What we can learn from gaming consoles

The last couple of days of E3 have shown us something extremely valuable – that simplicity and true innovation wins over big brands with broad goals. I’m talking about the Playstation 3 debacle compared to the Nintendo Wii – previously known as Nintendo Revolution. Even if you’re not a gamer (I used to be, now time doesn’t allow me that much playing), read on – there’s a lesson to be learned from Super Mario and friends.

Being Nintendo

Here’s a recent story. While Sony concentrated on showing gamers a whole lot of bang with full-motion videos and glances over controller prototypes for the Playstation 3, Nintendo was quietly starting a Revolution with their new console, Wii. With little fuss (or the right kind of marketing – buzz), they decided not to focus on building for the next generation graphics or the digital-media hub-platform bonanza-whatever. They decided to focus on what’s truly important with gaming: fun.

In keeping their focus on what the gamers really crave for (again, fun and playability), they built something really valuable. A new gaming console innovative in every way, starting with the controller itself, dictating a new way to play games. A new immersion in gaming. Sony, even having great titles under their belt (and f-ing amazing graphics, I’ll give you that), has let everyone down by being exactly the same albeit with the new Cell processor and a cool GPU.

While keeping the focus on what’s important, Nintendo managed to keep their console’s price way down (they say around $250, while the Playstation will be on sale from $499 up). This means a great deal: a much lower cost of conversion of new gamers. To be honest, seeing the videos for gameplay of the Wii makes me want to go and get one as soon as they launch – and ditch the plan to spend a buckload for a PS3.

So what can we learn?

Keeping focus on what’s really important for the target audience makes all the difference. Like Guy Kawasaki would say, the mantra of Making Good wins over the necessity of building for the extra features or tackling every problem in the world. In the end, simplicity wins.

This applies directly to building web applications. Are you building something? If you are, where’s your focus? Are you Nintendo, or are you Sony? Because there’s only one “Revolution” (the pun is now too obvious) will it be yours or the competitions’? Remember, focus on what’s important for your audience.

Related posts

For more on what we can learn from games and the gaming world, see the previous article about designing HUDs on games and web applications for insight and discussion on how important it is to keep information constantly in sight – and when that’s an error.