Man did I get a lot of flack when I openly suggested that the Wii was the only “true” next-gen console. Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks so…
How Nintendo Will Save the Videogame Industry
Will Wii single-handedly save the industry? As difficult as it may be to swallow, it very well could. The Nintendo Wii isn’t the only system you’ll want to own in this generation; we’ve gotten too used to our shooters and gore and adult-themed games to go without an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. But without the Wii in the next-gen picture, the industry could very well miss out on the next generation of gamers. The hardware manufacturers and software creators seemed so focused on the technical aspects of the term “next generation” that they’re missing out on the real next generation: the next generation of gamers.
And one more.
14 responses to “How Nintendo Will Save the Videogame Industry”
I’m hoping for that massive cross-platforming
the zines said Gates was talking about. PC games already have better graphics (& pretty much everything else) than any consol, but it’s a pain to even think about getting a new system every time a game comes out that’s only compatible with “this” & not “that.”
At least by now, I think Nintendo Wii is the thoroughgoing next-generation. Whether from PS2 to PS3 or from XBOX to XBOX 360, I think they are almost the same platform. Don’t talk bout “How many polygon they will bring you…” with me. That’s funny s*it for gamer.
Whatever, let’s keep looking at them PS3, Wii… the war will begin again. 🙂
I presume you are deving something on this platform?
Camera is the number 1 killer among designers and coders. The way red steel does it versus metroid prime is different. I like Metroid Primes’ way of doing it. How far do you aim before the camera starts moving left and right. Think of a square of aiming on the screen before moving. Red Steel has a massive one, and Metroid a smaller one. Neither have a scaling option. 🙂 Oh and third person. Cripes.
Other annoying thing. Non-rechargable controllers. What were they thinking?
Anyone tried Totem ball on the 360 with the new webcam/eyetoy. gesture and movement write there, and my hands don’t need to recharge.
MS have Wii styled controller in the works somewhere. PS3 has six axis. Gesture based controllers and pointers will come out on both of those machines if gamers demand it.
Sadly most Wii games are party titles. It’ll be interesting to see how many people can get all the way thru a story based title in one go before fatiguing or heart attacks set in.
Don’t get me wrong. As a gamer I love the idea of the Wii and have pre-ordered one.
I really think the Wii goes in the right direction. But in my opinion the most important aspect is, what the game designers make of it. I see very less games which are really unique and interesting these days. I own a xbox 360 and almost all current games are like boredom to me. I just got 4(!) games. And out of this 4 games only one is great. I hope that there will be some really new(!) and unique games in the future. This is my wish.
(sry for my potentially bad english here and there)
err, with 4 games I mean 4, for the 360 -.-
Nice articles. The first one holds some kind of truth already. There’s a small ‘come back’ of traditional board games going on in the last few years. The reasons are pretty much described in that first article: many gamers are getting older, getting families, having kids, and they want to share their games with the kids. The best thing to resort to at the moment is…board games. You can sit around the table with your family, and the themes of a lot of games are ‘safe’. Not to mention the costs. The only hardware you need is a table and some chairs, and you don’t have to buy new ones every few years. The ‘software’ (board games) cost less than an average video game. And the graphics are crystal clear 🙂
Why does everybody make either ego-shooters and car racing games (sony, ms) or casual games with high fun factor (nintendo). What about guys like me, who loved e.g. Ultima Underworld 2 and is still waiting for a true spiritual successor?
I don’t care about hardware, I want story.
That’s only true! If you kick your fans, you will end in the alley with a knife in your back. Serious, what does Sony thinks about their action with their “Oh-we-are-so-realistic” console. In the end, the WII will kick ass and Sony a lot of their own consoles in their shells. Sorry fellows, but that’s the wrong way.
Totally agree with what your saying. I so hope Sony bombs out. I can’t wait to hear about 500 dollars systems at launch breaking like crazy. YOu know it will happen its happend every launch for them. I know people who have gone through 3 or 4 of the older model ps2 systems. I went through 4 psps. Sonys quality control is garbage. Nintendo cares about the consumer. Just a week or so ago gamestop just started taking preorders for the wii. There were moms lined out the door at the store I saw. Nintendo is going to make a killing.
Sony doesn’t have to care about the consumer, because they’re of monolithic proportions and won’t be brought down by some silly video game business. I guess they’re kind of like that king who spits on you and has you arrested for not dying. Whereas Nintendo seems like the guy that busts you out of prison, assassinates that dickhead who spat on you, and starts his own kingdom where you and all your friends will be equally happy. I just wonder when video games will merge completely with American culture. Video games in the classroom?!
I agree 100%. Wii will truely be the console to raise the bar. The others, while they have their own personal “beauty” (I say that in quotations as “beauty” is truely ALL they have), just wont off the same, or even an imitative gameplay experience. That all being said, I’ve recently been re-playing the masterpiece that is Alice, and noticing how perfectly the game would work on the Wii. Do you think you would ever have plans to re-make a classic game such as Alice?
I agree wholeheartedly. I can’t stand either Sony or Microsoft for many reasons. Anymore I could care less about graphics, I want gameplay – something fun and innovative. Nintendo is the only company to get it right this time.
Oh, and as for Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade – they may have some cool titles, but it doesn’t stand a chance against the Virtual Console.
Nintendo’s methods and ideology for gaming have never been integrated with the popular trends. I mean… in recent times, that’s been obvious. GameCube wasn’t designed to be a graphics powerhouse. It was designed to be fun and the games reflect that. Although, I always feel that the big N abandons their console offerings; or at least… they don’t support them as much as they should.
The DS has blown my mind with its unique gameplay and although I have my doubts as to whether the wii’s unique gameplay will be more fun than a burden (I can’t imagine waving my arms around for 8 hours on a gaming binge), I have faith that the system will be fun and definitely worth the $ I’m going to shell out.
However, if the wii fails commercially… the repercussions will be felt throughout the industry… no one will want to try anything new, and Nintendo probably will stick to and expand their portable gaming prowess.
I REALLY hope you actually read these comments because I registered just to tell you this:
I would do anything to have a cool game from you on the Wii. It’s the
only next-gen console currently worth buying, and I waited 17 hours in freezing Canada weather on launch day
to get one.
And the first thing I thought when trying it out was how awesome Alice would
have been if it ever had the opportunity to be reworked for Wii. But in
reality, I’ve played that game already, and I’d rather play something new and equally twisted from you.
If you like the Wii, I hope I hear some news soon about a Wii game from American McGee.
My wife will even let me buy it on release day if it’s even remotely as cool as Alice, as she loved that game too.
Please, make it happen!