Greedy Gamers

[Fierce_LiNk]

So, there have been quite a few interesting threads lately that have got me thinking. In the end, I thought I'd create a separate thread to express my views, because it doesn't really fit in with any of the other threads without going off a tangent. Plus, it might breed some good discussion and talking points.

 

First of all, let me just give you some details that I think will be important. I am 22, recently graduated (so seeking work) and have been gaming since I was around...6 or something daft. I love games. Always have done, and probably always will. Given my financial situation, I have to be pretty careful with how I spend money. Throughout my time at University, I shopped around and remained cautious with how I parted my cash for games.

 

Considering this, and considering that my course required me to take part in a lot of time consuming placements, living in a busy house with 6 other people, and considering that I also had quite a busy social life, I still managed to amass a total of about 18 or so Wii games. This is a console that was released a few months into my second year. So, just finished my final year, and 18 games. Roughly, we're looking at about a game every two months or something.

 

Now, I only have the one console, the Wii. Along the way, I have missed the opportunity to play so many games. I didn't own Metroid Prime 3, I haven't played The Conduit, I don't own Grand Slam Tennis or Pro Evo Soccer, and I haven't played Little King's Story. So, five influential Wii games in different ways that I have just not got around to. There's plenty more, too that I've missed.

 

However, one thing that I simply do not understand is the claim that there is simply nothing to play on the system. Of course, everyone has their own particular tastes (I, for example, cannot stand these Medal of Honour type games. I stay well away) so there will be games on the system that do not "fit" with what you like to play. There are games on the Wii that are simply not for me. However, these games are there, and they are there to be played. You can bet that whilst you do not enjoy one game, that somebody else will be enjoying it and getting the most out of it. It works with every system.

 

Another thing I just cannot fathom is how...intense that this generation has become. 18 games for my collection is not all that bad going, considering that I had around 24-26 for the Gamecube in it's entire lifetime, considering my own restraints and the fact that the generation still has quite a way to go. However, I think we can all agree that gaming is expensive. It is very pricey. I paid 180 quid on launch day for the system, then around another 30 or so quid for extra games. It's not easy being a gamer.

 

I just do not understand how much money gamers are pumping into gaming. If we say that I purchase each game for around 30 quid each, that is around 500 quid we're talking for my collection. I have to say that there is a certain sense of greed amongst gamers this generation. First of all, we have been spoiled with three gaming systems with their own big plus points and special features. Three game systems, along with two handhelds that offer another huge catalogue of games, capabilities and opportunities. We've been offered online gaming on each system (and the handhelds), something which we've not had before. We've got the chance to use motion controllers to do things that were not possible last generation. For Nintendo gamers, the third party support for the system is much, much better than it ever was with the Gamecube. Arguably, it's better than it was with the Nintendo 64. There's many talking points here.

 

But we are still not happy, for some reason. There is still this need out there to condemn these consoles and claim that there "just isn't anything out there." Part of me believes that it is very difficult to satisfy some gamers. I know there are plenty of people here who have the Wii and are having a great time with it. There's people out there who are the complete opposite. So, surely the sensible thing is to just say "well, this system isn't for me" and leave it there?

 

I know that quite a lot of people here have more than one system. Some have all three, plus both handhelds. As a person who struggles to keep up with one system, I can't get my head around that. That's a lot of dedication, and fair play to you for that. However, at the same time, maybe a lot of people out there need to take a look at themselves and say "ok, there are people out there who only own the one system, for whatever reason. I hope they get enjoyment out of gaming like I do."

 

And we do. I love gaming, and I am enjoying having the one system to work with. I couldn't physically afford another system, and I don't think I would have the time to enjoy it anyway. For me, having just one games console works. So, that is our choice. What I think bugs me somewhat is seeing so many petty comments where many condemn the system. Nobody forced you to buy a particular system, just like I made my own choice with the Wii. I think far too many are making a huge deal out of gaming, when it is a privilege, and not a right. We're all here because we want to game.

 

So, whichever system or systems you have, I hope you're enjoying it. Maybe just take a step back for a second and realise just how good we have got it this generation. I can safely say that I am loving it.

 

 

(this is very messy, and I was watching Match of the Day when I made this. Fucking Liverpool.)

[Hero-of-Time]

I cant help but think this is a reaction to my reply in the Wii General Discussion although I never said I have a problem with the Wii.

 

( Get in Liverpool even though our defence sucked )

[Fierce_LiNk]

I cant help but think this is a reaction to my reply in the Wii General Discussion although I never said I have a problem with the Wii.

 

( Get in Liverpool even though our defence sucked )

 

I've only just seen your post in Wii General, and just replied to eet. So, it had nothing to do with that...because I didn't even know that post existed, haha.

[That Guy]

I do agree really. I for one have never had any problem with anyone who only owns a Wii, and anyone who do surely is a bit of a sad act!

Personally Wii is my least favourite of all the consoles, but I still enjoy it, especially Boom Blox, Mario Galaxy and the like.

I would actually prefer to have one console. As you say it is very difficult to keep up with all of these games coming out on 3 consoles. I do sort of miss the days of just having a Gamecube. There just isn't enough time in the day to play them all as well which is a problem for me when I work and have a girlfriend. I have 42 games in my current gen collection (from Wii, 360, and PS3), so it's very difficult with some to actually get through them. I have owned Super Paper Mario since it came out and have played it for all of an hour! I hope to get into it but since it didn't initially grab me I moved onto another game I had to play.

 

I miss the days of only having a few games to play, and next gen I will most likely wait to move onto different consoles and just pick one of them.

[Jonnas]

You bring a good point. I honestly can't believe the amount of money some gamers pump into their collection.

I would assume that the reason those gamers say there's nothing on the Wii it's because they are so used to playing several games at once that one single awesome game does nothing for them. Not unless they have a couple others.

 

Myself, I'm struggling with the amount of options I have. The amount of Wii/DS games I want to buy is staggering, and then we can consider WiiWare/VC games...

[dazzybee]

Hmm, I certainly have a game buying addiction... I have all the consoles and handhelds. I've given up on the PSP completely though. And the 360. I have about 10 PS3 games and will only get the absolute VERY best games for it. And even then I still don't really play it.

 

The Wii is my number one gaming love, I have about...60, 70 games... stupid. I've got better, I was lterally buying every game that was even remotely good. But then I stopped - so I have still to pick up Little kings story, another code, boom blox bash and a few others. But Im not until Ive finished a few more. I have about 7 games till in their wrappers!! Crazy. But I will finish them, I'm on a mission to start wiping some games out!! Conduit, Wario World and Madworld should be done in the next few days (4 levels total in all games); then I'm going to go through them as I realised I was being an idiot.

 

I will also admit to being the same with DVD's...I have well over a thousand DVD's and blurays, I would say well over a hundred are still wrapped...

 

Though with respect with the debate...I guess the thing is, the consoles are so different from each other, technically and exclusive software...the gaps are huge. So gamers will be missing something. How big that something is is relative to the person...however much I would be perfectly happy with just a Wii and there wouldn't be enough gaming hours in the week to play everything. I'd be a bit gutted if I couldn't play Dead Space, Little Big Planet, Burnout Paradise, MGS4, Uncharted, Bioshock etc.... No other generation has been like this!!

[Josh64]

this is so true. and 2 months ago I stopped buying Wii games, as I saw the gamecube section was back in Gamestation, so I have been catching up with my Cube games.

I've brought about 10 in the last 2 months and havent had the chance to even play 2 of them! I have just a Wii and I love it.

[sumo73]

If I bought everything brand new I would have a smaller gaming collection. I've got quite a large gaming collection as it is but have never brought myself to get rid of older games or games that I've not completed yet. I'm sure that I will come back to them one day. Recently I carried on playing Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes after about a 3 year absence and then completed it.

 

The problem with buying games is that there's always newer ones around the corner but if we did all take a step back and went through our game collections then we might not go out and buy new games so much.

[T-3]

I'm unhappy with the current situation. Unhappy because I have more unfinished games lying around than ever before (at least unfinished by my standards). I've also been buying a lot more games lately. Nearly two every month, although I actually hate spending money. There are just too many interesting games this generation and I use my Wii pretty much every day.

 

All those people who constantly babble about their Wiis collecting dust annoy the hell out of me. Especially when they admit that they only have 2 or 3 games, only first-party titles, etc. If they wanna play more games, they should just buy a few more, maybe even some they didn't consider buying before. It never hurts to try out new stuff. People just need to expand their horizons from time to time.

[Tigerdust]

This is a fantastic topic so I'll chuck my 2 cents worth here. I've now got 30 Wii games and they cost approx $NZD100 a pop, give or take. I got the system at launch and have also purchased about 10 to 15 VC games. So yeah I have also spent quite a bit on gaming this generation. I do feel greedy because I always want the next big thing, problem is that games here usually get released 2 to 4 weeks later than they do where you guys live. This means that I'm spoiling the fun with prereleased trailers and videos on You Tube etc.

 

But I can't help myself. None of my friends play Wii and I have no one to talk to about the games so I can't get into any passionate debates or conversations about any Nintendo related stuff with anyone as NZ just does not care. Which brings me to another little problem - visiting this site. This is the first place I come to when ever I turn on my computer as I love reading what people post here. It's all done thoughtfully and with a lot of knowledge behind it.

 

So If I don't feel like playing Nintendo then I'm busy reading about it, my phone tunes are all jingles from various Nintendo games too. OK, I think I may be straying a little off topic so I'll try to get back on. I am 34, have a full time job and live on my own. I am finding it more difficult to find time to game and I feel I'm not putting as much effort into it as I should. I tend to rush through it without much thought and then am waiting for the next big release to come out. Currently waiting for Metroid Prime Trilogy and Dead Space Extraction.

 

I am being alot more picky in the games I get now and will only get the ones I have an really high interest in or that get stunning reviews that I think I may like (although I have been let down by doing that so I really should be more careful).

 

So basically in a nutshell I do feel more greedy and frustrated at the same time. This generation of Nintendo for me has been a real rollercoaster ride, lots of highs and lows and we are not even 3 years into it yet. Sorry for the long post but as I said I have no-one to talk to about this stuff as they are not interested, so N-Europe, you are my counsellor.

 

Happy gaming everyone

[tapedeck]

Nicely articulated Flink. I too share your viewpoints.

 

For me most of my appreciation for a title stems from a nostalgia for gaming in general. I'm sure we all used to get a game for our birthday, Christmas or some other random moment (like if you did well on an exam or something) when we were younger. I remember this was the case for me and when I got a game I hadn't already pre-judged it through internet video (it didn't exist!) and there was certainly no fanboy complaints at the slightest flaws which would sew the seeds of doubt. I would buy a title if it was eons old or brand new, things didn't 'matter' as much then. Gaming was just another part of my life and not THE main form of entertainment for me.

 

Now, I'm not saying that's a wholly terrible thing as opinions are good - I own more enjoyable titles now than I did for the NES/SNES but

the crux is that gamers have all become experts in their gaming fields, brilliant judges of games before they have even been released. I like to point out Grand Theft Auto 4 as an example. The media and gamers alike had already made up their minds that it was a 10/10 title. Play it and absorb it and, sure it's a technical achievement but the gameplay is about as repetitive as a soap plot and just as stale. This expertise has somewhat ruined opinion as you or I may enjoy a title like Okami but the gaming society may, in general look at you with contempt as you aren't playing online Halo. Image, to young people is much more important today than it was even ten years ago. Now it's what you play, what you listen to, what you talk about and not just about what you wear.

 

I remember a time when I bought a magazine and looked at a game and thought 'I'd enjoy that for me'. Yet when the GC launched and I was in full-time employment I bought pretty much every title available. In hindsight I actually regret this as most of my money went straight into gaming. I then swore never to do that again as, to be a responsible adult I needed to strike the balance. Even though I get paid extremely well I don't buy as many titles as I used to. Priorities have shifted to more common aspets of life (like paying bills!) and so my gaming stance has come full circle. Now I feel I can shed light on this issue as I have been in both sets of shoes.

 

Many elements of this generation seem to mimic the 1995+ PS1/N64 era. The PS1 made gaming cool (although not accessible as such) but more importantly: cheaper. Thus it was easier to create bulk titles for an audience that wasn't as hardcore - something a lot of gamers that had been playing since the early 90's/1980's had slowly become.

Where we sit with Wii is a mix. We have the crowd similar to the PS1, new to gaming and enjoying the titles that litter the shelves yet we also have Nintendo bound into franchises that sell to the hardcore. Trouble is, this hardcore, long-time gaming crowd won't buy something that doesn't 'look' hardcore. Fairplay must go to Microsoft who ran with that market. If the market is male dominated for long time gamers (and thus hardcore) the games which males play must appeal to masculinity. And they do. Goal-based, competitive titles rich in sport/warfare wrapped in high-end technology.

 

Yet Wii will do for me at my current gaming crossroad. At least this generation Nintendo have moved away from their franchises which they relied upon to get them through the N64/GC era. I for one am glad to have experienced Wii Fit/Music/Sport amongst the creative delights from other devs which are only on Wii. Without Wii the gaming landscape for this generation would have been a terrible place to have gamed. Without Wii I don't think I would care anymore about this creative, escapist and more importantly, social media.

 

PS. I bought a PS3 for GTA4.

Edited September 20, 2009 by tapedeck

[dazzybee]

Ha tapedeck, awesome end comment. And I completely agree re: GTA4. Awesome post as always. The internet has ruined so much entertainment in that way, finding everything about everything and being consumed by million of opinions; it's a little annoying, and borderline unavoidable if you're passionate about something. Must be even harder for the younger generation. Getting games because they looked interesting was a great way to play games I probably wouldn't now. games like Lawnmower man on the SNES; got absolutely slated by reviews, but I thought the two styles of gameplay and the borderline 3D (one of the first) looked great to a young me. And I loved it!!

 

Also completely agree about how boring things would be without the Wii. I was actually getting very bored of gaming full stop last generation. The DS re-sparked my interest in gaming, just for offering something new, and the Wii catapulted me back into gaming in a big way. Although I have everything, I can live without the others, they're just nice extras. Couldn't live without my Wii.

 

When I say live without, I mean in a gaming way, not as in life!

[jammy2211]

I too am on a limited budget, as a student I've got to buy food, pay bills, drink alcohol and use my scrapes left over for gaming. Obviously I haven't got much time to commit to gaming nowadays either, although I can normally find a few hours in the evening.

 

For me this is why I have to avoid the Wii selection of games, as it just never feels like the Wii games I missed over the years are worth the same (Or normally more money) then the shelves of PS3 games. I've bought Smash Bros, Metroid 3, Smash Bros, No More Heroes etc but after that I just don't see any games that for me are a better investment.

 

It's quickly becoming the standard on PS3 for the 'biggest' games to have a full offline story, online multiplayer and online co-op, whereas Nintendo still arn't bothering to put online in their big multiplayer games this Christmas. It's not me being greedy, just very cautious, I'd happily buy a Wii game if I felt it was worth the money (As I'm sure I will with SMG2) but in all honesty I don't see many games on the Wii horizon that have anywhere near as much ambition or scope as the PS3 .

 

I think Nintendo are the ones being greedy, haha.

[S.C.G]

Gamers are indeed greedy this generation, some moreso than others, some understandably in some respects and some who have a greed that has quite literally consumed them...

 

Where do I put myself? well... I would say I'm a little greedy but on the understandable side, I have a Wii, 360, PS3 and a DSi, I also had a PSP - twice - and sold it; now I own all of these consoles because deep down I know that each has absolutely brilliant exclusive titles.

 

My main greedy gripe however is that how long it takes for some of these titles to appear, in Nintendo's case I understand because I wouldn't want them to rush their big titles as they always deliver but at the same time I cannot and will not sit down idly and do nothing as I wait, that would be nonsensical.

 

No instead I mainly turn to the Xbox 360 for my gaming needs because although it rarely has exclusive games that are comparable in gameplay quality to Nintendo's efforts, it does have a steady flow of games that doesn't ever seem to dry up whereas I'd put the PS3 somewhere inbetween, there is quality there but a lot of it just isn't for me but some of the bigger titles I have obtained a huge amount of enjoyment from for the week or two long periods that I have played them.

 

Looking at the non-retail aspect however things vary from week to week, on the Wii we have a mostly steadly influx of Virtual Console titles but sometimes these either aren't very good or people have allready played them though the weeks where a somewhat legendary title or two surfaces are brilliant plus we have had a lot of previously unreleased titles such as Sin and Punishment which is even getting its own retail-based Wii sequel! which many including myself are very happy about indeed.

 

On the 360 there is a lot of stuff that hits the XBLA regularly including a lot of original arcade experiences though there are a lot of older games that get re-released which have allready been on the Wii's VC for - in some cases - years... the PS3 also has good exclusive downloadable games though these seem less frequent than say on the 360 and lets not forget Wiiware as that has provided us with a reasonable amount of downloadable goodness thus far, the DSiware... not so much but it's getting there, needs moar liek Flipnote!

 

We are most definitely spoiled this generation though and this is easily evidenced by peoples huge backlog of games! I for one have more unfinished games than I could have imagined and I'm not very hopeful for finishing them all, on top of this I'm catching up on some PS2 games that I missed back in the day and to put it quite simply it's overwhelming...

 

I am happy though that I still have time for games despite having a job - part-time hours - which some people find even that hard to juggle so I'm quite pleased in that respect, but if I had any more commitments in my life I think I would find it hard to game as much as I do now even though it's nowhere near as much as I used to!

 

So for now I'm going to continue enjoying my reasonably commitment-free life and getting in as much game-time as I can, while I still can... starting now! :p

Edited September 20, 2009 by S.C.G

[Pit-Jr]

I havent seen many complaints about there being nothing to play. This has been the best generation as far as having a busy release calendar. Between the 3 systems and their various DLC, theres literally always something good to play and ill never find the time to play all of it.

[Emasher]

My opinion on this is a little bit different. In Canada (and I know this is worse in Europe, especially in the UK), Wii games are $60, while PS3 and 360 games are usually $70 when they first come out. By the time you add taxes onto this, games are getting close to $100. There are a few AAA games that are worth this price. but most games aren't. I can justify spending $80 on something like Infamous, or Fallout 3, or $65 on something like Mario Galaxy 2 or Metroid Other M when they come out. But I wouldn't spend that much on many of these smaller games coming out these days. Its not that I don't want to play them, its not that I can't afford them, but its just not worth spending the money on them for what you get. I don't think it has anything to do with not enough games coming out, but there just aren't that many that are worth paying the initial price for. If that makes any sense.

[Deathjam]

Having come from a humble upbringing, I never had enough money to go out and buy games myself. I would have to pick one or so for my birthday. For the N64 gen this was fine. As i got older, pocket money increased, and I found out about the used game market so i was able to get much more for my cash come the Dreamcast (it had already died by then) and PS2 era. Now it comes to today, where I have a job and enough moneyt to have a ps3 collection that is 20+ games strong, and this is not including the games on the machine itself. I often wonder to myself if I am addicted. I dont think im addicted to playing games but more like im addicted to the excitement of playing a new game, i.e. buying games. I don't know where this has come from, but I don't play most of my games to completion, and the games I play on a regular basis are some of the older ones like Counter Strike Source. I feel like im really spoilt for choice.

[darkjak]

There's plenty of good games for the Wii, there are just genres wich are completely unatended.

 

There's not a single good fighting game for the Wii. Nor is there any equivelant to Gran Turismo. The situation with first person shooters is changing for the better with CoD4 coming soon and the conduit among others, but that was something the Wii was lacking for a very long time.

 

Also, while other formats are getting really good games, the Wii is getting a bunch of cashcows. For example, rather than releasing a true Soul Calibur game, we got a quite worthless adventure game. Instead of a Dead Space adventure game, we got a lightgun game.

 

However, the future of the Wii looks quite bright.

 

And as you said, different people have different tastes. I bought 20 games for my N64, about the same for my Gamecube but only five for my Wii.

[Patch]

Nice post. I agree with everything you've said. Except for all that personal stuff. I don't know you, so I can't confirm or deny those bits.

 

I would think most young children have access to just one console, and that is more than enough for them - parents would probably say they spend too much time on that one console! As adults, are we really that different to these youngsters? Do we need two or three consoles? I don't - I have more than enough to get through, with a large backlog of games growing ever higher and higher.

[That Guy]

Having come from a humble upbringing, I never had enough money to go out and buy games myself. I would have to pick one or so for my birthday. For the N64 gen this was fine. As i got older, pocket money increased, and I found out about the used game market so i was able to get much more for my cash come the Dreamcast (it had already died by then) and PS2 era. Now it comes to today, where I have a job and enough moneyt to have a ps3 collection that is 20+ games strong, and this is not including the games on the machine itself. I often wonder to myself if I am addicted. I dont think im addicted to playing games but more like im addicted to the excitement of playing a new game, i.e. buying games. I don't know where this has come from, but I don't play most of my games to completion, and the games I play on a regular basis are some of the older ones like Counter Strike Source. I feel like im really spoilt for choice.

 

This is exactly how I am. I see a new game that looks great and buy it, play for an hour then it gets put on the big pile to play with the rest of them. Thinking about it, it would be better for me to just join one of those rental things and get a different game every so often.

[Konfucius]

I have a good gaming PC and the Wii and I tend to buy more titles for the PC because they are actually even cheaper than Wii games. For instance on amazon most PC games cost 40€ new while all the console titles are above that price.

I think the Wii has two problems though: the novelty wears off and graphics.

First about the novelty. When I got the Wii and the DS I bought a lot of games for either system because I wanted to see all the different possibilities for the controls but after some time I actually got annoyed because developers often implement them just for the sake of implementation and I'd rather not have touch/motion controls at all than annoying ones. So I actually lost interest in playing DS games and the same thing is happening with the Wii recently. So actually rather than being an incentive I avoid the new control type after some time.

The other thing is the graphics and after playing Crysis on the PC I am convinced that graphics matter. If you stand in awe in the jungle or sneak through thick grass, feeling smart that the AI doesn't notice you, that is a lot of fun. But games dependent on good graphics obviously don't age well. Of course there are lots of games out there that don't depend on the graphics. For instance I'm playing Okami at the moment but whenever something is multi-platform you normally have tacked on Wii controls and inferior graphics, so why go for that version?

 

I think that's the big problem with buying games now. Because often the big studios leave the Wii out when it comes to high-budget games and if you feel like playing an RPG for instance there are plenty of good ones on the Wii but also on other consoles of equal quality in terms of story and leveldesign and then it suddenly depends on the gameplay and the graphics. As you said, gaming is an expensive hobby and therefore I think often "equal" games on other plattform take priority. At least that's how it is for me - in my case the PC but if I didn't have a good gaming PC I'd certainly buy more Wii games and it's not like I'm not looking forward to No More Heroes 2 for instance.

But on the other hand I once was convinced to buy the Conduit but then I read that it would be a generic standard shooter without the controls and I'm actually not sure I'll bother to play it at all, because as I said the novelty of the controller wears off and then I start to compare it to the most graphically advanced game with good AI and a somewhat open world where I run around as a super-soldier with an awesome suit.

 

So in the end I think it boils down to priorities. Because there are always good games on any system you just don't have time to play them all.

 

Now don't get me wrong here. I don't have anything against the Wii but the things I mentioned above are actually two things that really influence my buying habit.

Edited September 21, 2009 by Konfucius

[dwarf]

I won't post my exact opinions as they won't be wanted. Let's just say I laughed at Daz's post. 70-80 Wii games... I don't understand that.

 

Anyway, basically I'm happy with my 1 console. There's the games that someone else mentioned with campaign/co-op and competitive stuff and it's amazing how you can get some of this stuff for under £20. All the genres I need are here, it feels good to be part of PSN 'community', which sounds queer but in a way it's kind of tucked away and not spoken about and it feels like I'm a figure amongst a niche gathering or something along that line.

 

I like not having enough money to buy all the games I want. I see the list of stuff coming out this year and the fact is I'll have to miss out on most of it for quite a while. I hate these economic choices! Yet they are healthy because when I do get a copy of something it does seem special. Take something like Heavy Rain, a game that's out of my comfort zone but could well be one of the most awesome experiences, something I could buy but at the expense of something more obviously playable and immediatly likeable.

 

I think there have been some awesome posts in this thread though that I'd wholeheartedly agree with, I just can't be bothered to thank them. It seemed to me Flink that there were more than 1 or 2 ideas rolling through your head and then you mentioned all of them under 1 title that wasn't quite broad enough. Happens to all of us when there's so much to think about.

[McMad]

I really don't play games anywhere near as much as I used to. The last game I bought for my Wii was Brawl. All I wanted was for Nintendo to make a reasonable amount of the games akin to the ones I loved on the N64 and Gamecube.

 

I'm even becoming disillusioned with my Xbox 360. I play some Rock Band every now and then and I bought the new Silent Hill game for it (only to be a tad dissapointed) but there is simply not much else I want for it this year. I think it's mainly due to the fact that all I see on the shelves in gamestation these days are games - in one variation or another - that I have played before. Sequels, prequels, spinoffs and ripoffs.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I do agree really. I for one have never had any problem with anyone who only owns a Wii, and anyone who do surely is a bit of a sad act!

Personally Wii is my least favourite of all the consoles, but I still enjoy it, especially Boom Blox, Mario Galaxy and the like.

I would actually prefer to have one console. As you say it is very difficult to keep up with all of these games coming out on 3 consoles. I do sort of miss the days of just having a Gamecube. There just isn't enough time in the day to play them all as well which is a problem for me when I work and have a girlfriend. I have 42 games in my current gen collection (from Wii, 360, and PS3), so it's very difficult with some to actually get through them. I have owned Super Paper Mario since it came out and have played it for all of an hour! I hope to get into it but since it didn't initially grab me I moved onto another game I had to play.

 

I miss the days of only having a few games to play, and next gen I will most likely wait to move onto different consoles and just pick one of them.

 

42 games seems like a pretty good amount for three consoles. I mean, that's roughly around 14 games for each console. Haha, that's almost as many as I have for the one console.

That must be pretty difficult to get through them then. That's some intense time management, haha.

 

 

You bring a good point. I honestly can't believe the amount of money some gamers pump into their collection.

I would assume that the reason those gamers say there's nothing on the Wii it's because they are so used to playing several games at once that one single awesome game does nothing for them. Not unless they have a couple others.

 

Myself, I'm struggling with the amount of options I have. The amount of Wii/DS games I want to buy is staggering, and then we can consider WiiWare/VC games...

 

The amount of money does seem crazy when you add it all up in the end. I mean, if we were to total people's game collections, I think quite a few would easily reach the thousand mark. I mean, I'm at around 500-600 or something and I don't have as big a collection as many on here. I don't even use WiiWare or the VC much either...

 

 

Hmm, I certainly have a game buying addiction... I have all the consoles and handhelds. I've given up on the PSP completely though. And the 360. I have about 10 PS3 games and will only get the absolute VERY best games for it. And even then I still don't really play it.

 

The Wii is my number one gaming love, I have about...60, 70 games... stupid. I've got better, I was lterally buying every game that was even remotely good. But then I stopped - so I have still to pick up Little kings story, another code, boom blox bash and a few others. But Im not until Ive finished a few more. I have about 7 games till in their wrappers!! Crazy. But I will finish them, I'm on a mission to start wiping some games out!! Conduit, Wario World and Madworld should be done in the next few days (4 levels total in all games); then I'm going to go through them as I realised I was being an idiot.

 

I will also admit to being the same with DVD's...I have well over a thousand DVD's and blurays, I would say well over a hundred are still wrapped...

 

Though with respect with the debate...I guess the thing is, the consoles are so different from each other, technically and exclusive software...the gaps are huge. So gamers will be missing something. How big that something is is relative to the person...however much I would be perfectly happy with just a Wii and there wouldn't be enough gaming hours in the week to play everything. I'd be a bit gutted if I couldn't play Dead Space, Little Big Planet, Burnout Paradise, MGS4, Uncharted, Bioshock etc.... No other generation has been like this!!

 

Haha, that is a commendable amount of games. Astonishing. It would really takes me years to play through all those, I'm not joking. I'm not even sure if my N64 + GC + Wii collection would be more than 80 games. So, I'm a bit shocked at that!

 

The consoles are very different to each other, but I also think that there is some degree of greed there by gamers. I mean, I would say that we are spoiled for choice. Each system offers something different to the other ones, with their own specific selection of games. So, having all three, plus both handhelds seems really crazy. You must get confused about what to play half the time.

 

this is so true. and 2 months ago I stopped buying Wii games, as I saw the gamecube section was back in Gamestation, so I have been catching up with my Cube games.

I've brought about 10 in the last 2 months and havent had the chance to even play 2 of them! I have just a Wii and I love it.

 

I sometimes want to regress and buy older games, because there were so many N64 and GC games I missed out on. I never played Tales of Symphonia or Donkey Kong 64, for example. So, these would be games that I want to play. I also only have a few games for my Dreamcast, but getting the classics for that now would involve parting with a lot of cash. I want to play Shenmue.

 

If I bought everything brand new I would have a smaller gaming collection. I've got quite a large gaming collection as it is but have never brought myself to get rid of older games or games that I've not completed yet. I'm sure that I will come back to them one day. Recently I carried on playing Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes after about a 3 year absence and then completed it.

 

The problem with buying games is that there's always newer ones around the corner but if we did all take a step back and went through our game collections then we might not go out and buy new games so much.

 

I know what you mean. I joined the N64 very late into its life-cycle, so bought many games pre-owned. I have a few pre-owned Wii games, but I like getting them when they're released so that I can catch "the buzz" that is on here when new games are released. Games like Mario Galaxy or Twilight Princess, buying them a year or two later would be almost unthinkable to me now. However, I did buy Dewy's Adventure second-hand, as I saw it for a really cheap price when I was out shopping the one day. But then, given that it is a little-known game, I feel a bit bad about not paying full price for it and helping the developers out. Hmm.

 

I'm unhappy with the current situation. Unhappy because I have more unfinished games lying around than ever before (at least unfinished by my standards). I've also been buying a lot more games lately. Nearly two every month, although I actually hate spending money. There are just too many interesting games this generation and I use my Wii pretty much every day.

 

All those people who constantly babble about their Wiis collecting dust annoy the hell out of me. Especially when they admit that they only have 2 or 3 games, only first-party titles, etc. If they wanna play more games, they should just buy a few more, maybe even some they didn't consider buying before. It never hurts to try out new stuff. People just need to expand their horizons from time to time.

 

I haven't got the largest collection, but I do have quite a few games I haven't finished, really for time purposes and the motivation to get back into a game when you've put it down. I find that hard, haha. It took me ages to finish Resident Evil 4, and I think I maybe didn't get as much out of it because I lost momentum.

Really, I do think the games are there, but people just need to look for them. There are many not-so-obvious gems on the system and I think that throws off a lot of people.

 

This is a fantastic topic so I'll chuck my 2 cents worth here. I've now got 30 Wii games and they cost approx $NZD100 a pop, give or take. I got the system at launch and have also purchased about 10 to 15 VC games. So yeah I have also spent quite a bit on gaming this generation. I do feel greedy because I always want the next big thing, problem is that games here usually get released 2 to 4 weeks later than they do where you guys live. This means that I'm spoiling the fun with prereleased trailers and videos on You Tube etc.

 

But I can't help myself. None of my friends play Wii and I have no one to talk to about the games so I can't get into any passionate debates or conversations about any Nintendo related stuff with anyone as NZ just does not care. Which brings me to another little problem - visiting this site. This is the first place I come to when ever I turn on my computer as I love reading what people post here. It's all done thoughtfully and with a lot of knowledge behind it.

 

So If I don't feel like playing Nintendo then I'm busy reading about it, my phone tunes are all jingles from various Nintendo games too. OK, I think I may be straying a little off topic so I'll try to get back on. I am 34, have a full time job and live on my own. I am finding it more difficult to find time to game and I feel I'm not putting as much effort into it as I should. I tend to rush through it without much thought and then am waiting for the next big release to come out. Currently waiting for Metroid Prime Trilogy and Dead Space Extraction.

 

I am being alot more picky in the games I get now and will only get the ones I have an really high interest in or that get stunning reviews that I think I may like (although I have been let down by doing that so I really should be more careful).

 

So basically in a nutshell I do feel more greedy and frustrated at the same time. This generation of Nintendo for me has been a real rollercoaster ride, lots of highs and lows and we are not even 3 years into it yet. Sorry for the long post but as I said I have no-one to talk to about this stuff as they are not interested, so N-Europe, you are my counsellor.

 

Happy gaming everyone

 

Aww, it must be tough being there. I know quite a few people from NZ or Australia feel a bit pissed off that Nintendo seem to just not give much thought to that area. They really should do something about that.

 

I think the trouble with visiting websites and stuff sometimes is that you really just pigeon-hole yourself into buying the utmost best games. Quite a few of the games in my collection didn't get rave reviews, or they just got average or slightly above average scores. There's many games out there which do turn out to be pretty decent despite getting not so good scores. But yes, having little time to focus on gaming means you really just try to get the best games available. Usually the ones which get good review scores.

 

Nicely articulated Flink. I too share your viewpoints.

 

For me most of my appreciation for a title stems from a nostalgia for gaming in general. I'm sure we all used to get a game for our birthday, Christmas or some other random moment (like if you did well on an exam or something) when we were younger. I remember this was the case for me and when I got a game I hadn't already pre-judged it through internet video (it didn't exist!) and there was certainly no fanboy complaints at the slightest flaws which would sew the seeds of doubt. I would buy a title if it was eons old or brand new, things didn't 'matter' as much then. Gaming was just another part of my life and not THE main form of entertainment for me.

 

Now, I'm not saying that's a wholly terrible thing as opinions are good - I own more enjoyable titles now than I did for the NES/SNES but

the crux is that gamers have all become experts in their gaming fields, brilliant judges of games before they have even been released. I like to point out Grand Theft Auto 4 as an example. The media and gamers alike had already made up their minds that it was a 10/10 title. Play it and absorb it and, sure it's a technical achievement but the gameplay is about as repetitive as a soap plot and just as stale. This expertise has somewhat ruined opinion as you or I may enjoy a title like Okami but the gaming society may, in general look at you with contempt as you aren't playing online Halo. Image, to young people is much more important today than it was even ten years ago. Now it's what you play, what you listen to, what you talk about and not just about what you wear.

 

I remember a time when I bought a magazine and looked at a game and thought 'I'd enjoy that for me'. Yet when the GC launched and I was in full-time employment I bought pretty much every title available. In hindsight I actually regret this as most of my money went straight into gaming. I then swore never to do that again as, to be a responsible adult I needed to strike the balance. Even though I get paid extremely well I don't buy as many titles as I used to. Priorities have shifted to more common aspets of life (like paying bills!) and so my gaming stance has come full circle. Now I feel I can shed light on this issue as I have been in both sets of shoes.

 

Many elements of this generation seem to mimic the 1995+ PS1/N64 era. The PS1 made gaming cool (although not accessible as such) but more importantly: cheaper. Thus it was easier to create bulk titles for an audience that wasn't as hardcore - something a lot of gamers that had been playing since the early 90's/1980's had slowly become.

Where we sit with Wii is a mix. We have the crowd similar to the PS1, new to gaming and enjoying the titles that litter the shelves yet we also have Nintendo bound into franchises that sell to the hardcore. Trouble is, this hardcore, long-time gaming crowd won't buy something that doesn't 'look' hardcore. Fairplay must go to Microsoft who ran with that market. If the market is male dominated for long time gamers (and thus hardcore) the games which males play must appeal to masculinity. And they do. Goal-based, competitive titles rich in sport/warfare wrapped in high-end technology.

 

Yet Wii will do for me at my current gaming crossroad. At least this generation Nintendo have moved away from their franchises which they relied upon to get them through the N64/GC era. I for one am glad to have experienced Wii Fit/Music/Sport amongst the creative delights from other devs which are only on Wii. Without Wii the gaming landscape for this generation would have been a terrible place to have gamed. Without Wii I don't think I would care anymore about this creative, escapist and more importantly, social media.

 

PS. I bought a PS3 for GTA4.

 

That comment about the Wii at the end is quite a nice thought. A lot of the time Nintendo seem to be getting bad press for these types of games/non-games rather than releasing new entries into their older franchises. I do think quite a fair bit of it has to do with gamers now being more open and encouraged to talk about their thoughts. Sometimes it seems like maybe we are being too picky and subject every single game to scrutiny. We are worse than reviewers, I think! I mean, people will post impressions of their games for free and will look at absolutely every aspect, on every forum. This is partly why I don't read reviews anywhere apart from here now.

 

That was an excellent post, mind. Probably worthy of a discussion in itself and a separate topic. I think the fanbase has changed now. Many people who grew up with the classic games are now the journalists who either slate or praise new games. As such, I think there is sometimes a blinkered view, and nostalgia is such a huge factor in that. With Nintendo, every Zelda has to be the new Ocarina of Time. Every Mario has to be Super Mario 64. I remember Sunshine getting quite a bollocking last generation when it was actually a pretty damn good game, imo. There was all that furore over the Wind Waker, but now it's considered somewhat of a classic Zelda.

 

Haha, I hear you with that thought about paying bills...I have had to pay so much rent, so much on transport and food and bills over the last few years. There was very little left over for enjoying myself, and that includes gaming. Maybe things will change, although now that I know how tough things can be, I am somewhat reluctant to spend too much on gaming...because I know the money could be going other places.

 

I too am on a limited budget, as a student I've got to buy food, pay bills, drink alcohol and use my scrapes left over for gaming. Obviously I haven't got much time to commit to gaming nowadays either, although I can normally find a few hours in the evening.

 

For me this is why I have to avoid the Wii selection of games, as it just never feels like the Wii games I missed over the years are worth the same (Or normally more money) then the shelves of PS3 games. I've bought Smash Bros, Metroid 3, Smash Bros, No More Heroes etc but after that I just don't see any games that for me are a better investment.

 

It's quickly becoming the standard on PS3 for the 'biggest' games to have a full offline story, online multiplayer and online co-op, whereas Nintendo still arn't bothering to put online in their big multiplayer games this Christmas. It's not me being greedy, just very cautious, I'd happily buy a Wii game if I felt it was worth the money (As I'm sure I will with SMG2) but in all honesty I don't see many games on the Wii horizon that have anywhere near as much ambition or scope as the PS3 .

 

I think Nintendo are the ones being greedy, haha.

 

Hello, fellow skint person, hehe.

Hmm, it seems that the online aspect is what drives you towards certain games. I was exactly the same with multiplayer in the GC era. I had three or four controllers, and would make sure that the majority of games I bought had some form of multiplayer.

 

The thing is, I never actually got around to playing multiplayer on many of these games. Apart from ISS2, Monkey Ball, F Zero, Melee and Mario Kart. Apart from these, the majority of my game time was spent by myself, I think.

 

I've probably played more multiplayer this generation, I feel. But, I've also played games like Guitar Hero 3 where it's turn based multiplayer, so one person plays then the next person, etc. So, I can see where you're coming from in terms of the multiplayer aspect because it is important.

 

Part of me still thinks that Nintendo are trying their best to please everyone but end up disappointing many. They still consider themselves to be a family company, and I guess the friendcode system is down to them trying to reach some sort of cross-over between creating an accessible system but also a safe one. I think the same can be said for the difficulty of some games. They want people to finish their games and the games themselves to be accessible. It's all about getting the balance right, and I'm really expecting Nintendo to improve on the online aspect in the future, because they have had some experience in it now.

 

Gamers are indeed greedy this generation, some moreso than others, some understandably in some respects and some who have a greed that has quite literally consumed them...

 

Where do I put myself? well... I would say I'm a little greedy but on the understandable side, I have a Wii, 360, PS3 and a DSi, I also had a PSP - twice - and sold it; now I own all of these consoles because deep down I know that each has absolutely brilliant exclusive titles.

 

My main greedy gripe however is that how long it takes for some of these titles to appear, in Nintendo's case I understand because I wouldn't want them to rush their big titles as they always deliver but at the same time I cannot and will not sit down idly and do nothing as I wait, that would be nonsensical.

 

No instead I mainly turn to the Xbox 360 for my gaming needs because although it rarely has exclusive games that are comparable in gameplay quality to Nintendo's efforts, it does have a steady flow of games that doesn't ever seem to dry up whereas I'd put the PS3 somewhere inbetween, there is quality there but a lot of it just isn't for me but some of the bigger titles I have obtained a huge amount of enjoyment from for the week or two long periods that I have played them.

 

Looking at the non-retail aspect however things vary from week to week, on the Wii we have a mostly steadly influx of Virtual Console titles but sometimes these either aren't very good or people have allready played them though the weeks where a somewhat legendary title or two surfaces are brilliant plus we have had a lot of previously unreleased titles such as Sin and Punishment which is even getting its own retail-based Wii sequel! which many including myself are very happy about indeed.

 

On the 360 there is a lot of stuff that hits the XBLA regularly including a lot of original arcade experiences though there are a lot of older games that get re-released which have allready been on the Wii's VC for - in some cases - years... the PS3 also has good exclusive downloadable games though these seem less frequent than say on the 360 and lets not forget Wiiware as that has provided us with a reasonable amount of downloadable goodness thus far, the DSiware... not so much but it's getting there, needs moar liek Flipnote!

 

We are most definitely spoiled this generation though and this is easily evidenced by peoples huge backlog of games! I for one have more unfinished games than I could have imagined and I'm not very hopeful for finishing them all, on top of this I'm catching up on some PS2 games that I missed back in the day and to put it quite simply it's overwhelming...

 

I am happy though that I still have time for games despite having a job - part-time hours - which some people find even that hard to juggle so I'm quite pleased in that respect, but if I had any more commitments in my life I think I would find it hard to game as much as I do now even though it's nowhere near as much as I used to!

 

So for now I'm going to continue enjoying my reasonably commitment-free life and getting in as much game-time as I can, while I still can... starting now! :p

 

You have no patience, haha. It must be pretty hard waiting for the games to come if you consider gaming to be a huuuuge part of your life. I mean, I find it hard too, but I've kept myself occupied with many other games on the system. So, for me, I can wait.

 

It seems like you've got the balance quite right though between work and play. Although, part time hours isn't the worst thing in the world. If many people could live off that, they would do it, haha. I'd love to teach part-time but I don't think it's too feasible...hmm. An idea.

 

I think things will change within the next year, with some of the bigger games coming out. We're at perhaps half-way point now for the Wii, but in reality there's no telling where it will end. I'm expecting the third party games to steadily start coming through, now that developers know the system quite well, and with such things as WiiMotionPlus.

 

I havent seen many complaints about there being nothing to play. This has been the best generation as far as having a busy release calendar. Between the 3 systems and their various DLC, theres literally always something good to play and ill never find the time to play all of it.

 

I think really the nothing to play part has to do with the Wii. Although, with the Wii comes Nintendo gamers, and they are the most nitpicky gamers out there, imo. Haha. Everything needs to be a class! Otherwise: Uproar.

But still, if you have three systems...you can never really complain about having nothing to play. I mean, there's the best of both worlds and there's the best of three worlds. It must be tricky for many people when they try to determine what games to buy next.

 

My opinion on this is a little bit different. In Canada (and I know this is worse in Europe, especially in the UK), Wii games are $60, while PS3 and 360 games are usually $70 when they first come out. By the time you add taxes onto this, games are getting close to $100. There are a few AAA games that are worth this price. but most games aren't. I can justify spending $80 on something like Infamous, or Fallout 3, or $65 on something like Mario Galaxy 2 or Metroid Other M when they come out. But I wouldn't spend that much on many of these smaller games coming out these days. Its not that I don't want to play them, its not that I can't afford them, but its just not worth spending the money on them for what you get. I don't think it has anything to do with not enough games coming out, but there just aren't that many that are worth paying the initial price for. If that makes any sense.

 

I can't do the conversion too well off the top of my head, but that does seem like quite an expensive price for new games?

I think quite a few people have this particular problem, especially with the Wii. The trouble is, many of the lesser known games are considered to be "gambles" or "risks." You don't know exactly what you're going to end up with, so you stay away. In some respect, I think I have done it myself with some particular games. Although, saying that, I've spent about 60 quid on getting two copies of De Blob, one for me and one for the female, haha.

 

On the whole, games are pretty good value for money, though. Imo anyway. When you consider how much time you get from them, then the replayability value. Something like Brawl is insanely good value for money. But, I can see why many people are not keen to spend so much money on some games.

 

Having come from a humble upbringing, I never had enough money to go out and buy games myself. I would have to pick one or so for my birthday. For the N64 gen this was fine. As i got older, pocket money increased, and I found out about the used game market so i was able to get much more for my cash come the Dreamcast (it had already died by then) and PS2 era. Now it comes to today, where I have a job and enough moneyt to have a ps3 collection that is 20+ games strong, and this is not including the games on the machine itself. I often wonder to myself if I am addicted. I dont think im addicted to playing games but more like im addicted to the excitement of playing a new game, i.e. buying games. I don't know where this has come from, but I don't play most of my games to completion, and the games I play on a regular basis are some of the older ones like Counter Strike Source. I feel like im really spoilt for choice.

 

Haha, when I was younger, I used to get a game for my birthday, a game for a special event, and maybe another game or two throughout the year. But, yeah, as soon as I started working and doing small jobs, I saved up for games. So, we're not too different.

 

That excitement you talk about is something that I feel when I hand over the money to buy a game. There's a buzz. But, I think the buzz is more about "I have this game" rather than "I want to play this." I think far too many gamers are bothered about owning and purchasing big collections rather than maybe the games themselves. It's like some sort of shopper's addiction or something.

 

There's plenty of good games for the Wii, there are just genres wich are completely unatended.

 

There's not a single good fighting game for the Wii. Nor is there any equivelant to Gran Turismo. The situation with first person shooters is changing for the better with CoD4 coming soon and the conduit among others, but that was something the Wii was lacking for a very long time.

 

Also, while other formats are getting really good games, the Wii is getting a bunch of cashcows. For example, rather than releasing a true Soul Calibur game, we got a quite worthless adventure game. Instead of a Dead Space adventure game, we got a lightgun game.

 

However, the future of the Wii looks quite bright.

 

And as you said, different people have different tastes. I bought 20 games for my N64, about the same for my Gamecube but only five for my Wii.

 

Haha, I'm going to pretend you missed out Brawl on purpose, unless you meant a traditional fighting game. Which I do agree with, there are very few good traditional fighters, and also racers on the system. I feel that this is a recurring problem with Nintendo. There weren't too many on the GC either, to be honest. Third parties need to sort this out if Nintendo don't.

 

The biggest faux-pas of this generation, imo, has been to do with Soul Caliber and Castlevania. Nintendo fans cried out for a fighter. Nintendo fans cried out for an adventure. We got Soul Caliber and Castlevania...but not in their right genres. Why "turn" Soul Caliber into an adventure and Castlevania into a fighter? I mean, it's an interesting idea...but what was the point? Was it needed? Why didn't we get a proper Soul Caliber and the Castlevania we wanted? It's a bit like turning Mario Kart into an adventure game and Zelda into a racer. You just don't tinker with that kind of stuff...

 

Nice post. I agree with everything you've said. Except for all that personal stuff. I don't know you, so I can't confirm or deny those bits.

 

I would think most young children have access to just one console, and that is more than enough for them - parents would probably say they spend too much time on that one console! As adults, are we really that different to these youngsters? Do we need two or three consoles? I don't - I have more than enough to get through, with a large backlog of games growing ever higher and higher.

 

Haha, I hope we're not the same person. I like being me, and I'm going to take a game and say that I think you like being you. So, let me be me and you be you, ok? NO U.

 

That's an interesting point...children having access to three consoles. That is class parents buying stuff for their kids to keep them happy, haha. It happens. I think my parents wanted to keep me and my brothers happy, so we ended up getting a Megadrive and a SNES. I mean, some people only had one, but I was lucky.

 

But do we need three? I think different people have different circumstances, and it is definitely something I couldn't fully copy with, I think. Even though I had two consoles growing up, I was so much younger, and had far fewer responsibilities. I grew up playing Mario All Stars over an over, just for fun. Nowadays, I don't even get a chance to replay games during this generation. There are far too many I haven't finished.

 

This is exactly how I am. I see a new game that looks great and buy it, play for an hour then it gets put on the big pile to play with the rest of them. Thinking about it, it would be better for me to just join one of those rental things and get a different game every so often.

 

I think this could be the Shopper's Addiction I mentioned earlier, haha.

Also, when you put games down, it is insanely hard to pick it back up again, at least for me.

 

I have a good gaming PC and the Wii and I tend to buy more titles for the PC because they are actually even cheaper than Wii games. For instance on amazon most PC games cost 40€ new while all the console titles are above that price.

I think the Wii has two problems though: the novelty wears off and graphics.

First about the novelty. When I got the Wii and the DS I bought a lot of games for either system because I wanted to see all the different possibilities for the controls but after some time I actually got annoyed because developers often implement them just for the sake of implementation and I'd rather not have touch/motion controls at all than annoying ones. So I actually lost interest in playing DS games and the same thing is happening with the Wii recently. So actually rather than being an incentive I avoid the new control type after some time.

The other thing is the graphics and after playing Crysis on the PC I am convinced that graphics matter. If you stand in awe in the jungle or sneak through thick grass, feeling smart that the AI doesn't notice you, that is a lot of fun. But games dependent on good graphics obviously don't age well. Of course there are lots of games out there that don't depend on the graphics. For instance I'm playing Okami at the moment but whenever something is multi-platform you normally have tacked on Wii controls and inferior graphics, so why go for that version?

 

I think that's the big problem with buying games now. Because often the big studios leave the Wii out when it comes to high-budget games and if you feel like playing an RPG for instance there are plenty of good ones on the Wii but also on other consoles of equal quality in terms of story and leveldesign and then it suddenly depends on the gameplay and the graphics. As you said, gaming is an expensive hobby and therefore I think often "equal" games on other plattform take priority. At least that's how it is for me - in my case the PC but if I didn't have a good gaming PC I'd certainly buy more Wii games and it's not like I'm not looking forward to No More Heroes 2 for instance.

But on the other hand I once was convinced to buy the Conduit but then I read that it would be a generic standard shooter without the controls and I'm actually not sure I'll bother to play it at all, because as I said the novelty of the controller wears off and then I start to compare it to the most graphically advanced game with good AI and a somewhat open world where I run around as a super-soldier with an awesome suit.

 

So in the end I think it boils down to priorities. Because there are always good games on any system you just don't have time to play them all.

 

Now don't get me wrong here. I don't have anything against the Wii but the things I mentioned above are actually two things that really influence my buying habit.

 

I think these are two areas that bug a lot of gamers, especially gamers who own another system. Playing a 360 for example, and then using the Wiimote for controls which sometimes don't "feel" good for the game, it can be confusing and frustrating.

 

There are many cases of where developers probably haven't tried hard enough to do the Wii or the individual game justice, imo. This is where part of the hate for "waggle" came from for a lot of gamers. Do you want to waggle, or do you want to use the wiimote like it should have been used. When I think of the possibilities for the system, I think about using it to aim and pick up pikmin, or to use it as a sniper rifle and pick off somebody from far away. Or, by tilting levels in Super Monkey Ball.

 

Many games have used the Wiimote excellent this generation, and many have been downright disgraceful. The best use of implementation has to be in Zack and Wiki, imo. There's about 14 ways to use it...it's great. Also, it was used superbly in Resident Evil 4. This is where the Wii flourishes. It adds that extra dimension, imo. I now do not think I could play RE4 on another system with dual analogue, because the Wii remote just adds something to it. I'm glad I held off and played it when I eventually did.

 

I won't post my exact opinions as they won't be wanted. Let's just say I laughed at Daz's post. 70-80 Wii games... I don't understand that.

 

Anyway, basically I'm happy with my 1 console. There's the games that someone else mentioned with campaign/co-op and competitive stuff and it's amazing how you can get some of this stuff for under £20. All the genres I need are here, it feels good to be part of PSN 'community', which sounds queer but in a way it's kind of tucked away and not spoken about and it feels like I'm a figure amongst a niche gathering or something along that line.

 

I like not having enough money to buy all the games I want. I see the list of stuff coming out this year and the fact is I'll have to miss out on most of it for quite a while. I hate these economic choices! Yet they are healthy because when I do get a copy of something it does seem special. Take something like Heavy Rain, a game that's out of my comfort zone but could well be one of the most awesome experiences, something I could buy but at the expense of something more obviously playable and immediatly likeable.

 

I think there have been some awesome posts in this thread though that I'd wholeheartedly agree with, I just can't be bothered to thank them. It seemed to me Flink that there were more than 1 or 2 ideas rolling through your head and then you mentioned all of them under 1 title that wasn't quite broad enough. Happens to all of us when there's so much to think about.

 

That's the thing, with the first part of your post, you are in disbelief. Many of us are, because that's a lot of games. However, it goes to show that he considers there to be around 70 or 80 games that are worth buying. I'd like to see a list of these games so we can see exactly what he has. But, that is commendable, anyway.

 

The idea about renting games is interesting, although it is something I have never done. I used to borrow games off friends, but I used to hate giving them back, particularly if I was enjoying them. I borrowed WWF No Mercy from a friend years ago, then gave it back eventually. But, when I bought the game myself...I just didn't have the same enthusiasm as I did then. I still loved it and it's still one of the best games I've ever played. But, I think the idea of renting games just wouldn't work for me.

 

But, like you say, it's good for some people, particularly if it's a good you're not sure if you'll like. Sometimes certain games do take us out of our comfort zone, I think that goes with any console. For me, I don't think I've done that too much this generation. I look through my games and there are some which many others just won't like, but I think I'll try pretty much anything in terms of style. But, I think I am quite reluctant to buy traditional fighting games, because I don't think I would get as much enjoyment out of it now as I did when I was a bit younger and could learn all the combinations and stuff. For me, that would be coming out of my comfort zone.

 

I really don't play games anywhere near as much as I used to. The last game I bought for my Wii was Brawl. All I wanted was for Nintendo to make a reasonable amount of the games akin to the ones I loved on the N64 and Gamecube.

 

I'm even becoming disillusioned with my Xbox 360. I play some Rock Band every now and then and I bought the new Silent Hill game for it (only to be a tad dissapointed) but there is simply not much else I want for it this year. I think it's mainly due to the fact that all I see on the shelves in gamestation these days are games - in one variation or another - that I have played before. Sequels, prequels, spinoffs and ripoffs.

 

There's somewhat of a paradox here, because you initially said that you bought the Wii for Nintendo to make a certain amount of games akin to the ones on previous systems. Yet, you say that you see too many "similar" games on the 360, like prequels and sequels and stuff.

 

I think maybe if things were more the other way around then things would be better for you. If Microsoft were the ones trying different types of games like de Blob, and if Nintendo were the ones doing sequels and prequels, maybe that would've been better for you?

 

When you purchase a system, I think it's natural for a certain perception to enter your mind about what to expect with it. I think I've been pleasantly surprised in some respects with the Wii, because we haven't just seen prequels or sequels, or not too many.

 

Also, don't be too tempted to believe that what you see on the shelf is all that is available for the system. Any DS owner will tell you that. I sometimes look on the DS shelf and think "man....there's so much crap." And there is. But, there is so much gold, too. Usually it's never in stock, haha. But, the games are there, for all the systems. I think if you maybe asked for some recommendations to kickstart your gaming habit, that would work. Probably for both the Wii and 360.

Edited September 22, 2009 by Fierce_LiNk
Automerged Doublepost

[Hero-of-Time]

Thats one hell of a reply, Flinky!