Slashdot Mirror
Will the Wii Work?
Today BusinessWeek is running an article asking Will Nintendo's Wii Strategy Score? With the Tokyo Game Show this week, they run down the trials facing Nintendo's little-box-that-could both here in the States, and in Japan. From the article: "Few expect truly dedicated gamers to choose the Wii over the PS3 or Xbox. And ultimately, the advantage may go to Sony. Yuta Sakurai, an analyst at Nomura Securities in Tokyo, expects the PS3 to sell 71 million units by 2011, compared with 40 million units for the Wii. Microsoft, meanwhile, is planning a stripped-down version of the Xbox without a hard-disk drive and other accessories that will cost about $250 in Japan, where the U.S. software maker has endured disappointing results."
Wii isn't targetted at "dedicated" gamers - it's for casual gamers or people who haven't tried gaming before. It might be a shot in the arm for the console industry as a whole, in fact. Heck, I haven't owned a console since the NES, and I'm thinking of getting a Wii ... I just wish they'd called it the Revolution instead :)
If I recall correctly, Nintendo publishes (and develops) many of its more successful games, especially those starring franchise characters. The Wii sales will make some money, but, like the GCN, the Wii can come in second or third and still be fine for the company.
expects the PS3 to sell 71 million units by 2011, compared with 40 million units for the Wii
As everyone knows the PS3 will be sold at a loss throughout most of its lifetime, while the Wii will be at an unknown profit through its lifetime. I'd say thats pretty successful if they sell anywhere in that area. Even if they only have $1 profit per console thats a lot more profit than -xx million.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
...since Wii-glorifying articles.
We're seeing quite a few articles in that style right now, and I predict we'll see several more before the Wii launches. Creating controversy is an easy way to get hits. And controversy is easily generated by suggesting that a point that was generally considered to be long-established ("THE WII WILL BE THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD!!!") may be incorrect ("...but will it work in the marketplace?!").
> Few expect truly dedicated gamers to choose the Wii over the PS3 or Xbox. And ultimately, the advantage may go to Sony.
The very point of Nintendo's strategy is that the truly dedicated gamer won't be their core audience and in fact only a small fragment of their audience. This seems like a non-issue to me.
Basilisk Digital
...yet I've only ever heard bad news about the PS3. The Wii is the first console I've ever been excited about, simply because it's meant for my gaming style: multiplayer, social fun.
ADVANTAGE SONY? Though the Wii doesn't boast all the features and processing firepower of its rivals, Nintendo believes its easy-to-use controller will give it an edge. The Wii's wireless controllers can be moved through the air like a virtual sword, tennis racket, or weapon to pinpoint targets in a game or rifle through the Wii channel menu.
You must provide enjoyable gameplay and a wide variety of game selections. Gamers do not simply choose a console for its controllers. To base your sales on the controllers is stupid.
Nintendo is a staple of life for many gamers. Mario and Zelda are characters they grew up with. Even if it wasn't for the innovative controller, the low price point alone almost guarantees that many gamers will pick it up somewhere along the line.
The fact that Nintendo's console is selling for a profit also means that they don't have to sell a bunch of game titles to get into the black -- if a person never buys another product from Nintendo after the console purchase, they've already made money.
I'm a 23 year old PC gamer. The only consoles I own are PS1, SNES, and NES. I do all my gaming on my PC (Wintel). My room mate got a PS2, which I never play, and while the 360 looks killer, I won't buy it for the price.
A $250 Wii? HELL YES! The price point alone is what does it for me. That and the new controller just makes it a lot more interesting then the same old systems with new graphics.
I think this will work really well for them. This will be the christmas present to buy for years to come.
People on Slashdot don't work
The price is right, the new controller style has some potential, and you can play older Nintendo games. Wii will rock you.
Goal of all games: Fun (or learning, which can be defined as fun) Can the Wii provide dedicated gaming, RPG or turn based something or other? (rhetorical question)
All this chit chat about game systems not yet released is like little boys talking about sex. The one who has already had sex keeps his mouth shut. He knows everything they say is bunk and will be debunked. The truth will be known.
People still play the Nintendo 8-bit system. Nintendo knows this. They know quality lasts. Each system has its merits. The PS3 has thousands of games (ps2 + ps1). GREAT! PS3 owners will have plenty of fun. Wii owners will have plenty of fun, too. More or lesS? Do you really care? The Wii will have plenty to talk about after release. The PS3 and xbox just do not have the new features to inspire discussion. The Wii WILL work.
Die when you die -GG Allin
sounds like business week needs to stick to what it knows and let the gamers do the thinking about games.
Yes, but they'll make much more money if they come out 1st place: more console sales (they won't sell Wiis at a loss) + more game sales (the biggest your user base is, the more games you sell, the more money you make) + third-party licenses (having the least successful console means that you don't bring in third-party -- especially when third party games don't sell e.g., GameCube -- and therefore that you don't get either the mindshare or the license fees from them)
"The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
I live with 7 other people, and we have a shared food fund, which overflows into a house fund, and I'm totally going to lobby that we purchase a Nintendo Wii with it. I have only ever purchased (or my household purchased) an NES, a Gameboy, and a Game Gear (with its whopping 14-second battery life), and yet I am called to this glorious machine.
My four-point argument for the Nintendo Wii:
1. Legend of Zelda with sword-swinging.
2. Metroid Prime with controls that rival PC controls. (Oooooh! A slogan: "Metroid Prime: get inside Samus")
3. 4gb flash memory for under $50.
4. $250
I however do not really like any of the Mario Kart sequels nearly as much as the original. So yes, Nintendo can break my heart. Will they? I hope not. I don't even think it probable.
Please stop stalking me, bro.
..and now look as its place in the handheld market against the stronger and more advanced hardware that is the PSP. Bigger and badder does not equal better. Plus, I love how TFA claims Sony success without taking their idiotic tactics as of late.
and more: "Though the Wii doesn't boast all the features and processing firepower of its rivals, Nintendo believes its easy-to-use controller will give it an edge."
And finally: "There's also a danger that the Wii could cannibalize sales of the DS, which has been a smash hit with casual gamers thanks to its user-friendly design and titles..."
Acording to Wikipedia, total sales of the DS and DS Lite are over 26 million world wide. This is equal to their Gamecube sales and that has been out since 01. I'd say we can call the DS and DS Lite both successful. Seeing as sales for the DS Lite are still hot, I don't expcect that comined number to sit under 30 million for long. The author is full of it, or a fanboy. He obviously hasn't done a lot of research. Nintendo is no longer hoping that the DS will appeal to anyone. Now they know.
As far as the Wii goes, I know plenty of people who wouldn't buy a Gamecube because of its lack of 3rd parties. Though I own many games that are frequently requeseted when we get together like Mario Kart and even Robotech Battlecry. Well, ever one of these people is positively raving about how much they want the Wii. We'll see what they (and I) think after release. But I haven't heard one person say they don't want it. Reasons? Cheap, looks like fun, and "My [significant other] actually wants one too."
Nintendo won't have a problem with this gen.
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
I'm a PC gammer. I've been a PC gammer for almost 20 years now. And I have never owned a gaming console.
That said, the Wii is the first console I've actually considered buying. If the first 6 months look good for it, and someone makes a light-saber game that works with the Wii-mote, I just might buy my very first console.
What I am not interested in is a $3,000 system, which is what the PS3 or XBox is to me. $400-600 for the console. $1,4000-1,800 to replace my 48" projection with a similar sized HD projection. $200 for a few games and a controller, and $200 for new HD or Blue ray movies to take advantage of the HD tv and player.
For $250 I can hit the ground running with the Wii. Another $200 for a few games and a controller and I'll be pretty set for entertainment for the year.
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
Somewhere along the line "dedicated gamer" seems to have been hijacked (by the media presumably?) to mean something like "compulsive graphics whore who will brainlessly follow whatever the newest trend is." Maybe it happened back when FPSs became the big thing when every "dedicated gamer" seemed to be upgrading their graphics card every other week in order to be able to play the latest game. Regardless of when it came about however i don't think that interpretation has ever fit me, and i like to consider myself a dedicated gamer, though perhaps one who has somewhat lapsed in recent years as i've had to learn how to balance gaming, a social life and a career. There may may be a few people out there that fit that negative stereotype but i really hope that the gamers who are actually _dedicated_ to their hobby are actually intelligent and thoughtfull people who will put more thought into their purchasing decisions than that. But perhaps i'm beeing hopelessly optimistic.
This Space Intentionally Left Blank
The Wii has a built in advantage this analyst (as with most) seems to be forgetting, and that is, because the Wii sells at a profit from day 1, **Nintendo does not have to sell as many units to equal or better their competition** in terms of sales and revenue.
The 360 and PS3 may sell more consoles, and those people may buy more games. But you need a lot more more 360/PS3 games sold to compensate and surpass for the profit loss the companies are taking on the consoles.
I mean, look at the books of Nintendo vs. the Microsoft home entertainment division. Microsoft has way more boxes in the field, but is still way in the red. Nintendo is well in the black. And that's all that really matters in the long view.
I guarantee you that I'm a more "dedicated" gamer than 99% of the people out there. I've been playing all my life, played almost every classic game and every sleeper hit in some form or another. I've played games on every platform, and I've played multiplayer games on competitive levels. I've played almost every MMOG in existence to some extent. Next month I'm joining one of the world's best game developers to work on what will be some of the next few years' biggest games.
;P Just tired of being called a lesser gamer.
AND I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT THE GRAPHICS ARMS RACE!! I WANT INNOVATION, NEW EXPERIENCES, QUALITY GAME DESIGN, AND HAVE A SHITLOAD OF FUN ALONG WITH IT!! THAT is why I can't fucking wait for the Wii to come out. It may not be the second coming, but the DS has proven to me that Nintendo means it when they're going for fun over graphics power. And if WoW, HL2, RE4, Shadow of the Colossus, and other games like them have taught us anything it's that you don't need the ridiculous power to have wonderful graphics.
So all those people saying "Wii won't sell to 'true' or 'hardcore' gamers" or "Wii is for casual gamers, non-gamers, and families only"...you can all fuck off. You wanna prove you're more hardcore than me? Let's hop in a Halo PC or Tribes: Vengeance server and I'll show you what a real gamer plays like.
And no I'm not bitter
Sony's worst enemy is itself. I don't think their outlook is as promising as the article indicates. Nintendo should have no problem at least cutting a good profit.
Well, the Wii isn't a Microsoft console, so at the very least it won't burn down your house.
The argument is dumb because it supposes that people will only buy one console. I have a PC, a gamecube, xbox and ps2. I am not the only one. Funny thing is, the gamecube gets the most use for gaming (out of the consoles). Nintendo is not about to vanish from the landscape and is the only console of the new three that looks to break new ground in going after an audience.
Even better : get inside Samus with your Wii !!!
So, which system is likely to have more enjoyable game play. The system with the new, innovative interface, or the system with the exact same interface as the two previous versions.
The system which will include well known characters in games with new settings and a totally new playstyle, or the system which will include 'new' character who are identical to the old character in 'new' games that play exactly like the last five installments.
And finally, which system will be more fun. The one that you can play immediately, or the one that has shown new extremes in the field of load time.
Besides, why buy a PS3 when you can get a Wii, 2 extra controllers, two games, and have a hundred plus dollars left.
From 3 to 1, one being top system:
Number 3 - PS3: The theoretical processing power in their 8 cells is fantastic. I've had it explained to me a few times by my friends (who also happen to be computer engineers), and it sounds like, if done correctly, *for the correct game*, it can be a real thing of beauty. 8 mini processors working in parrellel sounds great! However, if you know something about programming, you know that memory dependence is pretty important. For instance, if you do a simple loop, you have various operations dependent on one or two iterators. Let's say you assign these iterators to its own processor (yeah, stupid, but it's an example, k?) then that processor will be INACTIVE for LONG periods of time while another processor does it's thing. So in the most optimal circumstances, the cell technology is amazing, but in it's least optimal, you may as well be using a 386.
Now the problem isn't that the cell power can be optimized, it's just that there's NO TOOLS TO DO SO AT THIS TIME. That's right, it's up to DEVELOPERS to optimize their own code, and I'm going to be honest, the learning curve and time that's going to be spent doing so is just not going to help this system.
There's LOADS of other problems, too. Lack of units. High unit cost. Expensive cables that (opps!) aren't included. The fragility of the Blue Ray CRC (it's so dense that one tiny scratch can destroy an entire disc because it stops the error correction from even being able to do its job). And the lack of any real online system to be demonstrated.
No question, this complete LOSER this round is PS3. It's time to move Sony next to Sega at the E3 conference. I bet those two will have lots to talk about.
Number 2 - Xbox360: The Xbox is in a realm of its own. It focuses on games that are not innovative, but instead improves ever so slightly on older paradigms. In this, those "hardcore" gamers who enjoy playing the best shooters on a *controller* will enjoy the XBox (yes, I know they're coming out with new controls). Bloodlust, violence, action, and adrenaline are all emphasized in the XBox gaming system. Plus, it has a well established community of online players. Nothing new, nothing impressive, nothing to write home about, but very very consistent. Will not reach a wide interest, but reaches out to a market that is quite full of young angry males. And by quite full, I mean full enough to build an entire business off of them.
Number 1 - Wii: This is not because I was raised on Nintendo. It's not because I owned the Mario/Zelda Cerial, subscribed to Nintendo power throughout the 90's, got up early as a kid to watch Captain N and the Super Mario World TV shows, owned mario comic books, and even paid to see that crappy Mario Bros. Movie. I had all but abandoned that company after my two fav gaming companies, Squaresoft and Capcom, left Nintendo. I'm supporting Nintendo because after ALLLLLL these years of CRAP... I'm amazed to find a company that puts out a QUALITY PRODUCT, who gets THIRD PARTY SUPPORT for this product, who INNOVATES the market using this product, who will successfully INTEGRATE other products into this product, and who has made this ANGRY YOUNG MALE feel like a DOE EYED BOY again. Part of me wants to ask Santa for this machine just to relive the feeling of not being able to sleep at night, waking my parents up to go around the Christmas tree in my footies to open the biggest box first and show a level of enthusiasm that only a kid on Christmas day could muster at 4am.
Where to start? Old games. All of them. Downloadable (small price, price I'm willing to freaking pay). Eventual online play. Wifi. Wii controller. The most amazing Zelda game to date. DS connectivity. Reasonable price range. Company profit. Innovative games like Mario Galaxy. The return of third party support. And the list goes on and on and on and on.
Yeah, hey, this guy is clearly out of touch with what it means to be a gamer if he thinks that people are all about the PS3. In fact, fire this man. He's a bad reporter.
Finder of the any key.
Few expect truly dedicated gamers to choose the Wii over the PS3 or Xbox.
Maybe not *over* those consoles, but likely to compliment them. Unlike the past generation consoles, the Wii isn't a mirror image of the other two brands. The difference in game design concepts, the strong online potential and the strong focus on social multiplayer gaming make it unique enough to buy the Nintendo Wii, even if you do already own one of the other two consoles.
Aside from that, if we're talking "dedicated" as in hard-core gamers. Chances are they'll be rushing like hell to pre-order one just to not be left out of the "cool" crowd. I'd be very surprised if anyone pre-ordering an outlandishly priced PS3 bundle won't stack a Wii bundle onto their credit card as well. (In fact, this could be part of the reason why EBGames is stalling on opening Wii Pre-Order list. Maybe they're going to launch the Wii and PS3 pre-order lists simultaneously to maximize impulse sales while keeping the supply line for either console in check.)
8==8 Bones 8==8
Wii. Wiimote. Lucas Arts. Jedi. Lightsaber. Game.
It's coming. And it will mean Wii will be the platform to beat. The Lucasfilm presentation at Comic-Con showed some of the other aspects of coming Lucas Arts games, like the Euphoria system which allows for truly unpredictable NPCs, and introduces a little bit of volition in the Player Character as well. The demo only made sense when you thought of it in the context of the Wii and its Wiimote.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjlFTihRwAk
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
And next-gen's hot coffee scandal has begun. How long do you think it will take for someone to make a bootleg game that ...ahem... "uses" the wiimote in such a way?
Note to self: Stop putting jokes in my insightful comments so I can get something other than +1 Funny!
see topic son
please type the word in this image: barbecue OMG
Nintendo always runs a profit on both the game consoles and the games.
And, since they're third-place worldwide, it's hard not to go up when Sony still doesn't get it that their console is overpriced.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
And next-gen's hot coffee scandal has begun. How long do you think it will take for someone to make a bootleg game that ...ahem... "uses" the wiimote in such a way?
Oh man, oh man, oh man. The sex toy dongle: "Finally, a dongle worthy of the name." Is there going to be a publicly available cheapo game API they release so you can program your Wii? That would be wicked!
Then the Wii really WOULD be for the whole family, including your creepy uncle.
Please stop stalking me, bro.
My thoughts exactly. My only hope is that the relatively large and powerful (read: spends lots of money) "core gamer" or "dedicated gamer" marketshare doesn't look at the Wii and say "oh, it's a stupid toy, it's not serious about serious video games like my 360/PS3 is." To people who play video games, "dedicated gamer" can mean something very different than what it means in the marketplace.
Have you read this Penny Arcade? http://www.penny-arcade.com/2006/09/15 At the bottom of Tycho's first post, he makes an interesting point and links to a video of some people at a game show playing Metroid Prime with the controllers. The interesting part is that you can hear them talking about the controls as they play and essentially complaining that it's not what they're used to.
I have a feeling that what the "dedicated gamers" may see is something that essentially isn't a games console because it doesn't have a console controller. You can't play games on it like you can play games on an Xbox, PS1/2/3, SNES, or any other console that has come out before it. A dedicated gamer suddenly feels not so dedicated and not such an expert when they pick up the newest toy that's branded as a games console and they have to relearn much of what they knew about video games, and especially for those who care about "asserting their pwnership over the medium" as Tycho puts it, this will likely lead to lots of "elitist" video game players shrugging their shoulders and passing off the Wii like it was a new DDR dance pad: a toy related to video games, but not an actual game.
I think a greater concern for Nintendo, who is trying to shift the idea of gaming into the average joe's spotlight, is that over the past few years, the ways that video games have developed may leave the average joe feeling this way too. Everyone and their dog has played Halo, and that to them is a video game. Look at what has happened in the development of the ridiculous "PC vs. Mac" arguments: any average guy can jump into the flamewar and say "The Mac is just a toy, it can't run my games and doesn't do what *I* want it to," and more or less be right, because it doesn't do what he wants it to, which is look, sound, act and feel like Windows, which is what he has grown accustomed to over the past x years of working with computers. "A 'computer' runs Windows, and anything else is a stupid imitation and a waste of time." Well, the technically inclined among us know that that simply isn't the case, and the same goes for the Wii: truly dedicated gamers, the ones who enjoy playing games for what they are and that rate low on the fanboy scale, will agree with what you've said and will embrace the new console because it offers the potential of something different. The average person that is not overly concerned or interested in the video games marketplace, that in actuality makes up much of the "core gamer" or "dedicated gamer" demographic that market analysts refer to, may act similarly and write the Wii off as a pale imitation.
It is in the truly dedicated gamer's interest that the Wii is a massive success. Actually, I take that back: it is in the greatest interest of every single person who has ever even picked up or tried a video game, or ever will. Why? If the Wii fails, it may fully drive home the notion that although small ragged bands of true gamers here and there complain about stagnating gameplay and the lack of innovation, their voice really doesn't matter, and what will sell is sequels and rehashes and new graphics. Sure, people have tried innovative stuff before, but in my memory at least, this is the first time in the video games industry that an industry juggernaut has jumped into the fray to directly compete with the market dominators with something truly unique and different (I don't count the Virtual Boy: I don't believe it was ever designed to directly compete with the other major consoles. Maybe I'm wrong).
If the Wii is an abysmal failure, Nintendo will be kaput, regardless
In the end I however think that Nintendo has done their homework to ensure that Wii won't suffer to much from technical problems, so chance of failure should be quite low.
I play my Xbox, Gamecube, PS2, Dreamcast, PC, board games, card games, ccg's, casual puzzle games, word games, outdoor games, etc. I am _so_ tired of the entire concept that my gaming has to be bleeding edge. I play WoW with the built in graphics chip on my mobo. My moded Xbox is used mostely for mame roms (on my 55" non high defenition tv). Hell, I own a 20 year old copy of Hoyles rules for card games. I don't want to pay $600 for a game system that looks hot on tech I don't want and plays the same f'ing style of game I got tired of years ago. Give me multiplayer co-op puzzle games. Give me some non-violent interactive entertainment that is not made for children. I have been gaming for over 25 years, since I first died of dysentery on a Commodore 64. Don't tell me that dedicated gamers aren't interested in the Wii. Now get off my lawn you damn kids!
This is a stupid argument. I think it is pretty clear that bigger and better always wins over something "new". I can't think of a single instance in the past few years when a more expensive and powerful gaming machine lost to one that simply had an innovative interface and games to take advantage of it. Nope. I can't think of a single instance of this happening. *cough*Nintendo DS Vs PSP*cough*
The battle has already been played out. Round 1 has already been fought. Simply put, Nintendo won. The Nintendo DS absolutely trashed the technologically superior PSP. The PSP was clearly the more powerful and pretty of the two machines, but that didn't save them. The question is "can Nintendo win". The only question that needs to be asked, "will Nintedo win AGAIN".
Nintendo has already proven their concept. The only thing they need to do is repeat the victory they already have achieved once.
This Christmas I cannot afford a 360 or a PS3. I can afford a wii.
So if I get a game system this Christmas, it's gonna be a wii. Perhaps many others are in my position?
'cause that damn psp just sits around collecting dust. My coworker has a DS lite and he's playing the damn thing all the time.
The Wii is in fact made for gamers, people who wish to play games. The Xbox360/PS3 are for people who want an alternate reality to live in.
It doesn't really take a $1000+ television , $600 console, $60 dvds, $1000 sound system to have a little fun.
Now I'm not saying that all of Wii's games will have kiddie graphics, the console will have Splinter Cell:Double Agent, Red Steel and others. However there are a lot of games being released for the Wii that have kiddie graphics. Including Wii Sports, the game that comes with the console.
A lot of people think that this will mean that parents will purchase the Wii for their kids. Perhaps for their young children. Think about it. The vast majority of console users are males 10 and up. And these males will want consoles which have a lot of brutal violence. No boy on the playground wants to say that he's been playing games on the kiddie console, while his friends have been playing Gears of War or Assassin's Creed. When you think of a playground, think Lord of the Flies. They don't want to show weakness. And the boys will tell their parents to get a Xbox 360 or PS3 so they don't get beat up at school for looking weak.
The price advantage for the Wii is pretty much gone. The Core version of the Xbox 360 is $299 and several games for the Xbox 360 have just dropped to $30 US. And I've seen them less than that. If you look at the Japanese package for the Xbox 360, which is the Core system + Project Gotham Racing 3 + 99 Nights for $218, even the most ardent Nintendo fan has to admit that it is competitive pricing in comparison to the Wii.
The Japanese bundle ($218) with 3 extra Platinium priced games ($30 x 3) ends up being $308 for a system with 5 games.
The Wii with the Wii Sports included ($250) and 4 launch titles ($50 x 4) ends up being $450 for a system with 5 games.
You may prefer the Wii, but there's no price advantage.
Sure all he could do was turn right and pick up beepers, but the brilliant programmer could make him turn left by turning right 3 times. This was day 1 of Intro to Computer Science in high school (for those of us that didn't start programming in the womb).
One thing I've decided on with video games is you can't really predict their future. Probably the biggest factors for unpredictability are the target audience's ability to change directions at the drop of a hat and the horrible hype that preceeds most video games and electronics.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
As far as console pricing goes, I wouldn't say that the initial cost of any of Nintendo, Microsoft of Sony systems is *unreasonable*, per se, especially given the computing power and features they're packing in. To me, however, the opportunity cost of any console costing over $250 entry level is just too great to make that console an option--imagine the great fun that could be had for the cost of a PS3 in terms of your favorite hobby. In my mind, this makes the Wii the only real contender at launch. It's entirely plausible that there are enough people whose favorite hobby is console gaming or that the price drops will come soon enough to make the PS3 and XBOX 360 total successes (Hell, remember the XBOX 360 release? $1200?!), but to a substantial proportion of consumers I imagine that the Wii is the only option under consideration in the near future.
~Ben
Why are people still under the impression that buying one console forbids you from buying any others? That stops being true once you get out of high school and get a real job.
What are they smoking?
I happen to be a hardcore gamer, and I've been for 15 years. And I'll be buying a Wii this year.
Wouldn't touch an Xbox if I was paid for it. I already have a PC, why get a dumbed-down second one? (all the Xbox games are ported to the PC anyways).
PS3? What exactly does it bring that I should get excited about? 12 somethingillion more pixels than the PS2?
The Wii tries to break the pattern that the gaming industry has been frozen in. They're trying something new and different. Why could that possibly not appeal to a hardcore gamer?
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
cause every single one I know is planning to buy a wii and wondering how anyone will be crasy enough to pay for sony's expensive reincarnation of the same old thing
Look at that!!!
Its a pointing device that I can point more freely than a joystick!!!
What genious!
Oh wait, mouses have been doing that for years. PC > console
With the dedicated gamer it's not a matter of which system to buy. It's a matter of which platform do I play because my sister is playing the other platform.
Why in the hell does any article written about a console have to end up comparing sony to nintendo to microsoft and back and forth and everybody on /. and thier sister is blah, blah, blah...my gosh! If you aren't going to post something actually useful that hasn't already been beaten to death save us all some time and don't do it.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. ~Albert Einstein
i like kids games is there a fucking problem with that?
I disagree with the whole "casual gamers" statement regarding the wii. Initially, when I learned of all the nextgen consoles I was only interested in the ps3. FOllowing this years e3, the pricing announcement for ps3 and the feature announcements for the wii, I have become fascinated by the wii. I've been playing computer games since before wolfenstein "the original," and consider myself a "Hardcore" gamer. Despite my shame regarding the term. This is the first system I intend to own since genesis as it offers true innovation to control structures, which in my opinion has been severely lacking in the gaming market for over 15 years... This non-casual gamers vote leans powerfully towards the wii.
You are slightly off-base on two points. First, all Wii owners will have at least one nunchuk. It is included in the box. If they need more, they will buy more. Secondly, and more importantly, this is better than a third-party controller in the fact that it is a first-party controller that is included with the system. They are two different creatures. Dev's will be far more inclined (probably even required) to program for the Wiimote given the very fact that it comes with every system and is core to the concept.
Will there be crappy implementations tossed-off by barely competent developers? My Magic 8 Ball says, "Outcome likely." Will there be plenty of games that use it flawlessly and in ways that we have yet to consider? Let's ask the 8 Ball again, "Definitely Yes." Will playing with the Wii become a novelty or part of future interface schemes? "Outcome hazy. Ask again later."
Quit being such a troll, go enjoy your X-Box, and bugger off while others (like me) try the Wii. If it catches on, you'll either be playing with one yourself soon enough, or you'll be using some bastardization of the concept from MS or Sony. Hell, Sony already tried to borrow the idea before the full info was out and they're already appearing half-assed... if not quarter-assed.
Mess not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
There's no mention of the opening unit count for PS3: 400,000. According to this article, that's 10% of the number of Wii's expected to ship this year. Sony will have a hard time recovering from the glut of bad press surrounding PS3's near unavailability, combined with the inevitable "game stores hock their PS3s on eBay for $$$$$$$$". It happened with Xbox 360, it'll happen with PS3. Id bet that there's at least 400k hard-core console gamers between the US and Japan... it's possible that 60% of the units end up on eBay for prices upwards of $3000 (360 auctions peaked at around $1900, iirc). No less-than-hard-core console gamer (who happen to have a pile of cach on hand) is going to get their hands on a PS3 for months.
Then there's the PS3 sub distribution: 80% of all PS3's will be the more expensive units that can display HD content. HD isn't going anywhere as fast as the media indistry hoped. Sony is betting on a miracle.
Meanwhile, MS is going to keep pushing products that fit in with the market they watched boom for 10 years or more with little change. MS doesn't even fully understand games. They don't innovate anywhere, they're certainly not going to start here.
Nintendo has once again realized that the console market has stagnated, and have taken upon themselves to pull out of the rut. The original NES was innovative, and the Wii is more so. Every console system since 1985 has been based partly on the NES (mostly the controller). I fully expect console gaming 20 years from now to be ready to pull out of the rut created when the entire industry decided to copycat the Wiimote.
Verdict:
I'm not a console gamer, but I have some common sense
I haven't had a chance to be there for a wii demo so can someone who has, shed some light on this - will using the wii-mote tire you out? how long can you expect to slash a sword without your arm getting tired?
I am a pretty dedicated gamer, I'm 23 and spend a fair portion of my income making sure I have a beefed enough PC to play games and have bought consoles/machines purely to play a single game While I agree gameplay has definitely suffered over the years this is mostly because gaming has become so mainstream and there are just a lot more crap games being produced while the number of good games being produced per year is still the same as it was years ago Any blockbuster movie that comes out has a game to go with it (usually a crap one) which sells like a cash cow because of the publicity, whereas truly quality games can flop and fade into obscurity, is it even worth putting the effort into making something good any more? There are still quality games (Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Tekken, Resident Evil, Halo, Metroid Prime, etc.) being produced and whichever platform has the most will prosper Sony may have shot themselves in the foot this time though, the PS3 is going to cost so much even hardcore fans like myself (I have both a PS1 & 2) will think twice about buying it, regardless how much we love Tekken or whatever....
I think the Wii stands a chance in the marketplace. Will it be number 1? Probably not. Will it do very well? I think so.
IANAFanboi of any console or platform (I really don't care about the box, as long as I can enjoy the game - we have PS2, XBox, PC, and Mac games we play from time to time...)
Why do I think it stands a chance? My kids summed it up quick: It's not a zillion dollars, doesn't come in a zillion "versions", some of the games sound neat, and they think the controller interface(s) is/are cool and different. I happen to agree with them. I don't think I'll be doing Dance Dance Revolution (or anything like that, I'm not that graceful), but I'll enjoy doing something different with how I'll interact with the games. Besides, I can get a new plunk-around guitar for the difference I won't have to pay between a Wii and a well-equipped PS3.
A Passionate Independent Musician
FTA: "Microsoft, meanwhile, is planning a stripped-down version of the Xbox without a hard-disk drive and other accessories that will cost about $250 in Japan..."
Do they mean the XBOX 360 Core? Don't they know that this already exists? That it is already being sold (in parts of the world, not Japan no), but they say it like its a new thing. Whoever is writing this article has *no idea whatsoever*
Yes, it will work, based entirely on the simple fact that if it turns out that the motion sensor thing doesn't work technically or isn't good in the actual games, what you do have is a Gamecube on drugs with excellent networking, an online game store and backward compatibility. What most of us did expect of the Revolution, as it was, was a Gamecube on drugs and at least one of excellent networking, backward compatibility or HD A/V.
Wii isn't a technical prodigy, but it does surpass my expectations of its actual capabilities: what it can do, not how high resolution the graphics of it doing that is. There will be "non-sensor" games, just like there are games on the DS that don't require the pen.
The Wii is reasonably priced (the console *and* the networking; free WiFi, optional Ethernet adapter (which should have been built in but is cheap)), powerful enough and will get a lot of outsider games via Virtual Console even if the normal channel would dry up (which we wouldn't know at this stage).
I am a master gamer (worship me now), and what it all comes down to is how well the controller works. Is it accurate to my motions? Do I get enough feedback from actions? Can I tell where I am aiming? The verdict is still out in my book. Go to IGN and watch their 20 minute long demo of the thing. It looks a bit shaky, but it could be partially that the guy demoing it is a dolt. If it works good, not just sort of, then I am all over it, graphics be damned.
Here is how I figure it..
For the first 2-3 years, the Xbox 360 will have the lead due to the fact that it was out first and the PS3 is just catching up. Once the price of a PS3 comes down to price parity with the 360, and as games mature and use the hardware better, the PS3 will pass the 360.
However, both units will still be expensive ($300 for the premium units). With the Wii down to probably $179 by this time, it may be everyones second console. So if 50M PS3 ship, 40M 360s, but 50% of each own a Wii, plus nontraditional gamers Nintendo seems to be aiming for, the Wii ranks right up there with both consoles.
The Doormat
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
Perhaps you've not heard of marketshare and mindshare, but in modern business they are more important than profitability. Consider Amazon.com, who didn't make a profit for the first 5 years of their existence. Hugely successful, but losing money every day. The reason they were successful is that everyone knows they will eventually make all that lost money back, plus more. The same with Google, Yahoo, YouTube, and the list goes on.
Microsoft are spending money to win. They don't care how much it costs, they just want to have a lot of Xboxes out there so that it can link up to Windows Media centre or a PC or whatever else is in the plans. And if they are successful they start to rake in big money.
The Gamecube was a loser because Nintendo came out with a badly tarnished reputation. They make a kiddie console with no serious games, they got left behind by the 'cool' companies Sony and Xbox, and their future was bleak. That's exactly why they have to take relatively risky options now, with the DS and the Wii. Nintendo would never have gone bust, but when their popularity falls behind the other two makes they lose support. The 3rd party support of the Gamecube was abysmal. Many retailers have stopped selling Gamecube a long time ago.
It's not just about money.
It's THE FUD ZONE with your host Fuddy F. Fud
Few expect
the advantage may go to Sony
expects the PS3 to sell
disappointing results.
Will the Wii Work?
FUD FUD FUD FUD and FUD. Thank you.
Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
I have always been a Nintendo fan, mainly due to the fact that I love the Zelda series and the Mario games (be it the platformers or the sports games etc.) For my money the Wii is cheap, accessible, and most importanly it looks FUN. In the end, even if the PS3 and XBox both outsell the Wii I wouldn't be the slightest bit fussed. As Nintendo will be making a profit on every console they sell, they are (almost definately) guaranteeing themselves a place in the next-next-generation of consoles, which will mean more Zelda and Mario games in the years to come (and dear I say it an even more innovative console?). The only thing I am concered about is the third-party developers attitude toward the console, and from what I've read it's positive. So as long as we see some decent games, interesting use of the controller, and more of Nintendo in the future I'll be more than happy.
I play video games daily. I play them for long hours. I've been playing them for probably 20 out of the 30 years I've been alive.
If that's not a dedicated player, fine.
Unlike some, I love beautiful graphics. I look forward to graphics being so real that when you look at your monitor it's like looking through a window rather than at some approximation of reality.
I also remember nes and snes games very fondly.
I've played the n64 games like Mario 64 and Super Smash bros. Both games with less than realistic graphics but extremely wonderful gameplay.
Do I want to trade my graphics for better gameplay? In the perfect world I'd want both.
In the real world, I've decided that I'm putting off a purchase of a ps3 for some time and buying a Wii as soon as I can.
Nintendo is pushing forward in an industry that is getting stale. I want ST:TNG style holo rooms and Sony and MS are pushing out the same stuff from the last generation. Only Nintendo is trying to give me what I really want.
I hope, as a lover of this artform that I consider games are, that for the sake of the artform, Nintendo wins. It doesn't have to come out on top to be a success. If the Wii "works" it will influence gaming as we know it and hopefully push us all towards a better, more immersive future.
A future I look forward to.
...you miss the point with DOA at least; it has tits in it!
Games are not just about fun. A compelling storyline, music and mood go a long way into creating a fascinating world in itself, one into which you'd like to live. Ask any WoW fan.
Hardcore challenges count too. Even though some games are frustratingly difficult -- hardly what one would consider fun -- the reward of finally beating it more than makes up it.
So, games are really not just about fun. Stop telling that for every childish Nintendo game. I hate Pókemon, Nintendogs and Animal Whatever...
Personally, I'm glad TP will bring back OoT more mature graphics style. In the end, it'll be just as fun as any Zelda game, but much more compelling to me...
I don't feel like it...
On the other hand, if the PS3 includes one of those nice SONY batteries, it will totally blow!
Shadow of the Colossus is a great example of a 'maturely done' game that didn't have gratuitous skin or gore. You can have a game that is just stylistically more mature...
Don't underestimate the effect of the bad blood earned by Sony with all their DRM initiatives, rootkit fiasco, general customer-hostile attitude, etc.; and MS earns no love either with their track record of mee-too products and shoddy implementations (though they're still much better than Sony's software attempts). Nintendo comes out of it relatively unscathed, despite a kiddy image (much-helped by the success of the DS). Then, you have the good value proposition, realistic market expectations (no, most people don't have HDTVs) and true innovation, and I call this round in the big N's favor.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
You're right, but it's beyond that. The "dedicated" gamers are the ones with enough disposable income to by an assload of games, and generally wind up getting multiple consoles. Even I have both a PS 2 and an XBox, and I don't consider myself at all hardcore.
So in a sense, the article is right in that no "dedicated" gamer is likely to pick up the Wii over the PS 3 or XBox 360. They'll get it in addition two the other consoles.
Not only that, but plenty of "dedicated" gamers will have enough disposable income to buy the Wii in addition to, rather than instead of, the PS3 or XBox. It makes an attractive second box, especially for those hoping to play a few games with the non-hardcore.
The article suggests "the presumption has always been the more functionality and speed, the better." It has more functionality and speed in conventional upgrades. But it aslo has added, exclusive interface functionality, and it's considerably shorter load times count toward its speed. ^_^
Ever since the NES overtook Atari, game consoles have been designed too much with specs in mind. It worked back then, and the idea was ok for the 90's. But why are game companies relying on the spec mentality of the 80's? I'm glad Nintendo is pushing for change.
HDTV's aren't going to be mainstream for a while, so the 360 and PS3 are overpowered and overpriced for features not needs for most TV's. They're current/past-gen consoles with wasteful upgrades. The innovation of the Wii's game play, however, truly is next-gen. There's finally a system that will bring innovation to all of its games. I don't have to rely on just a handful to individual games to experience unigue game play.
I'm a "dedicated gamer" who's definitely getting a Wii this year. A few years from now and after I can get an affordable HDTV, I might get a PS3 if enough games come out for it that I would actually want but only after a price drop (as a result of the PS3 slim) and only as a used console. But I'm not even go to bother consider an Xbox-anything; M$ has taken too much money from me already. Besides, I already have so many games I have finished of which I can't convince myself to buy a prettier derivative.
My neophilia is not fulfilled by shiny upgrades of the same old thing but by innovation, emergence, and creativity.
Ith's Ear Candy: Netaudio wants to be heard
"I however do not really like any of the Mario Kart sequels nearly as much as the original."
I hope you mean since the N64 version. The original was for SNES... I've lost months of my waking life to Mario Kart N64, mostly in Battle mode, and can say without hesitation that it was the BEST GAME EVAR!!! My roommates and I in college would crack out on that game every chance we got... SNES version was ok, but N64 rocked the casbah. The Gamecube version sucked ass, though, mainly because the Battle mode courses were too simple, and didn't have the strategy and excitement of the N64 courses. I get bored with racing mode, so the improvements in that area were useless to me.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Now I have to clean the soda out of my keyboard!
Seriously, does anybody else remember burning through a case of AA batteries before they even got the hang of NBA Jam or Mortal Kombat? I do, and I didn't even own one--just borrowed it for a long trip!
I remember my Game Boy (the original 1989 fatty model) would go for what seemed like months on a set of batteries, and at the end you could still coax it along by turning off the sound and cranking the display contrast!
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
The big problem with wii is Nintendo trading power for "fun".
All that HDR, HD textures, Ray tracing for awesome graphics, the complex physics and realism the game industry was walking towars since the begining of the 8bit era is waved with the Wii.
I belive most gamers want new and revolutionary gameplay WITH new and revolutionary graphics, not a trade off.
I really hope Wii fails or at least becomes a niche market, just because the ideia of wii model catching on and the next generations being less power then they could have, trading off advances for "fun" just freaks me.
Seriously, does anybody else remember burning through a case of AA batteries before they even got the hang of NBA Jam or Mortal Kombat?
- Waste-On-Batteries-Every-Year Dad! I was so proud of them. :-)
I got my Game Gear for Christmas when I was 7 or 8, and as soon as I pointed out to my parents that my rechargeable batteries lasted something stupid like under 4 hours, they called Sega up and tag-teamed their way up the customer service ladder until Sega overnighted me a battery pack.
In the red corner, Screamin' Mom is teamed up with Tells-You-Exactly-How-Much-F'ing-Money-He's-Gonna
Please stop stalking me, bro.
4 hours out of rechargeables? Haha! I think that's pretty good; I don't remember getting any more out of Duracells!
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
I love how you end your post with "It's not just about money," and yet your entire post is about money.
1. Perhaps, though the Gamecube was not more successful than the Xbox, Nintendo was in fact more successful than Microsoft. Not only did they make profit on the system, while Microsoft lost money, they launched some great games, many of which are still played THIS generation (Super Smash Bros Melee, or Mario Kart: DD. None of my friends has ever suggested pulling out an Xbox to play multiplayer, but we had THREE GCs at our last get together). Admittedly, their third party support, really did suck, but with Sony and Microsoft's larger MARKETSHARE (OMG I USED A BUZZ WORD GIVE ME A GOLD STAR), it was really to be expected.
This does not change the fact that Microsoft and Sony lost money on their ventures. It does not change the fact that my parents, and most adults I know, still refer to any hand held gaming device as a "Game Boy." It does not change the fact that Mario is one of the most recognized video game characters in the world. It does not change the fact that, though making a profit on their new console, Nintendo might actually be successful.
We've all heard by now that losing money on consoles to recoup on games is a relatively new concept. Perhaps, though, this is not necessary to build a successful MARKETSHARE? Yes, Amazon started out losing money for five years. Wonderful. Find me proof that Henry Ford sold cars at a loss. Most companies, prior to the invention of the intarwebs or the 1980's in general, would have found operating for five years at a constant loss unthinkable.
You get my point: Nintendo hardly has a "kiddie" reputation due to the GC, any more than video games in general do. Nintendo can make a profit and be successful at the same time.
No, Mr. Green. Communism is just a red herring.
I stopped reading right about here...
"Mature gamers want RPGs"
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
I was giving a panel at Otakon, an anime convention, and we were talking about the games coming out in Japan, including some of those that don't normally make it over to the U.S. It was interesting that out of the a room of 200 or so, ***everyone*** raised their hand when I asked who was going to buy a Wii. 4-5 people maybe put their hands up when we brought up the PS3. Granted, these are younger gamers, all DS-toting, but I felt an incredible energy in the room. Shoulda bought some Nintendo stock based on that, bummer...
You've got a friend in Japan: http://www.jlist.com
At first I was a bit dismayed with the 250 price. I don't have a buncha spendable cash like some, but after thinking about it, 250 still seems like a deal for a system that wants to try something this ambitious.
It's the kind of device that I think was designed the way products SHOULD be designed. Someone with an imagination said "What if...?" rather than a marketroid saying "We want to try and appeal to such and such a market so we're going to release products based on this data."
No sig for you!!
Out of all the new platforms that have been released since the days of XBox and Playstation 2 (up to this point) I'm totally waiting for the WII, that's so neat what they can do with the joystick, I wanna golf and play swords, in a sense, that platform will keep ya in shape.
...An Atari Flashback 2, and a GC - and yes, I do play all of them from time to time. Thank God for the amount of multiple inputs on my Samsung HDTV. Totally kicks ass!
Replacing my GC will be the Wii. I'm convinced this machine will be successful - although after the initial excitement, I am concerned about 3rd party support. A lot of people will own this machine, but I wonder how many 3rd parties are going to wait until the last second before beginning to code.
I am really hoping for Spore on the Wii. It's got the right control mechanism for such a game, and with online play it should be a totally immersive and amazing experience.
But support aside, I'm certain Nintendo will step up with the games we need for a while.
So... When can I pre-order again?
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
Oui.
Wii. Wiimote. Lucas Arts. Jedi. Lightsaber. Game.
That's what I've been telling people for months. People who keep expecting Sony to repeat the success they had with the PS2 are idiots.
I understand dedicated and hardcore (when the press uses those words) as meaning a regular gamer who spends some time informing himself about games. Perhaps excluding fanboys since they are beyond reason and only read the articles that say what they want to hear. Most dedicated gamers have been playing for quite some time and have gained an understanding of the conventions present in games and genres. And often they're getting tired of those conventions. I don't think it really takes a Wii to break with those conventions and make games feel fresh again but it takes a Wii to make the game companies willing to deviate from established conventions.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
I've just noticed that the Wii costs much as a 30 GB iPod. What the hell? :)
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
This is a bunch of fanboy bullshit. This guy needs to get Sony's $599 dick out of his mouth. Sony will fail because of their ridiculous pricing. Microsoft will fail because the 360's not enough of an improvement over the xbox. And Nintendo will fail because they're too different for traditional gamers. Gaming is dieing, folks. It's fucking dieing.
Come again? Who the hell are those "truly dedicated gamers" that prefer a 360 or a PS3 to the Wii?
I have in my living room right now about a dozen consoles - from the Pong to the Gamecube. I have about 30 more consoles stored in various places. I own tons of new and vintage consoles. I also own portables. I own a PSP, a DS, and every version of the GBA. I am a "truly dedicated gamer" if there ever was one. Guess what? I haven't yet bought a 360. When it came out, I thought I'd get one about a year after release, but so far, there's simply nothing which compells me to buy one. I probably won't get a PS3 until late in its lifespan, either. There's simply not a whole lot of stuff going on with those two "next-gen consoles" that excites this particular "truly dedicatd gamer." Same games with better graphics? Sign me up... Not!
I'll get both a 360 and a PS3 - as soon as some really compelling and interesting games come out for them, and as soon as the prices start to reach less absurd levels. For now, neither console interests me all that much.
I will, however, get a Wii the day it comes out.
Because I'm a "truly dedicated gamer," not despite of it.
Politic'ing and crystal balls aside, what we do know is that the Wii will feature much of the same cartoony style with very basic game play that makes Nintendo games so much 'fun'?
Personally, when I play a game:
'Fun' dosn't mean 'easy' or 'shallow'.
I expect effort to have been made towards the graffics, otherwise I might as well rip out the 2600 (not that building a game in assembly is exactly 'easy' but you get the point), or better yet; a pen and paper.
I expect a story line that goes boyond random adaptions on the 'generic farytale' theme.
I expect to be challanged not spoon fed. Party games are great in their place, and Wii will be a certain favourite with your drunken friends as they try to move some silly box into some silly hole. But, if I want to play a game that absorbs me and gets into my head, party games do not keep me comming back (Worms 4 aside).
What I need to know; is that am I all of a sudden the only person who expects advances in technology to be more than than just bolt-on gimmicks? What happened to wanting realism in a game? What happened to appreciating finely a detailed fantasy where we can lose ourselves. Has the hatred of M$ and $ony gotten so bad that gamers are forsaking depth for politics? Or am I the last RPG player on earth?
I should add that FPSs belong on Nintendo, basic, boring, point and click; Gag me with a spoon.
Also, on the topic of a quality mature game that was not simply gory. May I submit 'fahrenheit' as an example of a truly innovative game that didn't let its experimentation get in the way of quality story, beautiful presentation and trully intuitive and tactile gameplay.
axis discrepancy indicates hexagons beyond control anomaly
I agree that it's entirely possible (although far from certain - it depends on how well the nunchuck will sell, and since it isn't too expensive, it might sell so well that developers won't have to worry) that many multiplayer games will go for a control scheme which won't use the Nunchuck. And this is a pity.
I also agree that the controllers cost too much. Maybe Nintendo should have tried bundling the nunchuck with the Wiimote for the current price of the Wiimote. I guess they did not do that because the Wiimote probably costs quite a bit to manufacture.
However, I don't agree that the Wii ends up costing too much. If you buy a Wii with three additional Wiimotes, that's 370 bucks. And you get Wii Sports, which is a multiplayer game that is playable with the Wiimotes.
If you get the Nunchucks, that ends up being 430 bucks. Still well below a PS3 with one controller and no games.
And finally, the idea seems to be that people buy "their own" controller and take it to their friend's place, so for lots of people, it's probably a non-issue. Not for me, not for you - lots of my friends aren't going to buy Wiis, and I want to play against those people, too.
It's an issue, but it's not as big an issue as you make it out to be.
So for you, games are like work, except you don't get paid?
Thank you very much, but I'll stay with my fun games.
That reminds me: What Mario would look like on a Sony console. Thank you very much, but I prefer my Nintendo Mario. Look what "making it adult" has done to Sonic.
Screw that.
"Adult" and "mature" are words that are seriously abused when it comes to gaming. I'm an adult person, and I love to play Mario games. I don't need them to be destroyed by guns, violence or sex.
The Wii will do very very well... But here in Ireland the console scene is rulled by the playstation heads.
All they play is the latest Tiger Woods and Fifa. So maybe a lot of them will not upgrade to the PS3, however the PS2 will still compete for a long time with the Wii.
The reason I care is because the second hand game market here is important. If I want to get a reasonably cheap/good game second hand is where I will get it and the stores only have a limited amount of space.
I hope the game stores push Wii and there are lots of the second hand games for it, because I do no have too many 50's in my wallet.
Pablo
...and moving about, that has to be a good thing.
Daytime cable is full of adverts for stupid exercise products. It's a huge market. And the wii seems well placed to take a share.
Reduce, reuse, cycle
Reading the comments I get the feel that 90% of the slashdotters intend to buy a Wii.
I will, for sure.
Measuring usability for fun and profit.
As a truly dedicated gamer (Own XBox 360, XBox, PS2, GameCube, Dreamcast, PSX/N64/Saturn, Genesis/SNES/NeoGeo, 3DO/Jaguar, Atari/NES/SMS/TG16, and 1000s of games) I am definitely choosing the Wii over other systems. I know I said I own an XBox 360, and will buy a PS3, but I definitely expect to be playing the Wii most, and have been looking forward to it most.
Twinstiq, game news
Fun is a subjective matter. Some people do have fun with hardcore challanges, like beating Devil May Cry in the hardest mode. Some people have no fun at all with Wind Waker -- even though it isn't any less fun than other Zelda games -- just because of the childish presentation.
Fun depends on a multitude of factors and personal tastes. That's why i find it wrong to automatically label every kiddy Nintendo game as Fun because that's the only appeal it has...
I don't feel like it...
People say it's all about the games. What gets a console the games? The hype leading up to the console: making people think your console will sell the most. This has very little to do with the actual console, and much more to do with the perception of the console. Nintendo has won at this. Everyone thinks it's groundbreaking or inovative or whatever. It doesn't matter if it is or isn't. It could play like crap. They will still get the games. Therefore, the console will be number one.
The Wii, just like the GameCube, will be a third place player. That doesn't make it obsolete. That doesn't make it pointless. It simply means that it doesn't have what it takes to gain market share. Frankly, it doesn't have to.
I think it's becoming more and more clear that people love to bash the PS3 because Sony is on top right now. The reality is that, outside of a hard core gaming press and bloggers, nobody cares about that negative press. People will buy a PS3 in droves and IT WILL SELL based on BLU-RAY. Consumer mentality and the mentality of basically anyone blogging about it is NOT THE SAME.
The marketshares will probably not change much, nor do they have to, to allow all three consoles a place in the homes of millions of people.
"Politicians find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the people."
That's ridiculous. Nintendo made money with the Gamecube, because they made profit on each box. They made a hell of a lot more money than Microsoft from gaming over the past few years. So does that mean you think Gamecube was more successful than Xbox?
Umm... YES?!?!?
This whole diatribe smacks of the type of dogma that brought about the bubble and the burst in 1999-2001.
It is not true. It has never been true, and businesses are now, for the most part, smarter. Very few stocks on the exchange now trade based on hundreds of times of potential future earnings.
Profitability *does matter*. Even Microsoft's $10 billion war chest is not infinite. They can not continue to lose hundreds of millions of dollars with every console release. it is simply not sustainable.
The success of a for-profit company is, by definition, the profit it generates. It is not the profit it *may someday* generate, that is merely what the stock is sometimes traded on.
"Frustrating" definitly isn't fun.
Ah, but that is an interesting question. What does "reasonably priced" mean? Does it mean "What I want to pay for it"? Or maybe "The most we can charge while still selling as much as we can during the first few months"? Or could it be "Not too much so we won't cost more than the others, but not too little either so people won't perceive our console as 'cheap'"?
So that would be "option 1" then. "As much as I want to pay". Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn't care about you in particular. Which is precisely why, while it might be a big deal for you, it's not for Nintendo, or for anyone else.
The Wii's price will come down. Buy it then if you don't want to buy it now.