Reflecting on the Wii prematurely :D

[tapedeck]

Foreword

 

Ok, so it hasn't been a year yet (nearly there already!) yet the Wii is, essentially; still an enigma. It's 'officially' the fastest selling console in the UK and it has played a major part in changing the face of gaming.

As we all know, there are many reasons for this. One being Nintendo's dynamic and diverse marketing strategy (who would have thought?). And another being that we (gamers) will buy most things with the big N slapped on it.

Yet the immediate lack of games from both 1st and 3rd party developers still rings in the minds of all devout console owners. A slow 1st year no doubt. We all know why..The Wii was written off before it started. With that due to change in the coming months (moreso than long term Nintendo-centric console owners should be accustomed to) the Wii should have a Christmas and new year we will never forget.

 

My 1st year thoughts

 

Many experts in the industry initially claimed that the Wii would be a fad. With hindsight I feel many were mainly looking at the system capabilities and intensely looking at those clever little Wii Sports ideas and duly thinking it bested any future output. Afterall, some companies are indeed still trying to best the ideas put into, essentially a tech demo. *Tiger Woods*.

With updates to the core of the system and (most) channels given freely to customers, the Wii has, as a system at least, had a very good first year. We've never had a sense of community like we have with the Wii. There are problems for sure. Yet Firmware is the magic word. I just hope Nintendo don't promise the house and pull the rug from under our feet in regards to future content.

 

The Future of Wii....

 

The strong intellectual properties are of course coming to appease existing gamers yet what about those who bought the Wii because of the idea of a virtual reality, social/party/health machine?

Wii Fit it is then.

That piece of plastic has the potential to put the Wii in the mindset of people for years. "And" finally destroy the notion that consoles are only for the initiated. Coupled with the flowering ideas that were so prevalent in Wii Sports, I feel the Wii will be the biggest console in 2008. Nothing sells like health and fitness afterall. I would know. Having worked in the fitness industry for years, many people freely pay £40+ a month to get fit and stop after 2 months. Many keep paying.

 

I'm optimistic. The DS launched with a Mario 64 remake. It also had card games and mini games galore. As an example, today we have Brain Training and 42 All-Time Classics. Games that turned Mario 64's initial templates into million sellers.

 

If anything we should be happy. We are buying into the future of fun and (evidently) self-health! And with Wii you just know the family will actually give you that moment to get involved. And if that isn't proof that the Wii is a pleasure to own then you don't have a heart. :p

 

I just wish people could see that sometimes it's the journey that's as good as arriving at the destination. The N64 is uber evocative to those that owned it due to that fact alone.

 

Reflections below..I'm sure we will all enjoy hearing each others stories about our first 9/10 months with the console that they said would change gaming forever. The Revolution.

[jammy2211]

I just wish people could see that sometimes it's the journey that's as good as arriving at the destination. The N64 is uber evocative to those that owned it due to that fact alone.

 

Awesome Quote, that's sort of like part of my childhood during the N64 days. The day I got the console, the wait for games like Mario Kart and OoT, my face when I first saw Mario 64, and then controlled it.

 

I think that's one reason why I'm backing the Wii, it's offering something compeltely new like the N64, and I want to try and rekindle that feeling I had as a kid as it got better and companies learnt how to get more out of it. I've had the horrid wait I remember during the N64 for OoT (it was sold out for 2 months!), now we just need Metroid and Mario Galaxy to deliver.

[mcj metroid]

what i'll always saw and I have been saying it for months is look at the ds.. it started off very poorly, it was written off almost in favour of psp, people thought it was gimmicky and like wii yes at the moment it kind of is. the ds has probably every characteristic the wii has and it took 2 years and look at the games the ds is getting now.

 

So many classics constantly. it's a brilliant system and is actually in my opinion the best handheld ever created.. But With the ds there is a downside. we all know the ds is capable of beyond the n64 graphical capabilities but yet most of the time we see 2d side scrolling platformers. the wii is in a similiar situation for constantly not been pushed and getting ps2 ports the whole time..the ds launched with mario 64.there have only been few titles that have matched it's graphics... wii has launched with zelda and like mario few have matched it's graphics.

 

The point is for the future look at the ds now.

For the future

I see wii continuing to not be pushed graphically as much as we would like but like ds we might learn to ignore it with excellent gameplay....A good example of this already is super paper mario. the graphcis are 2d with pretty bad but cool 3d graphics.. Nobody really cares do they?

[jammy2211]

So many classics constantly. it's a brilliant system and is actually in my opinion the best handheld ever created.. But With the ds there is a downside. we all know the ds is capable of beyond the n64 graphical capabilities but yet most of the time we see 2d side scrolling platformers. the wii is in a similiar situation for constantly not been pushed and getting ps2 ports the whole time..the ds launched with mario 64.there have only been few titles that have matched it's graphics... wii has launched with zelda and like mario few have matched it's graphics.

 

The point is for the future look at the ds now.

For the future

I see wii continuing to not be pushed graphically as much as we would like but like ds we might learn to ignore it with excellent gameplay....A good example of this already is super paper mario. the graphcis are 2d with pretty bad but cool 3d graphics.. Nobody really cares do they?

 

I think for Wii graphics, I'm more hoping companies will push themselves artistically then technically. I much prefer a beautiful game then one with good graphics, cause to me, you can throw as much bump mapping and textured layers or whatever, but it'll never look as good as a game with a unique and well pulled off art style.

 

I'm all for this video games as an art stuff, and if companies can start making styles as beautiful as stuff like Mario Galaxy, Okami, No More Heroes, Wind Waker and Zack and Wiki I'm gonna be in heaven. I really hope it goes in that direction, I'm not saying I don't want realistic games but I just think the Wii more suits artistic games.

 

It's up to the third parties to push that though, so far, I'm impressed with what I've seen.

[tapedeck]

Remember when cel shading hit it's peak with a game called the Wind Waker? The style was so good I doubted whether Disney could ever make a cartoon that looked good anymore. Infact it was like a Disney moment. It was like seeing those 3D moments in Aladdin. Or seeing the amazing Toy Story for the first time. Wind Waker did Cel shading better than anything prior. It is therefore timeless due to the style. This is a good direction for Wii games to take (look at Okami too.)

 

I wonder what the next "style" (in the vein of Cel shading) will be? The only game I can think of currently pushing cel shading is the Simpsons video game. Seems a shame that it isn't as prevalent as it could be. Maybe I'm missing some examples.

 

Games like Rez and Vib Ribbon and Paper Mario and Parappa the Rapper and Nintendo's Bit Generation titles suit the Wii perfectly. Big ideas not big budgets. I feel 'Wii Ware' titles could be where we see the real gems in years to come. It will be interesting to see how publications/websites cover these wii ware games. N-Europe recently covered (world exclusive!) one of these titles and that was well presented. In a typical preview format. I wonder if all games will receive the same kind of limelight when there are lots of games available. I hope we don't see the same situation as some NES/SNES games on the VC.

Either way, the future of the Wii looks very rosy indeed.

[Emasher]

My favorite wii game so far has been twilight princess. However i assume thats only because i didn't get corruption at launch. Pokemon battle revolution is my second favorite and the reason its such a good game besides the online multiplayer is the fact that it feels so much more natural to control with the legend of a controller that nintendo reveled almost two years ago. I can't wait until we get smash bros and mario kart so I'm not stuck playing wii sports every-time i have more than one friend come over. I'm very much looking forward to trying out the different control scheme's of brawl to see which one is best for me. I've also got to catch up on wario ware and super paper mario as i never had a chance to pick them up yet. I'd also like to see how Rayman Raving rabbids 2 turns out.

[froztyman]

Foreword

 

Nothing sells like health and fitness afterall.

 

 

What about sex then?

[Petey Piranah]

What about sex then?

 

I suggested this recently... Wii Sex and was relating it to potential use with the balance board. It should still be archived within the forum somewhere...

 

Edit:

 

Thrust yourself in either a gentle or jerky motion forwards and backwards, a minigame can be incorporated into this, how many times can you ugh ugh within a minute? Lean slightly to either side and stretch to gently rub your penetration receiver and/our touch their privates in an erotic manner. Kneel on the Balance Board and tilt your head forward for mouth action. Many possibilities await... Gay option included as well.

 

Sexual interaction can occur with oneself "Self Arousal Mode", AI or online players around the world, Cybering brought to a new dimension, online with people from around the world. Mii pleasure. Full Mii compatability, create your ideal guy, girl and DO IT all night long... Tutorials are built into the game giving you detailed instructions and diagrammatic representation on how to perform a wide variety of sexual exchanges.

[darksnowman]

Nice thread... even if its a bit premature!

 

I think you've got it pretty much spot on though, people thought it would be a fad and thats why developers weren't with it from the very start and to a certain degree, we're still waiting on the best games to come out. That being said, I'm pretty happy with it! We say it, but I don't think alot of us actually realise it because the Wii really has had a better launch period and opening year than the GameCube. On the Cube all I had was Luigi's Mansion until Mario Sunshine came out... on the Wii I have a host of games already- and there are ones that I wish I had the time for but I really just don't, sadly.

 

With the Wii we're encouraged to try new things- new styles of play, new genres... new everything! And that includes for us Nintendo-centric folk the opportunity to test out some Third Party stuff. With games like RedSteel and Rayman at launch up to my recently purchased EA games (the horror!) its been a good chance to try (and enjoy!) different things.

[Hero-of-Time]

Once again Tapedeck pulls out all the stops and creates a great thread!

 

My 1st year with my Wii has been a mixed bag of feelings. Initially I thought it was an awesome machine. Wii sports got me hooked and me and my dad played til like 1 in the morning on it ( hes 60 odd ) For my alone time I had Zelda and that kept me busy for a week or so but then after that I got bored.

 

When Feb arrived I had Excite Truck which again got me hooked and I enjoyed to no end but then again a games drought happened. Since then I have hardly touched my Wii. Sure I got R Evil 4 but I finished that quickly as I played the Cube version to death. Mario Party 8 was just terrible IMO and Brain Trianing just isnt fun to me.

 

Sure there were glimpses of hope with the arrival of Koropina and Eledees but there was nothing that captured my attention as im a big fan of BIG games. This is probably why so far the Wii hasnt really had much play time as im not big on multiplayer gaming, just ask anyone on here that has a 360. Alot of the time they play games together on Live and send me invites but I never join as I like a good solid single player game.

 

The Wii, at the moment, seems to be a party machine aimed at people who do enjoy multiplayer sessions. This of course will change given time as the big hitters start to arrive with the start of Super Paper Mario.

 

What puzzles me is though how Nintendo said they were going to stop all of the games droughts but it didnt really happen. Sure we got some 3rd party titles but where were the 1st party games? Imagine if the Wii hadnt taken off and Nintendo were forced to support the console with its own titles like it had to with the 64. We would have been in for a very slow year

 

Again though it is only the consoles 1st year and the PS3 owners have had a tougher time than the Wii owners. I do agree that come 2008 I will get the style of games that I like to play off Nintendo and the Wii will continue its domination.

[Hellfire]

As expected, the Wii has yet to reach full steam with most developers showing a complete lack of professionalism and dedication, but looking at other consoles it was a pretty good year: Zelda is amazing, Excite Truck is great fun, Mario Strikers is a great multiplayer game and so on. With Super Paper Mario, Metroid Prime 3, Galaxy and Super Smash Bros Brawl coming up, Wii owners will be more satisfied and I'm certain Nintendo will keep delivering great games, but what I'm curious to see is if 3rd parties will shape up like they did with DS or if things will continue. I suppose that with time, new ideas and a better understanding of the wiimote will show us some interesting 3rd party games.

So, I'm already satisfied with my Wii and I'm eager to see how it will evolve.

[Retro_Link]

My reflection on the Wii's first year is that there simply hasn't been enough quality titles on the console for me to warrant purchasing one!

 

I've always bought Nintendo consoles (at launch or there abouts) for Nintendo's epic First Party Titles, the likes of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, SSB, F-Zero etc...

and for masterful Third Party titles like Banjo Kazooie, Goldeneye, Diddy Kong Racing, Resident Evil etc...

 

I like single player games that last a long time, games that offer a challenge, or with plenty of replay and so far in it's first year the Wii has had very little of that which is a real shame!

 

So far Zelda has been the only regular Nintendo franchise to appear on Wii and outside of Resi 4 (which I've got on GC), there haven't been the type of games I like from Third Party's either!

Wii Sports is really the only game I could see myself getting alot of use out of!

 

Thankfully with the soon to launch Metroid, Mario and SSBB I can finally see the Wii being worth getting!

I'm still that little bit skeptical because obviously once those titles are done with I want there to be plenty of other games on the console that can hold my time!

 

Nintendo's new approach and line of games, Brain Training, Wii Fit etc... don't really interest me! and whilst I will wait to see more of Wii Fit, they're not really the type of games I'd like to see! Same with this vast array of mini-games!

 

From my perspective there's Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers, Guitar Hero III, Zack & Wiki and We Love Golf to look forward to...

But I really hope Nintendo are working on their next batch of true First Party titles (F-Zero, Starfox, Waverace) and that Third Parties begin to deliver true single player adventures along the lines of Resi Evil, Banjo Kazooie etc...

[Ren of Heavens]

A bit premature considering Super Paper Mario, Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, RE:UC and Zach & Wiki will be counted as first-year games. With Wii Sports, WarioWare, RE4 Wii, Zelda: TP and more as well we're talking about a very decent first 12 months overall.

 

Personally my biggest disappointment is third parties like Ubisoft and EA throwing out easy ports and simple party games that actually sell well. Hopefully with surprisingly strong sales third parties will take Wii more seriously and we'll see high-production "epic" third party titles from 2008 and beyond.

[steggy]

Personally my biggest disappointment is third parties like Ubisoft and EA throwing out easy ports and simple party games that actually sell well. Hopefully with surprisingly strong sales third parties will take Wii more seriously and we'll see high-production "epic" third party titles from 2008 and beyond.

 

IMO I wouldn't lump EA in same category as Ubisoft, they have put out some good games this year. SSX Blur was pretty good and godfather, even though it's a port makes very good use of the remote and nunchuck. Whereas bar Rabbids and Red Steel (personally I didn't like it but quite a few others do) Ubisoft have been mostly crap.

[mcj metroid]

I think for Wii graphics, I'm more hoping companies will push themselves artistically then technically. I much prefer a beautiful game then one with good graphics, cause to me, you can throw as much bump mapping and textured layers or whatever, but it'll never look as good as a game with a unique and well pulled off art style.

 

I'm all for this video games as an art stuff, and if companies can start making styles as beautiful as stuff like Mario Galaxy, Okami, No More Heroes, Wind Waker and Zack and Wiki I'm gonna be in heaven. I really hope it goes in that direction, I'm not saying I don't want realistic games but I just think the Wii more suits artistic games.

 

It's up to the third parties to push that though, so far, I'm impressed with what I've seen.

 

 

 

yes art over power is always better i think.. Wind waker looks timeless for instance and metroid prime 3 to an extend looks great.

 

great art is games is timeless whereas you will look back at halo 1 in a few years(or even now) and will think... what a horrible looking game

[tapedeck]

I agree metroid. Great art never feels old. Look at Van Gogh. Peerless in design and still fresh. Many examples remain. It's like Mario World and Yoshi's Island. Yoshi's Island still looks fresh and vibrant. I think this is the way the Wii will go. Look at No More Heroes. It still looks fabulous now. And will people remember XIII (the cell shaded 1st person shooter) moreso than generic shooter number 2000? I think so. I feel many games which also have a graphical niche are going to sell on the Wii. Titles I previously stated such as Vib Ribbon, Parrappa the Rapper and Paper Mario.

 

I still think the Wii has been a tough nut to crack for many developers this year. Not on a development side but just in regards to getting the most out of the system at retail and realising what gamers want from wii. I feel EA are miles ahead than any other company in regards to understanding the lay of the land. Ubi were just early adopters for the dinero. No gut feelings or love for Nintendo. Just for monetry purposes. EA seem to be really running with the idea that the Wii opens doors. And they are the ones taking the risks. If the biggest 3rd party in the world is doing this then the rest will surely follow the template they lay down?

Maybe come the end of the Wii's 2nd year it will be easier to decipher what types of software will really stand out as console defining.

As it stands now, everything is, essentially; guess-work.

[mcj metroid]

I agree metroid. Great art never feels old. Look at Van Gogh. Peerless in design and still fresh. Many examples remain. It's like Mario World and Yoshi's Island. Yoshi's Island still looks fresh and vibrant. I think this is the way the Wii will go. Look at No More Heroes. It still looks fabulous now. And will people remember XIII (the cell shaded 1st person shooter) moreso than generic shooter number 2000? I think so. I feel many games which also have a graphical niche are going to sell on the Wii. Titles I previously stated such as Vib Ribbon, Parrappa the Rapper and Paper Mario.

 

I still think the Wii has been a tough nut to crack for many developers this year. Not on a development side but just in regards to getting the most out of the system at retail and realising what gamers want from wii. I feel EA are miles ahead than any other company in regards to understanding the lay of the land. Ubi were just early adopters for the dinero. No gut feelings or love for Nintendo. Just for monetry purposes. EA seem to be really running with the idea that the Wii opens doors. And they are the ones taking the risks. If the biggest 3rd party in the world is doing this then the rest will surely follow the template they lay down?

Maybe come the end of the Wii's 2nd year it will be easier to decipher what types of software will really stand out as console defining.

As it stands now, everything is, essentially; guess-work.

 

 

I am still very shocked and impressed at how much EA has changed since the wii came out. About 4 years ago A game like Ea playground or mysims was unheard of from them.

 

But Ubisoft has taken their old place unfortunetly. Ubisoft started off pretty well. I can excuse early games for having average graphics if the controls are being worked on instead. I mean the controls always come first. Far Cry I hear did a great job with the controls but the graphics went too far.

 

I agree with all your art selections there. parappa the rapper is a favourite of mine. Great game.. I use super paper mario for the wii a lot about artist great graphics(even if the 3d was criticed for being a little bare) it looks great. Viewtiful joe is another example that won't be forgotten.... And even look at the new simspons game for a weirder example from me. the graphics look like a whole new generation!

[tapedeck]

Yeah, good examples. EA have already garnered respect due to changing the likes of FIFA etc. The could have kept it the same but no. Change. That's what the Wii is about to gamers. And they took the notes down. Clever EA. And The Godfather is still one of the best examples of how to get motion controls spot on. Brilliant controls there.

 

I guess that is another area (like your example of Far Cry) where at the end of the 1st year of Wii development people will look: Controls.

 

What have motion controls done for you?

I remember sweating profusely killing the giant underwater snake/fish hybrid on Twilight Princess as I had been stabbing continuously like a nutter. When TP got you immersed it really felt like you had a sword in your hand.

And Red Steel too. When it was spot on it was fresher than Daz.

Then Excite Truck showed that you could really get on the edge of your seat tilting and twisting your way through, and over terrain.

There are many good examples, with (I'm sure) many more to come.

 

Motion controls are fabulous in my opinion. And the first years games have really brought some fresh ideas to the table. I'm sure we will see more DS ideas brought to the Wii aswell.

 

What does everyone else think of motion controls? Have they lived up to expectations? Or was Wii Sports as far as it went for you?

[Zelda_Rulez]

I remember sweating profusely killing the giant underwater snake/fish hybrid on Twilight Princess as I had been stabbing continuously like a nutter. When TP got you immersed it really felt like you had a sword in your hand.

 

I was the same way in that battle, for me that fight was like I had a real sword in my hands.

 

Until August I only had Wii Sports and Wii Play together with Zelda, so Wii sports was really the best way to use the controls for me. But now I've got Trauma Center and that uses the controls in a great way as well. I love using the defribilator in that game.

And I can imagine when I get Metroid Prime 3 next month I will be wowed by the controls even more. So, I like them a lot as you can really be immersed in a game when they are used properly.