TWO YEARS LATER
Wii Maintains its Momentum, Still Deserves It
By Shaun Hatton - November 17th, 2008
The Wii is coming up on its two-year anniversary, and like all anniversaries or birthdays, I’m compelled to reflect on the past while looking ahead to the future.
While I absolutely love the Wii, I do have to agree with the general consensus among the gaming press that it could be more than what it is (because yes, this is is a description applicable to just about anything). It’s not that Nintendo isn’t pouring a lot of work into having great titles developed for it, but moreso the fact that really strange titles make their way onto the system. But then again, this is to be expected of any platform that sells well. The larger the install base, the greater the pool of titles to choose from.
Nintendo itself has released a lot of titles featuring its top-tier franchises, yet it seems that the most devout of Nintendo fanboys is upset. Or are they just incredibly temperamental? The Internet does, after all, provide a big box for complainers to stand on – not to mention the audience to listen and provoke them.
I said I agree that the Wii could be more than what it is. But this doesn’t mean that I’m unhappy with it. Wii is one of my favourite consoles of all time. After all, it can already play GameCube games, which was my number one console from the previous generation of systems.
There will be no replacing the feeling of lining up outside Toys R Us the day of the Wii’s launch, eager to play Wii Sports for the first time. Owning a Wii was something I had dreams about in the weeks leading up to its release. When I finally had the box sitting in my car, I almost wanted to strap a seatbelt over it. I walked gently down the hall of my apartment building to my place. I opened the box with the utmost care. This was the console I bought a larger television for, and it was well worth it. It’s the console that made gaming truly social, and not in the online sense.
Nintendo has taken what was becoming more of a niche market with each day and turned it almost entirely around. Now there are games for everybody. Gamers who consider themselves hardcore me scoff at the idea of a Petz title, but do they really not understand there is a market for everything? I like movies, but I don’t like EVERY movie. It’s the same with games. Newsflash: Not every game is made with you in mind!
For bringing video games to more people, Nintendo should be commended. It’s very likely they didn’t expect Wii to be as popular as it still is (I rarely see it on store shelves, even lately) and it’s obvious they have some catching up to do, features-wise in the next generation. After all, it would be folly to think that both Microsoft and Sony won’t try to bring in motion controls and one-up Nintendo at their own game. After all, that is a huge market share that has just been created, seemingly out of thin air.
I don’t know about you, but I know exactly how I’m going to celebrate the Wii’s second anniversary: I’m firing up Wii Sports to enjoy a few matches of tennis, followed by a few frames of bowling.
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5 responses so far:I am constantly having arguments with people who don’t think that the Wii is next gen. And while it doesn’t necessarily do graphically what the PS3 and the Xbox360 have done, it achieves something totally different.
I think the Wii is very next gen with its peripherals and changing the face of gaming. Nintendo has reached out to a whole new audience which I think is fantastic. It is doing something totally new and it is working.
And like you said Shaun the Wii is the first truly social gaming system. Which is very next gen since that isn’t even something that other consoles have been striving for.
Happy Early Birthday Wii!!
I didn’t know that you bought a bigger TV for the Wii. I did the same with the PS One. Or really for a specific game on it.
I’d played Super Puzzle Fighter II at Alex’s place, and HAD TO have it. Blew the cash on the console and game and brought it home and hooked it up and discovered that the colours on my TV absolutely sucked. I could barely tell the yellow gems from the red ones. Thus, time for a new TV!
Wellsir, the TV’s still going strong (though soon to be relegated to second banana when we upsize), and Super Puzzle Fighter II remains one of my all-time favourite videogames. The PS One? Well… I’ve moved on up, but I think I may still have it around somewhere. Let me know if you need another turntable. :)
What’s odd about the current state of entertainment consumption is that it’s going in many different directions at once. First, we have the “bigger is better” mentality that is steering sales of big screen HD television sets. Then, on the other hand, we have portable video on tiny media devices like the iPod, Zune, et al. Lastly, we have streaming .flv format video via sites like YouTube. The difference in quality is drastic!
Now in gaming, we have those that are in love with HD and those who are fine gaming in SD. Most of my systems are SD, and come to think of it, sub-SD resolution, so it makes no sense to get an HD set because it only makes HD content look better and everything else looks WORSE, no matter how fancy the upscaling can be.
It’s no lie that gaming generations have progressed with graphics being the major element that receives significant change. But with this generation, we have actually seen some neat things, graphical steps back in time being one of them.
Now, this isn’t to say the Wii is not capable of nice graphics. What I’m getting at is that for all systems, there are streamlined games that purposefully use simpler graphics for style and game play purposes. And, I believe that for the first time since Yoshi’s Island, gamers are accepting this as being all right. This, in turn, proves to developers that more artistic freedom is welcomed and it also helps push forth the “games as art” argument.
That all said, it doesn’t mean that some games just look bad due to lack of quality control.
@Reay - You already gave me your PlayStation but you didn’t give me the A/V cable. It’s all right, though. I’ve got two already!
Thanks for your oh-so-true commentary about the Wii. You are correct in calling it ultimately social. I got hooked on the Wii at what was supposed to be a UFC party. When the satelite connection to the UFC fight didn’t work, the host of the soiree opted to hold a little Wii tennis competition instead. I was hooked after my first virtual swing.
I had heard of the magical world of Wii but distrusted those who ranted of its glory at first. The first person I know who got one has extremely different tastes in fashion, music and television than me so I instantly assumed the Wii would be another bit of pop culture upon which to disagree.
How wrong I was!
Wii Sports is so much fun and so universal that I am planning on taking it home to the east coast when I visit my family over the holidays. I know my parents, ages 64 and 69 will get a kick out of the motion sensing technology. I can’t wait to see how tickled they will be at being able to bowl in the family room. I own a PS2 and a PSP and would never even think of sharing a game with my folks on either console. The Wii is ingenious! The fact that the console can offer something for everyone is quite remarkable, and extremely smart on Nintendo’s part.
Needless to say, I was thrilled when I found a console for sale in downtown Toronto last week. I was even more thrilled when I tracked down Wii Fit at a retailer this morning! (I hesitate to name the store, as they’re likely already sold out, and I don’t want to encourage a mob like the the Cabbage Patch Kid craze of 1982!) As soon as I finish penning this novel of a note, I will crack open the box and learn how much work I have to do before becoming a chiseled gaming goddess. :)
I’m pretty much writing a mirror blog to your own Shaun but was inspired to visit this site today after hearing your stint on CBC. Great job! Keep up the fantastic work here on this site.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Cheers,
Surf-ette