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Wii + Warp Pipe = Del.icio.us Tabbed Browsing

Posted by timothy on from the bowl-like-it's-the-year-2077 dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The folks at Warp Pipe have developed a simple yet useful tabbed browsing interface for the Wii with del.icio.us bookmark integration which makes browsing on the Wii more efficient until the fully realized Opera build hits later next year. The web application does not require registration, this video overviews the interface and feature set in this early release."

46 comments

  1. ahh warp pipe by B00yah · · Score: 1

    These guys are always doing some good stuff. I was excited when I saw their double dash network piece, and now they're doing some good stuff on the wii. The build of opera currently on the wii definitely could still use some work (i know it's beta, but there's no feedback piece to make this known).

    --

    How Jaded Are You?
  2. Wrong site by matt+me · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You must be new here. (This ain't boingboing)

  3. What am I missing here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    For the past year we have heard from Nintendo fans that Nintendo is the only company really focused on gaming and that somehow the fact that Sony was including computer functionality in the PS3 was somehow, how?, detrimental to games. And that the Wii was a 'real' gaming machine.

    And yet we are hearing more about webbrowsers and weather stuff on the Wii than actual Wii games?

    Why would anyone want to try to use a webbrowser on your TV at 480p rez - that sounds just painful. Not to mention having to use the Wiimote instead of an actual keyboard and mouse like you can on the PS3.

    1. Re:What am I missing here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      certain flash games could be rather fun

    2. Re:What am I missing here? by eln · · Score: 3, Funny

      The browser is not for us, silly. The browser is for the Miis so that they'll have something to do when they're not playing Wii Tennis. You do need to be wary of spyware and viruses though, my Mii likes to go to some pretty raunchy websites, and he'll install anything they ask him to.

    3. Re:What am I missing here? by suv4x4 · · Score: 1

      And yet we are hearing more about webbrowsers and weather stuff on the Wii than actual Wii games?
      Why would anyone want to try to use a webbrowser on your TV at 480p rez - that sounds just painful.

      You know, I see headline along the lines of "XYZ now more useful" or "ABC more fun" and I'm sure if slashdot readers have nothing of substance to say, then they'll post a bunch of "hey XYZ is useless anyway" or "ABC sucks!" posts.

      And guess what, it's exactly the case.

      What's the moral of the story? Anyone can be a negative sissy, but it doesn't mean you gotta be. Take the news for what it is: Wii browsing made easier. Noone forces you to browse on your Wii, noone forces you even to own a Wii.

    4. Re:What am I missing here? by Total_Wimp · · Score: 1

      But you have to admit the that a lot of the Wii boosters were saying some pretty negative things about all the non game-specific stuff that's built into the PS3.

      I'm one of the guys who likes convergence quite a lot. I like the fact that my PS3 can surf the web and I certainly wouldn't begrudge Wii fans having the same opportunity. But it's about time for the people who have a Wii to make a decision whether they like theis functionality or not. If they think this is cool, maybe they could take just a moment to consider that full web browsing functionality out of the box really is an added value to the PS3.

      TW

    5. Re:What am I missing here? by 7Prime · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But the difference here is that it is by no means a major selling point, or something very much hyped by Nintendo. The fact is, all the concentration in both marketting, and I'm guessing, to a certain degree, in design, was in game oriented development. The problem is that Sony is trying to sell there system as "Not just a video game console", which is sort of a slap in the face of the gaming community. Also, one also has to wonder whether the high concentration in additional features could have taken away from other areas.

      At least, publicly, Nintendo's approach has been: here's a great videogame console, and we put a lot of thought into making it fun and intuitive... and oh, btw, we're throwing in a web browser with it. Whereas Sony has been yelling and screaming, using the additional, non-game related features as an excuse whenever people heckle them about the price, as in:

      Press: What are you doing selling a $600 game console?
      Sony: Damnit, it's not JUST a game console, it does other things too like play HD video and can surf the web.

      It's all in the presentation, and Sony leaves you with an uneasy feeling that game-related content (including pricing it like a game console) was sacrificed a bit to make room for this other stuff. THAT'S what concerns us.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    6. Re:What am I missing here? by Volante3192 · · Score: 1

      None of the non-game specific stuff for the Wii caused the price to increase $200...

    7. Re:What am I missing here? by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Exactly! I'm all for adding additional features if it doesn't slow down the games or increase the price. If the weather feature ran in the background and popped up in the middle of games to give me updates I'd be screaming bloody murder...whether it happened on a nintendo product or a sony product. If they had to raise the price another $100 to add in news feed functionality I'd be just as annoyed.

      Adding a browser to the wii doesn't seem to have much of a cost as far as I can see. It probably cut into Nintendo's profit much more than it added to the final price of the wii. They'd sell it for $249 with or without a browser. The deal they made with Opera just bought them goodwill not a real justification for a higher price.

      But the PS3 probably could have cost a lot less without the blu ray. Personally, I'm fine with them including it. Let them be the high end system that I'll buy cheap years down the road...but I can understand why others might be annoyed or complain about it.

      The PSP is another matter. It seems that the addition of movie capabilities actually hurt the GAMES and not just the price. I don't own one but I've heard that the UMDs seriously create a load time problem for games. It's hard for me to see how any serious gamer would think that the additional functionality is worth it.

    8. Re:What am I missing here? by eriklou · · Score: 0

      At one point too they said you would have to buy the browser, but for now they were giving it away. Probably having to do with it not being 100% done yet is my guess. So really you aren't paying for the extras UNLESS you want them, the way it should be.

    9. Re:What am I missing here? by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 1

      Yes, but that is ONLY the browser as far as I know. I don't have a wii but I've heard it also has a free weather service, news service, and maybe a few other things. I can't remember exactly but the point is, if a game system has an additional feature, as long as it doesn't decrease the ability to play games or increase the cost significantly I imagine most people wouldn't mind and would be happy with it.

      Even if Nintendo changed their mind and decided to make the browser permanently free I doubt it would change the price of the system or the quality of the games. I guess it uses up a certain amount of memory but I'm also guessing it's fairly negligible and you probably also have the option of removing it.

    10. Re:What am I missing here? by Cheapy · · Score: 1

      Ah, if only there were people like you for the 360 or PS3. Then there might be some equality on /.

      --
      Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
    11. Re:What am I missing here? by seebs · · Score: 1

      The weather stuff utterly kicks ass. I mean, I got the system for games, I play games on it...

      But it's faster and better at checking weather than my regular browser. Sold!

      --
      My blog: http://www.seebs.net/log/ --- My iPhone/iPad app: http://www.seebs.net/seebsfrac/
    12. Re:What am I missing here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it's faster and better at checking weather than my regular browser. Sold!

      What's your regular browser, Mosaic 1.0? :)

      Seriously, I have a Wii, but unless you leave it on all the time, I can't see how its faster than using a computer.

      Example:
      Computer: Squeeze side mouse buttons. Dashboard pops up with weather applet. Total time: 1-2 sec.
      Wii: Wake Wii up. Figure out where to aim Wiimote to have it appear on screen. Point at weather, and push A. Time: 30 sec (?)

      I just don't get the value of weather reports on the Wii. And the news I can only imagine will be filtered to all heck.

    13. Re:What am I missing here? by C0rinthian · · Score: 1

      Google video/youtube/etc don't look nearly as painful on my standard-def TV.

    14. Re:What am I missing here? by seebs · · Score: 1

      I don't use Dashboard. I'm using Firefox.

      Getting to "weather.com" is about the same speed. However, once I'm there, my browser takes a couple of seconds to refresh a page, while the Wii lets me scroll the planet around.

      It really is a better interface than anything I've seen online.

      --
      My blog: http://www.seebs.net/log/ --- My iPhone/iPad app: http://www.seebs.net/seebsfrac/
    15. Re:What am I missing here? by trdrstv · · Score: 1
      Seriously, I have a Wii, but unless you leave it on all the time, I can't see how its faster than using a computer.

      Example: Computer: Squeeze side mouse buttons. Dashboard pops up with weather applet. Total time: 1-2 sec. Wii: Wake Wii up. Figure out where to aim Wiimote to have it appear on screen. Point at weather, and push A. Time: 30 sec (?)

      If you are adding in the Wii boot time into the speed it takes to Check Weather, then you need to include the time it takes you to boot your computer into the equation. Either that or assume they are both on. Not everyone keeps their PCs on 24/7.

    16. Re:What am I missing here? by Total_Wimp · · Score: 1

      The problem is that Sony is trying to sell there system as "Not just a video game console", which is sort of a slap in the face of the gaming community.

      This I don't understand. People have said similar things about the PSP but I can't quite figure out how this other stuff actually takes away from gaming. The PSP is a fine gaming machine, with(now) plenty of very cool games. It has a great display and plenty of horsepower, and the developers are making great use of it. Some people don't like the controls, but you'd have a very difficult time making the case that they're bad because of the media stuff. Good or bad, they're all about gaming.

      The PS3 has very similar non-gaming functionality to the PSP, and much like the PSP it's courting game developers to make great games. Sure, there aren't a lot a launch, but lets face it, launch titles are never quite as abundant as us gamers would like. At least one of the launch titles is pretty cool. More are to come. So how does this hurt the gaming community?

      I can understand why many people might have preferred just core gaming functionality for less money, but it's also arguable that not a single piece of hardware went into the box that wasn't intended to enhance gaming. The hard drive has already showed it's usefulness in the original xbox and the BluRay drive is at least partially there to avoid disk swaps on games like Final Fantasy that have huge amounts of data. I know this might seem like a stretch, but looking three years into the future it might not be as big of a stretch as you think. How many CDs did you load up for Battlefield 2 or Half-Life 2?

      Either way, how does a decision to give great gaming functionality, plus a lot of other stuff equate to a "slap in the face?" It's the equivalent of complaining that Lexus offers way more features than you'll ever use. So what? It's not like the car is going to do a poor job getting you to work.

      By all indications, the PS3 is going to be a great game machine. It doesn't look like anything was taken away in the process of also turning it into a nice media hub. There is no "slap in the face," unless you're making "expensive" into the same thing as "slap." If you think it's too expensive, I agree with you. But that's quite far from it actually being bad for gamers.

      TW

    17. Re:What am I missing here? by Total_Wimp · · Score: 1

      The PS3 browser is a basically the same browser as they put in the PSP. It's nowhere near as good as Opera, but it shouldn't have raised the price much, if it raised it at all.

      BluRay is another matter entirely, but adding the MP3, digital video and web browsing functionality added little or nothing to the price of the PS3. That's one of the big reasons I like those features so much. Why not use what you have to it's fullest capabilities if there's no other downside?

      TW

    18. Re:What am I missing here? by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 1

      I agree with you. As long as there's no downside I'd be happy for those features. It wouldn't be a huge selling point (to me anyway) but it's a nice extra. Although, if they tried so hard to add MORE features that they didn't have time to get any of the features anywhere near polished, then I'd consider that a downside. Not necessarily a huge downside if they could quickly improve those features through updates...but it's still a downside to take into consideration.

    19. Re:What am I missing here? by seebs · · Score: 1

      To be fair, I keep my PC on 24/7.

      On the other hand, if I wanted to leave the Wii in standby, I could.

      --
      My blog: http://www.seebs.net/log/ --- My iPhone/iPad app: http://www.seebs.net/seebsfrac/
  4. If only! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If only the Wii did higher resolutions, opera looks terrible on my HDTV, it could look much much better and actually be quite usable.

  5. Oddly Enough... by spencerg83 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = CRAZY DELICIOUS
    http://www.nbc.com/Video/videos/snl_1432_narnia.sh tml

  6. Just one thing by webheaded · · Score: 1

    I notice the tab bar and all that doesn't actually stick at the top with you. Did they do that on purpose or is that just the way the Wii Opera browser works? If they did that on purpose that would seem a bit silly...you don't want your browsing controls to go away when you scroll down the page. Is it a framed page and the Wii browser simply ignores that and scrolls down or something? It would make much more sense to have a frame thats always there so you can quickly switch between tabs and whatnot whenever you want like the real Opera.

    Either way though, its pretty damn cool. :)

    --
    "Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - BenF
    1. Re:Just one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      If you set your user-agent to that of the Wii Opera (Opera/9.00 (Nintendo Wii; U; 1309-9; en)), you can actually go to the website and try it out for yourself in just about any browser. In Firefox, it works exactly that way - the bar doesn't stay on screen. I guess it's not just an Opera quirk.

  7. Can it do multitasking? by grumbel · · Score: 1

    I don't own a Wii, so here a simple question: Can the Wii do multitasking so that I could use the browser to look up a walkthrough while the game is running/paused in the background? Or do I have to quit the whole game to launch the browser as on the PSP?

    1. Re:Can it do multitasking? by Cocoronixx · · Score: 1

      No, to access the other channels (DVD Game/Weather/Browser/Wii Store,) you need to fully exit what you are in. I have not read whether that is a hardware, or software limitation. It would have been handy to be able to pop open a browser in the middle of a game to read a walkthrough on gamefaqs though.

      --
      "Obscenity is the crutch of the inarticulate motherfucker." - cloak42
    2. Re:Can it do multitasking? by Given+M.+Sur · · Score: 3, Informative

      You have to quit the game to get to the browser.

      --
      nil
    3. Re:Can it do multitasking? by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Its software. Generally on a console you want the game to have full access to all the memory on the machine. Having things like an OS, built in UI, etc. will take away from that sort of thing. On the 360 there is a chunk of ram you don't have access to that the OS holds on to for its deal, and on the PS3 you allocate the space yourself for the various system UI widgets. On the Wii if they made the browser launchable with a system call and you had enough memory you could technically free up space and launch the game. Remember, none of these systems have any sort of memory paging, so if that browser goes over the limit then you're toast, and there's definately no where to put your game's memory once the browser kicks in.

  8. Recursive YouTube by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (at about 1:20)

    My... head... hurts...

  9. Multitasking? No. What you want? Technically Yes. by trdrstv · · Score: 1
    Can the Wii do multitasking so that I could use the browser to look up a walkthrough while the game is running/paused in the background? Or do I have to quit the whole game to launch the browser as on the PSP?

    Currently for any Wii, or Gamecube games you need to save, and Exit out to the home interface to launch the browser. The Virtual Console however, every game I have (9 so far) except Mario64 supports a Suspend function. I pause my game, hit the home menu then punch up the browser. I am still exiting out, but the fact that I can suspend the game in progress and go right back where I was after I punched up GameFAQs does accomplish what I think you're looking for...

  10. Re:Weather Channel Rocks. by trdrstv · · Score: 1
    The weather stuff utterly kicks ass.

    Agreed. I travel alot, and I find the Globe interface (and 5 day forcast cached for my country) to be Quick, intuitive, and Hella Useful. Hopefully the News Channel will help me track stuff like Flight delays...

  11. Re: Opera for Devices is not Free. by trdrstv · · Score: 1
    Even if Nintendo changed their mind and decided to make the browser permanently free

    Ok, just to be clear, Nintendo Pays Opera for the browser. It is not Nintendo Charging for it. They are the publisher and get a cut, but Opera sells their product through Nintendo, just like Sega sells Sonic through Nintendo. Nintendo is paying for these upfront as a promotion to encourage early adoption.

  12. Re: Scroll Button and the Lappy together at last.. by trdrstv · · Score: 1

    Strongbad E-mail!

  13. Quite a bit, it seems by 7Prime · · Score: 1

    Are you kidding me? For months, every time a press person would ask a Sony exec about their new game console, the exec would snarf and say something along the lines of, "It's not a game console, its an entertainment center!" I (and many others) took that (and I think rightfully so) to mean that "game consoles are for kids, what we're doing here is FAR above that". I don't think you have to read too much into it to get that out of it, they practically said it themselves. If that isn't a slap in the face of the gaming community, I don't know what is. If you didn't see that, then you're wearing blinders. I used to be a huge Playstation fan... look where I am now? You think this newly found cynicism agianst Sony, by myself and a large percentage of the formerly pro-Sony community comes just because they priced a game system too high? No. It's because they've completely dissowned their fanbase. Funny that the company who seems to respect the gaming community the most is the one that's been trying the hardest to reach out to non-gamers.

    IE: Sony has an interesting way of trying to directly target gamers, and only gamers, while disrespecting and ignoring them completely. Nintendo has an interesting way of reaching out to non-gamers without appearing "holier than thow" in the eyes of the gaming community. A company's perception of itself and its consumers has a large roll in dictating the quality of material they produce. Sony has shown that they think they know what's best for us, and to hell what we think. And from what I've seen, the resulting product is as shallow as the typical American ethos: all glitz and glam, stupid, boring, and full of shit.

    --
    Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    1. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by Total_Wimp · · Score: 1

      Sony has shown that they think they know what's best for us, and to hell what we think

      You could say the same thing about Nintendo. Nobody asked them to make the Wiimote, then to build their whole console around it. Nobody asked them to think of moms and little kids and everyone else in their game design. It just so happens it turned out pretty well so everyone is very happy.

      Nobody asked Sony to turn the PS3 into a media center.... whoa! wait! Strike that. We did. We ask them when we praised them for the DVD in the PS2. We asked them when we praised the hard drive in the xbox.

      They didn't take out the BluRay, they didn't lower the price and they didn't give us enough of them at launch. They probably should have fixed some or all of that. But dude, that is not disrespect. They made different choices than the competition and they kept in mind the things we gave them kudos for in the past. If anything, they were thinking of the customer.

      the resulting product is as shallow as the typical American ethos: all glitz and glam, stupid, boring, and full of shit.

      "Glitz and glam": yes.

      "Shallow": You're really having a problem seeing the forest here. You're both giving it a hard time for building in too much, and then you're calling it shallow. On top of all the other functionality, which I happen to like, you get to load a whole separate OS completely sanctioned by the manufacturer. Don't like the web browser or music player? No problem, use your own. It is not as innovative as the Wii. Nintendo gets mad props for that. But it's by far the least shallow of all of this generation's game consoles.

      "Boring and full of shit": I get it that you don't like Sony and that you don't like the PS3, almost certainly because you never gave it a chance. But at least I don't have to use a "Mii." I'm not a sibling or a mom, but I am a grown up. Nintendo may have made a console for "casual gaming," but I'm not a casual gamer. I'm not a huge fan of being forced to use chibi bullshit or, frankly, of being forced to get up off the couch if I just want to blow off steam blasting at bad guys. When playing kiddie games makes you bored and you start feeling like Nintendo is full of shit for making you waive that controller around for 98% of their games, your tune is very likely to change. You just might find the PS3 looks a lot better than you remembered it.

      TW

    2. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Get with the system, dammit, this troll hasn't been used since at least "celda".

      Now, to troll nintenfags, you either gotta say "MARIO PARTY KNITTING 28 LOL" or "get a job if u cant affodr a ps3 lulz".

    3. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by ElleyKitten · · Score: 1
      But at least I don't have to use a "Mii." I'm not a sibling or a mom, but I am a grown up. Nintendo may have made a console for "casual gaming," but I'm not a casual gamer. I'm not a huge fan of being forced to use chibi bullshit or, frankly, of being forced to get up off the couch if I just want to blow off steam blasting at bad guys.
      You don't have to use a Mii unless you play Wii Sports (and you don't have to act like people who like Miis are little kids). You also don't have to get off the couch for every game (well, any game, technically, but you kinda look like a tool staying on the couch for Wii Sports). Excite Truck, Zelda, and the Metroid demo (not to mention all the Virtual Console games) are all designed to be played from the couch. Unless you mean you don't like Metroid and Zelda when you say you don't like casual games, but if that's the case then your opinion on Nintendo consoles is about as useful as a vegetarian's opinion on steak.
      --
      "What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
    4. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by 7Prime · · Score: 1

      Now that's a load of bull. I was following you, to a point, up until you started talking about Nintendo as if they only made games for kids. If by kids, you mean anyone not between the ages of 13 and 18, who have an irrational intrigue for blowing people's heads off, then I'll give it to you. I'm sorry, I don't buy it. You're falling for the same "us and them" propoganda the permiates the rest gaming community. The gaming community isn't simply made up of "casual gamers" and "hardcore gamers"... people who separate it into two psychographics are doing it simply to separate themselves from everyone else who has a difference of opinion. The fact is, there are MANY different types of gamers. Only some like to blow people's heads off... and I have a very low opinion of that psychographic. You act as if people who like Nintendo's output are somehow less connected, less informed, or less interested in gaming than everyone else. But it's just that we have different taste. Zelda and Metroid are two of my favorite series, they offer something a bit above and beyond your standard "shoot the bad guys in the head" games. I've been gaming since the NES, and I have an appreciation for the development the guys at the gaming division have taken over the years.

      Nintendo is TRYING to make games that will appeal to casual gamers and serious gamers alike. That's not an unreasonable goal, and I don't think the two are at all mutually exclusive: a good gaming experiece shouldn't matter whether or not you're familliar with gaming or not. Similarly, Inside Man wasn't any less a good movie if you weren't familliar with Spike Lee's previous outtings or not. Pink Floyd appealled itself to non-musicians, and music connoseurs alike. Nintendo is attempting to do that, and from what I'm seeing by the various reviews... they do a DAMN good job of it. I don't feel any lesser that I'm enjoying something that a soccer-mom is also enjoying, why should it bother you? Are you so insecure in your personal philosophy that you have to actively dissassociate yourself with anything that anyone different than you may be enjoying? Cuz that's really sad.

      Let me put this in a language that you're probably better familliar with:

      Real gamers don't give a shit about who's enjoying the game, or even, what audience the game was made for. This is why I have trouble considering most FPS fans to be "gamers", as I've seen many of them pass through that stage on the way to adult hood, only to disown the entire genre in their mid 20s. People who follow Nintendos outtings have been around the block a few times. Think about that the next time you open your mouth.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    5. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by Total_Wimp · · Score: 1

      Did you read the post I was responding to? I shouldn't have stooped to the level of the poster, but when I did, I used the exact words he used to describe the PS3, "boring and full of shit," I believe. I'm sorry if you interpreted this as some kind of an out of the blue rant.

      So, with much nicer language and possibly even some thoughtful(open to interpretation) analysis, I'm going to say the Wii doesn't really fit my style for day-to-day gaming. I want something that was designed more for the "hardcore" gamer, by which I mean someone who is not a "casual" gamer. You can make the aregumet that Wii owners include many "real" gamers, and I'll buy that, but when Nintendo puts as much emphasis as they have on the word "casual" to describe the consumers of their product, I will decline to call those very same people "hardcore."

      Nintendo made certain concessions in order to appeal to the casual gamer. The games made certain concession in order to work with the unique controller. The price is great, at least partially because high-end graphics were not seen as a necessity to attract casual gamers. Many of the most talked about games are simplistic, for pretty much the same reason. The more complicated games suffer from nonstandard ways of moving and aiming, because the game makers haven't yet figured out the best way to do things.

      The truth is, I want to play games like Resistance: Fall of Man, or Gears of War, and I want to do it in a darkened room with surround sound blasting. I want the detail to be so realistic that my girlfriend leaves the room and that my daughter isn't even allowed to enter when I play. It's not that I don't like a party or that I wouldn't enjoy jumping around with my friends. It's not that I don't want to play games that my girlfriend and daughter can enjoy. But that's not the kind of gaming I do on a daily basis. Violent game sales would suggest that I'm not alone.

      I know the Wii has some more advanced games, but the PS3 has a few friendly games too. That does not turn the Wii into a PS3 or visa versa. Game makers, with notable exceptions, have a tendency to stick to the perceived flavor of the console in question. It doesn't make much sense for them to push a type of game the core group of owners will give a lukewarm reception.

      Yes, market segmentation is alive and well in the game industry. The thing is, I hear a lot of people who were happy PS2 customers complaining loudly about the PS3 and then going and buying a Wii. I think a lot of them will be back. They're in the wrong market segment for the kind of games they've traditionally enjoyed. I know everyone says that graphics shouldn't matter and there's something for everyone on the Wii, but I think a lot of these folks are going to see what they're missing and, well, they're going to miss it.

      A lot of these guys will go to the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3. More power to them. But I think you'll find that a very large chunk of the folks the Wii has "converted" are going to be owning an additional console within a year or two. I know a lot guys who actually enjoyed "When Harry Met Sally," but I don't know any who gave up hardcore action flicks as a result.

      TW

    6. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Translation: "You don't like the Wii, so there must be something wrong with YOU and therefore your opinion doesn't matter".

      Yeah, right.. Take some of your own advice, buddy. His opinion matters just as much as anyone else's.

    7. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by 7Prime · · Score: 1

      Sure, his opinion matters just as much as anyone elses, but yours doesn't, AC...

      ...so get an account or bugger off.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    8. Re:Quite a bit, it seems by 7Prime · · Score: 1

      Well, see it from my point of view... how the hell am I not supposed to be pissed off at your post? You've basically called me a "casual gamer", in so many words, by default. You attest that there are SOME non-casual gamers in the Wii camp, but you wouldn't consider them as hardcore as those not in the Wii camp. WTF? I had a PS2, I had a gamecube, and until the last 5 incredible months of the PS2 lifespan, I'd say that the GameCube had far better games, and quite a bit of them were just as involved as the most non-casual PS2 games. I want to see MORE involvement in games, if anything... but I can't help but see the PS3 community as the shallow, casual gamers, who simply buy expensive consoles and TVs to show off to their friends, and who play bloody games as a way of nursing their threatened masculinity. THAT'S the casual gamer for you... and the world is full of them.

      How the hell is a 72 hour adventure game (Zelda: TP), more casual than Gears of War? It may be "nicer", it might be less violent, but it's fucking involved. It takes a lot of concentration, a lot of time and effort. I could give you a handfull of other top-selling GameCube games that were within the same margin of involvement. Nintendo isn't out to simply play to the tune of the casual gamer, they're out to turn the casual gamer into a more involved gamer. They've got the quick hooks to reel in the masses, and the more in-depth gameplay to keep them there. Basically, if you can pull off a 50+ hour game, of any type, you're NOT a casual gamer. I've played dozens of 40+ hour games, but the first time I went through one (Final Fantasy 6), I was hooked.

      Most of the Wii owners I know are long time gamers, some of them are blood and guts freaks like you, some of them are sick and tired of attention to superficial graphics and gore and want to actually PLAY A GOOD GAME, like me. I've wound up putting my money on Nintendo because of personal philosophy, not by how many hours or how involved I am in the games I play; and from what I've seen, a large percentage of the Slashdot community has a lot of the same feelings. I'd like to see the console gaming industry, as a whole, move more towards the way that Nintendo is trying to establish it, and less away from the styles layed out by PC gaming. Yes, this is going to conflict with your personal opinion. I'd like to see thought and artistry grow in the gaming world... and I seriously think that pushing superficial graphical pyrotechnics (the PS3), as simply pushing the game industry toward the mindless blockbuster side of hollywood. Sure, Nintendo may be pushing the industry closer to Pixar, but at that doesn't play into the hands of the right-wing propoganda, meatheaded mindlessness of a lot of the gaming industry.

      I take my games VERY seriously... the next few decades will define an entire entertainment genre, and whether it will progress into something greater, or whether it will simply become a mindless toy for angsty 16 year olds. I'd rather see ANYTHING happen to it besides that.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
  14. I see roots, I see leaves... by Hitto · · Score: 1

    Are you that guy whose launch day PS1 and PS2 systems still work?

  15. Still must compare Apples to Apples... by trdrstv · · Score: 1
    To be fair, I keep my PC on 24/7. On the other hand, if I wanted to leave the Wii in standby, I could.

    True; but to compare the 2 you need to compare the same modes (go Apples to Apples), otherwise you are tainting the results.

    Computer Off + Wii Off. Turn them both on, with the purpose of checking weather.

    Computer On + Wii On. While both at "Main menu" (Desktop) check weather.

    Computer in Standby Mode + Wii in Standby mode. "Wake" them both, with the purpose of checking weather.

    Computer in Screen Saver Mode + Wii in "Screen Saver" (burn in prevention) Mode. "Wake" them both, with the purpose of checking weather.

    I feel that would be the accurate test to say which is quicker. I'm sure the computer would still be quicker in some of those scenarios, but not all.