I'll agree that this isn't your typical "Wii sucks" thread, as you seem to have put some actual THOUGHT into your post, but I'd like to point out some things that may or may not have been mentioned already in this thread.
The Wii is truly the most tragic games console I have ever seen. It's unique controls could have made it the greatest game console this generation, but it is lacking in several key areas:
I. Power- This is the most obvious issue (not nearlythe most important, as gameplay> graphics). The Wii, despite its unique controllers, is leaps and bounds behind the 360 and PS3 in terms of graphical horsepower, meaning that many games that could benefit from motion control, (like GTA IV and RE5), cannot be ported to it. This is a shame seeing as how the Wii could have the edge on many multiplats do due it's control setup. RE4 Wii proved that ports can be done right, but it was a last gen game. It is rather unfortuante that RE5 (along with many other potentially great Wii games)will not be on this system.
Agreed on the power and gameplay > graphics, but since when has ports and multiplats made a system (or sold one)?
I'd like to ask you, or anyone who has ever called the Wii a "GC 1.5," what would that make the PS2 to the PS1, and the GC to the N64? Graphicaly, games released at the beginning of the 6th gen weren't much better than those at the end of the 5th. Wouldn't that effectively make the PS2 a PS1.5 and a GC a N64.5?
II. Online- The biggest problem with the Wii's online gaming is that, well, there really isn't any. The only game that supports online is Pokemon Battle Revolution, and that game has absolutely failed critically. Also, the die hard pokemon fans that buy the game will find, according to IGN, that the game has trouble connecting to the Wi-fi system to find a match. Nintendo promised online, but so far it just hasn't happened. SSBB might change that, but it's a shame that it will have taken Nintendo a year to get up one decent online title, when PS3 and 360's online is up and running dozens of games, and hundreds of thousands ofmatches daily. The fact that MP3 lacks multiplayer will not help this trend.
It exists, though devs aren't seeming to use it much. Nintendo has next to no online experience prior to the Wii and DS (though the GC did technically have online capabilities, though I think only one game was ever made for it, that being Phantasy Star). The PS2 had it's fair share of faults as does the Wii (can't speak for the Xbox since I never had one). So I think next gen, we'll see better online support for whatever Nintendo makes next.
But personally, I don't care about online play on a console. PC online play is much better than on consoles, so I typically stick with that.
III. Lack ofthird party support- The top 3 of the top 5 ratedWii games onGamerankings are first party games. The highest rated third party Wii game is Madden NFL 07 which carries a decent rating of 81.6 %.
True as of right now, but we're starting to see devs turn their attention away from the PS3 to the Wii.
IV. Lack of quality titles-The Wii has a total of 6 games that managed to break the 80% rating barrier, and one that broke the 90% barrier (Zelda TP),whereas the Xbox 360 has 6 games that broke the 90% barrier, and 49 games that broke the 80% barrier. The PS3 is slighty ahead of the Wii in the games department, with 10 games that broke 80% and and 1 game that broke 90%.
Unless the Wii gets 49 80%+ games and 5 90%+ games this year, it will remain behind the Xbox 360 in the games department.
A lot of the PS3's are ports and multiplats though, while the Wii has more exclusives. Look at the AAA's... While both the Wii and PS3 have the same number of AAA games, niether one of the PS3's are exclusives while one of the Wii's is.
You can't really use the 360 in this argument, it's been out for a year longer and will naturally have more, higher rated titles than both the Wii and PS3 because devs have had more time to make them.
Lastly, for the most part this entire argument is opinion based, because some people like me would rather play Zelda or SPM than GTA or Halo.
V. Controllers hinder ports-The unique Wiicontrollercauses troublewith 3rd party games meant for all the consoles. The PS3 and Xbox 360 both still use controllers very similar to their predecessors, which mean that most basic console games, such as sports games and adventure/action games will still follow old controls and gameplay styling. Because of this predicament, many games will not be ported to the Wii. Even if the games do make their way to the console, there is still the strong possibility that careless developers and financial limitations will create awful controls for ports (Like Call of Duty 3, or Spider Man 3).
Again, when has ports made a system? And you kinda contradict yourself, since in #1 you say ports CAN and have been done right on the Wii.
Developers and gamers are still having a hard time to work out fluid gameplay and the camera at the same time. People need to watch out for a few important aspects for the controller at the same time: motion sensory, camera, and controls. This will most likely be a problem with most non-exclusive 3rd party titles for the first and second generation titles, meaning all of 2007 and most of 2008.
Unfortunately, many of the above issues are due directly to hardware issues, meaning that Nintendo gamers will have to put up with a lot of these problems for the entire generation. Obviously, developers are going to learn to use the hardware better and the games willbegin to become higher in quality, but we probably won't start seeing high quality third party ports until 2008+.
And nothing will change the fact that the Wii simply cannot handle some ports graphically without changing the entire game, like we saw with Spiderman 3.
And the biggest problem of all for hardcore gamers: Sales.
Casual gamers have justified Nintendo releasing their system by purchasing tons of units. Don't get me wrong, the Wii is a sales phenomenon, only the hardest of haters could deny that. The Wii will outsell 360 and PS3 byholiday 2008, if not before.
But the question is this: If Nintendo can sell so many units to casuals and non-gamers even with the aforementioned issues, what's to stop them from abandoning the hardcore gaming market altogether? A hardcore gamer would be anyone that puts the majority of their time into gaming. There are a lot of people who are hardcore gamers and Wii owners such as myself. It's hard to abandon the hardcore market. What if their next system is an underpowered one, that appeals to casuals with a friendly price and gimmicky mini-games? There's way more games than just mini-game titles. How soon before the onlydeepgames are first party ones? How soon before those titles get placed on the backburner in favor of Cooking Mama and mini-game collections?
After all, if the bread and butter of the Wii's sales are casuals and non-gamers, why does Nintendo need you?
The "non-gamer" crap is getting old. There's no such thing as a non-gamer that plays games.
Overall the Wii represents a golden financial oppurtunity for Nintendo... and a horrible tragedy for the gamers that made the company what it is.
The gamers that made the company what it is are the same ones buying and enjoying the system. It's bringing people who haven't played since the NES days back into games. The VC is a definite plus to old school gamers too, who love to play the older games.
jetthrovegas
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