@thejakeman: visit my site!: That would be awesome. I feel like including Olimar in SSB:B was pretty much a given that there would be a Wii version, but it needs to be announced already!

Interstella5555

It took them this long to figure that out? I want to be an analyst, I'd be the best one there since I saw this coing last year.

EmeraldDragon

@Bonus-Round: Remember the Street Fighter IV producer or head leader or w/e said that SF4 could be on any console if they want it to be. I recall him saying they'd even make it for Gameboy if there was a demand for it.

It's a long shot, but if his words are true, he could theoretically port the game over to Wii with downgraded graphics. I mean, the 2-D fighting system doesn't require any SUPER POWERFUL programming or processor power to run the game. The visuals just need it.

CutePuppyz

I still have a feeling that the balance board might be the silver bullet for the Wii...Once devs start exploring the possibilities of utilizing it in games, anything could happen. How about MP:3 using the board to jump and screw attack? I don't know, I just feel like in about a year some crazy games will start coming out.

Interstella5555

I've always thought the "oh, Nintendo consoles suck cause of the lack of third-party" complaints are just idiotic. I like games from other companies too, but when it comes down to it, I don't give the slightest crap who makes what. If Nintendo starts dishing out Star Fox, Kid Icaurus, Pilotwings, Pikmin, and more games like Metroid, I could care less about the what a few third-parties could potentially have brought to the Wii. It's like Nintendo's been holding back so they don't end up like the GameCube days, but somebody has to make a move and put out more good games.

Green-clad Gamer Dude

@mugido,

Actually, the stats showed just the opposite. It showed that most gamers were playing Metroid 3 to completion and that gamers were using Wii-Fit an average of 6 times in the first month. Lots of other cool stats, none of which pointed to it being a wii-sports machine. Put the kool aide down. It'll be ok.

subnet6

i never got part two, i played one but i never owned it personally. i wish i did but i can never find a copy dude that games lost to me.

DarkLuigi

I managed to get the last one of a shipment at a local gamestop.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@shouryuuken: Yeah i had to go to 7 stores to find my wii. Even now i almost never see them in stores.

DarkLuigi

@thejakeman: still using an old joke that no one finds funny...: hell yes i love pikmin dude.

DarkLuigi

nope its not a fad, thats apparent since theyre still selling out all over the place almost 2 years later. even if theyve hit their peak, the odds of them going to a complete drop and not setting some kind of record by the time the system is 5 - 6 years old are so low.

shouryuuken

@DarkLuigi: I'm hoping for pikmin 3

thejakeman: visit my site!

hey we might see some great games at this years E3 for the wii, remember Marc Franklin said we will see great games for the core gamers at this years E3.[kotaku.com]

DarkLuigi

@Frequen-Z: I liked it. what? you didn't? why not? it felt just like the last splinter cell to me. i kinda wished it had more outdoor levels, ala pandora tomorrow, though. aiming with the wiimote is still a bit easier than aiming with a stick for me.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@Frequen-Z: Why would he lie? It's his opinion.

Krondonian

@thejakeman: still using an old joke that no one finds funny...:
Okay now you're just lying, that game wasn't a good experience for anyone.

Frequen-Z

@Frequen-Z: what? nintendo has released, what, 2 peripherals?

thejakeman: visit my site!

oh, dear, i'm getting into wii fanboy mode. but seriously, i get the sense that no one ever plays anything on the wii besides nintendo games on the assumption that they're crap. i have a subscription to gamefly and so far i've played nearly every major release for the wii that wasn't an obvious kiddie game and i have yet to find anything to really complain about. the last game i played on the wii was splinter cell: double agent, and i found it to be a perfectly good experience.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@mugido:No, there wasn't. They said they had a high attachment rate, higher than the PS3, lower than 360.

@PsycheE: Yes.

Krondonian

I don't believe this for one second. As innovative as it is, the Wii has been nothing more then a display of ugly peripherals for a while now.

Frequen-Z

@Bonus-Round: oh, come on, you don't eve know that. RE5 could suck big donkey balls.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@BigPanda: what's wrong with nintendo first party games? what about mega man nine? house of the dead? ghost squadron? oh, wait, i get it, you're one of those soft-core gamers that basically plays what the magazines tell you to.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@parad0x360: One would think the sales figures would indicate that there is enough content to warrant a purchase.

You don't buy a Wii if you don't want a Wii. It's a pretty basic consumer philosphy.

TRT-X

Wii Board came out?

PsycheE

@Bonus-Round: Most companies didn't believe in the Wii's potential and went on to the other consoles.. now they're realizing their mistakes and trying to do something for the system. But good games take time to be made. I believe we'll start to see some good 3rd party Wii games around next year..

CockroachMan

Wasn't there an article recently with stats straight from Nintendo proving the Wii is basically a Wii Sports machine for most people? I wouldn't call it a fad yet, but it sure is a one hit wonder for most people.

mugido

@Bonus-Round: I agree we need more exclusives, im looking forward to MAD WORLD THAT GAME LOOKS AWSOME.

DarkLuigi

Its quite possible that the Wii will win via total hardware sales this generation but I still think the rapid and continued sales are in fact a fad. I enjoy my Wii but there isnt enough content on the system to justify its hype or sales.

parad0x360

the wii can be be a fad, but its a god damn good one :P, i love my wii and play it everyday.

DarkLuigi

Ok, last post in this topi. I swear.

@Bonus-Round: you're right. They need some exclusives to seal this deal. 2D Castlevania that's NOT a fighting game but along the lines of the old classics and DS versions but using the full power of the Wii (i know almost an oxymoron) and I'm sold.

BigPanda

Another analyst taking more "Captain Obvious" pills. Now let me check my watch to track the count down of nonsensical fanboy hating that bound to hit in t-minus 5...4...3...2...1...

FunKrusher

@BigPanda:

This has to do with this topic because?

EnigmaNemesis

DAVID COLE IS FUCKING BRILLIANT!

PatMan33

One thing to add. I just wished my 360 didn't keep freezing up on me during play. I know I need to send it in for repair, but I still wish they had a better quality control track record. Only real minus to the package besides maybe a the 20GB HDD size.

BigPanda

and to the horror of all the earth broke open releasing a thunderous DURRR

Beximus

well, I predict if the Wii gets a few exclusives, then it's probably got this generation in the bag. It looks like most companies though, are going with the bigger consoles for their new exclusives. I mean... Umbrella Chronicles pales in comparison to Resident Evil 5...

and Street Fighter 4? Capcom, you just like punching Nintendo fans in the Wii, don't you?

Bonus-Round

I tend to think of the Wii as the 21st century version of Pong, which is kind of lame, but yeah it's a gateway into video games again.

Still though I haven't played anything on the Wii that makes me say, DAMN, I'm glad I bought this system.

My 360 on the other hand. Yeah, I'm hooked. Between GTAIV, Rock Band, Guitar Hero and XBOX Live, I'm glad I got it.

Still waiting for the PS3 to make a convincing argument as to why I can't live without it.

P.S. The 360 is also a way for me to stay in touch w/ my friends 2500 miles away.

BigPanda

@Houjutsu: boring argument, debunked, moving on.
@D-Sovereignty: I'll be there!

thejakeman: visit my site!

The fad argument could only last so long after those NPD numbers sink into the (in)competent minds of these analysts month after month.

Kenology

Not a fad? Oh, I'll go right out and buy one then.

kspray-dad

Yay, its not a fad..now wheres the good games damnit!!

Houjutsu

I think David Cole's a fanboy.

;)

creid

Oh, analysts.

You're like the CIA, making shit up and getting paid doing it.

Great stuff.

Polterg3ist

Third parties step it up and the Wii could be the console that finally unites casual and core gamers. There's no reason that the console doesn't have a great FPS on it when the 360 has 700 of them when those types of games have a huge casual market except for idiotic third parties. Even the core will swallow their graphics whoring ways if third parties shifted focus appropriately (Just like they did with the incredibly outdated PS2).

usfslacker

The Wii just needs better games for it out side of what Nintendo puts out

outofmind23

Boy, these analysts are stubborn.
"I don't know, Pokemon only lasted, what, 12 years and counting? It's gonna taper off soon, most fads do."

How often do fads remain market leaders after 3 years? How long does something have to exist for its popularity to not be considered a fad?

Zerbrechen

Phew...I sure am glad that's all sorted now!

but on the real, fanboys are going to call the Wii a fad/gimmick forever, no analyst or report will change their minds.

now does anyone want to go play some Umbrella Chronicles or House of The Dead 2&3 Return with me? I got an extra zapper!

D-Sovereignty

Definitely not a fad, I would like to believe its more like a gateway into videogames.

Ahsayuni

Sadly, having one since launch and only having a few games worth playing (and no Twilight Princess isn't in the list cuz it sucked)... I have to say the Wii is a fad. Or just a piece of crap.

ghostadv

How many straight years does something have to sell out before we can officially label it as not being a "fad"?

rbernard80

It's a fad.

I bet it will be all over in around five years time, and Nintendo will stop producing Wii consoles. *

* That is, after they release the Wii's successor.

Marlor

Analyst
Stopped reading there.

CHunterX

@Emperor_Guam:

Well on a global scale, the PS3 continually outsells the 360. It doesn't matter how well the 360 does in 1 country if globally it is being outsold by its competitor. Now overtaking the Wii is a longshot for the PS3, but overtaking the 360 is very much possible in the near future.

For 1, the triumph of Blu-Ray as our next-gen DVD format has significantly helped boost PS3 sales.

For 2, PS3 was made to last longer than the 360. More standard features that you don't pay through the nose for, replaceable HDD, and a more powerful system overall.

And the PS3 doesn't continue to botch up what consumer confidence it has left through extensive hardware crashes.

So yes, the PS3 is catching up and it's more than believable that it will overtake the 360.

NeoAkira

@DarkLuigi: yeah i work at a gamecrazy here in texas (yeah... thats mostly unheard of since gamestop is based out of texas), and ppl regularly come in and ask about wiis. everytime, theyre like "i cant find them anywhere," and my store is located in front of a super target and across the street from a huge walmart and a sams.

shouryuuken

Fad? Gimmick? Will fail any day now? All those PS/Xbox diehards keep saying that.

...and it keeps not happening.

Arklop

I don't understand how they can claim that the PS3 is catching up. It is out numbered by both 360 and Wii 2 two to one in America. If you want to talk about the world it is outnumbered three to one by the Wii. I don't understand how annalists produce figures that the PS3 will gain market superiority by 20XX. I guess what I'm really saying is "What is this crap?"

Emperor_Guam

@DARTH_TIGRIS: i wish my blog were a fad.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@Marlor: yeah. it's not a videogame unless you have a hard-on while playing it.

thejakeman: visit my site!

I think the Wii IS a fad. A long fad that will make a lot of money for Nintendo.

I wish I could come up with a similar fad.

Note: Fad is not a bad word.

DARTH_TIGRIS

I think we all know the Wii isn't a fad commercially. It will continue to sell for years. But we, as gamers, must decided whether it's a fad game console with regard to its games. That is still up in the air. To me, the only really good Wii game, being Zelda, isn't exclusive to the Wii. The other good one, Galaxy, is (fanboys man your stations) overrated and doesn't begin to match Mario 64. So, I've yet to see a reason to buy one myself, but if that day comes, I'll assume it's no longer a fad.

Sushmonster

I never thought of the Wii as a simple "fad". At one point in time wasn't video games themselves considered a "fad".

Stevetrop

@Rebochan:

Agreed. It's not hardcore.

Not enough games with guns and cars.

And 'splosions. It needs more 'splosions.

I want to feel like a man when I play games. Give me a 20-button controller and a game where I drive a car with a rocket-launcher on the top while swearing my head off and disembowling bad guys. And boobs.

Marlor

Duh.

KM91

@ghostadv:
Sadly, following the 360 since launch and seeing no games worth playing (that I can't play on PC)... I have to say 360 is a fad. Or just a piece of crap.

Wait, did that didn't make any sense at all?

Leanid

@ghostadv: you don't try many games do you?

thejakeman: visit my site!

It doesn't matter - it's still not HARDCORE.

Whatever the hell that is. All we know for sure is, according to the HARDCORE, the Wii isn't.

Rebochan

the ballence board has alot less potential than you give it credit for, and any of its potential is shadowed by the fact that the board itself costs about 80 bucks. (yes wii fit is $90, id say $10 is a resoanable price to assume for what ammounts of a bunch of mini games that are essentially a scam)

the zapper is a 20 dollar plastic shell, and the wheel, while you do get one free with mario kart, if you want another one its 15 bucks for a plastic shell where you could get the same function by shoving your wiimote into a doughnut

invadrzim

@Mr. Fap☆Fap!: you know, "fag" works too.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@invadrzim: lol what expensive, unnecessary peripherals are we talking about here? i know youre obviously talking about the balance board which has lots of potential and developers talking, and only costs 30 dollars more than almost all retail 360/ps3 games, and has only been on the market for a mere 6 months. besides that, theres no other "expensive, unnecessary" peripheral to be talked about. if youre trying to include the wheel and the zapper, try again because one was 20 bucks, the other came for free with a 50 dollar game.

shouryuuken

nah the wii isn't a fad or a novelty.

well...no one plays it, most of its games are mediocre in every aspect and it can only live by pumping out numerous "Mario 'Verb'" or "nintendo IP" games and a new, expensive, often unnecessary peripheral every couple months.

but besides that its totally here to stay.

invadrzim

I'll make my opinion after E3. :)

Wolfers

@Mr. Fap☆Fap!:
Damn typos and my inability to proof read my posts!

Mr. Fap☆Fap!

Analyst: Internet Might Not Be A Fag


I just hope that more developers and publishers stop thinking the Wii's a fad and start making some more AAA level games for it finally. Nintendo shouldn't have to carry that weight all by itself.

Mr. Fap☆Fap!

Last year:
"Analyst: Wii Might Be A Fad"

PirateKeef

Really? Thank you Mr. Analyst for putting the last year and a half of the wii's life into perspective for me.

BassForever

@invadrzim: hey, you get a game that's worth at least 10 bucks with the zapper. that and it's actually pretty damn handy.

thejakeman: visit my site!

When the Wii first came out and was sold out everywhere, I heard many, many people claim that it will be forgotten within two years. Well it's approaching two years and I wonder if they think it's going to have a sudden drop in demand before Christmas.

Then again, I once saw a guy claim, around 2002 or 2003, that Nintendo would be bankrupt by 2007. Don't quit your day jobs, folks.

DoomPlague

@Sushmonster: I don't understand why people hold Super Mario 64 in such high regard. Yeah, first of it's kind, only one with real polish for a while, yadda yadda, blah blah blah. Every single 3D Mario game since has surpassed it in every aspect, though, period.

Fatass of Kickassness

@invadrzim:Something tells me you've never actually seen Wii Fit in person, or bothered to read any reviews for it. Silly troll, it actually works and I have yet to read a review that says the package isn't worth the price to those concerned with their physical fitness.

The Zapper comes with a game, and while it is a minigame compilation, for $20 you're getting a polished diversion and a shell compatible with plenty of other games. Not a bad deal for those into that sorta thing.

The Wii Wheel is $10 unless you're buying it from RipoffStop, and otherwise comes free with Mario Kart. The only people buying it are those who had enough fun with the Wii Wheel that came with the product to buy another, and they're obviously getting their money's worth. I'm sorry, but I don't see how $10 is expensive... a troll looking for any and every excuse to hate on a game system might, though.

Surprising how many complete and utter tools there are across these internets.

Fatass of Kickassness

Invadrzim has just answered my question of, "I wonder what the trolls are saying these days?".

subnet6

@Fatass of Kickassness:

Something tells me you've never actually seen Wii Fit in person, or bothered to read any reviews for it. Silly troll, it actually works and I have yet to read a review that says the package isn't worth the price to those concerned with their physical fitness.

from this site:
[kotaku.com]

a pack of minigames (miniagmes? on the wii? how novel) and a hunk of plastic that costs about 2 dollars and takes <30 seconds to make = $20? meh. i got a pack of Hoyal puzzle games for 5 bucks at an overstock store.

im going by the gamestop price becasue chances are a normal person will get such items at them or one of their affiliates.

im still not impressed by the board or wii fit. the whole package is a whoping $90 and for that you get a collection of minigames (again, surprise) and an advanced bathroom scale with as much limited potential as the wii itself.

invadrzim

I'm a core demographic gamer,a 28 year old male who has started playing games on Atari,and has ever since. I follow the industry by regularly reading sites such as Kotaku. (I'm sure you've all seen me post here before).
Guess what? I don't like FPS games,and I don't select games based on how large the guns/boobs are.
I play Mario Kart Wii with the wheel,every single day. Seriously,almost every day since the game came out,provided I had free time,I played it. Before that,I played Smash every day. I usually fit in at least one run on Star Soldier R as well,which is a third party game. I only point that out because for some reason good games "don't count" for some people if they're made by the company that makes the console.

kidnicky

@invadrzim: have you actually spent more than 5 passing minutes in a store with the balance board? its something different, that you dont HAVE TO BUY TO OPERATE THE WII. if the balance board is enough of a reason to call the wii a gimmick, then the ps3 is a gimmick for the eye. i enjoyed mario kart more than ive enjoyed a mario kart, and i only used the wheel one time, im glad they did that.. if you dont want to use it.. dont. same goes for the zapper.. you can play house of the dead 2 and 3, umbrella chronicles, and ghost squad brandishing only a remote. so whats your point?

shouryuuken

@DoomPlague: Lol, a guy in Ubisoft once said that he thought the Wii would be Nintendo's last system...

...Wait, could it be SABOTAGE?

Zerbrechen

I think the Wii passed even possible fad stage ages ago. And already we are seeing things I`m excited about. We have Mad World coming next year. Skate it sounds like they are getting the controls down right and actually getting me interested in a skating game. The Conduit is still looking mighty intriguing. And EA's newest sports games have me interested in sports games again for the first time in years with their new All Play brand from the IGN previews. Fracture just recently reappeared on the scene and looks good. WiiWare is going pretty strong right out of the gate. Third parties are finally starting to take the Wii seriously as a truly viable system and dedicating some real resources to it. Things will only continue to get better for the little white box that could from here on out.

Highlar

@thejakeman: visit my site!: lol, just as I change it, too.

@invadrzim: Doesn't deliver? That's weird, dozens of reviews would beg to differ. Then again, I'm speaking to someone who likely hasn't touched Wii Fit, so your argument in and of itself fails it.

Oh Gawd...

@Fatass of Kickassness:

yea they did say it:

"And now we understand why you called the game Wii Become More Aware of Your Body and not something that could have been misconstrued by the public who's just looking for a fun way to lose some weight."

thats how the public sees it, and thats how its marketed. but it doesn't deliver, ergo: scam

i never said the ballence board was simple. i jsut said it wasn't worth buying.

invadrzim

@Foxstar Sixtail: bless your soul

sarcasmOD

@Fatass of Kickassness: is your name really fatass of kickassness? for that alone you get a follower.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@Foxstar Sixtail: PLUS ONE THOUSAND.

Oh Gawd...

@Sushmonster:You are not the whole of the marketplace man.

@invadrzim:Hi mister "I've spent maybe a half hour at best with the Balance Board, here are all my malformed misbegotten talking points and strawmen, just keep that fire away." We have a waiting room set up just for you.

@ghostadv:It's called 'rental' my good man. Use it. Go rent games. Then come back and make better informed statements or join your friend above in the waiting room.

@Arklop:But it's okey you know, because this isn't about sales and overwhelming marketshare, some of which might turn into those very same hardcores that the OG's piss on each week across the internet and sneer at when they dare set foot in a Gamestop. Microsoft and Sony cater to the 'HARDCORE' and that makes them winners by default, who cares if what Nintendo's done has overturned the apple cart by so much that slowly, more third parties are taking notice, big name IP's are beginning to show up, much to the anger of those same hardcores.

As long as they are catered to, damn the rest of the world and the facts which are right in front of their eyes and damn that little white box. They are hardcore and by damned the gaming world spins on their axis alone.

@BigPanda:The system may simply not be for you. It's not uncommon you know and the thoughtful way you state your viewpoints without any stupid worn out prattle like "IT'S NOT HARDCORE ENOUGH" "KIDDY GAMES" "IT COLLECTS DUSTSSSSS" "NINTENDO IS RUINING MY GAMING FUTURE" means you are smart enough to have understood this, your just not saying "It's not for me but good for them because down the line this means more people for me to game with!" yet.

I urge you to keep your open view points and not fall prey to the urge to wave your gaming e-penis all over the internet, you suffer -40 to IQ when you do.

@Frequen-Z:You mean three, two of which do not add to the cost of the game and one which has had years of R&D and has various third partys saying "Hold on now, we can do something with this!" Feel free to not believe it. You can join the other two people above in the waiting room. I'm going to call it "For Gamers out of touch."

@thejakeman: visit my site!:It's coming. The 'hardcore' won't buy it mind you and it won't ever reach Halo/MGS/SSB sales levels. But I'm sure it's coming even though I don't think the first two ever made back what they cost in development.

@mugido:Incorrect.

I await Kotaku's "Circle of Six" who show up every Wii thread to piss all over everyone with their mighty e-penis.

Foxstar Sixtail

Everyone can predict all they want, I'm going to just wait and see what happens considering I'm in no position to change the outcome. Frankly I don't like my Wii very much and hope the industry is not going to see more consoles like it with gimmicky games and tons of shovelware, but I have no idea what things will look like by 2012.

sarcasmOD

@invadrzim: "concerned with their physical fitness."

All your link did was back my point, twidiot. Makes them aware and concerned for physical fitness, and enhances their regimen. Kotaku said it, every review on the net says it.

Now, before you go claiming all the package is is simple minigames (and that the Wii Fit board is simple... thing has thousands of sensors in it, senses your entire body's orientation based on your center of gravity... I wouldn't expect a troll of your caliber to actually know something like this, though), I suggest you actually do some research.

Oh Gawd...

@Replica23: the hell you do fatboy

also, yay fatass changed his name back! +1 follower!

thejakeman: visit my site!

For one side, it's pretty hard for us fanboys to stop attacking the wii with the "is so kiddie" thing, especially now that is the absolute quantity winner. How else can we defend our loser consoles?
I mean, stop it, you deaf fanboys give us the more sensible ones a bad reputation.

On the other side, well, the macarena was once the top popular dance on the world. The same with spice girls.
Big sales is not exactly a synonim of quality. unless, of course, you're aiming aht the money. If so, I bet you will enjoy Guitar Hero: Hannah Montanna , more than Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

DLNO-001

I prefer to play real tennis outside, thanks.

Replica23

@invadrzim: ok after this im done, but i wish my scale would allow me to control things on a screen when i plugged it in to a console. the balance board doesnt just weigh you, it detects where your sense of balance is and corresponds on screen. but whatever, you shouldnt see how that could have potential for some fun games, but whatever.

shouryuuken

@invadrzim:

That's part of how the game was discovered. Miyamoto was weighing himself and tracking his progress and realized that tracking your weight could be fun. Better fitness generally leads to a lower BMI, but my argument was that a lower BMI does NOT mean better fitness. Correlation is not causation.

In case you lost your dictionary:[en.wikipedia.org]

NeoAkira

@invadrzim: Because while fitness and overall weight do have correlations they don't necessarily mean the other.

Also, it's impossible to take one's BMI without inputting one's weight.

The Fatass of Kickassness

@NeoAkira:actually if you were obese on the BMI scale the wii fit would say you're fat. then you work to bring you're BMI down.

if the fit in wii fit doesn't mean weight loss, why does it measure/ track progress with both?

invadrzim

@sarcasmOD:

Gimmicky games and tons of shovelware?

As I recently read on Penny Arcade, gimmick and innovation are synonyms, it just depends on whether the person talking likes it or not. God, internet anonymity can really turn people into idiots can't it?

And I would just like to point out that every console EVER has a mountain of shovelware, minus the PS3, Gamecube, N64 (to my recollection at least) and the Dreamcast. Do you know what those consoles have in common? Minus the PS3, all of these consoles were colossal failures in the eyes of the console wars. ALL of these consoles trailed/trail their competition by a ton of units.

You are, although informed is clearly not the word to use towards any of the Wii bashers here, clearly informed enough to avoid said shovelware, so its existence cannot possibly bother you in the least.

usfslacker

@invadrzim: [www.4colorrebellion.com]

[www.teach42.com]

There's more, but you can find 'em just as easily with a quick google search. Done being dumb as hell yet?

The Fatass of Kickassness

analysts can't predict much. Before the release of Wii, they say Nintendo will lose and leave hardware business. After Wii launches, they say it'll be a fad and a year or two later, PS3 will sell much more than Wii. Now that Wii is STILL out of stock, they finally admit that Wii is not a fad and will probably win this generation.

mcool93

:O you bad bad man. you lose a follower.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@invadrzim:

Please realize you're an extremely misformed individual. Get your head out of your ass and realize that fitness does not mean weight loss. Two different things. And if you had a dictionary and some sense you might know that.

It is not Nintendo's fault that the morons that make up the general public assume fit means being skinny (thus losing weight). I can be obese on the BMI scale and be just as FIT as anyone in the correct BMI range.

Thus Wii fit is a scam if you're naive. If you're not it's an actual enjoyable peripheral for following your fitness.

NeoAkira

@Oh Gawd...:

you've yet to link to any review that says someone has lost any significant amount of weight with just the fit.

invadrzim

At first they say it will turn into a fad and the opposite happens.
Now they say it won't turn into a fad... maybe the opposite will happen again?

Garo

I didn't get that memo but that gimmick gave Nintendo the largest install base in this generation. In my opinion, the wii has been able penetrate segments in the market that's never tried gaming. Games like "the conduit" will prove whether or not Nintendo's little wonder will attract core gamers and keep current gamers on wii.

Alicia

So he waited to see how big of an effect GTA4 and MGS4 had on sales before he had an opinion? it's like obvious, mr. David Cole, the Wii is sweeping 2 years later.

VakeroRokero

@Michael McWhertor: "It's not a fad!!!"

Yes, it's a fad but unfortunately we live in a society where people stay preoccupied with stupid things for far longer than is advised. Just look at the reality TV "craze". It was invented back in the late 90s as a way to combat dead air in the wake of all those union strikes. Ten years later we still see people eating shit for money and getting voted off with rose ceremonies. There's no accounting for bad taste.

GogolGants

The Wii is one of those genius products, that people love, buy, but almost never use.

Mine gets dusted more than it gets used, and its the same for almost everyone i know, yet people keep them for the very occasional hint of genius (Wii Sports is still definitely the best game for me).

If i used a PS3/360 as little as the Wii, or if the online was as cumbersome, id offload them in a second. And more annoyingly, id get most of my money back for the Wii if i sold it.

Mr_Ed

I'm inclined to agree with this guy. Nintendo knows what they're doing these days. All they REALLY need to do, is keep going on this casual route, to sell consoles to our parents, grandparents and sisters...while keeping Nintendo fans satisfied with new Zelda, Mario, Metroid and other notable franchise installments. Wii is here to stay. It's going to continue to sell like crazy, and all of you who hate it may as well get used to it being number one for a while.

ThisCharmingMan

Oh this is really such a surprise I mean, a console who appeals to casual gamers and makes your ass move. I don't need a degree in marketing to know this will be best selling thing for decades. Still it's a damn stand for the best console ever made to play games.

Thono_Sakurai

Wii will see.

Actually I don't think that, I'm a huge Nintendo fan boy. I just wanted to use that pun.

Really, all Nintendo has to worry about is a careful balance between casual and hardcore franchises.

Thorax

@ThisCharmingMan: If you like the same stuff spit on your face for decades, sure. I don't. I prefer new and inventive stuff (and before you start speaking, I hate FPS or MPORG) and some sniff from the past. Now the same thing every damn year is frustrating. Who wants to bet that one of the "big" titles Nintendo promised to E3 is going to be yet again ANOTHER Zelda title? I shit you not.

Nintendo did a great deal in marketing games for the casuals. It makes you sell shovelware and make profit so you can make new titles. Smart move. Very smart move indeed. I know Nintendo's policy, play safe, making 20 games per year with Mario on the title (add Zelda, Metroid and Pokémon, no wonder they're called the kiddie company). They fail because of this. They don't make a name for the game industry. All they're doing is stalling it (as if the two gamecubes tapped together was not enough) with the same games year after year, decade after decade.

Why do you people think N64 and gamecube were such failures? Why do you think analysts thought that Nintendo would die with the Wii before all of the casuals picked it up? Nintendo was, is always and will be what they are today, it won't change. Picking the casuals was their lucky strike, not the games they have. 3rd parties won't change this, casuals won't buy good games and Nintendo fanboys won't buy out of Nintendo. There might be one or two games that get attention from time to time but overall, no, it won't. Maybe it will change in 2009 (doubt it, I've only seen Sonic Unleashed (Sonic and the Secret Rings sold well) and MADWORLD being hyped enough for this.

Thono_Sakurai

What's a fad, anyway? Wikipedia says: "A fad is something that is very popular with a small group of people for a short period of time."

The only part of this definition that applies to the Wii is "very popular." Case closed.

L_K_M

@mr ed

"The Wii is one of those genius products, that people love, buy, but almost never use."

Actually, if you read this site regularly, you'd have seen the story where you can see the play statistics for tons of wii owners on the Nintendo channel. It turns out, plenty of people are using their wii's......alot. Take a look. Even I was surprised. I use my Wii regularly but after listening to so many trolls on sites like this whining about dusty Wii's I figured I must be the exceptions. Turns out the trolls were just that trolls. Gamers are using the Wii like crazy.

subnet6

@L_K_M: Fads are the exact opposite, they are large groups that are popular for a short period of time. Look at Yu-gi-oh and Pokemon, almost every kid wanted/had pokemon/yu-gi-oh cards and games. Case is not closed.

Coors Light is God

@GogolGants: Hey now there are some reality shows that kick ass, the UK version of the apprentice, the mystery one on MTV, reality TV isn't a fad, rather theres just a lot of crap reality shows.

anyway of course the Wii isn't a fad, I we not past this yet? The Nintendo channel shows people are using there Wii's

excel_excel

@BigPanda:

Godfather! Godfather!
It's the ONLY game I still play on the Wii.

Ehetyz

Its hard not to call the Wii a fad when you barely play it. I've had my Wii for over a year and only bought 2 games, Mario Galaxy & Super Smash Bros. Sure I've played more, but not enough to use more fingers than one hand to count. There is hardly anything on the Wii to get over excited about. I waited in line over night to get my Wii with some buddies. After 2 months, it became a dust collector. The Wii is like bubblegum, Its good for a few minutes, then the flavor is gone.

CrazyEcho

Damn straight its not a fad just ask these people: [mapwii.com] - The gamers have spoken and they've picked fun over graphics. Wii FTW! The next PS and XBOX will be modeled after the Wii, but with better graphics - just watch.

liwii

@Thono_Sakurai:
For one, Nintendo is a lot better about NOT putting a sequal out every year than most companies. There have only been 8 console Zelda games in the last 3 decades.

Seconds, Nintenod won't be announcing a new Zelda game at E3. Why? Because they have already announced it. They may show an early production trailer, but they're big announcment is far more likely to be something they haven't already told us.

Third, you seem to be don't on Nintendo for making new instalments of their franchises. Hello, that is what franchise means. I don't hear you bitching about how R* has made yet another GTA (this time with prettier graphics and different setting, but pretty much the same game) or SE for making ANOTHER FF (this time with prettier graphics and a different setting, but pretty much that same game). At least when Nintendo made Mario Galaxy, they made it well (even if it was really only prettier graphics and a different setting, but basically the same game).

They don't make a name for the game industry.

Oh really? I invite you to check out Face Book some time and search from groups under "Nintendo." One of the top groups that pops up is titled "I call them all Nintendo." Nintendo hasn't just made its name in the game industry, there are people who view Nintendo as synonymous with video games. And these aren't rabid fanboys either, they are regular people who have only a passing or casual interest in video games, but because Nintendo has made done so well for so long, that the industry without them, isn't an industry at all.

Finally, You should really do your research before spouting fake facts. Here, have a dose of reality.

[www.neogaf.com]

EmeraldDragon

@Foxstar Sixtail:
Yup, gaming is THEIR club house with the "no girls allowed" sign.

Arklop

But does that make the Wii any less viable a gaming system? Did it do so to the PS2? The answer to both question: NOPE. There are PLENTY of worthwhile, fun, great games on the Wii. Just because they don't happen to be YOUR kind of games, doesn't make them any less good games. The Wii system and game library are coming along the same way the PS2 did, if a little slower on the game side. But its coming along nicely.

Highlar

@ LeLoi
*cough*PS2*cough*
You can't say that about the PS2 and NOT also include the ridiculous amount of shovelware and third part crap that abounded on that system as well. And WHY did it do so? For the same reason that it is on the Wii: the system sold and sold VERY well. As you said, it was the biggest selling system of all time in over all sales. And even with the "gaming generation" moved on, its STILL getting "today's" games ported over to it, a LAST gen system. The PS2 continues to have support BECAUSE of how well its sold...the NUMBERS that its sold. That's why it has such a "huge" library of games, even though it has an absolute TON of crap IN that library. The Wii is getting the same kind of things shoveled at it, and for the same reason: the system sells like hotcakes.

Highlar

The Wii is just a GameCube 1.5 with a motion controller. So yes, its a FAD whether or not the fanboys like to admit it or not.

I've said this a million times, but its the GAMES that have always mattered. PS2 didn't have the hardware that the original XBOX had nor did it have a online component but it became the best selling console of all time because it had the best and largest game libary. If you look at the past, the best selling consoles have always been the consoles with the best games; how is it any different now? Just because the Wii is selling more doesn't mean anything. Its only selling so well because of the price point. I bet you anything that if the PS3/360 was $250 at launch, it would be outselling the Wii by 2 to 1 now.

Bottomline is; it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Wii has a ridiculous amount of shovelware and endless third party crap. History is doomed to repeat itself unless you learn from it *cough*GameCube*cough*

LeLoi

@Thono_Sakurai:
Well Pokemon is obviously for kids,and even though I think Mario is more aimed at nolstalgic adults,OK,I'll give you Mario. Let's just say,for the sake of argument,that the cartoonish graphics in Mario make it teh suxx0rz kiddie.
But Zelda and Metroid are kiddie games? WTF? I'm assuming the only games you enjoy must be the Postal series and Manhunt.

kidnicky

The Wii is OK but VC and some other aspects are greatly underused. Nintendo should step it up with the memory issues and VC releases.

gencid

@LeLoi:

Have you ever heard of the snowball effect? That's what happened to the PS2, and it's what is happening to the Wii now.

Basically, the PS2 moved a lot of consoles, thus gained a large user base, which made it the prime system to put the AAA games on, this in turned made it sell more consoles. Wash, rinse, repeat, ad nusium.

The same thing is happening to the Wii. Right now it has moved a lot of consoles, and it it pulling in some of the AAA games (see MH3 as a prime example), these big titles willb ring in more players (because let's face it, we are gamers and wer follow series not consoles -- no matter how much some say otherwise), and thus will contiune to sell more consoles.

Snowball effect.

EmeraldDragon

Sony sure does hope the PS3 sells better. Losing $3 Billion on it sure isn't a good start. I won't be getting one anytime soon. My PS2 sounds a hell of a lot better than wasting all that money. At least Sony still is producing a boat load of PS2s...that's the smart thing to do. I've had my one machine since launch and I have had no problems. Very happy with PS2...but still doubt ever buying a PS3..poor Sony..lol

evilralphwiggum

@Highlar: Dood that is ridiculous; of course every console will have their own share of shovelware but who cares? The PS2 also had an assload of QUALITY TITLES.

''The Wii system and game library are coming along the same way the PS2 did, if a little slower on the game side. But its coming along nicely.''

LOL am sorry, but the Wii system and the game libary is NOT coming along the same way the PS2 did let alone ''niceley''.

@EmeraldDragon: You only have it half right; the PS2 moved alot of systems because there was already great games coming out (duhhh or else they wouldn't be moving off the shelves to begin with). And like i said before, the Wii is only moving so many consoles due to its price point. Given the strong brand regconigtion of the Playstation, a $250 PS3 would be outselling the competition but unfortunately thats not the case.

And remember what I said about the best selling consoles also having the best games? Well did you also know that the lowest priced consoles of previous generations have never won? Its always been the more expensive consoles that have won each generation:

[forum.pcvsconsole.com]

So as you can see, the correlations clearly show that the console with the best games will always win. Doesn't matter how cheap the other consoles are. Like I said, history is doomed to repeat itself unless you learn from it. Nintendo has just become a victim of its own success.

LeLoi

@LeLoi:The PS2 and PSone have had more shovel ware put out for them then every single Nintendo system combined and you know it. So you need a better talking point there or you can keep using it and look silly when you do.

The PS2 had the games because they had the marketshare to support those games. It's a basic unbendable fact of life, but for some reason when people point out the Wii is headed down the same road as the PS2, you go "NU UH." and try to move the goalposts back. It doesn't work like that man.

All your proving to me is

1-You recycle talking points pretty good.

2-You don't know shit about the market at all or what third parties are doing or going to do, but that's not going to stop you for a moment.

Try again.

Foxstar Sixtail

@Foxstar Sixtail:

Couldn't have said it better. Thank you.

EmeraldDragon

I don't care what any of the analysts say, but I am getting annoyed at the lack of good FPS for the Wii because there is *no reason* for it. Specifically, Resident Evil 5.

That "the Wii can't handle it" argument is a load of garbage. No one expects it to look like the 360 or PS3 version. It could have the *exact* same quality of RE4, and it would be just fine. And besides, RE4 was basically the pinnacle of games for the PS2 and GC and the Wii, at the minimum, has better graphics and more storage with the DVD format.

RE4 Wii edition was a big hit, RE:UC was a big hit. I just can't fathom why Capcom doesn't want to step up.

mattjumbo

I haven't taken the time to read every freakin' comment, but the data says it all:

The software attach rate on the Wii is 0.8%.

So while people are buying a Wii, outta that XX million number of people that bought it, less than 1% have actually purchased a game. Indication of a fad? Perhaps...

iNFERN0

@questworld: Thats exactly what I was trying to say but the fanboys are too stubborn to understand. You summed it up very nicely.......

@iNFERN0: Which is further proof of my point.

LeLoi

@Foxstar Sixtail: You and Emerald obviously don't know how to read because I clearly said that the PS2 had shovelware but it also had an ''assload of quality titles''. When you have a libary of 8000+ games obviously a large portion of that won't be high quality so I don't know why you say something so stupid like ''The PS2 and PSone have had more shovel ware put out for them then every single Nintendo system combined and you know it.'' Because I could just as easily say the PS1 and PS2 had more QUALITY TITLES then all the Nintendo systems combined (which is also true). If you don't believe me, take a look at the IGN review scores that are 9 and above for PS2 games:

[ps2.ign.com]

See how big that list is? And if you want, take a look at the games which are 8 and above. Even bigger.

I honestly don't know why you would be dumb enough to bring up this point at all; the PS1 and PS2 were both 100+million sellers even with all that shovelware. And why is that? Because the good games were there. Thats the whole point of my argument. I don't understand how you both fail to understand that simple concept; good games=best sales. You see, good games+shovelware can still equal success, i.e PS2. Shovelware+no good games equals failure i.e GameCube. Get it now? You aren't arguing against me; you are arguing against the historical facts and correlations which I pointed out above.

LeLoi

@Foxstar Sixtail:

I think the reference to the PS2 was that it was kind of getting guarantees in the kinds of software it was going to get. Sure shovelware was plenty, but you got distracted by the excellent software you just know you can depend on. People knew RE games were coming, as well as a new Metal Gear or Final Fantasy. Nintendo consoles haven't had that luxury outside of Nintendo software. What series can you honestly say is home on a Nintendo platform? This is the reason I think people can't get past the excuse of "Nintendo consoles for Nintendo games." They can't see what else one buys the systems for with any amount of certainty.

The Cube got one Tales game, but then the PS2 got five. Soul Calibur II sold well on the Cube yet it never got III. It took Miyamoto to even get Metal Gear Solid and nothing followed. Iwata got Square back on board and I think I can safely say that Crystal Chronicles wasn't exactly what people thought of when hands shook. Personally I got a Cube because there was a guarantee of getting the entire Resident Evil game. Give people that kind of guarantee in several AAA series. People see the Wii as "shovelware" because there aren't many standouts, let alone franchises to follow. It's not the system though, it's the developers and as soon as they get off the bandwagon and help pull it, well, it'll be another "wait til next year."

questworld

"Its quite possible that the Wii will win via total hardware sales this generation but I still think the rapid and continued sales are in fact a fad. I enjoy my Wii but there isnt enough content on the system to justify its hype or sales."

"I don't believe this for one second. As innovative as it is, the Wii has been nothing more then a display of ugly peripherals for a while now."

With articles such as this, is it really any wonder why? Just look at their perspective. All this time they've only bothered to count the days til the flooring gives way. Third-parties, as far as Nintendo consoles go, haven't exactly pulled their own weight in years. They should be the horses that pull the wagon. Instead they've been dragging their feet wondering if this wagon is worth pulling. The farmer (Nintendo) essentially got fed up and pulled the wagon himself. The only big shock here is the farmer is doing quite a job. Few horses have tried to pull the wagon, some are trying to catch-up, while most have only bothered to jump on the bandwagon. If the Wii seems underwhelming, it's because too few care about making a success while a PS3 doing about as well as the Cube can still get support worthy of the PS2. The only thing I can think of is there's a certain environment these tech savvy developers want. In a way, they want a Blade Runner future, not Meet the Robinsons type future. The former gets hyped up as being cool, the latter being berated as "kiddie" regardless the Wii can accommodate all genres and audiences. All they've done is split the market through their software. However, some people are just getting a "bleh" feel with all these FPS games on the 360, or your typical "brown" games on the PS3 (and 360) while Wii owners are getting "bleh" feel with all these "casual" games, ports, etc. (with little depth or polish for the most part). Every systems needs to be shaken up have the libraries mixed with the other systems.

questworld

@Coors Light is God: Pokémon is not a fad.

L_K_M

@LeLoi:

I repeat, Snowball effect. The PS2 had the benfit of the PS1's already rolling Snowball. The Wii's snowball is getting started all on it's own.

@LeLoi:

You do realize Questworld is agreeing with us in that it's the 3rd parties fault the Wii is glutted with Shovelware. So if you agreee with him, and he agrees with us, you are logically agreeing with us.

@questworld:

I do believe that is the coolest medaphor I've seen in a long time. Kudos.

@iNFERN0:

The attach rate for the Wii is actually about 5, Lower then the 360 (about 6) but higher then the PS3 (about 3). Please do your reasearch before spewing drivel.

EmeraldDragon

This whole thing with the analyst isn't about revealing a hidden truth about the Wii. It's about retracting an earlier statement that turned out to be laughably wrong. Think about it. If your job was to "analyze" things a few decades ago and you published a report saying that "this IBM personal computer thing will never take off," you'd probably wish you could take back such a short-sighted report after everybody and their dog bought one. Not that I'm equating the Wii with the birth of the PC, but the illustration works.

No matter how hard some people WANT the Wii to fail, the fact remains that it not only took the lead in this generation very quickly, it is still INCREASING that lead every month. The Wii's lead has actually gotten bigger even during the months in which the competitors release the biggest-name franchises like GTAIV and MGS4.

So, to recap, calling the Wii "not a fad?" No-brainer. The REAL question for the analysts to be thinking about is which side of the fad/not fad coin Blu-Ray is going to land on.

jesterspawn

@EmeraldDragon: I just had to ask.....but are you stupid? SNOWBALL EFFECT? What in gods name are you talking about! Are you trying to say that the PS2 was as successful as it was because of the past success of its predecessor? Thats so far from the truth its not even funny. You obviously have failed to understand the concept of good games=best sales. Think about it for a second here; If the PS2 had crappy games throughout its lifecycle, do you think it would have sold as well? Of course not so your ''snowball'' theory is way off.

And lets look at it this way, if there was such thing as a ''snowball'' effect, then why did Nintendo console sales started going lower and LOWER with each generation? NES sold nearly 62 million so theoretically, according to you, the SNES should have snowballed into a even bigger success right? Wrong. SNES sold 49 million. N64, 32 million. And the GameCube? 21 million lolz.....

''You do realize Questworld is agreeing with us in that it's the 3rd parties fault the Wii is glutted with Shovelware. So if you agreee with him, and he agrees with us, you are logically agreeing with us.''

Wait hold on a second here.......where was the part that I said that I agreed with him or anyone else about 3rd parties being at fault that the Wii is bloated with shovelware? My argument is that the Wii is not a sustainable long term console because of its weak libary of titles; I never said anything about whose at FAULT for that. At least you acknowledge that the Wii has a load of shovelware *sigh*

LeLoi

Hey, my Wii Fit is telling me that I'm on day 39. BOO-YEAH. And I actually *have* noticed my stomach muscles getting firmly, as my trainer and board oh-so-kindly ask me every so often. :) Lost 4-5 pounds without really doing much. Yaaaaaaaay!

Pammeh

@EmeraldDragon: And its clear to me that you are just one of those people who can't refute anything so you resort to pure conjecture. Nice one. Now GTFO here before you embarrass yourself any further.......

LeLoi

@LeLoi:

If you can't figure out what "snowball effect" means, then I have to start by explaining snowballs to you. I don't have that kind of time.

It's clear to me you are just one of those people who can't get past the glory of the PS brand in order to understand basic economics. Fine, cling your PS3. It's not skin off my teeth.

EmeraldDragon

@LeLoi:

Fine, I'll explain it to you as simply as I can.

Snowball effect: named for the tendency of a rolling ball of snow to grow as it rolls down hill. In economic terms, it a product that grows in popularity at an exponetual rate.

A Gaming example:

The PS1 did well compared to the cometetion (N64) for several reasons. Thus it got more AAA titles, and thus sold more consoles. PS2 arrives, based on the sucess of the PS1, it is promised AAA titles as well. People buy PS2 and get AAA titles, thus more people buy more PS2s. Snowball effect. The PS2 built on the PS1 sucess, and Sony then expected the PS3 to build on the sucess of both.

Wii appears and created Market Disruption (aka makes Sony's snowball goes splat against a tree) by being a more favorable product (for several reasons).

The Wii is selling a lot of systems and doing so in the long term (3 years running and out selling the competition in every market). because of this sucess the Wii gets AAA titles (MH3 being a prime example), which in turn sell more consoles. Snowball effect.

I really can't explain it any more simply then that.

EmeraldDragon

I can't wait for 2nd generation Wii games to come out!!!

Look, I like pretty graphics, but I'm not willing to sacrifice game length, split-screen and other features for graphics alone. I enjoy my 25 hour Single Player shooters (Metroid Prime 3, Resident Evil 4).

The Wii is the savior of the industry.

The PS3/360 are everything that is wrong with gaming - Consoles trying to be gimped PC.

Consoles don't need Hard Drives.

Consoles don't need High-Definition.

Consoles don't need Downloadable Content or pay-to-play content.

Consoles don't need to solely online focused.

Console games shouldn't need patching.

Consoles need to have only and only a single SKU.

Consoles need great games.

The PS3/360 have done nothing but alienate gamers and make gaming needlessly expensive and complicated.

I can't wait for Wii's ICO, God of War, Metal Gear and Halo to show up.

Tenchu is the first step. There's no stopping the Wii.

GTA Wii will wipe the floor with GTA IV for 360/PS3. It's not a question of if, it's only a question of when.

Wii, savior of the console industry. PCs can keep their gimped Single-Player, patches and pay-to-play DLC

mlubczyn

@EmeraldDragon: You are joking right? Let me explain it to you as simply as possible using your own words.

''The NES did well compared to the cometetion (Genesis) for several reasons. Thus it got more AAA titles, and thus sold more consoles. SNES arrives, based on the sucess of the NES, it is promised AAA titles as well. People buy SNES and get AAA titles, thus more people buy more SNES. Snowball effect. The SNES built on the NES sucess, and Nintendo then expected the N64 to build on the sucess of both.

Now tell me if that makes ANY SENSE whatsoever to you. It doesn't right? So why the hell are you using that exact same logic for the Playstation? You can't have it both ways . If your logic applies for the Playstation, then it should apply to Nintendo as well. You claim there is this ridiculous snowball effect that exists, and yet it somehow doesn't exist for Nintendo. Your argument is beyond ridiculous and completely illogical. Nice try though jackass.

''The Wii is selling a lot of systems and doing so in the long term (3 years running and out selling the competition in every market). because of this sucess the Wii gets AAA titles (MH3 being a prime example), which in turn sell more consoles. Snowball effect.

What do you mean? MH3 was planned before the Wii was even released!! And being one of Nintendo's premiere franchises, they were going to make it regardless. By the way, MH3 didn't really push more Wii consoles because it only sold 1.4 million copies but hey, if you actually took the time to check your facts instead of ignoring them, you would have known that right?

Holy cow, read your own nonsense for once and see how utterly ridiculous it is. You make aboslutely no sense whatsoever. Are you just pulling crap out of your ass now? This is embarrassing *facepalm*

@mlubczyn:

''The PS3/360 have done nothing but alienate gamers and make gaming needlessly expensive and complicated.

The truth is; you get what you get what you pay for. The PS3 is obviously a bit more expensive, but you are getting a blu-ray and DVD upconverting player along with other media capabilities, a HDD, Wi-fi, free online etc. The Wii barely has online, no HDD (which Wii gamers want), can't play DVD's. And how has gaming become more complicated? I game the same way I did years ago. Pop in a game and play it. And yeah, you might have to install some games now, but PC gamers have been doing that for so long now. Same with patches and updates. Whats wrong with making a game better by fixing it?

LeLoi

@EmeraldDragon:
There are 2 types of console gamers. Those who go out and buy their system of choice day one, be damned if it is a good choice or not. The majority, however, are those who wait for must-have game to come out, then buy the system for the game. That's right, MOST PEOPLE BUY SYSTEMS FOR GAMES. Not the other way around, like you are implying:

"The PS1 did well compared to the competition (N64) for several reasons. Thus it got more AAA titles, and thus sold more consoles." You are starting with a situation that leads to the wrong conclusion. The PS1 didn't do well compared to the competition and THUS it got AAA games. It sold well BECAUSE it got the AAA games.

You seem to think that magically, one console steps out ahead of the other, and BAM games start being made for it. This is never the case, and couldn't be further from the truth for the Wii. One console will come ahead, normally from launch titles - or a company has enough money to sign exclusives - then more games will come for it. A console has never been able to survive on 1st party alone. The Wii has sales, and STILL can't get developers to touch it. Its dead in the water.

Disclaimer: If the do starting getting some real games,the Wii will be f*ing awesome!

nitePhyyre

@nitePhyyre:

Oh, and N64 and the GC both largely survived (even made a good deal of money) largely on first party support. And the Wii will probably outsell them both by a wide margin.

But then, unlike Sony and MS, Nintendo has a strong first party line up.

Basci economics again tell you that, especially in the current market, developers are going to be more inclined to work on the console with lower cost of development and a larger install base.

Will all of them do it? No, of course not. But as with the PS2, those who don't want to go out of business (which at the cost of development for the PS3 and 360 is a very real possiblity for small companies) are going to put their titles on the Wii.

EmeraldDragon

@LeLoi:

You seem to be under the delusion that the snowball effect happens every generation. It doesn't. The NES and Genesis were too evenly matched market wise. The PS1 created a market disruption (snowball splat) for the N64 (though Nintendo shooting themselves in the foot was part of it as well.) The Snowball effect does exist, for Nintendo, for Playstation, for Sega, for MS, for anyone who can created a product that is a run away sucess and leaves the competition in the dust; but it isn't an absolute.

Still the snowball effect happened with the PS2 and is happening with the Wii. Deal with it.

Sweetie, MH3 (Monster Hunter 3) is made by Capcom, has been with the PS brand for almost a decade now, and was originally to be released on the PS3 but got bumped to the Wii due to the consoles sales difference. What do you think MH3 stands for?

@nitePhyyre:

I realize I over simplified the explaination, but Leloi seems to have a very thin grasp on basic economics and I did not want to comfuse him.

So No, the PS1 did not take off like a rocket, but with N64 sticking to more expensive cart and developers jumping ship (that would be the several reasons) it took off in comparison to the N64. There isn't anything magical about it, it's just simplified economics.

EmeraldDragon

@LeLoi:

Oooooookay, clearly you have absolutely no concept of economics. I can't help you there, I suggest consulting a teacher. Though you will actually have to want to understand for it to matter. But, probably because I'm a bit massocistic (or maybe just bored) I shall attempt once more to answer your questions in a manner you can understand.

Why is it that the most successful console of all time also happen to have the largest and most diverse game libary?

We've been over this. Consoles with larger user base draw in more developers, consoles with more games draw in a larger user base. Which part of this is so very hard for you to understand?

Why is it that the past console winners also happen to have the best games?

I'm not going to repeat myself, please refer to the answer to you first question.

Why is it that the GameCube came in last place the previous generation?

For starters, the PS2 had a lot of layover support from the PS1 sucess. For another, Nintendo chose to use a format (the mini-discs) that were more expensive. Third, it looked unappealing. Forth, PS2 offered a cheap DVD player, which was much in demand at that time. These are of course only the most obvious and noteable reasons.

How will the Wii manage to survive this generation from its 1st party titles alo