[sokolov91]

Hey All,
 
Just wondering what people think of the Wii 2.
 
I don't want to come across as a fan boy of any console, as embarrassingly enough I own pretty much every console released in the last 20 years (save a dreamcast).
 
That aside, does anyone actually care?
 
The Wii was a pretty big disappointment for me. Seems like Nintendo's real game plan was making a new market, instead of getting their act together after having 2 sub par consoles after another. Don't get me wrong, the N64 and GC had some excellent games, some of the best even... but overall they were too few, and too far between to really justify the price of the actual console... especially when you look at the library the PS1 and PS2 had in comparison. Rather than rectify this issue, it was even worse this gen... the third time was most certainly not a charm.
 
Rather than give gamers what they wanted (compelling system, real online, etc), and more importantly compete with Sony and Microsoft, they just dropped that group all together and made billions off people who, originally, would never buy games in the first place. The "New Gen" moniker (instead of next gen suggesting a lateral movement) was a painfully true statement. It was not an improvement of anything, it was a new generation that filled store shelves with some of the most uninspiring, unoriginal, quick cash games ever made. All of which hold "Nintendo's Seal" which guarantees you a quality product (lol....). All systems have these no-name garbage games, it is unavoidable... but the Wii thrived off them.
 
So, what was undoubtedly a brilliant economic move for a company that was struggling in home territory (video games) is now a big poison in the industry IMO. Parents and relatives are always targeted by marketing... make your product seem like the best gift to give, so people don't even actually have to want it to get it. How often do you see bins filled at gamestop and ETC filled with new, sealed copies, of the most generic Wii tittles imaginable? No one who actually plays and enjoys games would actually buy these, but apparently it is still worth the effort to produce them and sell them... clearly people are buying them.
 
So, almost 6 years later we get an announcement for the Wii 2. This left me wondering, why did I buy a Wii, and how the hell can Nintendo think they delivered enough to warrant releasing a second console? I did not get 279.99$ out of that system at all. To me the Wii is the most expensive console. The only good games generally don't come down in price, and you have very limited good games. 300$ to play like 5 games is very steep when you consider the 360 and ps3 are like 3-400$ for over 30 triple A games... many of which are dirt cheap now.
 
On my 360 and PS3 I have a backlog of great games I would love to play but don't have time. In fact, every quarter there is at least 1 game per system I would love to play... My Wii? Played all the triple A tittles it had to offer and is a full time dust collector.
 
To me, the Wii was an insult to video gamers as a group of hobbyists, and insult to the intelligence of parents and relatives, and finally a real big FU to the competition... showing them they could release crap, and sell it way more effectively - so why bother actually competing?
 
Great concept, laughable hardware, tiny line up of AAA games, and super gimmicky. Lets face it, the Wii sucked and Nintendo ripped you off big time. Profit margins on this machine are unreal. Both Microsoft and Sony ran deficits selling their hardware which made them focus on killer IPs to get back the money in sales in royalties. This is often the case with Consoles. Not the Wii. The has always been running in the green, and that is a big reason why I think Nintendo doesn't care at all about the lack of games. They don't care about the royalties and ETC nearly as much, they make profit everywhere. The fact Wii sports is actually a system selling point kinda says it all... Games for people who don't game.
 
 
BUT, despite all these insults, intentional or not, it seems like Nintendo is trying to give old ideas new life in the Wii 2. GC/GBA and dreamcast-esque controllers are interesting... especially with how far wireless has come, as well as integrating touch screens and other input interfaces... this could be the real deal and not just a gimmick to sell accessories like with the GC, or an idea that never really got off the ground with the Dreamcast. There is a lot of potential but I don't want to get my hopes up because other than the DS, Nintendo has had a huge track record of failure recently. They might be better than ever fiscally, but they have a burden of proof with regards to how they view this new console.
 
 
Is this their second wave of a cash crop that no one really wants, but everyone has... or is this Nintendo getting its head out of its own ass and actually bringing the fight to Sony and Microsoft? Of all the people that could get it right, Nintendo is certainly one of them... but I see little incentive for them to do so, considering how well they can do producing nothing of value.
 
What do you guys think? Do you think the Wii 2 will be another flop or will it be something to be reckoned with?
 
I have my hopes up, but I am prepared to be really disappointed as I was with the Wii.
 
 

 

[gloco]

Absolutely.  I haven't owned and played a home console since the Dreamcast and that was a major disappointment.  I haven't been following any leaks of Wii2 too closely, once they start posting specs and pictures of the games I'll start watching more closely. 

 

[Kirosia]

N's going to do HD remakes of all their popular Wii titles and charge full price for them.
 
I kid.
 
I hope. 

 

[marvin]

 
Quote:

Is this their second wave of a cash crop that no one really wants, but everyone has... or is this Nintendo getting its head out of its own ass and actually bringing the fight to Sony and Microsoft? Of all the people that could get it right, Nintendo is certainly one of them... but I see little incentive for them to do so, considering how well they can do producing nothing of value.

Nintendo will die if they bring the fight to Microsoft and Sony, plain and simple. Those two companies have shown a willingness to burn billions of dollars a year, billions that Nintendo does not have, just to keep their foothold in the living room. Even disastrous generations, and this one certainly counts as a disaster for Sony, are survivable for Microsoft and Sony as gaming is just a sideline for them. A disastrous generation for Nintendo and they could very well be on their way to becoming a overglorified iOS developer.
 
Nintendo's doing what it always does, sticking to a low risk strategy in order to minimize losses in event that a product flops. At worst, they can lean on their core franchises (Mario, Pokemon, Metroid, Zelda, etc) and eek out a minor profit. At best, well, we've all seen how well the Wii and DS have done this generation.
 
Really, "core" gamers are the ones that need to get their heads out of their asses. They're already damned lucky that the core gaming market is still vibrant despite how financially disastrous it's been this generation. It shouldn't be surprising that Nintendo would pass up the "core" gamer market in favor of appealing to the mass market and staying profitable.

 
Quote:

N's going to do HD remakes of all their popular Wii titles and charge full price for them.
 
I kid.
 
I hope. 

 
Heh. Might as well hope that the sun rises in the west tomorrow.
 

 

[revolink24]

Nintendo not having billions?

How silly.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Nintendo not having billions?

How silly.

 
Touché.

 
I meant billions to lose. Even during the worst years for the Xbox, the losses that Microsoft incurred were minor blips on their balance sheet. During the worst years for the PlayStation, really, every year since the PS3 launch, Sony's balance sheet has remained flat. Same wouldn't be true for Nintendo and any losses in the gaming market would start depleting their stockpile of cash.

 

[revolink24]

It is true that Nintendo isn't enough of a diversified company that they can throw away their, erm, gaming branch. (Or, in other words, the whole company.)

 

[appophylite]

 
Quote:

Hey All,
 
Just wondering what people think of the Wii 2.
 
I don't want to come across as a fan boy of any console, as embarrassingly enough I own pretty much every console released in the last 20 years (save a dreamcast).
 
That aside, does anyone actually care?
 
The Wii was a pretty big disappointment for me. Seems like Nintendo's real game plan was making a new market, instead of getting their act together after having 2 sub par consoles after another. Don't get me wrong, the N64 and GC had some excellent games, some of the best even... but overall they were too few, and too far between to really justify the price of the actual console... especially when you look at the library the PS1 and PS2 had in comparison. Rather than rectify this issue, it was even worse this gen... the third time was most certainly not a charm.
 
Rather than give gamers what they wanted (compelling system, real online, etc), and more importantly compete with Sony and Microsoft, they just dropped that group all together and made billions off people who, originally, would never buy games in the first place. The "New Gen" moniker (instead of next gen suggesting a lateral movement) was a painfully true statement. It was not an improvement of anything, it was a new generation that filled store shelves with some of the most uninspiring, unoriginal, quick cash games ever made. All of which hold "Nintendo's Seal" which guarantees you a quality product (lol....). All systems have these no-name garbage games, it is unavoidable... but the Wii thrived off them.
 
So, what was undoubtedly a brilliant economic move for a company that was struggling in home territory (video games) is now a big poison in the industry IMO. Parents and relatives are always targeted by marketing... make your product seem like the best gift to give, so people don't even actually have to want it to get it. How often do you see bins filled at gamestop and ETC filled with new, sealed copies, of the most generic Wii tittles imaginable? No one who actually plays and enjoys games would actually buy these, but apparently it is still worth the effort to produce them and sell them... clearly people are buying them.
 
So, almost 6 years later we get an announcement for the Wii 2. This left me wondering, why did I buy a Wii, and how the hell can Nintendo think they delivered enough to warrant releasing a second console? I did not get 279.99$ out of that system at all. To me the Wii is the most expensive console. The only good games generally don't come down in price, and you have very limited good games. 300$ to play like 5 games is very steep when you consider the 360 and ps3 are like 3-400$ for over 30 triple A games... many of which are dirt cheap now.
 
On my 360 and PS3 I have a backlog of great games I would love to play but don't have time. In fact, every quarter there is at least 1 game per system I would love to play... My Wii? Played all the triple A tittles it had to offer and is a full time dust collector.
 
To me, the Wii was an insult to video gamers as a group of hobbyists, and insult to the intelligence of parents and relatives, and finally a real big FU to the competition... showing them they could release crap, and sell it way more effectively - so why bother actually competing?
 
Great concept, laughable hardware, tiny line up of AAA games, and super gimmicky. Lets face it, the Wii sucked and Nintendo ripped you off big time. Profit margins on this machine are unreal. Both Microsoft and Sony ran deficits selling their hardware which made them focus on killer IPs to get back the money in sales in royalties. This is often the case with Consoles. Not the Wii. The has always been running in the green, and that is a big reason why I think Nintendo doesn't care at all about the lack of games. They don't care about the royalties and ETC nearly as much, they make profit everywhere. The fact Wii sports is actually a system selling point kinda says it all... Games for people who don't game.
 
 
BUT, despite all these insults, intentional or not, it seems like Nintendo is trying to give old ideas new life in the Wii 2. GC/GBA and dreamcast-esque controllers are interesting... especially with how far wireless has come, as well as integrating touch screens and other input interfaces... this could be the real deal and not just a gimmick to sell accessories like with the GC, or an idea that never really got off the ground with the Dreamcast. There is a lot of potential but I don't want to get my hopes up because other than the DS, Nintendo has had a huge track record of failure recently. They might be better than ever fiscally, but they have a burden of proof with regards to how they view this new console.
 
 
Is this their second wave of a cash crop that no one really wants, but everyone has... or is this Nintendo getting its head out of its own ass and actually bringing the fight to Sony and Microsoft? Of all the people that could get it right, Nintendo is certainly one of them... but I see little incentive for them to do so, considering how well they can do producing nothing of value.
 
What do you guys think? Do you think the Wii 2 will be another flop or will it be something to be reckoned with?
 
I have my hopes up, but I am prepared to be really disappointed as I was with the Wii.
 
 

This is probably the most interesting part of your argument; personally, I see it as a contradiction. In one paragraph, you clearly state that you do not believe that the Wii is 'Next-Gen' and state: 'It was not an improvement of anything.' Then, two paragraphs later you state: 'How the Hell can Nintendo think they delivered enough <with the Wii> to warrant release of a second console?' So basically, delivering nothing with one console still isn't enough to justify the release of a new console? Or do you think that Nintendo should sit on a console that is clearly starting to lose its luster (It has been 6 years, everyone and his brother has one now, and they are relying on price cuts, colors and new packages to move inventory now), and dictate the release of their next console by waiting on Sony/Microsoft to release new consoles first? If you truly believe that Nintendo did nothing to improve anything with the release of the Wii to offset the aging Gamecube, then I'm having a difficult time seeing why, even if you have no interest in purchasing a Nintendo again, you wouldn't want to see them release a new console with, what you would hope, would be improvements.

I also wouldn't say that Nintendo are struggling on their home territory. They realized with the last fight between the Gamecube, Playstation 2 and XBox that they had probably underestimated Microsoft's first foray into console gaming and clearly, while they might be able to fight one juggernaut with deep pockets (Sony), it was going to be increasingly difficult to face off against two (Microsoft and Sony). As marvin mentions above, consoles and console games are merely one unit of revenue for Microsoft and Sony - they have several other business units bringing in revenue from several other sources (Software, software licenses, computers, consumer electronics, etc). Nintendo on the other hand, has only one stream of revenue and that is games. And seeing as they were the juggernaut through the 80's and 90's and are still making profits galore despite losing much of their luster with the 'hard core' gaming crowd, I'd say they are far from struggling. They realized that since Microsoft and Sony are focusing on one demographic and are doing well enough that it would be difficult to go head to head with them, why not try to appeal to another demographic? Let's face it, if myself and two friends decide to compete with one another and both are fantastic runners while I am terrible at running, but fantastic at jumping, why the heck would I bother competing at running when I can beat them somewhere else?

I'm also having difficulty with why you think that Nintendo making profit off of the consoles is a a bad thing. So Sony and Microsoft sold consoles at a loss to make their money back on great games. I bet you if they could profit on both, they'd pick that option every time.

The argument that you've also made regarding the Wii being an insult to video game hobbyists is defintely one of the oldest arguments used this generation. It really does need to die. How is it an insult to hobbyists if Nintendo decides that instead of pandering to them and their whims, they are going to try to carve a new niche for themselves? Nobody seems to have complained when Apple, a computer company that sells COMPUTERS, decided to branch out, attack a new demographic and try to sell MP3 PLAYERS. And look, to this day, they've found that their MP3 business was big enough to dig them out of a rut and make their computer division big as well, actually allowing them to sell to both their old demographics and new demographics. How certain could you possibly be that Nintendo, having found a niche in the market and profiting gloriously from it, won't use said profits to appeal to both their demographics now: the new 'recreational' gamers as well as the 'hard core' gamers. Seriously, I'm getting myself into RC cars and you don't see the big guys like Losi, HPI or Traxxas making Hobby-grade cars complaining about the fact that companies like Tyco and Maisto making toy RC cars is an insult to the great hobby of RC cars. Two entirely separate demographics are being supported - let it be so.

Personally I don't have a problem with Nintendo's current strategy because they realized that there is a large demographic of people who do not play 'hard-core' FPS, RPG, RTS, etc but they play a lot of simple, easy, games that can be picked up immediately and dropped as quickly. Care to come to my workplace and see how many people are taking a 15 minute break from work to catch a couple of rounds of their favorite FPS? Wanna see how many will quickly jump on a 5 minute run of Mafia Wars, Tetris or Solitare instead? Games are for having fun, and I don't see why anyone who considers themselves a hardcore gamer should be remotely offended by those people who would rather play a quick round of Solitare or Tetris, or should be offended by the fact that these are the people that Nintendo tried to focus on this round, and the gamble paid off big time for them.
 
 
By the way, it is entirely your personal opinion to state that the Wii sucked (I would state that I had high expectations for mine, and my expectations dimmed in the long run), but to out and state that everyone who purchased one was ripped off by Nintendo as you do in your post is pure baloney. I paid full price for mine as well as for a handful of the games. I purchased the other games for used game prices. My verdict? I got my money's worth. I used to be very big on gaming, but these days, I do not have the time to commit to video games anymore. I work a full time job that requires me to be in the field most of the time, and shuttling in the office on my days off and when I'm not working, I'm a full time student working on a degree. I enjoy the games on the Wii because I can fire it up, poke around with the game for about 15 minutes when I need to and then turn it off again. Most of the games I am interested in on the PS3 and XBox360 require much larger time investments on my part then I can commit at this time in my life. The Wii is also the only gaming system I have ever got the entire family interested in. My sister loves it because I bought her Dance Dance Revolution on it so she doesn't have to blow money on it in the arcade. My dad loves Wii Sports because he doesn't have to remember what every button on a standard controller does. Instead he has to remember A-Button, B-Button and a whole bunch of motion controls. My mom loves Wii-Fit because she can do yoga and get feedback from something instead of just performing poses in the middle of the house and seeing myself, my sister and dad amuse ourselves at her expense when we walk in on her. I personally feel that every dollar I spent on the Wii, games and accessories was money used well that has returned in keeping the entire family happy with a single gaming console.

 

[Landis]

I'm interested in why people are calling it "Wii 2".
 
 
 
 

 

[sokolov91]

Quote:

 

Nintendo will die if they bring the fight to Microsoft and Sony, plain and simple. Those two companies have shown a willingness to burn billions of dollars a year, billions that Nintendo does not have, just to keep their foothold in the living room. Even disastrous generations, and this one certainly counts as a disaster for Sony, are survivable for Microsoft and Sony as gaming is just a sideline for them. A disastrous generation for Nintendo and they could very well be on their way to becoming a overglorified iOS developer.
 
Nintendo's doing what it always does, sticking to a low risk strategy in order to minimize losses in event that a product flops. At worst, they can lean on their core franchises (Mario, Pokemon, Metroid, Zelda, etc) and eek out a minor profit. At best, well, we've all seen how well the Wii and DS have done this generation.
 
Nintendo has always had systems plague with crappy games because they are for a younger audience generally, and its not like Sony and M$ are not guilty of this either, it was more the ratio that I was talking about. Take the DS... there are probably even more laughable games for that console that any other, BUT no matter which genre you are a fan of, the DS has many triple A titles. The bad should always outway the good... But where Sony and M$ spent millions on deals with developers trying to get killer IPs and other things, nintendo just rehashed the same old stuff, or remixed hardware and added laggy wiimotes... to me it is the effort level and attitude that bothers me... but I guess that is just how I perceive it.
 
Really, "core" gamers are the ones that need to get their heads out of their asses. They're already damned lucky that the core gaming market is still vibrant despite how financially disastrous it's been this generation. It shouldn't be surprising that Nintendo would pass up the "core" gamer market in favor of appealing to the mass market and staying profitable.

Core gamers today are not, generally, real gamers. Yes they play video games but real core gamers are pretty much extinct. Activision pretty much made sure of that with call of duty and the whole 3rd person, hide behind everything shooter didn't help either. But quality, and target audience are two different things. There is no reason why WiiSports isn't more robust, why the wiimotes are jittery as hell, they recycle their IPs without shame and hardly gave birth to new ones, or made sure the new ones that did come out really caught on.
 
I agree core gaming is not profitable because a lot has already been done. There are classic RPGS, we have Quake 3 and Counter-strike, Starcraft etc etc. You name it, it was probably done best in the past. But as I was saying before, quality and substance are two different things. You can target a new group of people and still release a good product... if you cared enough to do so.

 
Heh. Might as well hope that the sun rises in the west tomorrow.
 

 
 

 
Quote:

 
Touché.

 
I meant billions to lose. Even during the worst years for the Xbox, the losses that Microsoft incurred were minor blips on their balance sheet. During the worst years for the PlayStation, really, every year since the PS3 launch, Sony's balance sheet has remained flat. Same wouldn't be true for Nintendo and any losses in the gaming market would start depleting their stockpile of cash.

 
Well a lot of Microsofts expenses were their own fault, but it seems to have worked out. They pretty much shoved the Xbox brand down peoples throats and people accepted it because sony was too busy fumbling their (then) super computer about. With the experience, IPs, and talented people employed, Nintendo could do very well in home consoles. If they can make something like the DS work so well, they have the potential.
 
Quote:

 

This is probably the most interesting part of your argument; personally, I see it as a contradiction. In one paragraph, you clearly state that you do not believe that the Wii is 'Next-Gen' and state: 'It was not an improvement of anything.' Then, two paragraphs later you state: 'How the Hell can Nintendo think they delivered enough <with the Wii> to warrant release of a second console?' So basically, delivering nothing with one console still isn't enough to justify the release of a new console? Or do you think that Nintendo should sit on a console that is clearly starting to lose its luster (It has been 6 years, everyone and his brother has one now, and they are relying on price cuts, colors and new packages to move inventory now), and dictate the release of their next console by waiting on Sony/Microsoft to release new consoles first? If you truly believe that Nintendo did nothing to improve anything with the release of the Wii to offset the aging Gamecube, then I'm having a difficult time seeing why, even if you have no interest in purchasing a Nintendo again, you wouldn't want to see them release a new console with, what you would hope, would be improvements.
 
Well the funny thing about feelings is you can know things, and still feel a certain way. I would love for nintendo to show some pride and release a killer console, but I am indeed pissed they didnt even bother trying to go out with a bang or something. I don't feel they produced enough quality games with the Wii to actually be at the stage where they need a new platform to expand their horizons. Look at the PS2 near the end of its life cycle... the stuff they were pulling off on it was insane for the rated specs. Gran Turismo 4 could do 1080i, God of War 2 was even crazier than the first... Jax 3 didnt even have a loading screen... they milked the PS2 for everything it was worth and in the best possible way. The same is being done to a large extent with the PS3 and the Xbox has noticeably better graphics. If Nintendo was serious about bringing a "new generation", they probably should have come up with ideas for games before releasing the system because 6 years later, still seems like they are scratching their heads.
 
It is not only that Nintendo was lazy on their own, it is also they don't seem to have reached out to the industry either. Microsoft is buddy buddy with Epic, (was) bungie... Sony with Guerilla, Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch etc etc. They all had legit teams developing stuff people wanted to buy. The biggest thing Nintendo did was get Sonic and Snake in SSBB...  It is like when people say if you cared, you would have been there, been on time, done something different. If Nintendo cared, they would have had good games.

I also wouldn't say that Nintendo are struggling on their home territory. They realized with the last fight between the Gamecube, Playstation 2 and XBox that they had probably underestimated Microsoft's first foray into console gaming and clearly, while they might be able to fight one juggernaut with deep pockets (Sony), it was going to be increasingly difficult to face off against two (Microsoft and Sony). As marvin mentions above, consoles and console games are merely one unit of revenue for Microsoft and Sony - they have several other business units bringing in revenue from several other sources (Software, software licenses, computers, consumer electronics, etc). Nintendo on the other hand, has only one stream of revenue and that is games. And seeing as they were the juggernaut through the 80's and 90's and are still making profits galore despite losing much of their luster with the 'hard core' gaming crowd, I'd say they are far from struggling. They realized that since Microsoft and Sony are focusing on one demographic and are doing well enough that it would be difficult to go head to head with them, why not try to appeal to another demographic? Let's face it, if myself and two friends decide to compete with one another and both are fantastic runners while I am terrible at running, but fantastic at jumping, why the heck would I bother competing at running when I can beat them somewhere else?

I'm also having difficulty with why you think that Nintendo making profit off of the consoles is a a bad thing. So Sony and Microsoft sold consoles at a loss to make their money back on great games. I bet you if they could profit on both, they'd pick that option every time.
 
It is not a bad thing, I just think it speaks volume about their attitude. When you run a deficit releasing a product, not only does that take lots of money, it takes balls and faith that what you have is actually worth something to people. The Wii was recycled hardware, doesn't even play DVDs, doesn't have SPDIF out... tons of stuff that is just NOT there, as well as the most important things... the games to play on the system.

The argument that you've also made regarding the Wii being an insult to video game hobbyists is defintely one of the oldest arguments used this generation. It really does need to die. How is it an insult to hobbyists if Nintendo decides that instead of pandering to them and their whims, they are going to try to carve a new niche for themselves? Nobody seems to have complained when Apple, a computer company that sells COMPUTERS, decided to branch out, attack a new demographic and try to sell MP3 PLAYERS. And look, to this day, they've found that their MP3 business was big enough to dig them out of a rut and make their computer division big as well, actually allowing them to sell to both their old demographics and new demographics. How certain could you possibly be that Nintendo, having found a niche in the market and profiting gloriously from it, won't use said profits to appeal to both their demographics now: the new 'recreational' gamers as well as the 'hard core' gamers. Seriously, I'm getting myself into RC cars and you don't see the big guys like Losi, HPI or Traxxas making Hobby-grade cars complaining about the fact that companies like Tyco and Maisto making toy RC cars is an insult to the great hobby of RC cars. Two entirely separate demographics are being supported - let it be so.
 
Yeah but what was, and to this day, apples selling point? You might not have the latest, greatest, fastest... but it works damned well, its intuitive, and reliable... they had a niche. The just applied their skill to MP3 players, and took the same mantra and it worked amazingly. Macs are also more popular than ever if I am not mistaken... Macbooks are everywhere. People liked what they got in iPods and invested more money with Apple as a result. In contrast, Nintendo failed two generations in a row then just pretty much abandoned ship.

Personally I don't have a problem with Nintendo's current strategy because they realized that there is a large demographic of people who do not play 'hard-core' FPS, RPG, RTS, etc but they play a lot of simple, easy, games that can be picked up immediately and dropped as quickly. Care to come to my workplace and see how many people are taking a 15 minute break from work to catch a couple of rounds of their favorite FPS? Wanna see how many will quickly jump on a 5 minute run of Mafia Wars, Tetris or Solitare instead? Games are for having fun, and I don't see why anyone who considers themselves a hardcore gamer should be remotely offended by those people who would rather play a quick round of Solitare or Tetris, or should be offended by the fact that these are the people that Nintendo tried to focus on this round, and the gamble paid off big time for them.
 
Tetris is a pretty "hardcore game" lol... Solitaire is a cardgame so I am not so sure it counts but this is not really the point. Nintendo could have done what they did, but a lot better. Why not have the OPTION to control the movement of Miis or not in the sports games? You know, progressive learning levels making things accessible to all. It is not like it would have been hard... they own source code to Mario Tennis, Mario Golf.... The graphics are not complex, the animations are passable at best... And finally, they could have gotten both demographics with a little effort. The Wii is perfectly capable of any type of game that came on any system before it... Nintendo had every opportunity and flopped, the third generation in a row.
 
By the way, it is entirely your personal opinion to state that the Wii sucked (I would state that I had high expectations for mine, and my expectations dimmed in the long run), but to out and state that everyone who purchased one was ripped off by Nintendo as you do in your post is pure baloney. I paid full price for mine as well as for a handful of the games. I purchased the other games for used game prices. My verdict? I got my money's worth. I used to be very big on gaming, but these days, I do not have the time to commit to video games anymore. I work a full time job that requires me to be in the field most of the time, and shuttling in the office on my days off and when I'm not working, I'm a full time student working on a degree. I enjoy the games on the Wii because I can fire it up, poke around with the game for about 15 minutes when I need to and then turn it off again. Most of the games I am interested in on the PS3 and XBox360 require much larger time investments on my part then I can commit at this time in my life. The Wii is also the only gaming system I have ever got the entire family interested in. My sister loves it because I bought her Dance Dance Revolution on it so she doesn't have to blow money on it in the arcade. My dad loves Wii Sports because he doesn't have to remember what every button on a standard controller does. Instead he has to remember A-Button, B-Button and a whole bunch of motion controls. My mom loves Wii-Fit because she can do yoga and get feedback from something instead of just performing poses in the middle of the house and seeing myself, my sister and dad amuse ourselves at her expense when we walk in on her. I personally feel that every dollar I spent on the Wii, games and accessories was money used well that has returned in keeping the entire family happy with a single gaming console.
 
The Wii fit is kinda cool, and not everything on the Wii is junk, nor does everyone have to think so. I am pretty confident if all things are considered objectively the Wii is pretty poor value. Wii Fit could have been done on any other console, and I am pretty sure EA did release a few products like it. You can get second, third rate games on any system... and portables are there for quick fixes as well as many games online that are free... AND Twilight Princess was on the GC.... I know my income is not enough to justify the Wii as being a good purchase.
 
My girlfriend has a Wii and her family likes it it... they have tons of games, but none of they are any good really and no one really plays for more than 30 mins. 49.99 for 30 mins a few times is very steep. Sure people have fun on it, have had fun, and will continue to have fun, I still think they could have spent what much be about 700$ or more by now on more substantial things... 700$ is a PC, an instrument, a TV, A PS3 or 360... both a PSP and a DS and a slew of games... And really if people are only playing it to kill a few minutes, have no interest in getting any better or take it seriously... why do they have it?
 
It is like medication commercials you see air in the states. List a slew of problems, propose a product as a solution and people will think they need it.
Are you bored, do you have kids, do you have a TV? You should get a Wii. Why? It is easier than the other really complicated consoles, works on your old CRT tv and minimizes buttons - Plus EVERYONE wants one... they are out of stock everywhere!
Its like if Nike came out with a line of sneakers that had automatic running, and a ventilator as well as AI so you can fall asleep too. If an activity is too daunting, or of limited interest in the first place to people they should stick to the old fashion "i don't like that"... as far as I am concerned lol.
 
Oh well, props to nintendo... I sure wish I was getting those dividends.

 
 

 

[Yaozilla]

Wii dindnt interest me and wii 2 probably wont either.

 

[oqvist]

Quote:

N's going to do HD remakes of all their popular Wii titles and charge full price for them.
 
I kid.
 
I hope. 

You can take that for granted! MS and Sony is already doing it.
 
As for Wii 2 if they lock the suggested bluray player it say all that Nintendo is still going to market it as a parents with under age kid friendly console. Wii is a big success and Nintendo has been good at pointing the market in the right direction. Would we have seen move and kinect without the Wii?
third party support has been abysmal but that don´t hurt Nintendo that much. their own games have sold great and apart from ms and Sony they do money on their hardware. Wii 2 will hopefully mean more multi format games landing on it unless Nintendo is to strict with their sex and violence approvals.
 
As for games Wii has the most quality games of the current console generation I feel. There is no answer to Resident Evil 4 Wii much due to the superb controls. Endless Ocean, Zack & Wiki, Super mario Galaxy Metroid Prime 3. PS 3 and 360 don´t have much to offer for a PC gamer in comparison even though it would be hellish to live with the Wii as one and only gaming platform
 

 

[Kirosia]

^ I disagree, other than the 2D/3D platformers and some unique puzzle/adventure games, the Wii  selection isn't that great. The 360/PS3 has Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, God of War, Infamous, Alan Wake, the numerous Capcom/Arc System Works fighting games and various JRPGs, as well as all those downloadable platformers/shooters/etc. I've played No More Heroes and Mad World, and both pale in comparison to the first two action titles listed. 

 

[oqvist]

Only God of War of those you listed make my list. Bayonetta was okay. Devil may Cry and Alan Wake not so much. Fighting games I don´t do
 
GOD OF WAR all of them, MGS 4, Uncharted series and Forza and possible inFamous that´s about it for the PS 3 and 360. I do agree there is more games I actually want to play on the PS 3 and 360. Particularly if PC is not allowed

 

[EddieE]

Sure, always interested in any new gaming development, but can't say I'm "interested" as in wanting-to-buy interested until we know for sure what it is. What's been announced/leaked so far has sounded pretty cool (I started a thread on speculating on the matter somewhere around here), but I don't generally decide on something till its been out for a few month. Never bought a console on launch and never will.