@charsuipau: I am sorry but I diddn't realise that your statement was @ me until now. (You should learn to use the buttons)

Anyway, just copy and past my previous statement to Balius here and then paste his after mine. Then add this:

You saying that San Andreas would run better than the PS2 or XBoX1 on the is laughable in the sense that it should at least match their abilities considering the fact that they are LAST GEN SYSTEMS!!

I realy wish people like you would just STFU when it comes to 360 games and PS3 games being ported to the Wii. The Wii is what it is, and it is very good at being what it is so please, stop trying to make it into something that it is not. It is NOT a PS3 it is NOT a 360. So stop trying to make arguments for ports of their games and just enjoy the games that ARE made for the Wii (or ported from the PS2).

Mr.SithNinja

@Balius: I seriously doubt that the Big N would want to put out a gimped down version of a huge game like that. It would make their system look like shit by comparison. That is why you won't see any graphicaly intense games on the Wii because it exposes their hardware shortcomings. Any kind of multi-platform games like Force Unleashed will be a PS2 port graphicaly with a few added features, like the dual mode thrown in.

Mr.SithNinja

@charsuipau: Manhunt 2 is on the Wii.

Balius

@ href="#c5520157">Mr.SithNinja:

Of course they could port GTA 4 to the Wii.. for the same reason the Wii can probably run San Andreas better than a PS2 and Xbox original could.

GTA 4 for the wii could have reduced graphics but still better graphics than San Andreas, drop the Rag Doll Physics, and with the Wiimote would have probably better gun combat in terms of aiming being heck of alot more accurate and easier.

The big issue is that you seem to think a port to the Wii must have the exact same graphical/physics features, which it doesn't need to have, and the world on the Wii could probably be bigger because of it.

So yes porting to the Wii would be 'easy' but hugely time consuming as they would be making a totally seperate version of the game from resources unlikely to be able to be shared, if they used an upgraded San Andreas engine with improved textures. But its unlikely to be worthwhile and a huge gamble since most of the hardcore gamers which buy gta aren't exactly flocking to the Wii.

Oh and I have my doubts whether Nintendo would even allow GTA on their console, being all family friendly and all that. And Gta is definitely not a family friendly game, heck if I had a child I wouldn't let him/her watch me play it... 'Daddy why is that woman making noises like mummy does at night?' wooo, I'd definitely be hiding it in that 'dvd cabinet with the lock on it' heh.

charsuipau

GTA does run better on PS3 and have less jaggies, but I still prefer 360's more solid colors and better contrast.

As far as Wii goes, I doubt it will affect it. People who buy Wii expects family friendly games to be played by elder and kids, while teenager and adults can enjoy a good game with their family.

mcool93

@Netnavi: not quite true. That honor goes to Gumpei Yokoi. He was Miyamoto's mentor when Nintendo was rocking the world with the NES. Gumpei was THE guy at Nintendo long before Miyamoto rose to stardom and Miyamoto got his chops in part from Gumpei.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

yet another reason why "analysts" don't understand jack shit. if anything gta is like the anti-wii. the two markets couldn't be more discrete.

krln99

The only thing that will dampen Wii sales is that pretty soon everyone even remotely interested in playing games in front of their TV will have one.

If 'Wii-eel of Fortune' comes out its over, even the seniors will buy another game.

Also, its true that many people own two consoles and the Wii, which will always had the advantage of a lower price point, wins a spot there easily.

The 360/PS3 is definitely going to be the choice for 'big-boy' games, but the Wii is something you can play with your girlfriend.

AaronInAustin

uh someone might have alreay said this, but they mentioned that it "Looks better on the PS3". Side by side, the PS3 version looks like it's running at a lower resolution. Oh wait it is, wait so how does that look better?

DevCo

The guy sort of forgets the fact that most Wii owners probably have zero interest in games like GTA. That type of gameplay is why many people pick a Wii over 360/PS3 - they want simple fun games. A very large percentage of Wii owners have never/would never consider getting a 360 or PS3 - totally different market share.

Limafoxtrot

Erm, GTA is a casual title, for casual gamers. This game will shift units precisely because the 18-35 male crowd (and younger if we're being honest with ourselves) who don't care about games want to drive around and blow shit up. Thats it. There's still no indication of whether other consoles will start eating into the Wii's market share, apart from the obvious fact that GTA isn't coming out on it.

Lov3

Hopefully it does. Some good old fashion competition may entice Nintendo back on making new great games.

Herodito

So you can port over motion control games? O RLY?

DrFresh

"GTA IV a threat to the Wii" is such a non-statement unless you are talking about people actually purchasing a 360/ps3 over a Wii for GTA IV. And while I'm sure that does happen, hasn't everyone pretty much got a Wii already now? So where is the threat exactly?

Lemming

It would be a threat to the WII if the game was marketed towards the Wii fanbase. But one of the creative producers at Rock Star has already said in the New Yorker Fuck casual gaming.

So when you read that and you are not a high end market user in gaming why would you go pick up this game? Furthermore though companies like to sell the idea, people don't pick up systems for one game. The Wii's shine will not tarnish till game creators stop saying "FUck casuals" and start saying lets create towards them, just doing the same old thing and expecting them to come just cause everybody else says that game is good will not work.

zsavior

@BtownDesignGuy:
"Because core gamers won't buy core games on the Wii. Look at the sales for games like Metroid Prime 3, No More Heroes, Zack & Wiki, the list goes on. It's maddening to hear gamers blame the Wii situation on everything but themselves"

Except MP3 has sold about 1.5 million copies (which I believe is more than MP2) while Zak & Wiki and No More Heroes are likely both around the 500,000 mark by now.
Those are actually both really good sales numbers given their budget/marketing.
Wii owners DO buy 'hardcore' games. Publishers and developers have to stop treating them as an afterthought, though.
Make a 'hardcore' Wii game and market it/hype it like Bioshock, Halo 3, GTA4, COD4 or any other big budget (or even mid-budget) 'hardcore' game and if it still fails to break at least a million, you will have a point. As it stands, though, whether or not 'hardcore' games sell on the Wii is STILL, pathetically, uncharted territory.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that Z&W or NMH would have been some fantasical million sellers if they were PS360 games, though. They'd have 'flopped' just as hard, if not harder.

Mr. Fap☆Fap!

To Recap:
Owen Good- There's this Forbes guy that has something to say about the gaming industry.
Kotaku public- Another 'analyst'? They don't know what they're talking about and are rarely right.
Owen Good- But he says product A is a threat to the Product B.

..3 ..2 ..1
RABLERABLERABLE! PRODUCT A OWNZ U NOOBS111! RABLERABLERABLE! PRODUCT A SUCKZ, PRODUCT B RULEZ THE HARDCOREZ! RABLERABLERABLE.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

Meanwhile, in the real world:
GTAIV still remains a great game, and the Wii remains sold out everywhere.

TKWarrior

Just for once, I'd like to see an open-world Wii game that *isn't* either a PS2 port, or a Wii original with PS2-quality tech (No More Heroes, you were fun, but I'm still pointing my finger at you).

I'm talking a game with the technical quality of Metroid Prime 3 or Super Mario Galaxy -- hell, even Battalion Wars 2 had better tech than most Wii games.

People keep judging the Wii for its inferior hardware -- and I'm the first to admit, it is inferior -- but the issue is exacerbated by developers who almost never push the hardware to its limit. At the rate we're going, 3rd party developers will discover how to unlock the full power of the CELL processor long before they unlock the full power of the Wii.

And why? Because core gamers won't buy core games on the Wii. Look at the sales for games like Metroid Prime 3, No More Heroes, Zack & Wiki, the list goes on. It's maddening to hear gamers blame the Wii situation on everything but themselves -- developers, the CPU, the flash memory -- and fail to realize their own purchasing decisions are just as much a part of the formula as anything else.

BtownDesignGuy

the wii is backed into a corner...thats funny stuff. games can be ported from wii to 360/ps3 more easily...but if only there were some third party titles worth porting, because as it stands you wont be seeing brawl, galaxy, or mario kart on a ps3/360.

the wii might be missing out on gta4, but it filled the gap with mario kart wii, which will sell millions of units world wide, probably at least 5 million.

then there is wii fit, the game that has sold over 1.5 million in japan alone, and has obviously been a big seller in the UK. wii fit will probably move a shit ton of units in the US.

if anything gta4 is bad news for 360 and ps3 games in the coming months. it will totally steal any sales for games in may.

sitsalot

@Chippo: Word. celebrated the launch of Halo 3 by buying a Wii.

Celebrated the launch of GTAIV by buying a PS3.

73mike

Hmm... there a bit of a flw on that line of thought... your CAN easly convert games from the Wii to the "other boxes" technicaly, but not so much as to convert the control scheme, wich is what makes the Wii truly unique.

I love GTAIV as much as the next person, but im still flying solo at home with only a Wii for this current generation of hardware.

Choices: Easy to make, hard to follow.

Shiryu

@Mr.SithNinja: Reduce the draw distance, cut the textures down to a minimum, and it's entirely feasible...but it'd look like crap comparatively.

It's not like any of the content is the problem, just the high level of graphics. New York City has been made into a sandbox on far less powerful machines than the Wii.

Balius

@Fraeon:

"On a technical standpoint, those games probably wouldn't be that hard to port."

Sure, the Wii can handle it, no problem. Just cut the native res down to 480, take out the online play, and have a 3 min load time for every 5 city blocks that you travel. Oh and while you are at it you would have to change the main character from Nico to Mario, because God forbid that the Wii have a big title game that didn't have him in it.

GTA4 pushes the limits of the 360. It would fucking melt the WIi into a puddle of Goomba goo. (from a technical standpoint)

Mr.SithNinja

I'm not sure what his point is - from day one the Wii has been targeted at exactly the kind of people who don't buy GTAIV, Halo, etc. Nintendo lost badly with the Gamecube (even if they still made a profit) doing that last time - their entire success or failure is based on capturing the people turned away, not towards, gaming by epics like GTA.

aldo_14

@if_deez:

Perhaps thats because they spent the last two generations eating shit sandwiches. Perhaps it's because "experts" said the DS was a failure in the face of the PSP and the Wii would fail in the face of the 360/PS3's HD GFX.

I'll give them a generation to have a shit eatin grin before I expect a little something more. I mean it's not like everyone didn't just bend over and take all the bullshit Sony spread about the PS2 (oh and Blu ray for that matter).

Jelster

@samaine: Aside from sweeping generalizations about the quality of people who play casual games in general and the Wii in particular (Soccer moms and the elderly? Really?) The current "hardcore" gamer is very predominantly male, and even there only consists of certain ages and even within those ages has nowhere near a stranglehold on the demographic. The Wii has garnered interest from a portion of everyone not interested in games previously, which is why it's so popular.

@MattB: While I think those who consider themselves hardcore can definitely cross over and enjoy casual games, I don't think theres much drift the other way. Casual gamers liking the deeper/more violent/longer fare have pretty much already crossed that line and lost their casual status.

Balius

That guy must belive that GTA IV is the only game available in the world or something.

360/PS3 fight for a market.
Nintendo expands the market

Who do ya think it's winning?
That guy is watching things like an economist, which is too generalized...

Mactheridon

I would LOVE to see nintendo get knocked down a few pegs, granted the wii is a pretty good system and has had great sales, but they have gotten so cocky it disgusts me. When ever the press questions their thoughts on business moves made by the other console, their reply sums up to "We are not worried the wii sells great" Instead of riding that high horse nintendo needs to work on pushing for better online play and games outside of the box.

if_deez

@TOCATL: you're sippin that hatorade.

seriously.....
MGS4
Gears of War 2
LBP
Resistance 2
Too Human...

Those games pose a big threat to the Wii. In fact 2008 will be a big threat to the Wii. Nintendo better impress me with something by E3. or this will go down as the best selling console that never made the games to match the hype.

p.s. Wii & PS3 owner.

zanzibarlegend

I've said it before: GTA3 is to Dreamcast as GTA4 is to Wii. Dreamcast still has more good games than Wii though...

supercrap

Some little kid will probably get arrested for stabbing another kid and claim that he learned how to knife fight by playing GTA on the Wii.

We all know Nintendo doesn't want to be apart of that.

Eating_Sushi

First of all, I should start by saying I hate the GTA games and after playing it this weekend, I feel confident enough to say that 4 is no exception, with all the flaws in the previous games still more or less existing to various degrees.

Second, play GTA4 on an SD TV. It seriously looks a LITTLE bit better than Resident Evil 4. If Rockstar wasn't skull fuckingly incompetent when it comes to character modeling and coding in general, you could get GTA 4 running on the Wii with pretty much no loss in visual quality.

And third and finally, if anyone REALLY thinks the Wii not having GTA4 is going to hurt it, it just shows that they STILL don't understand what has made the Wii so popular. As much as I would personally like to see more 'hardcore' games on the Wii, the PS360 having GTA4 (and especially having to split it) isn't going to make a dent in the Wii's sales, even in the short term.
Unlike last gen's round of consoles, GTA4 isn't going to really turn any tides in favor of one system or another the way it did for the PS2. The chemistry just isn't there this time. This is pretty much the 360's last hurrah and the PS3 still has yet to fire it's other Big Gun called FF XIII, in addition to a series of other high profile titles like MGS4 as well as LBP, KZ2 and RFRoM2 (which aren't going to be as big as some in the Sony camp are probably thinking they will be)


Also, I doubt MGS4 will get the kind of scores GTA4 is. It'll get high ratings, for sure, but it doesn't have the same level of hype GTA4 has, which is undoubtedly contributing in part to the scores it's receiving. GTA4 is just on a totally different level than anything else right now.

Mr. Fap☆Fap!

@VakeroRokero: I think there's a lot of truth in what you're saying there. Chippo made a comment on the previous page suggesting that gamers are not exclusively "casual" or "hardcore", and initially I was inclined to disagree. Having given it more thought though I think it's just that my own preferences fall almost entirely in the "hardcore" camp so I hadn't really considered the idea of casual games appealing too (they genuinely don't for me).

I know when playing No More Heroes on the Wii my thoughts were along the lines of what you were predicting. The lack of HD graphics and the less precise control scheme (Wiimote+Nunchuk) to me really detracted from the game. I'd be all over a PS3/360 port without a second thought. Also, as you say, if GTA IV had been released for the Wii as well there's still no way I'd ever have bought it on that platform.

MattB

Actually, Grand Theft Auto IV won't hurt the Wii a lot. It might help the PS3 a bit on getting those gamers who are currently content with their PS2, but it won't drive Wii-only owners to buy either console.

My reasoning is this. The fanbase the Wii has established consists of core Nintendo fans and the so-called non-gamer. The core Nintendo fans will buy any popular Nintendo game. The non-gamer fans are said to consist of Soccer Moms and the Elderly, who are definately NOT the target audience for Grand Theft Auto, but are the target audience for Wii Fit. I'd say Gran Turismo is the biggest threat to the Wii, especially if they allowed SIXAXIS control. A hyper realistic racing game that can do BETTER than what Excite Bike and Mario Kart can do controlwise would be a boon for the PS3 and could get that non-gamer demographic from the Wii.

What PS3 and Xbox 360 REALLY need to compete with the Wii is a PRICE DROP, not hit games. The sales of consoles have pretty much stabilized at this point, and no hit game will change it.

samaine

@Darkest Daze: We all know how important graphical superiority was last generation, or in the portable market, or in the generation before that... etc.

Minister of Fun

I think the only people that don't like the Wii are the people that like this game. It doesn't help winning the hardcore not having this game, but they also can't live without Hd graphics so even if they had a Wii edition it wouldn't sell to the hardcore, it would sell to all those casuals that know about GTA from The Colbert Report and CNN...

VakeroRokero

Oh no, GTA4 is going to kill the Wii, just like Halo 3 did and um...all those other games...right?

Korby

As far as the PS3 vs XBOX 360 graphical comparisons go... it pretty much comes down to a matter of taste more than one being superior over the other. I do find it hard for some reviewers to claim technical "superiority" for the PS3 version because they dropped the resolution and employed some post-processing effects to make up for the lack of any AA. I can certainly see why some would prefer the look of the PS3 version, but I can also see why some would not.

Houser states it looks soft without looking blurry. I don't know... it definitely looks soft, but the first thing I thought was how blurry it was. Flipping back and forth between the 360 and PS3 versions, it is pretty obvious that the image has been softened quite a bit, which does smooth out some edges. Still, I think it is a matter of personal preference whether that look is "superior".

The 360 does show more detail in the textures in every comparison I've seen. Not that I think most would be able to notice. Of course, the PS3 is softening the image on top of the reduced resolution, so it's bound to appear to be "missing" some minute detail anyway.

The biggest advantage the PS3 version has is the reduced pop-in. It's not "terrible" in the 360, but it is noticeable.

However, for me, the biggest advantage the 360 version has is that it's more likely to RUN. I was able to compare the two because I had enough of the PS3 version locking up/not loading that I decided to send it back after getting the 360 version. I know I could try one of the steps in Rockstar's 12 step plan, but I don't feel I should have to. Given how many problems I had with getting it to run in such a short time frame, I didn't want to invest more time into that version not knowing when it would lock again... Or having to reboot the PS3 3 times before I can play...

Personally, had I not had so many technical problems with the PS3 version, I would probably say I slightly preferred the look of that version, although I find that I prefer the XBOX 360 controller. Still, I gotta say the pop-in on the 360 may be more noticeable after playing the PS3 version and rarely seeing it at all.

BrandonJF

lol.. I hate when those journalists who knows nothing about video games try to join the hype :P

The public that is pushing the Wii sales up is not the same public that would buy GTA IV.. also, Wii games are not so easy to port over.. since most of them have the controls as their big feature.. which cannot be reproduced on the other consoles.

CockroachMan

This entire console war debate is stupid. The Wii, 360, and PS3 are completely different products with completely different features. This isn't SNES versus Genesis, where you had straight-up video game systems battling it out; there are tons of factors in today's "console war," from substantial graphic differences to DVD capability.

The video game industry is a beautiful woman. The PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 are the vajay-jay, ass, and tits of the industry, respectively.

The PS3 is the vajay-jay because it's the most expensive. You have to spend a lot of time saving up money for it, much like how you have to spend a lot of time convincing a girl to give you access to one.

The Wii is the ass because everyone loves looking at it, and it's squeezable and cuddly. But much like how the Wii doesn't get the "hardcore" games people want, it's unlikely that you'll convince a woman to let you stick it in down there.

And the 360 is the tits, because you can do pretty much anything with them. You can attach an HD-DVD player to the 360, download movies, TV shows, and even games, similar to how a lot of girls can augment and alter the size of their breasts.

So the video game industry is just one woman; some people are "ass people," some people are "tits people," and some people just really want some vajay-jay. Why can't we just let everyone have their own preference? The world would be boring if everyone wanted the exact same kind of girl.

I wonder whether this post will be nominated for "week in comments" or banhammer.

Fitz Rhapsody

What exactly is the sword hanging over Nintendo? They're making a profit on every unit, so they're not in the red and hoping for high game sales to save them. So the threat is less of a profit? And even if third parties completely shun the console, Nintendo has always been the star software developer of its own consoles; first and second party sales alone will keep people who bought into the Wii happily provided with blockbuster exclusives.

And even that is assuming that GTA, which is much more targeted at the stereotypical "hardcore" gamer, is going to be a threat to the family friendly games the Wii is becoming known for. "Hardcore" gamers aren't picking up just a Wii, and casuals won't know/care about game sales and might actually be repulsed by GTA as a system seller.

Balius

I consider myself quite a gamer and couldn't care less about GTA4.

The shmups I miss, GTA4 is yawn. No lost sales from me.

battra92

Don't see the point, the PS3 competes with the 360 for the same market as graphically you'd be splitting hairs to tell the difference. Nintendo decided not to opt for that demographic so far and it has paid off well.

I bought a Wii full well knowing I wouldn't be buying it for GTA and currently have 12 games for the Wii. The "hardcore" games was the reason I had a PC and a 360. Meanwhile GTA is selling well for the core gamer and I doubt Wii Fit is selling bad either.

Even though Wii won't get GTA4 or MGS or Orange Box or Assassins Creed and 360 and PS3 won't get Wii Fit or sports or so. I doubt it will make much difference as they're all different games. Though I'm glad it will sell more 360's and PS3's. I'm all for competition.

scotty999

Any one that has been paying attention to Nintendo in the past 4 years would know that this was Nintendos master plan from the start. The DS was just an experiment to test the waters. If it failed we would have gotten a new Gameboy. It didn't and they continued with the plan for a console with similar interfaces of the DS.

Nintendo knows what they are doing and I don't think they are a company that will bend over backwards just to appease a small segment for 1 game. The plan has always been for casual.

As Nintendoo goes along they might get more games that the "hardcore" (really if you are hardcore you will like a game no matter if it's casual or mainstream) but they will alwasy keep the other more quirky games that you see MS trying to copy. Not so much Sony because they have always experimented in bringing the crazy japanese centric games to the US. Go play Incredible Crisis. The game is nuts!

I expect Nintendo to continue down this path and only add on from there. Better graphics better controls and hopefully better games. No more minigames please!

Unless they throw yet another curveball and create yet more hype for the non gaming public to clamor over.

I really wonder what they would do without Miyamoto(sic). They had no idea how to break the stagnacy of the 80s and here he came with new ideas that noone had come up with. He's the Willy Wonka of games! I hope others have picked up his style and creativity so Nintendo doesn't get stale once he retires.

Netnavi

I don't believe MGS4 will get better scores than GTA 4, but I do believe it will be a solid game. One thing I love about GTA, the game ends when you want it to end. It's not linear like MGS. Point A to point's B, C, etc and then ending. GTA gives you things to do when not doing story missions.

DigitalHero

@Velops: True. The wii at my house is permenantly plugged to the living room TV. No video game system ever did that before the Wii. Heck, last I heard the Wii gets a workout for an hour a day in my house. ;) Ah...parents and their Wii Sports. lol

Lyner

@rrghy: "It really makes me wonder if MGS4 can repeat that incredible feat. I mean, seriously? Two close-to-100-scores games, within months of each other?

I doubt MGS4 will get the same ridiculously high scores as GTAIV.

The MGS games have always been radical in the sense that they are, first and foremost, the expression of one man's vision.
Kojima's saga is rather uncompromising and demanding on the player. A lot of gamers and reviewers frown at to the excessively long cutscenes, convoluted plot, and philosophical and psychological content (some would say ramblings) that the series is known for.

It would take a major fuck-up from Kojima Prod. for me not to enjoy MGS4 much more than GTAIV (don't get me wrong, GTA is great fun in its relative shallowness - I'm talking about the themes, not the expansive gameworld, of course).

But that's just because I don't have a problem with sitting through tons of dialogue, and I love MGS's odd blend of melancholy, disenchantment, idiosyncrasies and absurd humour...
The Eurogamer hands-on preview gives a pretty good idea of what to expect. No worries, it's spoiler-free, and summarizes perfectly what makes MGS... MGS.

Antiterra

@Disastorm:
oh nm the scoresheet was just a summary of the article, wasn't actually a "score sheet"

Disastorm

@cybereality:

Add R*'s sales vs Nintendo's collective sales. Then compare development budgets and I think you'll see Nintendo pay less and make more.

Ultimately it isn't always as simple as one game.

Jelster

I disagree. I doubt there are many traditional gamers (gamers who are likely to be most interested in a game like GTA4) who own a Wii and not either a 360 or PS3. In other words, the core gamer likely already owns one of the two platforms GTA4 is available for.

The Wii won't fail because most of its buyers are non-gamers and Nintendo fans. It's true I pulled most of this out of my ass, but it's not that incorrect.

Replica23

oh, and wii is getting spore too, i expect that game to have soem pretty buig buzz, given that will write is the "sims" guy in a lot of casual's eyes. im getting it on the pc of course, but most people arent pc gamers.

ryanfrost

ya know, im sure nintendo woudl love gta, but in the last 3 months, we had smash bros break 2 mill in the us alone, mario kart is selling well, with 2 mill in japan, and we are waiting to see the npd numbers for us, and anyone who dosent think that wii fit will crack 2 mill in the us is stoned, so ya know, 3 million sellers in 3 months, im betting that nintendo isnt too worried. you can own a wii and another gaming system ya know. i plan on picking up a 360 when fable 2 hits, and pc has been keeping em going thus far(come to me mass effect this may) if you stay informed and dont just blindly buy and then let your system collect dust, you can enjoy the hobby, but if you buy stupidly without doing any research, it falls on you.

ryanfrost

Why does this guys scoresheet only focus on GTA 4?

Wii has Brawl and Xbox has Halo just to name a few things that should be placed on a console scoresheet.

Btw anyone think GTA 2 would be an awesome wii game for wi-fi ?

Disastorm

Well this is what the Wii gets for having a lesser hardware or whatever.

Sailorcancer

@KM91:

Totally correct and I think pushing out the release several weeks they've given themselves a nice opportunity to see sales that are not wholly influenced by the planet buying GTA IV. Hitting around mother's day isn't so bad either. Lets not forget that $90 is probably a whole lotta profit as I don't think Nintendo spent $100 million making wiifit.

Slight tangent. I'd love to see Nintendo address both segments of the market. Somehow offer the low cost version of the console alongside a performance version that could compete with Sony and MS. Here's hoping all that money is being put to good R&D use.

Jelster

@KM91: He's having a drink with Little Jacob. >_>

Magic Emperor Anima

What I find strange is that GTA4 is way more mainstream then anything for the Wii. In fact, I would bet money it will sell more units in the first month than any Wii title has to date (WiiSports not withstanding).

So one has to wonder, how is it the "hardcore" market is more mainstream than the "casual" market? Nintendo et al try to make it like the hardcore is some tiny fraction of gamers, yet look at the sales. We are the majority and we spend the money to prove it.

cybereality

Rockstar will just port over San Andreas Stories to the Wii... or maybe an already released GTA title that predates GTA IV.

Gam3r

I can counter that easily.

Wii Fit.

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW?

KM91

I have seen Wii's sitting on store shelves so I believe GTA had something to do with it. Not just at one store either. Probably about 5 and each had about 5-10.

JustJake

Of course it's hard to be excited about Nintendo's offerings after Wii Fit, SSBB and Mario Kart: They've announced nothing about their fall lineup. On the other hand, we've known about metal gear for at least 3 years!

In June, Microsoft and Sony will talk about the games we've know about for a while, and Nintendo will actually make announcements other than just release dates.

hibikir

@Wolfers: Elementary chaos theory tells us that all Gaming Consoles will eventually turn against their masters and run amok in an orgy of blood and the kicking and the biting with the metal teeth and the hurting and shoving. Mw-hurgn-whey!

J-Fro

@user_21938: To say one has actual value over the other is kind of ridiculous as they are both fun. Yes you could have gotten a Mario Kart game a few years ago, but not with these new tracks and online play and some of the new features. Its kinda like Madden, except Madden comes out every friggin' year whereas Mario Kart is like every 3 or 4 years or so, which is pretty excuseable and about enough time to make me itch for some more Karting.

fearing

lol it's funny reading all the nintendo fan boy comments to this story: they're all butt-hurt! hahaha!

kaskeon

My brother got a Wii for his kids, my friends girl has one for Wii Fit.

They would not buy GTA4 even if they could... just like I can care less that Wii Fit and Wii Sport are not on the PS3

The one thing I can see is that PS2 owners will start wanting to upgrade.

If you live in the states get it on the 360

adolfo-gomez

@NESv1: Not strange as much as sad that your friends are playing a game they could have bought two years ago for less money over a game that actually provides a new and unique experience that has actual value.

user_21938

@cpmui99: Yeah, I think his comments about the PS3 version looking "better" are pretty debatable considering the PS3 runs it in 640p then upscales itwhile the 360 runs it in actual 720p. Not something a lot of people will notice, but to say the PS3 one looks better is maybe because the lower resolution keeps you from seeing some of the details... but then people claim a major downfall of the Wii is the lower resolution, so, well, analysts don't really know jack is my point, and I'm not really sure what people are paying them for.

fearing

Good thing that the main consumer of the wii so happens to be children and they won't be getting an 360 or ps3 to play GTA4 on.

redrabbit

@okenny :): That comment reminded me of Professor Frink from the Simpsons.

Wolfers

Is it strange that most people I know are playing Mario Kart Wii more than GTA4 at the moment, even though they have both games?

NESv1

We all knew that good things would happen for the PS3 and Xbox360 once GTA4 came out, so why is anyone acting surprised?

If anyone remembers, the past 6 months have included lots of talk such as "Once GTA4 comes out then the PS3 will such-and-such..." and comments to that extent, so I believe nothing here is worth more than a passing mention.

Wii will continue to sell well, PS3 and Xbox360 will have increased sales as well - therefore everyone is happy.

Kiriphii

I don't see how a surge in a single software title is going to take the shine from a console that still retains all of the features that made it a huge seller.

I'm sure Nintendo would mind taking a share of those GTA sales. Then again I'm sure they wouldn't sacrifice the fact they've had a very profitable console flying off the shelves since launch.

What's this guy going to say next? The new Indy film is going to bring about the end of indie films. :)

Where's Officer Barbrady when you need him?

Jelster

Honestly, if recent sales are any indication of whats starting to happen, it may be at least partially true. The last few shipments our store has gotten of Wiis havent sold out in the general 15-20 minutes, nor a few hours, but instead several days... Not sure if our latest shipment is sold out yet or not still.. And having that start to be a regular thing, I would say Wii sales are starting to slow - whether its permanent or temp, who knows...

OrionnoirO

@cpmui99: Yeah, but it's much more about Wii vs PS360 than PS3 vs 360.

I'm sorry to have sounded a bit defensive on the topic but I think this debate about the odd pixels missing is major nitpicking.

Candlejack

@ fenderfuel08: wrong. for the simple fact that our club that is the core gamer demographic is too small to sustain the industry. nintendo wasn't the first company to admit this but they are the first to capitalize on it with DS and Wii. the industry has been posting record sales figures mostly because of DS and Wii.

let's face it, Wii isn't going anywhere. it's rocked the sales charts in the three main territories for over a year. it's not a year and a half, billion dollar fad. accept it, embrace it, or live in denial, either way, Wii has been the number one console since it launched. nintendo was making over 1 million units a month and couldn't meet demand. now they're saying they are pushing 2.4 million units a month to MAYBE be able to meet demand. nintendo has changed the industry as we knew it...for better or worse depending on perspectives.

good thing it's not my only console.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@Candlejack: Yeah, I'm pretty sure this whole article's about selling systems.

I did counter the statement that the PS3 version had better graphics with my belief that the 360 had sharper textures. That doesn't mean I think that the 360 has better graphics overall, just that the PS3 isn't as much better as the writer claims it is. I'm sorry you misunderstood me.

cpmui99

Maybe it's a little threat, but I doubt the Wii will take too big of a hit.

jambe

@okenny :): It's not as simple as that. Most publications don't know their ass from their elbows, so they just parrot information gotten from GAF, which itself parrots information that the beyond3d people bring up.

Eurogamer so far will do the first actual objective head-to-head for GTA.

The verdict is likely to be: yeah, the PS3 renders fewer pixels, but for some reason the 360 has a bug in its textures, which makes textures look dithered.

obonicus

S@JustThisGuy: Speaking of Apple, I would love love LOVE to see a Nintendo/Apple DS successor--if only because I think it would be worth many LOLs, ROFLs, and even the occasional ROFLCOPTER.

Imagine: Nintendo and Apple fanboys, united together under one common overly zealous banner! The entire Internet would collapse under the rage of their indignant banter! The energy gathered from their combined fanaticism could solve all of our current power crises in one single stroke, even if it would mean the end of civilized discourse as we know it!

On second thought: nevermind. Forget I said anything.

JustThisGuy

I think the driving in GTA 4 is azz.. Its like every car has hydroulics & the braking sux..

I've only been playing for a few hours, but I doubt i'll get use to that.

Wii Sports FTW..

Anybody want GTA 4 4 the 360?

genius74

I've seen the sentiment on here before but at this point the "console war" isn't a three horse race. Basically it's xbox360 vs ps3 and the wii is just on it's own. The Wii is bought by so many groups across the board that don't fall in to a gamer category who could care less about GTAIV. I know plenty of people who own a Wii and no games besides the sports pack in. It's like a game of Jenga at parties.

Pornosaur

Considering that over the last week you could get a Wii at pretty much any store at any time of day, this guy is just pointing out the obvious. I've seen Targets that had as many as seven Wiis on display at 9:00 pm on a weekday, the sears in my area has had a hard time selling their stock, and even the GameStop seems to have them in stock. Wiis are now selling at below retail (after tax that is) on craigslist, and the used Bookstore in Raleigh actually has a used Wii in stock.

GTA IV isn't just affecting the Wii, though. Every single rare game price plummeted on eBay last week. I run an eBay store and in the two months since I started selling rare games, I have never lost money. Last week, I finally lost money. I also saw a few Panzer Dragoon Sagas end at $120.00.

I'm hoping GTA IV hype ends soon so I can start making money again.

Doomstink

"Verdict: "Wii won't die, for sure. But Grand Theft Auto IV may have just given a new lease on life to the Playstation 3," Caulfield writes."

Okay, problem with this statement, is that, GTAIV is NOT an exclussive! Why buy another console just to play a game you could play on another system you may already have!

And I wouldn't say GTAIV is a "Traditional Game" Or at least IMO..I could be wrong though.

and another thing. Yes, the Wii may be missing a $400 million party or w/e, but all Nintendo has to do is release 2 or 3 exclusive Wii games(or DS games) and bam, $400 million.

Master Saji

@Darkest Daze: "Best of both worlds" doesn't apply in this case. More power garners a higher price point. This is a major factor in the success of the Wii.

As for your tired collecting dust comment, that is just a result of people relying too much on hype rather than gauging what console best fits their lifestyle and tastes.

Velops

@okenny :): Maybe it makes me happy. Maybe it doesn't. What's the problem if the majority thinks the game looks better on the PS3, whatever the cause (or fault in this caes)?

I don't get the argument. Stop implying shit whenever I write something. I'm not saying any version plays better, just that most people think one looks better. To hell with the reason being a lower res. Doesn't the outcome make you wonder, even in the slightest? Like, isn't the "better looking version" worth sacrificing a couple of pixels?

In any case, I'm done with this topic. I was never one to argue about GTA IV because I take it as the great game that it is and don't care if it looks better on my PS3 or has a higher res on the 360.

I play it upscaled to 1080p anyway by the way.

Candlejack

ok...this opinion seems flawed at least and downright stupid at best. forgive me if this has been stated already...but the question has to be asked. Exactly how much of an impact did Halo3 sales impact Wii sales? Did Wii sales suffer drastically as a result? No. so, who is this guy again? many people that buy Wii aren't getting it for GTA or anything like it. missing out on a 400 million dollar party? Is he serious? Nintendo made well over 400 million with Wii. all told I believe it was over a billion dollars including DS. WiiFit alone is an example of a killer app that be can't ported to 360 or PS3 and it's selling like sliced bread. it hasn't even been released in the US yet. in other words, Halo3 didn't slow down the nintendo freight train. GTAIV won't either. not the same audience at all and let's not talk about the hundreds of millions 360 or PS3 won't ever see from the multi million sellers on wii.

jeez, how do these "professionals" keep their jobs with such "insight"?

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

@OldManGaming, @ChiChi_BBQ: agreed, but I'd like to take your comments one step further.

The Wii is not a game console. Instead, it is a lifestyle accessory disguised as a game console. I thought that this was common knowledge, and I would expect better from a hoity-toity Forbes analyst. Implying that a high profile release might threaten and slow Wii sales is akin to saying that higher alfalfa prices might decrease sales of European sub-compacts. Nintendo is working in a completely different market than both MS and Sony (their vaunted "blue ocean" strategy).

The amusing thing is how Nintendo is benefiting from this marketing maneuver. Their core demographic still purchases their comparatively underpowered system to play Nintendo games. Their new market buys the thing in droves because it's the hot new thing to have, like an iPod or a Razr. There is a part of me that's almost convinced that the Wii is the culmination of some insidious two-decade plot for profitability that all started with the humble NES. Of course, I tell that part of me to shut the fuck up because he is stupid.

I think the question we're all anxious to see answered is whether the Big N can carry this momentum forward like Apple, or if they'll choke and stumble like Moto.

JustThisGuy

why the hell would I want to plague my Wii with GTAIV?

Master Saji

I'm pretty sure that people buy Wiis for the first party Nintendo games. Those can't be ported to 360 or PS3.

I don't think GTA4 will affect Wii at all. That's like saying Wii Fit will hurt 360/PS3.

mrplow8

Like others has noted, comparing the Wii with the PS360 just isn't that valid at this point. What was noted in the article above is glaringly obvious to any gamer with a brain; the Wii does not perform as well with traditional gamers, and it will continue to not do as well with traditional gamers. On the other hand, it will reach a new demographic that the PS360 cannot. The Wii makes Nintendo money off of low priced hardware; the PS360 makes money off of blockbuster software titles, DLC, and users that are used to buying multiple games a year.

Prepare to hear these facts recycled in news items every six months, breathlessly related as cutting edge analysis, until the next generation of consoles arrives. Bottom line; the Wii makes money one way, the PS360 makes money another way. The End.

KidU

Really, it's just a sign of the future. The PS3 and 360 will be dominant eventually...if there is truth to the claims that the PS3 will have an 8 year lifecycle and such. I know that sounds like flamebait if you read that with the wrong mindset but I'm just giving my honest opinion.

The real money is with the core gamers and that's where the developers will flock.

fenderfuel08

Wii doesn't need GTA or really any third party game. Sure they help, but Nintendo has been surviving since the 64 on purely 1st and 2nd party titles. The 3rd party has abandoned Nintendo long ago.

The best argument for continued Wii dominance is Halo 3. When it dropped 360 shot up in sales and took number 1. Wii sales actually went up in the same month as well to its highest point of that year (before the holidays). We know the rest of the story, Nintendo had a massive holiday season and hasnt been outsold since. 360 faded back to last place.

GTA will help the HD consoles for a few months. Wii wont be faded. Brawl, Kart, and Fit will see to that for the rest of the year. Not to mention whatever Nintendo has cooking for the holidays. But I think the system still sells on it's hardware alone, nearly 2 years after its release! This is why Wii Play is still a top ten title. By the end of the summer the HD consoles will have faded back into their familiar roles.

At this point, no 3rd party game or Wiimote ripoff will hurt the Wii. Nintendo has succeeded in reaching their intended audience and there is no looking back. The attach rate will rise at a more steady rate than 360s has.

Some food for thought, the attach rate that 360 enjoys is usually associated with consoles at the end of their lifespan. It is a hardcore system that sells when a major title like Halo or GTA hits. In between times are slizzow.

mizzle

We'll have to wait and see just how much of an impact GTA IV has had on the Wii for May.One thing is for sure, Rockstar, Sony and Microsoft will be very pleased with GTA IV sales by the end of May.

The Wii did have the benefit of having already released three first-party games this year (Brawl, Mario Kart, & Wii Fit) not to mention new stuff coming out soon such as Wiiware and Everyone's Nintendo Channel. I think it's safe to say that Nintendo will be satisfied with Mario Kart and Wii Fit sales. I don't think GTA IV will hurt Wii software and hardware sales too much.

Of course, there were some worthy third-party Wii games out such as No More Heroes and Okami. Nintendo is using E3 to announce the rest of the Wii's game lineup for the rest of the year and I'm guessing that it will release at least two more first-party titles this year which may end up being Disaster and perhaps Animal Crossing (one will be for the holiday season of course).

Killer7

@cameleon: of course it was, the PS2 was released a year before the Gamecube and xbox (MS popped out of nowhere and said they'd joined the console war) so of course it was "weaker" compared to the other two. and it's been well known that the wii wouldn't have the same horsepower as other consoles before the release.

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques

@Candlejack: Numerous publications have published the story on the deficiencies of the PS3 version of GTA4. The PS3 renders at a significantly lower resolution with 23% less pixels. The images and texture detail itself is lower. This lends to a less crisper picture which to most people seems smoother and therefore better: It's the triumph of mediocrity so go ahead and revel in it if it makes you happy :)

okenny :)

@Sofox: MGS4 in june my friend :)