Activision talks 360, PS3, and Wii development
by Blake Snow 
{ Aug 3rd 2006 at 8:30PM }
After posting an $18 million dollar net loss today, Activision spoke via conference call on development for all three next-gen platforms: "[360 to PS3 porting] has always been a core focus and strategy and ours... we're encouraged. We are starting to port elements from the 360 to the PlayStation 3, and also from current-gen platforms into Nintendo Wii." We're guessing that by using the word "encouraged," porting or development for PS3's Cell processor is either moving along nicely or it's a pain. And it sounds like Wii is a glorified GameCube in terms of tech specs. But wait, there's more!Gamasutra writes: "A follow-up comment noted that, of the three next-gen platforms, there are '...many more similarities between 360 and the PS3, and we are getting the benefits over all 3 platforms in art and animation investment', implying, perhaps, that more complexity in terms of polygon counts and animation blending is available on the Wii than current-gen machines."
So let me get this straight: Wii is a super-glorified art and animation investment?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Derbeste @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:41PM
"So let me get this straight: Wii is a super-glorified art and animation investment?"
ah HA!!
So the Wii IS a multi-function device!! ;-)
georgedakota @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:50PM
Read the full article and it is comparing wii to last gen systems like ps2 and xbox and gamecube. Wow sure sounds exiting. I cant wait till 2011 for the next wii system will similiar graphics to gamecube again. But seriously, i know the controller is innovative but come on who wants a system that has 6 year old graphics. Graphics arent everything but they are important to get you into the story and game also.
Hemisphere @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:51PM
I must say I'm getting a little tired of the continued Wii "speculation", in terms of it's graphics and such.
Surely it's LONG established now that the Wii is technically closer to the current generation of consoles than the next one.
I'm not knocking it or anything, it's the console I most look forward to, but I still laugh every time I see reams of comments along the lines of "omg the graphix are teh SUX that's not next gen!!!", met with fanboy cries of "Wait till you see it in motion!!" or "it's just as good as 360 IMO!!", and some of the content found in posts like this only serve to encourage rants like this.
To avoid disappointment when buying a Wii, expect current gen graphics, and next gen gameplay. If you happen to find the graphics exceed your expectations, well, that's a bonus :)
skyrous @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:18PM
everyone seems to forget. If you don't have a next gen TV (HDTV) the PS3 looks like a glorified gamecube too. I'm buying a Wii because for me the graphics will be just as good as any other system I could possibly buy.
I wonder how everybody who doesn't read these blogs and keep up with the industry will react when they plug in their $600 PS3 into their regular TV and the graphics don't look any better than an xbox.
Nintendo figured out a long time ago that until everybody has HDTV which will be about 4-6 years from now (just in time for the next gen) there's no point to sinking so much money (hardware development, software development, end cost to the consumer) catering to such a small market segment.
Sponge @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:29PM
The Wii's graphics are better then the GC's, so they will be good. I hate people that say the Wii will suck because it's graphics aren't "next-gen".
To those people I ask, why do you still play current-gen games if the graphics suck so badly?
bm @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:30PM
"But seriously, i know the controller is innovative but come on who wants a system that has 6 year old graphics."
But seriously, i know the graphics are shinier but come on who wants a system that has a 25 year old control method and last-gen gameplay.
fawazr @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:31PM
I thought all the Wii hype was about it being a new way to interact, not the same old pissing contest of which videogame console has better specs. People accuse Sony of targetting a niche market, but Nintendo has gone after what is apparently the most niche market of all: gamers who play games as opposed to boasting about irrelevant numbers
georgedakota @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:54PM
I knew the wii supporters would come to the rescue and defend the system. The only nintendo system i didnt own was the virtual boy so i am not a nintendo hater. i owned gamecube even if i sold it a month later. I dont know ANYONE over the age of 21 personally who wants the wii. Maybe some of you are but i personally dont know anyone talking about it. I go to college and hear people talk and no one talks about wii. Thats the first problem. Second was there ever a racing game released on gamecube that is as good as project gotham or forza on xbox? Third was there ever a fps released on gamecube that was close to as good as halo/killzon etc... ? Thats my problem with nintendo. And lastly i know 50% of people now seem to have an hdtv or plan to get one in the next year or two. At least 360 and ps3 will be ready in 2 years when most people do have an hdtv. I dont know where you people who love wii and defend it live but i am in NJ and i always hear people talk about 360 and ps3, and the ps3 talk is now negative because of price. There is no way in hell the wii will sell that much better than gamecube did.
MetaHuman @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:03PM
$50 says that Wii is capable of doing certain things better than its much more powerful competitors... such as water physics. All three systems can render realistic water, but does it react realistically?
Based on N64's and GC's technical superiority against their respective rivals in that regard, I make that bet.
It's not about specs, it's about the actual architecture and utilization of the talents of the hardware. It's not about what can be captured in screenshots, but what can only be observed on the motion on-screen.
Shadow of the Colossus was DAMNED amazing even if it didn't have anti-aliasing. *mini-lol @ Sony* Seriously, the fur looked awesome, the sense of scale was there, awesome particle effects, an INCREDIBLE draw distance, and save for the start-up load, NO load-times. If you notice with a lot of Nintendo games you can see Nintey designers going for the same goals with games like Wind Waker and Sunshine with the liquid goop, sunlight, water, etc... they've been doing it for a long time, since the N64.
Did anyone notice that SotC had BEAUTIFUL animation? :)
The framerate choked a bit on SotC but nothing I couldn't handle.
Questworld @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:28PM
From what I'm seeing, the only reason Wii graphics tend to look like last generation's graphics is because many developers seem to only put PS2 ports into it. No, wait, I meant PS2 ports (Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball Z, Rampage, etc.), DS remakes (Trauma Center), arcade/PSP ports (Metal Slug Anthology), or at best bargain bin efforts like Elebits.
Seriously, they couldn't put a game like Black in there. Ubisoft's putting Far Cry (though chances are some of the resources will be from the Xbox). How about Half-Life 2? Better yet, how about actually making something orginally designed for the system instead of just porting things over to it. Games like Red Steel or Rayman for example. I'm not saying the graphics will jump even higher, though it should, but give us a break. Something new, original, with preferrably some effort in graphics, story, characters, etc. and basically not some hand me downs. I'll be glad if support for the other three stop already so that lead SKUs stop being the PS2 (i.e. more PS2 ports for Wii).
Gabriel @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:40PM
"I dont know ANYONE over the age of 21 personally who wants the wii. Maybe some of you are but i personally dont know anyone talking about it. I go to college and hear people talk and no one talks about wii."
I'll be 25 in September. And I want the Wii, before I get a 360. And before I get a PS3. I have a DS, and I want a DS Lite before I buy a PSP.
Don't get me wrong. I WILL be buying a PSP, and a 360, and a PS3. In time. I'm a "Nintendo Fanboy" - in that I love just about everything Nintendo's released. But maybe part of being a -gasp- ADULT, is not playing stupid favorites, like bitching about what system is better than another.
The DS has the world market share in portables. Why? I mean, after all, the graphics suck in comparison to the PSP - and graphics make all the difference, right!
An interesting thing is, with almost every gaming generation, the system with the "lesser" graphics "win" the generation race. The NES 'beat' the Master System. The SNES/Genesis is argued, I think, but I'd give 'the win' to the Genesis for overall sales. The PSX won over the N64, which had some stronger abilities, just not the CD. And the PS2 won this generation for sales. The Game Boy won over the Game Gear and Turbo, uh, handheld. And the DS, so far, over the PSP. (The GBA seems to be a fluke - having won out over the Neo Geo Pocket. But then, Nintendo owns the handheld market.)
Reasons for 'winning' seem to be based partly on early market release, but also overall features, franchises (3rd party support, that is), and gameplay. The Genesis won over the SNES because it had the sporting titles - but the SNES had the (slow to release, and more expensive) RPGs. The PSX won over the N64 and Saturn because it had Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, etc. The PS2 won out because it had a DVD drive, and again, MGS, Gran Turismo, backward compatibility, and RPGs.
In this next gen, EA and a few others have said, basically, "Whether you get a PS3 or a 360, chances are the Wii is cheap and different enough that you'll get one to sit next to the primary system of your choice. -- So the Wii could lead in overall sales." I think we'll see new gameplay styles, and new iterations of franchises that will set it apart from simple ports.
Take Madden. It's on... EVERY system. And the changes from Gamecube to PS2 to Xbox usually involved the subtle changes in graphics, and online play. Well, the X360 has online. The PS3 will have online. The Wii will have online. BUT, this time around, Madden 07 on the Wii will have a completely new way to play the game. So even if you have Madden 07 on the 360, you MIGHT want to pick up a copy for the Wii, just for the different game play. Or maybe you'll keep Madden 06 for your 360, and give the Wii version a try -- since year-to-year, differences in Madden are usually slim-to-none.
But let's face it. If all you care about are pretty graphics, the PS3 and the 360 will do you fine. For the people who want a new experience in gameplay, even just as a curiosity, you'll get a Wii. Maybe AFTER, maybe BEFORE, you get a 360/PS3. But chances are, if you can stop the blind nonsense, you'll pick one up. I mean, it's not like you're dropping $400 on one. Right?
LedRush @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:46PM
I am 30 years old, and all the people I talk to will get the Wii, not the others. This is do to the virtual console, the new (and simpler) control, and the price. These are the casual gamers and the people that used to play when younger, yet have less time now that they work and have found that current games have too many buttons and controls.
I know a few younger people who have the 360, but they also plan on getting the Wii.
rcholbert @ Aug 3rd 2006 10:53PM
#4 - If you think that you have to have a HDTV to benefit from the Xbox 360's graphical prowess, you're dead wrong. I use a cheap, regular 27" TV and have for several years. While the games look extremely better at the high resolutions on a friend's LCD TV, they look quite nice on my own. It's a good step up from the Xbox. The "omg must have a HDTV to benefit" is an old wives tale of the future Wii faithful.
However, last-gen graphics suit me fine. I think I hit my peak with graphics already. This next-gen stuff is not quite the big difference as in some previous gaming eras. What's more disturbing than the Wii being a souped-up GameCube is that several Xbox 360/PS3 games seem to be having that uncanny valley effect. The GameCube has several games that look absolutely stunning. It's all about what you do with what you've got.
That said, I love my Xbox 360. :)
ill trooper @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:18PM
I played the Wii, the graphics were lacking on the 480p setting it was set on. It sort of worries me. I will be buying one, despite of how I sound. The control was tight, and it seems like a good, affordable platform for the 'weird and wacky' games that the PS2 has had a strangle-hold on - games like Katamari, DDR, Guitar Hero, etc.
But I'm writing this because I'm SICK or people posting some variation of the following:
"Well, it's about the GAMEPLAY, I'd rather have GAMEPLAY over GRAPHICS, If you want good GRAPHICS get a 360 or PS3."
Why am I tired of hearing this? It's presuming that you can't have BOTH, that it's mutually exclusive. But the fact is, it's how the games are created, and with proper game and control design, the 360 and the PS3 will be able to have BOTH excellent gameplay and mind-blowing HD graphics.
But Nintendo might be coming off the blocks with a graphically stunted system from the start - and it will show in the next year or two, my friends.
But please don't misunderstand - I'm buying the Wii. I like the Wii. I'm just SAYIN'...
bm @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:39PM
"I dont know ANYONE over the age of 21 personally who wants the wii. Maybe some of you are but i personally dont know anyone talking about it. I go to college and hear people talk and no one talks about wii. Thats the first problem"
Oh, and over here EVERYONE I know over the age of 21 talks about the Wii (younger people, not so much). And since your personal experience is no more valid than mine, that's your first "point" if you had one, nulled.
"Second was there ever a racing game released on gamecube that is as good as project gotham or forza on xbox? Third was there ever a fps released on gamecube that was close to as good as halo/killzon etc... ? Thats my problem with nintendo."
Better racing game? How about Mario Kart, and no, nothing you're going to say is going to change my opinion and "everyone over the age of 21 I know" about that. Firt person shooters? Well, depending on whether you call Metroid Prime an FPS, Halo and most definitely Killzone have been throroughly "pwned", as they say. Seriously, neither of those games are even in the same league as MP, especially the trainwreck that was Killzone. Other than that, most FPS's have been coming out across all consoles, such as Time Splitters 2 and 3. So that's bullshit as well.
Here's one: Do the Xbox or the PS2 have Zelda? Do they have Mario? Do they have Metroid? Do they have Animal Crossing? Do they have Smash Brothers? Do they have the Remake of RE1? Does the Xbox have RE4, Killer 7, or Viewtiful Joe?
"That's my problem" with Sony, but especially Microsoft, they have none of the fun games, really.
And lastly, if 50% of the people you know have a HDTV or plan to get one in the next year or two, well, turn that around and that means 50% of the people you know do NOT have a HDTV nor plan to get one, and of the remaining people at least a part is not yet buying one until a year or two from now. And with the price of both PS3 and Xbox360, people are going to buy one or the other, so that means they have to fight over the 50% while Nintendo get the other 50% all to themselves, plus a piece of the other 50% because likely nobody is going to buy a PS3 and an Xbox360, but many people are likely to buy either one plus a Wii. Looks like a big win for Nintendo! At least, if I have to believe that "50%" of yours and then apply the statistics of your little group of friends to the entire population, like you're doing.
I don't know why I bothered but since I typed all that I might as well post it.
Colonel @ Aug 4th 2006 12:00AM
Where did all these Nintendo fanboys come from?
Lets get one thing settled with the fanboys...one of their favorite defense for the Wii is that it's "gameplay" will justify its lack of next-gen flare. They're saying that since 1996, analog control (the very innovation that the N64 brought to the mainstream) has severely hampered gameplay. Was that the case with Ocarina of Time, God of War, Ninja Giaden, or even Super Mario 64? Absolutely not.
The control scheme works extremely well, and has been used to simulate just about every action possible through the countless games that have been released for both the 360, especially last gen, and the gen before that (n64, PS1). You fanboys make it sound like we haven't been having any fun moving around two sticks.
The Wii's main feature is the controller. Innovative? Definitely. Will it be enough to make me forgot about the low resolution, simplified physics, and game world limitations that will be its ultimate caveat?
...Absolutely not. If I wanted simple fun, then i'd play my DS or even my PSP. Last gen games were certainly able to have big environments and complex gameplay, but it was nowhere near as immersive as what we've seen possible with the 360, PS3, and the PC.
I'll finish here because i've dragged on long enough...this fall, there's bound to be PS3, Wii, and of course, 360 kiosks in retail stores. I'm willing to bet that the public will mistaken the Wii kiosk for a current gen one. That could be Nintendo's biggest mistake yet.
big n @ Aug 4th 2006 12:13AM
bm's right, the only good game on xbox is halo, oh wait that's on PC, with more vehicles, online and levels, halo2 then, oh wait you have to pay to play online with that, plus they screwed up the best balanced and most fun level in the game, blood gulch. Nintendo has far better games, and by better, I don't mean better looking, more violent/"adult", I'm talking about what matters, FUN. Metroid wins, as does mario kart, zelda, mario, and smash bros.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 12:21AM
"I dont know ANYONE over the age of 21 personally who wants the wii."
Then must mean you know 5 people or something.
Guess what? I'm 25 and I'll be buying it.
Guess what else? Most of my co-workers in my department are 30+ years old and they will also be buying the Wii as well.
If you seriously believe that NO ONE under the age of 21 will wnt to buy the Wii then you, my friend, are dillusional.
"i owned gamecube even if i sold it a month later."
Sorry but owning a Gamecube for a month doesn't make you as knowledgeable as someone like me (for example) who's owned a Cube since almost day one.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 12:24AM
@ big n:
Get your head out of your ass. I was never a big fan of the original Xbox but even I can acknowledge that there were some great games on the original Xbox.
Steve @ Aug 4th 2006 2:48AM
Wow some of you fanboys. Stating that Metroid prime is better than halo. That may be your opinion, but sadly, that is not the opinion of a majority of people. Halo 2 sold over 2 million copies on its launch day. http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/11/technology/halosales/
As much as I love mario kart ( I actually went out and bought it again for n64, I sold it for xbox when it came out), it is a completely different game than forza. A simulation vs. an arcade, shooting shells at each other game. Either way, forza is a better game with better replay. Mario kart is better for hanging out with friends for sure, but if I ever had to choose one to never play again, mario kart would be gone in an instant.
But seriously, i know the graphics are shinier but come on who wants a system that has a 25 year old control method and last-gen gameplay. - bm
I want a system with 25 year a 25 year old control method because it works; it works damn well. Personally I don't see the point of waving a remote around. If I want to move around I will go out and play football or go paintballing if I want to shoot people (paintballing is fun). More power isn't just more shiney graphics, it is smarter a.i. or bigger streamed worlds or downloading demos while you are playing a game and listening to your music or accurate physics that help to suck you into the game.
Lastly, the only thing you can argue about games is which is more popular (amount sold). Everything else is opinion. And my opinion is that of the next gen, xbox 360 is going to have the best games, which is why I bought it. Forza 2, dead rising, test drive unlimited, pgr3, condemned, halo 3, alan wake, gears of war, lost planet, gta4 and saints row. I know that some of them are multi platform, but I also like having my own music playlists and downloading demos and xbox live arcade and the controllers and most of all the fact that I can play my xbox right now, unlike all of you with your *Went to play saint's row demo*
Yamen @ Aug 4th 2006 3:10AM
This officially has to stop. The phrase "glorified Gamecube" is now, as of right now, oficially done. You are to stop using it immeadiately. It was kinda clever 5 months ago, but it's done being funny.
Besides, isn't the 360 a "glorified Xbox"? Isn't a car a "glorified bicycle"? Isn't the internet a "glorified system of tubes"?
Ok, I'm being a bit of an ass, but all joking aside, can we come up with something better than "glorified Gamecube"? Or at least something that actually means anything?
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 3:35AM
You're waiting for Saints Row?
Ok that's pretty pathetic. I downloaded the demo last night and it is (a) a REALLY bad GTA clone and (b) one giant stereotype (plus there was basically NO ONE playing it at E3 this year.)
Steve @ Aug 4th 2006 4:17AM
I enjoyed the saint's row demo more than any other gta game. If you can't live with that, well then go play your game cube. I also find it hard to believe that you are 25 and own a gamecube; considering I don't know anyone else your age that does. Just little kids. Why do you think most nintendo games are cartoony and usually more simple? Deeeee de deee!! But whatever floats your boat, If you like kids games that is alright with me. I'm not going to call you pathetic.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 4:27AM
All I'm going to say is:
(a) you are an idiot
and
(b) a total Microsoft fanboy
'nuff said.
epobirs @ Aug 4th 2006 5:18AM
#9
I'll take that bet. Barring some incredible security by Nintendo and those in possession of dev kits, the Wii specs are pretty well known and understood. Those who've extracted specific performance bound effects from the GameCube have a very good estimate going in of what more the Wii will let them do. A good boost in comparison to the Gamecube but in comparision to the Xbox 360 and PS3? Not even close. It's like putting a improved model of an ecnomy car up against a Ferarri.
You may find a few isolated areas where the Wii has a pixel operation defined in hardware that gives it an eficiency advantage over the other machine but that amount to little when those systems have so many more processing elements running several times greater clock rates with which to make up the difference. Any desirable effect the Wii can generate will be doable on the higher end systems and more often than not with far greater efficiency due to the level of GPU sophistication. Companies like Factor 5 sweated blood to get shader-like effects in GameCube games but porting those games to the Xbox would have been trivial thank to that machine having the real thing in hardware. The disparity between Gamecube and Xbox is minor compared to what Nintendo has chosen for the Wii vs. the pricier boxes. They aren't riding that incredibly expensive merry-go-round any more.
Jules @ Aug 4th 2006 6:58AM
"I dont know ANYONE over the age of 21 personally who wants the wii. Maybe some of you are but i personally dont know anyone talking about it. I go to college and hear people talk and no one talks about wii."
I'm 22 and can't wait for the wii...and actually a number of my friends my age also want one too. at you age in college why would people talk about the wii cos all people your age are bothered about are the most expensive gadgets just to get 'popular'. well believe me when your old enough to drink beer and you have parties imagine how much more fun jumping around playing on the wii will be compared to sitting on your ass moving your thumbs. the wii will be so much better than the other 2!
Of course games can have good graphics and good gameplay. but only gameplay is a must. playing a crap game cos of its good grpahics is just stupid. and while nintendo isn't wasting it's time trying to make really pretty graphics which will never compete with the 360 and ps3 it does make really good games.
people say it hasn't got games like halo, gta or gran tourismo etc, but it all comes down to games you like...and i don't like any of them. i know i'm a mature adult but i don't feel the need to want to mow down an old lady in gta, or slit someone's throat in hitman to know how macho i am....i'm only guessing but i reckon it's only the kids that are bothered about games like that....you'll grow up one day.
finally some people have said you need better graphics to get immersed in the games....well you'll always have the restriction of sitting on ur ass just pressing buttons (and wow you feel like you're really there...not)...atleast with the wii you'll get that chance to be more immersed...better graphics can come later.
Lou D @ Aug 4th 2006 7:31AM
Well, afaik, the top Xbox game pumped out 18,000 to 20,000 polygons. On launch day, Star Wars:Rogue Strike pumped out 15,000 for the Gamecube and Rebel Strike (it's sequel) had even better graphics. Then there's RE4 and Metroid Prime 1 & 2. Incase anyone forgot, Metroid Prime 2 got edged out by Half Life 2 in Game of the Year awards. It did just edge out Halo 2 as well. Some sites had things reversed, but that was the average.
Overall, if a game required alot of shading for effects, yes, the Xbox wins out. Most of the time it didn't matter and most games for ANY system don't push a system to it's limits.
Now, a 640x480 screen has over 300,000 pixels. Yet, at best, current gen systems can only pump out 20,000 polygons. So there is plenty of room for improvement over current gen SD video output. The Wii is set to be 2x more powerful than the Gamecube. So I expect it to do 30,000-35,000 polygons. I also don't expect ATI to leave out true shader functionality this time around. You got to remember that before E3, developers were still working with over-clocked 1.5x Gamecubes as the focus was getting used to the controller API.
As for how things look on an SDTV, just compare the Xbox and 360's version of King Kong. The Wii will surpase the current Xbox 1 in capability, so other than round objects looking a bit rounder, there won't be much difference. Even in the E3 demos that I downloaded from IGN for Wii, I could see improvements in the smoothness of animation and shading on Wii over the GC.
I currently play my GC in progressive scan mode on a 50" DLP HDTV. I see the difference between Madden '05 which looks beautiful in Widescreen mode and a game like R:Racing Evolution which looks like it's running in 320x240.
In the end, current gen graphics when done right is more than capable to keep us happy. The Wii offers something better and NEW. A controller (new), free online play(better) for 1st party titles, and a better retro library than XBLA.
If I want a 360 experience, I'll buy the superior PC version of whatever game just got release for the 360. We all have PC's here, right?
As for the PS3, many developers are dropping out. I don't see too many exclusive games for it and Sony's first party is only worth about 4 titles in a 5 year span that are good. $670 is too much money just to play Final Fantasy 13.
I'll stick to my PiiCii and Wii.
I've got an Athlon XP 3200 (2.2GHz) with 1 GB of DDR 400Mhz RAM and an ATI 8500LE With 128 MB and it does own the 360. Heck, I can play the PS1 Tekken 3 @ 1920x1200 with this system using BLEEM! Typically, my games run at 1280x1024 unless they are older and didn't support that high of a resolution. And my PC is 3 years old.
Before anyone spouts that the 360 has 3 cores @ 3.2 GHz, do some research on PPC cores and especially the one in the 360. PPC in the G4/G5 era got owned by Intel/AMD x86 performance. That's why Apple switched. (Cross-comiling OS X even back then proved this.) The G3 design of the GC compared to the Celeron had a more favorable computations per clock cycle ratio. That's why they are not using a G5-class chip in the Wii, but continuing to enhance the G3 line.
Rob @ Aug 4th 2006 9:07AM
Ill Trooper - You *can't* have both, not realistically. It costs resources to do each, and you can put graphics on the back of the box and in screenshots. With the costs of art skyrocketing for the next generation, the money has to come from somewhere.
It's just a reiteration of the old adage:
Pick two: Quality, Functionality, Development Speed
Lou D @ Aug 4th 2006 9:41AM
Reminds me of dealing with cars:
horsepower, cheap, reliable
pick 2
Evan @ Aug 4th 2006 9:58AM
From what I've seen, the over-21 is the age group most excited about the Wii. We want a fun diversion from our work day, we have nostalgia for the old games that the Wii will offer, and we have the money to drop on a Wii as a secondary system.
The adolescent age group is where I expect the Wii will face its biggest challenge. There's a school near my work, so during most of the year I see and hear these kids, and let me tell you, they are the most image-conscious generation ever! They are always trying to sound tough and cool to their peers. When I hear them talking about video games, they brag about having the most powerful system. I doubt these kids would admit to owning a game that isn't violent! I certainly doubt these kids would swing around a Wii-mote for fear of looking dorky in front of their peers.
Eric @ Aug 4th 2006 10:41AM
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess........Super Smash Bros. Brawl......nuff said ((Wii))
steve @ Aug 4th 2006 12:24PM
"All I'm going to say is:
(a) you are an idiot
and
(b) a total Microsoft fanboy
'nuff said." - GSI
OMG! he called me an idiot. lol. I'm not the one resorting to childish remarks because I can't think of anything intellegent or worthwhile to say. Which also leads me to believe that you are by no means an adult.
So let me get this straight; I say something that you don't like..... so I'm a fanboy. Ohh, o.k. Or is it just that you are insecure about the fact that you enjoy simple, fun games that many small children can master? Is that why you have to lash out?
Either way, at least I have enough common sense to buy the system that has the games that I enjoy. Unlike you who would probabley never buy anything but nintendo. My favorite games for my n64 include: rampage, rush, mario kart, roadsters, cruisin' the world and donkey kong 64. Point is that own a n64 and I realize that the games are childish that are on it. But I don't care, some of them are amazing.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 1:16PM
No That's how I responded b/c I'm not going to resort to arguing with someone who STILL think thats if a game doesn't have either extreme blood, gore or some kind of sexual activity...it is automatically "kiddy."
An opinion is one thing, but the way you made BOTH of your posts is what a full blown fanboy posts like.
You're pathetic...
steve @ Aug 4th 2006 1:57PM
Actually, you just assumed that. I classify a kids game as somthing that is simple to pick up, has simple gameplay and usually gets boring rather quickly. I just repurchesed a n64. Yesterday I went out and bought mario kart again. I played through the first 2 series of races and got bored. It was way too easy and not inticing in the least. There is a difference between being a violent/sex filled game and a game that is meant for teenagers and adults. I really don't appreciate people claiming untrue things about me.
And you are arguing with me, obviously since you posted and contested some imaginary points that I didn't make. lol.
And again with the "your patetic", are you really not capable of coming up with anything better? I look forward to laughing at your next post.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 3:08PM
Hey hate to break it to you, but a lot of the more simple games have BETTER gameplay and are longer lasting then some of the "more realistic" games.
If you don't like people claiming untrue things about you, then you are being a hypocrite by making the stupid "kiddy games" argument.
steve @ Aug 4th 2006 3:46PM
lol. Me thinking that nintendo makes kiddie games is my opinion, which I am entitled to. And you said that I think a game needs loads of violence and sexuality to be good, which I never remember saying. What you said is false. What I say is my opinion.
And it is your opinion that many of those simple games are more fun than the games that I tend to like. That is great for you, I wish that I could enjoy them as much as you; because it would only mean more games for me to play, but I don't and I can't help that. But there are always exceptions. Which, again, is why I went out and rebought a n64. Maybe someday, when ps2s are insanely cheap I will go pick one up. The only games that I would really want on it are gt4 and katamari demacy; which doesn't justify a $100 purchase, to me.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 4:04PM
"many of those simple games are more fun than the games that I tend to like"
It's not opinion...it's fact. I even know that some of the games I like from this generation (or last) can't hold a candle to some of the older games from a few generations back.
Whatever though...you can keep on using the non-sense belief that there is something wrong with simple games or games that appeal to all ages.
Anoniimous @ Aug 4th 2006 4:42PM
Am I the only one who is loving how the fanboys come out and fight to the death over an article which has, at its core, nothing to do with the nintendo v. sony v. microsoft war
"I don't need to watch Jerry Springer-esque TV, I read Joystiq"
-Anoniimous