Lets face it, there has been a deluge of misinterpretation regarding the consoles, and i feel that it is only necessary to set things completely straight with everyone so that the trolls on each side are quelled, if only slightly, by the torrential downpour of truth.
Many of you will disagree with the following statement and many of you will agree. What we need to work on the most right now, is changing the reason of the opinion into one of a more cohesive mature understanding. We need to focus more realistically on the who's and what's and why's of opinion if we are going to actually have discussions about the performances of these favorable consoles. Note, that this is only a small area of disagreement that i intend to rectify today.
THE WII IS A TOY
cue in the fanfare, and disgruntled Boo-urns'es.
The Wii is not competing nor is any system in mutual competition with it. The Wii has left the realm of gaming, and has moved to a more lucrative field of all ages entertainment. This is not a bad thing. This does not mean that the machine "sold out". It simply means that, comparatively, it is more in competition with the social outlets of "risk" and "monopoly" than with the more solitary experience of a video game console.
The explanation behind this is because "The Nintendo Wii demographic is definitely a wider demographic than your traditional hardcore gamer,". It caters to all ages and creedos, and is fairly more simplistic than the general gaming norms.
The hardcore gamer does not make a game hardcore. This is the most rebuttal i can offer those that believe there are hardcore games on the Wii. I myself am a reasonably hardcore gamer, and I have passed the wii boxing skill of 1800, which i feel is the hardest game out of the four.That does not make it a hardcore game. I think the difference lies within the definitions of hardcore and the definitions of addiction. The games have a lot of replay value, to nintendo's credit, but lack the intricacies of hardcore games. (citing a lack of hardcore games on the Wii is easily googled so i will leave that to you) This can all potentially lead to a rabid debate of how the industry is simply trying to move the audience towards a financially safer, cheaper produce so i will digress....
As I've previously said, this talk has all been to reduce the amount of "nintendo is smarter" or "wii games suck" banter that is commonly found on these forums. Nintendo is simply in a different market. Just because you aren't into them does not make them bad and just because you own a wii does not mean you made a "right choice".
In the end, hardcore has a very appealing market share that niether Sony nor MS are willing to abandon. The fact is, hardcore gamers buy a lot of games. Hardcore audiences buy a lot of peripherals, they buy a lot of posters, they buy autographed discs and faceplates. While sales numbers are key to this site, we must also think about the aggregate earning potential of hardcore games as well.
We all know that mario sells a crackload (<---- that's the scientific term) of plushie dolls. however, you don't find much beyond that. halos and metal gears and FF's have rabid fanbases that are willing to pay in excess of 200 dollars for a statuette.
In summarization, the nintendo wii sells a lot of product; it sells a lot of product to a lot of, sometimes, uninterested buyers looking to keep company entertained. They have a heck of a lot of money, but as many know, it is getting hard for 3rd parties to sell games in the same strain as nintendo itself, and revenue stream for said companies is as, if not more important, than their respective console's company. The other console devs and producers know what they are doing. There is quite a bit of margin to be made on the hardcore side.
There are strengths and weaknesses to each market structure, and they are each actively pursuing whatever avenue they know the best, and following their goals to the best of their abilities. So from now on let's try to leave out the "Who is the smartest company?" (honestly "who makes the most money?" or more honestly "nintendo is the best") trite venue of firebranding, because for the most part, on the other end (the developers themselves) it isn't about the money. Some prefer to simply chase their idealistic pursuit of the perfect game, some of us in the hardcore understand that, are we are more than happy to support those companies that provide us with our fair share joy through hardcore.
In very short summarization: the wii is a great system, but for a lot of us, it's not enough. that is not a dis, it is not an insult. It is the realistic portrayal of a game system where making a game fiscally responsible is slightly more important than making something that someone will treasure for a lifetime. That day may come when this all changes, but for now let us all respect our differences and preferences.
Pixel Art can be fun.
SW-
