Why do you think the wii is so successful??

Sometimes, things are just popular. The Wii even caught Nintendo off guard with it's popularity and will force them to BAM! turn it up a notch.

I like the Wii because it plays all my GC games and will have loads of exclusives. 

-Clever marketing, lots of media exposure.

-People think it is cheap, but don't realize that it is last gen hardware with an overpriced peripheral. 

-Most people have not actually looked at the horrible game lineup before buying the system. 

-Nintendo did a good job of hiding the fact that Twilight Princess is available for Gamecube. 

-Clever marketing, lots of media exposure.

-People are like sheep and buy whatever is hot.

-People think it is cheap, but don't realize that it is last gen hardware with an overpriced peripheral.

-Most people have not actually looked at the horrible game lineup before buying the system.

-Nintendo did a good job of hiding the fact that Twilight Princess is available for Gamecube.

BassMan

Haha. Clever.

I'd say because it's easy to use. I mean, you don't have to worry about overly complex control configurations or anything. All you do is wave you hands. Accessiblity is key here. 

[QUOTE="BassMan"]

-Clever marketing, lots of media exposure.

-People are like sheep and buy whatever is hot.

-People think it is cheap, but don't realize that it is last gen hardware with an overpriced peripheral.

-Most people have not actually looked at the horrible game lineup before buying the system.

-Nintendo did a good job of hiding the fact that Twilight Princess is available for Gamecube.

Darth_Homer

Haha. Clever.

I'd say because it's easy to use. I mean, you don't have to worry about overly complex control configurations or anything. All you do is wave you hands. Accessiblity is key here.

Funny you should say that as the Wii is selling out everywhere and is very hard to find at the moment. 

Parents probably looked at the prices for 360 and ps3 and decided to get the wii instead.

it's just different. it's also simplistic and easy to use. i guarantee that on christmas day they were thousands more parents and grandparents playing on their kids new wiis than on their kids new ps3s or xboxs.

all it needs now is some properly good games

Game which concentrate on graphics and upgrading visuals and sound dont realise there actually boring. Nintendo's first aim with every game they make is fun and it works. Even big "next gen" games that look amazing on the xbox360 and ps3 just arn't that fun to play. Nintendo is more enjoyable to play, all ways will be i think.

They also appeal to a larger market which makes for success. I'm 22 and think Nintendo are the best games developers around. There market is aged about 3 to 50, i wouldn't be surprised if i heard of 90 year old playing Nintendo games.  

Finally and a very important matter is Nintendo still have amazing game you can play at home on 4 player and enjoy games together. Most xbox360 games drive people apart. On some games me and my friends would all have to go to out own homes and log on and play each other on server, it takes fun out of the games.  

it's just different.my_name_is_ron

It's the controller, plain and simple. It's been getting a lot of good press (particularly "mainstream" press) and people seem to be genuinely impressed by its gimmicky uses. Wii Sports played a major role in this. There's also the illusion that it's cheap - which it most definitely is not.

Personally, I think Nintendo is going in a completely opposite direction of what I want out of gaming.

It's the controller, plain and simple.UpInFlames

Exactly. It's the controller more so than price, marketing, and exclusive 1st party titles. If the Wii's controller was a conventional controller like the GC's, the Wii wouldn't be doing half as good as it is right now. Sure, no doubt it would still sell millions soon after launch due to the existing Nintendo fanbase, but I don't think the popularity would have blown up as it has. 

People get excited about the controller. Tell most anyone the basic concept, and their face will light up.

Helps that the system has a decent line-up of games. Needs more, but it's six months after console launch. Systems don't come into their own until the following Christmas.
 

If only you liked paragraphs as much as you liked the Wii...

Seriously though, it's because it is fun and not expensive.  It might not be as fun to you, but for a lot of people, a Wii is a better deal.  Like if I had a friend who only played Madden (which makes up a big chunk of the PS2 base, and you know it) I would have to tell them to get a Wii because that system's version is the most fun. 

And about the game's lineup... For as early as this system is, it is doing fine.  Super Paper Mario, WarioWare, and Zelda is respectable this early on.  At least it's better than what the PS3 put out...

Wii is successful because of 3 factors

Cheap (especially when competition is double of their price)

Unique

Mario

There are more factors involved, but those three are pretty much the main factors.  

Game which concentrate on graphics and upgrading visuals and sound dont realise there actually boring. Nintendo's first aim with every game they make is fun and it works. Even big "next gen" games that look amazing on the xbox360 and ps3 just arn't that fun to play. Nintendo is more enjoyable to play, all ways will be i think.

magrappy

Not really. While I still love Pac-man and the other old games I realise that such games like Gears of War and RTS games in particular just wouldn't work well on the Wii because of graphical limitations. Now I'm not on a bashing crusade here but just because a game is simple doesn't mean it's fun which Nintendo has been pushing on us. Every game has the same right to be "fun" and only the developer can control that regardless of what platform he makes it on.

-Clever marketing, lots of media exposure.

-People are like sheep and buy whatever is hot.

-People think it is cheap, but don't realize that it is last gen hardware with an overpriced peripheral. 

-Most people have not actually looked at the horrible game lineup before buying the system. 

-Nintendo did a good job of hiding the fact that Twilight Princess is available for Gamecube. 

BassMan

I'm gonna have to agree with this man, as bad as it sounds. One thing that the Wii does that the other systems don't, is it appeals to casual gamers more so than the other systems due to its price and innovative controls. Say what you want about there not being a such thing as a casual gamer, but I think the term is very accurate.

It's fun and it's new.

I seriously don't get why people get so angry over this, it's not like the PS3 has any must have games out, and that's because both the Wii and PS3 JUST launched. The 360 has been out for almost a year and a half. And both the Wii *NiGHTS, Metroid, Mario, Smash, No More Heroes, DDR:HP* and the PS3 *MGS4, FFXIII, WNS, GT5, Lair* Have great games coming up. No consoles is good right away it takes time for developers to utilizing them and this is evident in not only history but in the present for both/all consoles. 

People get excited about the controller. Tell most anyone the basic concept, and their face will light up.

Helps that the system has a decent line-up of games. Needs more, but it's six months after console launch. Systems don't come into their own until the following Christmas.

Oilers99

Just what I said with my previous post. There has NEVER been a console that delievered good games right off the bat. And if it did it ALWAYS did it with ports. The 360 had PC ports *Call of Duty 2, Quake 4*, DC had arcade ports *Soul Caliber*, etc. People just need to be patient.

With NiGHTS, Metroid, Brawl, and Mario coming out that year the Wii is well over more then covered for games.

Then again the 360 has amazing games like Halo 3 and others.

And the PS3 has MGS4 and others.

And PC has HellGate: London, Half-Life Episode 2, and others

And the DS has Zelda: PHG, Dragon Quest IX *hope it makes it*

And the PSP God of War: CoO

It's going to be one heck of a summer :)

Whoops sorry double post. :( Thought that someone would've replied to this topic by the time a posted again. 

Cause humans are simple.Toaster_Cell

Thats such a great answer that can be used for so many purposes.

Cause humans are simple.Toaster_Cell

Thing is, the Wii is selling so fast, that humans may not be the only ones buying them.

[QUOTE="Toaster_Cell"]Cause humans are simple.nopalversion

Thing is, the Wii is selling so fast, that humans may not be the only ones buying them.

It must be the lizards. Those sneaky b*******

[QUOTE="Oilers99"]

People get excited about the controller. Tell most anyone the basic concept, and their face will light up.

Helps that the system has a decent line-up of games. Needs more, but it's six months after console launch. Systems don't come into their own until the following Christmas.

Dencore

Just what I said with my previous post. There has NEVER been a console that delievered good games right off the bat. And if it did it ALWAYS did it with ports. The 360 had PC ports *Call of Duty 2, Quake 4*, DC had arcade ports *Soul Caliber*, etc. People just need to be patient.

With NiGHTS, Metroid, Brawl, and Mario coming out that year the Wii is well over more then covered for games.

Then again the 360 has amazing games like Halo 3 and others.

And the PS3 has MGS4 and others.

And PC has HellGate: London, Half-Life Episode 2, and others

And the DS has Zelda: PHG, Dragon Quest IX *hope it makes it*

And the PSP God of War: CoO

It's going to be one heck of a summer :)

Whoops sorry double post. :( Thought that someone would've replied to this topic by the time a posted again.

The Dreamcast had a pretty damn good launch. 

1) The Demographic has a tendency to jump a little larger, not just for hardcore gamers, but families, kids, yadda yadda.

2) Yes, it's cheaper.

3) The gimmick of wireless controllers is an easy way to get people to buy it.

Personally I'm getting tired of the same characters from the past 20 years. Cough Dinosaur planet==> Star fox adventures cough... 

1) The Demographic has a tendency to jump a little larger, not just for hardcore gamers, but families, kids, yadda yadda.

2) Yes, it's cheaper.

3) The gimmick of wireless controllers is an easy way to get people to buy it.

 

Personally I'm getting tired of the same characters from the past 20 years. Cough Dinosaur planet==> Star fox adventures cough... 

VitaExodus

If only you liked paragraphs as much as you liked the Wii...

Seriously though, it's because it is fun and not expensive. It might not be as fun to you, but for a lot of people, a Wii is a better deal. Like if I had a friend who only played Madden (which makes up a big chunk of the PS2 base, and you know it) I would have to tell them to get a Wii because that system's version is the most fun.

And about the game's lineup... For as early as this system is, it is doing fine. Super Paper Mario, WarioWare, and Zelda is respectable this early on. At least it's better than what the PS3 put out...

AtomicTangerine

SPM, WarioWare, and Zelda are all first party. What would be respectable is if those were all big-hitting third-party games.

What else is supposedly coming from Nintendo this year? Metroid, Mario, and Smash Bros. They're cramming all their big stuff into the first year. What do they have reserved for the rest of the Wii's shelf life?

Again, consider that all the games you mention are first party, and I consider that pathetic. The only "respectable" games on the Wii that you care to mention are Nintendo's own. Gr....

Seriously, where are the quality third party offerings? In that regard, this is looking worse than the GC. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise, unless they were into more casual-friendly games. 

As always, I'm scared to say anything more than "I enjoy X" on General Games Discussion, under threat of getting modded for "trolling."

But, it's popularity stems from three things:

1. A low price.
2. Artifically changing the standards and expectations of consumers.
3. Hyper-Marketing and use of franchise marketing icons.

See blog for my information.

Because it brings something new to the table. That's the kind of thing that will fascinate everyone, and not just gamers. However, ever since it came out, I've had lingering doubts that have only grown over time...

Here's the thing- the motion sensitivity is indeed a fantastic idea, and single-handedly saved Nintendo from being relegated to a third-party developer role (we all remember Sega). It was an affordable system that offered something fresh; it changed the way the world looks at video games. It's an insanely reliable machine, just like all of Nintendo's machines. It fosters multiplayer entertainment and physical activity, which are two things historically missing from the videogame universe. All of these factors came together to allow the Wii to be immensely successful.

But we can't forget one crucial thing: the consumer is a fickle creature. And yes, so are gamers. Wii Sports was a landmark achievement in terms of technology, and I had a blast with it. I still have fun playing with my brother, but I'm already starting to ask, "well...what's next?" As was the problem with the GameCube, Nintendo seems to be suffering (again) from a lack of frequency of top-notch games. On top of which, I continue to question what can be done with the motion-sensing. Something like Wii Sports is great on the surface, but it takes away 75% of what we normally do with sports games in the traditional sense. And fast-action games like Devil May Cry and God of War and Ninja Gaiden don't appear to be possible; we simply can't create thousands of different movements with our wrists the same way we can with multiple button presses. And I'm also not sure what motion sensing is going to add to certain genres, like RPGs. Okay, so I can swing the controller in Zelda...to be honest, that didn't make the experience any more immersive, but perhaps that's just me.

Recent analyst reports (the Wedbush Morgan Securities 207-page report for the 2007 just came out) consistently place Nintendo in last place at the end of this generation, but not by much. Everyone thinks it will be a close race, and it probably will, but I think there's a very good reason why most major research firms place the Wii third once all is said and done. There's an unwritten and unmentioned factor about the fickleness of the consumer and gamer, and unless they start seeing Nintendo build upon the foundation they've poured, everyone will lose interest. Rapidly. I'm not saying Nintendo won't build on it - 'cuz I'm sure they will - but how much can they build, and how fast? Everyone right now is enamored with the concept, but that won't last. We need to see the concept become something greater before I start to have more faith in the Wii.

As always, I'm scared to say anything more than "I enjoy X" on General Games Discussion, under threat of getting modded for "trolling."

But, it's popularity stems from three things:

1. A low price.
2. Artifically changing the standards and expectations of consumers.
3. Hyper-Marketing and use of franchise marketing icons.

See blog for my information.

FoamingPanda

The only difference from the gamecube was your #2 and that one doesn't make sense.  That's what all game companies do.  that's what any company that advertises any product does. 

For those that say wiimote is a gimmick, you have to remember one thing: to mainstream culture, gaming and beautiful graphics itself is gimmicky. For them, having motion controls is a better gimmick then having nice graphic.

Don't forget that many people still consider Bully as columbine simulator, and JT is a gaming expert. If mainstream consider as such, think about how they will see wiimote.