I’ve owned a Nintendo Wii since the day it released. As a moderate Nintendo fan, I was very happy to have their newest console in my home. After a few months, though, disappointment set in. Let’s be honest, the Wii, as a piece of hardware, is pretty lackluster. It’s not much more powerful than its predecessor (and if it is, it’s not letting us know), the lack of high definition output ruins what good looking games there are, the online infrastructure is dismal, the storage capacity is laughable and the Wii remote was so unimpressive, Nintendo released a dongle just to make it do the things we all assumed it could do on day one.
However, let’s tuck all that under the carpet for now. I know. It’s hard. It might even be unfair. Those are all legitimate criticisms, and I’m asking you to ignore them. The reason being, all consoles have their faults. The Wii perhaps more than others, but dwelling on the things we can’t change is fruitless. The sooner you accept the Wii for what it is, the sooner you can enjoy it for what it does well, and that’s its games.
Of course, when it comes to the Wii’s library, there are even more complaints. “I’m a hardcore gamer, I don’t play that casual nonsense,” one such common complaint might go. The word “casual” is often spat with disdain. It’s a complaint I don’t understand. If you’re a “hardcore gamer,” wouldn’t that mean you’d be more interested in playing as much as you can? Isn’t it sort of a contradiction to suggest that you’re really into games, but you’re ruling out an entire system’s library? Folks, I own over 1000 games, over 50 of which are Wii titles. As a gaming enthusiast, or “hardcore gamer” if you prefer, I can safely say the Wii has plenty of games to play, even when measured against other consoles.
Are they all great games? Naw. Some are a tad unpolished. Some lack a bit of depth. Others, maybe a little of both. But they are fun, enjoyable games. All of them. And I’ll stand by that. The thing is, the Wii is not the land of the big, bloated Hollywood-esque action blockbusters. It never has been and it never will be. And I think that’s a good thing. We have two consoles that already specialize in that sort of thing, we don’t need a third. Honestly, why would you want three consoles offering the same exact experience? Instead, the Wii’s library succeeds because it offers quirky, niche experiences. I know that sounds weird; the market leader this generation specializing in niche games.
It’s true though. Generally speaking, you’re not going to find games like Little King’s Story, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, ExciteBots: Trick Racing, Klonoa, No More Heroes, Wii Sports Resort or Spectrobes: Origins on competing consoles. And these are all good games, and what’s nice is that they often release at discounted prices, and drop in price quite quickly. They don’t have 20 multiplayer modes you won’t be playing in a week anyway, but they don’t cost $60 USD either. You’re paying less money to get unique experiences. Not a bad deal.
Then of course, a few reasonable “hardcore gamers” will concede. “Ok, yeah, maybe those games are ok, but there are bajillions of terrible casual games and they’re ruining the industry and it’s all Nintendo’s fault by pandering to the casuals,” they might retort. I say “might” because “pandering” is kind of a big word. Well, first, judging a console based on the games you’re not going to play anyway is a super stupid idea. It’s like refusing to go to a restaurant because you don’t like fish, and they serve fish. There’s plenty of other stuff on the menu, natch. Secondly, terrible games, even the unprecedented glut of terrible games on the Wii, don’t ruin anything. They haven’t stopped all the HD shooters with a million shades of brown yet, and judging by release forecasts, it doesn’t look like they will anytime soon. Hell, these games don’t even sell. Check any NPD since the Wii’s launch. Aside from a few anomalies like Carnival Games, nobody, not even the so-called casuals, want to play these games. And thirdly, Nintendo didn’t cause this influx of trash. Comparing Wii Sports Resort to some of the drek I’ve seen on store shelves is laughable. Wii Sports may be simple, but it’s certainly well made. And simple isn’t a bad thing. Simple and bad is a bad thing.
I’m sure there are those who have tried the Wii and a number of its games, and have concluded it’s simply not for them. I understand that. Some folks like vanilla ice cream, and others like chocolate ice cream. There’s no harm in differing preferences, especially when the Wii does have its fair share of foibles. It’s not even my favorite console this generation. But saying “I’ve tried the Wii and, you know, it’s ok, but it’s not my cup of tea,” is a far cry from “BAWWWWW WII SUCKS.” I’m sure we all wish the Wii had a better online plan (especially coming from the company that pioneered console Internet connectivity with devices such as the Famicom MODEM and Super Famicom Satellaview), and that the Wii could output in HD, but dismissing the Wii, or becoming outright hostile, because it relies solely on “terrible waggle games” is not only ridiculous, but completely false. And any “hardcore gamer” worth his or her salt would do well to pay a little more attention to the Wii’s line up, especially going forward. In 2010, the Wii be seeing Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, Sin and Punishment 2, Red Steel 2, Monster Hunter Tri, NBA Jam, Epic Mickey, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, Arc Rise Fantasia, and not to mention the anticipated releases of Nintendo’s own Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M and The Legend of Zelda. It really is getting to the point that those who still whine and bemoan the Wii are little more than bratty children, dragging their feet.
A fantastic read, Craig.
I still have my Wii since me and my brother got it for Christmas when it came out and I’m very happy that I didn’t sell it or else I wouldn’t be playing great games like No More Heroes (even though it’s coming to the 360/PS3 but currently in Japan), Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Super Mario Galaxy, House of the Dead: Overkill, etc.
Because while the Wii may not have the superior hardware and online capabilities as the 360 and PS3 have but it has something different to offer and I really like that. I’d rather play Muramasa over Halo 3 anyday and this is coming from someone who owns all 3 systems.
Don’t discount resentment on the people who bought a console expecting one thing and found out that they got another. This doesn’t even have to be due to specially mischievious press, as people sometimes just want to believe what they want. Even if complaining about reality not meeting their fantasy is silly, it is no less reasonable for them.
Second, bear in mind that some people are very strict about the games they play. What I mean, is that some people just play fighting games or first person shooters, or sports games. I have known many of those people. If you are one of them, a system’s library is usually very limited to you from the get go… if you got a Wii and it’s the only console you’ll be able to play in the near future, frustration might be reasonable.
Third. People like shiny things, even though they don’t know precisely why they like them or what will they do with them.
Fourth. The world is overwhelmed with idiots and fans (a particularly sinister type of idiot.) Therefore, a percentage (which I believe it’s not particularly small) of flak/complaints/pouting does come from people that don’t even own the system and want to make sure they made a good desicion by pouring their money elsewhere by trashing the alternatives.
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Personally, I don’t own a Wii and, while it’s in my plans to own it (as well as the other systems of this generatio that I don’t currently own), it’s quite far down my list.
Catch you later Craig.
Sincerely,
Federico Figueredo
http://www.dropthedice.com
Great article… I agree that the Wii shouldn’t try to do what the other 2 are doing.
Great article. I totally agree. I really enjoy my Wii as it sits right next to my PS3 and 360. The console I use the least is the PS3. Not because I dont like it or because it’s bad, but because it’s so much like the 360 that I don’t really need both. I keep it for the great exclusives but I buy most multi plats on the 360 because thats what most of my friends have.
Anyway, I disagree somewhat with federico. I’m not sure what some people were expecting with the Wii, but its pretty much exactly what I expected. It’s very similar to the gamecube in many respects. No real surprises as far as the way the game library is shaping up. I think a lot of the “expectations” problems were from people with unrealistic expecations. And you can’t blame a console for someone elses unrealistic expectations. That’s just silly.
And for people with very specific gaming tastes, like Shooters or whatever, they should know better than to buy a Wii in the first place.
And to people who “like shiny things” well, that’s just a stupid reason to dislike a console so I won’t even bother with that.
His fourth comment is pretty true though. Sad, but true.
There are a few ways to interpret hardcore and what it means. It could mean someone who play World of Warcraft every day and leveling up their characters to the max and then doing it with another and so on. Or it could be someone who has been playing games for years and has a massive game selection. Or it could be a gamer who likes hardcore games such as RTS games and not overly simplistic games like Wii Sports Tennis.
Myself I think it’s someone who takes a lot of interest in games in general regardless of the platform. To me playing Mario Galaxy is just as hardcore as playing Mass Effect. They both absorbed a lot of my time and I enjoyed they both for different reasons.
I got a Wii since it launched and continue to enjoy it immensely. It’s easily my most-played-after console since the Atari 2600, and I’ve had to sell some games back to GameStop just to make shelf space for newer titles. Heck, I had all but written off home console gaming (my previous systems were a PS1 and a Saturn) until the Wii arrived.
My only complaint with the Wii is how it gets (mis)treated by third-party developers, who apparently feel they have to either short it with low-budget spinoffs or low-profile releases. But that’s not the fault of Nintendo or the Wii, and I won’t shed any tears for these short-sighted developers — after all, if they don’t want to treat me as a valued customer, I’ll just take my money elsewhere.
There’s been several years of confusion surrounding the Wii, because the Wii goes against the direction that the industry wants to go in. So nothing about the Wii makes any kind of rational sense to both the industry, and hardcore gamers who are fans only of the industry’s biggest games, and its biggest trends.
The myth of the “casual” gamer seems to be slowly crumbling however. And the reality of budgets are setting in. Here’s an interesting tidbit from an employee at a major game developer who spoke anonymously on an Internet forum:
Essentially, people at some major developers try to propose mid-range games that would be a perfect fit, and are not the stereotypical quick n’ dirty “casual cash-in”. But they can’t get funding. Producers at the big companies believe “mature” is a genre. They think what core Wii owners must want are HD console style, dark and gritty epic games, full of cut scenes and voice acting. And lots of blood. The few games like this they try to put on the Wii generally fail. So currently they’re making the excuse that there are no core gamers on the Wii, effectively.
A good example of why the Wii must exist is Muramasa: The Demon Blade. This is as oldschool a game as they come: a 2D, hand drawn, hack and slash game with 16-bit design values. It’s a beautiful game, but being created by a small 15 person developer (Vanillaware), there’s no way it could get made on the HD consoles. Not just because it would not be approved. The head of Vanillaware laid it out: making art assets such as those required for Muramasa in HD resolutions was beyond the capacity of their company to make. So either the quality of the art would be dialed down and simplified, or it would use 3D graphics. Plus, costs of development on those platforms are beyond them.
The funny part is that Muramasa is as “hardcore” a game as they come – what used to be considered hardcore, at least, before only first person shooters and sandbox gangster simulators became the definition of hardcore. In that regard, the Wii is actually quite friendly to hardcore games.
Sorry, but you are dismissing the Wii yourself.
The biggest problem is that the Wii has not so much great games. It is NOT being hardcore or sth. It is being about good games.
The Wii may be different like you said before, but it isn´t good in being different. It does so much wrong, for a big price like 200 Euro, where i can get a real next-gen console like a 360.
What do you have for games? Zelda, Mario and one other good outstanding game? This is not what i want to pay for, because there is not so much coming in the future, and even some developers like Capcom do not to intend to develop for the Wii anymore.
This is one of the best articles I’ve read.
I run a website dedicated to this very notion (wiiaredeep.com) and you’ve summed up all of my most important points in a succinct, intelligent manner.
Thank you, and please continue making gamers look good. God knows, there are plenty of gamers on the web making us all looks pretty bad.
No see, Thomas, that’s exactly the close-minded view that perpetuates the “not so much great games” as you put it. There are a very decent amount of great games on the console outside of the high-profile 1st party big guns. More importantly, there are great games that provide experiences unique to the Wii. Gameplay experiences that you can’t get on the HD twins. The most recent examples can be found in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Sky Crawlers. Unique control schemes that successfully function in having the player connect with their videogame in new fun ways. Many games are unsuccessful, but those that are make them, and the console, worthwhile.
Great article. I have recently purchased a Wii, after 3 years of ignoring the console in lieu of the 360 and then the PS3.
http://hardcorenintendogamer.blogspot.com
I am very excited about their next DS model (to be announced later this year?) as well as the WiiHD. Even if they only go with 720p output for games, that would be fine. HDMI and component and build some sort of online identity (ie. PSN or XBOX Live), that would be great.
I have been playing online FPS on the PC for well over 10 years, and started gaming and coding at 7 on a ZX Spectrum. So I reckon I am a hardcore gamer. My last Console before the Wii was the Dreamcast with 2 fight sticks. Although I have machines going back to the 2600.
I always expected a different experience from a Console than from a PC rig. My PC rig isn’t even super expensive. Just a std desktop machine, 1680×1050 display and a midrange graphics card. Like many online players I drop textures and models to hit the magical 60 FPS which I consider the minimum for a smooth FPS experience. So the HD twins have never appealed to me. Especially in terms of controls and frame-rate and mods. They are certainly not ‘hardcore’ in my understanding of the term.
But being a PC gamer I also play a lot of indie, niche and retro titles. These are also ‘Hardcore’ to my mind.
These don’t always work so well on a PC. Especially for in the room multi-player. The Wii deliverers these sorts of titles consistently. I bought my Wii 6 months ago and have bought 40 games including Wii-ware. Many at bargain prices. Most of these games have very little competition on the HD twins.
Now don’t get me wrong. The HD machines are fantastic value, offering a more casual mainstream compromise between having two hardcore systems – the Wii and PC.
Next purchase will either be an HTPC or PS3.
Very nice read, very well written and interesting. Completely agree with everything you are saying!
This article needs to be read by a lot of people, that’s for sure.
The Wii does have some real gems, however i feel they are few and far between. Of all the Wii games announced for 2010 (That i know of) the only ones that appeal to me are Super Mario Galaxy 2, Pokepark Wii: Pikachu’s Great Adventure and Monster Hunter Tri. There are more games i’m excited for on the PS3 in the month of March alone than there are for the whole year on the Wii.
Nobody can say the Wii has no hardcore games but the argument that there are countless more available on the PS3 is very valid.
I was going to do a MyTake video on this but your article pretty much covered everything I was going to say so I don’t really see a point any more. I agree with everything you said and am glad that someone I know feels this way. One other thing that bothers me about people raggin on the games is that they keep saying that there are too many kiddie games. Ya, well, kids need their games too. It is not like when we grew up when all games were pretty much on the same maturity level. 8-bit “mature” titles had pretty much the same “blood and gore” as other games so it was all pretty level. These days, kids can’t play all games so I am glad that there are games for them as well. Think about what it would be like without them. Would you want your 4 year old son to be killing hookers in Grand Theft Auto, or your young daughter playing Silent Hill Shattered Memories? I sure as heck wouldn’t. Gamers need to stop being so selfish and let kids have their games. Sure, you may not enjoy the latest Barbie game on the Wii, but I bet that for some little girl out there, that will be the game that they have nostalgia for one day.
Nice article man.
@hardsix
Anyway, I disagree somewhat with federico.
Actually, I think you agree with me. I was talking to unrealistic expectations. Not any sort of Nintendo evil plot to make people think that the Wii was something that it was not.
And for people with very specific gaming tastes, like Shooters or whatever, they should know better than to buy a Wii in the first place.
Why? I mean sure, we can all pretend that most people are intelligent enough to do some sort of research beforehand. But the fact is that an alarming amount of people don’t.
Remember, I’m listing reasons why the people could be annoyed/frustrated. I’m *not* saying that it’s reasonable for them to be.
Yeah, I think Federico was merely giving rationale, as opposed to excuses. And despite the word “rationale” containing the word “rational,” it is often anything but. The reasons he gave are, sadly, accurate for many people.
I rather enjoyed this article. As a rather strict deal hunter when it comes to video games, my general policy is to completely ignore a console generation until it is no longer “next-gen”, then sweep up all of the great games that people end up trading in to finance their new shiny Xbox 720 or PS4 or whatever. The inherent logic behind this policy is that why should I pay $60 for one good game when I can get three good games on an older console for the same price? My most recent console is the Dreamcast, which was only $30, and a host of great games for $10 each. all because its no longer the best of the best, persay. So, in a rather twisted, cruel sort of way, the Wii having a bad reputation has made getting its gems all the easier as they litter bargain bins all over the place. And its games almost all have a very distinct flavor, its like a big multicolor strobe light amongst a sea of gunmetal grey and dystopia brown colored nuclear-bloom-effect modern “realistic” games (real life is in color, people). In fact, in terms of graphics, the only truly off looking games on the wii are when it tries to be more mainstream and “realistic”, resulting in bolckey meshes and bland textures. but when the developers embrace the capacity for stylized graphics on the wii, you get some rather impressive feats of apperance (super mario galaxy, no more heroes II, ect.). Bottom line: Does the wii get more flak than it deserves? yes. does it bother me? as odd as this is to say, not really. I dont own a Wii currently (or any other “next gen” system), but i can safely say that I look forward to aquiring its gems once the next big shiny toy comes out.
Kudos for the article, it’s great to see someone defending the (excellent) game library the Wii has, and especially someone who points out the complaining about the casual games aspect is misguided (don’t people know such games are basically going to always occur on whatever platform is the current market leader?)
You should have also mentioned however the Wii also has more ‘core’ Nintendo titles than many of the so called ‘hardcore’ consoles of yore. Not often we get three Mario games on a home console, or two Legend of Zelda games, or two Metroid games, or a new Punch Out game…
@federico,
But what you’re talking about is stupid people, or people with unrealistic expecations. Those people would be frustrated with any console, not just the wii. The Wii is not unique in how it handles unreasonable customers. Thats why it makes no sense to mention that as an issue unless you mean to blame the Wii.