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How Nintendo Switch Targets An Older Audience

The Switch is the latest in Nintendo’s line of handheld console systems. After multiple generations of the Game Boy and DS, Nintendo has innovated by making the controllers for the Switch removable and functional for one or two-player gameplay. Earlier handheld consoles were marketed almost entirely at children but Nintendo has been successful at marketing the Switch for adults. This has relied on several key factors:

Mobile gaming

Nintendo has the rise of mobile gaming to thank in part for the popularity of the Switch with adult audiences. Many mobile games are appealing to audiences of all ages but certain genres are more appealing to adult audiences. Puzzle games are at the top of this list – many popular mobile puzzle games are advertised as helping to keep your brain young and healthy. Casino-style games are also geared for adults, both in terms of content and with how similar they are to actual online casino games.

Nordic countries such as Finland have long been forerunners of mobile-based gaming, with extremely high pick-up rates of new technology, technologically literate people and fantastic internet infrastructure in the developed parts of the countries. This Finnish casino, for example, features a range of slot machine games that very closely mimic mobile games in terms of vibrant design and simplicity but are obviously meant for an adult audience.

Nintendo has been able to capitalise on this popularity since a handheld console game is the closest analog to a mobile game. Mobile game users who would not necessarily consider themselves ‘gamers’ and would not be interested in purchasing a traditional console system such as an Xbox or PlayStation, see the Switch as similar enough to mobile gaming to be accessible.

Nostalgia

The Nintendo Switch is perfectly placed to capitalise on Millennial nostalgia, and Millennials are a generation willing to pay for products that cater to that nostalgia. The first Game Boy was released in 1990, with the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance following in 1998 and 2001, respectively. According to researchers, Millennials have become more nostalgic at a younger age than previous generations, due to the economic turmoil that shaped their formative years and continues to make life more difficult. This makes them more receptive to products that mirror those that were popular during their childhoods. The Nintendo Switch does just that, calling up memories of when handheld consoles were a totally new concept, while still being tech-forward enough to be relevant and modern.

Fitness games

One of the more creative ways in which Nintendo is marketing the Switch for adults is the creation of fitness games. The Wii Fit family of games popularised the concept and Nintendo has learned from that success. The most recent addition is the Ring Fit Adventure, which introduces a modified pilates ring and leg strap linked to the Switch controllers to sense the players movements and strain levels. While dance games are also quite physical, the exercises in Ring Fit Adventure are more targeted and intense – including squats, knee lifts and overhead presses. Ring Fit Adventure ended up being a massive success, selling out entirely in both the United States and Japan almost immediately after going on the market, a testament to the appeal of fitness games for adults.

Advertising

One of Nintendo’s recent advertising campaigns for the Switch made it clear that adults were the target audience. The series of ads featured celebrities, including Awkwafina, Brie Larson and Serena Williams, playing Switch games in ‘grown-up’ situations. These included Awkwafina being late for work because she was gaming, Serena Williams using a Switch game as a warm-up before a training session, and Brie Larson using a game to reminisce with her sister about their childhoods. These ads were not just aimed at adults – they specifically targeted women. By using popular young female celebrities, these ads affirmed that Nintendo Switch games are neither childish nor just for guys.

The games that were featured were not explicitly designed for adults, but they were shown as being popular with adults. The ads emphasised that playing these games was not only enjoyable, they were a good way to decompress and maintain contact with friends and family, which are not issues that children are typically concerned with. It was a highly effective campaign in part because the celebrities chosen have a reputation for being relatable and likable people.

Handheld console games have benefited from the rise in popularity of mobile gaming. The Nintendo Game Boy and DS were never able to fully bridge the divide between games for children and adults, which the Switch seems to have crossed with relative ease.