's the Wii, analysts just back up the claim.

[Haunted]

There almost 3 million Wiis sold, if half of them are being used in prime-time thats less 1,5 million homes watching television. How many homes does japan have?

about 48 million households

[Bildi]

They built houses out of them.

about 48 million households

I believe this. That's a lot of PS2s.

[JoshuaJSlone]

Uh, how does the Wii affect audience *share*, exactly? I can see it causing a reduction in the Total TV audience, but that should have little to no effect on the percentage share, surely?

Maybe that 9% is considered of the total possible TV viewing audience?

[navii]

maybe they should make TV shows about girls playing with Wiis and stufff.

[Bluemercury]

so nintendo is killing japanese television as well as japanese games? i suppose literature, film, sport, conversation, cuisine, etc. will follow in course.

Soon there will be no place for you to hide.....