Next gen Wii?

[Vagrant]

Found this on Gizmodo so I thought I'd share. What do you guys think? Bs or ba?

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/f...roller-in-2011

[marcus]

Re: Next gen Wii?

So Wii is still stuck in last generation while the other companies move forward? The Activision president also said that next gen consoles won't be available for another 2 years and while that guy is a dick and I don't want to believe anything he says, Activision is one of the leading Western publishers and I'm inclined to believe that Microsoft or Sony would give them the heads up before anyone else.

With that said, the sales of any game on the Wii that's not by Nintendo or a subsidiary have sold extremely poorly. I'm talking exclusive PS3 game poorly yet the Wii has nearly double the units sold. I've no doubt that it'll be financially successful but meanwhile people who actually enjoy video games will be turning to other systems.

I have more virtual console/wiiware games than I do physical games.

edit: The first comment on that page got me thinking. Disk space is dirt cheap (500gb harddrive for the price of a new DSi) and downloadable content has been more profitable than ever. I can see the new Wii going digital only. It would be small as hell, durable due to the lack of moving parts, and likely have fewer defect rates.

[Vagrant]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I love the idea of no discs and going only download for the wii. Cuts down on production costs for games that already don't sell too well. Valk and I have talked a lot on the move to digital only and he and I both would miss having something to display on a bookshelf. Its kinda nice actually seeing what you own as a physical item.

[Valkysas]

Re: Next gen Wii?

"generation" doesnt have a thing to do with graphic ability, marcus. otherwise we wouldnt be able to consider the Dreamcast or PS2 part of the same generation as the Gamecube and Xbox.

and it wouldnt be in "last generation" while the others move forward. both MS and Sony have claimed a 10 year life cycle for their current machines, and are just upgrading the interfaces rather than the entire console. it'd be playing catch-up, yes.

that said, I welcome it, but my biggest worry is if VC games would carry over. it's a wonderful thing that needs to permanently become part of nintendo's strategy going forward. if I'm expected to buy a new Wii, one that would play my current retail games, and I can't bring my 40+ VC games over, then that's a dealbreaker.

as for game selection, my retail Wii games vastly outnumber my 360 games, and I have just a few more than PS3 games. Vagrant can vouch for this. hell, he's pretty much the only person that plays my 360 or PS3 lately.

the sales of any game on the Wii that's not by Nintendo or a subsidiary have sold extremely poorly.

Not true. There are games that sell extremely well on the Wii. Guitar Hero, Rock Band, both these do extremely well. I don't like them, but they sell great on the Wii. Why? frankly, I think it's because they're the easiest damn thing to see in a game store. people see them, they're familiar with the title. RE4 was another big seller. I think it all comes down to visibility.

REAL third party support is ramping up. this holiday season has a bunch of great games on the way. certain companies made buying third party games on the Wii a very scary prospect, as the consumer had to deal with "converted flash game #2" or "Ubisoft cash in #18" cluttering shelves, making it hard for ANYONE to even see things like Klonoa, Zack and Wiki, or House of the Dead 2&3 Return.

but the shovelware has proven to be an awful strategy, so those games are going away (and cluttering up the used section of gamestop).

download-only could work now that the shovelware has died down. if it had started before, well, the system would be dead now. it would look like the iphone app store. you know, where maybe 1% of the games and apps are worth any attention at all.

I'd be okay with a system that was download-only from the start. I just don't like the mid-gen transition the PSP is making.

people who actually enjoy video games will be turning to other systems.

I enjoy the **** out of video games. and I love my Wii.

[marcus]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I love the idea of no discs and going only download for the wii. Cuts down on production costs for games that already don't sell too well. Valk and I have talked a lot on the move to digital only and he and I both would miss having something to display on a bookshelf. Its kinda nice actually seeing what you own as a physical item.

Believe me, I like stuffing my shelves more than anyone and go out of my way for special editions because it's the only time the publishers care about packaging but digital only games would mean cheaper products and you never have to worry about a game "going out of print." A decent trade off for my love of shelf clutter.

Edit: Now this has got me thinking what happens to stores once you stop selling hard copies. Gamestop would be reduced to selling accessories and "points" cards.

[Kire]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I wonder if part of the reason Nintendo would be rushing to the next generation is that their console is the easiest to pirate games for.

[marcus]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I wonder if part of the reason Nintendo would be rushing to the next generation is that their console is the easiest to pirate games for.

I hope they're already working on the next Zelda which includes a critical backdoor into modding the new system.

[Kire]

Re: Next gen Wii?

who knew walking backwards could have such dire consequences?

[marcus]

Re: Next gen Wii?

"generation" doesnt have a thing to do with graphic ability, marcus. otherwise we wouldnt be able to consider the Dreamcast or PS2 part of the same generation as the Gamecube and Xbox.

Perhaps not but it's a big selling point for people and it's a big selling point for companies where it's more economically feasible to have multiconsole releases. If a dev wants his PS3/360 game to also show up on the Wii they have to hack it up and tear it apart. Once the reviewers get ahold of it, they tear it apart. People who don't take the time to reasearch or only play the Wii version will say "This game sucks" and ignore the fact that they're playing a terrible version from the beginning.

Case in point, Call of Duty 3 and Far Cry Evolution. CoD3 was terrible to begin with but the Wii version was the bottom of the barrel. I don't even know what Ubisoft was thinking with Far Cry.

and it wouldnt be in "last generation" while the others move forward. both MS and Sony have claimed a 10 year life cycle for their current machines, and are just upgrading the interfaces rather than the entire console. it'd be playing catch-up, yes.

I don't remember the 10 year bit but I can see it happening. We're already reaching the 5 year mark and more and more impressive games are coming out on both consoles. Maybe this will mean devs will actually turn to the Wii for original titles instead of releasing whatever they have in their backlog.

Not true. There are games that sell extremely well on the Wii. Guitar Hero, Rock Band, both these do extremely well. I don't like them, but they sell great on the Wii. Why? frankly, I think it's because they're the easiest damn thing to see in a game store. people see them, they're familiar with the title. RE4 was another big seller. I think it all comes down to visibility.

I should have added original in their like I normally do. Guitar Hero will sell because it's a cash cow. Everyone knows Resident Evil 4. But look at the sales for Mad World, Zack and Wiki, Boom Blox, No More Heroes, the Klonoa remake, and shoot even Punch Out which was developed by a 2nd party company. They pushed something like 200k copies in the first two months and market analysts say that's where 50% of the sales come from. I haven't seen figures for Little King's Story or Muramasa but I will not begin to doubt they're relatively low for the cost required to produce them.

We can point the finger at multiple sources like relatively poor marketing (which I would say wasn't true for Mad World or NMH) but I've said this before and I'll say it again there's zero incentive for developers to even think about original titles on the Wii when no one cares about them. We get Carnival Games and Throw Thing At Thing because they're cheap and people buy them. Meanwhile, Star Wars: Swing the Lightsaber Edition makes the charts even though it's a dumb version of the PS3 game.

REAL third party support is ramping up.

It's not the lack of good games I'm worried about, because the Wii has plenty of good games. It's the lack of people who actually buy them.

I enjoy the **** out of video games. and I love my Wii.

I forever maintain in my mind that the Wii's catchphrase should have been "Games for people who hate games."

[Valkysas]

Re: Next gen Wii?

It's not the lack of good games I'm worried about, because the Wii has plenty of good games. It's the lack of people who actually buy them.

Yeah, but with the shovelware failing and fading, people arent going to have the option of buying stupid crap.

I think another problem are the wii owners who know there are good games on the system, but ignore them so they can keep spouting the "I havent turned my wii on in..." stuff.

[Caciss]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I think another problem are the wii owners who know there are good games on the system, but ignore them so they can keep spouting the "I havent turned my wii on in..." stuff.

yes people who spent money on a wii would rather spite nintendo just so they can complain about the Wii. you're ridiculous.

[Valkysas]

Re: Next gen Wii?

do I need to start posting examples of Wii owners that ***** about a lack of good games, but refuse to buy such games?

because I can. really. I bet most people can.

hell, look at the comments section at game sites, in response to any good wii game review. you get people saying "I havent turned my wii on for over a year, maybe I will for this".

so yes, wii owners are saying they are intentionally not buying the good/great games for the system.

[Caciss]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I'm sorry but I'm genuinely not interested in any Wii game, especially considering there are games on the 360 or PS3 I'd rather spend my money on.

Not to mention many of those Wii games are reviewed as good for a Wii game. Which really means, it's not bad!

[Valkysas]

Re: Next gen Wii?

Not to mention many of those Wii games are reviewed as good for a Wii game. Which really means, it's not bad!

that doesnt make any sense.

a good game is a good game, no matter where it is.

[Caciss]

Re: Next gen Wii?

I've read many a review that gives what would be a mediocre game on any other system, a good review because it's better than most games in the Wii catalog.

I know recently someone was trying to pressure people into buying a mediocre game to support production of good games for the Wii. Uh, I'm not gonna buy games I wouldn't buy on other systems so that someday I might get a game I wanna play.