RewiredMind.com recently posted an article titled ‘6 Reasons … Why The Wii Isn’t The Industry’s Saviour’. I’ve certainly been flamed by Nintendo fanboys in the past for my thoughts on the Wii as I am sure this site will. The list isn’t too bad as I agree that the Wii isn’t the industry’s saviour. I also didn’t know the industry needed one. The video game industry is one of the few areas of business that’s practically recession proof at this time. We’ll also never see a day where one platform saves gaming as a whole. It’s all about options, and I’m personally satisfied with the available consoles this generation. Here’s their list and my responses:
1. The Wii is making games dumb and gamers dumber
I wouldn’t say the Wii is making gamers any less intelligent. I don’t think anyone every expected Wii games to be on the same level as Xbox 360 or PS3 titles for example. It’s almost as if the system shouldn’t even be in the same race as the other two consoles. I firmly believe that the Wii’s primary fan base is gamers who do not own other consoles and in many cases have never owned a console before. It’s also not really a hard-core system and I don’t think anyone expected it to be. I’m not really sure what the author’s point was here.
2. The Wii’s software base has an incredibly high signal-to-noise ratio
I do agree that the Wii library is complete rubbish with the exception of a handful of games. Right now, there are really only about 3 or 4 games I personally still enjoy on the system.
3. A very large percentage of titles for the Wii employ motion control that just doesn’t work.
I agree with the author on this point. I have always felt that the whole motion control aspect to Wii gaming was a bit on the gimmicky side. It works really well with some games and terribly with others. I expected this issue with early games, but it seems to be a common problem with fresh releases.
4. The hardware rush will bottom out relatively soon
I previously predicted that the hardware rush would die down in 2009. I’m sure Wii Fit will continue to drive console sales, but the Wii is about to reach it’s pinnacle.
5. The Wii’s limited online functionality is making developers lazy
I’m not sure if that’s the complete case, but the limited online functionality certainly is a problem.
6. The Wii’s Virtual Console is a massive, massive rip-off
Agreed. Until VC games include the ability to play online with friends from far away, there’s no reason on earth to purchase a title from the Virtual Console.
All in all the article on RewiredMind.com wasn’t too bad, but certainly not the greatest article either. I am glad that some people are willing to come out and mention the negative aspects of the Nintendo Wii. While it’s a system I personally enjoy from time to time, I certainly find that it’s seriously flawed in many areas. I’m not sure who thinks the Wii is the saviour of the gaming industry other than mainstream media. With or without the Wii, the current generation would still be going strong. The Wii has really hatched a new breed of gamers and I’m not sure how long they will last myself.
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
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