Wii-volution

Well, ladies and gentlemen...I debated on posting this here because I know there are a lot of fanboys here who have sided with Nintendo on every issue and I know by posting this it will turn into a flame war against Game Radar - the same company that publishes PSM, a magazine which I have been getting for several years now and as of recently, I am getting fed up with their opinions and much of what they have to say or present on the PS3 or PS2 seems very skewed. But thats besides the point. I've been reading the comments on Kotaku.com, where I originally seen the article and its a huge debate. And frankly only time will tell, is the Wii a fad?


Original article (game's radar):
http://www.gamesradar.com/us/wii/game/features/article.jsp?articleId=2007040911262588028&sectionId=1003&releaseId=20060308165433320026

Originally where I found out that the shit hit the fan (kotaku.com):
http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-biggest-mistakes-includes-wii-251238.php

i would have to disagree with the article on many points, not just the wii.  don't think i'm a hardcore fanboy either since i own sony and xbox systems.  i love the 360 and my modded xbox.

however regarding their wii comments, i doubt it will be merely a fad.  we already see xbox and playstation thinking about and releasing motion sensing controls similar to wii.  the key is for nintendo to continue to innovate.  they introduced NES, analog controls, portable gaming device, etc.  true, vboy was a flop and gamecube struggled, but the reason nintendo has had success and maintained a fanbase, and i would argue sony as well, is due to their titles and characters.  many i believe are willing to buy an nintendo system for zelda or smash brothers or mario kart alone. no other system has really been able to reproduce such gameplay.

to your point though, nintendo will have to focus on graphics at some point and definitely do a better job of online gaming.  that's why i love my 360.  however if they offer innovative ways to play games with strong titles, a little lack in graphics at a cheaper price will still beat xbox and sony despite their better processors and graphics.  it's about the tradeoffs and people will generally pick how you play over what you see while playing.  and for me, i view the wii as a must have additional console to buy.  people should be going for a wii and 360 or a wii and sony combo.  they are just different.

What is meant by the word "fad"? Colecovision was around for a while, but you don't hear much about it anymore? Does that make it a fad? What about the original NES? Aside from Virtual Console rejuvenation of the games, you don't see too many people blowing in those cartridges to get them to work nowadays. Was it a fad?

Just because something is labeled a fad doesn't mean that it wasn't great. As far as the Wii goes, personally speaking, graphics are not that important if the game wasn't fun. Look at Halo. It had huge success and what one of the most beautiful looking games if it's day. But I didn't want it. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get comfortable with the controls. So it just wasn't fun.

I have a 360, a PS2 and a Wii. So I can assure you I am not a fanboy of any manufacturer. Still, I haven't touched the first two since I got the Wii. The idea of motion sensing control taken from the drawing board when it was only used in mall kiosks to the living room is a stroke of brilliance. But am I going to wait around those 5 years for the next Xbox or PS4. Get serious! In five years, Nintendo will have perfected motion sensing just when Sony and Micro$oft are just implementing it. And it graphics will have at least become comparable with the PS3 and 360.

Nintendo made no mistake this time.

Well this is the thing with the Wii, it lacks games right now. Mainly in part because of pushing games back in order to have online play. Now, with this drought of games....right now, the Wii may look like a fad because there just isn't really anything to do. It seems that all new consoles go through a lag period in the beginning. PS3 is experiencing right now. And the Xbox 360 did experience it as well. I don't remember any big name titles springing up from the 360 on release date....so with that said, thats why people are calling the Wii a fad. DS was once considered a complete gimmick and a fad that would die out. And the Wii follows the idea of the DS by going a non-traditional way. And because its so different from the others, its going to be harshly criticized. However, if games like SSBB and blockbuster games like that were out for the Wii right now I highly doubt we would be hearing comments like, "The Wii is a fad." But in return, let me ask you this...what if the Wii never existed, and Nintendo went the same way as PS3/360?

To me, if Nintendo followed the traditonal way of gaming...then Nintendo would be dead. They lost respect on Gamecube. They lost some on 64. Both consoles followed traditional gaming ideas.....the Wii doesn't. To me, the Wii offers something new. Its just a matter of time till we get it. And I just can't friggin' wait for the moment when we finally do get that killer Wii game.

It will come. Patience is the key. But I know most of us aren't. I was going to lock this, but I changed my mind  :wink:

Hey, wasn't the DS a gimmicky fad when it came out? Hasn't almost every console ever had a drought of games? Doesn't the Wii have 6.5 million conoles sold- in less than 7 months? Not a gimmick. The virtual boy was a gimmick. Why? Nintendo popped it out prematurely, because they wanted the N64 much sooner. They spent five years perfecting the Wii. It ain't gonna die.

I wouldn't say that the Wii has no games that are great.  (Zelda, Paper Mario, Monkey Ball.. are good).  But Nintendo needs to make games for core gamers, and all of these games are being postponed for the time being.  Nintendo will pull through, though.

I hear you on the games. There are few out right now. And plenty of big names coming out. And I'm looking forward to that. But the Wii needs a game that makes it so unique and so fun that it couldn't possibly be ported to another system. Because right now, we're getting games which could have just as easily been placed on a six-button controller with no motion sensing. Right now, I think that is one of Nintendo's mistakes....no truely innovative games unique to the Wii are out. I hope that changes in the near future.

I agree with you on that.The closest thing to true innovation so far has been Trauma Center:Second Opinion besides WarioWare which is known for innovation anyways.And Super Mario Galaxy,Metroid Prime 3,and Super Smash Bros. Brawl can easily be reproduced on other systems so really the games are probably gonna be good on their own,but Nintendo is gonna need like a Katamari Damacy (sp?) in terms of innovation eventually.

i am still wondering what would the outcome be if Sony and Nintendo made the stupid Cd Drive.... would the Xbox be made??? because Xbox came in when they saw how good the ps2 was doing...

yea i think microsoft or sony shouldnt be allowed to make motion sensing controllers, thats nintendo's thing, they should just stick with their graphics. And i think gameplay is all that matters with games, i could care less if a game had bad graphics but it was fun. I would rather play joe and mac 2 on snes over resistance fall of man for ps3 and halo 3 for 360...i love joe and mac   :-D...that game is freakin awesome....

Well, there's no stopping Microsoft from making a motion sensing controller because Bill Gates has enough money to buy all of Asia and turn it into a resort, but everyone already knows that motion sensing controllers are Nintendo's thing, and they are ahead in that area.

/\ He He.. Bill gates doesn't have enough money to buy out asia and turn it into a resort.. and i know that was sarcasm

Nintendo WILL have to put better graphics into future consoles - I'm a HUG HD FANBOY, and I only have the Wii of the next gen consoles right now - but 360 is in my near future ... My Plasma needs it, plus sometimes you just want a controller instead of moving your arms around a lot ... point in case - the other night I got this urge to get a wrestling game (after Wrestlemania) but I found no GC or Wii games in the past few years ... 2005 the latest I think. I wanted to run out and buy a 360 & SvR 2007 ...

Of course Nintendo is going to put in better graphics.  They wouldn't even think about trying to sell the Wii's processor and graphics chip on their next console.  But the real question is whether or not they will actually 1up the other systems. (If Sony can stay in business).

i hope sony dies....i dont like them...they're too expensive and...yea they should just die.

I in no way think that Nintendo made a mistake with the Wii or it being a fad. Even if it was a fad, personally I think Halo is a fad, but it really doesn't matter;. 6.5 million consoles sold there's going to be quite a few games being sold and that translates to bookoo money for Nintendo.

A person likes to play a certain game, then a friend see's that and ends up liking the game; monkey see monkey do. That and each individual liking a game is grey, and hard to argue against. <--(Too hard to explain, but hopefully someone will catch my drift)

Well I understand that this isn't a fact around the world, but in my experience of going to look at games, for some reason now I've yet to see any PS3's on display. Also at Gamestop for the past 3 times, I've seen someone buy just the cables to a controller to a PS3 game, and now they're stocked on classic controllers, wii remotes, nunchuks, wii play. I'm starting to think people have finally saved up to buy the massive piece of plastic and are going to keep Sony alive long enough for them to release some good games. :|

Sony commented that the Playstation 3 is a 10 year console. If this is true, the $600 is justified. Because I expect a new and better version of the Wii from Nintendo in 5 years. So with Wii ($250) plus a new console in 5 years, I'm around $600 or maybe even more due to the expensive controllers.

I know Sony will make it, no matter how many of you Nintendo fanboys sacrafice pigeons for the Gaming Gods to smite Sony. But I'll shed some light on the subject for fanboys...

Sony became great during PSX/PS2 era because of itsw huge library of games. Production companies focus more on what will sell now, and not what will sell in 10 years. So production companies are jumping ship and joining 360 and the Wii. Expect a lot of good games out for those two consoles that aren't first party games - in other words, expect something new and never before seen from a third party not from first party producers. So while that may weaken Sony, it won't stop them. PS3 is a little ahead of its time and will begin to pick up steam later this year or next year. On top of that, PS3 games will begin to blow 360's graphics out of the water. There will be no comparison in a 2-4 years. This will cause Microsoft to come out with a better Xbox to compete with the PS3. Then, the problem is for Sony all over again: do we realease another console? By releasing the 360 earlier than everyone, Microsoft has gained a real advantage in the gaming market.

Now Nintendo is doing something a little different. So I don't expect them to take the same route. However, I do plan on them sticking to the 5-years-and-console-is-dead-and-done game plan. So in 5 years, a better Wii with better graphics to try to compete with Sony and Microsoft. I expect the console to be still relatively cheap when compared to others, mostly because the technology in the consoles will be a little more common and the HD DVD vs Blu-ray battle should be over by then. So putting things like that in a console should be cheaper.

So believe me, while a lot of people think Sony has made a horrible decision and dicked us out of $600...it might have been the right decision, especially considering if the PS3 really does last 10 years. It very well has the potential to last that long. But for now, I'm all for the Wii and waiting for a killer game to come out and am not ready to drop $600 on a console. Or even $400. 

Sony will last as long as they have music players and TV's...

Wii to me seems to be a double edged sword:

If you make a game that uses the control system to the full, there's a good chance you won't be able to release it on the other platforms

but,

If it's great game you'll sell that many copies on a system that the manufactures can't keep up with demand, you won't care!

Hah! You think the PS3 is going to pull up? If you believe that, your as lost as any other Sony Fanboy on Wii-vo.

You write things off way too fast.

You really think the PS3 is dead? Believe me, there is plenty of exclusives for it. And its funny, when Home was announced....even a few Wiivo members who are loyal Nintendo fanboys were like, "oh cool." I mean nothing over enthusiastic, but it turned heads. On top of that he PS2 is the best selling console. I'm sure that will fuel Sony until the PS3 can get a foothold on the market. On top of that, Microsoft has not turned a profit on Xbox...in fact, they have been losing money in the gaming industry. I doubt Microsoft will drop out any time soon, I'm sure they'll come out with another console in the future. But if they do drop out, then that means those that want traditional gaming will be forced to buy a PS3 or be left out. I'm not saying the PS3 will conquer the Wii and demolish everyone, but I'm saying it does still have a breathe of air in its bag pipes. Kind of like Nintendo.....I had a PS2 and thought the Gamecube was pretty much useless. Now, I have a Wii and if friggin' Nintendo came out with a few games instead of Barnyard and Cars, I very well would be saying that the tables have turned and now the PS2 is no fun because the Wii is the step towards the future of gaming. Hell forget PS2, if there were games out there for the Wii and an ample supply of Wiis to satisfy demand....I could very well say that Nintendo has not only upset Sony, but perhaps placed them so far back in people's minds that its going to be hard for Sony. But thats not what happened. Sony is still here, and it has had a great past that helps supply its future and now it is positioned as the elite console with the best of everything. But.....screw 'em......right now, $600 is way too much. Maybe in the future, thats all I'm saying.

They're too arrogant and self centered to consider a price drop. THEY ALREADY LOSE $223 for every PS3 sold. that's why they're going to make a PS4.... Nintendo has price drops every six months or so, but at the Wii's pace, they're more likely to do one sooner because of the way it's selling.

Walk into ANY Best Buy. You'l see: an empty Wii shelf, and about 7 PS3's.

You're thinking short term. You're thinking about next week and thats all.

I'm saying if the PS3 is truely a 10 year console like Sony has stated and assuming this is true, then the PS3 will eventually gain popularity. Besides, let me point this out. In 5 years, we will be buying a new Nintendo console....which means another $250 or maybe more. By then, a Wii plus that console will be just as much as the PS3. So either way you want to bust it off, Nintendo's price tag is just as bad as Sony's.

The Wii's price won't drop because of something called supply and demand. No supply, high demand yields a higher price. Technically that means, Nintendo should actually raise prices. The reason why Gamecube's price dropped so fast was because no one wanted it.

And you act like Nintendo hasn't talked shit on the other consoles? Miyamoto has said his words. And do you think it really matters what Miyamoto, Reggie, or any game executive says about others? People have bashed the Wii just for its name. My friends told me it was a huge mistake getting the stupid console with the wand for a controller. My brother said it was dumb and he would never play it. Now the Wii is the selling, my brother invites friends over and plays the Wii with them, and my friends have been silenced and even ask about the Wii.

Just don't count out Sony in the long run. A price drop for the PS3 would be nice but the technology is too new to have a price drop. And as time comes, maybe the PS3 will snap into place. Maybe.

Well, you can't really tell by looking at the past of video games. At first, there was only Nintendo. Then SNES came out, along with PS and Sega consoles. Xbox didnt even exist back then until the gamecube and PS2 era, after Sega died out and become third-party instead. Wonder what would have happened if Sony and Nintendo actually did team up together back in the day..... I mean, Nintendo has great ideas, characters, and gameplay techniques, and Sony has great graphics, mature themes, and a need to copy ideas. If you put them together, that would be ultimate, although everyone knew it wouldnt work out. instead, microsoft created the Xbox to serve as a balance between the two gaming styles, just the right balance of gameplay and graphics, and never focused on one over the other. It's kinda like choosing between a sniper, a shotgun, or a rocket launcher. They all have different attributes which can never prove better than the other. and after that, sega died out, only with room for three major competitors.

Anyways, lets get back to track. I see a few issues here, although they dont seem too intelligent. (since when are fanboy arguments intelligent anyways? Not that any of you are fanboys) PS3's high price, Wii's fad, and many other biased statements. Well, let me be as neutral as I can- There are 0 wiis in store, and 3 PS3s. dont ask me why i capitalize PS3 and not wii, its just easier. the wiis sell faster, the PS3s sell slowly. the wii makes $100 per sales, and the PS3 loses $200 per sale. the wii highly suceeds with the virtual console, and the PSP sucked at it. not to mention it is original with its motion sensing, instead of stealing it. The only thing that the PS3 has is great graphics, (which are used for DVDs more than games) blueray DVD player, (which has been cancelled) and a "safety" feature to melt your system if you play too long. (which obviously sucks and was made up to cover up for an error in the PS3) But the Wii had its fatal error as well, and hasnt sold in 4 months. lucky for me i got mine sooner. at least it happened when the wii was selling more by each month, so the wait gets longer, while the PS3 stayed behind.

Oh, and for you people saying that the PS3 hasnt failed and will have a comeback, I say this: how? A new model? If they make a new model, it wont be a PS3. It will be a PS3 and a half, are whatever you may call it. just like when they made a new model for the PS2, although it wasnt to save their company. so unless the PS3s stop melting and get better attributes than just graphics, the PS3 is did. no, scratch that, the ps3 is dead. no more capitilization for that failure.

And before you flame me, I am no fanboy. Although I have nearly every Nintendo system and only an old ps1, it is only because i live in a goody-two-shoes family who wont let me own "graphic" game systems. But I do enjoy playing the xbox and ps2. after all, who doesnt love playing kingdom hearts or halo? (besides fanboys, of course) Its just that the facts lead to the ps3s failure, and maybe sony will realize they need to focus less on graphics and more on gaming. after all, they are making a video game system, not a DVD player. At least microsoft didnt go making their xbox an all-computer system. Their worst mistake was making you pay to play online. (asides from that executives remark, thats political, not gaming) The way I see it, there are 5 solutions:

1. The PS3 will make a comeback, or make a new model.
2. The PS3 will fail, and never make a game again.
3. The PS3 will fail, and start over like Sega did.
4. The PS3 will miraculously somehow succeed.
5. Sony will team up with another gaming company.

Sorry for capitilizing ps3 again, wont happen. since typing this long debate is boring me. adious, all!


P.S. I am posting this at 5:25, but the last post was today at 5:39. :em-32:


P.S.S. The P.S. does not stand for playstation. :-P

ooh let me guess. The P.S.S stands for Playstation SUCKS. Lol

I enjoy the part where you say yu'll try to be as unbiased as possible and then go on a PS3 rant. Such as the very common, "They stole motion-sensing." As I have pointed out several times in the past, Microsoft was the first to come out with a controller with motion sensing. I believe it was 99' or 2000 when they did. Long before the Wii and PS3. I'm actually surprised you didn't go along with the very cliche, "PS3 is a computer" argument as well.

Yes the Wii is doing better. And I expect it to continue that way. And I expect it to stay strong and continue to pick up producers, and maybe even one who will attempt realistic graphics on the Wii and bless us all with an absolutely beautiful game to flail our arms to.

The PS3 may pick up steam in the long run. As I have been saying in these last few posts. Its possible that Microsoft and Nintendo can do some big things right now and blank out the PS3 from the market's memory. However, PS3 still has exclusives. And they look incredible. On top of that, people are studying the PS3's hardware in class.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/playstation-used-as-learningstation/mit-students-use-ps3-for-homework-259401.php

The Wii and Xbox 360 are not getting this kind of attention. While I don't think the PS3 will live up to the PS2's legacy, it appears that will Sony's reputation for having ample quality games for its consoles and the potential in the PS3 that the PS3 may eventually gain in sales later. Maybe in 1 to 2, maybe even 3 years. No matter what, it will take time. And Sony has stated its a 10 year console so the company sounds prepared for the long haul. Plus it helps that the best selling console as of right now is the PS2, even with all these next-gen consoles.