Nintendo: Wii Music won't compete with the music game market

by David Hinkle { Aug 8th 2008 at 3:40PM }

We would think so, considering that Wii Music is less of a game, and more of a toy, which makes it better than a game. Sorry for being so cynical, but come on, you have to be feeling the same way we do. But, onto the news at hand. Nintendo thinks Wii Music won't be competing with other music titles such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Denise Kaigler, VP of Corporate Affairs at Nintendo of America, says "We're not competing [with those other games]. We're expanding. We're creating new experiences through Wii Music, new enriching opportunities for consumers to create something that's unique to their own musical tastes." Interesting, considering that all of these games generally fall into the same genre. But, the audience that would be receptive to Guitar Hero and Rock Band possibly could be different to that of the Wii Music crowd. It's kind of like a descending scale, from real musicians, to fake musicians (those would be the Rock Band and Guitar Hero crowds), and right down to people who like to play with toys. Toys like Wii Music.

Gallery: Wii Music

[Via Joystiq]

Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the trailer for the game that came out of E3 by clicking right here. Be sure to also read up on our time with the game right here. And, for the facts on release date and Balance Board support, click here.

Tags: music, rhythm, toy, wii-music

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

sn1per @ Aug 8th 2008 3:57PM

Nintendo would be kidding themselves if they thought they could compete against GH and RB with something like Wii Music.

LuigiHann @ Aug 8th 2008 4:33PM

It will, however, compete with the "Guitar Hero Air Rocker." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKCmo8QCt6w

adolson @ Aug 8th 2008 4:36PM

I played this "pretend to make music" stuff 20 years ago, in preschool, only I used real pretend instruments and they didn't cost $44.99 plus tax.

Do not want.

Dylan F @ Aug 8th 2008 4:38PM

I still don't fully understand it. Do you just...make sound? Is there any "game" part to this "video game"? Or is it exactly just like playing a trumpet, you make high and low sounds? There isn't any way to mess up? I've never heard of a video game where you can't "fail" in some way, shape, or form. (Except mabey the Sims and Animal Crossing) If this is just like being in a band instead of acctually playing a game, it would be a rent at the most. I need a more in depth look in how you acctually play the game to fully understand if I'm going to purchase this or not.

SoshiKitai @ Aug 8th 2008 5:07PM

Last I remember, your Sims dying from starvation due to their depression of losing their job then losing their love relationships because of their depression of losing their job and their awful form of hygiene - - counted as failing.

Mr Khan @ Aug 8th 2008 5:20PM

That's what i've been wondering

It's hard to believe they could produce such epic fail as a game that's all flash and no meaning

All of their casual works up to this point have all had some depth or significance in that sort of light.

Dylan F @ Aug 8th 2008 4:39PM

I agree. I would chose Rock Band or Guitar Hero over "Wii Music" anyday.

iMeh @ Aug 8th 2008 5:34PM

This game has no competition. It'll one of the biggest flops of Nintendo's history. Who would want to compete for that?!

Aaron @ Aug 8th 2008 7:36PM

I have a couple of daughters who love the music-centric "extras" on Wario Ware Twisted. Perhaps some of you have played that game.

I'm thinking if Wii Music has half the charm of those dopey little add-ons, then kids will love it, and parents will get it for the kids. I'm predicing a million seller, not that I will likely get any enjoyment out of it myself, mind you.

Garu @ Aug 8th 2008 6:32PM

While I still don't see this as anything I would be interested in, I'll wait until it comes out and see before I pass judgement.

I'm not comparing Wii Music with Animal Crossing in any way, except to say that I didn't think Animal Crossing would be something I would enjoy and I've probably played that game more than any other video game in my life. So I've been surprised before.

yomachaser @ Aug 8th 2008 7:00PM

The point of this game AFAIK is that you save your performances as little films so it's in whatever just for fun party category as that film game on 360.

Seriously why do people get so worked up by this game? Every musical game on the market now isn't like RB and GH so why is this the only one compared to those all the time?

People don't look down their noses at RB for being a simple casual game compared to DJ Max Portable (DJmax is rough 30 times harder than RB) so can we just stop the needless comparisons?

Mr Khan @ Aug 8th 2008 7:23PM

Because stupid people, who cannot (or choose not to) comprehend the fact that Nintendo has more than one development team, think that this game is the reason why we haven't seen more of "hardcore game x, y, or z"

Elsewhere i've explained how we know that pretty much every Nintendo team is hard at work on something or other. The only unknowns are Retro Studios and Nintendo Software Technology, Retro would never get diverted to a purely casual project, and NST wouldn't do something as "base" as Wii Music

Hamster @ Aug 8th 2008 8:03PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uj0zV0UJXM

Greg2k @ Aug 8th 2008 8:43PM

I'd so love to see Audiosurf on the Wii instead of this piece of shit "toy".

zchry @ Aug 8th 2008 10:11PM

I plan on getting both World Tour and Wii Music.

But not Rock Band. Never Rock Band. I'm totally disenchanted with that franchise.

BrandonIT @ Aug 9th 2008 5:43PM

Pretty sure this will be a day-1 purchase for me. I'm just enamored with the concept of a party-music game. Especially being able to change the composition of the music by changing instruments. Everybody pick your favorite instrument, see how it sounds... In any case, it should be interesting to see how it's reviewed and received.

Rob Howard @ Aug 11th 2008 2:40AM

I defend Wii Music. I love its concept. In my view, it is much more about musicianship than Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Those games are about the rigid matching up of rhythms, only loosely associated with the music. In Rock Band, players aren't paying attention to what the others are doing- they are making sure they are robotically hitting the hit thing at the right time.

It seems to me what Nintendo has in mind for Wii Music is something more akin to a musicianship simulator- you get to experience the joy of playing music and communicating musically with other people.

I write about this in length over at www.houseofnintendo.com.