| bardicverse said: The revolution goes well beyond sales, here's a few main points: 1. The dawn of fitness gaming. Wii Fit, EA Active, etc have sold millions of copies, overshadowing major gaming staples like the recent offerings from Grand Theft Auto series. Physical therapists, gyms, etc are putting Wii systems in their businesses for the fitness games and motor skill games like Wii Sports. This is a previously uncharted ground for the game industry. 2. Motion controls. The Wii brought about a rebirth of motion control gaming to the industry. How developers have used it is irrelevant, but those who incorporated it well have been paid hansomely for their efforts. Furthermore, the Wii "fad" of motion controls has forced the hand of its competitors to make their own ventures into motion controls for 2010. 3. Putting the familiy back together through gaming. Since the days of Atari 2600, gaming had slowy become more of a "one machine, one person" system, especially seen in force by the birth of the Sony PlayStation. More solitary game design, then the incorporation of online gaming, all made gaming a very solitary, if not obsessive, activity. The Wii has brought the family together, focusing on games that the whole family can learn easily, catering to "party gaming" and so forth. 4. Gameplay, not graphics. The industry as a whole had been growing a bloodlust for prettier graphics, but the same rehashed product underneath. With the Wii's graphical limitations, developers spent more time focusing on the game itself, and less concentration on the graphics. This has changed the way developers think and approach their game design, for the Wii and beyond it. I'd say it's been quite a revolution from the industry we knew in the times before the Wii. |
1. Fitness games existed before Wii Fit. This is simply the first time they have ever been marketed well. The PS2, GC, and Xbox had a couple to be sure. It may go back further than that.
2. I would argue that only the companies that have used motion control and recieved great money actually the ones who advertised their efforts to the new auidence(almost exclusively nintendo a handful of other large corporations) Tons of companies even the ones who people mention their games everytime we have a discussion about good motion controls have not seen much money because no one knows their product exists.
3. There are tons of simple games that everyone in the family can play on all consoles. Nintendo just has a history and marketing muscle. I played games with my mom on all of the consoles. Atari 2600 on. My mom is not what anyone would call a gamer. She is importing Singstar Motown for the family party this christmas where we get down on it.
4. That would be to ignore PSN and XBL entirely. Or even quirky titles from the PS2 era where they didn't do big on graphics but focused on making games fun.
I do believe that Nintendo choosing to market the Wii on Oprah, Ellen and even Natal advertising on the latenight show is helping the mainstream acceptance of gaming. I do think as a company they do have a philosophy about getting the family together and making everything very fun. They aren't the only ones however. And as most Nintendo games look quite swell i wouldn't even say they put gameplay above graphics. They use both equally as is necessary.
