I still rarely play it, I just started Wario Ware: Smooth Moves again because I figured it was high time I finished the 2 hours it takes to beat it. There's very little draw to get me to play that system, and it's not simply because my Xbox 360 is pulling me from it. Currently the 360 is in repair and I'm still not playing the Wii. There are title's I thought I'd be genuinely interested in playing, but it's just so blah to actually do.
So, with millions picking up Wii consoles monthly, how long does the system have before the collective concious realizes the Wii was a nice novelty while it lasted? More importantly, what will Nintendo do to prevent, or remedy said realization? More games, another console, add-ons? There are a few routes they could go down, but I'm sure Reggie and co. are already thinking about it.
Let's say we live in a fanboy's dream, people genuinely love the wii remote and think it is fun to play beyond the first few titles. It won't take long before developers start wanting to do things with the system that it simply isn't capable of. Games are art, and some artist's need to paint with something other than crayons. If the Wii is incabable of achieving the artistic style a developer wants, can we really expect them to sacrifice their vision to have you flail your arms to run? Game makers have already been making games of Wii quality for almost five years now, and I will not be surprised when the third party developers get just as bored of the console as players will. Without real third party support the system will fail, for proof see this summer's releases. The only notable games are Mario Strikers and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Nintendo cannot support the platform on it's own, droughts will set in and gamers won't want to wait.
Nintendo needs to offer the Wii's functionality on a more powerfull machine and there are two ways of achieving this. The first, expansions. The Wii has USB ports, use them! All kinds off periphrials for system improvement could be added, remember the memory expansion on the Nintendo 64? It was sleek, easy to install and helped developers put a little extra life into the console. Wait, remember the Sega 32X? Yeah, periphrials may not be a good idea.
The other option is to release another system, one with the same functionality, but with much more powerfull inards. However, I do not think the gaming populace would recieve it well if
Nintendo, frontmen of the "innovation, not power" movement did a 180 Wii degree flip and started promoting a new system to match competitor power. Now, if the conole was good enough I severely doubt anyone would have any problems with the hipocricy, but is Nintendo wealthy enough to do that? While the system has sold more than ten million units at $280 apiece, Nintendo isn't making much per unit. With the Xbox division of Microsoft costing them billions annually it's unlikely Nintendo would be able to front much of the cost of a powerfull system. This means they'd be going from the low cost provider to PS3 round 2. Nintendo does not have the ability to release a powerfull console next round, they are stuck forevermore in the underdog category.Even now gamers are feeling the sting of the Wii's technical inferiority through it's complete disregard for online play. Xbox Live is constantly raising the bar for what online gaming should be, and even though it's struggling to reach that bar the PS3 is trying it's hardest to provide a top tier service. Nintendo has made no effort to provide developers with the capabilities to make online games. Mr. Fils-Aime said that we should see something online within the next year, but I don't think people are willing to wait that long.
The only thing Nintendo can really do is hope the nation's attention span holds out a little longer while they rush some real titles out the door and try and milk the third-party port flood for all it's worth. Without selling alot of games Nintendo will not have the funds to back a competitive console 4 years from now and will be left in the dust. Reggie, bring out the big guns.
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6 comments:
To be honest, I think you are coming at this from a hardcore gamer's perspective. However, the majority of Wii owners are casual gamers, and the Wii is the perfect casual system. With simple controls and engaging gameplay it is easy to pick up any time.
Obviously the hardcore gamers will quickly notice the lack of depth the system has, but that same lack of depth is what is drawing in others.
Imagine it like a swimming pool. If you build an Olympic pool you'll attract the few professional swimmers nearby, but the average person won't want that, they'd prefer a wading pool, but of course a wading pool is useless for pro swimmers. In the end though, I'd rather build a wading pool because you'll attract way more customers.
Relying on the casual gamers is not a strategic business move.Yes, it will move systems, but the casual players are the most likely to stray.
Someone who enjoys something casually is much more likely to get pulled away by the next big thing much more than the hardcore base. How long until the next big thing walks by?
People said the same thing about computers. Many companies didn't believe gearing their products towards the general public would produce a good consumer base, preferring to sell towards big companies.
Boy, where they wrong. AND SO ARE YOU! MU HA HA HA HA!
The thing is, if people have the system, people will buy the games. Regardless of weather or not they will play them as much as a hardcore gamer. In fact, I surmise they'll ship MORE games. As people get bored of the games faster, they buy more. Trust me, look in the household of most high-middle class new age families. Their houses are stocked with tons CDs and DVDs, and if they have any video game systems, they'll have all the games they can grab. This doesn't mean they're raising hardcore gamers, but that they have money.
See, I work in retail and 90% of people that I see buying the Wii are not high-middle class families. Most of those go for the PS3, some go for 360. The type that buy the Wii rarely pick up extra games and are satisfied with just Wii Sports (and maybe Wii Play if they buy another controller). I don't even sell Zelda with the system anymore.
Wii gamers are not buying games in droves, I have to count every sold title, daily and it averages; PS3 1, Xbox 360 4, Wii 2. The 360 sells the most games daily by far. I don't kno whether that is just because it has more titles people want, or the type of people that own the sytem, but I can guarantee you the types of people that own Wiis are not the ones that go on game buying sprees.
Third party developers were never really the focus for nintendo... I've always felt that nintendo really only stays afloat with mario kart, smash bros, zelda, and metroid... Third party developers aren't an asset for nintendo to lose, they're an asset to gain.
Without third party developers to support the system the control scheme willb ecome a niche and will fade away.
I came upon an interesting realization today. If the gamecube had been successfull the "Revolution" would not be the way it is.
The reason Nintendo is the low cost providor with the bad hardware is because they couldn't foot the bill to make a more powerfull system. Both 360 and PS3 are made and sold at a pretty big loss, and without the moola to back it up, the investment will not work.
Had the Gamecube succeeded Wii would have much more powerfull hardware and would likely be able to last the length of this console war.
And please, don't tell me Nintendo doesn't need third party developers. The first party release schedule for the whole summer consists of two games. That is not enough to make a successfull console.
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