Wii in the News – 8/20/08

Wii in the News – August 20, 2008

• Dead Rising Comparison: Nintendo Wii vs Xbox 360 – The Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii are very different games consoles, and while Microsoft’s games system excels in graphics, the Nintendo Wii wins over most casual gamers. (ProductReviews)
• EA Mum about ‘Godfather II’ Coming to Wii – You won’t be strangling store owners with your Wiimote anytime soon, readers. Electronic Arts told me last week that they aren’t talking about any potential Wii version of “The Godfather II” yet. (Mtv Multiplayer Blog)
• Wii: more traditional than you think? – According to GameDaily, US research firm Frank N. Magid Associates has been surveying Wii fans to find out who’s been buying Nintendo’s hugely successful machine. And the key finding may surprise you. (The Guardian – Games)
• Anyone for Tennis? EA Announces Tennis Franchise in Development – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that an all-new tennis videogame is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA SPORTS(TM) brand. The EA SPORTS tennis franchise will be available first for the Wii(TM) in 2009, followed by other platforms, and it will be the first EA SPORTS game that uses Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus(TM) accessory for the Wii Remote(TM) that will give players a new level of accuracy and responsiveness. (MarketWatch.com)

Wii in the News – 8/19/08

Wii in the News – August 19, 2008

• Nintendo Wii Sqweeze Controller Coming in 2009 – When it comes to casual gaming there is one games console that’s miles ahead of all the others, and that’s the Nintendo Wii. (ProductReviews)
• Grindhouse of the Dead: Sega Reinvents Classic Shooter on Wii – Oh, my. After porting two entries in its classic zombie-shooter series to Wii, Sega is producing an all-new House of the Dead installment with an inspired pulp-fiction twist. (Wired.com)
• Therapists have new tool to improve seniors’ health: Nintendo Wii – I am sure that articles like this make some hardcore gamers angry. (Centre Daily Times)
• Top Ten Reasons Nintendo Wii is NOT the Greatest – I’m not afraid to include a link by an obvious hater. Doesn’t change my high opinion of the console.

Wii in the News – 8/18/08

Wii News – August 18, 2008

• Why is the Wii so unloved compared to PS3 & Xbox 360? – The Nintendo Wii is obviously selling in huge numbers right now around the world, and leading the battle to be best-selling console in this generation. But despite this, I still feel that the little white box is the least loved console out of the three currently on the market. (Gamer.Blorge)
• Your Turn: The Chosen One – It’s been amusing to read over the past week about a public spat between American Nintendo and Microsoft executives regarding Wii third-party game sales. (The Age Blog – Screen Play)
• Celebrities invade Wii in EA’s Sports Showdown – EA has announced Celebrity Sports Showdown, and all-new IP under development at EA Canada, set to be the first Wii title to launch under the new EA Sports Freestyle brand. (Aussie-Nintendo.com)
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for Wii – Updated Impressions – Over the course of its development, much of the focus for The Force Unleashed has been on the PS3 and 360 versions, what with their newfangled technologies and hyper-bump-vertex-pixel-mapped-real-time surfaces*. But what about the humble Wii? (IGN.com)

Wii in the News – 8/17/08

Wii News – August 17, 2008

• Balance Board Fighter Headed to Nintendo Wii? – Wii Balance Board innovation has thus far been limited to Nintendo’s Wii Fit and Namco’s We Ski, but with the likes of Skate It, Shaun White, and Rayman Raving Rabbids amongst others, 2008 is looking to deliver more than enough to keep owners of the device happy. (Nintendic.com)
• Daily Mail Criticizes MadWorld for Wii – The Daily Mail has criticized the pending release of MadWorld on the Wi, saying the launch of the “most violent videogame ever” on the system will utterly transform its family-friendly image. (TheEscapist.com)
• Lucasarts Furious Over Nintendo Wii MotionPlus – Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus makes 3D actions a dream, opening up the possibility of proper sword fighting and accurate dueling. (ElectricPig)

2D vs 3D

I was playing Mario Kart the other night with my uber-Gamer brother and his wife (who is one hundred times better at playing than I am). It was interesting because it was the first time I had played against anyone else and — I was horrible. Not saying that I’m expert when I am playing alone, but I’m better than I was last night.

I was hard pressed to try and figure out what the problem was, until it hit me: 2D as opposed to 3D. The screen was a split screen and I had a hard time keeping my focus on my own screen. I’m used to playing games with a flat background (Mah Jong, Bejeweled), so playing a game where things cam come up from behind and the side of you is more than distracting.

For me, the transition from 2D to 3D is going to take a little longer than for most people. But I am not giving up! I love the 3D world, so I’m going to do what I have to do so I can be more comfortable playing in it.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

I was skimming through Digg just recently and I came across an interesting article that was posted today:

10 Reasons to Stay Loyal to Nintendo (GamesRadar)

I like this article because it highlights ten reasons why Nintendo is still a “gamer’s” platform and why people should stick around for what it to come. But one thing that is really interesting is the subtitle of the article:

Feeling like you’ve been betrayed for the casuals? We understand. Let us put your mind at rest

Wow. The Casuals. Sort of like saying ‘those people.’ It makes one want to go out and pick up a game controller so they can be a part of the all-inclusive clique. Except, not.

Now, this post isn’t to point any fingers at the author of the article (which is excellent, BTW), because he makes some valid points in his article and I think everything that he says is true. I’m just a bit gobsmacked that people are so put off because a company had the audacity to make a gaming system (and some games) that people who haven’t been playing games for the past ten years may be able to pick up and learn.

Is there not enough out there for everyone? I know that we Casuals may not ever reach Superstar status like a number of gamers out there, but if we don’t ever start, how in the world will we ever know?

Chill out. Nintendo wants everyone’s money – just as Sony and Microsoft do. I’m just glad that Nintendo came out with the Wii so I could get over my fear of the multi-button controller.

Next purchase: XBox 360!!!

Three Buttons before Eight

I linked to an article that was posted yesterday in which “proper gamers” are not pleased with the quality of games that Nintendo has been producing as of late. The reference, of course, is to the Wii console and its games. And the inference is that they’re catering to the non-gamer and ignoring them.

A full and proper blog post will be written up for this, but I want to say in this short little blurb… All gamers were beginning gamers at some point in time.

The main difference between becoming a gamer now and being someone who has been gaming since Atari systems is that their initial learning curve was nowhere near as steep as it is today. If some of the people who are skilled and adept at gaming now had to start fresh today with an XBox 360 or PS3 controller in their hands as a start, I don’t think they’d be as quick to disregard the fact that it is not easy.

I, for one, am thankful that Nintendo wanted to come out with a system that will introduces gaming to new users – young and old. The more people who can enjoy it, the better.

Wii in the News – 8/16/08

Wii News – August 16, 2008

• Why the Wii is well-suited to video game violence – I wrote recently about the need for violent video games on the Nintendo Wii and, for clarity, the main point of my message is that the Wii is a great platform for a game that has physical interaction.  (CNET.com – Negative Approach)
• Cancelled Xbox Platformer Lands on Wii – Fancy playing as one of 3 three zany, kooky crackpots sharing a cybernetic K.O.R.E suits? Head on in if the answer is “yes”. (Cubed3 News)
• Retirement Home – Wii Will, Wii Will Rock You -Our Lady of the Valley is participating in Olympic games using the Nintendo game console. (Roanoake Times)
• The Odd Couple – EA & Grasshopper or Suda 51 & Shinji Mikami – The number one challenge, Suda says, is developing for the Wii. Its audience is less cut-and-dried than the 360/PS3/PC crowd… (Kotaku.com)

Wii in the News — 8/15/08

Wii News – August 15, 2008

• Nintendo Wii and DS Win July – Software sales were also strong, with 5 out of the top 10 games found on Nintendo systems. (Video Game Generation)
• What the Nintendo Wii is Missing: violent video games – Finally, someone is wising up to the fact that the Nintendo Wii doesn’t address the bloodlust of most gamers. (Negative Approach – CNET.com)
• SEGA: Nintendo’s Wii offers a “flood of crap” and isn’t pleasing proper gamers – Finally, someone has the balls to speak the truth about the abysmal array of software that passes for entertainment on the Nintendo console. (Tech Digest)

I will definitely address that final link in a later post. For now, I’ll just say that I think that some people have been gaming for so long, they forget how it is to be a beginner.