Wii + Flickr = Life 2.0
December 11, 2006 3:49 AM Subscribe
Forget the fact that the Wii may break your fancy new plasma screen TV or give you 'Wii elbow' - it just looks like bloody good fun to play.
aren't videogames bad for your plasma anyway -- burn-in and all?
posted by matteo at 4:10 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by matteo at 4:10 AM on December 11, 2006
Can't wait for your next post informing us that sex is fun...with the necessary photographic proof.
posted by felix betachat at 4:15 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by felix betachat at 4:15 AM on December 11, 2006
I'd say the jury is still out GavinR. The Wii remote does have that group play that draws crowds. Whether that translates to anything besides simple party games is unknown.
posted by zabuni at 4:15 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by zabuni at 4:15 AM on December 11, 2006
At least multiplayer is a fair chance for real-life socialization..uhhmm...Wii makes you need friends to play with !
Quick somebody hire my viral ass !
posted by elpapacito at 4:16 AM on December 11, 2006
Quick somebody hire my viral ass !
posted by elpapacito at 4:16 AM on December 11, 2006
My first game console was an Atari 2600, and I'm been buying consoles ever since. To me, the Wii is nothing more than an underpowered system with a gimmick input device.
I've never owned a console, and haven't played a computer game since the '80s, but I'm seriously thinking about getting a Wii - that 'gimmick input device' looks like a hell of a lot of fun.
posted by jack_mo at 4:17 AM on December 11, 2006
I've never owned a console, and haven't played a computer game since the '80s, but I'm seriously thinking about getting a Wii - that 'gimmick input device' looks like a hell of a lot of fun.
posted by jack_mo at 4:17 AM on December 11, 2006
I don't want to be just a fanboy responding here, but the Wii is not quite another console. When we're just playing a regular game like excite truck or this GT racing game or even red steel in multiplayer it is lacking in some areas. But anyone I know who has actually picked up the controller during Wii Sports has had fun. Everyone. Its a great social, friendly competitive series of games. There is some good simplistic design that went into Sports and I'm sure that is a big part of it, but it certainly isn't a gimmick device. The game just wouldn't be as much fun without the motion. Yeah some of the games do use the motion as just a gimmick input device, I'm torn on that decision on Zelda actually, but if there isn't a good motion game for many months, I'll be fine with just Sports.
All that late night internet rambling aside: These pictures will probably only be interesting to Wii players or those still wanting a Wii. None of them are interesting from a photography point, but they are capturing a weird series of moments linking many people. Anthropologic porn?
posted by Phantomx at 4:19 AM on December 11, 2006
All that late night internet rambling aside: These pictures will probably only be interesting to Wii players or those still wanting a Wii. None of them are interesting from a photography point, but they are capturing a weird series of moments linking many people. Anthropologic porn?
posted by Phantomx at 4:19 AM on December 11, 2006
I think it's gonna be hard to get these until like February. They are very fun, appeal to non-gamers, and while the supply is reasonably good, it won't really ramp up until then.
I wish they'd launch earlier. It's really dumb to launch at Thanksgiving when they can't come close to keeping up with demand. If they launched around Halloween, it'd give them more time to ramp production for the holidays, as well as satisfy 'core' demand (the die-hard gamers). Those guys will buy it anyway, no matter when it's released. As is, they're not getting the sale to my mother, who was actually interested in this thing, because she's having to wrestle the gamers, the eBay scalpers, AND the regular Christmas shoppers. She's given up in frustration, and may never buy one.
Nintendo is backing off on their claims of '1 million units in the US by year-end', which is a far cry from the '4 million' I was originally hearing, so either they're having supply issues, or they're rerouting consoles to Japan and Europe. The Wii is pretty simple to make, so I lean in the latter direction.
posted by Malor at 4:20 AM on December 11, 2006
I wish they'd launch earlier. It's really dumb to launch at Thanksgiving when they can't come close to keeping up with demand. If they launched around Halloween, it'd give them more time to ramp production for the holidays, as well as satisfy 'core' demand (the die-hard gamers). Those guys will buy it anyway, no matter when it's released. As is, they're not getting the sale to my mother, who was actually interested in this thing, because she's having to wrestle the gamers, the eBay scalpers, AND the regular Christmas shoppers. She's given up in frustration, and may never buy one.
Nintendo is backing off on their claims of '1 million units in the US by year-end', which is a far cry from the '4 million' I was originally hearing, so either they're having supply issues, or they're rerouting consoles to Japan and Europe. The Wii is pretty simple to make, so I lean in the latter direction.
posted by Malor at 4:20 AM on December 11, 2006
I brought mine around a couple of days ago and have already smashed the light fitting in my lounge room with a bit too much follow through when bowling (also maybe a bit too much beer).
Six out of the eight people who've so far tried my Wii, including several non-gamers, have now either bought one, have one on order, or are seriously considering one.
Cons:
- Wii elbow is for real
- You look silly playing it
- Alcohol + multiplayer Wii Tennis = injuries, breakage
- The online stuff is pretty lame at the moment
Pros:
- Hella, hella, hella fun.
- Watching other people play is hilarious. Even Zelda is great to watch, especially during the fight scenes where the player will be waving his or her arms around like lunatic, with this expression of intense concentration.
Also, something about the more kinetic nature of the Wii gaming experience seems to encourage people to dance around and whoop when they win. I count this as a good thing.
posted by imbecile at 4:25 AM on December 11, 2006
Six out of the eight people who've so far tried my Wii, including several non-gamers, have now either bought one, have one on order, or are seriously considering one.
Cons:
- Wii elbow is for real
- You look silly playing it
- Alcohol + multiplayer Wii Tennis = injuries, breakage
- The online stuff is pretty lame at the moment
Pros:
- Hella, hella, hella fun.
- Watching other people play is hilarious. Even Zelda is great to watch, especially during the fight scenes where the player will be waving his or her arms around like lunatic, with this expression of intense concentration.
Also, something about the more kinetic nature of the Wii gaming experience seems to encourage people to dance around and whoop when they win. I count this as a good thing.
posted by imbecile at 4:25 AM on December 11, 2006
matteo: it depends on the plasma. Early generations were very susceptible to burn-in. The later ones can still have it happen, but there's technology inside to shift images around very subtly and do other stuff to minimize problems. It's my understanding that normal videogame usage won't hurt a new plasma, but if you're really obsessive, you could still mess one up.
posted by Malor at 4:25 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by Malor at 4:25 AM on December 11, 2006
Well, it is December, but since the paper Wii controller was already given away, this Wii-related Flickr post deserves something special. So here's a YouTube link of people playing hopscotch.
Quick somebody hire my viral ass !
elpapacito - You may want to wait until spring, when it's warmer. By that time, IBM, Sony and EA should have plenty of projects lined up. And let's not forget teh Donald.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:32 AM on December 11, 2006
Quick somebody hire my viral ass !
elpapacito - You may want to wait until spring, when it's warmer. By that time, IBM, Sony and EA should have plenty of projects lined up. And let's not forget teh Donald.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:32 AM on December 11, 2006
I just wish they were not staggering the official accessory releases. My wifi is all kinds of spotty and I'd like to get the wired adapter but have to wait til mid-January at this point.
That said, the Wii has been a big hit at gatherings. The games are quick and easy enough to learn that people can just cycle into the Wii room, play a game, then wander away.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:35 AM on December 11, 2006
That said, the Wii has been a big hit at gatherings. The games are quick and easy enough to learn that people can just cycle into the Wii room, play a game, then wander away.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:35 AM on December 11, 2006
Consider for a moment how Nintendo's underpowered handheld with a gimmick input device has fared against its more powerful brethren. The Wii is just Nintendo applying that same strategy to the console market.
Also I notice some of those pictures are of people playing the minigames in the Monkey Ball. Perhaps it's worth looking into Monkey Ball if you're a big fan of Wii Sports.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:39 AM on December 11, 2006
Also I notice some of those pictures are of people playing the minigames in the Monkey Ball. Perhaps it's worth looking into Monkey Ball if you're a big fan of Wii Sports.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:39 AM on December 11, 2006
To me, the Wii is nothing more than an underpowered system with a gimmick input device.
Like the DS, which has absolutely buried the PSP in the marketplace.
I'd say the jury is still out, GavinR.
I think the jury's come back with a verdict of "FUN." Word of mouth on the Wii has been incredible, thanks in no small part to the innovative controls and the reasonable price point. The beauty of the Wii is in its simplicity. You can pick up the controller and roll a game or two of Wii Sports Bowling if you have 15 minutes of downtime. The PS3 is aimed at guys who can sit for hours and completely immerse themselves. That approach is valid, but you reach a broader audience with simplicity and fun. Having to spend 10-20 hours or more playing a game is too much like work.
posted by MegoSteve at 4:59 AM on December 11, 2006
Like the DS, which has absolutely buried the PSP in the marketplace.
I'd say the jury is still out, GavinR.
I think the jury's come back with a verdict of "FUN." Word of mouth on the Wii has been incredible, thanks in no small part to the innovative controls and the reasonable price point. The beauty of the Wii is in its simplicity. You can pick up the controller and roll a game or two of Wii Sports Bowling if you have 15 minutes of downtime. The PS3 is aimed at guys who can sit for hours and completely immerse themselves. That approach is valid, but you reach a broader audience with simplicity and fun. Having to spend 10-20 hours or more playing a game is too much like work.
posted by MegoSteve at 4:59 AM on December 11, 2006
Neat, I added my photos to that group. Thats me kicking my girlfriends ASS.
posted by Mach5 at 5:11 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by Mach5 at 5:11 AM on December 11, 2006
Perhaps it's worth looking into Monkey Ball if you're a big fan of Wii Sports.
I'm not so sure of that. The Monkey Ball games seem to have a much steeper learning curve.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:16 AM on December 11, 2006
I'm not so sure of that. The Monkey Ball games seem to have a much steeper learning curve.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:16 AM on December 11, 2006
IF YOU KEEP PLAYING WITH YOUR Wii LIKE THAT YOU'LL GO BLIND!
On the "Nintendo makes gaming fun again!" tip, I just learned that they're releasing Yoshi's Island DS.
Damnit, now I want a DS.
posted by loquacious at 5:19 AM on December 11, 2006
On the "Nintendo makes gaming fun again!" tip, I just learned that they're releasing Yoshi's Island DS.
Damnit, now I want a DS.
posted by loquacious at 5:19 AM on December 11, 2006
loquacious
Do you mean Yoshi's Island 2, *for* the DS?
Already released, more like.
posted by The Confessor at 5:31 AM on December 11, 2006
Do you mean Yoshi's Island 2, *for* the DS?
Already released, more like.
posted by The Confessor at 5:31 AM on December 11, 2006
Of course "gimmick input device" -- but it is all about the input device. Imagine playing a game where you input your moves on punch cards, there might be a fun game there, but it would be one designed for the input, and the pleasure of playing would match that style. The Wii's input is kinesthetic and well mapped to known movements, so playing it, regardless of the representation on screen, that is making the input movements is fun in itself. Seeing those movement, however, paired with an animated, absurd, goal-centered world is even more fun.
When you play with the Wii, you can't help but think it makes new games possible. Because the remote movement is relative, tiny little gestures work as well as big movements, so lean-back couch style minor casual games (or toys) become possible and distributable via the Wii channels.
The Wii is a lot of fun, with very few games, no channels of note, and it is because of the gimmick input. But take that style of input (3d gestural) and distribute it widely and see what happens. I imagine it will change console gaming significantly and get us away from this trend of giant games. I can't wait to see what happens. Oh, and if it can run flash via a browser, all that Flash Friday Fun is Flash Friday Wii Fun. Can you imagine?
It's all about the interface, so a pointing device that interprets big idiotic movements is about the most brilliant thing to happen in home computing since the USB bread slicer/bagger.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:53 AM on December 11, 2006
When you play with the Wii, you can't help but think it makes new games possible. Because the remote movement is relative, tiny little gestures work as well as big movements, so lean-back couch style minor casual games (or toys) become possible and distributable via the Wii channels.
The Wii is a lot of fun, with very few games, no channels of note, and it is because of the gimmick input. But take that style of input (3d gestural) and distribute it widely and see what happens. I imagine it will change console gaming significantly and get us away from this trend of giant games. I can't wait to see what happens. Oh, and if it can run flash via a browser, all that Flash Friday Fun is Flash Friday Wii Fun. Can you imagine?
It's all about the interface, so a pointing device that interprets big idiotic movements is about the most brilliant thing to happen in home computing since the USB bread slicer/bagger.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:53 AM on December 11, 2006
Oh, and when are more remotes going to be available? I need another.
(apologies for not revising above, it's a bit repetitive)
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:56 AM on December 11, 2006
(apologies for not revising above, it's a bit repetitive)
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 5:56 AM on December 11, 2006
kingfisher, his unnecessarily long name
I've seen stores with remotes/nunchakus (sp?) in stock where no Wiis were available.
posted by The Confessor at 6:06 AM on December 11, 2006
I've seen stores with remotes/nunchakus (sp?) in stock where no Wiis were available.
posted by The Confessor at 6:06 AM on December 11, 2006
Apparently your brand new plasma TV breaks if you throw something directly into it. Stop the presses! Alert Ric Romero, maybe he can get to the bottom of this insightful story!
And "gimmick controller"? Come on, it's the one genuinely new thing that's appeared on the gaming scene since XboX Live (or however the f*ck they want to capitalize it). Literally everything else is derivative of something that existed before, only "more".
posted by clevershark at 6:27 AM on December 11, 2006
And "gimmick controller"? Come on, it's the one genuinely new thing that's appeared on the gaming scene since XboX Live (or however the f*ck they want to capitalize it). Literally everything else is derivative of something that existed before, only "more".
posted by clevershark at 6:27 AM on December 11, 2006
kingfisher: I was at Toys R Us in times square trying to pick one up and they have a HUGE BIN full to the brim of them.
posted by Mach5 at 6:32 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by Mach5 at 6:32 AM on December 11, 2006
Do you mean Yoshi's Island 2, *for* the DS?
How about Yoshi's Island 2 for the WII?
posted by NewBornHippy at 6:32 AM on December 11, 2006
How about Yoshi's Island 2 for the WII?
posted by NewBornHippy at 6:32 AM on December 11, 2006
I'm still having trouble trying to buy the damn console. No one around here is willing to take a pre-order and people are still doing the line up at the store for six hours thing. Ebay is selling the consoles for $100 or so over the RRP.
Sucks.
posted by schwa at 6:50 AM on December 11, 2006
Sucks.
posted by schwa at 6:50 AM on December 11, 2006
"To me, the Wii is nothing more than an underpowered system with a gimmick input device."
Not to get all defensive fanboy on you, but have you actually played the Wii?
And let's not forget that while the Power Pad was seen a gimmick, Dance Dance Revolution has proven that it was just ahead of its time.
posted by revgeorge at 7:16 AM on December 11, 2006
Not to get all defensive fanboy on you, but have you actually played the Wii?
And let's not forget that while the Power Pad was seen a gimmick, Dance Dance Revolution has proven that it was just ahead of its time.
posted by revgeorge at 7:16 AM on December 11, 2006
But anyone I know who has actually picked up the controller during Wii Sports has had fun. Everyone.
I just recently played with some friends (not my console), and, yeah, it's fun. But, honestly, it got pretty boring after a bit. Tennis was by far the most entertaining game to play, but even that was dissapointing. The only thing that matters is the timing of the swing - nothing else. You can't really control your guy and it would make it a lot more fun if they had incorporated the actual buttons on the controller into it (allowing you to do combos or powers moves or something). So, yeah, fun for a bit, but I walked away with an overall impression of 'meh'.
That might change if they come out with some more clever games.
posted by Land Stander at 7:19 AM on December 11, 2006
I just recently played with some friends (not my console), and, yeah, it's fun. But, honestly, it got pretty boring after a bit. Tennis was by far the most entertaining game to play, but even that was dissapointing. The only thing that matters is the timing of the swing - nothing else. You can't really control your guy and it would make it a lot more fun if they had incorporated the actual buttons on the controller into it (allowing you to do combos or powers moves or something). So, yeah, fun for a bit, but I walked away with an overall impression of 'meh'.
That might change if they come out with some more clever games.
posted by Land Stander at 7:19 AM on December 11, 2006
schwa: Check out the various Wii availability threads on the message boards at Cheap Ass Gamer, Slick Deals, Fat Wallet and Something Awful. There are plenty of leads there.
I was able to get mine after reading on multiple boards about Target having them in their ad on December 3. I am like you in that I didn't want to camp six hours, but I lined up at 6:30 AM and the manager came out at 6:45 AM and handed vouchers (I was 21 out of 33 or so, so I timed it pretty well), at which point everyone was allowed to leave and come back when the store opened at 8 AM. The vouchers were good until 8:30 AM. YMMV.
The internet rumor is that Target will have them again this Sunday.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:27 AM on December 11, 2006
I was able to get mine after reading on multiple boards about Target having them in their ad on December 3. I am like you in that I didn't want to camp six hours, but I lined up at 6:30 AM and the manager came out at 6:45 AM and handed vouchers (I was 21 out of 33 or so, so I timed it pretty well), at which point everyone was allowed to leave and come back when the store opened at 8 AM. The vouchers were good until 8:30 AM. YMMV.
The internet rumor is that Target will have them again this Sunday.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:27 AM on December 11, 2006
my viral ass !
you need a dermatologist for that, man
posted by matteo at 7:39 AM on December 11, 2006
you need a dermatologist for that, man
posted by matteo at 7:39 AM on December 11, 2006
The last video game I really got into was Scorched Earth back in '92. Before that, Centipede and Q-Bert. I, uh, I'm not really into video games. But the other night I was at a friend's house and he fired up the Wii. Man, was it fun. Boxing was awesome-- hands up protecting the face, throwing punches at the screen. Another buddy of mine said, "Wow-- I've never seen you enjoy a video game like that." Good Times!
p.s.: I got paid nothing for writing this comment, but if Nintendo wants they can cut me a check.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:44 AM on December 11, 2006
p.s.: I got paid nothing for writing this comment, but if Nintendo wants they can cut me a check.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:44 AM on December 11, 2006
Tennis was by far the most entertaining game to play, but even that was dissapointing. The only thing that matters is the timing of the swing - nothing else.
If you play some more, you'll see that how you hit the ball is as important as when you swing. Over-hand, side-arm, under-hand all change how the ball moves. You can also put different types of spin on the ball depending on how you hit.
And for power-moves, if you serve the ball correctly, it will leave a smoke-trail, and travel much faster than normal.
The Wii-mote is more complex than simply knowing where it is pointed. On any of the setup screens that show the finger-pointer icon for the wii-mote, if you twist the controller and move it around, you'll see that there are some not-so-simple tracking mechanisms at work.
posted by jsonic at 7:47 AM on December 11, 2006
If you play some more, you'll see that how you hit the ball is as important as when you swing. Over-hand, side-arm, under-hand all change how the ball moves. You can also put different types of spin on the ball depending on how you hit.
And for power-moves, if you serve the ball correctly, it will leave a smoke-trail, and travel much faster than normal.
The Wii-mote is more complex than simply knowing where it is pointed. On any of the setup screens that show the finger-pointer icon for the wii-mote, if you twist the controller and move it around, you'll see that there are some not-so-simple tracking mechanisms at work.
posted by jsonic at 7:47 AM on December 11, 2006
I'm not a big gamer (the last system I got was a PS2 and that was as a gift), but I really like the idea of the Wii, it just sounds fun. I don't care how bad ass the graphics are, or how underpowered the processor is because, I tend to be at least a system behind the curve and just like fun.
posted by drezdn at 8:11 AM on December 11, 2006
posted by drezdn at 8:11 AM on December 11, 2006
Haven't picked up a Wii yet, but I'm looking forward to some good "light gun" games. Traditional light guns don't work with newer big-ass televisions (DLP, LCD, plasma...), but the gyro approach solves the problem. It'd sure be a ton of fun to blast away at a 10' projector screen -- like a CIA training simulator in your own home!
I haven't bought a console since the Xbox (which I immediately hacked and use exclusively for playing mp3s and movies), but I'm probably going to get a Wii. Just looks like too much fun.
posted by LordSludge at 8:13 AM on December 11, 2006
I haven't bought a console since the Xbox (which I immediately hacked and use exclusively for playing mp3s and movies), but I'm probably going to get a Wii. Just looks like too much fun.
posted by LordSludge at 8:13 AM on December 11, 2006
After spending all weekend with Rayman Raving Rabbids, I have to put a plug in for that...it's basically a bunch of mini games, but very cleverly designed and they make excellent use of the nunchuk. The Rayman first person shooter games which top off many of the levels are genius in the way they use the controllers (you hold the wiimote in your right hand, using the trigger to shoot, then reload your ammo by shaking the nunchuck with your left hand).
So, yeah, those controllers may be gimmicky, but gimmicky in this case = the most fun I've had with video games in years.
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:17 AM on December 11, 2006
So, yeah, those controllers may be gimmicky, but gimmicky in this case = the most fun I've had with video games in years.
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:17 AM on December 11, 2006
Got my Wii on launch day, and I don't regret it at all. I've had friends over to play, it's come to LAN parties with me, and this week it is coming in to my office Xmas party. It's the ultimate group-of-friends console.
Now I just have to wait for Mario Party Wii and WarioWare Wii to come out for a total nerdgasm!
posted by WinnipegDragon at 11:28 AM on December 11, 2006
Now I just have to wait for Mario Party Wii and WarioWare Wii to come out for a total nerdgasm!
posted by WinnipegDragon at 11:28 AM on December 11, 2006
We've always had Playstations, but I'm not too thrilled about the PS3 and its high price (and general unavailability) or some of the poor reviews its been getting, so I'm thinking of getting a Wii. I'm curious though, is all the jumping around and large arm movements necessary to play games on it? A) my living room is not large enough for any major movements without bumping into something, and B) I have minor back problems, so moving my arms around a lot might not be a good idea (or for that matter, standing while playing). I just don't want to get one and then be seriously disappointed with it because I can't play it, and no one I know is into console gaming, so I can't bug someone to let me try it out first.
posted by Orb at 12:33 PM on December 11, 2006
posted by Orb at 12:33 PM on December 11, 2006
My first game console was an Atari 2600, and I'm been buying consoles ever since. To me, the Wii is nothing more than an underpowered system with a gimmick input device.
I've got 30 or so consoles from Pong to the FM Towns Marty to the Nintendo Wii (and most in-between), and I totally disagree. Not that owning so many consoles is a real qualification in itself to dismiss or praise outright a new system; it just shows we're nerds.
In fact, to the contrary of 'gimmick' claimants, it's the first console where my wife's spent almost as much (if not equal) time playing the games as I have. Rayman's a brilliant little game that shows off the multiplayer aspects nearly as much as Wii Sports. Madden '07 brings an entirely different experience playing the game -- probably even moreso than the series' transition to 3D with the Panasonic 3DO in 1996. And Wii Sports, even after having played the game every day for nearly a month straight, is still a rather addictive introduction to the system for the both of us.
The Wii is the best experience we've had playing games in a long, long time.
posted by vanadium at 12:34 PM on December 11, 2006
I've got 30 or so consoles from Pong to the FM Towns Marty to the Nintendo Wii (and most in-between), and I totally disagree. Not that owning so many consoles is a real qualification in itself to dismiss or praise outright a new system; it just shows we're nerds.
In fact, to the contrary of 'gimmick' claimants, it's the first console where my wife's spent almost as much (if not equal) time playing the games as I have. Rayman's a brilliant little game that shows off the multiplayer aspects nearly as much as Wii Sports. Madden '07 brings an entirely different experience playing the game -- probably even moreso than the series' transition to 3D with the Panasonic 3DO in 1996. And Wii Sports, even after having played the game every day for nearly a month straight, is still a rather addictive introduction to the system for the both of us.
The Wii is the best experience we've had playing games in a long, long time.
posted by vanadium at 12:34 PM on December 11, 2006
Orb,
No, the movement is based of accelerometer data. A quick flick of the wrist is usually sufficient.
It's more fun to flail away, but to each their own.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 12:59 PM on December 11, 2006
No, the movement is based of accelerometer data. A quick flick of the wrist is usually sufficient.
It's more fun to flail away, but to each their own.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 12:59 PM on December 11, 2006
It's just a different system. I picked up a 360 recently because there's a ton of killer apps for it (and a bunch more coming out): Gears of War, Lost Planet, GTA IV, Resident Evil V, etc. Gears of War is visually the most impressive FPS I've ever seen and gives Half-Life 2 a run for its money. It's gorgeous.
I'd never buy a PS3: I dislike Sony intensely, hate their controller design, and they have little or no quality control in what games they put out (the PS2 probably had a 2% quality ratio).
The Wii, on the other hand, appeals to the non-hardcore gamer, and it looks like fun. I'll probably pick one up at some point as my second console, but I can't see it usurping the 360 as my #1 system, if only because Nintendo has a track record for losing out on the big "adult" type games (though they did have three fabulous Resident Evil games on GC).
posted by The God Complex at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2006
I'd never buy a PS3: I dislike Sony intensely, hate their controller design, and they have little or no quality control in what games they put out (the PS2 probably had a 2% quality ratio).
The Wii, on the other hand, appeals to the non-hardcore gamer, and it looks like fun. I'll probably pick one up at some point as my second console, but I can't see it usurping the 360 as my #1 system, if only because Nintendo has a track record for losing out on the big "adult" type games (though they did have three fabulous Resident Evil games on GC).
posted by The God Complex at 1:01 PM on December 11, 2006
I haven't bought a system since my disappointment with the Magnavox Odyssey, but I might put my dime on the barrel head for a Wii.
posted by drezdn at 1:32 PM on December 11, 2006
posted by drezdn at 1:32 PM on December 11, 2006
Interesting photos. I haven't seen Wii in action, but I get the sense gamer's are genuinely delighted with it. The physicality looks like a blast. One of the reasons I haven't gotten into gaming (other than the cost and the level of expertise and addictiveness), is the fear of turning into a lumpy couch potato with deteriorating social skills. Would anyone confirm that this console is like...possibly good for you? I mean all that jumping up and down and laughing has got to have a good impact.
posted by Skygazer at 2:06 PM on December 11, 2006
posted by Skygazer at 2:06 PM on December 11, 2006
"Consider for a moment how Nintendo's underpowered handheld with a gimmick input device has fared against its more powerful brethren. The Wii is just Nintendo applying that same strategy to the console market."
And it's a rather effective strategy, viz...
"Like the DS, which has absolutely buried the PSP in the marketplace."
Yep. Nintendo's gonna win this one, too - they're already winning in the short-term.
The PS3 is a fine and powerful box, but at that price point it's only going to sell to the high-end gamers and Sony franchise game faithful (MGS, FF, GT); it's not going to expand their market in any way, more likely it will contract. Nintendo is going for a massive mainstream audience expansion, which the DS is already vanguarding - I'm giving some DS Lites for xmas presents including one to my dad, who already loves Brain Age, Tetris and Clubhouse Games from playing a friend's DS.
Also, don't underestimate the effect of everyone who owns a Cube getting a Wii, and giving away their Cube to someone else, since the Wii plays Cube games and even will accept Cube controllers. I'm giving my Cube and about half my games to my dental assistant for her kids, for instance. This effect will widen Nintendo's audience even further.
FUN is the thing that will win the day, hands down, among the general population.
posted by zoogleplex at 2:59 PM on December 11, 2006
And it's a rather effective strategy, viz...
"Like the DS, which has absolutely buried the PSP in the marketplace."
Yep. Nintendo's gonna win this one, too - they're already winning in the short-term.
The PS3 is a fine and powerful box, but at that price point it's only going to sell to the high-end gamers and Sony franchise game faithful (MGS, FF, GT); it's not going to expand their market in any way, more likely it will contract. Nintendo is going for a massive mainstream audience expansion, which the DS is already vanguarding - I'm giving some DS Lites for xmas presents including one to my dad, who already loves Brain Age, Tetris and Clubhouse Games from playing a friend's DS.
Also, don't underestimate the effect of everyone who owns a Cube getting a Wii, and giving away their Cube to someone else, since the Wii plays Cube games and even will accept Cube controllers. I'm giving my Cube and about half my games to my dental assistant for her kids, for instance. This effect will widen Nintendo's audience even further.
FUN is the thing that will win the day, hands down, among the general population.
posted by zoogleplex at 2:59 PM on December 11, 2006
Oh, forgot to mention: I get my Wii tomorrow (yay, being in the game biz). I'll let you know what I think!
posted by zoogleplex at 3:01 PM on December 11, 2006
posted by zoogleplex at 3:01 PM on December 11, 2006
Is anyone going to make a game with the sole purpose of making you exercise? What kind of exercises could the Wiimote track? Could you strap it to your leg and score points for running on the spot?
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 3:04 PM on December 11, 2006
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 3:04 PM on December 11, 2006
Aw, you know someone will come up with an expansion controller system that has bits which attach to your wrists and ankles. The Wii can track multiple controllers, it's a natural for that.
Smart money there will be just such a game within a year.
posted by zoogleplex at 3:36 PM on December 11, 2006
Smart money there will be just such a game within a year.
posted by zoogleplex at 3:36 PM on December 11, 2006
Also, don't underestimate the effect of everyone who owns a Cube getting a Wii, and giving away their Cube to someone else, since the Wii plays Cube games and even will accept Cube controllers. I'm giving my Cube and about half my games to my dental assistant for her kids, for instance. This effect will widen Nintendo's audience even further.
This is the same for all three Next Gen systems. Nintendo will expand its marketplace, but it also had to: compared to PS2 and Xbox, Gamecube was something of a disaster: they were outsold and failed to acquire many significant Gamecube-specific design licenses (other than the first-party ones they'll always have).
For my money the PS3 won't be the real competition. The 360 has a year's headstart and over four million people in North America already hooked up to Xbox Live. It also offers a more powerful system than the Wii for a price significantly cheaper than the PS3.
posted by The God Complex at 4:38 PM on December 11, 2006
I wanted a Wii but I have already given up on getting one until after the holidays. Maybe by the end of January. Meh.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 4:59 PM on December 11, 2006
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 4:59 PM on December 11, 2006
"For my money the PS3 won't be the real competition."
I agree. I think their manufacturing difficulties are going to seriously delay their market infiltration. They barely got 200,000 of them to the US for the launch, and there's barely a trickle of them coming over now. The rumors I hear don't have the next "real" batch of them showing up until March or so, so the PS3 is apparently going to be very hard to get for quite a while. That's going to be exceedingly frustrating to the Sony faithful. I'd actually be a little surprised if they can get more than 3-4 million of them built thru 2007; they are having horrible quality control problems with the Cell processor, with unexpectedly low yields of operable chips.
A lot of game companies are still making PS2 games and will continue to do so for at least two or three more years, because the install base is the largest out of all the consoles, something like 35 million, so it's still a viable development console.
Still, there will be those core fans of Sony franchise games who will all buy one eventually. But how big is that core? 500,000? a million? 5 million? I don't think they're going to sell 35 million PS3s even over 5 or 6 years.
Sony's really racking up the hits the last few years, huh?
weretable, don't give up! There are more Wiis on the way as we speak, that's how I'm getting mine (ours are coming straight from Nintendo USA). You should be able to get one within the next 2 weeks, depending on where you live.
posted by zoogleplex at 5:21 PM on December 11, 2006
I agree. I think their manufacturing difficulties are going to seriously delay their market infiltration. They barely got 200,000 of them to the US for the launch, and there's barely a trickle of them coming over now. The rumors I hear don't have the next "real" batch of them showing up until March or so, so the PS3 is apparently going to be very hard to get for quite a while. That's going to be exceedingly frustrating to the Sony faithful. I'd actually be a little surprised if they can get more than 3-4 million of them built thru 2007; they are having horrible quality control problems with the Cell processor, with unexpectedly low yields of operable chips.
A lot of game companies are still making PS2 games and will continue to do so for at least two or three more years, because the install base is the largest out of all the consoles, something like 35 million, so it's still a viable development console.
Still, there will be those core fans of Sony franchise games who will all buy one eventually. But how big is that core? 500,000? a million? 5 million? I don't think they're going to sell 35 million PS3s even over 5 or 6 years.
Sony's really racking up the hits the last few years, huh?
weretable, don't give up! There are more Wiis on the way as we speak, that's how I'm getting mine (ours are coming straight from Nintendo USA). You should be able to get one within the next 2 weeks, depending on where you live.
posted by zoogleplex at 5:21 PM on December 11, 2006
The controller allows for really fun games, but it's still a lot of hard work to create them. The real question is: who besides Nintendo will be able to pull it off?
If you're entertaining guests, Wii Sports is perfect. It uses at most one button, and emulates games people already know how to play. You don't have to flail about, but it's easy to get caught up in the competition with another person. A fierce bout of Wii boxing can be physically exhausting. It does have some kind of built in exercise program/calorie tracker, but I haven't tried it yet.
Monkey Ball, on the other hand, is terrible, and I love the series. There are 50 minigames, of which maybe 5 are actually playable. The rest just aren't reponsive to the controller.
Rayman and Excite Truck are great, though not quite as accessible to non-gamers. Avoid Red Steel like the plague.
Controllers are showing up in stores at random, but more frequently than the system. I found some when a new shipment came in at a local Target one Wednesday night.
posted by Sibrax at 8:58 PM on December 11, 2006
If you're entertaining guests, Wii Sports is perfect. It uses at most one button, and emulates games people already know how to play. You don't have to flail about, but it's easy to get caught up in the competition with another person. A fierce bout of Wii boxing can be physically exhausting. It does have some kind of built in exercise program/calorie tracker, but I haven't tried it yet.
Monkey Ball, on the other hand, is terrible, and I love the series. There are 50 minigames, of which maybe 5 are actually playable. The rest just aren't reponsive to the controller.
Rayman and Excite Truck are great, though not quite as accessible to non-gamers. Avoid Red Steel like the plague.
Controllers are showing up in stores at random, but more frequently than the system. I found some when a new shipment came in at a local Target one Wednesday night.
posted by Sibrax at 8:58 PM on December 11, 2006
Yeah, and Microsoft has around 4 million 360s sold in the U.S. and expects to have 10 million sold worldwide by the end of this year. That's a pretty healthy headstart--and one of the things that made the Sony model so popular in the last generation (the one year headstart). It usually takes at least a year for developers to get the feel of what to do with a system, so what people will be seeing now is a bunch of killer software for the 360 while the other systems struggle through their first year (as the 360 already has done).
It's a good time to be a gamer!
posted by The God Complex at 1:35 AM on December 12, 2006
It's a good time to be a gamer!
posted by The God Complex at 1:35 AM on December 12, 2006
What the ^fuck? Whoever said a "Gimmick" was automatically bad thing? Sex is an ancient, strenuous, and difficult activity with a little "Gimmick" called an orgasm, and you don't see anybody complaining.
posted by tehloki at 9:38 AM on December 12, 2006
posted by tehloki at 9:38 AM on December 12, 2006
My Wii has arrived. :)
It's little, and sleek, and looks like Apple designed it. These are huge pluses.
I'd post a photo if the img tags were kosher... ah well.
I'm psyched! Will set it up tonight and perhaps photograph myself being a Wii Dork.
posted by zoogleplex at 2:49 PM on December 12, 2006
It's little, and sleek, and looks like Apple designed it. These are huge pluses.
I'd post a photo if the img tags were kosher... ah well.
I'm psyched! Will set it up tonight and perhaps photograph myself being a Wii Dork.
posted by zoogleplex at 2:49 PM on December 12, 2006
Monkey Ball, on the other hand, is terrible, and I love the series. There are 50 minigames, of which maybe 5 are actually playable. The rest just aren't reponsive to the controller.
I've actually been really enjoying monkey ball in one player mode - it's very clearly been designed as a single player game, with two player tacked on at the end.
posted by jaymzjulian at 4:53 PM on December 12, 2006
I've actually been really enjoying monkey ball in one player mode - it's very clearly been designed as a single player game, with two player tacked on at the end.
posted by jaymzjulian at 4:53 PM on December 12, 2006
Yeah, and Microsoft has around 4 million 360s sold in the U.S. and expects to have 10 million sold worldwide by the end of this year. That's a pretty healthy headstart--and one of the things that made the Sony model so popular in the last generation (the one year headstart).
(Dreamcast?)
posted by jaymzjulian at 4:55 PM on December 12, 2006
(Dreamcast?)
posted by jaymzjulian at 4:55 PM on December 12, 2006
hahaha. Oh yes, the Sony Dreamcast, and the Sega Playstation.
posted by tehloki at 6:36 PM on December 12, 2006
posted by tehloki at 6:36 PM on December 12, 2006
The Wii is very, very fun. My GF and I were making our Mii's, and we realized we were having a bunch of fun doing that, long before I even put a game disk in the darn thing.
I was reminded that I really need to exercise more, because playing all the Wii Sports games, especially boxing, made me break a sweat... sigh.
But hey, getting exercise while playing a video game that isn't DDR? That's awesome!
I'm giving the Wii thumbs up for fun. Also I'm giving it thumbs up for ease of use and setup, and the fact that it's very small and clean-looking. Good job, Nintendo!
Meanwhile, Sony makes fools of themselves yet again. Penny Arcade has editorial and a side-splitter about it (tho a little gross, but I love those guys)!
posted by zoogleplex at 11:45 AM on December 13, 2006
I was reminded that I really need to exercise more, because playing all the Wii Sports games, especially boxing, made me break a sweat... sigh.
But hey, getting exercise while playing a video game that isn't DDR? That's awesome!
I'm giving the Wii thumbs up for fun. Also I'm giving it thumbs up for ease of use and setup, and the fact that it's very small and clean-looking. Good job, Nintendo!
Meanwhile, Sony makes fools of themselves yet again. Penny Arcade has editorial and a side-splitter about it (tho a little gross, but I love those guys)!
posted by zoogleplex at 11:45 AM on December 13, 2006
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posted by GavinR at 3:54 AM on December 11, 2006