Wii Party case study

General research

When was Wii Party released on the Nintendo Wii?

July 8th 2010

Which developer/institution created Wii Party?

Nd cube. Nintendo SPD

How many copies has the game sold since release?

230,000 units 

Broadcast

What are the key conventions of a videogame TV advert? What would you expect to see in most videogame TV adverts?

homely scenes is the atmosphere of which the game is played at

How many of the key conventions you have listed above appear in the Wii Party TV adverts? List them with specific details from the Wii Party TV adverts.

The key conventions the advert is the use of music appearing along with a voice over.

What is the typical setting for Wii Party TV adverts? Why is that setting used?

The typical setting for the wii party is either an apartment or a family home.

How might the setting appeal to families?

This appeal to families because it represents all family members as a nuclear family; seeing as the 'perfect family'

What celebrities do the adverts feature? the use of JLS gives a sense of promotion to the fans

What do you notice about the celebrities' costume and make-up?

They're all wearing casual clothing which goes along with the theme of it being a homely setting that attracts to everyone.

Why do you think those particular celebrities were chosen?

because it appeals to different audience members of the fans of the celebrity 

What do the celebrities suggest about the Wii Party target audience?

They suggest that the target audience want to have a game to play with their family so they can interact and spend time with one another

What else can you learn about the Wii Party target audience from the TV adverts? Suggest a demographic profile: gender, age, social class etc.

The target audience's age varies from 5-55, therefore it appeals to both young and old people because its basic and fun for everyone to contribute.

What audience pleasures do the Wii Party TV adverts offer to viewers? Refer to Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when answering this question.

The audience pleasures the game offers the viewers is a source of entertainment, and being able to interact with other creating a common interest within the families; this goes along with what theorists such as Blumler and Katz created.

What examples of branding can you find in the Wii Party TV adverts - either for the game itself or Nintendo Wii?

The wii party is only made for the nintendo wii therefore it promotes the console, and encourages more people to buy it 

Do you think the TV adverts were effective for promoting the Wii Party game?

Yes because it allows you to reach out to a broader audience and make people who are not on any sort of social media aware of the game, and what sort of game is out in the market for them to appeal to it more.

Print

Find a Wii Party review from a magazine or newspaper. What does the review suggest about the target audience for the game?

"Wii Party U may be seen by many as another mini-game compendium churned out to appeal to families but there is more to it than meets the eye", this suggests that there is more to the video than expected

Is the review positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from the review to support this view.

Do you think magazine reviews are effective in promoting the game to Wii Party's target audience?

E-media

Visit the Wii Party website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a Wii Party fan?

What do you notice about the people in the scrolling central image featured on the website?

How many times can you find the words 'friends' or 'family' used on the official website? Why do you think the website emphasises this aspect of the game?

What is the colour scheme for the website? What does this suggest about the target audience?

Look at the 'Video Gallery' on the official website. What do the 'Invitation' videos suggest about the Wii Party target audience?

How many 'likes' has the Wii Party/Wii Party U Facebook wall had?

How does the Wii Party Facebook wall cross-promote other Nintendo games? Find three examples and explain why they appeal to the Wii Party target audience.

Wii Party does not have such a strong presence on other social networking sites. Why do you think this is?

Which platform do you think is strongest in promoting Wii Party to its target audience - broadcast, print or e-media? Why?