Why the Wii will outlast the PS3 and Xbox 360
When Nintendo first announced the Wii (or Revolution as it was originally known) at the Electronics Entertainment Expo way back in May 2005, many critics scoffed at how the console’s technology paled in comparison to the might of the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3. The unveiling of the machine as Wii (remember all the hilarious jokes and puns?) and its motion-sensing controls were also looked upon with doubt in some quarters. How wrong they were. Fast forward a couple of years and the machine is in an unprecedented position of strength within the industry. How has all this happened, you ask? Let Nintendic spell out the Wii’s magic formula and how we reckon Nintendo has got it right this time, enough so to make sure that the Wii will last long enough to outlive the PS3 and 360.
Innovative Controls
There is no denying that the Nintendo Wii’s motion controls and pointer technology haven’t yet revolutionised the way we play all games. Whether this is down to developer laziness when it comes to conjuring up innovative ways to use motion controls, or just that certain experiences just don’t agree with what the Wii Remote and Nunchuck have to offer is, little over a year after the console’s release, too early to judge. However, if what we have seen so far is anything to go by, the future is looking really quite exciting.
Metroid Prime 3’s first-person shooter control mechanics trump any other efforts on rival consoles so far; Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure has revitalised the point-and-click genre; Pro Evolution Soccer 2008: Playmaker has shaken up the sport in virtual terms and taken it in a completely new direction for the first time in a decade; Super Mario Galaxy, while relying little on motion controls manages to blend them flawlessly into an epic, critically acclaimed adventure, and that’s not discounting the huge strides that Wii Sports has made in forcing us all to look at the way we play videogames in the home in general.
There are numerous other examples, for sure, but those aforementioned display obvious progression in a relatively short amount of time, and a firm basis for others to follow on from. By comparison, Microsoft hasn’t shown very much interest in implementing motion controls, and the PlayStation 3’s SixAxis controller tilt-sensitivity really hasn’t taken off amongst developers.
Games for Everyone
Nintendo’s philosophy has always been to create games that everyone, no matter what their age, could enjoy. However, with the launch of the Sony PlayStation in 2000, a console that kick-started a new era in which gaming ‘grew up’ and where titles aimed squarely at teens and adults (Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil, Gran Turismo) proliferated the market, the majority of Nintendo’s merry bunch of mascots and characters (and consoles) were almost instantly and exclusively tarred with the ‘kiddy’ brush. With the DVD disc format dominating and the GameCube launching looking like a child’s lunchbox, the situation was looking more than a little gloomy.
Along came Wii, and in something of a stroke of genius - or obvious business tactics - porting the hugely successful Touch! Generations series and others from the Nintendo DS (Big Brain Academy, Cooking Mama instantly spring to mind) to the console has made the home console much more accessible to so-called non-gamers than the PS3 and Xbox 360. A proliferation of casual software might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the high sales generated by them inevitably encourage companies to create a variety of different gaming genres for the console.
The huge success of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, exclusive Dragon Quest RPGs, Bully: Scholarship Edition and the re-emergence of 2K Sports’ franchises are all proof of this so far - a blend of genres and fingers in multiple pies that made the PlayStation brand so successful, and the type of games that the GameCube largely missed out on. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360’s extensive library is continues to be saturated with first-person shooters and bland action-adventures, while its creator’s attempts to expand its audience and attract casual gamers (Scene It and Viva Pinata anyone?) really hasn’t made much of an impact. Sony, meanwhile, has recently admitted that, frustratingly, it has seen the likes of Buzz!, Singstar and EyeToy overshadowed by Nintendo’s latest advances.
Third Party Support
Undoubtedly, one of the major reasons why Nintendo’s failed to dominate with both the Nintendo 64 and GameCube was down to a lack of consistent and plentiful support from third party developers. Citing the GameCube specifically, despite a strong first-party showing (Pikmin, Metroid Prime, Wind Waker et. al), there remained a desperate lack of quality third party games to pad out the release schedules while Nintendo took its time working away on its own projects.
Nintendo promised to learn from its mistakes with the Wii, and despite a reserved start from a number of important software houses such as Electronic Arts, companies such as Ubisoft (Rayman Raving Rabbids) and Capcom (Resident Evil 4) have proven that third party titles can sell well alongside Nintendo’s own efforts - both over a million so far. What’s more, the opportunity for gameplay invention on the machine has also attracted developers who have shied away from Nintendo in recent years. Square Enix (Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers), Capcom (Monster Hunter 3), THQ (Deadly Creatures), SEGA (NiGHTS), Majesco (Major Minor’s Majestic March), Grasshopper Interactive (No More Heroes) are just a few examples of early third party alliances.
In addition, all-important multi-format releases are also present: the likes of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, FIFA and the like, the staple franchises that any console requires for continued success. Add to all of this the WiiWare Channel, to which Nintendo has adopted a very relaxed approach to welcoming and regulating independent developers, and the third party situation for Nintendo as a whole is looking better now than ever.
Clever Pricing
There is a fine line between consumers judging your product as a toy or a videogames console, especially in terms of its RRP – something Nintendo learnt to its detriment with the GameCube. Considering the original Xbox and PlayStation 2 both launched for $299 USD, the Cube’s $199 USD price tag was unnervingly cheap in comparison. Coupled with multiple price drops in order to make up lost ground on its competitors and its blocky handbag look, the situation was pretty grim.
Pitching its price a little higher with the Wii ($249 USD) and still making a profit off each machine sold, it seems as if a healthy middle ground has been discovered. Not only is it a sturdily-priced console, but it significantly undercuts the shelf cost of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. What’s more, the Wii’s software is cheaper than its rivals (both to develop and sell), so it’s no wonder that the console has been almost consistently sold out for over a year, especially considering gaming is such an expensive hobby.
That Nintendo Magic
Whatever anyone thinks of Nintendo-developed games as a whole, there can be no denying that the Japanese firm is responsible for creating some of the most popular, innovative, imaginative and enjoyable videogaming hardware and software of all time. As a result, they also have some of the most loyal fans in the business, who will support their wares no matter what, because they know it is the type of experience they will only get on a Nintendo machine. While Microsoft and Sony both have firms developing exclusively for their machines, Nintendo’s in-depth knowledge of its own creation as well as its flair for game design is a very attractive recipe, indeed.
With the likes of Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption already wowing audiences and titles such as Wi Fit, Mario Kart Wii and Disaster: Day of Crisis all on way, the Nintendo Wii will continue to be the home for titles that simply won’t be on offer anywhere else.
Technology Ain’t the Be All and End All
There is, of course, the argument that the Nintendo Wii’s inferior processing power in comparison to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 could be its Achilles’ heel in the long run. To that, we direct your gaze towards the PlayStation 2. It celebrates its eighth birthday this year and despite boasting last-generation graphics it continues to sell phenomenally well across the globe, easily competing with today’s latest machines. Photo-realistic visuals are great, don’t get us wrong, but judging by the Nintendo Wii’s success so far and the longevity of the PlayStation 2, polygon counts, bump mapping and draw distance obviously don’t matter one iota to the hefty majority of consumers. And even when the strength of sales does inevitably wane, a sneaky little price drop will no doubt see it leaping up again.
After a couple of videogame generations in which Nintendo really appeared to have lost the plot, the Wii is already displaying an unprecedented return to form for the Kyoto-based firm. While Microsoft and Sony continue to slog it out in wars over technological prowess, Nintendo has snuck up from behind and unleashed a surprise attack that no one saw coming – one that looks likely to see it regain its crown at the top of the industry tree for the first time in many, many years. As long as Nintendo continues to promote the Wii as a console that offers experiences like no one else can, in the future we could very well see it plodding on long after its rivals have peaked and fallen.
I prefer the PSEye for motion sensing…it’s far more innovative than a hand-held.
I think the main emphasis here is on price and the control mechanism. Don’t forget that in about 12 months both PS3 and 360 will be much cheaper. In fact the baseline 360 will be cheaper than the Wii this year, here in the UK.
With the Motus Darwin controller on the horizon (PS3/360/PC), the Wiimote will have some stiff competition. Darwin tracks motion using gyroscopes, accelerometers and a compass, which allows it to track absolute motion without the need for a sensor bar like the Wiimote
The Wii still doesn’t have many AAA third party titles, and how long can the Mario franchise stay fresh?
Nintendo need to start preparing for a market change. They should be working on some kick-ass new hardware if they need to stay in front.
Wii also has limited online support and no real defence against Xbox live / PS3 home environment. Despite the fact you have to pay for live and home isn’t here yet. but I think E3 will show us a lot more of home. Online play is important to gamers.
The “success of the gamecube”?????
The Wii is great for a wiile but the novelty has started to wear a little thin now. I mainly use the PS3 for quality gaming experiences, multiplayer etc and the Wii for easy, non immersive family gaming though the only title that we really all play together is Wii sports so we dont spend much on software for it.
Please tell me what quality game experience you get from the PS3
@Joe
what are u dummb?
ps3 has far better games than wii and it has the best graphics…don’t hate
your telling him not to hate?, no more heros has outscored everything on ps3
Everything? I beg to illuminate:
Metacritic scores:
No More Heros - 8.4
Warhawk - 8.4
Unreal Tournament 3 - 8.6
Resistance FOM - 8.6
Uncharted Drakes Fortune - 8.8
Ninga Gaiden Sigma - 8.8
Ratched and Clank - 8.8
So remember, it is all only opinion, but yours is in the minority.
I’m not hating, I too have a ps3, as well as a Wii and 360. BUT the best graphics. Between the 3 I think 360 has the best and smoothest. PS3 and Wii equally have there best titles as well as 360. Nintendos is just the most innovative and sometimes more entertaining with friends.
@OMEN
How ironic. You call him dumb when you spell “you” as “u”, “dumb” as “dummb”, and forget to put a “,” between you and dumb. That’s funny hahah. What’s even more funny is that you tried to use graphics in your argument against the Wii. Don’t you know that gameplay matters MUCH more than graphics?
@Sagarat
You might want to find more scores from different major critics before you truly want to “illuminate”. It doesn’t exactly work with just one.
Yet again you fail to do your “homework”.
Do you understand what Metacritic does? They compile scores from every reviewer and give an average score.
So the scores are legitimate as they are from numerous critics. He also left out a few games which scored higher then “No More Heroes”.
Majority of the scores for Wii games are fairly low due to poor/crap 3rd party games. This is because there is no market for them. Gamasutra did a study and found that less then half of the Wii install base are accessible to the 3rd party developers as most only buy the first party games or none at all (only bought it for Wii sports).
i don’t know about you guys, but unless your a diehard nintendo fanboy, the novelty of the wii wears off a few months after purchasing it.
Lol! @ “The success of the GameCube” and “Third party support”. Most third party support is from EA (They’re whores who would make games on the NES still, if they could make money), and no name studios that make garbage titles (go to IGN.com and look at all the reviews for Wii games and check out how plentiful scores in the 1s and 2s are. ;]) All the big name multiplatform releases are on Wii? My ass. Where’s Call of Duty 4, The Orange Box, Devil May Cry 4, Burnout Paradise, Grand Theft Auto IV, Resident Evil 4, etc? o_O;
I’m getting sick of all the bad mouthing on EA. They do have some great games like the Sims and MoH heros 2 (If anyone has it besides the guy I’m replying to, send me a friend request, my persona is RedGazelle).
*Edit: Resident Evil 5
The only longevity my Wii provides, is buying games I already have on the Virtual Console…so I can have them on one console.
the wii is shit, it’s a fisher price toy, the wii will suffer the same fate as the game cube, the 360 is already dead, the wii is a gamecube with motion sensing and online play(which as of the other day is not free anymore), the ps3 has the games the wii has innovative, fun, family but in HD. don’t forget what made the ps2 a success: it’s games, the ps2 won the 6th gen war because it had the best games, most of these games are coming back on the ps3 in 2008 and 2009, third party support for the wii sucks, i havnt found more than 5 games that i like, on the ps3 ive found over 1 hundred and none on the 360 although some r good.
You nintendo and microsoft fans will soon see that the ps3 is superior give it 1 yr or 2.
same hire,360 and ps3 will piss on wii.
“The 360 is already dead” what are you talking about,it is not going any where soon,but PS3 on the other hand is being pissed on by the Wii and the 360,i see PS3 dying first, PS2 was a great system but the past is the past, today PS3 is TP to me, i am whipping ass with it, NOW “will…. i hate the xbox” go back to playstatic and go to a corner and SOB like the bitch you are, leave the wii alone and stop bitching on how the ps3 has only a few game that are good, but GTA4 is great on any system.
I give it one more year of BIG sales since the only real reason it sells more than the others is because of the price difference. Why do you think the PS3 started selling just as many 360s soon after the price drop.
I think it will always sell in Japan cause it’s home just like the 360 will sell more than PS3 in the US. Once the prices of all 3 consoles are closer together, which will probably be after 2 more 360 and PS3 pricedrops, the sales will drop past the others. But then we’ll possibly see the Wii go for $150 by that time.
well said mgv!!!
@brian. I think it means less emphasis on 360/PS3 multiformat releases that you mention, and more on the ones that Nintendo has missed out until late like Guitar Hero, Rockband, 2K Sports.
I also see more imagination for upcoming games on Wii than the bigger games on the other consoles, that’s what appeals to me. Just look at Boom Blox, De Blob, We Ski, Wii Fit.. alongside the likes of Fatal Frame, R: UC, Deadly Creatures etc.
Even if Wii doesn’t outlast PS3/360, despite the headstart in the 360s case it has a very good chance of selling more.
You’re joking, right? There are two reasons the Wii has been successful: price, and broad demographic appeal (driven by simple gaming experiences and intuitive controls.) 3rd party support is not a strength of Nintendo generally, and it hasn’t changed with the Wii…. developers still develop their mainstream titles for Sony and MS first, as tehir development environments are more demanding. Wii has an achiles heel…and that’s high definition. Consumers expectations and awareness of HD are increasing, and that tends to sway purchasers towards the HD consoles. The PS3 in particular benefits from the HD market due to the inclusion of the triumphant Blu-Ray player. This will impact the longevity of the Wii appeal, and the investment for Nintendo to go HD is very significant… they will actually need to produce a 3rd generation console, instead of a 2.5 genration, which requires faster processors, better graphics, and more memory…that will result in a new development environment can cause problems maintaining backward compatibility. MS and Sony have made that step, and Nintendo hasn’t. Finally, while the 360 is niched in terms of game appeal, the PS3 actually has a much broader appeal than the Wii through not just HD/media support, and hand-held integration with the PSP, but with titles such as Home, LittleBigPlanet, Singstar, Echochrome etc. plus not just motion sensing controllers and games, but also motion capture via video. In short, Wii has a broad demographic now… bur the PS3 has a broader application/gaming appeal, plus a longer in-market life time. Go ahead and play with your Wii now, but in 12-24 months Wii owners will have grown bored and be looking enviously at the sales and appeal of the high definition PS3.
I personally think Nintendo is going to be stuck in a loop whole. How often does grammy check the Nintendo site for the lastest games? Really think about this the console is selling not the games.
Yes Pac-Man is addicting but there is a time when you want to be updated. The audience that they have don’t know about anything else related to the Wii.
The Wii is a good console but there is going to be a point when people want to move forward. The PlayStation 2 is still selling but PLAYSTATION Home is where the action is going to be. PlayStation 2 isn’t going to be strong forever people are going to move on. They don’t even have a strong online to even help them.
third party support? give me a break all third party game have been average to mediocre….Wii strenght is in first party game which are the only one that are trully innovative…the wii will never outlast the PS3 NEVER, I have both consoles, and i barely touch my Wii if it wasnt for maio galaxi, zelda ,and Brawl. My Ps3 get most of my playtime due to it s better multiplayer games and better quality games.
It is funny to see some of the comments. I agree with this article. Wii is the console to own this gen.Wii software is usually number 1 in sales. PS3 is mainly used for just movies and software sales shows that.Wii has more 3rd party support than PS3 and 360.The Wii is only a little over a year old and most dev’s were avoiding it. Expect to hear a lot by the end of this year about Wii development. When I hear the power argument from people I think backa few years to when the DS and PSP were coming out. People called the DS a gimmick that would fall to the more powerful PSP. Yet now a few years later the DS is number 1 with double the sales of the PSP and way more 3rd party support.
uhhhh no your wrong,BLURAY is not used ONLY for movies,its used for games.
ds and psp,wel nintendo always had the power on handhelds.psp in new and its not saleing that BAD,just wait for the PSP-2.
if u got a different console u wouldn’t be talking crap,i used to have the wii,but i gave it to a little kid like 1 week ego,never played it cuz there is only one game that i like;boreing console i ever known.
360 and PS3 are more fun.
Really nintendo fanboys stop comparing the wii to the x360 or PS3 even if the wii sells a billion console it doesnt matter even nintendo them selfs said it at e3, the wii is not next gen. its new gen.
i know wii is the biggest dissapointment in gaming history, i owned my for like 8 months already have used it i easily 6 months already, theres nothing really hardcore to play here just mini games and ports of games i already played last gen.
you know theres a problem when the biggest wii game this year smash bros isnt using the motion sencing in the wii, the only thing thats special about it.
I think this analysis is dead on.
Scream all you want about it, but the Wii IS outselling the PS3 and 360, and it still hasn’t caught up with demand. I see it as the PS2 of this generation (lots and lots of sales, tons of software, long life span).
If you don’t like all of the great games available for it, it’s not for you
But it is the console of choice for people like me and my family.
I used to be a “hard core gamer” (I own/owned a PS1, PS2, XBox, GameCube, N64, DreamCast, and some older stuff). I still play some Hardcore stuff (Portal and Team Fortress 2 recently).
So far, this generation, I’ve got a Wii.
I’ve played games on my brother’s 360. I just haven’t seen anything worth buying it for (other than RockBand, and that’s coming for the Wii later this year).
But, on the Wii, we have these exclusives: Zelda:TP, Super Paper Mario, Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Fire Emblem (not fancy, but one of the better strategy/RPG titles I’ve played), and Smash Brothers Brawl.
There’s been other 3rd party games that everyone has (Guitar Hero 3, Madden, Medal of Honor, etc.).
We also have a bunch of lesser titles, more for my daughter and for parties (Endless Oceans, Wii Sports, Wario Ware, Raving Rabbids, MySims, all the but the last 2 were Nintendo only as well).
Is the Wii the “best” console? Not even worth debating (too subjective).
But it is a good system for a good price, with a lot of good games…and it appeals to all types of gamers (Non- , Casual, Core, as well as Hard Core).
All types of gamers is a larger market than a small subset of gamers, and that’s why the Wii will outsell every other console available.
Get over it.
your just a sheep who cant afford a ps3, Nintendo have fooled you in to buying a cheap outdated hardware with a motion sensing stick. The novelty will wear of when the ps3 starts getting all the plaudits and is in your price range. I applaud Nintendo for exploiting the stupidity of millions. Did you know in people have multiple wii’s just so they can have one in a different color. Does this not strike you as fad. Ill bet you will buy a stand alone blue ray player. When you do ask yourself this i could have had realistic challenging games and a blue-ray player. Now all iv’e got is a wii collecting dust and overpriced high definition player.
Cut the crap. The PS3 has no good games while the wii has great games with mario an zelda. The PS3 also costs way more then the wii, and all you get is blue ray. The consle war is between X-box and PS3. The wii is out selling them both because people want a good deal at what their getting. The people who own a wii are not stupid.
wii suxs wtf
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!! Look at all of the wittle PS3/360 fanboys scweaming about the twuth. This article is 100% true. All you sore-loser fanboys post biased claims against it, but guess what, it doesn’t make a difference. You are still laughed at by the more mature. PS3/360 is still gettin served by the Wii. Get over it. You lost.
I say Paystation 3!
I know people who only buy it because of
the Blu-Ray capabilty and NOT because of the games!
What good games are availabile for the PS3-Really NOT MANY!
Even when Re5/GTA 4 comes out-Ive still played Zelda,Metroid3 and Galaxy WAY before anything is happening!
Yes Wii=PS2 of this Gen!
I bet even Re5 will come a later date to the Wii and later GTA 4 is coming to the PC=No reason to buy a Paystation 3!
Wii RULZ!
smart one,blue ray is for games too.
i bet u dont even know waht a cell processor is.
Actually i´m very Tech savvy-I know what a cell Processor is and also know that the PS3 has a modifyed G71 Chip a Wii a modifyed R520 Chip and the Xbox 360 a derivat from the HD2900XT.
Still doesnt change my opion of the PS3.
Its overrated(gameswise) and is far too expensiv for the masses.
great games arent there too…
Wii is this Gens PS2!
Same with the shovelware too….
Here’s another section that should have been added to the article to further prove it right.
Backward Compatibility
Just think about it. The PS3’s backward compatibility barely works. The 360’s backward compatibility doesn’t a large number of games that you can use BC to play, and it’s arcade is not very popular. The Wii’s backward compatibility is top-notch. You can play any gamecube game on the wii AND select from the best games of Nintendo’s past in an ever-growing Shop Channel. Plus, you can also get games from non-Nintendo consoles on the Shop Channel too.
Just another reason why Wii wins.
the wii is shit, it’s a fisher price toy, the wii will suffer the same fate as the game cube, the 360 is already dead, the wii is a gamecube with motion sensing and online play(which as of the other day is not free anymore), the ps3 has the games the wii has innovative, fun, family but in HD. don’t forget what made the ps2 a success: it’s games, the ps2 won the 6th gen war because it had the best games, most of these games are coming back on the ps3 in 2008 and 2009, third party support for the wii sucks, i havnt found more than 5 games that i like, on the ps3 ive found over 1 hundred and none on the 360 although some r good.
You nintendo and microsoft fans will soon see that the ps3 is superior give it 1 yr or 2.
This is nothing but sour grapes. Get over it, the PS3 has lost this war. The statistics you read in the news prove this. In Japan, the Wii has outsold the PS3 4-1! A PS3 for 500?!! Who has the money to buy one?
what are you talking about, online play not free. Last time I checked which was today online play was free.
what made the ps2 win the 6th gen ‘wars’ was because it sold more than the other consoles, exactly what the wii is doing now.
go cry yourself to sleep cradling your shitty dual shock you little fan boy
i had the money to buy 1, and the ps3 is far better than the wii.
It doesn’t matter what anyone says. Just look at the facts. The wii has been out selling the PS3 4 to 1 for over a year and its going strong. It has passed the lifetime sales of the Xbox 360 after a year head start.
The wii is this generations PS2, it will be the console bought years into the next generation.
The PS3 is the black sheep. Sony needs to learn how to cater to non-hardcore gamers. It started at a $500 price tag. Ridiculous. They need to trash the PS3 and go to work on the PS4.
The PS3 will not catch the wii or Xbox in lifetime sales.
I have a PS3, 360, and wii, We only use the PS3 as a blu-ray player. The 360 gets a descent amount of play, but I have 4 younger siblings and we’re all hyper competitive. So naturally, the wii, which is a party console, gets the most use.
Metroid, galaxy, and zelda all got played until they were beaten. For the last year and a half, MK: double dash and SSB melee got more play then any wii game (not joking or exagerating)
With “Brawl” and “Mario Kart wii” coming out soon, It will be a year or two before we see any kind of comeback from the PS3.
It Doesn’t matter that the WII is outselling ps3 and 360, the competition for the wii is ps2. Wii is just really late in the game.
what you young guys fail to realize most people are not hardcore gamers as you guys are. thats why wii is doing so well with casual gamers and for people that like old school games. “simple and easy playing games” everybody dont like playing a game going around blowing people or aliens head off.
ps3 = 2 teraflops a clock and they use it for doing crazy simulations like finding out what happens when two black holes collide… hardware wise its the best…
games tho are not that great… but metal gear solid 4 should be sweet… they couldnt even fit the entire game on a 50 gig blu ray disk (sized down the audio and removed diff languages). and the new FF games… well if they ever get here they should be sweet.
I would buy a wii just for the fun of virtual games until nintendo come out with re-born old school games. I hate hardcore games they are disgusting. yes Im old school so what!!!
I think most people forget, that the GC had the same wonderful start to its lifetime. Then.. 2 yrs after launch… nothing. The ‘cheapness’ of the system couldnt save it from lacklustre sales. It sold over 80% of its entire sales in the first 18 months - so, before you Wii fans go stupid about how good the first year was, remember the current instance looks very similar to the previous one.
Maybe in 12 months time we will know for sure if the Wii is truly dominating, or just a ‘fad’. Im betting its just a cheap fad, and has no longevity - because it is already looking very dated.
I read somewhere nintendo is coming out with nintendo e.x in 2012 the new console so its not dead by a mile haaaaaaa
Comparing the Wii to the PS3 or X360 is like comparing a bicycle to an automobile. Both are good products, but they are built for different customers. Ultimately, the Wii is good for the PS3 because it brings non-gamers into the market who will eventually want to upgrade. Think of it this way: I know of no PS3 owner who would trade their PS3 for a Wii, but I know lots of Wii owners (especially pre-teens and teens) who are now clamoring for a PS3.
The Wii is fun, and will win…
Eventually all the little boys and girls crying for the 360 and ps3 will realize something, there both shat compared to PC’s.
If your a true hardcore gamer, you own a PC (that you self built, not order from dell after asking for the “fastest kumpewtar” available).
Face it, consoles are ghetto computers, if your ghetto and proud, show your support for the 360 and ps3, if your not ghetto, you own a PC and probably bought a Wii to enjoy with friends and maybe a couple specific titles.
Like it or not, the Wii will win. But really, its only winning over ghetto computers…
well said
Excatly like i have done since 2000.
First a N64/PC,then a Gamecube/PC and now a PC/Wii -at the moment my Wii is being used more(even with my new 8800GT) than my gaming PC….
I love the reaction from the 360 and ps3 fanboys, I admit I don’t own a ps3 so I won’t say much about it but I do own a 360…. well this is technicaly my fourth one and im pretty sure you all know why.
The wii is seriously under-credited when it comes to its hard core games, it has alot thats ONLY on its console Metroid Prime (best FPS control scheme ever) Mario galaxy (now voted the best game ever, I bet if the 360 had the best game ever everyone would be like 360 RULEZ THIZ R PROVE3 DAT IT IZ GR8TEST” but when the wii gets the best game ever 360 fanboys and ps3 fanboys try to block this out of their head while shouting “LA LA LA LA LA”….. ITS BEEN VOTED THE BEST DAM GAME OF ALL TIME HOW MUCH HARDCORE CAN A GAME GET?!!?!!??!!
Then theirs RE4, Battalion wars 2, no more heores, disaster day of crisis, sonic and the secret rings (far superior to its 360 and ps3 counter parts) final fantasy chrystal chronicals, Metroid prime 3, MY sims Super smash bros brawl (if this was a 360 game you can bet that they would be crappin them selfs in anticipation of it but since its a nintendo game once again its “LA LA LA LA LA LA!!!”
oah yea and heres more Mario kart wii, Resident evil umberella chronicals, house of the dead 2 and 3, nights (a return of a much loved old classic)Zelda the twilight princess, Mario strikers charged, Excite truck (one of the most fastest racers ever, yes even faster than burnout)Super Paper Mario…..
there isnt as much as the 360 (bearing in mind it has been out for alot longer and consists almost only of shooters)and the ps3’s library isnt exactly impressive
the wii is very underated in terms of it hard core games just because the 360 has more it dosen’t mean that the wii has next to none
oah yea and Red steel 2 has been confirmed and its going to be online to.
What some Wii owners don’t realize is that it’s 3rd party support is just horrible. Name a game on the Wii what has had more than 3 million sales besides Wii Sports or Wii Play which are both developed by Nintendo. Huh thats right none, why because the casual market does’nt buy that many of games like a hardcore. And if a game has bad sales, the developer will then not develop for that console. Which will result to poorer 3rd party support and end up like the Gamecube. The Wii is a novelty and wont last more than 3 more years. Nintend may have Japan which is a small nation by the way. Sony and Microsoft have America and Europe which is where more people live. The Wii does have good games like a port of Resident Evil 4, RE: UC, SMG, and MP3. but with games that were already available for the 360 and PS3 are finally getting PORTED to the Wii, which will result with gimmick controls, bad graphics, bad audio (like Guitar Hero 3 which is only mono sound untile they get replaced), and then will be known as a port and make money system. So then they won’t even try to develop inoovattive games for it, and just make minigames. Which can ruin the whole industry and result to no competition which will lead to less great ideas.
Red Steel,Rayman Raving Rabbids,RE4,RE Chronicles,Zak and Wiki just too name a few GREAT titles….
It amazes me how short sighted so many people are. What you fail to realize is that the Wii is a “niche” product. Dont believe me? Look at software sales relative to consoles sold. Nintendo is losing 3rd party support as I type this, which will in turn hurt Wii sales.
The majority of Wii systems are bought by impulse buyers, who then use it primarily for Wii sports. Fact is the Wii will share the same fate as the GameCube.
Everyone I know who bought a Wii, regrets it and never uses it. We had fun with the novelty of Wii sports and a few other 1st party titles……then we went back to the 360 and PS3.
Another problem for the Wii is online support, something it virtually does not have.
Now lets step back and look at the PS3 for a moment. Everyone and there grandma criticized it when it was first released. But look at it now, it is coming back and building momentum on a daily basis. It has already caught the 360 on weekly sales, and sold more in it’s first 14 months. It did that without any big games.
Whats to come this year? Sony has the biggest lineup period, bigger then both 360 and Wii combined. GT5, Killzone, Final Fantasy, LBP, Haze, God Of War 3, GTA4, MGS4 and many many more. All of Sony’s system selling games will be released this year. That plus the recent victory for Blu Ray will cause sales of the PS3 to keep climbing and ultimately surpass the Wii.
Just remember, the GameCube outsold the PS2 for the first year or more. Anybody remember the end of that story though? I think it went GC=35million and PS2 110million.
You need to learn to think long term, because the Wii is most certainly not in this for the long term.
what ps3 game has sold over 3 million copies?
First you need to remember something. At the moment the Wii has 20million consoles sold compaired to the PS3’s 10.5million. This results in more software sold. This goes for explaining why multiplatform games for the 360/PS3 usually sell more on the 360.
And before you jump on that as if it is some sort of indication that the Wii will dominate long term, I yet again point you to go look at history. History will show you that the GC did the same thing to the PS2, then it died off due to a lack of 3rd party games or games for the hardcore gamers, a trend we can see happening with the Wii at the moment. No 3rd party support and no support for hardcore gamers = niche/novelty console.
When has nintendo ever made a game for the hardcore gamer? They dont, especially not villant games. The lack of this and a quality online experience are the deadly flaws of the Wii.
3 million sold eh. You realize that GT5 prologue will come close to those sales, and it’s only a demo of the game. Sony has at least 6 games all set to sell over 3m with ease.
Everyone jumped on the Wii bandwagon thinking it was revolutionary…..hardly. Just look at Nintendos biggest game this year, Brawl doesnt even use the motion controls.
Im going to call it now, the Wii fad will carry on through 2009 at which point it will hit a wall. All the old PS2 owners are waiting for the price of the PS3 to fall before they switch. This is indicated by the ridiculous ongoing sales of the PS2.
Anyone who bashed Sony’s strategy last year are currently eating there words, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.
Enjoy the Wii fad while it lasts boys.
I yet again point you to go look at history…
…No 3rd party support and no support for hardcore gamers = niche/novelty console.”
“When has nintendo ever made a game for the hardcore gamer? They dont, especially not villant games. The lack of this and a quality online experience are the deadly flaws of the Wii.”
Bam. Found two obvious flaws in your argument. Let’s start off with the history part. History will show you that gameplay and fun has always beaten graphics in the generations of video games. The same has happened for the PS2, which is why it won. PS2 had the best gameplay and was the most fun console of last gen. Also, it had the worst graphics of the three.
It has already been proven that history repeats itself. Take a look at what is happening now. Wii has the worst graphics, but it has the best gameplay, the most innovation, and it even maintains a high “fun” level. This, combined with the reasons shown in this article, is the reason why the Wii will outlast the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Now for the “hardcore gamer” part, which I found pretty funny. There are a lot less hardcore gamers than casual gamers in the world. If the PS3 and 360 focus on hardcore gamers and the Wii didn’t, then the Wii wouldn’t be winning, by what you’re saying. But guess what, it is. Also, now that Nintendo has “some” online play, it is doing a lot better.
On a side note, it is a good thing that barely any (if not, none) of their games have online voice chat and stuff like that. The reason? You don’t have to listen to some 12 year old pre-mature kid scream and butcher the english language every time they get a kill or get killed.
ahhhh ignorance. Your logic is heavily flawed.
First, there were no flaws in my argument, certainly not in reference to the history aspect. Truth is the Wii is not the more fun console, this is easily proven by the lack of software sales in comparison to the 360/PS3. The majority of people who bought a Wii did so for Wii sports and only use it for the rare party with friends………yep sounds like the more fun console to me.
Let’s return to Nintendo’s history. They always start off fast out the gate, then they hit a wall. Do you know why? No 3rd party support and no games for the hardcore gamer. These are the facts that you have chosen to ignore.
Also, the PS2 did not have the worst graphics of the last gen. Just take a look at God of War 2, easily looks better then any game from the GC…..hell it rivals most games on the Wii for that matter. Same can be said for GT4. It is clear you have no idea what your debating here.
History does repeat itself, but first you need to have a proper understanding of history. The PS2 had the broadest game library without question. It appealed to kids/casual gamers/hardcore gamers. The gamecube stuck to the classic Nintendo kids market, and the Xbox was focused on the hardcore gamer.
Now lets look at this round, what looks familiar? The Wii is following in the exact footsteps of the GC, it is going after kids/casual gamers and completely ignoring the hardcore gamer. The 360 has it’s main focus on the hardcore gamer but is trying to reach out more to the casual gamer (not doing a very good job). The PS3 on the other hand is sticking to the PS2 formula, lots of games over a very broad spectrum with great online (something the PS2 lacked).
So based on history repeating itself, it’s safe to say the PS3 will dominate just as the PS2 did.
“There are a lot less hardcore gamers than casual gamers in the world”
One could also say there are a lot less gamers in the world then gamers. Point your missing is that casual gamers dont buy games, history shows this over and over again. If you ignore hardcore gamers, your are setting yourself up for failure because 3rd party developers dont care about the casual gamer.
Voice chat isnt really needed for the Wii as none of it’s games would really benefit. There are no tactical shooters etc which make great use of voice chat, a clear weakness of the Wii.
At the present moment the PS3 is narrowing the gap with the Wii every month. It used to be that the Wii would outsell it every week 6-1, that number has already fallen to 2-1. The fact is the Wii is slowing down and the PS3 is speeding up. Analysts already have predicted the PS3 to take the lead by 2010 if not earlier (I think earlier).
Do your homework before trying to debate something.
“You don’t have to listen to some 12 year old pre-mature kid scream and butcher the english language every time they get a kill or get killed.”
if you don’t want to hear kids screaming don’t play kids games. Time for you to go to the grown up table and get off the WII.
I forgot to mention something about your first post. You’ve listed many hardcore games there. Hardcore games will NOT push the PS3’s sales past the Wii’s sales, as explained in my “hardcore gamer” part.
True, the majority of the games I posted are for the “hardcore gamer” but these games also have a broad appeal. LBP is also for casual gamers. Fact is those games are the biggest system sellers. GT5 is the most succesful game franchise of all time, Final Fantasy and MGS4 also have a cult following.
Your “hardcore gamer” arguement was flawed. You forget that Sony goes after all gamers casual/kids/hardcore which is why they win everytime. Sure the games I posted are mainly for the hardcore, yet there are dozens more 3rd party games coming out for casual gamers/kids.
Another thing to remember. Of last years top 50 games (in terms of software sales). The 360 outsold the Wii by a margin of 3.4 million, and overall it outsold it by more then 10 million. Even the PS3 outsold it on numerous occasions.
Further proof that there is virtually no 3rd party support for the Wii, which limits it’s game library significantly. It will be held up by first party games, of which the majority are just sequals, very few actual new/innovative games from Nintendo.
in reply to wii FTW. you mentioned four wii games that could be worthy of sitting next to my 360 and p3 collection of…let me seee, COD 2,3,4 bioshock, halo 3, oblivion,gears, graw1 & 2, PGR 3 & 4, DMC 4, skate, the orange box, mass effect, rainbow 6 and virtua 5. not to mention the less superior games that would walse onto the wii any day fanboys would admit how superior they are.wii fad wont last thank god because if developers stay as lazy as they are while porting ps2 games to wii i think nintendo will be the only credible wii devs left.ports and wiimakes…sorry remakes.
All the listed games are Shooters/Adult Games-no games like Wii Sports/Mario Party 8 or Mario Galaxy-this will hurt the Xbox 360 more than the Wii!
The Wii has NOT been outselling the PS3 for over a year. It is true that in February in Japan this is the case; however, the PS3 almost surpassed sales of the Wii in January. 269,000 PS3s sold compared to 274,000 Wii’s. I do not know how 2% greater sales equates to 400% for some people.
Meant to say the Wii has NOT been outselling the PS3 four to one for over a year.
all u guys need to get laid
lol
fuck games all of them suck
Sorry, that was a misprint, The wii is outselling the PS3 4 to 1.
Lifetime sales:
Wii = 22.26
360 = 17.37
PS3 = 10.62
The wii is outselling the PS3 2.2 to 1 since launch. Even if the PS3 reaches the unlikely goal of outselling the wii, Lets say 1.2 to 1 which is the most plausible, Then it would take 7.3 years for the PS3 to break even, And we all know the way gamers judge who wins the console wars is by most units sold
Kyle you need to realize something, the Wii sales figures wont last.
Let’s say that hypothetically the Wii does end up like the GC and it hits a wall. Sales will come to a near stand still, but the PS3 will still be selling strong and will be getting stronger week after week. Just remember the PS2.
Currently the GC is still for sale in the UK and Japan. It was launched in 2001 and only sold a lil over 20million. During the same timeframe the PS2 sold 120million.
Of course the Wii is selling stronger then the GC, that is obvious. This is because of the motion control’s, they created a novelty aspect which has sucked a lot of people in. And as figures have shown, majority lose interest quickly after. There was an article recently that stated 80% or more of Wii owners only play Wii sports, and they rarely even play that.
This will of course cause 3rd party developers to back out over the following year. Now the Wii will only have it’s first party games, which are rare and most are simple sequals. This is going to hurt Wii sales tremendously.
The current trend in TV sales is HD and 1080p screens, and everyone is pushing for consumers to buy into the HD players. This is great news for Sony as dad wants a fancy Blu Ray player while junior wants a video game console. Get a PS3 and you kill 2 birds with 1 stone. You are going to see a lot of that this year, especially during the holidays thanks to all the must have AAA titles Sony has lined up.
Just admit it, the Wii’s future doesnt look as sturdy as you thought.
4 to 1 in Japan
Yo’ nintendo fanboys admit wii is the worst POS in the history of gaming and its only selling beacuase it was 1/3 the price of the PS3.
remenber what happend when nintendo puts a real next gen. system with a real price tag againts Sony just like it happend with the PSX and PS2, Sony always destroys nintendo and game cube is the biggest flop in the history of gaming.
if the PS3 almosts out sells the wii, it still loses
The wii is a dust colector toy not a gaming console.
Sony doesn’t destroy nintendo, look at the DS and PSP. DS owns the handheld market
and the wii is one of the most successful
look, I have fun with the PS3, im just partial to the wii cause it is a party console and i have a lot of siblings
nintendo is trying new things and it is paying off
Wow, have any of you ever played a Wii?!?! its horrible! not only is the motion sensing way off, you have to have some damn wired sensor bar by your tv just to play most games!! And here it is flat out, the only game that was even worth a 2nd look, was super smash bros, and it didnt even use motion sensing!!! Zelda sucks, mario is no different, Metroid was exactly the same as well. Im sorry, but if i buy a Next-gen console, i want a next gen experience. and the wii has not provided that.
look at the PS3, it will have more AAA titles this year than any other, and Home should be something to look at.
The Xbox, given its the worst designed console of all time, still has awsome online play, and Gears of war is one of the best games ever. Halo 3 sucked, because there was almost no difference from halo 2.
so im goin to rely on ps3. its future proof, its got the games, its got reliable hardware. and its got Final Fantasy, regardless what you all say, thats the ball game. whichever console has FF, is the winner. and the PS3 will have the best experience.
The wii is for kids, leave it that way.
Well, it looks like you have never played a Wii. I won’t even tell you how wrong you are mainly because there’s too many flaws with your message. One huge one was “Metroid was exactly the same as well”. HAHAHAHAH that is probably the biggest load of BS I’ve read on this page. Maybe if you played the game, you would know that it is completely different AND the best FPS game ever made… so far. Heck, Wii was practically MADE for FPS games. Good online FPS games combined with Wii’s control style (at least as good as Metroid Prime 3’s motion sensing) makes the best FPS experience right now. Think about it, you have to push a few buttons to throw a grenade, you have to move a joystick to aim, you have to push another button to hit with your gun. But, on the Wii, you can aim with the Wiimote, shoot with the trigger-like button (the B button, as you probably don’t know), and throw a grenade by making a throwing motion with the nunchuk or Wiimote. Face it, when it comes to gameplay, Wii is as realistic as it gets.
Thats laughable. The precision of the Wiimote is autrocious when compared to a mouse/controller. Also the whole “throwing a grenade” aspect of the Wii is retarded and get’s annoying frankly and can mess you up a lot.
And Metroid prime the best FPS shooter……hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha there are so many better FPS out there it’s not even funny. What are you 10? Hell just go look on metacritic, Metroid Prime was outscored by most FPS. Halo 3, COD4 etc etc.
My main point was that Metroid Prime 3 provides the best FPS game experience. It is your own fault that you mess up on grenade throws and precision. Frankly, I play much better on FPS for the Wii than on the 360. Once again, you go to metacritic. tsk tsk.
Who says? You?
Most people hate using the Wii for FPS, it’s crap. Maybe you just suck with controllers.
It’s not my own fault that I mess up with the grenade. The process of using the motion to throw it slows down your response time for other actions, it is a million times quicker/easier to hit a dedicated button. Your just too caught up in the novelty aspect of it.
Haha yes I go to metacritic, and I proved you wrong earlier. So where should I go for reviews/ratings then? Where do you go?
Fact is the place you gather your reviews, is connected to metacritic. It’s the most accurate rating system period, and for you to think otherwise is blatant ignorance.
dear writer: you are dumb and your mother was probably dumb… and your writing is completely esoteric and the fact that you are writing for nintendic makes you a dick!
The wii sucks, i hate it.
Its been said many times here:
After 3 months we got bored with it. Even the little kids don’t want to play with it. it sits there and gathers dust!
i just go by sales figures (and by the way, my mom died two years ago of ovarium cancer, so please don’t talk about her)
if you don’t play the wii, your in a minority, but
i’ll give you this:
the wii is a party/kids console, if you want that the wii is fine. If your more of a hardcore gamer then get a PS3 and 360.
The motion controls aren’t bad, its the developers not taking the time to implement them well, but your right, most the games, especially the first party games hardly use the motion sensitivity.
Im not bad mouthing the PS3, and it may very well out sell the wii someday, but i like the wii for its party antics, and the motion control barely even comes into play. If the PS3 had the sales figure the wii has, I’d be saying the PS3 is better
I agree with shadow wii just sits there collecting dust the fad is already fading away, sorry nintendo fanboys you will be in last place this gen. AGAIN!
Do you really think if 2 out of millions don’t like their Wii, Nintendo is going to lose? HAHAHAH you crack me up with your stupidity.
the wii has Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicals, so if your sticking by your argument, then the wii and PS3 tie
but right now, nintendo is in first, the Ps3 has some catching up to do
I have a ps3 and the only thing i use it for is blu-ray movies. so far all of ps3 games have been shit. yes, the stuff that comes out our asses. the only games i see worth buying in 08 is FF and MGS. thats it. 360’s got Fable 2, Too Human, GTA IV exclusive content, Lost odyssey, and alan wake. Must I go on
I just can’t get into the WII. I think it’s cool but please keep in mind I play video games because I am lazy. I don’t think the WII will outlast the PS3 or Xbox 360. It’s technology and its stupid for anyone to make predictions on it. I personally think the WII is a fad like all must have technology. Remember the WII parties?
The Wii is just another way for nintendics to lure children into their gingerbread houses and Kyle your mom just told you it was cancer so as not to hurt your feelings. She actually died of shame.
No webzine has yet mentioned the 3 most significant differences between N vs S and M consoles.
1) N has made money on every console sold, every accessory and every game.
2) Observe the DS and the N held held line in general and you notice they have broken the life cycle tradition. Same as Apple and iPod. Faster refresh. More news. More interest. More sales. Own the pathway, don’t just walk it.
3) M and S, in particular M still hasn’t learnt about coding. N didn;t last gen, but has now. Code a GC, can code a Wii, will be able to code Wii2. Trumpeting how coders have yet to unleash the power isn’t actually a cool thing, its a lame thing.
The S and M graphics and cpu don’t mean beans. Mass $ to develop and recoup. They are barely up to off the shelf now, let alone 5 years. In reality graphics and cpu are flattening. In the sense of user experience.
Money = ability to develop next version quicker.
N will own the life cycle. Wii HD will be $249, totally compatible, totally profitable and swarm the market. By the time S and M release next ‘gen’ they will be a whole gen behind and losing money on the new machines.
The battle is not the war. A gen is nothing. The question is who will be there in 30 years. Ever played N game and watch? I had a few as a kid. Nearly 30 years ago. In 30 years will S and M still be here, don’t know but N will.
That’s business, not fanboys and gamers.
That actually makes a lot of sense. I agree.
Sorry, this above should have been posted to the root comment!
Motorstorm has sold 3 million and same Resistance.
For those who think wii is boring, think again - are you even in the wii target market? Nintendo targets the Wii console for people that play together (eg: family, friends) and not hardcore gamers. It is insanely fun for us who are within the target market ^_^
I personally don’t care for the wii. I don’t think it has very good games. Zelda was good but I liked it more on the game cube. Wii sports is BORING, yes I said it, and guess what… YOU CAN PLAY SETTING DOWN! Mario Galaxy is ok but it makes me dizzy. Smash Brothers will be good, theres no doubt there. And I enjoyed metroid. I case you haven’t noticed all these games I’ve listed are made by Nintendo, the third party support for the Wii is crap. The reason that the price is so cheap is, nintendo is using last gen technology. The graphics are at best gamecube quality. At worst characters in games are androgynous bowling pins with hats and hair. The only thing Nintendo did well with this toy is, market it really well. Here in the states it’s marketed to children under 12, overweight 40-45 year old women in the midst of a mid-life crisis, and people in retirement homes who are so desperate for interaction and attention they’d play with a turd from their roommates diaper if they thought everyone would join in. I don’t know any adult who isn’t trying to impress their kids that enjoys the Wii. I won’t lie I’ve bought 6 Wiis since they’ve come out. I’ve gouged the shit out of five of them and sold them for nearly twice what i paid for them. The one I played with kept my interest for about an hour and now it collects dust. Soon I will be boxing it up to sell to some fool for $500.
Third party support BLOWS for the Wii, the attach rate BLOWS for the Wii. A great system that doesn’t sell 3rd party games will be a great system that only has First party games.
Most of the 3rd party support is a dev trying to cash in by porting a PS2 game to the Wii with no thought to making the game really work for the Wii.
Wii will dominate for sometime, but it’s software sales will lag behind PS3 and X360. The reason why is casual gamers do not spend nearly as much money on games then Hard Core gamers.
Also — you forgot 1 thing…
Wii is gay
I have a wii and all i