To illustrate what I mean between "crap" and "casual" let's look at the opening to IGNs review of "game party"

"If there's one thing we need on Wii, it's more half-assed mini-game compilations.

We're not talking about titles like Wii Sports, where the games are well made, entertaining, and – despite having an extremely simple style – are charming enough for anyone to enjoy. What we really want to see is more titles like Game Party; products that took almost no time to make, offer sloppy controls, and have very little replay value after about ten minutes of repetitive (and oftentimes broken) motion control.

There's really no secret behind Game Party's motive. Midway has done nothing to promote the game, and we don't blame them for that, as Wii's success is bound to bring on a wave of shovelware that most serious gamers have learned to completely ignore over the years. Right now, some stay-at-home mom is juggling three kids at a Toys R Us, while simultaneously holding up Super Mario Galaxy and Game Party side-by-side. She'll look between the two titles, glance at the price, and throw Game Party in the shopping cart. There's the game's target audience. "

This is why the Wii has been the turkey of the year, and especially this last quarter. By comparison to any other major platform it's quality to crap ratio is absolutely abysmal. Nintendo is putting out good stuff, but they are only one company. And aaaalll of the other 3rd parties are focusing on other platforms for their serious efforts, and only a handful of quality non Nintendo titles that are worth buying (accessible or hardcore) show up. How anyone can deny this is beyond my comprehension. It takes some seriously rose colored glasses to look at the wii's release list for the past year, next to the release lists of the 360, PS3, DS, and say that it's been kicking ass.

So is it the Wii or the third-party development of the Wii that should be criticized?

Mike from Morgantown

And while admit to enjoying Game Party, I feel ripped off for Game Party 2. It inicludes all but one of the original games (halving its value for those who had the first game), and the controls are not good on anything with darts this time around.

@Vagabond: The quality/shovelware ratio is always the worst on the most popular platform. The same instances that put out shovelware on Wii, put out shovelware for the other consoles.
The shovelware isn't really the problem. The real problem is the developers that put effort to their PS360 games and put half-assed effort to Wii titles.

People aren't arguing that 3rd parties efforts on Wii haven't been on the same level with PS360. What people argue about, is the stupid viewpoint of the amount of shovelware somehow determining the quality of the good games on a platform.

To Mike: All platforms are judged by their games, and 3rd parties make up the bulk of the games released. So the wii being the problem and 3rd parties being the problem are largely the same thing. You can't really separate a platform from it's gaming support.

And to bdbdbd. Totally, the most successful platform will always get the most shovelware. It isn't the amount of crap, but the amount of good games. Problem is, 3rd parties are putting out crap instead of good games. Again I say, looking at what the wii has released in the second half of this year compared to what every other system has released, it's not a comparison. Nintendo is putting out good stuff, but it can't support the console alone. When the PR guy is saying '3rd parties refuse to make good games for our platform' there is a big problem.

but if people aren't arguing that 3rd parties efforts on Wii haven't been on the same level with PS360, then I don't see why people would be offended that GT would call them on it.

@Vagabond :
There is a difference between Nintendo consoles and other consoles.
Nintendo first-party usually dominate the top 20 in sales by a 4-1 ratio.
It is the inverse for Sony and Microsoft.

@OT
Just listed (finally) to the posting. It seems to me to a be a combination of "let's recycle old untrue lies about the Wii" (i.e., it does not move software -- debunked here, by NPD and Nintendo itself) and "let's lament the potential end of hardore gaming."
Basically, you have a bunch of guys complaining about changes in gaming that they don't like and can't understand.
Honestly, I cannot take seriously any people who as part of a formal on-line presentation decided to debate the definition of cluster f--k.

Mike from Morgantown

Mike from Morgantown is a fucking gangsta.

More Brown Gamers squirming like worm on a hook. What a novelity. What years is it, 2007? Shouldn't these dinosaur be extinct by now? Somebody would've though they would do something more worthwhile with their dying breath.

Wow, you seem to be just bitching for the hell of it. What i want to know is y don't you just sell ur Wii. I have all three systems, and it seems, when there is nothing to play on one of them, i can always find something for the other ones, so as a gamer i am pretty  content. i understand you want your core game's, but what i don't understand, is that this year there has been a ton of your core games released on all systems combined , but you are still here bitching, why? Why do nintendo owe you so much. I would argue they have released a lot of their core games so i do not get your constant whining against the Wii (you really do n most threads i see u in Wii related).

The way i look at it, Nintendo, help bring  up a lot of today's hardcore gamer (aged 18+) with great sysems like the nes, snes and so on. We now have a situation where we have 2 companies plus a whole industry just tending to the needs of todays hardcore gamer, and Nintendo trying to tend the needs of tomorrow's Hardcore gamers (everyone who did not play games or are new to playing games). So why be so mad about it? Really are microsoft , sony and most of the industry not enough for you? (this question goes out to every one complaining about Nintendo's new strategy), because if its not, maybe you should take up extra hobbies to satisfy your need, or maybe the problem is not with Nintendo or the Wii but with you.

I can never understand the hate thrown towards Nintendo. When i see my 4 year old nephew playing the Wii with his Dad, that really warms my heart, because come ten years that little boy could become a hardcore gamer, loving and contributing to this industry, like we are now (contributing meaning giving over our cash).

My girlfriend does not play Video games, but every once in a while she wants to play the pool game featured in Wii play. I still get to play the solo games i love but now i can also play other games with my loved ones. The Wii has brought a connection back to many families, where they play and have fun together, to me that is extremely good news.

I know the Wii has turned out differently from what a lot of gamers were expecting , but really is it so bad if it brings enjoyment to other demographics' outside of the hardcore gamer (who is still heavily catered for, alot more than the non - hardcore anyway)

I think maybe you should sell ur Wii unless there is someone in your house who really enjoys using it, other wise u r wasting your time. if you are not satified with it now after all the effort Nintendo has put into it, then you probably never will be for the rest of the Gen, so sell it, you would easily make back your investment plus more, so u can stop ur constant whining.

I think gamers really need to appreciate what they have, and not lambust other things that obviously appeal to other people. Microsoft and Sony seem to be doing a good job pushing out these Hardcore games on thier console, so really i ask again Whats the Problem?

To me This has been a great Generation.

Just because I was a little curious about how "Informed" Gametrailer's claims were I decided to check out how many games that were released in 2008 and have received a score of 75% or better on Gamerankings.com for the Wii that Gametrailers have not reviewed:

1. World of Goo
2. Guitar Hero World Tour
3. Call of Duty: World at War
4. Pinball Hall of Fame - The Williams Collection
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
6. Bomberman Blast
7. Art Sytle: ORBIENT
8. Tetris Party
9. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
10. MLB Power Pros 2008
11. Wario Land: Shake It!
12. Lego Indiana Jones
13. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play
14. Lost Winds
15. Toki Tori
16. Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronciles: My Life as a King
17. Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy
18. My Sims Kingdom
19. Fifa Soccer 09 All-Play
20. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episodes 1-4
21. Dokapon Kingdom
22. Naruto: Clash of the Ninja Revolution 2
23. Groovin Blocks
24. Order Up
25. Sam & Max: Season One
26. Alien Crush Returns
27. Art Style: ROTOHEX
28. Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars

Seriously, if there is more than 2 games a month that have received decent scores that you haven't played when it is your job to play games you can't bitch that a system has had an awful year.

I don't see how that's remotely relevant to what  I said. Nintendo does sell a crazy amount of software on it's system (not something to brag about given the reason)...that doesn't change the fact that it's system is getting crumbs compared to every other platform and the number of quality titles that have come out in the past year and especially the holiday season pale in comparison to every other platform save for the PSP. You do hold a console accountable for it's games, people don't buy a system for the system, they buy it for the games, the bulk of which come from 3rd parties.

And for your OT post, that too is just a completely irrelevant strawman. Who cares if game party is selling like gangbusters? It sucks. Not because it's casual, but because zero effort and zero budget went into creating a game that preys on the ignorance of the consumer. I don't care about the "end of hardcore gaming" I love Wiifit and boom blox and all the other QUALITY accessible games are that made. But there is a severe lack of quality casual games and quality hardcore games, quality games in general. 3rd parties put almost no effort towards the wii and Nintendo can't produce 16-24 high quality games a year in varying genres to support it's own platform. That's why it's being called a turkey. A gross lack of quality games in the past year, that's not to say no quality games, but in competition with all other platforms a lack of quality games across all genres, casual included.