I honestly don't understand why the 360 and PS3 are so glorified in comparsion to the Wii.  I mean PS3 owners have Metacritic ratings on their signatures but it's clear as day that the 360 has more AAA titles than the PS3.  It's so sad that HD consoles are exploring things that PC has had for years.  Also why have HD console owners become such graphic whores?  Most, if not all, games look better and run smoother on PC so I find it odd that complaints about the Wii's graphics are so prominent.  In short, buy a console for exclusives and not graphics.

That said, I think Ninty has given in to stockholders.  I don't blame third parties for making shovelware/PS2 ports and hoping for it to sell a million.  With the GC remakes and the "evil" Wii Music, what else is there to get about the Wii?

A pessimistic(I can't spell today) side of me says they have lost the hardcore but a optimistic side of me says they haven't and they're taking their time to polish their projects.  At least the DS has something to look toward to.

I consider myself a gamer, I like games, full stop.

All this wank about what type of gamer is starting to annoy me..... here are some of my favourite games (ones I could likely put into a top 10 if I could be bothered to make one)

LoZ: Windwaker
Wii Sports
F-Zero X
Banjo-Tooie
Endless Ocean
LoZ: Twilight Princess
Blast Corps
Pilotwings 64
Mario Kart Wii
TimeSplitters 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Wave Race Blue Storm

So true this article! I haven't booted up my wii in like, a very long time! I'm not planning on picking up a single game... Maybe Madworld. But that's it!

I now have a PS3 so that's reallly chill but I'm just keeping my Wii around for Nintendo like games!

Because Ninty loyalists and new casual will be turned into core gamer will soon gobbled up the core gamer which supports the HD consoles. This 2 years is only the first step, Nintendo only wants to make MS and SONY and other third parties bleeds money till they make the upper move to upstream the market, thats why I mentioned those titles. Those are core games, not casual like Wii Fit or Wii Music. They made this move first with Zelda TP as a launch title on the Wii. Then they move the market up more with the release of SMG and Metroid Prime 3 and still expanding the audience with Wii Fit. Then they released SSBB another core game and they upstream the online community more with the release of Mario Kart Wii. Then Animal crossing Wii with the use of voice chat, then the october conference, Sin and Punishemt 2 and Punch out Wii. You dont know the plan of Nintendo yet but little by little thay move the downmarket to upmarket. 

If you really think Nintendo would let these third parties make million sellers of these HD consoles think again, Ninty wants to make the impression that they only cater to the casuals like Wii Music and Animal crossing to not MS and SONY  knew their real plan. To make these "so called casual market" to become core market and move them up onto upmarket. Its happening right now, Wii Music not a million seller shows signs that most casual gamer before arent interested with casual crap anymore. Even with the user's impressions so far its quite good.

And as for the "hardcore" insult, Im not insulting the hardcore its just that thats the stereotype view of the hardcore, not insulting you I know from what you posts you didnt play only shooters and sports games but thats whats people thinks of hardcore. No offense to you, but thats the truth, gamers playing online for hours, only playing shooters like Gears and Halo and playing sports games and graphic whores. YEAH, thats the impression of hardcore is, and thats what Nintendo wants to change in the industry. Too bad 3rd parties still dont get it I mean, do you really think MS and SONY can feed these audience for how long? I dont think so. I know FPS and shooters are good especially on online but too much of the same thing can harm you, and thats whats saturation comes into.

YES... Sooner or later, these types of genre of games will be saturated you cant see it right now but just wait till the course of 2009 and you will know. Like I said, if these types of genre of games are feed into HD console fanbase there'll be a saturation point.

Anyway, I think if third parties cant do what they should supposed to do to not hit the video game industry into a saturation point, it seems Nintendo must just do it themselves. I mean, have you noticed that Mario kart Wii and AC: CF even online wasnt a FPS or a shooter?

@Esa-Petteri: I wasn't talking about just this site. We actually have pretty reasonable users on average. Try Joystiq or Kotaku for example. Since you're familiar with Malstrom, the "hardcore suicide watch" that used to be in the front page wasn't pulled out of thin air, it was an actual phenomenon over the internet at the time, but mostly have been accepted now (the world didn't end after all). If you mostly visited domestic gaming sites, the phenomenon wasn't really as visible as were on the bigger sites.

The "hardcore", how people use it as a mockword, is just to oppose the "casual" that people use for the same purpose. Since the message don't usually deliver, i usually use "elitist prick" instead.

@KichiVerde: I think we should wait until you pass the "landmarks" you mentioned and then listen to your take about the matter.

The Wii is in a similar position as Gamecube in terms of 'hardcore' gamers. In fact I would say it's in a better position. At least in the UK the Gamecube was written off years before Nintendo ceased production. Most people buying the system bought it for Nintendo titles and nothing more. I'd guess most gamers buying Wii are the same people. Only now there are so called non-gamers supporting Nintendo too. Don't you think Nintendo lost the majority of their 'hardcore' crowd way before Wii?

From a personal stand point they haven't lost me. Oddly I started playing Nintendo games with the GameCube and couldn't understand why everyone seemed so willing to write the system off. It's great that people who haven't really explored games before are doing so now, plus they're helping Nintendo stay afloat in the process which can only be good news for us.

This is my thoughts on the whole matter,

When Nintendo launched the Wii they hopped for the same kind of support from 3rd parties as the DS had. It started slow then it took off alot. Sadly this has not happened.

What this means is that Nintendo relied too much on that 3rd parties would jump on the band wagon and make great core games, so they simply did not bother with any plans for 1st party games, hence why we saw all the major franchises launch early in the Wiis life cylce.

What this comes down to is 3rd parties piss me off. for several reasons

1) We don't like making games on Nintendo consoles cause we can't complete with Nintendo games.

WELL NOW YOU CAN, THERE IS NOTHING COMING FROM NINTENDO FOR AGES.

2) N64 Days - Nintendo has really strict rules on quality control.

SHARE HOLDERS FIXED THIS PROBLEM.

result: garbage shovel ware.

3) We can't make games on Wii cause the Wii controller nun chuck combo doesnt work in the way for our game.

THERE IS THE CLASSIC CONTROLLER AND THE GCN ONE, SO THREE OPTIONS TO PICK FROM.


4) We can't port/make the game on Wii cause the Graphics are shit.

WELL DON'T BE LAZY BUILD IT FROM THE GROUND UP SPECIFICALLY FOR THE Wii TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.


So to conclude I can see where he is coming from, but to say Nintendo lost the hardcore game is abit of an over statement. Hardcore is a little more then just FPS and Online gaming.

Do you really believe that kind of stuff?

That is just... well, I won't say what I think of that. Sounds like someone has read too much maelstrom-stuff. :) But if you want to believe that, it is ok. Just don't be too disappointed when your fantasies won't realize.

Did you know that there are a lot of million sellers on 360 which are not either "fps or licensed sports games"? I think there are about as many million sellers on 360 outside of those 2 "genres" as there are million sellers on wii. But hey, don't let that ruin your ranting. :P

There are many core games on the Wii right now, not just what MS and SONY wants to foretold, I could lists 20 core games right now:

SSBB
Mario kart Wii
No More Heroes
SMG
Fire Emblem radiant Dawn
MOH: H2
De Blob
Zelda Twilight Princess
DBZ Tenkaichi 3
RE: UC
Bully
Manhunt 2
Okami
The Godfather
Batallion Wars 2
Bleach Shattered Blade
Mario Strikers Charged
Resident Evil 4
Tales of Symphonia 2

And thats when I search my game collection and game collection of zucas

@Rick: Didn't you that Gamecube was a great hardcore system, which, of course, nobody who says that, never owned.

But you're right, the group that shouts "foul" on Wii, either never had a Nintendo console, or jumped to a more "casual" option during the last two gens. And gaming in general lost a lot with the jump to 3D, of course, it brought something instead, but this likely caused a number of previous gamers to jump out and the ones to suffer the most, were the ones that had existing userbase before the change.