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Forums - Nintendo - What the Wii did right, against all odds

 

What the Wii did right, against all odds

Exactly! The Wii was, literally, a revolution 192 55.01%
 
Er...I love my Wii and al... 52 14.90%
 
The Wii was alright, but not a PS360 50 14.33%
 
I sold mine almost straig... 18 5.16%
 
I never got one, but I might now it's $150 11 3.15%
 
I don't have one, don't want one 26 7.45%
 
Total:349
milkyjoe on 24 May 2011

The Wii brought me back to gaming after I thought I was done with it all midway through last gen. I didn't like how things were going overall, my PS2 died on me, and the GC was a terrible console. So I took a step back for a few years, and then I started hearing about the Revolution and was intrigued. It obviously became the Wii and was something different, which is what I wanted, so I pre-ordered one. I'd gone from thinking I was done to getting a Wii at launch.

I can say quite confidently and quite certainly that nothing else in the market right now would have brought me back into gaming other than the Wii, so from a personal point of view, I'm very happy with it despite its more than obvious flaws.

From a business point of view, it will end up doing better than anybody ever predicted it would prior to its release at least five times over (most likely more) by the time its done selling. It'll be one of the most profitable console ever released, if not the most. It saw a massive increase in sales and market share from the previous gen, which is something that not all can say...

Sure, people went a bit crazy when it was breaking sales records and they thought it would beat the PS2, but even though it now obviously won't (and I don't think anything other than the DS ever will, and certainly no other home console), that doesn't mean it's a failure.



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Alby_da_Wolf on 24 May 2011
Galaki said:

I really like the split controller. I don't even realize it until it's mentioned. My hands are rested comfortably on games that doesn't require use of pointer or motion.


Ninty wasn't the first to try it (there were experimental and small scale production models from small specialized companies and university labs many years before), but it was the first to do it right and affordable. I still think that not having included WM Plus functions since the start was an error (being able to price Wii $50 more than initially predicted, thanks to competitors' excessive price, gave Ninty enough margin to do it), but any company could accept errors that let them sell more than 85M consoles and give them large chances to sell more than 110M lifetime in the worst case scenario.



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sethnintendo on 24 May 2011
Alby_da_Wolf said:
Galaki said:

I really like the split controller. I don't even realize it until it's mentioned. My hands are rested comfortably on games that doesn't require use of pointer or motion.


Ninty wasn't the first to try it (there were experimental and small scale production models from small specialized companies and university labs many years before), but it was the first to do it right and affordable. I still think that not having included WM Plus functions since the start was an error (being able to price Wii $50 more than initially predicted, thanks to competitors' excessive price, gave Ninty enough margin to do it), but any company could accept errors that let them sell more than 85M consoles and give them large chances to sell more than 110M lifetime in the worst case scenario.


WM Plus should have been there in the beginning but can't really go back and change that now.  They also fouled up on the implementation of WM plus.  I was just wanting to point out that while Nintendo might not be the first to implement new control schemes they definitely make new control schemes popular (analog sticks, motion controls, dual screens, etc..)



sethnintendo on 24 May 2011
TheWon said:

Again, I stress that the Wii wasn't perfect, and its list of cons could very well eclipse my little list of pros.

This statement alone ruined any kind of creditabilty that guy earned during this article. Hhis cons would be things that the Wii doesn't have compared to the HD consoles. Like we should hold it to their standards. What about holding them to the Wii standards for once.

The Wii showed that new genres of games can be made. Instead of the endless FPS fest on the HD consoles. The Wii brought in Fitness, Party Sports,  Doctor Sims ,and Dance into the main stream. Even gave old genres a chance at rebirth, 2D platformers, On Rail Shooters, and Party games. Say what you want, but the Wii had variety.

The Wii showed you can create affordable console , and games.  When everyone else wanted to charge us for upgrades that came with their systems. Nintendo keep everything the same from hardware to software prices, and in same cases cheaper. 

A true multiplayer consoles. Games built for playing with people. The online it self may be limited in features. Yet it allowed you to do so without full control from the developers. When was they last time you wanted to forgo a update, but was afraid you would lose access. To all your already owned games online features? The Wii allowed you play online on everything you had before any new updates were reguired.

Finally the Wii is the only console where you can get the very best in gaming's past, present, and future. The Virtual Console let you experience some of the greatest games of the past. The Wii had new versions of some of the greatest franchise of all time. Then with the Wiiware system we got to play new games from up incoming developers. Who will help shape the future of gaming.

Now I know the Wii is not perfect, but if you look at all of it's cons. The only thing that it really missed the mark on was online. Not having the features that the other consoles just start using this generation. Which was funny to me how people make it seem like Nintendo is 2 generations behind when it comes to online.  Where was online last generation? oh ya on the Dreamcast!

Everything else would have been no real issue if Nintendo really had help. THe PS2 still has maybe the greatest gaming library of all time. Those same quailty games could have been made on the Wii easly. Instead it was due to lack of effort, and desire that it never happend. So in the end the Wii was a revolution that most didn't actually believe in, and others bailed on in the end. Still it made it's make in history.

Pretty good post.  I was just wondering how come you don't post that often considering you joined back in 2007.  VG Chartz needs as many good posters as they can.  You should post a little more often.

I have to agree a lot on the the third party companies not trying part.  If they actually put more effort into developing Wii games then the Wii library would be on par with the PS2.  Third party companies wrote Nintendo off before the generation even started.  I am glad that a lot of third party companies failed/lost millions due to developing high budget games for HD consoles.  Deserves them right in my book.



adsl on 24 May 2011
radiantshadow92 said:
adsl said:

Before the Wii I was just a former gamer, my last console was a SNES. This is why the Wii is so important to me and it's also why all those rumors about Project Cafe are making me sad. I mean, I don't want a new console with a dual analog controller and line-up filled with PS360 ports. What I want are more 2D Mario, more skyward sword/red steel 2 games and even more Wii Sports games.


Have you ever tried those ps360 ports? They are some damn good games.

I'm sure they are good, but they don't apear to me like the Wii games. I have a computer the can run many HD games, so I tryed Tomb Raider Legend, The Last Remnant, Fear, Torchlight, Titan Quest, Killing Floor, etc. But as I said in another thread, I had more fun playing Just Dance and Wii Sports with my family/girlfriend/friend that every single HD game on my PC.



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radiantshadow92 on 24 May 2011
adsl said:
radiantshadow92 said:
adsl said:

Before the Wii I was just a former gamer, my last console was a SNES. This is why the Wii is so important to me and it's also why all those rumors about Project Cafe are making me sad. I mean, I don't want a new console with a dual analog controller and line-up filled with PS360 ports. What I want are more 2D Mario, more skyward sword/red steel 2 games and even more Wii Sports games.


Have you ever tried those ps360 ports? They are some damn good games.

I'm sure they are good, but they don't apear to me like the Wii games. I have a computer the can run many HD games, so I tryed Tomb Raider Legend, The Last Remnant, Fear, Torchlight, Titan Quest, Killing Floor, etc. But as I said in another thread, I had more fun playing Just Dance and Wii Sports with my family/girlfriend/friend that every single HD game on my PC.


infamous....nuff said.



LordTheNightKnight on 24 May 2011
sethnintendo said:
Alby_da_Wolf said:
Galaki said:

I really like the split controller. I don't even realize it until it's mentioned. My hands are rested comfortably on games that doesn't require use of pointer or motion.


Ninty wasn't the first to try it (there were experimental and small scale production models from small specialized companies and university labs many years before), but it was the first to do it right and affordable. I still think that not having included WM Plus functions since the start was an error (being able to price Wii $50 more than initially predicted, thanks to competitors' excessive price, gave Ninty enough margin to do it), but any company could accept errors that let them sell more than 85M consoles and give them large chances to sell more than 110M lifetime in the worst case scenario.


WM Plus should have been there in the beginning but can't really go back and change that now.  They also fouled up on the implementation of WM plus.  I was just wanting to point out that while Nintendo might not be the first to implement new control schemes they definitely make new control schemes popular (analog sticks, motion controls, dual screens, etc..)


The gyroscope needed wasn't small and affordable enough in 2006. It wasn't until around 2008. So should can't change couldn't.



A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.

Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs

mundus6 on 24 May 2011

I bought Wii for exclusives, if it weren't for homebrew i would probably had played my Wii less than 100 hours total. Not saying the console sucks or anything, just saying that Nintendo should not had forgotten about the core and it would have easily become the best selling console ever, even beating PS2.

Nintendo should be happy with the console though, even though its definitely dead within a year or so. I don't think any company has made that much money on a console ever.



gumby_trucker on 24 May 2011
LordTheNightKnight said:
sethnintendo said:


WM Plus should have been there in the beginning but can't really go back and change that now.  They also fouled up on the implementation of WM plus.  I was just wanting to point out that while Nintendo might not be the first to implement new control schemes they definitely make new control schemes popular (analog sticks, motion controls, dual screens, etc..)


The gyroscope needed wasn't small and affordable enough in 2006. It wasn't until around 2008. So should can't change couldn't.

If Nintendo never planned on having the thing from the start, why was it featured on the first trailer revealing the controller? Check around the 1 minute mark.



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adsl on 24 May 2011
radiantshadow92 said:
adsl said:
radiantshadow92 said:
adsl said:

Before the Wii I was just a former gamer, my last console was a SNES. This is why the Wii is so important to me and it's also why all those rumors about Project Cafe are making me sad. I mean, I don't want a new console with a dual analog controller and line-up filled with PS360 ports. What I want are more 2D Mario, more skyward sword/red steel 2 games and even more Wii Sports games.


Have you ever tried those ps360 ports? They are some damn good games.

I'm sure they are good, but they don't apear to me like the Wii games. I have a computer the can run many HD games, so I tryed Tomb Raider Legend, The Last Remnant, Fear, Torchlight, Titan Quest, Killing Floor, etc. But as I said in another thread, I had more fun playing Just Dance and Wii Sports with my family/girlfriend/friend that every single HD game on my PC.


infamous....nuff said.

 

So far what I have seen and read about both Infamous games didn't make me think that it's better than others Sony IPs like God of War (which I've played for few hours and is a good game, even though I prefer old school beat'me ups), However, (to me) the first LBP sounds way better than Infamous or GoF, and may be I will play it some day... Remenber, I'm an old school gamer that have been playing games since the Atari 2600 this is why I have a completly different oppinion from most of people in the site. But I repect your opinion and I know that there is respectable market for game like Infamous even though it isn't my favorite kind game.