"Soriku said:

@jay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snatcher

"

That would be so cool. Cyber Punk FTW

azrm2k said:

No dev/analyst/reporter expected it.  Except for Gamestop.  They had a decent article predicting Wii to sell well and how "games should be fun".  I think it was posted on April 2 or somewhere around there."

I thought that was from GameSpot the review site. Also I thought it was an April 1 joke not a serious article.

I am NOT sad that Nintendo is "winning" this generation. They have done a lot for gaming - and as the only pure gaming company* left. They had two choices (1) make a conventional system and probably sell less than the 'cube (though still make a profit, due to their design philosophy) or (2) do something different - sink or swim. Well, they didn't sink, and for that I am very happy.

Not because I own Nintendo stock (I wish), but because - as a gamer of 27 years, I have been around enough to see the industry grow and thrive (and appreciate Nintendo's part in the whole thing). A gaming industry without Nintendo would not be an industry in which I would be significantly less captivated (at best) and totally disconnected from (at worst).

A world without Nintendo .... is chaos!

NOTE: this does not apply to computer gaming (only consoles). Frankly with Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, The Witcher (STILL), Kanes Wrath, Sam and Max (damn Lucasarts) etc. to play I have plenty to do on that front reguardless of this little "war".

NOTE on NOTE: Anyhow this is all opinion, but lest anyone think me biased, the only "next gen" system I own is a PS3. I will buy a Wii when I can walk into the store and see one on the shelves.

FOGEY RANT: Also, to add to the fire a bit . . . I would wager that most of the people on this board who ended their respective posts proclaiming the PS2 as the greatest system of all time do so because they grew up with it. I have more PS2 games than any other system (by far), but it is the SNES that represents the pinnacle of gaming for seasoned gamers.

On topic - I agree with Crazzyman about the necessity and utility of this post...

@OP:
you really make me sad. I pitty you.

facher83 said: So, sue me if I kinda like a party console, where my 23-24 year old friends actually enjoy raiding the garage and bringing a TV out and play Mario Kart for 3 hours while we see how drunk we can get by drinking a beer every other race. Yep. Very kiddish

90% of the world's greatest drinking games are exclusive to Nintendo systems.

The GTA's on the PS2 are the only 3rd party titles to ever do that so your arbitrary sales point is rather silly.

Besides, what does having 1 game sell 10 million prove that 10 games selling 5 million each wouldn't?

I'm sad that casual gaming might running hardcore gaming into the ground, due to the Wii phenominon. Its like the film industry being overrun with crappy popular formula action movies and cheesy romances. I'm sad that the games industry has reached a point where games like RPGs, Strategy games, and epic Action/Adventures may not hold enough demand to warrent development on systems like the Wii.

Look at the most popular PC games in history... Myst, The Sims, Solitaire, Bedazzled, etc. I will most definately NOT be calling myself a gamer in the future, if this kind of casual garbage is the future of gaming. Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Fit... they qualify as "neato... not worth my time", and of course Mario, Zelda, etc. are welcome staples in my gamer diet... but beyond that... the Wii landscape looks awfully bleak (if you're a "gamer", and older than about 14, anyway).

Nintendo has not really won anything, Sony lost touch with the PlayStation fanbase and they are paying for it. Next gen things will start to go back to a more normal setting. Nintendo will not be able to keep this going next gen, Sony and Microsoft have learned from their mistakes and we will see an entire different war going next gen.

1. Next generation doesn't start until we say it starts.

2. Sony domination begins Nov 2006.

3. Sony domination begins next month.

4. Sony domination begins next quarter.

5. Sony domination begins next year.

6. Sony domination begins next generation. *

* - Which according to Sony and many fanboys starts in 2016 thanks to the 10 year plan.

I take offense at that. I'm a "Gamer", and I'm well over 14 (Okay, not well over, but 7 years over). I'm really excited by the Wii landscape. It both caters to my desire for interesting games and my desire for fun games (Where is my desire for big budget plotfests? I dunno. I lost that after beating FF10 and realizing I was only playing it for the combat and skipping all the cut scenes)

I mean, look at the NES. The NES launched with ROB, the Robotic Operating Buddy who would play games with you! Awesome! And the awesome Zapper to Zap birds in duck hunt! Rad! Both of those accessories are about as far from 'hardcore' or "Gamer" as you can get. Yet what was the direct successor to the NES? The SNES, which is generally considered to be the golden age of hardcore gaming, when all the games were amazing.

I can't say I'm happy Wii's winning at the moment, as it's clearly the worst of the three consoles this gen (that doesn't mean it's bad)

But if the userbase gap keeps on growing at the rate it has been thus far, then it's bound to end up being the best at some point. That's how it's always worked...