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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - wii gamers and how bad games don't sell quite as well as people think

tastyshovelware on 08 February 2008
I feel like there's this notion that wii gamers (in general) are miss informed and only buy shovelware. However, keeping in mind that not everyone visits gaming sites and keeps up to date with all the latest in gaming news, wii sells are not quite as grim as some would have you think.

If you would go to gamerankings.com (the most reliable source for game reviews in my opinion), and check the top 50 rated games for the wii, and then head over to this site and check the top 50 best sellers, you'd see that a good number of games fall in both lists. The biggest problem is that a good number of wii games (when compared to the ps3 and xbox360), simply arent that good.

As of now, only 18 wii games (out of 200 or so) have an average score of 80% or higher. that's compared to 86 xbox360 games, and 40 ps3 games. (for those not familiar with gamerankings.com, these scores are averaged out from numerous soucres, not just one source that could, in theroy, have an anti wii bias).

Good games like resident evil 4 and guitar hero 3 have seen strong numbers. There are well reviewed games that have underpreformed (ie: zack and wii, save the uk sales), but there will always be those rare great games that simply slip through the cracks for everyone except for prevalent gamers (see: ico). 

Even some of the poorly reviewed games that have sold well are excusable. Games like CoD 3 and Need for Speed were both members of well established franchises. Red Steel was hyped like hell before the wii launch. Smarty Pants is a Brain Age alternative, and carnival games.... well i can't do much to defend that one.

So yeah, lay off wii gamers when you see games like mario & sonic at the olympic games in the top 20.... there's just not a whole lot better to chose from (however, if you dig any of the games listed above.... that's cool too).


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finalsquall on 08 February 2008

Sounds right to me... Welcome to VG :D



  Unleash The Beast!  

End of 2011 Sales: Wii = 90mil, 360 = 61mil, PS3= 60mil

famousringo on 08 February 2008

Either that, or you could accept that there's a huge market for games like Carnival Games, Mario & Sonic and Wii Fit, and that professional game reviewers don't represent/understand this market.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.

tastyshovelware on 08 February 2008

I'm definitely in favor of casual games and expanding the gaming market. However, whereas games like the original rayman: raving rabbids and wii fit (from what I hear) give people their moneys worth, efforts like carnival games seem, while not bad per say, certainly arent worth $40-50.



Shade on 08 February 2008

Reviewers are not like they use to be, rating games with a level of professionalism you come to expect from them. Now they whine and complain about little things and out of their bickering a game score is lowered because of it. Now it is very hard to please reviewers unless you have the right $.



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tastyshovelware on 08 February 2008

Which is why I like gamerankings.com. I feel like they provide the extremes on both ends and everything in between. While no one should agree with any one score and say "that's right" without playing the game, I feel like the average gives you a pretty good idea.



Man on 08 February 2008

WOW
18 games above 80% on wii V 40 games above 80% on ps3?

thats seriously amazes me. i mean i knew the wii didnt have many good games, but i also thought the ps3 didnt have as many games, and as such you wouldnt expect such a huge number more than the wii.

i just checked metacritic, and its wii 14, ps3 43.



BengaBenga on 08 February 2008
tastyshovelware said:
I'm definitely in favor of casual games and expanding the gaming market. However, whereas games like the original rayman: raving rabbids and wii fit (from what I hear) give people their moneys worth, efforts like carnival games seem, while not bad per say, certainly arent worth $40-50.

I understand your feeling, but I must disagree. You shouldn't see it as a traditional videogame.

My favourite games are Zelda, Fire Emblem, Resident Evil, etc. so "gamers games". I consider those worth my money.

Carnival Games, RRR, Mario Party etc. are not. BUT: With those games and 10 friends around (male AND female, gamers AND people who never touched a controller) you can have a wonderfull evening. Everyone loves it and is enjoying themselves. What is $40,- on a good night? Usually you would spend more on drinks alone. Amusement parks a lot more expensive, so is going to the cinema with 5 persons. Carnival Games fits perfectly in that list.

These games should be seen more from this point of view. Of course I haven't even mentioned the value these games can have on families. Mom+Dad+Kids enjoying!

 



koffieboon on 08 February 2008
tastyshovelware said:
I feel like there's this notion that wii gamers (in general) are miss informed and only buy shovelware. However, keeping in mind that not everyone visits gaming sites and keeps up to date with all the latest in gaming news, wii sells are not quite as grim as some would have you think.

If you would go to gamerankings.com (the most reliable source for game reviews in my opinion), and check the top 50 rated games for the wii, and then head over to this site and check the top 50 best sellers, you'd see that a good number of games fall in both lists. The biggest problem is that a good number of wii games (when compared to the ps3 and xbox360), simply arent that good.

As of now, only 18 wii games (out of 200 or so) have an average score of 80% or higher. that's compared to 86 xbox360 games, and 40 ps3 games. (for those not familiar with gamerankings.com, these scores are averaged out from numerous soucres, not just one source that could, in theroy, have an anti wii bias).

Good games like resident evil 4 and guitar hero 3 have seen strong numbers. There are well reviewed games that have underpreformed (ie: zack and wii, save the uk sales), but there will always be those rare great games that simply slip through the cracks for everyone except for prevalent gamers (see: ico).

Even some of the poorly reviewed games that have sold well are excusable. Games like CoD 3 and Need for Speed were both members of well established franchises. Red Steel was hyped like hell before the wii launch. Smarty Pants is a Brain Age alternative, and carnival games.... well i can't do much to defend that one.

So yeah, lay off wii gamers when you see games like mario & sonic at the olympic games in the top 20.... there's just not a whole lot better to chose from (however, if you dig any of the games listed above.... that's cool too).

Actually there is a mismatch between tastes of gamereviewers and certain usergroups on Wii. So if those groups would actually use those reviews they would be misinformed. Carnival Games and the likes aren't made with hardcore gamers in mind, and letting them review those games is actually quite useless.



famousringo on 08 February 2008
tastyshovelware said:
I'm definitely in favor of casual games and expanding the gaming market. However, whereas games like the original rayman: raving rabbids and wii fit (from what I hear) give people their moneys worth, efforts like carnival games seem, while not bad per say, certainly arent worth $40-50.

 Not worth it to you or me, perhaps, but I don't think that a game moves a million units by disappointing every person who buys it.

I think the people who buy these games have some idea what they're getting for their money, and I think they're okay with it. If they were totally clueless, they would be picking up all kinds of other shovelware, but they aren't. They're buying party games because they want party games.



"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event."  — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.