Blog 6: So Doctor, Why don't I play my Wii?
By MachoFantastico 2 Comments
Hello My Fellow Giantbombers!
I hope your reading this in good health as the Winter cold hits us hard. I'm sure many American's might think that it always rains here in the United Kingdom, never stops as we try to live our day to day lives. Well you'd actually be very wrong, it's like us Brits thinking that Yanks have no sense of humour when they clearly do. Infact it's quite common for this great Island to recieved a good few weeks of endless sunshine once Summer as returned to give us all sunburn and make us feel unconfortable and lazy. But when it rains it can rain for days after, and that's exactly what the weather is currently doing right now. To some this weather is dull and miserable, but I have to admit a fond spot for the Winter weather. Of course the cold affects me badly as I have mentioned in previous blogs but I have always found rain such a peaceful and cooling experience. So as I write my newest Gaming Blog I look out of my window and see Mother Nature cleansing this Earth of ours. Now you may be wondering what this all as to do with Videogames, and I can tell you that is as nothing to do with them. But I felt I needed to add a human touch to the blog just incase anyone thought I was some sort of time travelling robot.
So what will I be writing about in this blog, well Nintendo's Wii actually. The massive selling Japanese console as been with us for a good while now and I think it's fair to say we all have a our views on it's casual approach to the Videogame industry. So for this blog I will be talking about my personal views conerning the console and I can reassure you I will NOT be making any stupid Wii jokes because they have all already been done.
SO DOCTOR, WHY DON'T I PLAY MY WII?
Nintendo's Wii as always been a odd sort of console, it's never felt here or there and it's probably fair to say that it hasn't always looked to please is hardcore dedicated fanbase since it's launch. But before we dig deeper into the inner workings of the white box, I wish to take you back to when the console first launched in the month of November 2006. Now when the console launched there was huge excitment throughout the world of Videogames, this was something new and fresh. Something a little risky and for many gamers risk could be a scary thing. We all remember the Powerglove right? so I think it was totally fair for some gamers to still have their doubts about Nintendo's newest system. In a time when most folk thought the Japanese company would release a system to challenge Sony and Microsoft graphically. So when the console was first unvelied to the world, we were all a little surprised at what we saw. Now at the time the motion-controlled gameplay looked fantastic and fun, something we all couldn't wait to experience ourself. But even then there were doubters, doubters who simply called the Wii a gimmick. Something we would all get bored of a few weeks after we get our own Nintendo Wii's. Now looking back at those doubters, part of me totally disagrees with them and part of me can't help but agree. Even though I have never seen the Wii as a gimmick, I can't help but feel that it's a console which as shown potential but ended up offering the same old content again and again.
Now before I get rushed by Nintendo Fanboy comments for this blog, please don't hate me for my own personal views on the system. The Nintendo Wii is indeed a fine system that is very family friendly and can be a lot of fun. But I often feel that decisions made by Nintendo along the way as left the system feeling hollow and empty when compared to it's competition. Now of course you could argue that my feelings are totally wrong and sales can prove that. The Nintendo Wii continues to do stupidly well in sales all around the World from London to Tokyo and as moved many more systems then it's competitors. But the main reason for these huge sales as also left me with a bitter taste in my dry game hungry mouth. When you look at the weekly releases at your local videogame stores or even online, you know doubt find that theres so very few Nintendo games worth even looking at. That's a big part of my main problem with this much loved console. Many of the games currently avaliable are total garbage, and yes every console suffers it's cheap ripoff's. Sony had their Lair while Microsoft have a good few others, such as Vampire Rain (Chocolate Rain!!). But there seems so many cheap knock-off's when it comes to the Wii, I don't like it personally. I want to be playing unique never before experienced titles that I will love for years to come. Yet I find that experience more often on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 and I find that very worrying.
Theres also another issue to be found in the Wii's game catalog, to many games do the same thing again and again. Now this is actualy a issue that affects all consoles, not just motion-controlled ones. The Xbox 360 simply as to many First-Person Shooters that offer the same experience over and over, yet strangely I find more innovation in those games with the basic classic controller then I do with the fancy motion-controlled controller of the Wii. The Wii also suffers from way to many Mini-Game collections that can feel all to familar, your always doing a variation of the same motion and I can promise you that eventually you'll stop doing powerful impressive body motions and just sit in a chair slightly moving your wrist about in motion with a game. It's a frustrating experience, if the Wii offered more variations and maybe even took more risks on the actual game front then it might be a total different offering then the one we currently have.
But let me be fair for a second, even the most hardcore Nintendo fan would admit that the company as taken the Wii in a much more casual direction then many thought they would. Most games are for familes to play and I actually think that's a great thing, it gives parents a chance to see why their kids love Videogames and for that I give Nintendo a big clap of my hands. But I also can't help but feel that they have forgot the folk who made them big in the first place, the people I would call hardcore Nintendo gamers. The gamers who have a deep passion for anything Zelda, Mario or Metroid Prime. There have of course been a few top titles featuring these famous gaming characters, Twilight Princess was a very fine game and Mario Galaxy is easily one of the best games on the system. But with these great games come a thousand other total garbage titles such as Big Beach Sports which some how still seems to be doing well in the UK Game Charts and for that I am ashamed. Especially when beautiful titles such as Okami go mostly unoticed, it's a cruel unkind world we live in.
Now if I'm honest with you readers, it's this catalog issue that hurts me deep. I will admit I am not a huge Nintendo fan and never have been. I have never actually been a fanboy of sorts, although back in the day I was always more of a fan of Sega then of Nintendo. But I am a gamer and I want to be playing games that offer me an experience I'll never forget, sadly so few games have offered that on my Nintendo Wii. It is of course all personal opinion, you may be reading this thinking that the Nintendo Wii as one of the best Videogame catalog's of all and that's fine. This blog is my own personal look and views on the videogame industry and I just feel that Nintendo need to do better to please their hardcore fanbase or they'll be soon off to the Xbox 360 or PS3. But Nintendo must be doing something right, as there earning so much damn money from the Wii and Nintendo DS that they could release a new powerglove all over again and not see any financial harm once everyone realises that it's a terrible videogame accessory.
Like many I will say that Nintendo know how to do portable gaming, I am quite the fan of Nintendo's DS system and play it often. So why don't I find that videogame love for it's bigger brother the Nintendo Wii. I'm not totally sure, I don't think it's just an issue with the games on offer. I don't like to think my gaming is run on a love for graphics, but we are living in the age of HD Gaming and the Wii can be a fine looking console when in the right hands. I thought Mario Galaxy was a fantastic looking game which used both artistic style and simple graphical touches to make a fine looking experience for any Nintendo gamer, but theres so few top looking titles out there on the system. To many look like they'd belong on Sony's Playstation one console and Mario Galaxy showed us all that a fine looking WIi game can be done, so why don't more do it. Is it lazy development, sometimes I can't help but feel that many companies out there go for the quick buck. Families have more money then the average Xbox360/PS3 Hardcore gamer and have much less high standards from there games. So I do wonder if many Wii developments just honestly feel it's more about getting the game out on the shelve rather then making a title of quality. Many low quality titles on the more graphical heavy consoles are quickly blucked out from the masses and thrown to the dogs, thankfully. But to many Wii titles are bought simply because there new and shiny while they sit on your local videogame store shelve. It doesn't always matter about quality, that's not to say Nintendo fans are happy with low standards of videogames, but the majority of Wii buyers are happy just as long as it keeps there kids quiet.
So is there any other reason why I rarely play my Wii nowadays, I have a good few games for it. Well at least the ones worth spending my money on. I'm not sure if it's down to my personal views on the console or if the console itself isn't trying to please me and would rather the rest of my family was playing it. It's that casual aim that I have a problem with, it can be said that Microsoft are somewhat aiming towards the casual crowd with it's New Xbox Experience (launching next week folks) and with it's avatars, but even then they clearly are still looking to please the fans who spend good money on the system and it's games. There not doing anything to drastic or offering to many games that simply won't be bought by the more hardcore crowd found on the console. I just don't think the Wii is aiming to please me, it's not looking to please a hardcore gamer who loves his deep interesting titles. Now of course there is WiiWare and retro games on offer when you have your Wii connected online. But even so, I'm not a massive Retro gamer and I honestly don't want to play some of the older titles avaliable there. That's not to say there bad games, some are simply classics. But some of the retro genres died out for a reason, many simply aren't as much fun as they used to be so it's not worth checking them out again if it wasn't for nastogia.
So I think that as a lot to do with me not touching my Wii for a good six to seven months, there simply hasn't been enough content aimed towards my attitude and style of gaming. Now I'm sure some of you out there will find that theres something for everyone to enjoy on the Wii, and that's fine because your probably right. Maybe I'm just being a grump about the whole console and I should just be happy with what I got. It's just when I bought my Wii I saw all sorts of fantastic ideas and potential. But in the end all I see is endless mini-games and a real lack of innovation by both Nintendo and developers. Motion-Controls are a fantastic idea and it does work well, it's just I think theres a reason why we haven't already seen a motion controlled based console before the Wii when the technolgy as been avaliavle before the Wii was first even discussed. It simply isn't that much fun after a good few weeks, take the Playstation 3's Sixaxis motion system on it's controllers. A feature that is still hated by even some PS3 fanboys simply because it isn't needed and doesn't work well enough. I don't think we have yet reached the age where controllers need a huge revolution and that's what the Wii-Remote is trying to acheive.
I hope I don't come across as a gamer who hates anything Wii or Nintendo related because I'm honestly not. I am a fan of the company even though it still seems to take centuries to ship games over here to Europe. But they are risktakers and I always respect those willing to take the risks in the Videogame industry. Even if those risks don't work or aren't aimed at pleasing me. Some love the Nintendo Wii with a passion, and that's no different from those who love Sony's Playstation 3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360. It's just that Nintendo have made certain decisions along the way that have clearly looked towards removing some hardcore gamers from it's fanbase with the over saturation of minigame complations and poor quality games. It hasn't offered enough innovation with the potential of the technology on offer an that angers me. So much could be done with the Wii, yet I can't help but feel as if Nintendo would rather play it safe. Now I will give them huge credit for ideas such as Wii Fit but concepts such as Wii Music do not sit well with the TrueEnglishGent because it all feels as if they care little for it's current hardcore fanbase with titles clearly aimed towards little kids. Not enough Nintendo Quality titles are released to please that audience who have been loyal to them even in tougher times. It's my biggest critisism of Nintendo, and something I think they should sort out. There retro collection is indeed fine but it's not everyones cup of Earl Grey tea and many of those games have seen High definition updates on either the Playstation Network or Xbox LIVE and I'd still rather play them.
So make of my blog what you will, some will hate on me I'm sure while others may even agree. But that's how I feel about a console with much more potential then it's showing. Maybe Nintendo are yet to show off it's true potential, and we will all be shocked and surprised when we see it possibly next year in some amazing new motion controlled technology. Maybe it is Motion Plus hitting next year. But at the moment the main reason I don't play my Wii is simply because the game catalog and features simply aren't aimed to please me. They are there to please families and children and those found of the retro scene willing to splash the cash to experience them all over again. So I finish happy that I resisted the urge to make any Wii related potty jokes and I can end this blog is style and class.
So a massive thanks for reading this blog, now I'm off to the toilet because I need a Wii...... (Sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm weak and it was a terrible joke).
Thanks for Reading,
Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent)
