At this time, in the GC lifecycle, I was actually regretting my purchase. Not this time, though: I am enjoying the Wii the more that I play it! I now own eight games for it, soon to be nine when I pick up Wii Play(biliards is so friggin' fun!). With Mario Party 8(should be fun to play with my wife and kids), Manhunt 2(I'm really excited for this one), Nights(I just hope it approaches the level of the first one), Boogie(I don't know, this looks really fun to me) and EA Playground(I know it sounds stupid, but the idea of dodgeball and tetherball sound really fun to me).
I do have a question for you guys. Where do you think Nintendo would have been, at this point, if they would have made yet another conventional design with power comparable to that of the ps3/360? I think they'd be in a very distant third, especially if it wouldn't have had backwards compatibility.
Wii keeps looking better and better, for me
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BanjoPickles1
- Posts: 1321
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
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feilong801
- Posts: 2173
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Wii keeps looking better and better, for me
They'd be selling consoles at the Xbox 360's rate. They wouldn't be a disaster. The Gamecube turned a profit for Nintendo and the "conventional" version of Wii would have also.
I'm thinking it would have sold out in December, and perhaps into January, but would have been widely available by February and certainly by March. Nintendo's manufactering capacity was probably set for that kind of situation, instead of what it became.
So while this doesn't sound particularly bad, remember:
They wouldn't be "driving" the industry in any direction at all. It would be led by market leader Sony and to a lesser degree Microsoft. When you are considered a big player in an industry, you want to be able to "bend it" in a direction that is in your favor. The Sony and Microsoft direction is a variant of the "super convergence of all media devices into one package that we'll make for you." Or, in Microsoft's case, "super convergence of all media devices that'll be driven by our software." As Nintendo doesn't make stereos, movie players, computers, operating systems, and productivity software, this obviously doesn't benefit them at all.
Whether or not you like the direction that Nintendo is influencing the industry in, it is in Nintendo's own self interest to increase the influence that they have. In other words, the most important thing about the Wii for the Big N is that it gets more people caring about the kinds of systems and games it makes. It has also kept the boogey man of "convergence" away, which must be pleasing to them. Nintendo needs to have the gaming console be a seperate component, independent of other household devices, if they are going to succeed long term.
I believe strongly that if they hadn't succeeded as they have with Wii and DS, that Nintendo would have began the road to just being a software maker (that also did some toy and card games).
This reminds me of one interesting point of debate in the late Gamecube era, which was: "why doesn't Nintendo just become a publisher?"
This argument was based on the idea that Nintendo hardware was just Fisher Price colored versions of what Microsoft and Sony were doing, and people were getting frustrated that you had to buy special hardware to play Nintendo's games. By going in a bold direction with Wii, they have reminded everyone that yes, Nintendo can and should make their own hardware.
-Rob
I'm thinking it would have sold out in December, and perhaps into January, but would have been widely available by February and certainly by March. Nintendo's manufactering capacity was probably set for that kind of situation, instead of what it became.
So while this doesn't sound particularly bad, remember:
They wouldn't be "driving" the industry in any direction at all. It would be led by market leader Sony and to a lesser degree Microsoft. When you are considered a big player in an industry, you want to be able to "bend it" in a direction that is in your favor. The Sony and Microsoft direction is a variant of the "super convergence of all media devices into one package that we'll make for you." Or, in Microsoft's case, "super convergence of all media devices that'll be driven by our software." As Nintendo doesn't make stereos, movie players, computers, operating systems, and productivity software, this obviously doesn't benefit them at all.
Whether or not you like the direction that Nintendo is influencing the industry in, it is in Nintendo's own self interest to increase the influence that they have. In other words, the most important thing about the Wii for the Big N is that it gets more people caring about the kinds of systems and games it makes. It has also kept the boogey man of "convergence" away, which must be pleasing to them. Nintendo needs to have the gaming console be a seperate component, independent of other household devices, if they are going to succeed long term.
I believe strongly that if they hadn't succeeded as they have with Wii and DS, that Nintendo would have began the road to just being a software maker (that also did some toy and card games).
This reminds me of one interesting point of debate in the late Gamecube era, which was: "why doesn't Nintendo just become a publisher?"
This argument was based on the idea that Nintendo hardware was just Fisher Price colored versions of what Microsoft and Sony were doing, and people were getting frustrated that you had to buy special hardware to play Nintendo's games. By going in a bold direction with Wii, they have reminded everyone that yes, Nintendo can and should make their own hardware.
-Rob
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Michael D
Wii keeps looking better and better, for me
Well, considering how bad the PS3 lauch was and how poor it's doing right now, I'd say that unless Nintendo's launch resulted in even more public violence and cost $500-$600, Nintendo would be doing just fine and would at least be in second place.
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Cataclysm1
- Posts: 103
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Wii keeps looking better and better, for me
If DS was like the PSP and Wii was a console like the Xbox 360 or PS3, the console market would be close to crashing about now. Smaller companies like Midway and the Puzzle Bobble company would be in serious trouble if not doomed. Ubisoft would be hit fairly hard on their financials.
What are the Wii games you currently own? 8 of them and not one is Wii Play? I am curious as to what they are!
What are the Wii games you currently own? 8 of them and not one is Wii Play? I am curious as to what they are!
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BanjoPickles1
- Posts: 1321
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Wii keeps looking better and better, for me
To answer your question:
1). Twilight Princess--awesome, awesome, awesome!
2). Wii Sports--Contrary to popular belief, I am still having a blast with it six months later!
3). Metal Slug Anthology: It's fun except for two things: no control scheme is ideal and I am of the mindset that infinite continues hinder a game.
4). Rayman: Raving Rabbids: I had alot of fun with this but I haven't had much of a desire to pick it up lately
5). Wario Ware: Smooth Moves: One of my faves for the system. Everybody I show this game to just falls over themselves.
6). Super Paper Mario: I'm having a blast with this one, so far. I thought the Paper Mario series was bland on the 64/GC but this one is right up my alley.
7). Godfather: So far, it's a friggin' blast!
8). Excitetruck: I picked this up recently and I love it! Old school, the way I like it!:-)
I will eventually pick up Super Swing Golf and Trauma Center. Granted, the GTA's, Halos, and blah blah blah are absent from the Wii but I could really care less right now. I did not get into games for three big games a generation.
1). Twilight Princess--awesome, awesome, awesome!
2). Wii Sports--Contrary to popular belief, I am still having a blast with it six months later!
3). Metal Slug Anthology: It's fun except for two things: no control scheme is ideal and I am of the mindset that infinite continues hinder a game.
4). Rayman: Raving Rabbids: I had alot of fun with this but I haven't had much of a desire to pick it up lately
5). Wario Ware: Smooth Moves: One of my faves for the system. Everybody I show this game to just falls over themselves.
6). Super Paper Mario: I'm having a blast with this one, so far. I thought the Paper Mario series was bland on the 64/GC but this one is right up my alley.
7). Godfather: So far, it's a friggin' blast!
8). Excitetruck: I picked this up recently and I love it! Old school, the way I like it!:-)
I will eventually pick up Super Swing Golf and Trauma Center. Granted, the GTA's, Halos, and blah blah blah are absent from the Wii but I could really care less right now. I did not get into games for three big games a generation.
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