Nintendo Wii

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review2606_intro13037.html' target='_blank'>http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review2606_intro13037.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Much ado's already been made about Nintendo's new revolution in gaming, the motion-sensitive and online-ready Wii, so we'll spare you the hyperbole and cut straight to the chase. If you're an HDTV-owning home theater enthusiast who puts surround sound capability, eye-popping technological pizzazz, Blu-ray/DVD support and on-demand access to downloadable music and video content above base game play, this is the point where you can officially stop reading. Beg, plead, whine, cheat… steal from some poor teen who preordered the unit, even. Whatever it takes to get the job done, the system you're looking to lay hands-on this year is the PlayStation 3. However, should you be a longtime hobbyist chagrined by the industry's recent focus on cookie-cutter sequels, a gaming neophyte intrigued by this growing interactive entertainment fad, a fan of all-time great franchises like Mario and Zelda or simply an everyday admirer with a passing interest in the subject matter, we've got some good news. The Wii is your console of choice, and just the sort of eye-opening kick in the pants the biz has been desperately in need of for, oh, roughly the last half-decade or so."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/20061115_0914491.gif" /><br /><br />If you have been following the Wii development, there is not much new here for you, but if you haven't I suggest you give it a read. I'm really excited about the Wii (even though I am really upset with Amazon for totally messing up their preorder). This looks to be a great system for non-hardcore gamers while still offering something interesting for hardcore gamers. When we were in college, my wife and I played a lot of video games (original Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and even some Atari 2600). With the newer systems the game play and controllers were no longer appealing for her, so we really don't play together much anymore. I'm hoping the Wii changes that. The combination of retro classics and new games with innovative and intuitive game play should make this a winner for Nintendo. I applaud them for thinking outside the box. The Wii should open up a whole new, and larger, demographic for them to sell to.

[Felix Torres]

The Wii should open up a whole new, and larger, demographic for them to sell to.

Are you sure you don't mean an *older* and smaller demographic? :twisted:

Nintendo is to be applauded for zigging while the opposition zags, but I have this nagging suspicion this is a system that will not age well. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we're looking at the gaming equivalent of "Who let the dogs out"; a novelty song.
I expect great sales this Xmas and next (when Mario and Metroid finally show up) but in between and afterwards... :?

I'm also a tad suspicious about how everybody who hates MS and thinks Sony has irretrievably messed up the PS3 launch, automatically assumes Nintendo is automatically going to inherit the market.

Being of a contrarian bent, I expect Wii to follow the exact same trajectory as the last two Nintendo consoles: hot early sales followed by mediocre, seasonal sales driven primarily by nostalgia and low price.

The sooner this hits $99 the better for everybody.
I'm betting on spring 08.

[Chris Gohlke]

I'll give you the older part. But the demographic of current non-gamers is a heck of a lot bigger than the demographic of gamers. At $250 for a system with a game, you will attract customers that would never even consider paying 400 to 600 plus the cost of the game. This is probably the wrong site to make this argument at though just because I'd say we trend towards the very high end of the techno-savy bunch.

I don't hate Microsoft and I want a 360. I do think Sony has made quite a few stumbles as of late. I have a DS Lite and a PSP. I have a Gamecube and a PS2. My DS Lite gets more gameplay than my PSP, but I watch a lot of movies on my PSP and I think it is an incredibly awesome piece of hardware. My PS2 gets more gameplay but simply because of Katamari Damacy.

I think the 360 wins this round. Even if the PS3 turns out better in the long run, it was a year late compared to the 360, so was the Nintendo for that matter. If the Wii features are gimmicky, they can always release a different controller and take it in a new direction.

[Felix Torres]

But the demographic of current non-gamers is a heck of a lot bigger than the demographic of gamers.

I wouldn't be so sure about that; I remember a quote over in Zunethoughts from a MS exec saying that PS had a penetration of over 50% of US households (this was in comparison to the iPod's less than 25% penetration.)

But my (semi-fascetious) bit about "smaller" is just a musing about how many current non-console-gamers are likely to become console gamers at all. Gotta remember that the real hotbeds of casual gaming are PCs and cell phones. A bit behind that are PDAs and adult GB and PSP owners.
There is no shortage of casual gaming platforms out there.
So there is a good chance that true non-gamers are likely to remain non-gamers regardless of the addition of a new platform which isn't all that new, anyway; the Wii is mostly a reincarnated gamecube, after all.

Understand, I would rather see three strong consoles competing in the market, especially if Sony ends up at number three, but the odds of that passing are low; of the three major consoles, it is the Wii that has the weakest story to tell past this xmas, at least in NorthAm, because of its lack of HD support.

Also, Nintendo's much touted price advantage isn't (you did know you can buy a 360 core for $199 in various parts of the country, right?) so the most likely buyers for new Wii's are owners of old Nintendos.

Nintendo is making a good counter-programming play here, but the reason why both Sony and MS are going for traditional console gamers firstbis because there are more of those. They're likely going to do better with Wii than the cube but most of those gains will be in Japan, not in markets where 360 has a fighting chance.

I honestly don't think casual gamers are going to make that much of a difference in the long run...

[Jason Eaton]

The Wii isn't going to be the next King of Consoles but the Wii is going to be the ultimate gaming accessory. That is people will gravitate to either the 360 or PS3 but probably pick up the Wii as a 'fun to have' second.

Heck my wife who thinks my gamming hobby is odd and reminds me of budget all the time is telling me to pick up a Wii so she can play Mario and Tetris again.

So i think we are looking at the difference of 'slow dimes' versus 'fast nickles'.

[aroma]

I'm actually pretty darn axious to get to get my hands on one of these. I do think that this unit will see a lot more sales than the GC did. I don't think it's going to replace the PS3 or 360, but it will be a second console in a lot of households. I'm going to try to pick one up this weekend. I was heartened to find out that, unlike the PS3 who is going to average about 5 units per Wal-Mart, the Wii is going be more like 65-70 units per store. (This is at least true in my market.)

[jeffd]

Personaly I have no interest in the "wii-mote". Weve had plenty of mid air "pointers" and motion sensing devices for consoles before, never did I think that any one of them would become the ultimate. But I give nintendo props to producing an affordable family entertainment system thats clearly an upgrade from the last generation at a cost that wont break the bank. And I have little doubt that it won't please fans of the gamecube and nintendo DS either.

[Doug Johnson]

I think it is smart of Nintendo to go after a different market. The Wii will do fine. I don't believe it will outsell the 360 and PS3, but I could be wrong. I will be buying one, and my PS3 fanboy younger brother thinks I'm insane for wanting one at all--he thinks it is a joke of a console because it doesn't do High-Def. And he can't understand why I wouldn't want a PS3. So apparently the hardcore gamers don't understand the Wii in the least. But I get it. Less expensive and less complicated, and focusing on the 'fun factor' of the games. That will appeal to a lot of people that the Xbox and PS don't.

[Filip Norrgard]

What I see in the Wii is the new family social board game gone digital. It isn't designed for the hardcore gamers, cause they will go with an Xbox 360 or PS3, it is more likely designed for the whole family to get together and have fun playing. Sort of dad and mom playing with their kids, kind of console. (Not the kids playing shoot 'em ups and beating the crap out of their parents, if you get my drift)

I'm personally more drawn to the Wii than the other console just because of the controller and the "funness" of the games. (Looking at the video reviews that have been coming out as of late.) The Xbox 360 and PS3 isn't probably for me anyways with the contollers that are full of buttons and d-pads. Trying out Xbox 360, I never felt like I got the hang of the sticks and buttons on the controller and spent too much time wondering why it wasn't easier to play with the controller. (Maybe my left brain isn't communicating to well with my right brain? :D)

So, I feel more like the Wii is for mii (bad pun intended). ;)

[jeffd]

If there was any one glaring problem I saw with the wii, it was the lack of any high res output. Sticking to 640x480 is pretty dated stuff, and family whos gona HDTV will find the wii's non-hdtv resolutions to be rather ugly. I really think above all else, they should have supported 720p.

[aroma]

Just got home with my Wii an hour ago... all I can say is HOLY CRAP this thing is FUN! I highly recomend.