I for one actually really like advanced wars but not FE but also like the Wiifit and WiiSports to. So would I be the up or down market? Or maybe im just the market...

@Montana Hachet
He agrees with Malstrom but finds his prediction on Nintendo to be inconclusive but accurate. He also cannot see why Nintendo won’t appreciate their core gamer crowd “advanced gamer” but appreciate Tier 2 gamers and Tier 1 very well. I'm sure I can't convince you, but you should at least be patient enough to endure his read.

@Topic
As for the topic, after Blue Ocean comes up streaming, or as Malstrom says it “Flood”.
However the Blu-Ocean itself has sections to it that needs appealing to, Nintendo appealed to a few parts of it and are finding ways of securing their IP’s while continuing to maintain being a step ahead of any knock off’s their competitors come up with.

A la: Analog, Rumble, D-Pad and Wireless controllers.

@Link
Huh? I think this guys needs to ask himself those questions, because he's answering them in the same piece.

"After the Blue Ocean" will come another Blue Ocean, but we aren't anywhere close to that yet. The second phase of the Blue Ocean is only starting now, and only once we're through the third and final phase and the ocean starts to turn red do we move on. That's post-Wii.

There are three tiers to the Blue Ocean. Each is higher than the last. Each has higher requirements and higher demands. Wii Fit is the start of the second tier; it is upmarket of Wii Sports. Don't mistake everything with new market values for being downmarket.

Nintendo's existing IPs are slowly but surely converting to the new values, and starting with MK Wii, they are being specifically designed to create common ground between the old and new markets, ie "bridge games."

How exactly has Mario Kart Wii changed to bridge the casual and hardcore? Besides the motion control the wii offers. Is it the ability to race against others online and even be in tournaments? If anything those are seen as more "hardcore" elements aren't they? Mario Kart has always been the same in my eyes, I don't see it doing anything differently than it used to.

I'm not following you, Erik.

@wtf - The Wii Wheel is the difference. Any and every idiot (or non-idiot) can pick that up and understand how to play without having to think or perceptively learn anything. It's a great bridge title that way because I've had people over who never played video games come over and start playing it and think it's fun. That wouldn't have happened without the wiiwheel aspect.

Doesn't that then apply to all games with motion sensing on the wii? I don't see how you can single out Mario Kart, when almost every single Wii game uses the wii remote. I just find it curious that he pulled out MKWii as a bridge game, when really most other Wii games are doing the same motion control idea. It might just be better to label the Wii as a bridging console, instead of picking out a few titles randomly.

I don't see Nintendo has purposely making their "hardcore" titles dumbed down for casuals, they're just creating controls that are easier and more intuitive for the gameplay. I don't see that as becoming more "casual".

If you consider a Zelda game where I can swing his sword and shoot his bow with motion controls as "more casual", then I never want to play a hardcore game ever again. =P Same goes with FPS games.

Good point Erik Aston, you sum up what I have to say on this topic.


I might aswell add, I think Ninty will upstream the market not to compete with the consoles, the consoles are dead if Nintendo are concerned base on the profits they have so far, but to compete with the PC. I think this is what the third tier Nintendo wants to invade to. If not, why would Ninty wants to release the Wii on Korea and China? Two of the most country that uses the internet/PC and one of the countries that have the most pirated games?

Even Ninty knows that even without the Wii, gamer will lose interests in consoles sooner or later, I mean, why would you own a console if theres a PC around? You can do games on PC and more and it have better graphics than any consoles out there. See the problem? If Malstrom was right on this one, Ninty will change internet gaming since thats what PC really excels at, and make online gaming suitable for the new market.

Oh and Gamerace, my name isn't "wtf", Wtf? It's wfz.

One of the biggest problems with getting into gaming is getting the game to do what you want without looking like a fool. Its not unlike the computer keyboard, for people who can't type, just the agony of trying to use a keyboard can be very, very discouraging and can turn them off computer usage. Similarly for someone who has never used a controller before, trying to pick up and play a racing game using a traditional controller is likely to only end in disaster. And nobody likes failure, most people cannot be bothered to invest the time to get good with a controller and will simply decide that the game isn't for them, or that it's stupid. By using the Wii Wheel Nintendo has removed that barrier somewhat. Turning the wheel to turn is something natural, even children do it, if only in imitation of their parents. And for older players it surely makes more sense than tilting a stick to turn.

Once a user feels in control of their on-screen persona then they can worry about what they're going to do, as opposed to how they're going to do it. Simplicity is key.