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Elebits and Warioware - Bad Wii and Good Wii
The anecdotal evidence that's been going around, now that the Wii is an established fixture in American living rooms, is that Nintendo's new console still has room for improvement. We all had fun over the holidays, sharing Wii Sports with our relatives and watching our aunts laugh themselves stupid. Now, though, it's a new year and it's time for the Wii to step up as a gaming platform. It needs to be more than a Zelda player, and the console needs to prove that this 'new gen' style of play is sustainable over the long term. The post-launch round of games has started to trickle out, and the results are definitely mixed. Today I have for you impressions of Elebits and WarioWare: Smooth Moves. These are two games that show quite a bit of promise, but only one of which actually delivers. Read on for my views, and a return to a numeric grading scale.
That's not to say it's unlikable. Quite to the contrary, the game wraps itself in an incredibly appealing package. Hung loosely on the hook of telling stories to a kid, each stage pits you against the wilds of a suburban Japanese home. Your goal is to use the electricity gun developed by the protagonist's parents to capture a certain wattage in Elebits. The miniature creatures literally *are* electricity, and snapping them up with your weapon powers up household gadgets left and right. The key is that you need to find the little buggers first, which requires a great deal of rooting around in closets and checking under beds.
The fun comes from the fact that you're interacting with the environment through the extremely smooth Wiimote controls. Your controller is represented in-game by the electricity gun, which can lift objects via a sort of energy field; think Syndrome's zero-point energy from the movie The Incredibles. When you start off a level your power is somewhat weak. Moving small objects is all you can manage. As you collect more Elebits, the weapon grows in power and larger objects can be manipulated. Later levels feature you lifting entire buildings in an effort to locate the wily creatures.
The core game mechanic is thus essentially a modified form of hide and seek. The first time you play the game, it will be sure to cause a smile. Subsequent play is equally entertaining, but there's never a real sense of a challenge. Elebits is a very easy game, and the duration of the main story mode only highlights that ease of play. It's quite possible to play through the entire game in one five hour session.
That would be fine if the basic elements of the game were ever switched up, or if multiplayer offered something substantially different. That's not the case. Simple variations on 'lift things, find Elebits' exist in later stages; some require you to avoid breaking certain objects, while others have some of the little creatures actively attacking you. The core mechanic stays the same, though, and by the end of the game you'll be quite ready to stop playing. Multiplayer, likewise, is more of the same. Up to four players can lift things and shoot Elebits, competing to see who has the most wattage. Additionally, and confusingly, only the first player is allowed to move the camera. This makes it exceedingly hard to tell what's going on, and has a lot of potential for abuse.
Graphical presentation on the Wii is not something I'm going to harp on very often, but I think a more thoughtful look could have given this game a little extra oomph. While the Elebits themselves are cutely designed, the game world is very boxy and uninspired. My hope is that Wii game-makers will take into account the limitations of the console they're working on when planning art design. Why fight the console's low power when you can make a statement? A more stylized art form would have made Elebits pop off the screen more, and would have alleviated some of the sameyness of later levels.
If you're looking for a quite weekend rental, Elebits isn't a bad call. It's very Wiimote-centric, and is another title you can use to show friends and family the potential of Nintendo's console. Just the same, don't put down hard-earned money for it. The long-term playability of the game is very low, and a few months from now it will end up as grist in Gamestop's maw as you purchase more worthy 2007 titles.
Just as in past WarioWare titles, the single-player story is the means by which all of the on-offer minigames are unlocked. The multiplayer, too, is closed up until you 'beat' the single-player game. In Smooth Moves, games are identified by the 'move' that is used to complete them. These moves translate to specific ways to hold the Wiimote, and specific actions you can take with it. Games are clustered by move, and introduced over the course of the single-player game as part of an entertaining narrative for a the Wario-related characters. The cute witch Ashley, for example, introduces the moves 'The Thumb Wrestler' (a vertically held position), 'The Big Cheese' (holding the Wiimote at your hip), and 'The Discard' (lying the remote down on a surface and then picking it up or rolling it). Each move is introduced with a short instruction text, which is far more entertaining than game instructions have any right to be.
The games themselves are, as always with a WarioWare title, crack-addled. Only a few seconds long, each minigame allows you only a moment to understand how you are supposed to use the specified form to complete the vague command associated with the game. It seemed to me that things were a bit less insane than the offerings from WarioWare:Touched, the DS title, but the games were still plenty strange. Some examples include : picking a nose, putting a old woman's false teeth into her mouth, drinking a glass of water, hula-hooping, driving a car, balancing a broom with one hand, fighting a samurai, and roasting a piece of mutton.
There are 13 character stories in Smooth Moves (two of them revolving around Wario), and in total there are about 19 different controller forms to master. Only one of these, 'The Diner', uses the Nunchuck; most of the game is playable with just the Wiimote. Playing through all of the stories and learning all of the moves won't take most gamers very long. A determined player could almost certainly play through the entire game in one sitting of about four hours.
That brevity may seem like a problem, but what is a problem for so many other titles is a strength for this series. WarioWare titles are endlessly replayable, even in a single-player state of mind. There's always a drive to refine your skill at the various games, to see how far you can make it through the endless series of games before succumbing to a missed cue or a slow hand. The Muliplayer component of Smooth Moves is especially well constructed, and allows for up to an astounding twelve players to compete against each other using one Wiimote. There are about six modes for multiplayer mania, with multiplayer-specific games joining the minigames playable in the single-player mode. My favorite is the nose-shaped rocketship piloting course.
The insanity of the minigames would not be complete without the distinctive 'look' of WarioWare offerings. While the character art has a crisp '2D/3D' style to it that looks amazing on an HD screen, the minigames themselves are all over the map. Crude pencil drawings walk side-by-side with what looks like clip art, crayola colorings, college-level 3D renderings, and actual-in-game assets from Nintendo titles. These last make for some of the most memorable games, as you bounce Mario off of coin blocks with a waggle of the Wiimote, or flick the device upward to catch a fish in five seconds of Animal Crossing. The dizzying array of visual styles is one of the game series' signature elements, and Smooth Moves delivers in spades. The games' audio is just as entertaining, with each stage having a characteristic jaunty tune to accompany your gaming. I recall enjoying these offerings a bit more on the DS title, but I may just be thinking of Ashley's music. Her simultaneously funereal and bouncy theme was a highlight of that game for me.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves is exactly the kind of game the Wii needs in these post-launch days. It's a ridiculous amount of fun, contains an endless amount of multiplayer, and (most importantly) shows off the Wii control scheme in a way few other titles can match. The only thing holding this game back from perfection is the incredibly short single-player component, and even then it's hard to argue with the developers choices. If you ever plan to have friends over to your home again, this title deserves a spot on your shelf alongside Zelda. The game's multiplayer element is as close to perfect as you can ask for, sure to elicit laughter and invite play by any and all interested parties. Smooth Moves is a title that deserves a look from every gamer who enjoys the act of playing games.
- Title: Elebits
- Developer/Publisher: Konami
- System: Wii
- Score: 3/5 - This game is flawed, but will appeal to genre fans. Any gamer might enjoy renting it, but this won't ever be a classic.
That's not to say it's unlikable. Quite to the contrary, the game wraps itself in an incredibly appealing package. Hung loosely on the hook of telling stories to a kid, each stage pits you against the wilds of a suburban Japanese home. Your goal is to use the electricity gun developed by the protagonist's parents to capture a certain wattage in Elebits. The miniature creatures literally *are* electricity, and snapping them up with your weapon powers up household gadgets left and right. The key is that you need to find the little buggers first, which requires a great deal of rooting around in closets and checking under beds.
The fun comes from the fact that you're interacting with the environment through the extremely smooth Wiimote controls. Your controller is represented in-game by the electricity gun, which can lift objects via a sort of energy field; think Syndrome's zero-point energy from the movie The Incredibles. When you start off a level your power is somewhat weak. Moving small objects is all you can manage. As you collect more Elebits, the weapon grows in power and larger objects can be manipulated. Later levels feature you lifting entire buildings in an effort to locate the wily creatures.
The core game mechanic is thus essentially a modified form of hide and seek. The first time you play the game, it will be sure to cause a smile. Subsequent play is equally entertaining, but there's never a real sense of a challenge. Elebits is a very easy game, and the duration of the main story mode only highlights that ease of play. It's quite possible to play through the entire game in one five hour session.
That would be fine if the basic elements of the game were ever switched up, or if multiplayer offered something substantially different. That's not the case. Simple variations on 'lift things, find Elebits' exist in later stages; some require you to avoid breaking certain objects, while others have some of the little creatures actively attacking you. The core mechanic stays the same, though, and by the end of the game you'll be quite ready to stop playing. Multiplayer, likewise, is more of the same. Up to four players can lift things and shoot Elebits, competing to see who has the most wattage. Additionally, and confusingly, only the first player is allowed to move the camera. This makes it exceedingly hard to tell what's going on, and has a lot of potential for abuse.
Graphical presentation on the Wii is not something I'm going to harp on very often, but I think a more thoughtful look could have given this game a little extra oomph. While the Elebits themselves are cutely designed, the game world is very boxy and uninspired. My hope is that Wii game-makers will take into account the limitations of the console they're working on when planning art design. Why fight the console's low power when you can make a statement? A more stylized art form would have made Elebits pop off the screen more, and would have alleviated some of the sameyness of later levels.
If you're looking for a quite weekend rental, Elebits isn't a bad call. It's very Wiimote-centric, and is another title you can use to show friends and family the potential of Nintendo's console. Just the same, don't put down hard-earned money for it. The long-term playability of the game is very low, and a few months from now it will end up as grist in Gamestop's maw as you purchase more worthy 2007 titles.
- Title: WarioWare: Smooth Moves
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Intelligent Systems
- System: Wii
- Score: 4/5 - This game is above average, and excels in the genre it supports. A classic for the genre, likely to be a part of a genre fan's collection, and well worth a look for every gamer.
Just as in past WarioWare titles, the single-player story is the means by which all of the on-offer minigames are unlocked. The multiplayer, too, is closed up until you 'beat' the single-player game. In Smooth Moves, games are identified by the 'move' that is used to complete them. These moves translate to specific ways to hold the Wiimote, and specific actions you can take with it. Games are clustered by move, and introduced over the course of the single-player game as part of an entertaining narrative for a the Wario-related characters. The cute witch Ashley, for example, introduces the moves 'The Thumb Wrestler' (a vertically held position), 'The Big Cheese' (holding the Wiimote at your hip), and 'The Discard' (lying the remote down on a surface and then picking it up or rolling it). Each move is introduced with a short instruction text, which is far more entertaining than game instructions have any right to be.
The games themselves are, as always with a WarioWare title, crack-addled. Only a few seconds long, each minigame allows you only a moment to understand how you are supposed to use the specified form to complete the vague command associated with the game. It seemed to me that things were a bit less insane than the offerings from WarioWare:Touched, the DS title, but the games were still plenty strange. Some examples include : picking a nose, putting a old woman's false teeth into her mouth, drinking a glass of water, hula-hooping, driving a car, balancing a broom with one hand, fighting a samurai, and roasting a piece of mutton.
There are 13 character stories in Smooth Moves (two of them revolving around Wario), and in total there are about 19 different controller forms to master. Only one of these, 'The Diner', uses the Nunchuck; most of the game is playable with just the Wiimote. Playing through all of the stories and learning all of the moves won't take most gamers very long. A determined player could almost certainly play through the entire game in one sitting of about four hours.
That brevity may seem like a problem, but what is a problem for so many other titles is a strength for this series. WarioWare titles are endlessly replayable, even in a single-player state of mind. There's always a drive to refine your skill at the various games, to see how far you can make it through the endless series of games before succumbing to a missed cue or a slow hand. The Muliplayer component of Smooth Moves is especially well constructed, and allows for up to an astounding twelve players to compete against each other using one Wiimote. There are about six modes for multiplayer mania, with multiplayer-specific games joining the minigames playable in the single-player mode. My favorite is the nose-shaped rocketship piloting course.
The insanity of the minigames would not be complete without the distinctive 'look' of WarioWare offerings. While the character art has a crisp '2D/3D' style to it that looks amazing on an HD screen, the minigames themselves are all over the map. Crude pencil drawings walk side-by-side with what looks like clip art, crayola colorings, college-level 3D renderings, and actual-in-game assets from Nintendo titles. These last make for some of the most memorable games, as you bounce Mario off of coin blocks with a waggle of the Wiimote, or flick the device upward to catch a fish in five seconds of Animal Crossing. The dizzying array of visual styles is one of the game series' signature elements, and Smooth Moves delivers in spades. The games' audio is just as entertaining, with each stage having a characteristic jaunty tune to accompany your gaming. I recall enjoying these offerings a bit more on the DS title, but I may just be thinking of Ashley's music. Her simultaneously funereal and bouncy theme was a highlight of that game for me.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves is exactly the kind of game the Wii needs in these post-launch days. It's a ridiculous amount of fun, contains an endless amount of multiplayer, and (most importantly) shows off the Wii control scheme in a way few other titles can match. The only thing holding this game back from perfection is the incredibly short single-player component, and even then it's hard to argue with the developers choices. If you ever plan to have friends over to your home again, this title deserves a spot on your shelf alongside Zelda. The game's multiplayer element is as close to perfect as you can ask for, sure to elicit laughter and invite play by any and all interested parties. Smooth Moves is a title that deserves a look from every gamer who enjoys the act of playing games.
Portal.
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
Besides, who wouldn't be charmed out of their socks by a giant R.O.B. the Robot waving a Nintendo Zapper at your Starfox Arwing fighter? I mean, can you get any geekier?
BTW, it's worth noting that the Wii does have a few non-minigame games. Call of Duty, for example, is apparently a well liked FPS even if the graphics aren't quite as nice as the 360 version. Also, by the time that most people get their Wiis, Metroid Prime 3 will be blasting on the scene, ready to kick some Space Pirate booty!
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
However I need to ask the question, What is going to keep X-Box and PS3 from stealing the Wii thunder? They simply need to make a remote to match their systems and Nintendo will be off the board, perhaps for good. I guess Nintendo will still have the low price but that is about it other than fanboys.
CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
WarioWare for the Wii is great ... once. We played through it and had a blast, and now the only time I'll ever bring it up again is if new people who've never seen it want to give it a try. Definitely not worth $50, even with it's fantastic presentation and humor.
But putting down the Wii lineup as Zelda only is a little bit far off. Rayman Raving Rabbits, is an absolute must have gem, overlooked by many in the Zelda rush, it is definitely along the lines of Wario Ware quality wise and also has nice graphics. The rest of the original Launch lineup is sort of hit and miss depending on the tastes. But definitely way more and has a higher variety than the other consoles launch lineup. I cannot comment to the other games released so far.
How can the Wii be an "established fixture" when most of us who want one haven't even been able to see one in person yet?
One of the biggest reasons why I won't be picking up a Wii any time soon is Nintendo's reliance on Mario/Wario spinoff titles. I realize that they made their fortune on Mario's back, but it's been a long time. Hell, I remember when Mario brothers was just another game in the arcade. I humbly suggest that a new mascot is needed, to get Nintendo's creative juices flowing again.
'Loose' is when your pants are three sizes too big. 'Lose' is when you misuse 'loose'.
The Wii is looking more and more like the GameCube all over again. The usual Nintendo first party stuff and a bunch of crap from third parties. Nintendo keeps pushing back their big first party titles and third parties continue to treat the Wii as a dumping ground.
After all the talk about Nintendo leading the industry in innovation, the reality of the Wii has turned out to be:
* Very little difference in power compared to the GameCube
* Move aiming/cursor movement from your thumb to your wrist
* Replace button pressing with some sort of waggle
Sure, you and your geeky mates have one, but that's not really the same thing now, is it?
There are more than 300,000,000 Americans, and at least 50,000,000 households in America you know.
How many Wii have been sold in the US? 50,000?
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Christmas '05 I watched the ebay lunacy over the 360, decided I'd rather have a PS3 and waited. Then the PS3 was delayed. And Blu-ray began to look like a real dud. Finally, Sony announced the price. By November of last year, as the Christmas season was heating up, I decided I wanted a Wii instead. But I couldn't find one. Anywhere! My coworker stood out in the cold for hours to buy one. By the time December had arrived, I'd finally played with a Wii and decided that it wasn't HD enough for my tastes. So I bought a 360.
And now I'm happy. The 360 does exactly what I want. And while the Wii might be cool to own, until Nintendo offers up a selection of games that use the WiiMote in new and entertaining ways, I think waiting until next x-mas before buying another console seems the smart option. JMO...
This one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayman_Raving_Rabbids is the funniest game I ever play on a game console! It's uber funny game ! It.s only amazing how stupidity and good desing can match !
Ceci n'est pas une Signature !
I have a Wii, the only game that's any good is Zelda. After I finish playing that I doubt I'll buy another game for it. I've play most of the other release titles and they are incredibly dull with the exception of Raving Rabbits.
The other consoles have much better games and the Wii craze was only because it's super lower cost, it's longevity doesn't look very good, it may just fizzle out like the GameCube.
Those were two really good reviews. Although I found Smooth Moves less "endlessly replayable", but I'll definitely be playing it once in a while.
What Wii really needs to sell better (after demand settles down, of course) is some popular games made better with the remote. Source would be good.
"When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
If you're looking for a quite weekend rental, Elebits isn't a bad call.
Sometimes spellcheck isn't enough!
I have to respectfully disagree with the critique of Elebits' gameplay. I found it fun and incredibly challenging -- there are time limits, limits on breakability of objects (don't smash too many plates) as well as limits on making too much noise (dB). On some levels these limits were fun, on others, they were annoying. While the graphical polish could have been better, it was a refreshing game that didn't once harp on the same old genre formulas. I appreciate the smooth gameplay and consistent framerates in most levels as opposed to focusing on graphical prowess.
Those that are observant/patient enough to explore into the levels a little more will realize that there are hundreds of little, unrevealed puzzles. For example, find a basketball in the drawer and put it through a hoop in the next room, and Elebits pop out. The same of putting books in order on the shelf, or finding a disc to put in a CD-ROM drive. The time limits are probably the most challenging/frustrating aspect of the game -- these are relatively massive levels with tons to do and explore, so it sucks when your time runs out at the expense of finding enough Elebits to turn on various appliances and tools that allow you to solve puzzles and turn on further appliances and tools. I truly envy those that have scored high enough to unlock Eternal Mode on a good number of their levels.
The control method (drag the wiimote to the edge of the screen to rotate) sounds a lot like the same Red Steel catastrophe, but it was more responsive and easier. Unlike other games (like COD3), you have smoother, more gradient speeds of rotation as your wiimote approaches the edge. Controlling your character is incredibly simple and fun -- I'd play more FPSs on the Wii if they were all like this.
My one beef with the entirely gameplay aspect was the Capture Gun power-up method. In Elebits, you have both regular elebits that increase your wattage (turning on appliances and such), and special elebits that power up your Capture Gun to lift heavier objects and thus find more Elebits in general. Unforuntately, they chose to make the gun reset to its lowest power at the beginning of each level, so if you want to get into the more challenging puzzles, you're doing it in the last two minutes of the level because you have to power up your gun the same way every time. I think I would have liked having fewer powerup elebits in conjunction with the "leveling" method a little bit more, so I could go back and use the newfound power to discover secrets in older levels I had already played. As it is now, I'm forced to unlock Eternal mode for a level if I want to power up my gun with few restrictions. I suppose the level they have now is more challenging, but I think another system might have been more fun and had more replay value.
4/5.
Paranoid conspiRacy
Sounds like Elebits is a rehash of Katamari. Progression in the game is limited to the ability to affect larger objects, but the gameplay is essentially the same throughout. Multiplayer is the same thing, just competing to see who reaches the goal first.
I got my Wii on launch, and got Elebits as soon as it was available. There seems to be a lot of hate for the game, but I think that it's pretty good. The game reminds me in a lot of ways of Katamari Damacy. It's a pretty simple premis, and the gameplay doesn't change much, but it's ok, because the game is really all about scale and interacting with the world, and the just plain bizzare at times. Even the graphics in Elebits remind me heavily of the style in Katamari Damacy.
Wario Ware never really appealed to me much though, and even less so on the Wii. It's not that I'm opposed to a collection of mini-games, per-se, but the problem is that I don't want to get up and go into the living room (all of my other consoles are in my office), get out my chair (I can't play the Wii on my couch comfortably, because of the angle between it and the TV, so I keep one of those fold-out camping chairs in the corner so I can set it up in front of the TV when I want to play Wii), set up the chair, turn on the TV, and boot up the Wii so I can play a couple of minigames for 10-15 minutes- in this case I think I'll stick with small downloadable PS3 and 360 games- or XMoto and Ksirtet. It might be good for multiplayer, but I don't have anyone to multiplayer with, so that nixes that aspect of it. Not to mention if I do have people over, I have Super Monkey Ball, which is a real game, and also has enough minigames to keep a party going for a while.
Personally, I'm hoping for fewer minigame collections, and more zelda type games for the Wii. I would love to see Resident Evil 4 for the Wii, and I think Metroid Prime 3 will be great as well.
Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
"Additionally, and confusingly, only the first player is allowed to move the camera. This makes it exceedingly hard to tell what's going on, and has a lot of potential for abuse."
Actually, you can switch it to toggle walk/look control to different players in 10 or 30-second increments... it would be nice if you could use this multiplay in story mode, but it's still decently fun imo.
Now, though, it's a new year and it's time for the Wii to step up as a gaming platform.
Maybe it would be more useful to look at the Wii this way: Do people who bought a Wii enjoy it three months, six months, a year after purchase? The target audience is broader, and the games are different than those for PS2, XBox 360, et al. I'm reminded of all the early analysis of how the iPod was going to go down in flames. The analysts didn't understand that the target audience wasn't technophiles, but regular average everyday people.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
"How many Wii have been sold in the US? 50,000?"
Yes, only 50,000. Those accelerometers are harder to produce than Blu-ray jewels.
Who mods this crap up?
OMG! Wau!
At the moment there is a lack of really quality games. Rayman, WarioWare, Wii Sports and so on are really fun (x10 with friends) but only Zelda stands out as great 'proper' game. (Red Steel and CoD3 just don't cut the mustard IMO)
By the end of 2007 we'll have
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- Metroid Prime 3
- Sonic and the Secret Rings
- Project H.A.M.M.E.R. (maybe?)
that stand out as really great games (plus one or two more probably) that aren't simply based on the novelty of the wiimote. Sounds good to me, but is it good enough for most 'gamers' and enough to compete in the long term with the 360 and PS3??
Comment removed based on user account deletion
We all had fun over the holidays, sharing Wii Sports with our relatives and...
No we all didn't motherfucker...no...we all didn't.
*sobs quietly to himself as he waits for some store...any store in Washington State to get another Wii*
As I wrote on my blog(http://problemstosolve.com/wii/wario-ware-smo oth-moves-made-me-think-my-wiimote-was-broken), smooth moves made me think my wiimote was broken because it disables all but one of your remotes.
It's a fun game though. I'd agree that it and rayman are awesome games, but I am looking forward to more non-minigames to see what this thing can do. My favorite titles - sports, rayman, wario - are all minigame format games, and mario party will be too. Maybe Paper Mario will quench my thirst.
I see all the shelves full of Wii games but theres no Wii's or Wiimotes to be found.
No, they're selling them like hotcakes and they've ramped up production, but people keep wanting them. Maybe it's the stacks of unsold PS3 consoles in the stores that make you think this, though.
In fact, recent market metrics published in today's Wall Street Journal (uber-expensive subscription required) indicate that demand has not really slackened much since product launch for the Wii, although demand for the PS3 is sub-par.
That said, once you get a Wii, it's pretty easy to find the games for it now. I've got Elebits myself - which I regard as a game to play when I just want a quick game I don't need to have bunches to think about in. Kind of oriented for casual gamers, IMHO. I give it 4 stars out of 5, personally.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Have to agree, Rayman Raving Rabbids is my top choice for Wii games I've got - my son prefers Zelda and Trauma Center more, but I just love it's insane silliness. And the dancing!
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
First, I don't think that Zonk has actually played all the way through the game. His estimation of 5 hours to get through the story is a bit on the short side. Most of the later missions will take 15-20 minutes each to complete. And then there are a couple missions that you WILL fail on the first try, thus requiring more time. For me, it probably took closer to 10-12 hours to complete the basic story mode.
Then, once the basic story is finished, there is a LOT or replayability in the form of finding special items/elebits to unlock additional modes, and then trying to beat the challenge missions. Taking the entire game into consideration, there is easily 30-40 hours of gameplay.
Of course, you also have to factor fatigue into the equation. Frantically clicking the zap buttons for 20-30 minutes straight will actually wear out your hand, so while it may be possible to "beat" the game in a theoretical five hours, few individuals will be able to actually do it that quickly without stopping to rest the hands.
Also, Zonk's description of multiplayer is not entirely accurate. The camera control is not always attached to player one. Player one is the default camera control, but during the multiplayer game setup, you have the ability to chooose another player to control, or you can choose for the control to randomly switch between players every 10/30/60 seconds. This switching of camera during play can be a little confusing at first, but once you get used to it yields a more balanced and ultimately more fun multiplayer arrangement.
I'll agree that the game isn't necessarily the best that we will ever see on the Wii, but is is a good solid launch title and should be rated more like 4 out of 5. Definitely worth a rental, especially if you're a fan of the Katamari games.
It needs adventure games, it needs more epic games along the lines of Zelda, and it needs some RPGs besides Zelda.
I agree. While so far all the games I've bought for my Wii are ones I've rated 4 or 5 out of 5 (surprises even me), I really wish there were more RPGs. I'm looking forward to Wii Sims (aka Sims for the Wii), but that's not in the same category.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Yes - it's genre! This genre game is great example of the genre if you're a genre fan!
Anyway, how can you even really call WarioWare a genre game? Unless the genre is "WarioWare games". I suppose it could be party-games, but that's a bit woolly.
Exactly. The comparison to the iPod is very apropos considering the glossy white finish both share.
It seems at this point, that popular perception is that the Wii is a cultural phenomenon. This alone will probably drive sales ("everyone loves it, everyone wants one" stories keep showing up on-line vs. the XBox or PS3 which are aiming more at the traditional gaming market)
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
I don't care if their is a great game behind an add-on it will sell. The Guitar Hero series is all the proof you need, and now more add-ons are being planned for release due to its sucess. I know of a drum master game coming for PS2/PS3 right now. Also there are rumers of 'drum hero' and the like too.
It is quite interesting that you can tell by the posts who has and does not have a Wii.
I have Wario Ware and I'm very worried about the replay value. It seems to me that 90% of what makes the game fun is not actually knowing what you're supposed to do and having a very short time to figure it out. How is it as a party game past the first few times? Is it a laugh riot until the player that has just seen the most games wins everytime? Has someone played multiplay on this a lot? I have Elebits too but multiplayer makes me sick when someone else has the controls. :)
Sega (SegaSoft) needs to update and release a WiiConnect24-capable and local multi-player capable version of the classic game Rocket Jockey for the Wii.
The control system alone is PERFECT for the Wiimote's balancing act, not to mention the kicking surf guitar soundtrack and classic retro style.
Please let Sega know about this perfect game that they already own. I'm on the verge of starting a letter writing campaign.
Everyone thought the Nintendo DS was dumb. Everyone thought it was going to fail. Sony officially said that the PSP wasn't competing with the DS because the DS was just a "gimmick". The DS is the fastest selling handheld game console in history. Nearly 20 million so far, 35.5 million predicted by march. It's selling at a rate comparable only to the PS2 (which, of course is the best selling game console ever). Everyone seems to be convinced that someone is going to fail. All of the companies competing here have shown themselves to be more than capable of surviving (if you can call "making billions of dollars" surviving).
Frag 'em all...
Furthermore, when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib twice in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is some sort of a magic xylophone or something?
Now, I work in games, so I know the difficulty involved. MS got a lot of flack last year regarding the 360, which wasn't readily available until March. I was hoping that it wouldn't be the case with the Wii, since presumably they are much easier to build, but it is looking like I won't be able to just "grab one on the way home" any time soon either.
-- jchenx
I picked up Elebits last week, and I am finding that it is one of the few Wii games I can play with my 3 year old son. It took him a couple of games to figure out the targeting system, but after that, he had a blast throwing around the furniture, and generally making a mess, and concentrating very hard to line up a shot to capture elebits.
The fact that the camera control can be restricted to one player is a plus for us. My son does not get how to control the camera yet, so we have fun with me controlling the camera, and him blasting away at furniture.
On the other hand, this is Slashdot, after all. A lot of people here are probably accustomed to lots of grabbing and jerking movements with their right hands while playing with a Wii of the non-Nintendo variety. I don't think they'll tire so easily.
Wikipedia lists 17 games that work with the NES Zapper. Compare to the list of Justifier (PS1), GunCon (PS1), and GunCon 2 (PS2) games. Over the next year, Wii will see a lot more of this style of game.
If you count the PlayStation dance pad as "successful" and the NES dance pad (Power Pad, which you call "Trackmeet pad") as "failed", then you may have to count the Xbox dance pad as "successful" and the GameCube dance pad as "failed".
Then you've got your "new gamer", which Nintendo is now catering too, with lighter and easier fare (Wii Sports). These new gamers, your grandparents, for example, aren't suddenly going to become your standard console gamer, purchasing 5+ games a year, spending hours in front of the console, etc. The Wii will be something they pull out from time to time, maybe when friends are over, or maybe when the grandkids visit, etc. That's fine.
So, the doom and gloom we hear from typical hardcore gamers saying that the Wii needs to "step up as a gaming platform" is somewhat unwarranted. It's already doing it's job with that new audience, and arguably, that's really the important one for Nintendo.
-- jchenx
I really haven't paid attention to launch dates for Wii games, but I would imagine that we'll start seeing RPGs for the Wii sometime this year. One thing to look forward to, is a new Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles game for the Wii, although that will probably ship in '08.
-- jchenx
[citation needed]
Also, did E-rated games tend to use the GunCon 2, or was it for the more violent games only?
I thought the anecdotal evidence was that it's hugely successful and so in-demand that you still can't find it any in stores. Everything in the world has "room for improvement;" what a totally meaningless statement.
Is this because of patents? Roxor Games developed and published a PlayStation 2 game that used the Konami DDR controller, only to lose a patent infringement lawsuit to Konami.
What if I don't want the five games in the required bundle?
It's probably a lot easier and quicker to stamp discs and print packaging than to make complicated hardware parts that may be dependent on supply chains. Also the variable costs of a game is going to be very little compared to hardware, so your risk for over-production will be lower.
as I understand it, due to the low dev costs, it's a lot easier to port the HD 1070p titles which ship with graphics levels for 480p, 720i/p, and 1080i/p for the PS3 and 360. So it can be as short as three months to port to the Wii.
When I look at some of the pipeline product announcements, I see a few PS3 or 360 games have an earlier release date for the Wii port than they do for the other console. There's still a lag, of course.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
By far the hardest thing with the Wii to obtain is hardware itself... then the nunchuck then the wiimote... the games are cake easy to find, even zelda. It's a fun system.
Shadus
This generation, it appears that all the major players have their own strengths that they can focus on, to try to distinguish them apart from everyone else. Nintendo, obviously, has the Wii-mote and everything that new interface can bring. MS is focusing a lot on all of the software/services of the 360, especially with Xbox Live. Sony, well, it's hard to say, but I imagine they would have to build their strength on just the raw power of the PS3, and really prove to gamers that their system is far more sophisticated than the others. Oh, and that Blu-ray thing too I suppose.
-- jchenx
I'm on the edge on my seat waiting for Hasbro to take advantage of the Wii controller & release some Nerf titles.
I just want to see the "did he just say ?!" look on peoples faces when I say I'm going to go play with my Wii Nerf.
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
Now, I don't think that's a bad thing at all. If anything, it's a benefit. Why would you want to play an extremely-toned down game of Oblivion for the Wii, which wasn't designed to work with the Wii-mote interface in the first place? I would much rather have unique games designed for the Wii from the ground-up, than half-assed ports that are essentially just a money grab.
That said, I think we will unfortunately see lots of ports for the Wii, but not from the PS3 and 360. The Wii hardware has more in common with the PS2/PSP/DS. So I expect more Wii ports from those systems.
-- jchenx
I wanted to comment on the 'crispness' on WarioWare that is mentioned in this article. I have a LG 42 inch HD LCD (1080i) and you can see some compression artifacts in the short movies that introduce each character in WarioWare. So it is not perfect, but I will admit it is nitpicking to notice something like that.
-Xoltri
I'm not waiting in the cold or paying a premium price or any other sacrifice just to buy a gaming system. In six months to a year the price of the Wii will probably drop to $200, and the games that are out today will be closer to $30 (plus used games will start to become available). And Wii's will be well stocked pretty much everywhere as demand goes down. There's no rush, people. No game console is worth torturing yourselves.
The only thing I have to complain about is how short Warrio is. The artical says a gamer can beat it in 4 hours. I beat it in about 2 and I am SO not a gamer. Might have been 2.5 hour I dont really know for sure since I didnt plan on it ending on it so soon.
MISSING - Sig file. 2 years old black and white and very funny. If found please email me.
We got a Wii before Christmas (we live in the Netherlands) and my kids (4 and 6 year old) and me & my wife enjoy it very much.
We have a lot of games (including raymond raving rabbits, wario ware) but the absolute best so far is Super Monkey Ball. The main game, but also the 50 party games (if you have 4 wiimotes and 4 nunchucks...)
So if you have kids, super monkey ball is a must buy.
And leave happy feet (crap), cars (not crap but not good either) and ice age (ok but too expensive for what you get) at the stores!
I had a tough time finding extra wiimotes where I live. I called various stores and eventually found a Toys-R-Us that claimed to have them. When I got there, I asked where the wiimotes were only to be directed to a shelf with at least a dozen nunchuks and classic controllers but not a single wiimote. When I inquired further, I was told that was all the "remotes" they had. I was going to explain to the woman that those things were entirely useless to me without the wiimote, but I decided not to be a dick and just let it slide.
My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
The anecdotal evidence that's been going around...is that Nintendo's new console still has room for improvement.
Zonk: That's not evidence; that's a conclusion, and a ridiculous one at that. There's room for improvement on anything, including the Wii. For example: the obvious lack of lasers on the exterior.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Playing the Wii, I had the general feeling that they LET you get away with just flicking it, because they wanted any idiot to be able to play without a big learning curve. I don't think it's a physical limitation of the Wiimote, or at least I don't have any evidence thereof.
I heard rumor of a Wiimote First Person Staker based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That's right, hold your Wiimote like a stake...
Looking for freelance Actionscript (Flash/Flex) or ColdFusion work and/or freelance developers. Email me, put Slashdot
I think you underestimate the hand endurance of the average slashdotter.
"Hands"? As in plural? It appears I have much to learn, master, and I must say that I'm very intrigued.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
each minigame allows you only a moment to understand how you are supposed to use the specified form to complete the vague command associated with the game I love playing games without instructions that only last 5 seconds. Fun, fun, fun!
I think they're also aiming at the "jaded gamer." These are the folks who grew up with video games. A lot of them have an 8 or 16-bit era system plugged in while their Playstations gather dust. Many never did get around to buying a system from the last generation; if they did it's a GameCube which they use to play Super Smash Bros. They're bored with most of the popular fare on the market nowadays, or they have busy lives - maybe even families - and don't have enough free time to commit themselves to the games made for Sony and Microsoft's target markets.
But yeah, other than background story they're just like your "new gamer" category, except that if anything they'll be more willing to buy another game console because they already own four (NES, Genesis, PS1, and GBA).
"The Good, the Bad, and the Wii"
...now that the Wii is an established fixture in American living rooms...
Wait, are we still talking about the same underpowered white plastic box named after a liquid-based waste product? The one that has sold less than 2 million in the US despite being dirt cheap?
The one with at most 2 decent games and a gimmicky controller the novelty of which wears off after five minutes?
The very console that's still gathering dust at my local electronics store?
Just wanted to make sure I had that right.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
I assume that you are trying to imply that the same game can be completely different for two people? Yes, this is true.
However, Zonk's assertion that Elebits is a 5-hour game is still entirely false. How can I say this? Because each level of the game has a time limit. Although you can pass a level and quit before the time limit is up, the game is designed to encourage the player to use the full alotted time for the level.
So, assuming that a person played the entire story mode one time, played each level for the full time limit, and passed each level on the first try, it would still take almost six hours of active play time just to complete the story mode. And that's not counting any of the time at menus, results screens between levels, watching the "story" scenes between levels etc.
Like I said before, completing the story mode is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you add in the time for unlocking additional modes, completing the challenge levels, playing multiplayer, and building your own levels with the level editor (Edit mode = infinite play time right there!) The game easily becomes just as "big" as any other game out there.
I totally agree with the "jaded gamer" category. I've been thinking about it myself, since I have lots of friends that fall into that area. They grew up with games in high school and college, but ever since joining the ranks of the working world, haven't really gotten into games much since then. From reading Slashdot comments, a lot of folks here fall into the same category as well.
Frankly, that's another thing that Nintendo will excel at. These gamers remember brands such as Mario, Metroid, and Zelda. It's familiar to them, in a good way. In the meantime, it's hard to get them interested in the next Halo or GTA or God of War.
-- jchenx
Its not completely bad but no way as good as Wii Sports if you are like me, old and with a girlfriend who actually likes to play tennis on the Wii. Much better is http://www.smaakelite.nl/content/index.php?/archiv es/9-Gottlieb-Pinball-Classics-Wii.htmlGottlieb Classic Pinball (review in Dutch) for the Wii. Well if you enjoyed Pinball Fantasies at the Amiga or Atari. My girlfriend likes to play pinball too. Any game that I can enjoy with her is a great game.
"I was hoping that it wouldn't be the case with the Wii, since presumably they are much easier to build"
Unless Nintendo has bred Pikimin that can assemble the components in seconds, not bleepin' likely. After all, installing a CD-ROM drive into a case takes the same amount of time as installing a Blu-ray drive.
--R.J.
Electric-Escape.net
"What they could have used is a co-op mode.... one person on camera, the other w/ the zapper."
Uhhhh.... how about starting a one-player game, then giving the remote to one player, and the nunchuk to the other?
--R.J.
Electric-Escape.net
WarioWare is well done as usual, but it still feels way too short. It's at least more fun than the one on the DS, and there's certainly a lot of variety in what you end up doing. The graphics and sound are very nice and it has a bunch of multiplayer modes, although there's not much to do once you've discovered everything in single player and multiplayer was a big letdown - There isn't an option to use more than one remote, so you're forced to share one remote between everyone, which is not horrible, but the somewhat long pause between everyone's turn (while the single remote is being exchanged) can slow down the action sometimes. Not to mention that everyone is "supposed" to wear the wrist strap.. Some people aren't very good at putting their arm through that loop fast.
Both are fun games, but Elebits has way more replay value than WairoWare mostly because it's too easy to get turned off to WarioWare's not-so-frantic multiplayer modes.
But give it time, and all those things will change. Developers will become more confident in their ability to utilize the Wiimote well, new gamers will start demanding more and more in-depth content, and the long-form games that started developement soon after E3 will begin coming out in 6 to 8 months or so. Most systems don't get really big games until the end of it's first trimester. You'll notice that this is a trend: Final Fantasy VII, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy X and GTA III, Halo, Metroid Prime... all games that really brought their consoles into their own, and all of them were at least 8 months into the console's life-cycle. Hell, I can't remember anything that came out during the first 8 months of the PS2s life, same with the XBox and GameCube.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
Thanks for your insights.
Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.
I'm an epic gamer: jRPGs, Adventures... you name it, it's got a long involved format, I'll be there to try it. I'm also a fan of puzzles and innovative gameplay elements, as well. Marry those together, and you've got something that'll be fun, from moment to moment, but will last a while.
The "innovation" that the Wii brings is soully a gameplay one, so most of the big titles are going to focus on momentary gameplay elements. Obviously, a Wiimote does nothing towards improving on the character development within a jRPG. The unfortunate thing is that most long-form games are very light on the gameplay. jRPGs usually have stop-time menu systems, and the most basic of movement capabilities. Many times a jRPG will have a few "unique" gameplay elements, but most of them are fairly secondary, as the real skill in the game always revolves around more mental skill rather than the ability to aim and time attacks, for instance.
This means that RPGs and Adventure games are NOT going to be the first thing people think of when they pick up a revolutionary new controller. That said, there has been a push, within the jRPG genre, towards incorporating more and more gameplay elements, and the Wiimote may be exactly what they need. RPGs are becoming more action oriented and more puzzle-filled then they were just a few years ago. The Playstation era was all about honing plot and character development, and gameplay sorta went by the wayside. The PS2 saw some realization that there needed to be more, but many series floundered with endlessly gimmicky button-masher tack-ons. There are some good ideas, and it's good to see the industry trying, but they're not there yet.
But, it is expected that at this point in the Wii's life-cycle, most of the games are going to be short and simple. Nintendo's goal, after all, is to hook in previously non-gamers. The thing is, though, is that once you've hooked a gamer, they're going to demand more and more involved games. Most of the early DS games were simple mini-games, and now look where we're at: a (unfortunately pretty terrible) Metroid Prime spinnoff, an innovative Noir-styled Adventure, a major Final Fantasy release, the next numbered Dragon Quest, the list goes on and on. The DS has finally come into its own not just as a handheld, but as a full-fledged console with long-format games as well as quick time wasters. I expect that the Wii will follow a very similar life-cycle. Possibly even a bit quicker than the DSs, since there will probably be quite a few ports and spinnoffs between the two consoles, until the two consoles are running along side-by-side.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
Those are eerily accurate reviews. And reviews are something I rarely agree with. Elebits is definitely worth a rent, if not a buy. I do plan on purchasing it at some point (I argue that it does have some "pick up and play again" type of replay value, because it is a really fun game to mess with, not to mention that you can create your own levels), but other games keep pushing it back on the "next to buy" list. Warioware is clearly a buy. No doubt. If only for how intense it is. When you first start your single-player campaign, you begin with a nice little cutscene... And then suddenly burst into nine rapid-fire minigames. It reminded me so much of the first "PRESS A" cutscene in Resident Evil 4 (which did end up getting me killed once, I will admit), I can't even describe. Plus, as the article says, going back through single-player is definitely worth it. You go back through a "level" and you just keep doing minigames (which come at you faster and faster the farther you progress) until you fail four times. It simply gets hilarious nearing the end, when you can hardly keep up with anything at all. Bottom line: Both are good. Renting Elebits before buying it is a good plan, but would only be a waste of cash with Warioware.
Let's see...WarioWare got 4/5. Or, if you multiply the top and bottom by 2...guess what we get?
8/10! Just like the old days, eh Zonk? You fucking gimp.
I agree, they should be hocking games like GTA: Ethnic Rampage, The Sims Do the same Things Again, Need For Speed Underground Hot Pursuit 12, Tony Hawk's Segway Rebel, Star Wars: Make George Lucas Even Richer Through Ludicrous Amounts of Licensed Merchandise, and Final Fantasy XXVIII: 3. You know, the kinds of games that HAVEN'T been franchised to death.
Those are the pre-launch titles. The current titles for those Wii games are:
GTA - Emerald City
Wii Sims (aka Sims for the Wii)
Need for Wii Speed
Tony Hawk's Re8e1 Sk8r
Star Wars: Saber Training
Lego Star Wars: Wii Adventures
Final Fantasy XXL: Wii Chronicles
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
When the Nintendo DS was launched in November 2004, it had a pretty week game lineup for quite a while. The real "killer apps" didn't come out until much later the following year. Until that point, the general consensus was that the (then) upcoming Sony PSP would clean Nintendo's clock. Well, along came Nintendogs, Mario Cart, Advance Wars, etc., and the DS was on its way to success.
Now, much like the DS in its early days, people are wondering if the Wii is a 'gimicky' platform. Like the DS, it will be up to game developers, and "killer apps", to make it fly.
-G
www.pixelstatic.com
"easier to build" probably refers to the supply chain. Cells still have yield problems, and there's just an overall supply shortage of the blue lasers.
How long til someone makes a Wii "game" that simulates a roll in the hay or other related "activities" ? The game can include a blow-up doll and using the Wii remote (with vibrate on), one could imagine some pretty cum-pelling interactions, complete with realistic motions, sound-responses and graphics... hmmm...
I wonder how solidly those Wii-remotes are built and whether they could handle the repetitive stresses of the ol' in and out...
Do Animal Crossing Population Growing and Animal Crossing Wild World count?
If you need wiimotes, just order them from the nintendo.com store. It says on there that they are backordered and not due to ship till next week, however I ordered two wiimotes (along with two nunchucks and the component cable) late Friday (1/19) night. All items shipped (and for only $5 s/h!) on Monday (1/22) and were delivered yesterday.
So, why is it that we make such a fuss over the Sony "copycats" of the Wii controller, and their own attempt at network services?
I think the reason has to do with how good the copycat turns out to be. Copying "simple" technology such as rumble, wireless controllers, and adding a hard-drive to a system, is pretty darn easy and is almost a given. However, the Wii-mote and Xbox Live (especially considering the head start that service has), is not so easy. If Sony, or any other company, was able to copy these features, and do it well
-- jchenx
Hopefully you can score one using one of these. Availability link for CompUSA (Enter Zip) and Target (Change zip code in URL). Also, the bundles have been coming in and out of stock at Wal-Mart and Gamestop. Toys R Us and Circuit City also get a decent amount of systems shipped to them. Check their weekly ads online after midnight on Saturday to find out where they'll be available. Best of luck!
The NES Zapper. (See Duck hunt.) Need I say more?
If you can read this sig, you're too close.
I keep thinking of the fun that Wii could be with classic games like Sundog or Dungeonmaster, updated for the Wii. I can see it now, using the Nunchunck and Wiimote to check dungeon walls or flying the Sundog.
.. if someone will just update classics like these for the Wii.
Now
1. Attach Wii Remote to your Pen*s. use the cord to tie the mote around your b*lls.
2. Lie down on a mat/matress.
3. Push in and out to simulate "experience."
4. When you are "done" and "spent", wash Wii Mote.
5. Profit !!!
"Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
This has been done with the PS2.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
-- jchenx
mods must really need all the social help they can get.
i spent five minutes thinking and all i got was this crappy sig
I have yet to play the released version, but I dunno if I should bother buying it now. Maybe renting would be nice. Warioware, that seems like awesomness for minigame timewaster. But... There is an apparent abundance of mini-game games for the Wii, there are other, "full" games, but it just seems that way. I really really hope nintendo doesn't allow a drought of "full" games.
"Additionally, and confusingly, only the first player is allowed to move the camera. This makes it exceedingly hard to tell what's going on, and has a lot of potential for abuse."
This is not correct. You can select which player can control the camera, as well as have the camera control switch back and forth between players at different intervals. In addition, I would be very impressed if somebody was able to sit down, having never played Elebits previously and "It's quite possible to play through the entire game in one five hour session. ". At first I thought the game was kinda lame, then I started to play it and it grew on me to become one of my favorites.
I'm a 30yr old, haven't bought a console since the original playstation and only got the WII because my wife wanted it. I must say I am VERY impressed. Nintendo hit a homerun when developing this little box. The reasons of why it is such a great console have been expounded upon by plenty of other people; so I don't need to do so here.
You're wrong. Adults very much play with dolls and toy cars and read children's books. I even have an uncle who collects toy cars, and has a huge slotcar game in his garage. Many of the adults I know read books from Eoin Colfer or J. K. Rowlings. All in all, adults generally do whatever they like to do without thinking too much about the impression it may give to others.
Here's another interesting tidbit: Kids prefer the PS3 and 360 over the Wii. I actually think it's mostly adults who buy the Wii. Kids prefer to have violent games which impress their pals, regardless of whether they are fun to play. Adults play whatever they think is fun.
No. The Dual Shock came very early in the PS's life, and - as you said - could easily be incorporated into games, while keeping both the games and the controller backwards-compatible. It was basically an improved version of the controller.
Maybe the people you know. While I know some people who own DC light guns, I know of not one single person with a PS2 light gun. How many light gun games are there for the PS2? I think there are two for the DC - at least that I know of. That's not a success.
Try playing golf with the sixaxis. Okay, how about bowling? Boxing? Baseball? Not really... The sixaxis is good for steering. Of all the Wii games that I own, only Tony Hawk's uses the controller like that.
I doubt PS3 games will ever look better than 360 games. They will probably have more NPCs and more intelligent NPCs, but the PS3 isn't really capable of producing better graphics than the 360.
Regardless of what Sony is telling you: the Cell is not a graphics chip.
It's essentially a multiplayer game. On portable consoles, replayability is higher since if you want to waste a few minutes waiting for the bus, Wario Ware is fun even if you already know the minigames. At home, not so much. However, multiplayer mode is where the game really shines. It's tons of fun, and easily worth 50 bucks.
No. The motion is different also. Where the Sixaxis recognises tilt, it doesn't detect Pitch or Yaw. If you could make a complete arc with your arm, yet keep your palm / controller level, the Sixaxis wouldn't realized it moved. The Wiimote would.
Do you have any numbers on HDTV penetration in the United States and Canada? No, the existing analog TVs, digital SDTVs, and low-end CRT HDTVs often don't have inputs for an easy PC connection. And are most PC games designed for the TV environment with its overscan and (especially on composite-out) text size issues? And are users willing to buy a second PC for the living room?
and to do the whole remoting via bluetooth keyboards.Does Windows allow a game to address four individual keyboards separately, or does it have only one "keyboard" logical input device into which all connected physical keyboards feed?
what would we do if the wii was just another console like the ps3 or the x-box 360?
I can't believe the Wii is popular at all, it's a rehashed Gamecube, with a new controlller, and some naff looking games. I'm sure the novelty will soon waear off, and people will sell it, and look for a proper console, like a PS3 or Xbox360..