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The Public's First Look at Wii
isaacklinger writes "Time Magazine reports how it feels to play with the Wii. Overall it's a very enthusiastic review." From the Gamespot coverage: "Grossman traveled to Nintendo's headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, and was shown the Wii by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. The reporter was especially impressed with the Wii's controller. 'It's part laser pointer and part motion sensor, so it knows where you're aiming it, when and how fast you move it and how far it is from the TV screen ... There's a strong whiff of voodoo about it.'" Update: 05/08 16:50 GMT by Z : Ran into a registration screen when I tried for the original article, but eldavojohn had more luck than I. The original Time article is available for reading.
It will be cheap to produce, have enough power to run games slightly more advanced than the Gamecube, those games will include a number of rehashed titles and the controler design is going to lead to an endless stream of "optional" attachments (somtimes bundled) to even play a big chunk of the new titles.
I don't mean to sound negative but I don't see Nintendo changing it's stripes any time soon...
You know what? Wii (we) are all going to gobble it up this time just like the last two systems.
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain
Why break down a barrier with the controller, only to raise another one by making people move around to play a game?
It's called "exercise". If Nintendo creates a really interesting video game that little Bobby exerts himself on, drops a few unnecessary pounds and increases his cardio-vascular system, how is this a bad thing? This is not raising another barrier, but adding another challenge to a game. Instead of finding the blue key, the player has to burn another 5 calories.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure one or two children will throw fits and go back to their "easier" consoles that don't require more than a flipping of a thumb, but the Dance Dance Revolution crowd alone has proved that there is a following for this time of system, and that children have a natural energy the Wii can assist in depleting before bedtime.
Those who believe the Internet is private,
find their privates are on the Internet.
And yeah, the article is well written and full of smart observations. One of my favorites:
I don't agree with Iwata on many things, but customers don't give you your vision. You present it to them, and they either buy it or they don't.
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You know you've done it. You've sitting in front of your computer or console, playing a driving sim. Without thinking, you find yourself leaning into a turn as you try to hold your line.
You're playing a FPS when suddenly, a zombie/mutant/demon/something jumps from around the corner. You instinctively duck in your chair as you jerk your char out of the way and unload a few shots.
Potentially, Nintendo has created the most intuitive, natural interface with a video game since the joystick. Well, at least it is the first new video game interface since the joystick.
Personally, I hate console games. I get bored after minutes of play and haven't purchased one since the NES (yes, the first one). Even so, I think I'll likely be getting one of these. I'm not crazy enough to camp for one, but I can see buying one. Interesting interface > same crap with better resolution.
Have you forgotten who is making this device? This is Nintendo, the king of making robust pieces of technology that can withstand a beating. Everything I've had of theirs' has been crazy hard to break. Heck my old SNES still works fine, can anybody at all say the same thing about their old PS1?
Wii is the only true next-generation system, as it is the only one with a controller that allows next-generation gameplay. The other systems have lots of power but it is wasted on last-generation gameplay.
Wii also offers last-gen gameplay in the form of the classic download service, but for new games it's time to move on to next-gen gameplay.
The best part of the Time article:
It's a remarkable experience. Instead of passively playing the games, with the new controller you physically perform them. You act them out. It's almost like theater: the fourth wall between game and player dissolves. The sense of immersion-the illusion that you, personally, are projected into the game world-is powerful. And there's an instant party atmosphere in the room. One advantage of the new controller is that it not only is fun, it looks fun. When you play with an old-style controller, you look like a loser, a blank-eyed joystick fondler. But when you're jumping around and shaking your hulamaker, everybody's having a good time.
After getting a tate of next-generation gameplay, everything else seems old and busted.
You don't want to be a blank-eyed joystick fondler, do you?
Finally a company gets it. Do not listen to the hardcore audience as they have absolutly no basis in reality (they have likely spent more time in virtual reality than actual reality for last couple years). Hardcore gamers spend so much time playing games they really can't think outside of the "these games are too short and too easy for my leet skillz" box. Games do not need to be harder to play or interface with. Games just need to be fun. Swinging a virtual sword, pump faking a virtual football and swating a virtual fly all seem like fun to me. I will gladly trade the hardcore "games are not fun unless you WORK for the accomplishment" attitude for this "new" idea of having fun while I acutally "play" a video game.
Ves
Usually customers tell you their wants, not their needs.
Finding what the customer wants, really isn't that hard, despite the troubles some companies have at doing it.
Divining what the customer needs, as opposed to what he wants, is on a higher plane. It's all the more difficult because of the temptation to convince yourself that the customer really needs (as opposed to what he wants) just happens to be what you're ready to supply.
Finally, there's figuring out what the customer will need or want - let's face it, what the customer is ready to repeatedly plunk down $$$ for, when the customer doesn't currently realize that for himself and isn't asking.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
To those who are skeptical about the controller changing must not have been involved with games too long. I remember the first time I was shown the 'wasd' keyboard layout. This seemed awkward to me considering I had been playing with the arrow keys for so long. However when an arrow key guy came across a wasd+mouse combo he didnt stand a chance. I got to see and participate in this standard changing the face of first person shooters. Now it has become a standard and everyone knows no different (save a few non-gamers). But I see the same thing coming with the Wii controller. If it is done properly in 5 years we all might be wondering how we played games with a standard controller (at least certain type of games).