Gaming by GlossGreen

OK, the Wii. I really don't know where to go with this one. I'm conflicted. The potential is there to make 2008 their best year since the late 80's, but will the software be up to the task? 2007 was a great year for Nintendo. They went from ridiculed underdog to the top of the console heap in less than one year. How they did it was no surprise. They pioneered an innovative control scheme, made the console cheap, and made it accessible to the non-typical gamer. The virtual console was also a great idea. Backward compatibility has been a buzz word with previous generations, something that Nintendo hasn't taken advantage of until now. Adding the back catalog of classic games was a must for the Big N.

First, the good. Any game released by Nintendo with Wii in the title is sure to be a huge seller. This trend will definitely continue well into this year, and possibly, extending through the entire life of the console. We will also see releases of all the current popular Nintendo titles. Expect to see sequels with Mario, Link, and Samus in them. Whether or not we'll see these characters in their natural environments is another story. We should see some changes within the third party developers as well. As the developer community gets more familiar with the Wii's wireless motion controls we will hopefully see more chances being taken, instead of just putting out the cookie cutter projects of the previous generations and bad ports. Everyone is waiting for the lightsaber attachment and a good Star Wars game to back it up, so get on it LucasArts. We want to duel with Darth. Gaming for the beginning of the year with the Wii looks promising. With some huge titles having been released in the last few months and constant demand, expect Nintendo to stay on or near the top for this year.

Now here comes the problem. Looking at this from the hardcore perspective: Games and release dates. Where are they? We have some vague idea when some of the games are coming out, but even the games with published dates have been getting pushed back. The games that are being released? Well, it's not looking so hot. Taking a look at this weeks releases I see no winners and no big games. The next big game on the horizon, Super Smash Bros Brawl, isn't coming out until March...maybe. See, here's the problem with Nintendo. The big, good games take a lot longer to be released. How many true Mario games did we see on the Gamecube? Not many. Nintendo fans have always been expected to be patient through the long gaming drought between the AAA titles, but unfortunately, not given many decent choices to play in the interim.

I took a look at the titles currently available for the Wii via Amazon. I'm aware that this is not a complete list, but looking at the sampling they have available, I'm concerned. Now here's how my list turned out. Games with either Mario, Link, or Samus in them: 10 (I didn't even count Donkey Kong, Pokemon, or the Wario Ware titles in that list). Fishing games: 4. Bowling games: 2. And games that I called WTF??: 20. Now what type of games were in that last category you ask. I'll tell you. I see games titled Ninjabread Man, Cranium Kabookii, Sea Monsters, and Chicken Hunt. Needless to say, these are not big sellers. With these games outnumbering the decent titles by a factor of 2, it doesn't look good. Where's the quality control? A better question is probably this. Where are the new intellectual properties from Nintendo? We all love Mario, Link and Samus, but that doesn't mean we want to see them in every game you put out.

Delivering derivative and uninspired games is by no means a new phenomenon. Nintendo has a problem with delivering innovative first party games to the gamers for the past few generations. Having to wait 3 or 4 years for the next Super Mario title is torture. Having to wait for the next big non-Mario Nintendo title is an eternity. If you are a casual gamer, you may be in better shape. Just don't expect the best in quality. Does Nintendo hate us? Do they think we'll stick with them no matter the crap they feed us? Maybe. I'm hoping they are able to pick it up for 08. If they don't, the bubble may burst and leave Nintendo all sticky. My last words? Just these few: Ninjabread Man. WTF?!?!?!

And Should We Care?

Today, we are seeing the same old ideas popping up again. This time with the very unreliable rumor stating that the 360 is getting a motion sensitive controller. I don't care who came up with the idea first, or even if the controller will ever see production, it's completely irrelevant. The practice of technology showing up on multiple competing systems is nothing new. Oh, sure, one company may say they came up with it first, but who has an original idea anymore? The consoles themselves prove the case. One console may have a different chipset than the next, but really, how different are they. They still operate in basically the same way. Electronic theory isn't rewritten with each new system generation.

Small innovations do appear every now and then, but what is more common to see are old ideas used in a new way. Take motion control. That tech has been around a lot longer than the Wii. Nintendo didn't invent the technology, they just used differently from the way it had been used before. Sony has implemented similar technology in the Sixaxis controller. Now Microsoft may be considering a unique idea to differentiate themselves from their competition and give their fan base what they want, or at least something that they think the consumers will want.

I believe that we are getting promising possibilities out of these rejuvenated ideas. One of the current innovations from the last generation seeing new life is the PlayStation Eye and the game Eye of Judgement. It brings old ideas to new concepts, and mixes a couple of gaming genres in to boot. Seeing what is possible with simple components will hopefully bring us a new and worthwhile experience. Another innovator, Johnny Lee, has an amazing video explaining his use of the Wii controller to put us in the game. Immersion is definitely something we expect while playing games and after seeing this creative thinker in action, I'm excited about the possibilities. I think that implementation of his ideas may be years way, but I can absolutely see this for the next generation.

We need to start celebrating the ideas of the competition. The Wii is, undeniably, different from any system that came before it. Both the PS3 and the 360 are substantially more powerful than all the previous generations combined. As I said before, the console makers guard their secrets, and try to make you want their system. Because of that you won't get everything you want with just one brand.

The only way to be able to get all the best in tech is to give up our long held prejudices against what we perceive to be the enemy. Xbots, the SDF, and whatever the Wii fanboys are called, are only hurting themselves by not accepting that each console, because of their differences, are worthy of purchase. Not all generations have been able to claim that, but I believe this one is as close to ideal as we're going to get. All the consoles were made by different people with different ideas, but with one ultimate goal. The goal is to give us games to play. Accept the fact that all the consoles are worthy of your attention. Each and every one of them has a game you will love to play. To not have the opportunity to experience the best on the PS3, the 360, the Wii, just because of the name on the box, will only hurt you. I don't have all the systems yet, but it is a goal of mine.

I don't believe in the concept of a console war. Wars do not have winners, just losers. I see it a different way, although, I do see a winner and a loser. The winner is the gamer, a true gamer, that believes in playing for the fun of it, experiencing the best of the industry, no matter the name. The loser, ah the loser. The loser is the one that limits the possibilities by sticking to one console. The loser misses out on about 2/3 of the good games available. I am not going to be a loser, are you?