Graphs point out Wii's immaturity
by Candace Savino 
{ Dec 1st 2007 at 12:00PM }
Some findings in this study are not surprising, such as the fact that the Nintendo consoles (the GBA, DS, GameCube, and Wii) have a significantly smaller percentage of mature games than their competitors. What is interesting, though, is that the Wii (so far) has a smaller percentage of mature games than its predecessor, the GameCube.
The reason we find this of note is because the GameCube was largely regarded as a "kiddie" system by many of its critics, and yet it had a larger distribution of "M" games than the GBA, DS, or Wii. The GameCube was also the least successful (in terms of sales and arguably in other areas, too) of all the consoles in the study.
As a Nintendo gamer, what is your take on the distribution of mature games for the Wii? Is it okay to be so largely outnumbered by games with other ratings, or do you wish Nintendo would find more balance? The small percentage of mature games certainly hasn't hindered the Wii's success so far, but can it alienate the "hardcore" gamers in the future?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alex @ Dec 1st 2007 12:21PM
I'm more concerned with the quality of the game than the rating. If Resident Evil 4 didn't have any blood or violence, but was still as fun to play, I wouldn't be complaining.
Timerider @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:12PM
Though shooting a squirt gun at zombies to make them poof into clouds of candy just isn't the same as blowing up their heads with a shotgun.
Shadow31 @ Dec 1st 2007 12:20PM
A hardcore game doesn't need to be M. In fact, I don't think the ratings need equal percentages, because I, at 18, enjoy games from all ratings: E, E10+, T, and M. It's not like you only can enjoy T games if you're a teen. There should be the least amount of M games because if you have too many, it alienates gamers. A good game isn't based on its gore, it's based on its fun factor.
Galaxy is E, but the game had a decent learning curve, some of the comet with Luigi were pretty difficult (not Ghosts and Goblins difficult, but most gamers would smash the Wiimote in pain if it was). Definitely appeals to hardcore gamers AND casual ones at the same time.
B1gC72 @ Dec 1st 2007 6:46PM
couldn't have said it any better. there are plenty of great games out there that are not rated Mature and this isnt really a fair graph since a games rating means nothing in terms of fun. different games have different aims. we've already seen what happens when you try to use the rating system to sell games (i'm looking at you Manhunt 2) and it shows that nobody cares what a game is rated, if it sucks, we dont want it and vice versa.
Timerider @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:08PM
Your telling me. "Luigi's Purple Coins" cost me three game overs and I still can't beat it.
Shadow31 @ Dec 2nd 2007 8:20PM
Haha, dude, I see your pain... probably the hardest mission in the game, IMHO. Actually, though, it might compete with Lava Spire Daredevil Run with Luigi. Had no problem with Mario, Luigi's slipperiness is bad in those tight situations...
GamerGuyX @ Dec 1st 2007 12:37PM
The vast majority of my favorite games happen to be rated M.
sn1per420 @ Dec 1st 2007 12:48PM
Since when does an "M" rating make a game good, or an "E" rating make it not good enough for hardcore? I don't like games that are dumbed down, but at the same time, I'm not a big fan of games that are impossibly hard either. From what I've heard, SMG seems like the type of game I'd love.
Paul S. @ Dec 1st 2007 1:50PM
I think it should be noted that the GameCube graph represents ALL GameCube games, not just what was released in the first year and two weeks. (The E10+ rating wasn't created until a few years into the GameCube's life.)
Really, the number of M rated games shouldn't matter, but it does to some people anyway. I think those that it does matter to feel mature by playing "mature" games. Also, M games generally have a deeper story than their E rated counterparts, something young children probably won't care about, but someone older will.
I feel like the above paragraph was a mess of thoughts, but hopefully it makes sense.
Chyld989 @ Dec 1st 2007 10:40PM
"I think it should be noted that the GameCube graph represents ALL GameCube games, not just what was released in the first year and two weeks."
Exactly what I thought when I first read this article. Not fair to compare 5 years on one console to 1 year on another.
Candace Savino @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:09AM
I agree, but if you read the rest of the article at Gamasutra, they mention how the distribution doesn't often change from year to year (that is, the distribution during a console's first year generally stays the same throughout its lifespan).
Of course, that doesn't mean this will be the case for the Wii. Also, like you guys have mentioned, a game doesn't need to be "M" to be good, and not all "M" games are good anyway. I still find the information interesting, though.
ScoTT @ Dec 1st 2007 2:25PM
Most of the games I really enjoy are rated T. They aren't just about guts and cussing, but they aren't made for little kids.
Jeff @ Dec 1st 2007 2:37PM
This just goes back to the fundamentally flawed concept that violence and porn are somehow "mature" things.
In all reality, it's generally the maxim-reading 15 year olds who believe that playing a "Mature" (read: guts and cursing) rated game somehow makes them mature people.
schuyler @ Dec 1st 2007 3:32PM
Chances are most of the T games would have been E-10 if it had been around
Mr Khan @ Dec 1st 2007 3:47PM
I don't think so
E10 will be the new PG eventually, where you will never see something rated E for Everyone, just like you almost never see a G-rated film anywhere
And either way, i think E10 was created to filter out games that had descriptors at the higher end of E, not for the low end of T, the one that probably would've been downgraded was Melee
Mr Khan @ Dec 1st 2007 3:45PM
Of course, the graph needs to be taken with a big grain of salt, since its comparing a 5-year run that included a good number of Resident Evil games to a 1-year run that's included 2 RE games, a bad splinter cell port, Godfather, and scarface (what else is there, i forget?)
mian @ Dec 1st 2007 4:18PM
The Wii version of Manhunt 2 should count as more than one title in that graph. As we all know, holding the Wiimote while committing unspeakable acts of violence is worse than anything GC could do with a gamepad. It is the pinnacle of everything that's wrong with video games, and darnit, Wii should get credit for that!
John B. @ Dec 1st 2007 4:24PM
I'm willing to bet that the Wii also has far more games after 1 year than the Gamecube did. It's probably not that the distribution of real games (read: non-minigame collections) has changed, but so many terrible developers saw the Wiimote as an opportunity to release unmitigated crap in the form of E-rated minigame collections.
ChrisCanberg @ Dec 1st 2007 4:30PM
You know, it's funny that this article got posted. Because all this time, I've been very excited by a game that I've been thinking is being rated M. Now, nobody's even sure if it's coming out. This game is Sadness.
I think that I need a mature game. Don't get me wrong. I love innocent games, and I don't look for the rating and the blood and gore, but I don't know. I haven't really played a game with all that blood and what not for a long time.
No More Heroes is taking longer than ever to come out, so I guess that's the game for me right now too. But I still look forward to more innocent games.
All I'm saying is maybe it'll be nice to play a mature game on the Wii.
Mr.Nitemare @ Dec 1st 2007 4:56PM
actually i believe that the "M" rated games are lower because of the threat of the ESRB, i'm sure there are many developers that have "M" rated games ready or in the pipeline and are fearful of being harassed by the ESRB..also probably why we're not hearing much about Sadness, it probably was getting extremely mature and they were fearful of that dreaded "AO" rating and a quite possibly are working on pushing it back to "M"...but who konws..
Togakure @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:15AM
It would be nice if there were more mature games. I personally would like more RPG's made for the console. Nintendo's system has been lacking RPG's since the SNES. Bring the Tales series to the console, they are at least rated Teen.
B1gC72 @ Dec 1st 2007 10:27PM
dare i say it? i think i do lol.....
the title should say "Graphics point out Wii's immaturity". lol thats so wrong.
(and for the record, i advocate WiiS3 ftw)
this is B1gC72, and i approve this message.
Jeremy @ Dec 1st 2007 11:29PM
I really don't even care about the rating system. I play a game no mater what the rating. I do however wish that their was a separate system that shows a minimum age based on the difficulty of the game. It would make it easier for parents to purchase a game for younger children (like my 6 year old son), if you know the difficulty of the game play.
BananaBoat @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:09AM
As someone that hasn't really been drinking the Wii coolade thus far (loved TP, love SMG, but otherwise? meh) I find that I really don't want to play M rated games on the wii. The Wiimote is so innacurate (as proven by Links Crossbow training) that a game involving a gun would be (and has been; Red Steel) almost unplayable. I'd like to see some M rated Lightsabre dueling games, or M rated Katana (really any type of sword) game, or maybe a Tenchu style game with the sword controlled by swinging, but otherwise I think the Wii is better off sticking to SMG and Smash Bro's. The Wii is about as far from hardcore as a gaming system can get.
LV426 @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:59AM
.....Wii Coolade? Aiming issues? Dude, if you played Metroid Prime, you would KNOW that's a load of bull. The game has DAMN good accuracy.
Now if you have lights shining from behind your TV or bright ones nearby, that's your fault and you should setup your system better.
sepaar @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:33AM
I generally don't enjoy games with large amounts of blood and gore, but No More Heroes is looking interesting. As stated by many above, a good game can be a good game despite the rating.
@BananaBoat
Red Steel is a poor example of control of shooters on the Wii. See Medal of Honor Heroes 2, or Metroid Prime 3 to see how that should work. The problem with Red Steel and others was just that they set the bounding "dead zone" box way too large. As I understand it, in Zelda Crossbow training, there's some kind of calibration mode? That might help things out. I don't actually have that one though, so that may not be entirely accurate.
Devine @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:41AM
I was also gonna say to BananaBoat: played Metroid Prime 3?
BananaBoat @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:03AM
I have played Metroid 3, but it's nowhere close to as accurate as a timecop style lightgun, or a regular controller (or a mouse for that matter). Given the choice of where I want my AAA shooter titles to land, I'd go for the 360 or PC every time. Calibration didn't really do anything to help in Links Crossbow training either, and there is nothing wrong with my setup. The fact of the matter is, the Wiimote just isn't as precise as traditional light guns or controllers. Nuff said.
mian @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:27PM
You're confusing precision with realism (calibration). Mice are precise, x mm of movement translate reliably into y mm of screen movement. The wiimote is extremely precise, but it isn't a lightgun. For people like me, this is a feature. I like lean-back gaming. I rest my wrist on my knee, set my IR bar above my TV and tell my Wii it's below, and this allows me to be lazy and never have to lift my arm. I'm not pointing where the cursor is, but I don't want to. I'm not holding my arm up and "sighting" to the screen. I get 95% of the accuracy of PC gaming with several times more realism than you get from gamepad gaming, and still don't have to hunch over my computer.
Because the calibration system hasn't been fleshed out more, it is less realistic than a lightgun, but it absolutely ISN'T more precise. For people willing to do calibration the hard way (literally hard, by adjusting hardware rather than software), it is possible to get far more realism than most Wii owners get, but adjusting the placement of the sensor bar and the distance of the user (and/or the distance of the two IR sources from each other by way of an alternate sensor bar that comes in two parts).
LV426 @ Dec 2nd 2007 7:44PM
Cursor on screen AND it moves with you accurately and consistently. How can it be more accurate then that? I mean, you can SEE ON THE SCREEN its aimed right.]
I would give credit with the argument you arent pointind directly at it, but then you brought in keyboard and mouse... I dont know about you, but I dont put my mouse on my screen.
mian @ Dec 3rd 2007 2:10PM
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you have zero understanding of the last comment LV426.
mian wrote:
"The wiimote is extremely precise"
Derek @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:18PM
The M-rating means there's content in the game that's not appropriate for children - it's not a comment on the type of person who will like the game. Many of the E-rated games on the Wii - such as Wii Sports - appeal to an older demographic.
Nii @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:57AM
THAT's what I've been trying to say. I've made a few posts on this website about the lack of hardcore games on the Wii. It seems it was actually a misunderstanding of the definition of "hardcore".
What I wish to see on the Wii are more *mature* games. Games with a much darker theme, with mature issues and things you don't want kids to worry about. That's what I considered to be a hardcore game, while a casual game is one which is light hearted and presents a simple and fun world to the player. This is while you guys were believing a hardcore game is one which you invest much time and experience in in order to get better.
Just thought I'd mention that. And the fact that this is why No More Heroes is my most wanted game.
Tom @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:49AM
There's a reason it's "E for Everyone". These are the games that have mainstream appeal and are picked up and played by the vast majority of gamers and non-gamers alike. See all that green? That's money!
Haohmaru @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:44AM
The Wii remote is inaccurate? Huh. I guess I didn't notice while I was sharpshooting with the greatest of ease in Metroid Prime 3 and Link's bow in Twilight Princess.
Hmmm.
Haohmaru @ Dec 2nd 2007 3:54AM
...And back onto the topic of the article. The way I feel about it is the same way I feel about movies, pretty much - I just know what I like. I can appreciate the generally family-friendly fun of Pirates of the Caribbean just as much as the foul-mouthed, violent and irreverent greatness of Reservoir Dogs. The same goes for a Mario title versus a game like Godfather: Blackhand Edition.
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Dec 2nd 2007 4:21AM
How game is themed or environment it is set in - that are last thing I care about.
If gameplay is good - why not?
Matt @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:23AM
I think it would be very interesting to see graphs of game review scores... Like the percentage of games that were rated in the top %10, then the next %10... and the next %10 and so on....
Of course, different review sites have different scores, so I guess it would only work if you just choose one review site and stick to it...
But it would be interesting to see which system has had the highest scored games as far as reviews go... Because ratings obviously don't mean anything to game quality...
ScoTT @ Dec 2nd 2007 12:20PM
Well, Star Wars: Force Unleashed comes out for the next gen. (including Wii) next year, and I'm excited about it. I'm not hyped about it because of I'm some kind of Star Wars freak, though. It probably will be rated T, but the plot is more mature. It deals with the emotional issues of your character, your character being raised by torture. It also introduces revolutionary game experience, like the use of this new "digital molecular matter", which is supposed to give the game real-world physics.
Timerider @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:01PM
If you go by ESRB ratings, there are definitely more E games for Wii, percentage wise, at least.
I have one T rated game for the Wii and the rest are E.
For my Xbox 360, all my games are M.
FX-1 @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:51PM
And your point is?
The idea that games ratings mean ANYTHING other than people under 17 can't buy an M game is disgusting to me. Not only am I continually appauled by the notion that it older ratings are more fun, but to suggest that older ratings means more hardcore? GAHH! What's wrong with people? They couldn't have picked a more ill-suited word than "rating".
Pleas note that the second paragraph wasn't necessarily directed at Timerider.
Shadow2k6 @ Dec 3rd 2007 7:08AM
I think the game ratings need to be balanced out. You don't want too many mature rated games, yet you don't want too many everyone rated games. RE for example wouldn't be RE without the blood and gore thats something thats associated with the series. No More Heroes is another example of what would be a great M-rated game that would no work as a E-rated game just because of the content in the game, if it was E-rated the game and story would change so much. Gamecube didn't really have too many M-rated games besides the Resident Evils and Eternal Darkness and thats why people labeled a "kiddy" image with Nintendo.
I wish Nintendo would just get a little more balance. Meaning less E-rated games and more T and M-rated games.
Eric @ Dec 3rd 2007 9:36AM
I would imagine the reason theres so many E games on the Wii, is because of the avalanche of mini game titles that were released in the first year. I'm sure over a typical 4-5 year period, the ratio will change quite a bit, but really.. who cares? Age ratings don't make good games(look at Mario Galaxy vs. Manhunt 2.. case in point)