Is the Wii the worst console since the Saturn?

God, what a bunch of elitist snobs.

For years forums were full of people whining about how games were an overlooked medium and what it would take for gaming to go truly mainstream. And, surprise strawberry floating surprise, what did it was a console based around accessible lightweight entertainment. Why should this come as a shock? It's what always sells movies, books, games - whatever.

Does anyone seriously believe games like Fallout 3, Street Fighter 4, Gears of War etc are going to appeal to a mainstream audience? They never ever are. Partly because of the narrow demographic their subject matter appeals to and partly because they require the kind of time investment and perseverence that most people don't have time for. They have other things going on in their lives, other interests, other hobbies even.

Considering what it's meant to do the Wii is actually a fantastic console. It not only does casual games but it does them with the kind of polish and flair that means even gamers can enjoy it. Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Boom Blox, Warioware, Mario Kart etc. There hasn't been another console that has managed to present games with such widespread appeal at such high quality ever before.

But none of that matters because gamers would rather sit on their high horses and sneer at people who don't have the time or patience for the kind of games that they like all because they want to be part of some little club where only they're allowed to play games and if someone else wants to play then they'll just have to play the same games too because everything else is just lame, right?

Last edited by KK on Thu Feb 19, 2009 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Absolutely not. I think somewhere during the course of this thread, people have got confused between bad games & some sort of tirade against family games. Why does family (or casual games, if you will) have to mean shoddy, half arsed gooseberry fool? It doesn’t. There are an incredible number of titles on Wii – whatever the genre – that simply aren’t very good (such as Dead Rising, to name but one example).

The quality – which this thread is about, I don’t know how much I have to stress this – is incredibly low on Wii. Developers are using the console as a dumping ground with poorly thrown together bilge. Whether that be ‘core’ games (such as Tomb Raider) or party games (like nondescript rubbish like Sports Party that are only there to catch the unwary).

It's a shame we can't seem to be able to debate it properly.

This topic is stupid because the Saturn was actually strawberry floating awesome.

Yes but there are also a lot of games that are very good. The bad games are irrelevant, it's only a lack of good games that matters. There are plently of good games on the Wii - especially for casual gamers. In fact there are more good casual games on the Wii than there are on any other system.

mokeyjoe wrote:In fact there are more good casual games on the Wii than there are on any other system.

I should bloody hope so too.

mokeyjoe wrote:Yes but there are also a lot of games that are very good. The bad games are irrelevant, it's only a lack of good games that matters. There are plently of good games on the Wii - especially for casual gamers. In fact there are more good casual games on the Wii than there are on any other system.

But why does the Wii have to go after one set audience? It's now labelled as a 'casual' machine, yet the DS isn't. The PlayStation 2 isn't. Both those consoles didn't & haven't created segregation because every audience (pretty much like a TV channel) is catered to. And properly. Whoever you are, come, play. I don't believe the Wii is like that. I don't agree with the philosophy. And I don't agree with the huge number of devs who are quite blatantly milking the system like no console before. They have contempt for the Wii audience far more than any hardcore gamer. They've taken the PS2 model of the last 2, 3 years & shifted it over to Wii. And then stuck it into overdrive.

I'm personally very pleased with my House of the Dead arcade machine, even if it did take two years to start working properly.

KKLEIN wrote:
mokeyjoe wrote:Yes but there are also a lot of games that are very good. The bad games are irrelevant, it's only a lack of good games that matters. There are plently of good games on the Wii - especially for casual gamers. In fact there are more good casual games on the Wii than there are on any other system.

But why does the Wii have to go after one set audience? It's now labelled as a 'casual' machine, yet the DS isn't. The PlayStation 2 isn't. Both those consoles didn't & haven't created segregation because every audience (pretty much like a TV channel) is catered to. And properly. Whoever you are, come, play. I don't believe the Wii is like that. I don't agree with the philosophy. And I don't agree with the huge number of devs who are quite blatantly milking the system like no console before. They have contempt for the Wii audience far more than any hardcore gamer. They've taken the PS2 model of the last 2, 3 years & shifted it over to Wii. And then stuck it into overdrive.

Handhelds are different. The DS has years of Gameboy heritage behind it and has essentially taken on that customer fanbase as well. Devs know they can play to the Gameboy audience with the DS as well as the new demographics it has brought in.

I think many developers correctly assume that hardcore gamers would rather play an HD 360 or PS3 game. And so invest in those systems for those sorts of games.

I don't think the Wii has caused segregation - there was already segregation in the market. All it's done is focus on the markets that Sony and MS neglected. There is a huge appetite for games which the HD consoles are not addressing. If they were then the Wii would not be the only console with stacks of party games etc - as it is it is the only console out there that genuinely catering to the mainstream market so that's where these games end up.

It's also worth pointing out that there are many hardcore gamers, me included, who enjoy their Wiis. The perception that the Wii is only going after one audience may be yours, but it's by no means fact.

Wow, one hefty topic...

Personally, I enjoy my Wii. Its the perfect foil to my PC. I love the old style games, as these days console games are all style and no substance. At the time I bought it, I wouldn't have considered a PS3 or 360 (ps3 was too expensive and the 360 failed all the time and my PC offered all the flashy graphics and physics, but at a more reasonable price (per game) and with better online play and the ability to make new levels or mods).

The Wii kind of makes me think of the times when I was younger and played on my SNES all the time. Where everything seemed to take a back burner to the gameplay rather than how realistic it looked. I think alot of the problem is that alot of us have grown up and want serious games where things look and respond like reality, as well as being able to do things in our own way (which is never really going to happen with the Wii). In terms of games, I only have a few for the Wii, but they do the trick. WiiWare and Virtual Console games are probably played the most. With my Wii time being split between Punch-Out, Super Mario World and Mega Man 9. Most of the time I'm playing FM, SWOS or New Star Soccer on the PC these days lol.

So sure, the Wii doesn't float everyones boat and NGai Croal had a really interesting article on why Wii 3rd party doesnt seem to do the business. I wouldn't dismiss the Wii as being a bad console though. Definitely the worst for boring and uninspired 3rd party games though.

Also, how can Dead Rising be dismissed as a poor game when it isn't even out yet? Am I the only person looking forward to Punch-Out!! ?

linky to article - http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/follow-leader

mokeyjoe wrote:I don't think the Wii has caused segregation - there was already segregation in the market. All it's done is focus on the markets that Sony and MS neglected.

MS certainly, they're only (just) getting round to it now, but I think Sony themselves have been going after the broader market, properly at least, since about 2003 - just considerably slower & without the hefty advertising spend Nintendo have given the Wii & DS. Sony & third parties have been, quite clearly, too slow. In fact, I doubt they even considered the 50 & over market "strawberry float it, we'll never convert these old farts, they'll be dead in 30 years anyway". PlayStation had two defining markets - kids & 18 to 30 year old males. The PS2 went 'social' in a very big way. But once again, in fairness, it was "hip & trendy" social not 'walking sticks & zimmer frames'.

As always, this may not be a battle - if indeed you want to call it that - of "hardcore" & "Casual" but of a generational divide. Here's a console that's appealing to the Julie Walters brigade & certain people don't like it.

suzzopher wrote:
Drunken_Master wrote:The Saturn was good.

I'd say great.

Id say better than great.

God, what is it with all this Saturn love...

Not to get into a rant, but I enjoyed that console more than the N64 & PS2.

Panzer Saga
Burning Rangers
NiGHTS
Resident Evil
Sega Rally
Daytona

I had more fun with them than ANY game Sony managed to muster during the playstation days.

Even worse, here.

Is the Wii the worst console since the Saturn?

Is the Wii the worst console since the Saturn?

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