Since its release six months ago, the surprisingly popular Nintendo Wii has touched off a scramble in the video-game software industry as developers and publishers have rushed to cash in on the lucrative opportunities generated by the innovative console.
“We expected the Wii to be a success, but we were still a little surprised,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive of Ubisoft. “We saw what Nintendo was creating was new accessibility. With this machine, you can really open up the market to a lot more gamers.”
With ambitious plans to be the No. 1 game developer for the Wii, EA is throwing more money and staffing behind new Wii games, including three exclusive titles for the platform. The company also bought Headgate Studios in Salt Lake City in December to develop Wii games.
Lots of detailed research in the article. Click through to arm yourself for discussion. :)
Research firm IDC is forecasting that by the end of the 2008, the Wii will be the best-selling console, besting the PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, which got a one-year head start.
Although I’m not a gamer, my subjective response to the three platforms is pretty much in line with the marketplace. The DS Lite is the only gamer present I buy for the wee ‘uns in my extended family.
Eideard, you should know by now that XBox and PS3 fanboys are the first to sneak out early on a Friday. Got to get a head start on staying indoors for the weekend.
I bought a Wii a couple of weeks ago and it is genuinely fun. A totally different experience from the usual gaming. And John was right, the bowling is damn realistic.
(I now have a sore shoulder.)
I’m so glad Nintendo is dominating; only because I love it when so many people end up being wrong, and having to eat crow. LOL. This is almost as good as when Apple switched to Intel.
I would have a wii AND a xbox 360 if only I could manage to find a wii in the store anywhere. At this point it is not from a lack of trying.
Also in this report, it looks like in the next month or two, the sales of the 360 will finally surpass the ps2…
Funny thing is… I think the 360 may be canabalizing Vista sales, because ever since I got my 360 in march PC gaming has been fading away.
Woo hoo! only a month until Two Worlds is released!
The funny thing is that the latest issue of Game Informer just showed up yesterday and they seem dead set against saying that the Wii is doing well. They managed to find a “market analyst” that insists the PS3 is going to dominate this generation, and then say that the “low production run” of the Wii (which is still much higher than the rate Sony and MS are producing their consoles) will ultimately be its death knell.
Basically, whatever your opinion, you can find a market analyst who will agree 100%.
From the article:
and an unnamed game developed by Steven Spielberg.
Cool, can’t wait to see it. That’s a pretty big endorsement for a game box.
Everyone talks about not being able to find a Wii in stores. Every store I go to in my area has one on the shelves.
I saw five Wii’s in the local GameStop last weekend. That was the first time I’ve ever seen actual Wiis other than glass-encased demo units.
Was seriously tempted to buy one, but my wife was along and would not have approved.
You could just play the Virtual Console games, I mean Ocarina of Time is basically the same game as Twilight Princess but its only 10 bucks! (and looks like shit)
#2 – I bought a Wii a couple of weeks ago and it is genuinely fun. A totally different experience from the usual gaming. And John was right, the bowling is damn realistic.
(I now have a sore shoulder.)
Comment by hhopper — 5/18/2007 @ 8:25 am
Post a video of it 🙂
#10,
That sore shoulder is why I want a wii. A sore shoulder on a middle age (or younger) man is only about two weeks away from being a big bulging muscle.
#6 – From the article:
and an unnamed game developed by Steven Spielberg.
Cool, can’t wait to see it. That’s a pretty big endorsement for a game box.
I wouldn’t get so excited. When they say “developed by” I’m sure they mean “by some business concern Speilberg has money in.”
Besides, Speilberg has been directing some of the best movies of his career in the past decade. I just watched Munich the other night and kicked myself for missing it in the theater. I’m a big movie snob who thinks he’s better than you (not really) because I like Antonioni and Murnow, so it’s hard for me to admit that except for Hook, I like every film Spielberg has ever directed… and I go so far as to say Jaws is one of the best movies ever made.
As for other stuff with his name stamped on it… Well, that’s just stuff with his name stamped on it.
The Wii was a big hit, that’s for sure. Nintendo has always had very successful hardware launches. However, the big N always finds some way to push themselves into a corner. I bought an N64 and was happy with it for a while, but then had to wait months at a time to get games to play. The same thing happened with the GameCube. I honestly hope the Wii, which is just a redesigned ‘Cube, garners some quality third party developers. Otherwise the Nintendo faithful will be stuck bying a game every quarter, or so, as in times past.
Oh, and speaking of the DS. Has anyone ever noticed how Nintendo happens to release a new version of the game boy, only to follow it up with another one in a year or so? They released the Gameboy pocket as a redesign of the orginal Gamboy, and that was very popular. Then, a year or two later they came out with the Gamboy color, which was the same thing, but finally with a color screen. Well, we got to enjoy our color Gamboys for a year or two, and then they release the Gameboy Advance! Oh, I loved the Gamboy Advance. Finally, I can play SuperNES quality games on a portable device…if I had two more buttons that is. Oh, and what is with this screen with no light…oh wait! Here comes the Gameboy SP! Then, there was the original DS, which was attrocious. With another year comes another redesign and BAM! The DS Lite just couldn’t sit on the shelves.
I’ll wait and buy a Wii when they introduce the Wii light, which is jus the remote.
#12, oftlo, not to argue, but I’ve never seen anything with the “Steven Spielberg Seal of Approval” stamped on a junk product. As you say, he’s one of the best directors since Hitchcock. So yes, I’d like to see the game and I’ll bet it’s a good one.
Last game I played by Spielberg (or one with his name “stamped” on it) was an adventure game called “The Dig”. It was a real piece of work and gave me hours of enjoyment.
The Wii is a lot of fun to play. I don’t understand why Nintendo doesn’t give it DVD playback capability. From what I’ve read it’s quite capable of playing movie DVD’s if it only had the right software bundled with it.. http://tinyurl.com/yzedec I think a lot of the gamers would buy a WiiCard and spend the points to add playback to their machines. http://tinyurl.com/3ex3pf
Some Japanese guys made a WiiMote control door opener: http://tinyurl.com/373gzd 😀
@15 Do you really not have a DVD player?
#14 – I remember The Dig, but wasn’t that LucasArts?
He’s listed as exec prod on Monster House and MIB II, and while I know it’s all subjective, I think that those are two unadulterated peices of crap. 🙂 And that’s a fact…
But I agree that he tends to have a knack for keeping his name off of crap most of the time.
#10 OFTLO – Who would want to see a video of my sore shoulder??
#19 – I don’t know, but it’s probably better than half the crap on YouTube.
#18, Yes, “The Dig” was a LucasArts game, but a Spielberg production. It was a great adventure game, best voice in the game by Robert Patrick, the nemesis (T-1000?) in Terminator 2.
http://dig.mixnmojo.com/
I have a Wii and an Xbox 360. I really enjoy playing the Wii Sports game and Wii Play game with my kids and wife – it’s very much a pick-up and play group/party console experience. The problem is the lack of games that make use of the controller effectively, and lack of an easy multiplayer experience.
When my kids are in bed and I want to play something more adult (Call of Duty etc), not being able to play against my friends easily is a serious issue. And even if I could, the greater definition in the Xbox 360 version along with the far greater online experience (voice chat etc) allows games like COD to be a far more visceral experience on the 360 than the Wii.
3 months after buying the Wii, there’s not a single game I’d buy for it, and if there is a cross platform title, I’d buy it on the 360, not the Wii for the above reasons.
So Nintendo – bring on the games – the truly unique games rather than cross-console ports that are accessible to kids and adults alike, otherwise I can see my Wii being used less and less over time whilst the 360 continues to evolve and have staying power.
Regards,
Shane.
#12 OFTLO
Are you telling me that you liked Spielberg’s “attack of the anthropomorphic black penises” version of the War of the World?
According to the sales totals listed on Wikipedia, the Wii already has about 75% the sales of the 360. With numbers like this, the Wii could surpass the 360 before the end of 2007.