Nintendo has a large success with their Wii system. They have sold 35 million units so far, and are doing strong. However they are receiving a lot of criticsm from the Nintendo fanboy, the hardcore gamer, and the large gamer sites. I am posting this blog to tell my side of the story and to calm some hardcore gamers. Please feel free to post a comment, explaining your side of the story. We all have our own opinions.
Nintendo has had their success with the casual market, a market never really focused on by companies before. This is both good and bad. The good is that they are getting more people into gaming, which is expanding this amazing industry. The bad is that all the 3rd party developers are releasing casual games (and only casual games) on the Wii system. The Wii has its large group of hardcore gamers (Me) and we want to see some real games (We Cheer sucks, EA Playground sucks, Action Girlz Racing sucks, and these licensed games suck). We never had this problem with the GameCube (Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow was awesome). Why have it now??
This is probably because of the horsepower of the Wii system. It has similar specs to the Nintendo GameCube. When the GameCube was released all the consoles had similar specs. The 6th generation was a great generation in gaming. The 7th generation (now) has consoles that are completely different and this is where the specs matter. The Wii is not focusing on graphics but rather a different way to play games. I personally prefer the FPS controls on the Wii than on the other systems. I like the interactivity. I hope that developers and publishers start to make more hardcore games for the Wii. Casual gamers only consider gaming a pass-time. Nintendo please listen to this next 6 sentences. The reason casual gamers bought the Wii and the DS in the first place is that they heard from friends and relatives how fun it is, and played it for themselves. The reason hardcore gamers bought the Wii is that they did lengthy research on the system and as Nintendo gamers, they got all excited. A casual gamer is NOT going to wait outside a store for 3 hours in the freezing cold waiting for the release of the system. This is where Nintendo botched the Wii launch. We wanted several hardcore games on the Wii. The games I got were Zelda and Excite Truck, and I still love these games. They should have focused on the HARDCORE games at launch, then slowly (and scarcely) released the casual games. I hope that with the Wii HD that they fix this problem. Casual gamers will only buy a game because they want to try something new. Hardcore gamers will buy a game because they have lost their breath over the game when it was announced a year ago.
Another problem in this huge mess is that the 3rd party developers. They keep releasing dumb and casual games for the Wii. A casual gamer is NOT going to buy all these games. They will probably only buy 5 a month, not all these hideous abominations of mankind. Here is my list of franchises that need to be brought to the Wii:
EA:
1. Command & Conquer
2. Army of Two
3. Dead Space
4. Mirror's Edge
id Software:
1. Doom
2. Quake
3. Wolfenstein
Ubisoft
1. Tom Clancy
2. Far Cry (a good one)
3. Prince of Persia
Epic Games
1. Unreal Tournament (4)
Midway
1. Mortal Kombat
2. Area 51
Capcom:
1. Street Fighter
2. Bionic Commando
Konami
1. Metal Gear
2. Contra
Bethesda
1. Fallout
2. Elder Scrolls
I might sound crazy, but I am talking about ports or remakes. Doom and Quake would be perfect on the Wii. They could be remakes of the originals with improved graphics, sound, and gameplay. The Wii is a powerful system and partnered with the Quantam3 engine, can make up for a Xbox 360 look, a Nintendo feel, and the best experience ever. Developers need to talk to Nintendo, get the secrets of the Nintendo experience, and get their gameplay ideas from Metroid Prime 3 (shooters) and Cruis'n (driving games). These are my opinions and I applaud High Voltage Software and Free Radical Design for making hardcore Wii games (TimeSplitters 4 and The Conduit). We Nintendo gamers need more hardcore Wii games. The Wii is a awesome system. I hope for the day where someone will say to me " I want a Wii to play The Conduit". That is one of my dreams.
Basically we have a console with a unique gaming experience that cannot be matched and developers are tossing it away. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released for the DS (The freaking 64 bit DS instead of the 128 bit Wii). That is unnaceptable in my opinion. EndWar would of been perfect with the WiiSpeak, without that annoying headset crushing my ear. The Wii is amazing and I hope this article gets developes to step up. This system is in fact a next gen system. A system as powerful as 2 PS2s and 2 Xboxs didn't exist 4 years ago. It exists now and we should appreciate it.
Nintendo fans are also dissapointed on the lack of hardcore Wii games at E3 08. Games these days take time and effort to make. Rushed titles usually suck, and Nintendo doesn't want the next Metroid, Mario, or Zelda to make the fans hate them. It is not just some random guy in his garage anymore. We have to be patient. The games they did have were hardcore (MadWorld, Call of Duty 5, the WiiSpeak, and The Conduit). Shigeru Miyamoto did announce a new Mario and Zelda to be in development. They had several hardcore games coming out anyway. E3 09 will be their redemption.
Please leave a comment. I would love to hear all you gamers opinions on this topic. Leave a comment if you own a Wii, are a hardcore gamer, or a Nintendo fanboy.
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The Wii cannot handle games like command and conquer, army of two, dead space, mirrors edge, far cry, tom clancy, UT4, Metal Gear, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls. Even though the Quantum 3 Engine makes Wii games look fine, it does not make them look ANYWHERE NEAR the quality of 360 games. The developers have to cheat and remove other things in order to make the graphics look sub-par when compared to the 360, there is no way the graphics will be able to match up. Secondly, the Wii simply doesn't have the power to run most of the franchises (the devs could release a gimped version for the Wii simply for profit.)A huge and immersive game like Oblivion or Fallout 3 is not possible on the Wii simply because the processing and graphical power is not there. In the other games I listed, there is simply to much going on in them to be possible on the Wii, unless the devs gimp them. You may still get the games, but it won't be the same experience.
The Wii is LESS powerful than the original XBox, get your facts right. Secondly, EndWar would not have been possible on the Wii, they would have to gimp it in order for it to run on the Wii. Also, did you see the graphics for the DS version of COD4 compared to the PS3 and 360 versions. There is a HUGE difference. The Wii cannot handle games the same way the "hardcore" systems can. Call Of Duty: World At War is the perfect example of this.
The Wii is a console for casual gamers, face it, and live with it. Nintendo screwed its true fans over this generation. The Wii will NEVER be able to run games at the level of the 360 and PS3, so get that through your skull.
Here is a video of COD 5 on the Wii:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch...
Here is a video from the XBox 360 BETA:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch...
The beta looks much better than the Wii version, and the full version looks even better. Face it, the Wii is the weakest. The only thing that can save it with the hardcore is it's controls, and the fad of the Wiimote has worn off.
I was recently considering buying a Wii for several of the VC games, Galaxy and Brawl. The release of Nintendo's voice chat made me itch for a Wii even more, until I found out what is actually is. It's a box and not a headset. Maybe I'm too afraid to try new things, but this wasn't even a feature at launch! They've had ample time to imporve on the current headsets and voice features, but no. They chose to release an impractical means of communication. Nintendo had proved, once again, that they have no intention of improving (from a hardcore gamer's perspective, anyways). And why would they? The Wii is selling like the cure for cancer and rightfully so. Its purpose is to introduce new gamers into the market and it's doing just that. But don't expect much change for their next system. They have a proven formula for profit, where's their incentive to change?
I don't like Zelda and Metroid, but I do recognize that they are fantastic games. Nintendo doesn't offer much better quality games than these. I like Animal Crossing on the GC, but their "new" version is basically a rehash of the original. I want Nintendo to improve just as much as you do as Nintendo are very creative. Just offer me something of a high quality that doesn't involve Mario, Link, and Samus in it.
I'm fine with the Wii I mean sure it has not many hardcore games now and may not have the masses at end of its life cycle but I'm happy so far with what I've got.
I'm looking forward to Madworld, No More Heroes 2, and new Mario, Zelda titles plus all the Wii Ware and VC stuff..
Obviously there is always room for improvement for any company or system but great games take time. I would rather Nintendo take their time making high quality gaming then some of the major disappointments I have seen this gen and I seen quite a few.
First of all I appreciate your comments. I was just giving my opinion on this article. The reason I didn't add tech details and facts because it is already obvious from the start. When I asked for the Quantam3 engine is that it can be used to give better graphics, not FULL 360 level, just near 360. Ports or remakes are something like putting Quake or Doom on the Wii with updated graphics. When I said EndWar or C&C, they are RTS games!!! RTS games are the type of games that don't need great graphics because you see the whole battlefield from the sky, and everything is TINY. When I said games like Metal Gear, Mirror's Edge, or Army of Two, I ment something like a sidestory (A Metal Gear that is set in a time after MGS4) or the Metal Gear Complete Collection on the Wii. A Dead Space game that takes place before the original Dead Space. Stuff like that. Ports are games that don't have the full graphics, but have the Wii specific gameplay and design, while retaining factors from the PS3 and 360. The Wii needs new games and games from existing franchises (Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles as a example of a game that does it). I was suprised at the responses I got and I am not sad at all. They are kind of funny. Man you guys are harsh.
Okay regaurding the convo on this blogs comments thusfar:
Yeah that link leafs gave for "proof" of xbox superiority is opinion and nothing else.. the end(I hate unsourced garbage).
Galaxy and prime were both beautiful and well done... both can be beaten quickly but the replay is finding everything and i'm guessing not many people here can claim they got ALL the stars in galaxy.
In regard to the blog itself:
It demonstrates hope but what i was really hoping for was you to discuss the hardcore options wii owners WILL be getting in 2009. Not the fantasy world of could bes.
You should have brought up madworld, and the conduit as well as no more heroes 2. I think the developers have finally had enough time getting used to the hardware of the wii and 2009 may finally see those titles the wii has been lacking. Remember Xbox 360 still had crap for it's first 2 years too. It takes time to develop good games and at the start of year 3 for the wii it is overdue for more quality titles. in the meantime xbpx360 and wii owners can rejoice at the tiny tiny selection ps3 owners have. But they can always gloat about their blueray capability.
In conclusion... calm your fanboy asses down and learn respect and patience!