Wii sales exceed 9.27 million

[Rob2600]

As of June 30, 2007, 9.27 million Wii consoles and 47.27 million DS consoles have been sold worldwide.

Also as of June 30, 2007, 11.6 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide.

For more information:

http://wii.ign.com/articles/807/807852p1.html

[kjmontana]

No hundredths love for the 360? Japan is notorious for shunning anything not made in Japan, so the 360 numbers are, essentially, great(since it, like the Xbox before it, hasn't sold squat there!) How about PS3? Being outsold by your previous generation hardware(PS2) must be painful!

[josemp81]

my third 360 died took it back to costco got $479 cash and ended up getting a wii Instead tell you the truth i miss my 360 ALOT!!!!!!!! But im just going to wait till till microsoft gets their shit together. i also heard that a $50 dollar price drop Aug 8 yeah wii is cool to play with friends and family but by yourself its stupid. plus it looks like crap!

[Cloud121]

I was hyped for the Wii like no other. Stood in line on launch day and bought it with seven games. Cost me $600.

To say the Wii is pissing me off would be an understatement. Here I thought it would purely be a hardcore console. I really only thought it would catch on with the hardcore crowd. My thinking "Casuals are not gonna understand the control setup." The casuals would stick with the traditional controls of Sega, Microsoft, and Sony. Madden, Halo, GTA, etc.

Turns out it's the complete opposite what I had expected. Nothing but a damn casual console. Those seven games I bought at launch were the only ones I bought until June when RE4 came out. When the best game on your console is a port of a two and half year old game, something I've already bought twice before ('Cube and PS2) making it the third version I own, you know something is wrong. Not to mention I play said version with a GameCube controller.

Everything is a damn mini-game fest. All these parents and families wanting a Wii. Why do they want a Wii? Goddamn Bowling. You know, for $250, you could actually, go to the damn bowling alley for probably two weeks worth.

Watching Nintendo's Press Conference, I wanted to vomit. All the constant media whoring, and nonstop talk of targeting people woh don't play games. The fact they spent a grand total of maybe ten minutes tops on Galaxy, Smash, and the Metroid demo just made it worse.

Oh and, why the hell must every fucking trailer have these stupid "actors" shown acting out the control motions?

Oh and, blame the casuals for RE becoming a light-gun shooter on Wii. Don't get me wrong, the game will be amazing, but it was originally gonna be like RE4. Capcom's reasoning for making Chronicles the way it is? "Wii owners are casuals, and they suck at gaming. So we made it so you just point at the screen."

So maybe I went a little overboard with the elitism, it's late and I need to get to bed.

[AMG]

Microsoft better do something fast or the Wii is going to trample them in sales soon. A $50 price drop will help sales some, no doubt about it. But I don't think it will be enough.

[-_-Nintendo-_-]

I'm surprised, I brought the Wii at launch, being a keen Nintendo supporter, even after the Cube AND N64, with a bunch of games etc, and I sold it a month or two ago becasue the games pretty much sucked. I plan to buy it back but only when there are some decent titles out. So, despite the lackluster line up of Wii games available, it's still selling like hotcakes. I can't wait to see what happens when the Good games start rolling in :D

[XYXZYZ]

I finally bought Wii, played Super Paper Mario until I finished it. Nice game, but I have my complaints about it.

Haven't touched the Wii since.:|

Reading about it before it's release on the Neo Geo forum, this was going to be the system with the 2D shooters and arcade ports, given that Nintendo woundn't be restricting 2D games like Sony did. So far 360's looking slightly more appealing, but I don't want a $400.00 box that's likely to die on me.

[RadiantSvgun]

I love my Wii, my only complaint is that many of the games are party games. I was happy to see that Metal slug made an appearance, but I have owned the same games for quite a while. That, and the accessories are REALLY EXPENSIVE! 40 for a controller, 19 for a classic, 19 for a nunchuk, and I rarely see any of the accessories. Give it some time and before we know it, the game will probably blow us away.

[BydoEmpire]

Congrats to Nintendo. It was a pretty risky strategy, and it's nice to see it pay off for them. I camped all night to get my Wii on launch day, and haven't regretted it a day since. Fantastic console, a bunch of good games, and an excellent lineup throughout the rest of 2007. I'm still waiting for *the* game that shows off the wiimote's full potential - a big, AAA Star Wars game, or weapon-based RPG. Hopefully the continuing strong sales will spur 3rd parties to do bigger, better games. But in the mean time, I'm very happy with it. I ended up getting a 360 this year, too (mostly for Bomberman), but I really enjoy my Wii. They're the perfect combo.

[ubersaurus]

No hundredths love for the 360? Japan is notorious for shunning anything not made in Japan, so the 360 numbers are, essentially, great(since it, like the Xbox before it, hasn't sold squat there!) How about PS3? Being outsold by your previous generation hardware(PS2) must be painful!

For the last time, that is a myth. Xbox fails in Japan because they don't have games Japanese want, and they have the worst marketing ever on top of that.

[Anthony1]

I was hyped for the Wii like no other. Stood in line on launch day and bought it with seven games. Cost me $600.

To say the Wii is pissing me off would be an understatement. Here I thought it would purely be a hardcore console. I really only thought it would catch on with the hardcore crowd. My thinking "Casuals are not gonna understand the control setup." The casuals would stick with the traditional controls of Sega, Microsoft, and Sony. Madden, Halo, GTA, etc.

Turns out it's the complete opposite what I had expected. Nothing but a damn casual console. Those seven games I bought at launch were the only ones I bought until June when RE4 came out. When the best game on your console is a port of a two and half year old game, something I've already bought twice before ('Cube and PS2) making it the third version I own, you know something is wrong. Not to mention I play said version with a GameCube controller.

Everything is a damn mini-game fest. All these parents and families wanting a Wii. Why do they want a Wii? Goddamn Bowling. You know, for $250, you could actually, go to the damn bowling alley for probably two weeks worth.

Watching Nintendo's Press Conference, I wanted to vomit. All the constant media whoring, and nonstop talk of targeting people woh don't play games. The fact they spent a grand total of maybe ten minutes tops on Galaxy, Smash, and the Metroid demo just made it worse.

Oh and, why the hell must every fucking trailer have these stupid "actors" shown acting out the control motions?

Oh and, blame the casuals for RE becoming a light-gun shooter on Wii. Don't get me wrong, the game will be amazing, but it was originally gonna be like RE4. Capcom's reasoning for making Chronicles the way it is? "Wii owners are casuals, and they suck at gaming. So we made it so you just point at the screen."

So maybe I went a little overboard with the elitism, it's late and I need to get to bed.


For the most part, your take pretty much explains exactly how I felt with the Wii. I also spent about $600 total on Wii related items. At first, I really enjoyed the Wii, it had a charm all it's own. Playing Wii Sports and Wii Play was like an epiphany. You just got it. You play it, and you understand the whole allure of the Wii. Super Paper Mario was a very fun experience as well. Rayman Raving Rabids was pretty darn fun too. But what happened was, as time went on, the honeymoon period faded away, and I was left with a "Honey I Shrunk the GameCube and added Wi-Fi ", along with a waggle controller, and a parade of mini game collections. Just two weeks ago I ended up selling my Wii and the games I had. And I've also been selling all the various accessoires that I bought for it. I'm not going to recover the original $600 that I spent, but I'll get close to recovering about 75 percent to 80 percent of the $600 that I dropped on the whole "Wii Experience".

Also, I'm not trying to disparage the Wii, with this take... I'll probably get a Wii again sometime in the distant future, when Mario Galaxy is a pack in, and you can buy one for $99.99 . Based on how it's selling at $250, that will probably be Xmas 2010, lol.

[Nesmaster]

I feel the same way as you guys, Cloud and Anthony. I too spent about $510 total on everything I bought for my Wii, everything was on launch day except for a component cable. I loved the thing for about a month.

Fastforward to the middle of march sometime, and me sitting there not at all impressed with the thing, having not even played it since christmas (literally, December 25th) I decided to sell the thing while it was still hot. I got $500 for it with my games, and kept the component cable. So I basically ended up paying $10 (after you factor in taxes) to rent the Wii and games I bought for about 4 months, and the price of the component cable. I haven't looked back since.

I'm sure I'll pick one up again soon, but at this point I don't care half as much or even a quarter of what I would have or should be feeling about SMG and SSBB at this point. I'll pick up those games with a black Wii, whenever they get around to making one after all these people stop buying them to look at.

Black 360 + Black PS3 + Black Wii + Black HDTV + Black Home Theatre System = Harmony. :)

[Oobgarm]

I bought mine two days after launch at the NYC World Store, while visiting Portnoyd and the DP Store. I picked up Zelda and Super Monkey Ball. Once I got past the initial 'rush' of a new Nintendo system, I was left with the same buyer's remorse that I got with the Cube.

Zelda was sold without even seeing the inside of the console. Monkey Ball has been in the drive twice.

I got Elebits for Chistmas last year. Played once. I like the game, too.

Got Wii Play not long after it came out. It's been played maybe three times, only if there's company over.

Wii Sports has pretty much taken up residence in the machine, and even it's not played much, despite the fact that I love bowling. I just don't want to put it back in the sleeve it came in.

I rented Mario Party 8, and it got a few plays. More than any of the games I own or have owned, actually, barring Wii Sports. But the novelty wore off and it's being returned to GameFly.

Mario Strikers looks like fun, and I do look forward to Galaxy and Smash Bros., but I can't help but think I could have done without the Wii. Right now, it's disconnected and at my fiancee's house, where I forgot it about two weeks ago. I'm not missing it.

I can understand the sales figures, and whoever said that it was a 'casual console' hit the nail on the head.

[Rob2600]

Zelda was sold without even seeing the inside of the console. Monkey Ball has been in the drive twice.

That's too bad because The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a lot of fun. The controls are great, as is the art direction.

There are other highly rated Wii games too, like The Godfather: Blackhand Edition, Scarface: The World is Yours, Super Paper Mario, SSX Blur, Excite Truck, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Call of Duty 3, Metal Slug Anthology, etc.

In addition, these games are scheduled to be released within the next five weeks:

Mario Strikers Charged
Boogie
Madden NFL 08
Mercury Meltdown Revolution
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

The new Metroid game is supposed to be superb.

[Cloud121]

I agree, Godfather is great on Wii. That's exactly how I imagined the controls to be for a Wii game as soon as I saw the Wiimote. I played it a bit on Wii, and enjoyed it immensely, though I'm waiting for a price drop to at least $30 before I pick it up.

I've been saying since E3 2006 that Mario Galaxy will be Game of The Year 2007, followed closely by Mass Effect. Now, I'm think it'll be the other way around. Why? Because of all the casuals buying the Wii, Nintendo will dumb down Galaxy's difficulty. That will be what keeps it from winning Game of The Year. It will too easy. Don't get me wrong, Galaxy will be AMAZING (It's my most hyped Wii game. Even moreso than Resident Evil and Metroid, which is saying A LOT), but I just know it will be too easy. I'm hoping I'm wrong though....

Oh and, Metroid is my favorite Nintendo franchise (followed by F-Zero), and from what I've seen of Corruption, it's more of an FPS than ever before. ARGH! I've heard so many people bitch and moan about no dual analog in Metroid Prime, Metroid Echoes, and Resident Evil 4....

Hey! They're not shooters! They're adventure games! You explore! You people rave about how great Zelda is. Look at the classic Metroids, and the new Metroids. They're just side scrolling and first person versions of Zelda. In RE4, it's to create the tension of getting chased and getting out alive.

Hell, that reminds me of a friend of mine who likes Zelda but was watching me play Super Metroid once, and asked me "What the hell is the point of this game?" I explained it to him, and he said it's a worthless game and pointless. Oh and Zelda isn't the same way?

Sorry, excuse the rant.

[Anthony1]

I will say this about the Wii, when Metroid comes out, and "De Blob" and Mario Galaxy and Zak and Wiki, I will miss it a bit. I would have liked to have had the ability to try those games out. But, not for the amount of the money the Wii and all the extras cost. I ended up dropping way too much coin on that whole deal. I was lucky to get most of it back by selling it while it's still super hot. I would be willing to pick up a Wii for $99.99, if it has a great pack in game, but I'm guessing that isn't going to happen for a very, very, very long time. So I'm pretty much sitting the whole Wii thing out. It was fun while it lasted, and those of you that still love your Wii's... don't listen to me or any of the other dissapointed former Wii owners. If you like it, and are enjoying it, then ignore the naysayers and enjoy your games.

[Wolfrider31]

@ Cloud and Athony

Couldn't agree more. Everything on the Wii that's worth getting are ports of old games, ports of DS games, or ports of GC games that were shifted to the Wii at the last minute. It's getting pretty disgusting. And of the big three (Mario, Metroid and Brawl) only one of them seems to be significantly designed for the Wii. What's been shown of Metroid in terms of control hasn't really impressed me (unless they've got surprises up their sleeve) and Brawl can be played with a GC controller and isn't guaranteed to be online... so why bother?

Let's hope Zack and Wiki shows Nintendo and the rest of the Wii's development community how to make an actual Wii game. It's sad that this job is falling into the hands of a third party.

And those aren't numbers sold, those are numbers shipped, so the Wii's installed base is lower than that I imagine.

[alxbly]

I'm glad to see the Wii is selling well, but kinda worried about the impact it will have on gaming... it seems that the non-gamer is now the target customer, and both Sony and Microsoft will be sure to follow suit eventually. I just hope that there's a balance so that people who want a bit more depth aren't stuck with shitty accessory-driven party games.

I've changed my tune soooooo much from this time last year, when I thought the Wii looked like it could be the "saviour" of videogames. I bought a Wii at launch and really enjoyed Zelda, really enjoyed Wii Sports. The other games I've played didn't feel right or just aren't compelling to me; Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, Wii Play, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, Splinter Cell, Excite Truck... not all my own choices (some were presents) but none of them have made me want to play my Wii again. RE4 has given the Wii a new lease of life in my house but, like other people here, I already played it through on Gamecube about two years ago.

There's other Wii games I'm after but living in the UK means I'm about six months behind most people here; Elebits (or Eledees as it's been called in the UK) was only released a few months ago, Super Paper Mario isn't out until September, and Trauma Centre finally gets released next month. Talk about a slow release schedule. Anyway, I'm hoping this will be the start of a slow trickle of genuinely good Wii games. Fingers crossed...

[Rob2600]

those aren't numbers sold, those are numbers shipped, so the Wii's installed base is lower than that I imagine.

No, you're incorrect. Unlike Sony, Nintendo has always used sales figures, not shipment figures. To quote IGN's article, "...cumulative Wii hardware sales now stand at 9.27 million worldwide."

[hbkprm]

i cant wait to get my wii

[SaturnFan]

About 3/4 of that is from ButtPirate Fitness Guru's using the Wii as a weight loss machine.......that's why I still can't find one :(

[Rob2600]

I'm glad to see the Wii is selling well, but kinda worried about the impact it will have on gaming... it seems that the non-gamer is now the target customer, and both Sony and Microsoft will be sure to follow suit eventually.

This is nothing new. Remember, video games really broke through into the mainstream with the original Sony PlayStation. Non-gamers and casual gamers were the target customers a decade ago, too. That's why so many cheap, licensed games were released for it (Spice World, Austin Powers, Dukes of Hazzard, Flintstones Bedrock Bowling, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, etc.). Do you honestly believe publishers expected hard core gamers to buy these types of games? Of course not.

Also, when Final Fantasy VII was released, people who almost never played video games came into my store and bought a copy along with a PlayStation, just because they thought the commercials looked cool.

[Garry Silljo]

And those aren't numbers sold, those are numbers shipped, so the Wii's installed base is lower than that I imagine.

Yes, but stores can't keep them in stock longer than a few hours. If those numbers are off, they are only off by a very low margin. Also, those were June numbers, so if anything it's higher by now.

[heybtbm]

I bought a Wii in February and probably have had it turned on only 10 or so hours total. RE4 has probably been 8 hours of that.

While it currently seems like a foolish purchase, I have no intentions of selling the Wii. Mainly because of Super Smash Bros. and Mario Galaxy. My guess is Wii's will still be hard to find by this Fall, and those who don't have one by then simply aren't going to be playing SSBB or Mario Galaxy until well into 2008. I want to play those two games the day they hit.

[Lord_Magus]

I'm glad to see the Wii is selling well, but kinda worried about the impact it will have on gaming... it seems that the non-gamer is now the target customer

You know, I said that exact thing about the first Playstation, which ended up pretty much bringing the gaming industry to the commercialized state it is in today. I could argue that the "hardcore" gamers (the ones that started out by playing FF7, Grand Turismo or Halo) are equally or more responsible for the deteriorating quality of games today as the "casual" gamers are.

I mean, short and casual party games are only becoming as common as the hundreds of unoriginal film adaptations, ("extreme") sports, driving sims and WW2 FPS games (just to name a few) which have been flooding the industry for years. So from this perspective, casual games are more of an expansion to the market, and not a "threat" to gaming in themselves. Its like saying that the increased popularity of small, comfortable and economic cars will bring an end to fast sports cars, something which we all know is not the case.

So I think the only difference from before is that Nintendo has merely introduced a new "genre" here: casual games (or as purists like to call them, "non-games"). The general rule, of course, is that most of these games will be crap, but can't the same thing can be said about any other genre out there? Truly great games have always been few are far between, and this usually has had nothing to do with their genre or target market.

So overall, I think that the Wii not only isn't a "threat" to games as we know them, but in many ways it's actually a blessing (in disguise, to some). I suspect that once this "casual" game craze has settled down, it will leave the industry greatly expanded, much more open to new ideas and much more accepted as a medium by the general public - all of which the games industry really needs right now.

[Cloud121]

I could argue that the "hardcore" gamers (the ones that started out by playing FF7, Grand Turismo or Halo) are equally or more responsible for the deteriorating quality of games today as the "casual" gamers are.
I'll admit it. It was late 1997 that I became a pretty hardcore player, somewhat thanks to Final Fantasy VII (Which was NOT my first RPG. Final Fantasy, Ultima: Quest of The Avatar, Dragon Quest, and Super Mario RPG were my first RPGs). After Parasite Eve came out in October 1998, all bets were off. Gaming was my life.

Up until that point, I was a pretty casual player. I got my MegaDrive in 1990, Super Famicom in 1991, and that was it until 1997 when I got an N64 for my birthday, and PSX for Christmas. Before then, the only games I played religiously were Mortal Kombat, and Virtua Fighter. I'm still playing VF now, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my eleven and half years of experience will stack up on Xbox Live come Halloween.

My Saturn (August 19, 2000) is what turned me into a Sega nut, and I didn't get into hardcore collecting until August 2001 when I bought my 32X, Mega CD in November 2001, then Dreamcast in January 2002.

So yes, maybe people like me are somewhat responsible. But at least I have a huge passion for this industry, and everything it represents. Gaming is what I am, and all I am.

[neuropolitique]

Soooo sick of the term "hardcore gamer". It's only ever used by those wishing to think of themselves on a higher level than those around them. A Gamer just wants to play games. Doesn't matter what system, what controls, how simple/complex. Perhaps you should just get over yourselves and start to just enjoy games.

OMG IM TEH HARCORZE!!!!!!!! I NEED *insert latest control gimmick/physics ability/graphic amazement* OR THE GAMEZ SUCKZ!!!!!!

[Spartacus]

I found this Nielson study to be interesting....

"While the Wii has continued to be an extremely popular platform at retail, this popularity did not seem reflected in the Nielsen study, which ranked time spent with the console with just 1.8 sessions spent on days when it was played, with played spending 57 minutes with the console each time. The report also found that Wii peak game time has moved into the evening, with most players playing games on the Wii at 8 PM compared to 5 PM in April."

Maybe it's cooler to own one than to actually play it.

You can read more about the study here...
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14848

[Icarus Moonsight]

Soooo sick of the term "hardcore gamer". It's only ever used by those wishing to think of themselves on a higher level than those around them. A Gamer just wants to play games. Doesn't matter what system, what controls, how simple/complex. Perhaps you should just get over yourselves and start to just enjoy games.

OMG IM TEH HARCORZE!!!!!!!! I NEED *insert latest control gimmick/physics ability/graphic amazement* OR THE GAMEZ SUCKZ!!!!!!

Same here as well. Dumbass elitist BS. That and "fanboy" being thrown around left and right also ires me. WTF is wrong with being, simply put, a gamer? PC gamer, retro gamer even console gamer is fine because the added term is descriptive of gamer type... but hardcore gamer? What, have you not thouroughly defrosted? Oh I'm sorry, that would be icecore gamer. My bad. :p

[chrisballer]

I just bought my wii recently and it has been fun. Like most waiting for more games to come out. I am looking forward to manhunt 2 and the use of the wiimote. It will be different to sneak up behind someone and slit there throat useing the same motion with the wiimote. The preview I read on the game in this months hardcore gamer magazine made it sound really cool.

As far as the sales go it does not supprise me. It is something new, cheaper then the rest and alot of people have not gone hd yet, The obvious reasons. Plus nintendo does have a good rep for making dependable systems compared to the others.

So as of this moment i do not regret buying it. But with that said with the current choice of games i am enjoying my 360 more.

[Rob2600]

I found this Nielson study to be interesting... Maybe it's cooler to own one than to actually play it.

As long as the hardware and software continues to sell well, Nintendo probably doesn't care. :)


a lot of people have not gone hd yet

The vast majority of Americans have not upgraded to HD yet. I guess that could be considered "a lot." :)

I haven't upgraded, my family hasn't upgraded, my friends haven't upgraded, most of my coworkers haven't upgraded, etc. I don't plan on upgrading any time soon and the same goes for everyone else I know.

I only know five people/families who own an HDTV, compared to dozens who don't own one. Maybe in six years, the percentages will have shifted radically, but for the time being, I can't see investing thousands of dollars in equipment that will probably be obsolete within a decade.

When HDTV prices become as low as standard TV prices are now, then I'll upgrade. :)

[neuropolitique]

I found this Nielson study to be interesting....

"While the Wii has continued to be an extremely popular platform at retail, this popularity did not seem reflected in the Nielsen study, which ranked time spent with the console with just 1.8 sessions spent on days when it was played, with played spending 57 minutes with the console each time. The report also found that Wii peak game time has moved into the evening, with most players playing games on the Wii at 8 PM compared to 5 PM in April."

Maybe it's cooler to own one than to actually play it.

You can read more about the study here...
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14848

also from that article

Xbox 360 users were found to spend the most time in front of their consoles, playing 2.2 times on those days for an average of 61 minutes per session.

maybe it's cooler to complain about games than play them

[Rob2600]

also from that article

Xbox 360 users were found to spend the most time in front of their consoles, playing 2.2 times on those days for an average of 61 minutes per session.

maybe it's cooler to complain about games than play them

That means:

Wii = 1.8 gaming sessions per day x 57 minutes per session = 102.6 minutes per day.

Xbox 360 = 2.2 gaming sessions per day x 61 minutes per session = 134.2 minutes per day.

That's a difference of 31.6 minutes per day. An extra half hour doesn't seem like a very big difference to me.

[djbeatmongrel]

I'm not a huge fan of playing wii sports on my own but i've put a fair sized chunk of time into my wii since i have got it with the games i have bought for it. I really am just waiting for software to play but thats the norm with most first year hard ware.

I think the majority of wii buyers are playing it for wii sports and the party games at the moment. when i was at gamestop i was amazed at the amount of parents that were more excited about the wii than their kids. on a popular level is it really so bad that theres a shift in demographic. i think part of the negative talk is that the supposed "hardcore" gamers are iffy to commit to the wii's control style.

Really, sometimes i need a standard controller to play but nothing, in my opinion, beats the sense of accomplishment and emersion i have felt in the games i have played for the wii.

[Neil Koch]

I just got my Wii last weekend and am still adapting to the controls on FPS games, but then again, it took me a while to get used to the switch to dual analog sticks.

I don't have too many Wii games at this point (I've been mostly playing games on the VC) but I haven't had any problems controlling stuff like Wii Sports/Play, Trauma Center and Cooking Mama.

Actually, the game that has impressed me the most so far is Godfather. I thought they did a really good job of intergrating traditional controls along with the motion sensing stuff - some of the executions made me all that more excited for Manhunt 2.

But back on topic, I'm also sick of the "hardcore" gamer tag. It's a big reason that this is pretty much the only game forum I go to, because most every other one seems to consist of pissing matches between geeks. But most every hobby seems to have people like that.

[Rob2600]

Actually, the game that has impressed me the most so far is Godfather. I thought they did a really good job of integrating traditional controls along with the motion sensing stuff

I agree. I think Nintendo did a great job with the controls in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, too. Also, according to the people at IGN, the controls in the upcoming Metroid game are great. It scheduled to be released in five weeks.

[Cloud121]

That reminds me, a few weeks back when I was at GameStop, I sold a Wii to a mother and her child. The best part? They actually bought some games with it! Super Paper Mario, Super Monkey Ball (The sole reason I bought my Wii for), Wii Play, and Rayman. Granted, Monkey Ball and Rayman are considered party games, but at least they bought more than just the unit with Wii Sports, then Wii Play for the controller. Besides, Monkey Ball and Rayman are great games to begin with.

This was one of the few times we sold a Wii with some games. Majority of the time they just want the damn unit. I also agree with one of the posts above. Maybe it just cooler to own one, rather than play one.

[Rob2600]

Majority of the time they just want the damn unit.

It's been a long time since a console launched with a pack-in, but that's what happens when a console comes with a game. Parents seem to like that better because they feel like they're getting a better value. "This comes with a game? Great! Now I don't have to spend an extra $50."

In the late 1980s, many of my friends received an NES with Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt and didn't get another game for months. Fortunately, Super Mario Bros. was a very good game.

[Neil Koch]

This was one of the few times we sold a Wii with some games. Majority of the time they just want the damn unit. I also agree with one of the posts above. Maybe it just cooler to own one, rather than play one.

Or maybe the just didn't have the additional $50 to get a game? Also, there's a lot of people now who just rent games rather than buying them.

[cyberfluxor]

Or maybe the just didn't have the additional $50 to get a game? Also, there's a lot of people now who just rent games rather than buying them.

Maybe as a whole, but all of my friends just buy games and most are used. Going to Indy game stores more often than not people will buy a game, keep it for a few weeks and then sell it back in (which no doubt it's the same at GameStop and the likes I'm sure), possibly holding onto the better games.

I currently have 3 friends that own a Wii and have gotten a dozen chances to play it and there's nothing that terrible about it. One bud of mine got a PS3 and Wii over the weekend but he's holding off on a 360 until a better model comes out. I'll certainly be hanging out at his place a bit more often to see what both have to off.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

There's nothing that terrible about the system (Wii). We own one, and although I haven't played the wii sports in a few weeks... it's the only next generation console that we own. I think personally that it's not a good thing to tell sony, $600 or $500 is ok to charge for a PS3... I'm glad that they're failing right now... The 360 isn't a lot better as far as price goes, but has the best library of games. I personally can't afford what Sony or microsoft charges... Right now it seems to be a really rocky time for game systems... One has major hardware issues... One can't move it's product (due to price or lack of library) And one is being criticized for dumbing down the industry... who knows what'll happen... hopefully it'll all workout for the gamer... Just give Nintendo a bit of a break... It hasn't had good 3rd party support since the SNES, and developers are just slow to realize they need to take the system seriously... Those 3rd party developers are just as much to blame for a lack of library as Nintendo is.... many of the great games on other systems are not developed in house anyway...

[Rob2600]

Just give Nintendo a bit of a break... It hasn't had good 3rd party support since the SNES, and developers are just slow to realize they need to take the system seriously...

The Gamecube had tons of third-party games. So does the Wii.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

So why was the gamecube the loser of the three last time? OK it HAD 3rd party support... but was it good 3rd party? It wasn't lack of power, because it had plenty of power. It was the cheapest of the three... So it wasn't price... EA just said that they are sorry that they haven't taken the wii seriously... I said GOOD third party support... Not NO third party support. Nintendo shot themselves in the foot, by limiting themselves on cartridge or disc space, to avoid piracy... so all those big companies didn't develop their flagship releases for them... 3rd parties gave them plenty of titles... just not their best.

[Rob2600]

So why was the gamecube the loser of the three last time? OK it HAD 3rd party support... but was it good 3rd party? It wasn't lack of power, because it had plenty of power. It was the cheapest of the three... So it wasn't price... EA just said that they are sorry that they haven't taken the wii seriously.

The Gamecube and the Xbox were essentially tied with about 22 million of each sold.

The Wii has been out for eight months and EA has already released eight games (Medal of Honor, The Godfather, Harry Potter, Madden NFL, Need for Speed, SSX Blur, Tiger Woods PGA, and The Sims 2), most of which are highly rated. EA is also releasing at least six more Wii games by the end of the year (MySims, Boogie, Playground, FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA Live).

In addition to EA, the Wii is also getting support from Sega, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Hudson, Atari, Midway, THQ, SNK, Namco, 2K Sports, Rockstar, Activision, Tecmo, etc. That sounds like good support to me.

As of July 29, 2007, 71 Wii games have been released in North America, plus another 10 are being released by the end of August. By comparison, 42 PlayStation 3 games have been released in North America, plus another 6 are being released by the end of August.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

You said getting... I said nothing about them not getting support... I'm just quoting something I've read multiple times from EA... And Gamecube was the loser... It may be gaining some sales because you can't purchase an XBOX anywhere, but gamecubes are on the shelves... I'm just stating common knowledge... I'm not arguing anything dude... And those 8 games are for the most part ports. I am a huge nintendo fan, and have all of their consoles... In fact if you read my original post... I said that I liked the Wii... And MOST people complain about lack of current 3rd party support... You really don't have an argument because are points aren't really different. Chill out. I'm not getting dragged into a back and forth in here. I don't do online forums for the most part because people like to argue.. and I don't. Again I LOVE Nintendo. And I said PS3 is failing and I was glad... I never said Nintendo Wii wasn't killing everyone... they are. I said 360 had the best current gen library right now, because they've been out longest.

[The Great Dane]

I have to say that I am impressed with these new numbers. I was very scared that Nintendo was going to flop big time with the Wii, but it turned out to be a huge success.

I bought one about 3 months ago and I love it. I only have Wii Sports, Wii Play (ugh!), and just bought Resident Evil 4 and I love it. I am very excited about the "Big 3" coming out this year, specifically Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy, as well as some others like Nights.

Now, even though I really like the system I do have one HUGE complaint. I absolutely hate how Nintendo is totally aiming the system at the casual, non-gamer crowd. I mean why do everyone's grandparents have to play video games? Why can't the hardcore crowd that have been supporting Nintendo since the days of the NES get a system that has a lot of awesome games with "complex controls?" I mean don't get me wrong, I do enjoy playing games that I can just pop in and play for a few minutes, such as Wii Sports, etc. But, I really want to have the majority of the games being like Metroid Prime 3, Resident Evil 4, etc.

With all that said, I still really like the Wii and do not regret my purchase of it.

[Rob2600]

Gamecube was the loser... I'm just stating common knowledge.

Well then "common knowledge" is incorrect because the Gamecube and Xbox have similar total sales figures.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

When you say similar.... you really mean that XBOX edges it out... as of March 2007. Mind you GC is still in production and will eventually surpass XBOX only because you can't buy them anymore. The numbers currently SAY XBOX won, I'm not sure how you can say I'm incorrect. If GC were the current winner, you would no doubt not say "similar." So if you're gonna nitpick and try and start an argument where there wasn't here you go.

21 million GC
24 Million XBOX

http://vgchartz.com/worldcons.php

Dude I'm done with this thread... I never bashed Nintendo, was way more positive about it than I was the other systems and you still continue to nitpick what I say... I've seen you do the same in other threads in defense of Nintendo, so just continue your crusade and make sure nothing remotely critical can be found about Nintendo in these forums... and make sure you find some WAY more current numbers than I found just so you can prove you're right. I don't care anymore. And before you can go ahead and get the last (and of course more right) word - I want to reiterate again... Ive been a Nintendo fan ever since I've had the NES in the mid 80's. I own every Nintendo console... so I'm not crapping or bashing... I was just stating what Ive read in countless forums and news stories. Nintendo is doing an excellent job with the Wii... and I hope they continue to do well... With many 3rd parties now vowing their support. Lets hope some companies create exclusive cutting edge Wii titles to give the overpowered systems a run for their money. Maybe then people will stop complaning that the wii is dumbing everything down. And if the other systems come down in price I'll be waiting in line to play them.

[Eteric Rice]

The Wii will be fine, it's just going to take a while to get more "hardcore" oriented games.

Devs with pants down, and all that.

The next 5 months are going to be awesome, though. :D

[Buyatari]

I still say the Wii should have been a stand alone plug in play bowling game and Nintendo should have released a console which focuses on a more "normal" controller.

[mEgAsHoT]

I was hyped for the Wii like no other. Stood in line on launch day and bought it with seven games. Cost me $600.

To say the Wii is pissing me off would be an understatement. Here I thought it would purely be a hardcore console. I really only thought it would catch on with the hardcore crowd. My thinking "Casuals are not gonna understand the control setup." The casuals would stick with the traditional controls of Sega, Microsoft, and Sony. Madden, Halo, GTA, etc.

Turns out it's the complete opposite what I had expected. Nothing but a damn casual console. Those seven games I bought at launch were the only ones I bought until June when RE4 came out. When the best game on your console is a port of a two and half year old game, something I've already bought twice before ('Cube and PS2) making it the third version I own, you know something is wrong. Not to mention I play said version with a GameCube controller.

Everything is a damn mini-game fest. All these parents and families wanting a Wii. Why do they want a Wii? Goddamn Bowling. You know, for $250, you could actually, go to the damn bowling alley for probably two weeks worth.

Watching Nintendo's Press Conference, I wanted to vomit. All the constant media whoring, and nonstop talk of targeting people woh don't play games. The fact they spent a grand total of maybe ten minutes tops on Galaxy, Smash, and the Metroid demo just made it worse.

Oh and, why the hell must every fucking trailer have these stupid "actors" shown acting out the control motions?

Oh and, blame the casuals for RE becoming a light-gun shooter on Wii. Don't get me wrong, the game will be amazing, but it was originally gonna be like RE4. Capcom's reasoning for making Chronicles the way it is? "Wii owners are casuals, and they suck at gaming. So we made it so you just point at the screen."

So maybe I went a little overboard with the elitism, it's late and I need to get to bed.

You really took the words out of my mouth. This is the main reason why I am holding out on getting a Wii, is because, sure, some of the games may be nice (like Zelda or Call of Duty 3, for example), but there are too many crappy movie titles, mini-game fests, quick ports from the Gamecube with Wii controls tacked on at the last second, and kiddie titles (spongebob, etc.) for me to handle. The crappy games targeted for non-gamers are outnumbering the real games that truly showcase the Wii's unique control system. Instead, developers are bastardizing the Wii's install base by quickly tacking on Wii controls in order to make a quick buck instead of trying to make a good game. Quantity over Quality is the name of the game for some developers. (Ex: Ubisoft's quick porting of Far Cry and Prince of Persia in order to "cash-in" on the Wii phenomeon.)

Until some actual good games come out (like Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Galaxy, etc.) I will be waiting to see how the Wii does. If all the Wii gets is all of this "non-gamer" games, and ports of PS2/former Gamecube titles, then the "hardcore" crowd will leave in droves due to the fact that there are no "real" games on the system that take advantage of the hardware. And if the games do take advantage of the hardware, it's always a Nintendo-made game (like Strikers, Zelda, etc.) and not a third party game. I'm sure the Wii is a great machine, but the game selection needs a little work.

[ubersaurus]

Mario Strikers Charged is a man's game.

[Rob2600]

some of the games may be nice, but there are too many crappy movie titles, mini-game fests, quick ports, and kiddie titles (spongebob, etc.) for me to handle. ... Quantity over Quality is the name of the game for some developers.

Are you sure you're not talking about the Sony PlayStation?

Seriously though, that describes the Wii, the PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, the NES, the Atari 2600, and every other successful video game console ever created.

[Icarus Moonsight]

And if the games do take advantage of the hardware, it's always a Nintendo-made game (like Strikers, Zelda, etc.) and not a third party game. I'm sure the Wii is a great machine, but the game selection needs a little work.

Zelda didn't take advantage of the Wii's hardware other than control scheme but, that's really interface not technically hardware. Besides control it was a straight port, just mirrored worlds. Devs decided to bet on the wrong horse this time around and the quick ports are evidence to the fact of poor planning not lack of the Wii hardware potential. It has less than the competition, no one will dispute that. It is however currently kicking ass where it counts, sales. I'll bet there is more under that hood than most people realize.

[swlovinist]

I love the Wii, and it does appeal to a different gamer than your 360 or PC gamer. With that being said, it does have good games, with some great games coming(Metroid 3, Mario Galaxy, Smash etc). Super Paper Mario, Excite Truck, Rayman, Edbits, Zelda, just to name a few. For an 8 month span, it holds up to any other consoles release(I do believe the 360 had a pretty shitty lineup the first 6 to 9 months as well). I am a fan of all systems, and the wii offers something different. The market has never been carried by hardcore fans, just as the Dreamcast how that went for them :). The sales show one thing: Sony and Mircosoft have forgotten about a large group of gamers that dont give a shit about cutting edge graphics or complicated gameplay. I consider myself an "all arounder gamer". I like my PS2 for the "all arournd games" I like the DS for my portable gaming. I will like my 360 for Halo 3 and Mass Effect. I like my Wii for when anyone comes over and wants to play. All systems have thier strengths, I just think it is funny that a system that comes out that offers something different is so bashed by certain gamers. Hell, it will bring more gamers into the market, is that such a bad thing?

[Buyatari]

All systems have thier strengths, I just think it is funny that a system that comes out that offers something different is so bashed by certain gamers. Hell, it will bring more gamers into the market, is that such a bad thing?

No its not a bad thing to have a system your mother and girlfriend will play. The Wii has some great games that use the controller very well and if you plan to own more than 1 system then adding a Wii to the mix is a good thing.

Most bashing is in response to Nintendo fanboys who use the high system sales (no mention of low software sales) to say that its the end all be all of this generation. I like the controller for a few games but the system relies too much on it. It should be used only for the few games that take advantage of it. To be forced to play all games with this control system is like playing all your Xbox 360 games with a dance pad.

Thats why the system can outsell the others but still have lower sales on 3rd party titles offered across platforms. When people have 2 or more current systems that a game is offered on they buy the game on the non-wii system.

[swlovinist]

I play my wii as well. It is just not for my wife or sister. Everyone has a favorite system. It is kind of like Religion, everyone wants their own one to be right and will defend it to the bitter end. Atari Fanboys hate Nintendo and their "kiddie games". Xbox fanboys hate Nintendo for their shitty graphics and too simplistic games(ones that they dont play). Sony Fanboys boast about their superior library and exclusive titles. Nintendo Fanboys think that other consoles such as the Xbox only make FPS shooter games. I personally think being a fanboy is dumb. All systems have their strengths and weaknesses. One thing is for certain, this current console battle has its bases covered. Their truely is a console for everyone. I support the Wii because it is different. I dont think that the controller is limited to what games it can do. The problem with many is CHANGING. We have been playing video games using the same controller for over 12 years now. I have played enough of the wii to believe that it is new and innovative. It is not the and all, nor was it intended to be. It is just something that wasnt being marketed before....games for everyone. Are the games there yet? Nope, they are not. It does not really matter to me, as I am still having fun with the three that I own. Software sales do matter, however remember that unlike MS or Sony, Nintendo can carry its own system by itself and is happy to milk a drought by only releasing a couple of titles every month. Look how long they strung out the poor N64 before its demise. On a more positive note, this holiday looks solid for all three companies. The battle has just begun.

[ReaXan]

My friend who goes to college with me at UT Martin bought the system at christmas time,but because of some sort of shipping error the company he bought it from didnt finally ship it till March of this year.They include included 4 wii remotes and Monkey Ball as some other game that illudes me at the moment because of the mixup.


I got to play the Wii with alot of people living in the dorms.It was a great experience at first,Wii Sports was the shitznit,everyone liked it,me and 3 other buddies stayed up all night one time playing Wii Tennis,it was a great experience.

When he started renting games like Far Cry,Red Dawn and some X-Men game I realize that this game was like a slightly upgraded Gamecube in which very few games could be ported succesfully to play with the remote.I eventually started playing Resident Evil 4 for the Gamecube when I would come over because of the unfunness of the wii games besides Wii Sports/Play.I got pretty damn good at Single Player Wii Tennis.

Anyway alot of people have made valid points about the system.Its a great party system,especially if your in a dorm setting with lots of friends to play with.If your alone than an xbox360 or PS3 is your best bet

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I think its cool that Nintendo Wii is doing so well. I still havent been able to find one (When I have the money). Last week I was at the mall, I went to FYE and bought Rescue Me: Season 3, Curb your Enthusiam Season 1,2,3 then walked to EB. I was looking at Gamecube games, then someone asked if they had any WII's and they did, right after I spent most of my play money.

[stuffedmonkey]

I hate to say it - but I'm thinking about selling my Wii as well. I love Nintendo, and haven't bought another system on release day since the SNES. There is just something a little off abgout it. I really think they should have shipped it with two controllers - one wavebird and one wiimote. You just can't force every game to adapt to the controller scheme. There are just some genres that suck to play with the Wiimote. The reason the DS works so well is that you aren't forced to use the ough screen only. I don't want to play racing games with a tilt sensor, I just don't. I liked the first one or two minigame collection disks, but that gets old. I'm trying to pare down the number of systems I have, so this sucker might just get the boot.

[ReaXan]

I still say the Wii should have been a stand alone plug in play bowling game and Nintendo should have released a console which focuses on a more "normal" controller.

I seriously always have considered you once of the best posters here but I think your thought process on this slightly off

If the Nintendo Wii was a standalone with just Wii Sports then I really believe it would have went the way of the Virtual Boy.A huge loss in the end for Nintendo to the point where they would just end up like Sega has.Consumers are also very picky,they dont like investing in something that will die out and be a waste of their money,the Wii seems to be a sure first system for many years to come because of how it has done so far,but Sony still could catch up and crush the Wii.

the Wii just has a special charm to it that really appeals to the masses,everyone who is from generation x and above remember the NES and how much fun it was,this is the first system since then by Nintendo that has captured the magic the NES did so you have to give them major credit for that.Not knocking on the SNES or N64 or even the "Dolphin" lol but i think it hold true here.

Nintendo could have made an updated version of the gamecube with a reg controller but then it would be 3 systems with similar technology floating around.Nintendo did that with the Cube but it still was 3rd for most of its run.
Nintendo probably just decided to roll the dice on a sort of "high front end payoff" type situation instead of having to wait it out and hope for the best like they did with the Gamecube

[Buyatari]

I seriously always have considered you once of the best posters here but I think your thought process on this slightly off

If the Nintendo Wii was a standalone with just Wii Sports then I really believe it would have went the way of the Virtual Boy.A huge loss in the end for Nintendo to the point where they would just end up like Sega has.Consumers are also very picky,they dont like investing in something that will die out and be a waste of their money,the Wii seems to be a sure first system for many years to come because of how it has done so far,but Sony still could catch up and crush the Wii.

the Wii just has a special charm to it that really appeals to the masses,everyone who is from generation x and above remember the NES and how much fun it was,this is the first system since then by Nintendo that has captured the magic the NES did so you have to give them major credit for that.Not knocking on the SNES or N64 or even the "Dolphin" lol but i think it hold true here.

Nintendo could have made an updated version of the gamecube with a reg controller but then it would be 3 systems with similar technology floating around.Nintendo did that with the Cube but it still was 3rd for most of its run.
Nintendo probably just decided to roll the dice on a sort of "high front end payoff" type situation instead of having to wait it out and hope for the best like they did with the Gamecube

The wii is a great system for gamers who have more than 1 system.

The problem from a business standard is that most people who own a wii will buy another system if they have not already. In other words while they will sell many many systems and introduce many people to modern games who do not play, the flaw is that it is not a complete system. The controls do not work equally as good on all types of games. Like everything in this world it has its strong points and weak points. It works better on some and worse on others.

The way I see it you have 3 wii buyers.

The kids. They always buy Nintendo as parents trust it and they have great multiplayer kid games.
The non gamer mom and sister who buy 1 game a year and love the bowling game.
The gamer. The gamer in most cases will buy another system where up till now he may have just had 1. Some gamers are loyal to a company but less will be so with Nintendo because many games don't work well with the new control system. You can't play Madden or Street Fighter on the Wii. You just can't. Ask any serious Madden or Street Fighter player and they will laugh at you. It took them YEARS to get the moves perfected they won't go back to square one. If the gamer wants to play those types of games he will have to have 2 systems. The more systems he has the less games he buys for the Nintedo system.

Thus the software sales on the Wii will seem not reflect the number of systems sold. Now kids always buy ALOT see previous Mario and Pokemon sales if you need proof and that won't change. But the inflated system sales to non-game players who pretty much use it as a stand alone will affect it alot. They aren't going to buy any games. 1 a year maybe. Then the gamers buy the games that work (ie 1st party Nintendo titles) but will buy most 3rd party titles on other platforms.


I guess Nintendo will eventually blame this on piracy but the truth is Nintendo owners won't buy as many games as they would have and its such an easy fix. All you needed was a standard controller for the standard games packed in. Give 3rd party developers the choice of which control system to use for each game and it would have been a knockout punch.

I still think a bowling standalone unit for $100 would sell alot of copies to many non gamers who won't buy other games anyway.

[Eteric Rice]

It's going to take time, tbh. I'd say this draught is probably not as bad as some others in the past.

As for the Wii controller, the problem is that most of the games so far are PS2 games that has the controller tacked on to replicate the older controller, cept with motions. While this doesn't always end up bad (Resident Evil 4, Godfather), it usually does.

Stuff like Dragon Quest Swords, Dewey's Adventure, etc, are more or less tailored for the Wii. That's how developers need to think weather they're making a non-game or a hardcore game.

Take a look at Phantom Hourglass for the DS to see an example of a game tailored to a system. Some amazing things could be done with the Wii if developers would think outside of the box.


You can't play Madden or Street Fighter on the Wii.

Actually, many considered Madden Wii to be the best version. 08 for the Wii will have online and other features.

I agree with the Street Fighter thing, though.

[Chris]

You can't play Madden or Street Fighter on the Wii. You just can't. Ask any serious Madden or Street Fighter player and they will laugh at you. It took them YEARS to get the moves perfected they won't go back to square one. If the gamer wants to play those types of games he will have to have 2 systems.

That sounds like utter nonsense to me, I can play Street Fighter just fine on the virtual console and as said Wii Madden got pretty favourible reviews.

What so many people dont get is that the Wiimote and the Nunchuk offer the same control possibilities a standard analogue pad offers and more, so in theory there's nothing that couldn't be done on the Wii control-wise.



In the late 1980s, many of my friends received an NES with Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt and didn't get another game for months. Fortunately, Super Mario Bros. was a very good game.

And so is Wii Sports. It's a system seller and imo easily one of the best titles on the console. It could've outsold everything if it would've been released as a full-price title instead of a pack-in.


I found this Nielson study to be interesting....

"While the Wii has continued to be an extremely popular platform at retail, this popularity did not seem reflected in the Nielsen study, which ranked time spent with the console with just 1.8 sessions spent on days when it was played, with played spending 57 minutes with the console each time. The report also found that Wii peak game time has moved into the evening, with most players playing games on the Wii at 8 PM compared to 5 PM in April."

Maybe it's cooler to own one than to actually play it.

You can read more about the study here...
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14848

This is worthless.. since when did playtime equal enjoyment?
I'd rather play an action title that takes 10 hours, but is excellent fun throughout, instead of a 100 hour RPG were half of the time is wasted with boring and mindless leveling.

This study just reflects the design of many Wii titles (more instant action that's best enjoyed in short bursts in comparison to more complex and longer games).

[Hep038]

There's nothing that terrible about the system (Wii). We own one, and although I haven't played the wii sports in a few weeks... it's the only next generation console that we own. I think personally that it's not a good thing to tell sony, $600 or $500 is ok to charge for a PS3... I'm glad that they're failing right now... The 360 isn't a lot better as far as price goes, but has the best library of games. I personally can't afford what Sony or microsoft charges... Right now it seems to be a really rocky time for game systems... One has major hardware issues... One can't move it's product (due to price or lack of library) And one is being criticized for dumbing down the industry... who knows what'll happen... hopefully it'll all workout for the gamer... Just give Nintendo a bit of a break... It hasn't had good 3rd party support since the SNES, and developers are just slow to realize they need to take the system seriously... Those 3rd party developers are just as much to blame for a lack of library as Nintendo is.... many of the great games on other systems are not developed in house anyway...


Welcome to the Digital press forums. Anything outside of claiming the greatness that is Nintendo, the usual suspects will attack with full force. When they are not attacking unfavorable Nintendo posts, they are starting threads with the latest negative news about Microsoft and Sony. BUT if you start a negative thread about Nintendo they get upset you are not giving the system credit, or you are too soon to judge. Since the Wii's release it has gotten quite ridiculous.

[dbiersdorf]

That reminds me, a few weeks back when I was at GameStop, I sold a Wii to a mother and her child. The best part? They actually bought some games with it! Super Paper Mario, Super Monkey Ball (The sole reason I bought my Wii for), Wii Play, and Rayman. Granted, Monkey Ball and Rayman are considered party games, but at least they bought more than just the unit with Wii Sports, then Wii Play for the controller. Besides, Monkey Ball and Rayman are great games to begin with.

This was one of the few times we sold a Wii with some games. Majority of the time they just want the damn unit. I also agree with one of the posts above. Maybe it just cooler to own one, rather than play one.

You sound like an arrogant, stuck up GameStop employee.

Do you realize that the majority of consumers has always and will always be casual gamers? The market is not filled with people like *you* who have 80% of a systems library of games. You are a niche, the hardcore gamer as we like to call it is a niche. There's a reason like games like Halo, GTA and Madden are the best sellers in America, because they appeal to the casual gamer. They don't want long complex stories or deep engaging combat systems they just want to sit down and have some fun for a little bit.

I hate how people blame the Wii for this sudden "phenomenon" when in reality all publishers have been targeting casual gamers since forever. In fact it was a Nintendo that wasn't doing this which is probably why they kept falling on their asses with the N64 and GameCube - their games were not for the casual gamer. Companies like Activision, EA, THQ, Ubisoft - look at their past releases and you see a lot of action games, quite a few sports titles, some shooter and a hell of a lot of licensed garbage. THESE are games that attract to the casual gamer, however up until now everyone just thought the casual gamer was a young to middle aged man who bought one or two games a year.

BUT Nintendo saw past that and realized that these aren't just the only casual gamers, woman, senior citizens, parents they are all open to gaming if they are given the proper games that attract to their tastes. So now instead of the casual game market being constricted to what "cool young male" like it's more of what kind of game can be made to attract to anyone. There's money to be made and developers and publishers are setting out to take advantage of that. You guys act like one Brain Training game overshadows everything else on the market. Do you stop and realize that Nintendo just released Mario Strikers Charged? An online game directed towards those who like arcade style sports games - games we rarely see these days.

Oh but wait I guess because Nintendo focused on Wii Fit, a game that is likely going to be selling by the truckloads at a freaking PRESS CONFERENCE (aka not Nerd Fest 07) means that they are dooming the game industry to hell.

[BydoEmpire]

I hate how people blame the Wii for this sudden "phenomenon" when in reality all publishers have been targeting casual gamers since forever. In fact it was a Nintendo that wasn't doing this which is probably why they kept falling on their asses with the N64 and GameCube - their games were not for the casual gamer. Companies like Activision, EA, THQ, Ubisoft - look at their past releases and you see a lot of action games, quite a few sports titles, some shooter and a hell of a lot of licensed garbage. THESE are games that attract to the casual gamer, however up until now everyone just thought the casual gamer was a young to middle aged man who bought one or two games a year.

BUT Nintendo saw past that and realized that these aren't just the only casual gamers, woman, senior citizens, parents they are all open to gaming if they are given the proper games that attract to their tastes. So now instead of the casual game market being constricted to what "cool young male" like it's more of what kind of game can be made to attract to anyone. There's money to be made and developers and publishers are setting out to take advantage of that. You guys act like one Brain Training game overshadows everything else on the market. Do you stop and realize that Nintendo just released Mario Strikers Charged? An online game directed towards those who like arcade style sports games - games we rarely see these days.
Amen to that - great post. The Wii isn't killing "hardcore" games - it's expanding the market, not shifting it. Nintendo's biggest releases this year (Metroid, Mario, SSB) are all great for "hardcore" players. I love my Wii, and I play it more than my 360, but I can totally understand some gamers not getting everything they want out of the system. That's a totally fair opinion. I just don't agree that the Wii is somehow going to cause all the publishers drop their traditional games. Just wait and see when all these publishers who scrambled to crap out minigame compilations (EA's Playground, Ubi's Carnival Games, Midway's Party Games) aren't rewarded with great sales. Then they'll realize that 1) if they do a "casual" game they'd better do it really well, and 2) there are an awful lot of Wii gamers who want meaty, traditional-style games with cool and immersive wimote controls.

[Buyatari]

That sounds like utter nonsense to me, I can play Street Fighter just fine on the virtual console and as said Wii Madden got pretty favourible reviews.

Give me some sales figures to back that up. I own a game store and the die hard Madden players we get wouldn't give the Wii version the time of day.



What so many people dont get is that the Wiimote and the Nunchuk offer the same control possibilities a standard analogue pad offers and more, so in theory there's nothing that couldn't be done on the Wii control-wise.

Sure it can be done. You can play non-dance games with a dance pad too.



And so is Wii Sports. It's a system seller and imo easily one of the best titles on the console. It could've outsold everything if it would've been released as a full-price title instead of a pack-in.

Great game.



This is worthless.. since when did playtime equal enjoyment?
I'd rather play an action title that takes 10 hours, but is excellent fun throughout, instead of a 100 hour RPG were half of the time is wasted with boring and mindless leveling.

This study just reflects the design of many Wii titles (more instant action that's best enjoyed in short bursts in comparison to more complex and longer games).

I didn't read the report but the gist I got is that the Wii is played less the longer its owned? Is that correct? In any event it is not meaningless but the meaning may be subject to opinion.

[ReaXan]

It will be interesting to see how the Wii ends up at the end of its lifetime.I know it has already made a positive mark enough to be a serious contender at least for this generation. We also have to remember that the Wii is really a new way of playing games so it hasnt been perfected quit yet.

If Nintendo can get a franchise going of games that only play well with the Wii then they have the ability to take over the gaming world and be top dawg by the time they release the WiiTu

The WiiTu could be backwards compatable with Wii titles,have vastly improved Blue Tooth,Wi Fi .controllers and have PS3 type hardware once it becomes cheaper in 2009 to produce.Heck they could even throw in HDDVD player by default and become what the PS2 did as a fixture point in Home Entertainment.I think they could do all this with a 299.00 pricetag with packin by 2009 or 1st quarter 2010

Nintendo should go ahead and start development now for the WiiTu IMO

[Chris]

Give me some sales figures to back that up. I own a game store and the die hard Madden players we get wouldn't give the Wii version the time of day.

And what would that prove? I guess the typical "die hard Madden player" just doesn't give a shit about innovation, he just wants to get his annual update of player rosters.



Sure it can be done. You can play non-dance games with a dance pad too.

That's an entirely different thing, while the Wiimote is practically an analogue pad split in two, with added motion and IR sensors.

@Reaxan:
The typical lifecycle of a Nintendo console is about 5 years and it would be dumb to relese a new console as long as the old one is sucessfull.

The only thing the next Wii could need is a refinded Wiimote imo.
They should use a few gyroscopes in addition to their accelerometers, which would make things quite a bit easier for the programmers.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I don't know about "die hard Madden" gamers but, I usually would never buy a sports title... yet, I've done so, at full retail, on the Wii (Tiger Woods).

Long story short:

My wife bought it because she liked the golf game on Wii Sports. I literally begged her to return it and either sit on the money to do other things or get a different game completely. She gave me the :p and I just knew I lost $50 down the crapper. Then the unthinkable occured. Too my surprise... I actually liked it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I plan on picking up Madden 08 for Wii as well. 4-player mini-games and online sealed the deal.

My point being, it's not what the guys that buy Madden every year do. It's the people who would never buy a Madden game or even any game, all of the sudden, start doing so. That is the real "wow" factor and a testament to the waggle-stick box's power. Besides, this isn't the first time conventional control methods have been completely retooled. Joystick to cross-pad... crosspad to analog sticks... Dual Shock 2 to Wiimote doesn't seem so far fetched when looked at in this regard.

[Fuyukaze]

I love how this thread has turned out. Reality be damned, let's switch topic, facts, and replace them with personal perfered and opinions based on ignorance.

Nintendo's still selling rather good. Cant wait to see the sales figured for the next quarter. Heck, wouldnt mind seeing what the figures from the other 2 companies are as well.

[Buyatari]

And what would that prove? I guess the typical "die hard Madden player" just doesn't give a shit about innovation, he just wants to get his annual update of player rosters.


It would prove Nintendo should have also freaking included a regular controller!

As much as some love that controller some don't.

I can't argue with you guys, you are blind with Nintendo love. How is adding a controller that would INCREASE the ammount of people enjoying this system a bad thing?

[Icarus Moonsight]

Peripheral divide. If most games can be played with only one control set-up then the game can sell through to more consumers. As far as including a standard controller, the unit does have Gamecube controller ports and they can be and have been used with Wii software and VC. The Wiimote hasn't been a boon in every game, Metal Slug Anthology comes to mind. Yet it wasn't a severe hinderance either. It's not blind Nintendo love... it's pure and simple logic. Ok, fine. I admit, when I saw Iwata, on the internet, unveil the Wii Remote to the world @ TGS in Sept 05 I swooned like a little girl. My mind reeled with possibility and a few of those have been realized already. It was much more interesting to me than what the other guys were showing and it has held that interest while the others have faltered IMO. You like the Ring of Death? Fine, more power to ya. You like the over priced game system with barely any games? Great, fantastic even, couldn't be happier for ya. Me? Let's just say I'm not convinced on either of the other two yet.

Are we really that surprised that there are people that frequent this board that have exuberant likes and dislikes when it comes to video games? It's not like this is a video game board or anything right? :grumble: Or is it that when points of contention are so weak some can only cast dispersions upon those that rebut them?

If you like we can talk about the positive aspects of the PS3... I got 5 seconds to burn. OMG get this one! There is a PS3 thread here @ DP where posters with unfavorable opinion are, albeit politely, asked to keep out. If Nintendo is the damn vanguard company around here then why do the Sony faithful have an Ivory Tower in which to scoff at the rest of us serfs from? Sounds like the shoe is actually on the other foot to me. :/

I'm not angry with anyone... I'm just getting tired of this same old shit. Let's talk about games, I'm down with that. Start name-calling and you lose me to a rant and distance me from taking you seriously in the future. Simple as that.

[Eteric Rice]

I wonder if the controls are going to work well in Madden 08 Wii, and Tiger Woods 08 Wii?

Hopefully they're tightened up some.