Game Console Owners More Likely To Visit Theme Parks

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If parks want to attract a new crowd, market to people interested in organ grinders- I doubt that group is very much into amusement parks.

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The last time I saw an organ grinder was at Knott's Berry Farm in the 60's. Another fine theory shot to ****.

Interesting, since for me, video games and coasters are my 2 favorite hobbies.

I post on some video game message boards as well and I can tell there is interest in parks based on the threads relating to the parks that get posted on those boards once in a while. I remember last year a post about SF's no re-entry policy got 2 pages worth of replies on one video game board I post at.

I'm not debating the fact that Six Flags is targeting their audience with this promotion. I just don't see how it's going to generate a ton of new traffic for either company involved... and besides, I would think that Six Flags might want to go after an audience that they DON'T have, just as Nintendo is supposedly going after a different audience with the Wii?

Look at it this way- if a fast food chain wants to expand and reach a new audience, they don't introduce a new hamburger, they introduce salads for health-conscious people and Oriental dishes for people sick of the usual chicken nuggets and fries.

And what happened to Nintendo having enough units to meet demand by Christmas? Did production slow or is the system even more popular than they originally thought? The local Best Buy stores always have PS3s but never any Wiis, nor any controllers. What gives? I need a second one but can't find one anywhere.

I know of a t least four or five places up here in NH where you can get one with no problem. plus, there's NO SALES TAX!!!!!

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I just don't see how it's going to generate a ton of new traffic for either company involved... and besides, I would think that Six Flags might want to go after an audience that they DON'T have, just as Nintendo is supposedly going after a different audience with the Wii?

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But the info doesn't say gamers are more likely to visit Six Flags - it's says they're more likely to visit theme parks. That's the rub. Take someone who will most likely visit a park and make sure they visit your park.

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Look at it this way- if a fast food chain wants to expand and reach a new audience, they don't introduce a new hamburger, they introduce salads for health-conscious people and Oriental dishes for people sick of the usual chicken nuggets and fries.

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Not really. It's more akin to a fast food place finding out that people who rent DVD's are way more likely to eat fast food, so they run a cross-promotion with Blockbuster. In the restaraunt you get a coupon for a free Blockbuster rental with a value meal and at Blockbuster they give you a free burger coupon for that restaraunt with rental. There's synergy there. (oh God, I used a buzzword)

They know their audience shares interests, so they piggyback off of each other to secure that business rather than let someone else with a similar product get it.

It's not about building a new customer base, it's about securing as much of the current customer base as possible.

Rob, for an extra controller, you can always buy WiiPlay. Sure its $49.99 versus the standard $39.99 for a Wii Remote, but the little mini-games on the disc range from extremely lame to seriously fun (I for some reason totally dig the Billiards game). Since you're essentially getting the game for $10, it's not bad for what it is, and I have seen far more copies of WiiPlay around than actual Wii Remotes.

And if people think its hard to find Wii's now, imagine what happens once people that haven't been exposed to the system get a peek at them at their local Six Flags park. Families seeing Wii Sports or even WarioWare: Smooth Moves for the first time are going to be easily hooked. I have a feeling the Wii shortages may last for a little while. ;)

Ray P. (who is not a Wii fanboy, but is enjoying the system more than any other in recent memory)

Is the reverse true? I don't play video games and I haven't visited a Six Flags park since Geauga Lake flipped to Cedar Fair.

If Six Flags is full of people playing with their Wii, I don't think I'll be in any hurry to visit one. :)

I just remember the one pizza commercial when the guy opens the door and his friend is behind him and he says something like "They're not dolls, they're action figures." Right...:)

There's a game called Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for the Wii. Now there's some synergy for you at Fiesta Texas and Saint Louis and any of the Six Flags parks hosting the Tony Hawk demo this year.

I think the next Mario should be set in a Six Flags. Mario can go park to park searching for the Princess only to hear, Toad say "Thank You Mario, but the Princess is in another Six Flags!" Each game could also come with a discount to any Six Flags. They could even give you a promo code for beating the game.

Maybe Nintendo is just going to sell Wii's at Six Flags from now on. That way Six Flags attendance will increase then the popularity of the Wii will drop!

Who doesn't own a gaming system? I can't think of anyone I know that doesn't own at least one.

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jive2 said:
Who doesn't own a gaming system? I can't think of anyone I know that doesn't own at least one.

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Acording to THIS - the current numbers say 41.1% of households own video game consoles. Less than half. That's up from 35% in 2004.

^ jive2 doesn't know the *other* 58.9%... ;)

I think the thing that's different about enthusiasts (well, in THIS context, hehe) is they're likely to have game consoles and go to parks, but are very likely WITHOUT kids. We're our own children....children of the cornhole. :)

http://www.playcornhole.org/

*** Edited 3/15/2007 5:50:51 AM UTC by rollergator***

Until a couple years ago, I didn't know anyone who DID own a video game system!

People can live in such completely different worlds sometimes.

If you count the Atari 2600 my parents bought, I suppose I've had one since I was in grade four. I bought my first one myself the summer before my junior year of college, a SNES. I've had most of the consoles made since then. (Wish I could find a Wii.)

That 41.1% number is a little surprising.

I will make it my mission to reach out to the other 60% or so and start building a better tomorrow. They will either become accomplished Wii Bowlers or they will die. ;)

Stay away from me! ;)

You can bowl or be clobbered about the head and neck with my nunchuk controller.

I like bowling, but I prefer the real thing. Probably cheaper that way too.

Give me a call on my non-existent cell phone and maybe you can talk me into it. ;)

I've been a gamer since the days of the NES. I've owned most systems that have come out since then, and 10 of them are currently part of my entertainment center I built in my spare room. Video gaming is a fun hobby. Despite the sheer size of my collection, I'm not one of those "gotta play for five hours a day" addicts (there are times when I play one or two hours a WEEK), but I find them to be a good diversion the same way that DVDs, roller coasters and sports are.

Jeff, I'm not sure what to do about a Wii, but I always get curious when I'm in a local Gamestop and they tell me that if I'm looking for one, I should call the store when it opens every so often because the Wii shipments usually come early in the day and they usually know if they're going to have them by mid-morning. Just a thought. I was lucky enough to preorder one, but I know that many weren't so lucky, especially since stores cut off preorders to prevent another "360" fiasco.

We need a place for Buzzers to exchange Wii friend codes. :)