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Nintendo's Next-Gen Arsenal
Much of the coverage of the next-gen skirmish so far has focused on Sony and Microsoft. The already-impressive Xbox Live vs. the PS3. Just the same, for the first time in many years Nintendo is definitely in the running for top spot. About.com has a piece looking at what the big N is bringing to the next-gen party this November. From the article: "While Nintendo is trend setting with controllers like the Wiimote and, to a lesser extent, the nunchaku dongle, other companies will be following along. Nintendo's game plan from the genesis of the Wii has been touch and gamer-friendly games. They see the future of gaming in the Wiimote. Everyone else, at this point, seems to be just catching up."
Anyone else get the funny feeling that about.com has recently struck a deal with slashdot for page impressions?
This guy's the limit!
*OMG* another "All hail Nintendo" brought to you by Zonk!
*OMG* Who wants to play with their wii?
*OMG* Ponies!, Nintendo iz 4 kidz!
(I want blood, boobs, and blunts. I wanna be a (rated M for mature) HARDCORE gamer!)
Did I forget any?
A good online service comparable to xbox360s live. Imagine super smash brawl with unlimited online oppentens, tournaments galore, and updated content. I play smash bros. melee still but only for the multiplayer. With a quality online feature nintendo will surely take the lead in sales with the next generation consoles.
with the Wii design, the wii colors, and the wiimote............right up until I hit nunchaku dongle.
It reminds me of when someone is speaking french and then says an english proper name. For a split second the wheels fall right off.
Really? From reading Slashdot I thought it was 85% Sony bashing, 13% Wii adulation and 2% Atari/Colecovision. Oh and trace amounts of Xbox.
...copy protection system that can hit you in the balls.
I think the strength of Nintendo, is that while the PS and XBox have continued along their paths of getting better machinery to make games faster and look more realistic, Nintendo have veered to the left slightly and concentrated on making the gaming experience better. Of course there are some weaknesses as well, but time will tell if this will be a money making strategy. I personally think that both camps will live in harmony for the near future, though the PS and XBox's prices are hard hitters. Thank goodness the PS2 will be supported for the next 5 years. The only things I could improve for the Wii, is to have a built in DVD player, and to get Final Fantasy back on their system. Without those, I actually have to think before I put down my $50 deposit!
Design issues, much? I hated Halo on the XBox. Really, really hated. On PC...god, what a difference.
I also remember the thrill that was Duckhunt back in the day--Nintendo gave me my personal first experience of an alternative gaming controller. I really hope that they can make it that...well, awesome for me again. And that I can shoot the damned dog this time.
Yes, in another news, one can find interesting patterns like this...
I am very glad to see Nintendo willing to experiement with the ways that gamers interface with their devices. Although there have been many different devices made (microphone, DDR mat, Duck Hunt gun, etc.) the latest evolution of the standard controller has maintained hegemony. I wonder what users will think of these new interfaces. They might love them or feel odd because of the change from what they know. Since the big N is (generally) targeting a younger audience, the user base may not be as set in its ways and a new generation of gamers might grow up not as entrenched in the gamepad paradigm of device interaction.
Information wants a fueled airplane waiting at the hangar and no one gets hurt.
What's a nunchucku? Is it similar to a nunchuckme?
Aside from last holiday season's hype, the X-Box has been a back burner item for the press. Sony's PR has been almost uniformly poorly received.
Meanwhile outlets like slashdot have been talking up the Wii for months and months. It's not like we didn't have items posted on /. just for the name switch from Revolution to Wii, you know? Hotly debated at the time, too. People are paying tons of attention.
Where'd the idea that Nintendo's been all but ignored come from? Lordy. How'd this "Did you know Nintendo has a new console too?" story get accepted?
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
"The already-impressive Xbox Live "
Tell us you were joking. Microsoft's online service is doing so poorly that they didn't even mention the number of people willing to pay the 50 dollar a year charge for it in their big press release last month. Instead they tried to give the impression that they had huge numbers of subscribers when in fact the numbers they quoted were for everyone who even just hooked up their 360 to download something just once.
Sony has free online gaming for all non-MMORPG games.
Nintendo has free online gaming for the Wii.
Microsoft needs to wake up and catch up to Sony and Nintendo and find a way to offer free online play. Right now Microsoft's online service adds 200 to 250 dollars extra to the price of the 360. No one but the most hardcore Xbox fans are willing to spend so much money on a 360.
The future of gaming most certainly is not the Wii mote I can say after having used it for a little bit at E3. It is kind of awkward to hold and it didn't take long for the novelty to wear off. Now that people are seeing real Wii games the system is being seen more as a souped up GameCube with a pointing device bolted on instead of anything remotely like the 'industry changing' hype Nintendo has been throwing around. Nintendo has really made their lives difficult with all the grandiose talk of innovation. Almost every Wii game is just like any other game with some swinging or pointing added.
Yes, it is fun. But it is more like fun when I play my friends and less so fun that I must have it.
After seeing the latest Motorstorm footage for the PS3, that is what people I know want in a next gen system. And MetalGear Solid 4, Final Fantasy, GT, the new Naughty Dog game, and so on. I'd rather pay 500 bucks for games I want than 250 bucks for a gimmick.
I was a gamer back when the NES was in its heyday. Then the SNES came out with controllers that had a hundred and dickety-two buttons, and suddenly I turned into Grandpa Simpson overnight.
I heard a rumor that Wii was going to support original NES games. If true, this could lead me to buy my first console since I was in high school. Unfortunately, the official Wii site doesn't address this at all. That's probably a bad sign, but still I hold out hope. Has anyone else heard this, or can anyone else corroborate the story?
"Really? From reading Slashdot I thought it was 85% Sony bashing, 13% Wii adulation and 2% Atari/Colecovision"
Don't knock Colecovision. It was one of the finest products of the Connecticut Leather Company.
Where were you when the voynix came?
Suprisingly, he's right...
Playstation,
Xbox, and
The big N
Guess who wins?
"and suddenly I turned into Grandpa Simpson overnight"
Thanks. The editors at "Nintendo History" magazine have been searching for the one guy who actually purchased the lone copy sold of the "Matlock" game cart back in '89.
Where were you when the voynix came?
I'm so glad to see Nintendo doing something innovative and getting back in the game. I was raised on NES, SNES, and N64, but hated what Nintendo did with the Gamecube. A lot of gamers my age (college-aged) complain that Nintendo is only for kids and doesn't have the hardcore gaming that they look for. Now I don't enjoy the really kiddie games, but I love how creative Nintendo's games can be. Sure, you can have all sorts of realistic high-end FPS, even some with twists (like Prey), but after years of playing those games, it's fun to play something where you run around jumping on walking mushrooms or ride a dinosaur that has a tongue like a chameleon. Sony has a lot of fantasy games, but they don't appeal to me as much as the Nintendo games did.
I just hope that with the Wii, I can get creative, quirky-as-hell games that are actually challenging and entertaining. I think the Wii-mote will open up tons of doors for some very interesting games. Hopefully developpers pull it off.
----------------
With such a cheap price-tag on the Wii, I'd rather get a Wii and Xbox than spend that combined money to get a PS3.
I was under the impression that in the /. community atleast that the Wii was seen as the ultimate machine this time round. I never got the impression that they were focusing on anythign but Nintendo. infact I have yet to hear anything other than expensive and pretty graphics coming from the PS3 department in a long while.
Look I am as glad as the next person that Nintendo has stepped up their game for this time round in the console wars, but seriously, I get the impression that is all the gaming communities are focusing on. I mean have we honestly heard good PR about the PS3? If you have feel free to let me in, but from a general news surfer sence, and most of all on Slashdot what do you hear? to expensive.
I am not going to say I don't like Sony thier consoles have impressed me before, and the price has had me a little weary, but why are we so eager to ignore the PS3 as a competitor, I mean we look at the wii, and the 360 and we know both are cheaper than the ps3. But seriously... there has to be some redeeming quality to the PS3.
Go Nintendo and all, glad you aren't going to make another one of the abysmall failures the gamecube... but I could swear I have heard enough wii praise
just my two cents
Did someone say cake?
I don't get it, why on earth are people talking about "Saving" Nintendo. I am under the impression that Nintendo of Japan and America are doing quite well with their bottom lines. Am I wrong? If they are doing well business-wise, where is the problem? So what if 360 and PS3 get more "hype"; hype != money. After all, money is what drives business, lack of money is what drives businesses into the ground. (i.e. Sega)
They plan to revolutionise the gaming market with the wiimote and to a lesser extent the wiiblowupdoll and with the online gaming capability users will be able to upload their stamina on the blow up doll and compare their scores with each other.
I have to agree, but there is one exception in my opinion. Metroid Prime/Echoes for the Gamecube rocked my world and is on the list of FPS that I did actually feel the need to finish. The thing with Metroid, though, is that Retrogames realized the limitations of FPS on a controller and implemented the lock on feature that made it possible to rock in that game. Between that and the limited RPG elements to the game, they are both classics and ones that I have played over again. If you haven't given them a try, I would highly recommend it.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
I had been fearing that would be the case with the Wii. After all the hype about innovation from Nintendo I keep looking at the release list of games for the system and I'm not seeing the innovation. There is a whole lot of games that are the same old with nothing more than using the controller to point.
Where are the innovative games that Nintendo has been braggin about?
Nintendo has released some cryptic remarks about the potential for the release date. Gamers have deduced that it will probably be October 2. I certain hope it does well since Nintendo is one of the top 10 holdings of my Fidelity Asia-Pacific basin mutual fund...
Monstar L
Meanwhile outlets like slashdot have been talking up the Wii for months and months. It's not like we didn't have items posted on /. just for the name switch from Revolution to Wii, you know? Hotly debated at the time, too. People are paying tons of attention. Where'd the idea that Nintendo's been all but ignored come from? Lordy. How'd this "Did you know Nintendo has a new console too?" story get accepted?
What you have to understand is the vast, vast gulf that exists between Slashdot's readership and Zonk. The two may as well exist in different universes.
The slashdot readerbase has been talking up the Wii for months and months and is super excited for it, yes. Zonk, however, who was the one who posted this story, is apparently unaware that any systems exist in the world other than the XBox 360. It probably was news to him that Nintendo has a new console too.
Ok, a "next gen" system is not a system that is the same as the last and just beefs the processor and graphics. Tell me, what are the real differences between the 360 and the original Xbox? NOTHING! All M$ did was inject steroids into the original Xbox. Nintendo is actually doing something new.
All your 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 are belong to us
how revolutionary
This is probably not the outlet to express such opinions, but while I am interested to see what is actually going to come of the Wii I am still really skeptical about the system. To me it seems more like a slightly upgraded Gamecube with a new controller. I'm not sure if that is worth $200 or more.
It is just far to early to be making any judgments about the Wii. The system is all about game-play and we do not really have any experience with the Wii's game-play to make any judgments about it. Is the game-play going to improve enough to make up for the difference in graphical prowess that the Wii lacks when compared to the other two next-gen systems? I'd like to believe that Nintendo can pull it off, but I'm not convinced yet.
I'll be sitting on the fence until after the system has been released.
One of them "friends" eh? ... Oh well. At least he's not eating turnips with his nose.
It's just that house of MS cultists have been ordered to praise the Wii whenever possible. The true 360 lovers have been encouraging pro-Wii talk whenever it occurs, as they seem to believe anything which hurts Sony is ultimately good for their 360. Microsoft's bloggers hath ordered, and so shall it be.
DID YOU KNOW? NINTENDO GAME OFFERINGS HEAT UP AS THE WEATHER COOLS DOWN
... Oh look, we're out of space.
July 25, 2006 - The fourth quarter of 2006 will herald a new era for Nintendo with the launch of its remarkable new Wii(TM) home video game system. But that's not what this news item is about! How could that be, you ask? Perhaps the secret to the launch information for Wii is somehow encoded in the text of this news item. You might want to pore over it for a few hours before staying up all night to debate phraseology and comma placement with your friends online. Or maybe it's all just a scam to get you to read the other games we have launching this fall. One of the two.
As the weather cools down, the Nintendo portable game offerings heat up. FINAL FANTASY® V ADVANCE makes its way to Game Boy® Advance SP on Nov. 6. As series go, FINAL FANTASY is to video games what James Bond is to movies. FINAL FANTASY loyalists will enjoy an opportunity to debate which installment was best.
Nintendo DS(TM) owners are the big winners. Every week or so, another huge DS title hits, from the Touch Generations title Clubhouse Games(TM) to fan favorites like Elite Beat Agents(TM) and Yoshi's Island(TM) 2. Clearly a gamer's idea of paradise, here is Nintendo's upcoming DS lineup:
Oct. 9: Clubhouse Games(TM)
Oct. 16: Nintendogs(TM) (Dalmatian)
Oct. 23: Magical Starsign(TM)
Oct. 30: Pokémon® Ranger
Oct. 30: Children of Mana®
Nov. 6: Elite Beat Agents(TM)
Nov. 13: Yoshi's Island(TM) 2
Dec. 4: Custom Robo(TM) Arena
Dec. 4: Kirby(TM) Squeak Squad
And, for Nintendo GameCube(TM) owners, The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess will be available for you this fall. An enhanced version also will be a launch title for Wii. That will all happen on
For more information about all of Nintendo's upcoming titles, please visit www.nintendo.com.
http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=9938
"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for it's children." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Maybe because it is a JOB!
How much excitement do you expect from a developer after the newness of a system has sunk in.
Driving is fun to do, but when you have to do it for 8-12 hours a day, it is "eh" too
The phrase "more better" is acceptable English. suck it grammar Nazis
It's still too early to tell. The only comparison there is right now is the xbox and the negative things that happened with release against 2 consoles that are still a ways from release.
Also this kind of irked me.
"Everyone else, at this point, seems to be just catching up." in reference to Nintendo.
If their controler is what they are hoping will get them top place their going to fail awfuly. Microsoft all ready has a ton of games released, a 3 year old online gaming system (and content pushing system) and so on. I just dont understand how they can be saying everyone is trying to catch up to nintendo when their product is still not released.
TruePunk | Games
I've feared this as well. Innovation isn't always about innovation of control. My favorite games on the DS are games like Ouendan or Electroplankton. Games that absolutely couldn't have been done without the touch screen, but games that are fun nonetheless. Much of the DS library, however, grows old quickly. And most of the "innovation" is derived from things like one screen being used for a map and the touch screen being used for menus. Wow, groundbreaking.
I think Nintendo is thinking straight in so far as they're focusing on games that are easily accessible. I used to be a "hardcore" gamer, but basically I got sick of gaming and started getting into random stuff like Katamari Damacy, DDR, Amplitude, Ouendan, stuff like that. Quirky, fun experiences with some fun music, easy to learn the rules, easy to pick up and play, then put down.
So I think Nintendo is smart to be thinking about this market. As it not only includes non-gamers, but also includes disaffected former hardcore gamers that just want to have fun and are starting to feel like 40 hour+ games are tedious rather than fun, and that FPS and sports sequels aren't exactly thrilling either. They're heading in the right direction, but unfortunately being innovative in terms of control isn't enough. The game has to be innovative as well. And I look at that Wii list and I see Zelda, Metroid, Mario and retro gaming (no doubt playing Zelda, Metroid and Mario). At some point Nintendo has to stop relying on the franchises to carry them (i.e. Mario Soccer, Mario Basketball Zelda Pinball) and create unique interesting experiences. Aside from Pikmin, Ouendan, Nintendogs, Electroplankton, etc. where are the Katamari Damacy-type games from Nintendo? Where are the rhythm games that DON'T include Mario or Donkey Kong?
that the people in those publicity shots aren't fat and lazy like the rest of us?
If the Virtual Console is based on a subscription rather than a pay per software model it will blow away XBOX live. I would gladly buy a Wii and $10/month subscription to play any NES/SNES/N64 game ever made. If people have to buy them though it will never take off. Nintendos true power is its huge arsenal of IP, which can be immediately leveraged by its even bigger back catalog of iconic mega hit games. Virtual Console could easily be the device that unites a nostalgic era of 80s gamers and their kids.
"Evidently the study highlighted three different pricing structures. The first was a subscription based package that would enable users to rent and play any game they wanted for $14.99 per month. Meanwhile, NES titles were listed for approximately $2.99 and N64 titles for a more expensive $19.99. These numbers are naturally neither finalized nor confirmed by Nintendo itself. " - http://wii.ign.com/articles/680/680846p1.html
The new xbox gets very little credit for what its done. There seems to be a more attention being paid to the potential success of the Wii and the potential dissaster of the ps3 than to the 360. It seems to me that Microsoft has been playing this round very well, with upcoming games that show of its power, live/live arcade, reasonable price (at least in comparison to its most direct competitor), and they still have trouble getting some praise. (I dont know where my bias comes from, I dont even have a 360)
Is there any advertising on about.com ?
I'm using adblock plus, flashblock and Firefox; so I can't tell if so-and-so dot com has a lot of ads or not - can't see ANY of them ^^
Maybe some kind of hi-tech omnidirectional treadmill would be nice; in terms of a duck-hunt style shooting gallery, that may or may not be as good as the soul caliber style of game or a fps... I'm not sure how fun nunchucks would be as a game controller, I'd rather have a gun controller, or a bazooka controller, similar to the nintendo light gun and the snes super scope 6. On the upside, the wii controller with both parts does kind of resemble a gun...still, although the previous VR headsets sucked, it would be nice to have a lightweight, 120+fps (60+fps on each screen) VR motion tracking headset and omnidirectional (do those exist) treadmill to run around on, and a variety of controller shapes, from blowtorches to guns to steering wheels...maybe a chair add-on too...that would be a much cooler gaming system. Although multi-shaped controllers could be a big thing, the wii controller and the tennis game looked pretty cool, especially if the controller can track foot motion, and you have a pretty big room to play in.
When you go to the main Nintendo Wii site (not sure, think is something like wii.nintendo.com but could be wrong), you end up seeing more than 100 other games, for many different genres.
Sure, Red Steel swordplay and Mario Galaxy are two games I'll probably buy, but it was the other games on that list that were the coolest thing since laser-sliced bread.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Now that much of the fanfair has died down for the Wii, I can look at the console with a more objective point-of-view. As a father of two little girls and being a veteran gamer, I see the Wii as being by far the most innovative, fun, and appropriate entertainment device for my kids, my wife, and myself. Frankly, I'm bored stiff with the current offering of games out there (excluding NDS). The old days of Duke Nukem and UT are far behind me. I enjoy my NDS more than any system I've ever played on. Even more than my friend's new $3,500 gaming monstrosity. In other words, the Wii is on our Chistmas shopping list.
Currently theta testing the prototype "Event Horizon" server-scaled desktop box with a 50 Gigameg of Ram.
/. is full of Nintendo fanboys and I think that is why more reviews for Wii get on this site than 360 or PS3. The one thing that bothers me the most is that people downplay how having a beefier system is changing the way games are played. Some people make it seem like the 360 and PS3 are the same ole same ole with cleaner graphics, but its not. If you don't believe me then play Hitman Blood Money on the 360, then play the same game on xbox. You will have more fun on the 360 because of the beefier system. Another example is to play Splinter Cell 3 on the oldxbox then play it on the GameCube. I bet you will like it more on the xbox. Why? Because of very little load screens. Beefier systems do make for a better game, otherwise PC gamers would be still using the same computer they had 3 years ago to play todays games. The controller won't revolutionize anything unless they make games that are revolutionary. That's been Nintendos problem with GC. It wasn't that it was a sucky system (it was better than PS2) it just didn't appeal to gamers. It was always the kiddy system. If Wii is to do good then they need to bring in the titles and gamemakers that make fun games. They need to bring in the audience that will constantly buy new games.
Can I bum a sig?
Nintendo had a game pad for the original NES. It had games where you'd jump around and run on a 3'x3' floor pad to control the on-screen action of games like the hurdles.
It was discontinued in the US because nobody wanted to move around that much when playing a game, bunch of lazy bastards we are. I have one though, and it's fun.
zonked (tagging beta)
So mods, for those of you just joining us, the post above is a good example of what's called a "troll". It can be difficult to determine, but here are some signs:
1. The same message has been posted repeatedly on Wii-related threads. Takes some close reading to catch something like that, but be aware of that eerie familiar feeling.
2. The message makes claims that are rather unlikely: "one of my friends is currently working on a Wii game"... suuuure. As the system hasn't been released, relatively few teams currently working on games for it, and most of them are in Japan (so they wouldn't have been working on a 360 game before).
3. The post has a flaw in its internal logic. Game developers in general don't have much access to unreleased games other than the ones they are actually working on. A controller, no matter how fantastic, isn't a lot of fun by itself. It's not surprising that the supposed friend would be bored with playing his own game or swinging the controller around in a devkit demo.
Anyway, thanks for moderating and good luck.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
You start by downloading project64k, which has an online play thingy included.
Then, you look for people who are waiting to play Super Smash Brothers. You'll need a rom, of course.
Sadly, I have a high ping and as such, the online play kinda sucks - but it's still great to be able to play this classic with some stranger over the internets. You won't have the trash talking with buddies like you can get in halo, that's for sure, but I believe this game is enough by its own damn self ^^
Beware about this AC post, may be spreading FUD. I've seen 2 or 3 replies like this on related Wii articles.
Also, remember, excitement is relative. A developer working on a single game losing interest is not the same as a gamer, who will receive different game experiences through the controller.
It is obvious that the Wiimote won't work with every game, and for that you have the Gamecube controller and the Classic controller too.
I've been replaying mario sunshine and zelda windwaker on my lowly GC for the last few weeks, and these games look AMAZING. Wii is supposed to be twice as powerful. Just because the other two contenders are number-crunching-powerhouses DOES NOT MEAN THAT WII GRAPHICS WILL LOOK LIKE PONG.
I call corporate shill.
Nintendo doesn't need to be "saved". They're extremely profitable and are not in any financial danger. A few months ago they were still in the #2 spot in world-wide sales. They've almost always been in the #1 spot for portable gaming.
Why is it that people keep referring to Nintendo as "doomed"?
The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess will be available for you this fall. An enhanced version also will be a launch title for Wii
...
...
The fourth quarter of 2006 will herald a new era for Nintendo with the launch of its remarkable new Wii(TM) home video game system.
We know know that Nintendo will launch before December 22nd
Personally, I'm betting on October 1st-October 15th
With HDTV slowly being adopted, it eliminates one of PC gamings big advantages, reasonable resolution. If one of the consoles that supports HDTV, also made a real effort to support keyboard and mouse control for RTS, FPS and MMOG games, then they would really gain alot of PC gamers. I hate having to have a PC just for games, and a console which is just a specialized PC for gaming as well. Let me play FPS and RTS and MMOG games, with keyboard and mouse, in HDTV, on a console from my couch, and I would never have to buy another $300 video card again.
What Nintendo is doing with the Wii is great. It's new. It's different. It looks fun. But is it sustainable entertainment?
As a pretty avid gamer I see myself tiring of the Wiimote (great name, btw). Wouldn't your wrist tire quickly? It just doesn't seem to work well for long periods of gaming (>2hrs).
Okay, so the average gamer is not hardcore. I understand that. But will they stay entertained? At some point the novelty of the wiimote and wiigames (made that one up) will wear off and the system will be judged on its ability to provide superior entertainment.
Nintendo can typically provide superior entertainment in its games. I just hope the Wiimote opens new doors for innovative entertainment and doesn't typecast the wii as a novelty item--Virtual Boy style.
I fully intend to buy a Wii and I think I will really enjoy it. But the real test is if I am still playing it a year from now.
What's this, a new footy game? OK, soccer.
Why aren't BOTH of the controllers wireless ?, why have that nunchaku cable ? If one controller is wireless, why introduce another frickin' wire to retarn the whole idea. Surely two wireless controllers (one for each hand) would be ideal ?
The original post was a pretty good troll, but I'd stick with the copy/paste. You haven't really learned the skills for a good followup on Slashdot; "fanboy" accusations are only taken seriously on teenager videogame forums. Regardless, congrats on your Interesting mod and your three taken-in replies (so far).
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
The parent comment has been posted, more or less verbatim, to just about every Wii-related article on /.
Please moderate accrodingly.
"Old man yells at systemd"
Well, you make a good point. I didn't understand much myself. After playing a lot of the games for the Gamecube, I didn't like them. Not sure exactly what it was, but I always prefered the N64 variants (if they had an N64 variant). Take Super Smash Bros. for instance. I love that game on the N64, hate it on the Gamecube. Another game is Mariokart. Played 3 generations of Mariokart: SNES, N64, Gamecube. Liked all of them except the Gamecube one. Maybe somebody else who's experienced this can explain it better. Trust me, I tried to like the Gamecube games, it just wasn't happening for some reason.
This article was discussed a few days ago on Digg and the general opinion was that it was garbage. I agree with the general Digg opinion on this particular subject.
First of all, if Zelda is first does that mean that the Gamecube will receive a boost in sales as it will be released for both platforms? Games are important but the other platforms also have games, this is not a weapon as massive as others that Nintendo has.
Discarding all games we are left with three outsiders from the list:
The Wiimote, which is oddly on the last place: shouldn't it be first? The Wii is almost defined by the Wiimote, it's what makes it different.
The Virtual Console, on 6th place. Taking advantage of a huge back collection of games, the Virtual Console should be a huge plus for most hardcore gamers that miss a quick fix of old school gaming. I'm sure it's not a decisive feature for most but I would put it far above 6th place.
And the EA support, on 5th. Is this relevant? I mean, EA is important as it guarantees plenty of games per year but it has a huge downside, most games, in my opinion, are not top notch. Besides, noone buys a console because it has EA games although I'm sure many wouldn't buy a console exactly because it didn't have any mainstream, EA games. Way too high on the list, maybe 10th place?
Besides these three, there are, at least two important features of the Wii which should have made the top10.
WiiConnect24 and GCN compatibility. Nintendo finally learned that it was important to ensure a huge catalog of games in every new console right from the start. These two features help in that by making sure you'll receive demos of new games and the ability to play GCN games. These will also be joined by the Virtual Console which is part of the WiiConnect24.
Other killer features should be stuff like interoperability with the DS or support for indie developers. I, for one, would be extremely interested in developing a small fun game and selling it for 1 a copy or something through the Wii.
Conclusion: This article misses some obvious "weapons" and seems to have simply chosen 10 things wii-related and shuffled them in whatever way they seemed fit. Horrible article, Zonk should be more careful of what he posts.
-- Would it be acceptable to just put my name on my sig?
That's one innovation I would have expected Sony to come out with first.
:-)
Or do they plan on rushing out a cheap imitation of that, soon?
They have been known to try new things such as these:
Bazooka-like Super-Scope for the SNES
The Donkey Kong bongo-drums for the aspiring percussionist
The super-cool Power Glove. Kind of odd Virtual Boy during the VR craze
The fun Power Pad for Track and Field and other great games which we would play in our college apartment a couple of years ago.
The ever popular Light gun - who didn't try to shoot the hunting dog in duck hunt when he laughed at you???
Most of the older stuff can be bought on eBay for really cheap - makes for great nostalgic gaming.
If anything is going to spur the wii on to huge numbers it's Zelda.
Now before you say "what about Mario" Mario is always coming. People bought the Gamecube for Mario, and got Sunshine, and people were happy. You got Luigi's mansion at the begining though and people weren't doing backflips celebrating that game.
But Zelda at launch is going to be interesting. This Zelda has definatly been under development longer, better graphics, and new controls, and lack of cell-shaded graphics I hope. It's going to push the system I believe, coupled with a Metroid Prime (which is good but remember Metroid Prime has ONLY been played by Gamecube owners and players)
The one problem they will have with their virtual console vs. Marketplace is no achievement points (from my understanding) Is it a system killer? Nah, but it's something I wouldn't say no too.
The most interesting thing is this is the first time Nintendo really did a cross platform game themselves, but on the other hand it does look like it has the power to really launch the system and I'm sure everyone has heard at least one person who was going to buy the Gamecube for Twilight princess, of them many probably are going to pick up a Wii for this game as it's close to the same price.
The only problem I forsee at launch is a lack of systems which will be a sad day. Btw, at the same time the PS3 is only planning 1 million systems for a world wide launch? I've got to guess they know they should have lower expectations than they did for the Ps2.
The phrase "Everyone else, at this point, seems to be just catching up" drives me nuts, as it shows an incredible lack of hindsight. Say what you will about Sony, but the PS2 far and away is already the most immersive console out there, with dance pads, the eye toy, Guitar Hero controller, etc. that all have you off the couch, interacting with the console. Hell, I've even got a Taiko drum+game (think Donkey Conga but with sticks) that I received as a gift.
This isn't a slam against Nintendo; it's a slam against the person who made the comment about catching up. What's the average memory retention of a video game journalist, 6 months?
All I have to say is "Bring back the power glove!!!!!!!!!"
I'd love to see another dodgeball game. Preferrably with a violence rating above 64%. Dodgeballs that gib. . . that's what I want.
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . .
Where in the article am I supposed to find something new that I haven't seen already? Everything on this page is available on the wii Wikipedia page.
The lead singer of Coldplay is behind the Wii? I'm sold!
Or, sent to sleep by his turgid dronings. One or the other.
You must think in Russian.
If anything, what could make the Nintendo a winner in the next-gen sweepstakes is cost. In the 2007 recession, not a lot of people will be buying $500 PS3s or even $300 Xbox 360s.
World of Wiicraft: You get to play as a Plumber, a Sword Elf, a Giant Mushroom, or ... um sorry lost track after the mushroom ... think it's magic.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
I'm predicting with all the sports games they're promoting (Tennis, baseball, etc) that there are going to be many drunken brawls caused by somebody conking another person in the head while playing Mario Tennis
id like to try those bongo things but seems like quite a spend for a 1 trick device..same with the guitar hero controller thingies.
According to my drummer the donkey kong drumming thingy is pretty fun but trivial if you've got decent rhythmn
Anyone played vib-ribbon on the original playstation btw... that a great laugh and the sountrack you get with it is really freaky and mildly disturbing.
I have discovered a truly remarkable sig which this post is too small to contain.
Consider the dreamcast, which has more a peripheral to match everyone mentioned, + more
http://www.vidgame.net/SEGA/dc_peripheral.htm
No, but I've tried it with a controller on a PC. Logitech RumblePad. It works about as well as on console. Other games I liked with a controller were GTA3, Midnight Club 2 (racing), and one of the Tomb Raiders.
The control is sometimes better, sometimes slightly awkward if I was already used to the PS2 controller for that game. But the graphics absolutely blew away the PS2, even on the same games. And remapping any key, downloading patches, cheap online play, etc. seal the deal.
it allows you to shoot the damn dog on a bonus stage :3
I just never understand this argument. Are you trying to say that adding Mario to a game spontaneously makes it bad?
just some guy
Sure, I'd say it. I hate that little shit.
Not at all. I'm arguing something quite different. That Nintendo often has this formula.
Something (we'll think it up, DDR, Golf, Soccer, etc.) + Mario = Innovative game
That's my problem. I've loved plenty of Mario games. I'm just begging Nintendo to think outside their franchises and come up with new and fresh properties similar to Katamari, Ouendan, games of that nature and not to rely on recycling Metroid, Zelda and Mario over and over again.
just count the number of sly cooper games, rachet games, jax games in the past 4 years.
then count the number of marios gamse, zelda games, and metroid games in the past 4 years.
it's obvious who's making sequal rehashes and who's tending to their franchise
Hi,
Doesn't do them any good. Instead of getting more ad revenue, they're losing more in bandwidth cost because all the ads are stripped out by virtue of my hosts file.
Plus the content was worthless in the first place.
But that's okay because the Wii is about games and the download service.
The controller is common hardware (acceleration and IR sensors). The hardware on the Wii is strictly last gen, so don't get excited about it:
* It's essentially a GameCube, no one has actual devkits yet, everyone is using GCs for their dev
* GPU has no shaders, fixed function, nothing new
* Unit has 88MB of memory, 24 for video/dsp and 64 for main external mem with 512 of flash mem for downloadable content, no HDD
* Clock speeds on GPU and CPU are approx 1.5x that of the GC
* Broadway CPU has a choice of 2,3,4 deep pipeline as opposed to Gekkos 2
* Hollywood is a LSI with DSP and GPU onboard with 2MB/s of eDRAM for framebuffer. No HD video fillrates here and that means no 1080i let alone 1080p, highest is 480p which all last gen units could do.
* Bus bandwidth is peak 1.9GB/s from GC 1.3GB/s
The Wiimote is just a gicmick, I am sure most people will just use a normal controller most of the time.
I am guessing my two wavebirds will still work on the Wii.
The real reason I will upgrade from my Gamecube is to access Virtual Console and play back catalog games, I hope I can get a fix of Golden Eye on it.
As for it not being up their in terms of graphics, I really don't care, Nintendos games rock, they are always great fun and I have a PC with a 512MB 7900GTX in it, if I want fantastic looking graphics I use that. I have no reason to give Sony my money and the XBox 360 graphics do not impress next to a 7900GTX.
No, Nintendo thinks:
Game idea + Mario = Game that sells.
You can replace the Prince of All Cosmos with Mario, and put Peach as the King of All Cosmos, and the game would play exactly the same (although, I admit, it probably would not have had nearly the sense of humor of Katamari Damacy). Nintendo didn't develop Ouendan, but it could easily have been a cheer squad featuring Mario, Luigi, Wario & Waluigi.
The simple fact of the matter is, Mario sells games. Nintendo doesn't put their franchise characters in a different type of game to strengthen the franchise. They put them in a different type of game, because when they come up with a new, innovative game unlike anything anyone has ever played, who's going to buy it? The same people that made Beyond Good & Evil such a success, those people who went mad over Psychonauts? No matter how good a game is, if you can't get people to buy it, it simply cannot be a success. On the other hand, people will buy a game with Mario in it, because they trust the Mario brand, regardless of the type of game it is (and yes, sometimes regardless of whether or not it's good), so Nintendo recycles its franchise characters into other types of games to give those games a chance.
Yes, I agree it would be nice to get some new IPs out there, after all the stories possible with Mario & Co are limited because of their established 'personality'. On the other hand, a lot of really great games exist because Nintendo can afford to take more of a risk with offshoot franchise games because they know they have a few guaranteed sales right off the bat. Mario Strikers is a great game, lots of fun, but with 3 excellent football simulations on the market, and at least 1 decent arcade football game on the market, do you really think anyone would have chosen it over something like FIFA World Cup if it wasn't a Mario title?
just some guy