Wii Warm Up: What's driving the Wii's success?
It's safe to say that the Wii has been a rousing success despite rumblings about the graphics and system capabilities. But what's behind the crazy demand for our favorite new console? It can't just be the controller -- whether you think it's a little gimmicky or a real innovation, the Wiimote isn't the only reason behind the already high sales. So what effect are the other factors, like price and the inclusion of Wii Sports, having on demand? How much is the "DS effect" driving sales? Tell us what you think and what your experiences have been with other people who've joined in on the Wii craze.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
semiloose @ Jan 13th 2007 9:33AM
family fun..
especially with wii sports..
wiiplay is meh..
warioware.. not buyin dat..
need more 4 player games
cristian @ Jan 13th 2007 9:50AM
I'll say the Wiimote
While the other consoles (from this generation an others) are all the same, except that in every new gen the consoles were faster and had better graphics... So technicly every console in the market was the same, but in the Wii you get to interact with the game, be the character... Maybe it has bad graphic, so what? At least this console is different.
Sol @ Jan 13th 2007 9:58AM
I am an early adopter of Wii and the Wii Remote was my motivation for buying it early.
dukemeiser @ Jan 13th 2007 10:01AM
The innovative controller is what caught my attention. The lure of Nintendo games is what sold me. My family owned a GC when it first came out, but the only games I can remember playing are Luigi's Mansion, SSBM, and Pikmin. It was my junior and senior years in high school, and I really didn't have any interest in playing at the time. Now the Wii's ability to play GC games was definitely a selling point. I've been catching up on all the games I missed while I wait for Nintendo to release some more good games.
I also wanted to get it before the holidays so I could take it to my families' Christmas parties. People in my family who I would never have seen playing a video game were suddenly animate about Wii sports, bowling being everyone's favorite. It was so exciting and satisfying to see my family having fun like that. My mom and brother (who still lives at home) both want to get one after playing mine. My uncle who has probably never played video games before in his life wants to get one (but it is unlikely since my aunt isn't all that convinced). This is all based on Wii Sports, definitely the driving force being sales.
Glenn @ Jan 13th 2007 10:17AM
Well, for me it's 2 things:
1: The wii-remote... (Seriously)
2: Zelda, metroid, SSB(brawl), and mariokart...
NO game on what console is ever better then Zelda or metroid (and I also own a 360, with pride but this is just a fact...)
reefinyateef @ Jan 13th 2007 10:24AM
Two things:
1) I love playing Nintendo franchises.
2) The Wiimote works fantastically on the 'tech demo' Wii Sports, so imagine how it will be used as developers get more comfy with it ...
Phillip @ Jan 13th 2007 10:37AM
I think there are a number of things leading to the success of the console. First is the controller. No explanation needed.
Secondly, I think word of mouth advertising is doing its job better than Nintendo could have hoped. What they were wanting to see was gamers buying the console for the cool controller and the blockbuster titles like Zelda. Then, they take it to friends and families, let them play the bundled in Wii Sports, and that gets them craving the system. It's the same effect the DS had.
Lastly, they're getting additional marketing pluses from some of the quirky issues that have come up with the system. The best example of this is the wrist strap fiasco. It made news all over the place, and my parents, who don't know the first thing about the system, now know all about it because of broken straps allowing controllers to go flying breaking TV's of the faithful. Why would controllers be moving around like that in the first place? Why would you need a wrist strap on a controller? I must know more! Now I want one for my own! See what I'm saying?
I myself don't have a Wii yet, but I'm hoping to get one as soon as supply issues are resolved. In my city, they are selling out within 30-60 minutes of them hitting the shelves, and store employees are often admitting openly that they're grabbing units for friends and family that want them. That's not leaving much for the rest of us, and until supply catches demand, many of us will be left in the cold.
That is also playing into the mystique of the system. People are driving all over town looking for consoles at every store each day. If you're in a store and 5 people cone in in the span of 5 minutes asking for a Wii, you're going to get interested in just what it is and why there aren't any to be had.
That's my $.02
vidGuy @ Jan 13th 2007 10:54AM
I think right now the Wii is selling out because of several factors
1) Fun factor. Packing in Wii Sports was a genius move, as many expected it to be. I'd guess that more than 9 out of 10 people have fun playing the game, regardless of their former experience with videogames. Wii Sports is great in bursts of 15 minutes to an hour. Most non-gamers don't have, or don't think they have, much time to play videogames, so a short, fun game appeals to them. When they can go out and grab the system, game, and controller all in one package for $250, they have no reason not to buy one. Plus, Wii Sports can also appeal to the "hardcore", if they let it. I've played around 10 hours of videogames a week for about 10 years, yet I find myself turning on Wii Sports in between breaks from other activities when I only have a few minutes to play. I can bowl or play a few holes of golf in about five minutes. You really can't beat the fun per amount of time factor with the game.
2) Word of mouth. I've heard 40 and 50 year old business men talk about Wii Bowling and Wii Tennis at the office. Less than two months after release, that is amazing word of mouth. When one person brings a Wii into a group, most of the people that try it leave looking for one. At least in my experience, Nintendo was right in saying "Playing=Believing". I bought my console on launch day and have had about 30 or 40 people try it since. More than 20 of those are in the hunt for their own Wii, and the rest are constantly over to play Wii Sports at my house.
3) Uniqueness and design of the console and remote. The Wii doesn't look like former or current video game consoles. The stigma of playing videogames at least partially disappears with the Wii, and suddenly mothers and grandmothers have no reserves of playing a game.
4) Affordability. I don't think this plays a BIG role right now, because most buyers now already know what they want when they go to the store. But in a few years time, the Wii stands to provide the largest library of games (a strength the PS2 had), at the cheapest price. And we aren't talking a $30 difference like the $99 GC had over the $129 PS2. We're talking potentially hundreds of dollars. When the Wii hits it's second full year, a so-called casual gamer will see the price and game-selection difference and go with the Wii. I don't think lack of mind-blowing visuals will really sway that much of the market.
With that being said, I don't expect the current success to continue into the summer without several other factors being thrown into the mix
1) Strength of games. Nintendo needs to push it's 1st party blockbusters, but it also drastically needs amazing 3rd party support. I really think a large library can sway a lot of would-be gamers. For the most part, only a percentage of those games has to be worth owning. Once again, look at the PS2 for an example. Personally, I felt less than 10% of the games for that console were worth owning. However, while a large library will help, the Wii also needs games that push its hardware. It may not have HD, but the Wii is roughly twice as powerful as the GC. We need to see this power, or the gamers will leave and only the non-gamer market will be left. Who knows if that market would be viable so early on?
2) Marketing. Nintendo has done well with initial launch marketing, but the majority of people that own a Wii now knew about it months ago and were just waiting for the launch. Nintendo needs to take a pull-out-all-the-stops approach. I say saturate the market - spend millions on ads for TV, radio, Internet, and put them were EVERYONE will see them, not just gamers or non-gamers. Hit both markets.
3) Stronger support and marketing of the VC. I like that Nintendo stays with a steady weekly release, but if they aren't going to release anything worth buying then they may as well forget it. I think it'd be smart to release several dozen (I'm talking at least 30) AAA releases on the VC before next November. For the one year anniversary of the launch, add a sticker to the system boxes specifically advertising the VC games available. This could easily pull in tons of casual gamers.
Anyway, the Wii can ride the current wave for a while yet. I think it may even sell out worldwide until summer. But Nintendo can't be content with their current methods forever. With the right moves, this console could sell 75 million - 100 million quicker than the PS2.
Nav @ Jan 13th 2007 11:41AM
While the whole fun/innovation thing is certainly a main reason, you can't ignore there's a bit of an iPod thing going on here - the Wii has become one of those crossover devices where even sworn luddites know what it is. The buzz around the Wii is still huge and I think as much as anything, that's continuing to drive sales. The fact that, almost two months after it's launch, you still can't walk into a store and buy one is only helping to feed the frenzy.
Mark D @ Jan 13th 2007 12:45PM
Mt friends think the Miis are one of the best features, they think the idea of having yourself in the game is one that should have more emphasis put on it.
But whatever the reasons, this success (I know several people looking who can't find one) won't continue past teh next couple of shipments if they can't get more games out there to sate those who were first to buy.
Dan @ Jan 13th 2007 1:22PM
For me the buzz surrounding the console is coming mostly from non-gamers and the mainstream press, and mostly due to titles like wii sports rather than zelda. This is a fantastic thing as far as nintendo's strategy is concerned, but I worry over the lack of similar games coming out over the next couple of months - there's the prospect of mario, metroid and smash bros but these are not the games that are going to drive sales as much as people think. The Gamecube had these franchises and, as great as they were, the system didn't sell. Don't get me wrong, these are the titles that I'm most looking forward to. But then I'm one of the nintendo fans that gave the gamecube what few sales it had.
Nintendo's key here is maintaining a flow of games that anyone can see being played and want to play themselves - that was how my dad (who's pushing 60 and had never played a game before in his life) first got into wii tennis and even i have a hard time beating him now.
Wii sports should have been online, and i genuinely believe that had it been it could have continued to generate sales and hype well into 2007 all by itself. Warioware is too quirky and rayman too random to excite people like my dad or the hype-machines at national newspapers and magazines.
Wii Sports 2: Online please Nintendo, and make it snappy.
Shashi @ Jan 13th 2007 2:33PM
Well, I think pretty much everyone here summed up the cause of the wii's popularity. In addition to that though, is the fact that all of the 1st party titles have been rock solid. This not to say Sony and Microsoft dont have rock solid titles, its just that Nintendo seems to have more of them.
I mean MS has Halo, Gears of War, Project Gotham, Juiced; Sony has God of War, Gran Turismo, that new one that came out. Nintendo, however, has Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Kirby, and many more, on top of this, they kept almost every franchise they have alive, as far as I know.
All in all, the Wii is popular for multiple aspects, simplicity, fun, innovation, originality, and prolly more that I am too lazy to mention
justin @ Jan 13th 2007 2:36PM
For me its nintendo exclusive games, the wiimote (because it brings a whole new aspect to gaming), and the virtual console. Not to mention the overall FUNFACTOR that the system has. I dont care much about graphics as long as the game is fun.
http://www.wiiuser.org
Peter S. @ Jan 13th 2007 2:50PM
It's Nintendo. That is to say, I bought the Wii mostly for its first-party offerings. That's why I bought a GCN for SSBM; and I'd gladly do it all over again knowing that system received less support than its predecessor.
Keep your mature games off my console. Actually, I've little problem with them, but if Nintendo ONLY had games such as those available on Sony's consoles, then I most likely wouldn't buy into it.
Mr. Khan @ Jan 13th 2007 3:25PM
I admit, i would have bought Wii if it was entirely different (if it was, say, $500, had blazing 1080p, and featured a 12Ghz CPU/GPU with a very conservative controller), because its software for me, i like Nintendo, SEGA, and LucasArts (who've always been multi-platform), and since Sega went belly-up, i became a one console guy...
I have to have games from those three publishers, everything else is just a fun bonus
soccerdrew17 @ Jan 13th 2007 3:54PM
Fanboys maybe? There are so many nintendo fanboys right now so it would only be surprising if it was on store shelves. The PS2 is the only system (like the ps1) that was really supported after its successor this generation. So they don't need or want a new system right now (I am one of them).
The fanboys are also convincing everyone to take a good hard look at it. Since the launch seemed to be good (zelda, wii sports, and not a whole lot else good) they think it will be supported strongly.
Everyone who does play seems to have fun, but is it going to have a long term effect or be the system you want a friend to have? I haven't played it so I don't know yet.
Molecule @ Jan 13th 2007 4:31PM
I was one of the people who arrived early to camp out for a Wii, simply because it is a Nintendo system. I also own a DS, and love it, so buying the next piece of Nintendo-ware was necessary. I wish there were more games, but sometimes the anticipation makes it all the sweeter when you finally get what you are waiting for. I didn't care whether this system would be a success or not, to me all that mattered is that the types of games that are released for Nintendo systems are far more diverse than the shooter-type games that seem to be the default for other consoles.
brad @ Jan 13th 2007 4:47PM
Over Christmas, we had Nintendo fans knocking on doors and windows in the morning to see if we had Wiis in.
Dukhat @ Jan 13th 2007 4:53PM
1) Kiddies. The release of zelda along with the motion controller is appealing to kiddies who gobble up these gimmicks. Every Wii line is basically made up of parents.
2) Wii Bowling. They took a sport already popular, took away all the effort involved and made a simulation of it on their console. Its pong redux. An easy, familiar game repackaged.
3) Shallowness. Wii Sports is a 7.0 game, mabye 6.0. To anyone with any experience with games it is basically an hour of fun and then it gets boring. This is due to the fact that there is almost no skill involved in winning or losing. When your outfielders drop balls in Wii baseball, it is not due to anything that either player has done. There is a learning curve, but it is shallow and most people with a reasonable intellect can master each game fairly quickly.
Its this shallowness that appeals to non-gamers. Non-gamers with poor hand eye coordination can get strikes in Wii-Bowling. This excites them.
4) Lineup. Wii Sports, specifically bowling and tennis, draw people into the game quite well and is appealing to casual gamers who don't realize what a waste of money the Wii is long-term. Zelda is a game that strongly appeals to Nintendo's hardcore and kiddie fanbase. Together, they are leading to sold-out systems.
5) Media hype. The mainstream media loves the Nintendo Wii. You haven't seen this much love since their coverage in favor of Kerry a week before the 2004 presidential election. Its only fitting that such a shallow outlet would love such a shallow system.
6) Poor PS3 launch. The pricepoint turned people off and turned the kiddie market away from the system. That and the lack of a ratchet and clank game are big negatives for PS3's prospects with the kiddie market. Gratned, its not a majority of the market anymore, but kids are still important.
vidGuy @ Jan 13th 2007 6:35PM
@soccerdrew17,
"but is it going to have a long term effect or be the system you want a friend to have? I haven't played it so I don't know yet."
The Wii is all but guaranteed to have a long term effect. With massive sales comes massive 3rd party support. It doesn't have the best visuals, but the Wii will likley have the best, widely-appealing games out there. And the Wii is most definitely a system I want my friends to have, just for the sole fact that if they have a console of their own I might actually be able to play mine!
Dukhat, I don't know why the negative tone on the fanboy site.
1) Yes, the Wii appeals to kiddies. 6, 14, 21, 45, and 68 year old kiddies. Isn't the point of video games to have fun... to make you feel like a kid again? I don't play video games to feel mature.
2) I agree with you, bowling is extremely simplified. That hasn't stopped my roommates and family and I from playing it over 40 hours since launch, while the 360 collects dust in the corner.
3) Shallowness and simplicity may be easily confused. I personally find the iPod software extremely "shallow" - I want more options and control over my music and player. But for the millions of people that made iPod a success, the simplicity is a huge plus. The simplicity of Wii Sports makes it accessible to a much wider audience than Gears of War or Resistance.
Plus, just because the pack-in is simple doesn't mean the system itself is regulated to "shallow" games.
4) "...casual gamers who don't realize what a waste of money the Wii is long-term". I think that's a personal opinion there. If all I had from the Wii for five years was Wii Sports, Zelda, Madden 07, and the VC, I could ALMOST justify the money already. With the coming lineup of SMG, SSBB, MP3, Disaster: Day of Crisis, Sadness, Darkness, Thorn, Orb, etc, I'm pretty happy with my $250 purchase. Are PS3 owners considering their money well spent? Most stores can't give those things away: http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/13/deal-or-no-deal-100-off-ps3-by-giving-up-ps2/
5) I agree with you, Wii love is big now. Of course, I view that as a positive, not a negative like you.
The Wii IS different, I'll give you that. But I think different is not only good but also neccesary where the industry is today. The Wii stands to do extremely well. It's achieving the goal of appealing to a wider audience. And if you're a "hardcore" gamer like me, the Wii60 combo is going to get you 95% of the gaming experience for this generation.
I somewhat agree that the Wii doesn't stand alone. It does its own thing extremely well, but it's not making up my whole gaming experience this gen. The 360 is a great supplement to everything the Wii does right.
Bobble @ Jan 13th 2007 7:35PM
the driving potential of the wiimote...that's most of it. wii sports is only good because of the remote, so listing the "pack-in" as a reason is flawed unless you include the fun that it brings via control scheme...
but you also have to recognize, we have a zelda game. anyone who doesn't have a gamecube, who loves zelda, will consider this console seriously. i mean, it's zelda, come on!
plus, people are just anticipating the future. smash bros, metroid prime 3, and mario games galore will lure in some gamers no matter what.
soccerdrew17 @ Jan 13th 2007 9:47PM
@vidGuy
The question isn't of support, since all three consoles are getting fairly even support this generation, with the wii getting a slightly short straw. The question is whether the wiimote is going to be better than a normal controller after 3-4 years (and it has to prove it is unquestionably better, not just on par or slighty better). Also if it will be as fun to use motion sensing in a few years (which I highly doubt).
Moe @ Jan 13th 2007 9:51PM
1. Innovation. While some companies are just upgrading graphics, gameplay has been kept the same. The fact that Nintendo went above and beyond to get you as involved in gaming as it has with the Wii, shows the love they have for gamers. Its not just about making money (thought profitability is part of a business), but bringing in customers and keeping them wth innovative play. To me, Nintendo really does care about the video game industry. They innovated with the DS, and they did it again with the Wii. They want everyone getting involved and go back to the old days of gaming. Its all about the fun and the challenge.
2. Wiimote. We all agree that the success is in the remote (I know, part of innovation, but had to mention).
3. Price. $400 for gaming? 600 for gaming? you gotta be kidding me!! Though peopple will pay that money, Nintendo wanted to make the system affordable for all.
4. Size. Its not a full-fledge radiator, that generates heat for winter gaming. Its a beautiful, compact machine that complements your livingroom setting.
5. Experience. Everyone agrees that Miis are goofy and all, but man, do we have fun with Wii Sports and Madden Wii and the other games.
6. Games. Wii Sports (success), Madden (Success), Excite Truck (success), etc.... What I mean as success is that they are fun. I always wondered how Madden can be different than last year's version. But I get so involved, that I love it. Also, 2007 is bringing Metroid, Mario, Zelda, etc... Plus, the whole Gamecube library, Virtual Console. You gotta love the nostalgia.
*by the way, many people have bought a Wii after a DS. I may break that rule, by actually buying a DS after playing the Wii. Plus, the connectivity that will come this year sounds juicy.
melton @ Jan 13th 2007 10:04PM
3 major reasons.
1.price
2.price.
3.did I mention price?
Yes,the new controller and the games make it an attractive purchase. But the biggest factor is price.
Here you have a system complete with a pack-in game for $250.00 while the competition starts at $300.00 and $500.00 for a dumbed down version of their console with no game.
And do not forget it has a free online service as well.
GAMER GOD @ Jan 14th 2007 12:29AM
grow men playing a kids toy, fags get a real mature console the ps3.
GAMER GOD HAS SPOKEN!
driven2sin @ Jan 14th 2007 1:59AM
a lot of the people who are coming back to gaming because of the Wii remember graphics like Atari and NES so to them the Wii graphics are 'so realistic' it is all relative. Like people really care how real Shaq's sweaty shorts are..
Andy Robertson @ Jan 14th 2007 4:30AM
Interesting post @vidGuy. For me it's that the previous boundaries, like complicated controllers and complex games, that kept many people away from games, have now been replaced by friendly wii-remote. Games that took hours to learn have given way to games that anyone of any age can pick up and play.
Nintendo are happy to take the risky step of compromising some complexity to bring games to a wider audience. Their Wii moniker highlights their belief that we best enjoy games when everyone gets involved. Not only are there more players, but our play interaction and mechanic benefits from the variety of perspectives.
They are helping people explore man’s relationship with games. "Nintendo has created the most inviting, inclusive video game system to date. Thanks to our unique controller, anyone of any age or skill level can pick up and play games on the Wii console."
gausser @ Jan 14th 2007 5:44PM
Just in case you haven't read this enough, I think the controller and Wii Sports as a pack in was brilliant. I went home for Christmas. My older sister and her husband were there. She asked me if I had heard about this new motion-controlled game. I told her i had it. Suddenly my whole family wants to see it. None of them play games except my mom (poker online, mine sweeper etc.) I put in Wii sports and showed them bowling. My mom wanted to try and she was really good. My dad sees this and asks to try. This is amazing since he hates video games. Soon he was bowling and cursing just like it was a real game. My brother-in-law loves to play real golf. he tried it on the Wii and was hooked.
Different people came to visit over the holidays and played. It was a big hit. Two of them (both men close to 60) want to buy it. I hardly got to play Zelda at all. Using the remote for the first time is an amazing experience. It seems to win everyone over.
One more thing. My bro-in-law was impressed by the Wii Sports graphics. Being a nongamer he has nothing to compare it to. Another brilliant aspect of Nintendo's strategy.
josh @ Jan 14th 2007 11:20PM
1) Games aimed at wide audience. A lot of older gamers like those "kiddy games" too.
2) Price reasonable and even low enough to make it gift-able.
3) Fun new controller
4) Included game is actually the game most people want for the wii (aside from zelda) which means you get everything you need to start right in the box.
5) A lot of "good" games available right off the bat. No waiting for games like PS3.
6) Small footprint. Easy to find a place for it to go.
7) Plays all gamecube stuff.
8) Has classics. some people buy the wii just for the classics, it's true.
samfish @ Jan 15th 2007 3:41AM
"5) Media hype. The mainstream media loves the Nintendo Wii. You haven't seen this much love since their coverage in favor of Kerry a week before the 2004 presidential election. Its only fitting that such a shallow outlet would love such a shallow system."
Let's examine Troll-Dukhat's illogic that is common of most right wing snakes in perpetuating this lie.
Nintendo is a game company that marches to the beat of it's own drummer.
Nintendo is often compared to Apple, Inc for various reasons like top notch quality products, innovation, etc.
Liberals like Apple computers and iPods.
Liberals are evil.
Therefore, liberals like Nintendo, thus Nintendo is evil.
Simple logic for simple minds.
Anyhow...
If you were to ask me, I'd say the reason the Wii has been such a success is due to a lot of factors...although the most important at this point in the game is the "word-of-mouth iPod affect". I don't exactly see any bikini babes playing the PS3
http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/index.aspx?id=1649
In all honestly, there's pretty slim pickins on the Wii right now...although that goes doubly so for the Playstation3 and even for the Xbox360 when you exclude the shooters.
But just from having talked to people over the holidays, I really think there are a LOT of people who just want Nintendo to "win" this time around. I was at Circuit City over night for Black Friday to pick up a TV and I started talking to this guy in line about the current crop of systems and he was really eager to see Nintendo come out on top. So, there seems to be an underdog thing going for Nintendo, too.
Those are the more abstract reasons. The main reason, though , is probably because the hype is getting through to people and they see how easy it is to play it. My MOM has been searching for one since before Christmas, and the secretary at work was amazed and went on about it all morning when she first saw those commercials.
So they get to play these really easy to play games and do great at them and it's a big deal to a person who has never played a game before.
Personally, the reason I bought a Wii was for Nintendo's first party games, a few good 3rd party games and the Virtual Console.
I've been REALLY let down by the VC (and no online!). If they just had a "bargain bin" of games that cost $1-$4 of ALL the crappy/forgotten/no name games of yesteryear with online added in in many cases (a decent emulator should be able to do this automatically, as I understand it), then I'm near certain that Nintendo would've gotten at LEAST another $250 from me by now!
This handful of no-name games every week really isn't cutting it. The VC needs to be more like iTunes with a HUGE catalog that ranges from the greatest games ever to the all time worst.
...and for christ's sake- give us a way to DEMO the VC games, too!
Rich @ Jan 15th 2007 7:56AM
I want one (can't actually afford it yet!) because it's not priced as if I own Microsoft, and it's not made by Microsoft!!
iveo @ Jan 15th 2007 9:36AM
I agree with all that other stuff but did anyone mention opera browser? That was a big selling point for me anyways. I wish it was a little more stable. But im sure Nintendo will polish it up come Spring.
LtDize @ Jan 15th 2007 10:12PM
I see a lot of people typing about the "bad" graphics for the Wii. Resident Evil 4 was a graphical masterpeice, that was done for the gamecube and according to Shigeru Miyamoto himself the Wii is just an upgraded gamecube in the graphics department. Roughly twice as powerful. You just have to try, like Retro Studios will with MP3.
As for why the Wii is selling like water in the Sahara(awesome simile) I think Nintendo was just on the ball this time around with price, the controller and the "DS" factor. I know a lot of kids with 360's, but almost everyone I hang around with has a Wii or wants one really bad including lots of people that have never played games much. It's definitely more interactive multimedia.
motovres @ Jan 16th 2007 1:12PM
i'll tell you one thing: i've always been a nintendo nut and would most likely have gotten a wii sooner or later anyway, but about a year ago i got addicted to my ds in a way i hadn't seen since i was still living at home and got my n64.
it really got me back into gaming, in a big way.
on a related note, my wife astonishingly just agreed that we need another ds in the house - she can't keep her hands off of it!
nintendo is doing great things right now.
it's a happy time!
Aaron @ Jan 16th 2007 2:36PM
The thing that got me was seeing the "commercial" at the local Target. Yes, I had read and heard about the awesome new thing Nintendo was bringing forth but it wasn't until I saw it on the screen that lightning struck and I said "NOW I get it." Before then, it was just words on paper.
I lucked up on one shortly after launch day and have shown it too many people who are either desperately trying to find one of their own now or come over to my house to leech off of mine.
It's the price, WII Sports and being able to try it out/see it in action that convince people.
I personally don't have any other games, Nintendo has yet to release anything I am remotely interested in owning right now.
I wished they would have come out with Mario Tennis or Baseball at launch (or at least soon) but I probably won't buy anything other than sports games without a compelling reason. Zelda just isn't enough.
kyuss74 @ Jan 16th 2007 11:16PM
Lots of kids who want to play video games but dont have much money and dont care about online games.
CTWii @ Jan 20th 2007 1:36PM
It's experiential. The people at Nintendo had an epiphany that someone in the industry should have realized a long time: people want games that are FUN. Are video games like Resistance, or Gears of War fun? Sure, but only in as much as they are just that: video games. Wii sports isn't fun the way these kinds of video games are fun (a Walter Mitty-like escapism that requires full surrender of one's humanism in order to be completely involved). It is fun as an experience that requires no such surrender, and instead embraces the concept of community.
As an analogy: Watching the Red Sox (or insert your favorite ball club here) on TV is great. You get all the camera angles, all the replays, color commentary, a barrage of stats and facts and a host of other benefits. But, everyone knows that watching the Red Sox (again, insert club) at Fenway (ditto ball park) is much better. Sure, you're in a cramped seat 200 yards from the batter, rather than up close and "personal" on your couch, but it is the experience that counts. Stats and trivia and commentary can't compete with hearing a wooden bat on a ball, leaping up in time with 34,000 people, or even eating rubbery hot dogs covered in yellow mustard.
Stats are great. They add to something to the game and they can make things more interesting. For the Bill Jameses of the world, they are fun; but for most people they are nice to have, but we could live without them.
The same applies to the PS3. For the Bill Jameses out there (read "hardcore" gamers), the HiDef and 420dpi and massive processors are what MAKE gaming fun. But for most people, gaming should be fun the way that going to the ball park is fun: as an immersive experience that doesn't require you to forget that the world at large actually exists. Does this make them any less "gamers"? No more than it makes non-statisticians lesser fans of baseball. In fact, one might argue, they enjoy games in a purer way, unfettered by a Pavlovian response to bells and whistles.
To me, the Wii is a breath of fresh air (one which I need after that VERY long-winded response).