- 24,553
- Frankfort, KY
- GTP_FoolKiller
- FoolKiller1979
Multiplatform games on the Wii have a couple weaknesses. The first is that if you are looking for something really pushing the tech boundary it will be more at the same level as the PS2 version. Then, since most Wii games do not require standing and moving to play it is basically learning a new control scheme that adds nothing but carpal tunnel to the experience (I'm looking at you Mario). So, a multiplatform game, even if just a PS2 and Wii game, can actually be more enjoyable with a traditional controller. Those don't have a "you should take a break to avoid injury" warning. While Wii SPorts and Toger Woods gives me sore muscles and joints where I expect them if I played those sports in real-life finding it hard to type at work the day after beating Bowser in SMG was a tad annoying.When it comes to multi-platform games, the Wii numbers are almost always well below everyone else, even the PS2.
You can extrapolate a few reasonable ideas from this.
First is that of the 20+ million Wii's out there, many are bought by parents for their young children to use. After all, it's the least expensive console for this gen, and the vast majority of the games are VERY kid/family friendly... which is not the case with the 360 and PS3.
And as I mentioned the Wii/PS2 releases, I believe Sony owes Nintendo a small thanks. As new games for the Wii make an almost perfect graphical port to the PS2 third-party support seems much stronger for teh older system than it was for PS1 after PS2 came out. If Nintendo had built a tech juggernaut as well I think PS2 development would basically be PSP ports after a littel time. I clearly remember when new PS1 games became the $9.99-$19.99 specials and all were almost always panned by critics and gamers alike.
Wii is helping the continued life of the PS2 by keeping it relevant and giving casual game designers a huge boost when a generation back they were telling critics to rate their games on value, not quality. Now, they are telling critics they just don't understand casual gamers and that is obvious by the wads of cash flowing in for Super Mini-Game Gonna Make You Learn Something While Playing a Digital Board Game 5.
I basically back this up with my previous paragraph. This is amazing me as my best friend, the guy who got me into Gran Turismo a decade ago, is just now looking at finding a Wii because he and his wife love playing Mario Party. He is lost. I tried explaining to him that in the time he found a Wii he could save up the $150 difference for a 40gb and then he and I could be racing each other online. When I mentioned I couldn't get into Mario Party he said how they liked playing it with this other couple. This would be the same couple that brought Karaoke Revolution to New Years. Fortunately I learned how to play drunk drums in Rock Band that night and a microphone never neared my mouth.Secondly, for more casual, but adult market, the Wii has proven to be an excellent "party" game, and thus has really opened up a new market for Nintendo with casual social gamers who treat the Wii like a board game and have "Wii parties" with friends... although it remains to see if this is a fad, like so many board games.
back on track......
Honestly, the Wii has mostly become a nostalgia generator with the VC and a sports simulator for me. This may change as their exclusive games aimed at traditional gamers (Zelda, Mario, Metroid, etc) are really good. But anything else where I have a choice goes on my PS3, and then with the online capabilities and weekly offerings from my PS3 even when I get attracted by something good on the Wii my PS3 calls me back the next Thursday. Yes, this means I put in way too much time beating the storyline section of Super Mario Galaxy so I would be free last night.Thirdly, of the adult regular to hardcore gamers, they may very well own a PS3 and or 360 as well as their Wii, so naturally when it comes to multi-platform games, they are most likely going to buy it for their 360 or PS3 so they can enjoy it in High Def, with superior surround sound, better graphics, and possibly additional features.
You know, with less than 60 weeks until the HD switchover in the US (February 2009) I see HDTV sales shooting up this next year and the still undecided gamer will possibly go for a PS3 if they are also looking for the next HD format now that BD has all but given an acceptance speech.I don't know about this. You have to also consider the number of households that still don't have an HDTV. If you track HDTV sales over the years, and they are growing at an unbelievable pace right now, you can see the effect it has had on HD related products, like HD camcorders, HD DVR, HD subscriptions through cable and satellite providers, etc.
When someone buys their first HDTV, the first thing they want to do is watch HD stuff, if nothing more than to see what their TV is capable of, and seeing as 1080p displays are dominating the HDTV market now, many of these new buyers are going to be looking for devices that will show off each and every one of those two million pixels.
Let us not forget, the Wii can only offer less than 400,000 pixels of native resolution, six times less than the PS3 and 360.
This is also why one can see a correlation between HDTV sales and Blu-ray sales, despite the format war.
In addition, with consoles like the PS3 that offer one of the best Blu-ray players on the market, and are capable of many home entertainment options besides playing video games, I suspect in the coming years, we will see a significant spike in PS3 sales among consumers who have never really been interested in gaming at all.
So while I agree that maybe the PS3 was a little ahead of its time, certainly as far as having a wide appeal like the Wiii has, I'm glad Sony didn't wait another gen to release it, as that would mean us early adopters who have been waiting for a device like this for quite some time to use with our HDTVs would be stuck with lousy upscaled video.
Of course, the unknown is who will opt for a converter box and say they are happy with their current image quality. But I think that will only last so long.
Yeah, keeping the PS2 going has kept Sony in the black through this launch and with the PS3 itself expected to turn profit in the next fiscal year, which would be quickler than the 360, Sony has done themselves well.That said, one must also congratulate Sony for having the foresight not to drop support for the PS2, in recognition that many consumers are not ready to take full advantage of what the PS3 has to offer, and thus they continue to purchase PS2's and PS2 games.
Bottom line, I suspect the Wii will live in harmony with its big brothers, as it and the games that sell well for it, are truly unique.
Can you get Gamefly?Renting is not really an option for me, there's nowhere near me to rent from! and I know no-one with a PS3 nearby that i can borrow either game from. I do hope to get AC tomorrow if this pans out that COD will not work well online for me, otherwise, im back at square 1.
You mean Go! Sports Bowling doesn't do it?Or at all, as in the case of the most interesting Nintendo game in years: Wii Sports. It's impossible to replicate that type of interaction on any other platform, and thus pointless to port.
Which is why I spend my lunch break reading Joystiq. If nothing else I get an idea of what all my options are.I think if you asked a few other gamers on the PS3 forum you'd find a lot of them wouldn't have heard of them either.
The US still has a BC option, and so I have to assume in other markets that BC is not cost efefctive. Or Sony made a mistake.Yeah good on Sony for getting rid of backwards compatibility in their 40GB PS3 based on customer demand! A good corporate decision sure (more monies), but it doesn't really say much to customers of the company.
But come on, how is it worse than Microsft offering online XBox games and then announcing less than a month later that they do not forsee anymore BC support updates? I predicted that would happen somewhere on these here boards.
Quota? As in you have a limit to how much you can DL? Is that through the ISP or some kind of weird household rule? I haven't had an ISP DL limit in over a decade.Yeah I don't really get much stuff from the PSN store, my download quota (or rather lack of one) would probably be the main contributor towards that.
MC makes a great quick reference but when something catches my eye I will find user reviews and then only check the ones with a comprehensive explanation of what they did and didn't like. I guess I just feel like doing some in-depth reasearch before plopping down $60. I also rent almost everything first.I like using metacritic as a reference for many games (if I can't try them) since it represents a good average (as compared to user ratings which tend to be over or under representative of the game's quality) since it has a lot more than just 'a handful' of reviews compiled within the average...but I guess like you said, different people prefer different things.
People that like the genre love it. I personally don't, but from the demo(s) I can see it is a well done game.Yeah not really my style...besides I wasn't making a comment on its quality when I first posted about it, I was merely saying that I just hadn't heard of it. Then I researched it a little bit.
Do you have DS3s on your store shelves or are you quoting import prices? Honestly, that is not a fair comparison if it isn't on the shelf in your region yet.To be fair you can buy a play and charge kit with a wireless 360 controller and it'll come to the current price of a Dualshock 3.
Hold it up to the light.Really? I've never noticed you can see the front label from the back of a DVD
It depends on how the DVD is labelled. If light can pass through the label then you can see through it. I notice it because my DVD player has a clear plastic tray is backlit in blue and unless the label is a dark color then I can make out the tray beneath it. With some brands of DVD-R you can practically make out shapes on the other side with no more lighting than just a well lit room.You can't on a DVD but you can on a Blu Ray disc...
I think the labelling on Blu-Ray is just a bit more opaque in design than DVDs.