DracIsBack Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I own a Wii. I'm also in the process of getting a PS3. I regularly play the XBox 360, which I love the titles for but am nervous about the system failure issues. I've watched the Wii for the last 18 months and I have things I like and don't like about it. I thought Nintendo's "Blue Ocean" strategy was brilliant and I have no doubt Microsoft and Sony are kicking themselves hard for thinking Nintendo would be irrelevant. I'm still not convinced anything is in the bag for anyone in terms of victory this generation but I think Nintendo proved the point that its naive to under-estimate them. There are things I don't like. As mentioned in the Wii forum, it bugs me that some developers are phoning in their efforts. They whine "Nintendo will eat are lunch" ... I think, "then make better games.". Good games sold on N64. Good games sold on GameCube. Good games will sell on the Wii. Half ass efforts won't work, particularly on a console made by a company that has some of the top game design teams on the planet. I also get bugged by games that look like PS2 titles from 2000. I get that the Wii doesn't match the competition technically but games should still be substantially more impressive visually than they are. Some games, IMO, shine with the remote. Others, need a regular controller (or the option). One thing that is starting to get really long in the tooth is the "its a fad" argument. I mean, honestly. When it came out, people said, "by January the hype will be over and something else will surpass it". January 2007 came and Wii sales were strong. "By summer, it will be dead". Summer 2007 came and Wii sales were strong. "Wii had its innings but by Christmas, Xbox 360 or PS3 will succeed". Wii sales were strong. "By spring, its dead". March 2008 saw the Wii clobbering the Xbox 360 and PS3, despite the price cuts and Blu-Ray issue being solved. Do I think Nintendo is a sure thing to win this round of the console wars? Nope. But honestly, the "its a fad arguments" are getting old. Sales have been too strong for too long to liken this to a pet rock. Its here to stay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpendTooMuchOnAtari Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Is it me or are these threads about Wii vs PS3 vs 360 getting to be a "fad" in itself. Everyone should spend more time playing what they want, have fun and leave it at that. .....sorry, carry on...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Fad my ass. It's a Gamecube right? The Gamecube was released in 2001. So at this rate this "fad" is going on 7 years and marching strong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 Is it me or are these threads about Wii vs PS3 vs 360 getting to be a "fad" in itself. They are getting tiring but the merits of Wii vs. PS3 vs. 360 wasn't the point of the thread. :-) Everyone should spend more time playing what they want, have fun and leave it at that. Agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 Fad my ass. It's a Gamecube right? The Gamecube was released in 2001. So at this rate this "fad" is going on 7 years and marching strong I wouldn't go that far. It runs quicker than my GameCube. it has more memory than my GameCube. It has more storage space than my GameCube. It goes on the net (unlike my GameCube). And then there's that controller thingie. I get that it's not as powerful or differentiated as some would like, but it isn't a GameCube either. If it was, I wouldn't get as mad about Wii games often looking like something that wouldn't make a PS2 sweat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I agree. Wii is certainly not a fad, it's a moneymaker that produces a lot of gaming which is easier to access for a large (generally untapped) segment of gamer. It's not that I believe Wii is a fad at all, more that I *wish* Wii were a passing fad. It's games generally aren't aimed at me as a gamer, and it's controller is often used in silly ways, but it's cost and the 'unusual factor' make it a sure moneymaker. I fear wii may become a 'style' and others will follow. On one hand I really am happy for nintendo. They're a well respected company which I generally enjoy. They always seem to do well, but before wii, I never thought they'd have the console 'everybody is talking about' again. It's extremely popular with almost all age groups and gamer levels, and honestly, if it had a 'killer app' aimed right at me, I'd be willing to put up with it too. It's a hit--I just don't think it's my style at all. Not that 'standard' gaming has been aimed directly at me as a target audience for a while either, but I feel it's a bit closer in all areas except price. I'm really on the fence with this whole generation, and I may be losing the desire to upgrade anymore. Maybe there's nothing wrong with any of these systems and this is that dreaded 'growing up' they all said would happen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I'm reminded of something I read once in a review of the movie 2010: The Year We Made Contact. The reviewer said, "Each generation gets the movies it deserves." If this generation really wants a return of the dark ages of Nintendo driven gaming, then I guess they deserve it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 If this generation really wants a return of the dark ages of Nintendo driven gaming, then I guess they deserve it. [sarcasm]yeah because the last time was soooooooooo terrible[/sarcasm] All of those great games on the NES and SNES... who the hell would want that?!?!?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyper_Eye Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 If this generation really wants a return of the dark ages of Nintendo driven gaming, then I guess they deserve it. [sarcasm]yeah because the last time was soooooooooo terrible[/sarcasm] All of those great games on the NES and SNES... who the hell would want that?!?!?!?!? [sarcasm]Absolutely! I will never be able to get enough of the same games rehashed over and over and over![/sarcasm] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 [sarcasm]Absolutely! I will never be able to get enough of the same games rehashed over and over and over![/sarcasm] Franchises are unique to Nintendo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 [sarcasm]Absolutely! I will never be able to get enough of the same games rehashed over and over and over![/sarcasm] Large portions of the entire video game industry's output is sequels and rehashes. It's complete nonsense to act like it's only Nintendo that does it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 5 Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) nevermind... Edited April 23, 2008 by therealred5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 [sarcasm]yeah because the last time was soooooooooo terrible[/sarcasm] All of those great games on the NES and SNES... who the hell would want that?!?!?!?!? [sarcasm]Absolutely! I will never be able to get enough of the same games rehashed over and over and over![/sarcasm] [sarcasm] Yeah, I also loved all of those games where everything was always in the same place and there didn't seem to be one drop of randomness. Replayable games suck hot stinky butt cheese! And instead of continuing from the spot where I died, I loved it when a game sent me back many levels or all the way back to the beginning of the game. It was so much fun replaying the same levels over and over again just to get to the level I wanted to play! [/sarcasm] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 [sarcasm] Yeah, I also loved all of those games where everything was always in the same place and there didn't seem to be one drop of randomness. Replayable games suck hot stinky butt cheese! And instead of continuing from the spot where I died, I loved it when a game sent me back many levels or all the way back to the beginning of the game. It was so much fun replaying the same levels over and over again just to get to the level I wanted to play! [/sarcasm] Again, that's not something that only applies to Nintendo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 Again, that's not something that only applies to Nintendo. This is getting more into what people think about Nintendo franchises vs. franchises in general. look at any video game chart ... most of the top games are franchises, regardless of platform or developer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 [sarcasm] Yeah, I also loved all of those games where everything was always in the same place and there didn't seem to be one drop of randomness. Replayable games suck hot stinky butt cheese! And instead of continuing from the spot where I died, I loved it when a game sent me back many levels or all the way back to the beginning of the game. It was so much fun replaying the same levels over and over again just to get to the level I wanted to play! [/sarcasm] Again, that's not something that only applies to Nintendo. I didn't say it did, but Nintendo was a major pusher of those types of games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Anyone that thinks the Wii is just a fad is stupid. Period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I'm reminded of something I read once in a review of the movie 2010: The Year We Made Contact. The reviewer said, "Each generation gets the movies it deserves." If this generation really wants a return of the dark ages of Nintendo driven gaming, then I guess they deserve it. Far better than the previous generation of brown graphics, tasteless content, and repetitive first-person shooters. 2002-2004 was an absolutely SUFFOCATING era of gaming. I can't count the number of times that I went to the local video rental store and found nothing but Grand Theft Auto and its offspring waiting for me there. When the Wii and DS steamrolled over that dark period of gaming, it was like the destruction of the Berlin Wall, America's victory in World War II, and the emancipation of the slaves all rolled into one for me. I would never go back to the days when Sony was calling the shots and anyone who dared offer something new and different was driven out of business, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bones Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Fad? Meh. The Wii will be popular for a bit longer than the likes of the hula hoop, troll toys, and pet rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjarabbit Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Stuff like WiiSports, WiiPlay, Nintendogs, and Brain Age are all relatively new IPs. If anything Nintendo has done an excellent job mixing new Ips with old ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari5200 Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) yeah the Wii is a fad. I've experienced it. I've owned my Wii for what, a month now, and since the first couple weeks, I think the thing has been used twice. It gets boring real fast. Sure it's fun, at first, but some games are just to damn frustrating to play with the controller, and the mini game stuff does get real boring. I have the Wii-sports, Raving Rabbids, and Game Party, I borrowed Wii-play, thank god I did not buy that huge pile of crap, bundled with controller or no, it's not worth it. Hell, my wife doesn't even bother with it. We used it on Saturday when we had family over and it was fun, I think that is where the Wii shines. But for everyday use between my wife and I, it's a pointless pile of crap. But it's what I expected, so I'm not disappointed in my purchase, my 360 is my main current gaming system, the Wii was never intended to replace my 360, but just be an alternative when unique titles came out for it, like No More Heroes, or a Star Wars game that will use the wii-mote for light sabre action, or all time favorite Nintendo series like Smash bros and Mario Kart. I do not understand how people could be satisfied owning JUST a Wii though. Edited April 23, 2008 by Atari5200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 All 3 machines are, let's face it, toys. They're all fads and they pass. The Intellivision was a more 'powerful' system than the 2600, the N64 was more or a processing powerhouse than the PS1. They're all gone. All replaced by newer shinier toys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I think the reason people bring up fad and Wii a lot is because of all the non-gamers snatching up Wii's and Wii Play and then that's it. They have now caught up with the Jones's. Kinda like when Trival Pursuit came out, everyone and their brother rushed out and bought the game, just because they played it at someone elses house. They played a few times and now it still sits in the closet since the 80s. It's not a bad thing, it's moving consoles off the shelf for sure and there are plenty of regular gamers that own a Wii and use it weekly if not daily. But when your top selling games are and continue to be over a year after the fact, Wii Play and Wii Sports it become obvious that the majority of Wii owners bought the system because someone they knew had one and they thought it was worth $250 to bowl in the living room. Not sure if you would refer to that as a fad or not, but the fact these people don't buy up any software is certainly having a negative effect on the games being released. Folks aren't willing to put any time or effort into a game, because when they do. In spite of having millions and millions of more Wii's in consumers houses...the titles they spent the extra time and money on just for the Wii, dont sell as well as expected. (1st party titles usually with the word Mario in the title and 3rd party titles with HUGE followings on the other systems aside) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Kai Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I think Wii does fit under the definition of fad. Two of the major terms in the definition are 'fashion' and 'craze'. It's definitely considered a fashionable device to own, and it was physically designed that way, taking after that generic, sterile Ipod design that is fadlike in itself. Gamers don't really give a crap about the look of the machine they play, otherwise there wouldn't be so many gamers playing PS3 and 360, two humongous, loud and ugly machines. It's being bought by non-gamers mostly. The 'craze' term definitely fits more than fashion. How is it not a craze when the thing has been sold out for 18 months straight? That's not a market, that's a craze. People are still in a frenzy to buy a Wii. The word 'Fad' connotes that there is some kind of time limit on its popularity. Well what is that time limit? I'd say a fad can last for more than 2-3 years, it's not that long. Nintendo doesn't care if its a fad or not, they are laughing all the way to the bank. They have done a masterful job of trickery and manipulation to get people to buy the whole idea of the Wii. Most people who buy one quickly tire of it, I don't even think that is debatable, I've personally known this to be the case for many many people. Most Wii consoles turn into dust collectors/accent furniture very fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 All 3 machines are, let's face it, toys. They're all fads and they pass. The Intellivision was a more 'powerful' system than the 2600, the N64 was more or a processing powerhouse than the PS1. They're all gone. All replaced by newer shinier toys. I'm with you, as soon as the xbox 720 or the ps4 is out then the current gen will fall out of favor, hell you cant be seen with a PSP fat without being laughed at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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