Wii have no room to play (Wii annoyance #003)
by Justin Murray 
{ Nov 16th 2006 at 5:00AM }
The Nintendo Wii has been getting plenty of buzz over the past few weeks from various sources. Nintendo isn't too shocked by it; they did build the machine to accommodate a whole new target audience. However, Nintendo may have one fatal flaw in their design: space.
It would seem that Nintendo didn't account for room size when dreaming up the little wand that links our world to the Wii world. Some guys over at MTV decided to run a four player Wii match and found their existing room -- which is wide enough to fit a couch and have four-player traditional matches -- didn't accommodate their Wii gaming; they were getting in each others way.
The Wii may be the smallest next-gen console, but it clearly requires the most space to truly enjoy. And yet another traditional element of console gaming has vanished in the Wii's growing wake; no longer can the console be moved to a back-room and be enjoyed. Either that, or we're going to have to learn to play without looking like a toolbox.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FSK405K @ Nov 16th 2006 5:12AM
Get a digital projector and a blank wall. Problem solved.
You would have loved to seen my best friend's dorm room, as half of it was bed/couch and the other half was game/movie/tv screen.
DeadPlasmaCell @ Nov 16th 2006 5:50AM
Exactly.. You never bite off more than you can chew.. In this case an giant TV for a tiny room.. And it's not like they didn't know they needed some space to play the Wii.. Come on!
J @ Nov 16th 2006 6:05AM
I don't see how this is a drawback on Nintendo's part. First off, not every game is going to require you to make vigorous movements which require alot of space. Second of all, some people just have small rooms! *lol* There's nothing Nintendo can do about that. Some people wouldn't even be able to fit 4 people in their room to have a match on Mario Kart: double dash let alone Wii sport: Tennis!
It's not a flaw in Nintendo's design at all. That's like citing somebody who owns an Xbox 360 with no Internet connection as a flaw in Microsoft's Xbox live!
fester @ Nov 16th 2006 6:08AM
I can see the point they are making, you ARE going to need more room simple as that. Flailing your arms about (even for 2 people) is going to require more forethought than a simple gamepad... I want to get a wii so hopefully it won't be too much of a problem for me.
However, the wii (esp in 4 player) due to spacing of players encourages larger sets (or projectors as mentioned above) but then it's going to look pretty bad on those sets due to it's lack of HD resolutions. I know HD isn't everything but now I think about it the wii is flawed in certain areas, contradictory would be a better word for it. Needs space, and good sized TV to encourage the immersion the controller affords but this is offset by the 480p output and most HD tvs look terrible running SD material (My gamecube looks crap on my 32" HDTV, my 360 looks stunning - wii will fall inbetween them I suppose).
elftmann @ Nov 16th 2006 6:57AM
This was Nintendo's whole plan. They want the family gathered around this thing, right? Well that isn't gonna happen if you put it in the 12 year old's room. They want the Wii to be in the family/living room. AKA the only room with enough space for the whole fam to play.
SirGecko @ Nov 16th 2006 7:20AM
You guys seem to be misinterpreting that PA comic. They are saying that you look like a toolbox if you only use the small movements that are necessary, not the other way around.
DrMongol @ Nov 16th 2006 7:43AM
Ah gee whiz, that dang Nintendo. Why didn't they include some anti-matter space warping device to bend back the walls and create a larger playing area. Shows how much they hate their customers.
jc @ Nov 16th 2006 1:03PM
Has Penny Arcade jumped the shark? News at 11...
FSK405K @ Nov 16th 2006 9:47AM
I have my projector set to 1024x768 for my PC (DVD's, web-browsing) and it does 800x600 when hooked to my consoles with S-Video...and both look great. Wii on a 70"+ screen will look great, too. Whoever said Gamecube looks bad on your 32" screen, whatever. Go try Resident Evil 4 on an 85" screen with S-Video. Priceless. If HD projectors weren't $$$$$, I'd upgrade.
Shad Genki @ Nov 16th 2006 9:03AM
This is moronic. How much room does it take to move your wrists?? You don't need overexaggerated movements like the commercials imply, people! Just swing that chubby forearm around and flick your wrists. That's all it takes!
DCFC Fan @ Nov 16th 2006 9:03AM
I thought about this a while back. Do the players need to be in line, parallel to the face of the tv/sensor bar? The way my living room is, I have plenty of space, but it is skewed. Sitting on the couch, you must look to about you 10 o'clock position to face the tv. So is it going to be a problem if two people play "crooked" in relation to the tv/sensor bar? Do I need to swing my couch out so that it is parallel?
These are the things I'd like to know as I prepare for Wiidom.
trent @ Nov 16th 2006 9:06AM
has noone read how the system works with big movements or wrist flicks in the exact same way?
Shad Genki @ Nov 16th 2006 9:05AM
@DCFC Fan, "I thought about this a while back. Do the players need to be in line, parallel to the face of the tv/sensor bar?"
Oh God, I hope not. I have the same setup as you because of the big sectional couch in my living room, and my tv is in the corner of the room. Hopefully it'll actually work like a regular remote control and I won't have to move everything around in the living room.
Chris @ Nov 16th 2006 9:11AM
Frankly, I don't give a damn if their room is too small to escape in the event of an oil fire. It's called natural selection, get a bigger room.
RickDom @ Nov 16th 2006 1:21PM
Umm...yes, people know about the small movements thing. Read what was written: "[Wii] requires the most space to truly enjoy." As I understand it, isn't part of the fun supposed to be the moving around, because it makes you feel like you're supposed to actually be doing something, as opposed to small wrist movements?
Ghost Box @ Nov 16th 2006 9:17AM
So now people will just be happy sitting or standing in one spot doing small little wrist flicks?
Uh guys...........we could have done that with regular ole fashioned controllers.
I mean seriously, what's the whole point of it now?
fush @ Nov 16th 2006 9:31AM
I'm in a cramped NY apartment, and I can definitely relate. There's only about 4 feet in between the couch and a 27"er, and that's in the biggest room in the place. I think I'll make due, as long as I don't try to cram too many people in that space.
Todd @ Nov 16th 2006 9:55AM
I have a feeling that anyone who owns a small room is going to be cramped for space, regardless of the Wii or not. What people should be considering is whether they really need to be so outrageous with their controller movements, or perform actions that are less extreme. Honestly, you don't need to poke someone's eye out just to swing that sword, a flick of the wrist is all you need. If 4 people can sit on a couch, then not only is that a wide couch, but you still have enough room play.
Timothy Dorr @ Nov 16th 2006 10:30AM
Basically, if you have enough room to watch your TV without getting cancer, you have enough room to play a Wii. You'll notice in the promo videos, a lot of people are just standing right in front of the TV, so it's OK that they don't have a football field-sized room to deal with. They've shown in just about every video promo that you don't need a ton of space unless you want to be really hardcore about pretending.
Tucker @ Nov 16th 2006 10:16AM
FSK405K - both 1024x768 and 800x600 are higher resolutions than 480p. 480p is 640x480. You say that 85" projector you're talking about is not HD, i.e. 480i/p native resolution, of course it looks fine. Fester is referring to the poor job most HDTVs/HD projectors at scaling 480p to their higher native resolutions.
gman @ Nov 16th 2006 12:03PM
@ 6. SirGecko
I think you're the toolbox here bud, if you can't understand a simple PA comic....kinda sad. really
Freakhead @ Nov 16th 2006 11:10AM
Wii don't care.
Diahrrea Man @ Nov 16th 2006 11:37AM
Hmm...I wonder how it'll work out with my 13 inch TV. Maybe I'll have to buy a new one.
Onto the article, it's pretty much irrelevant since its been established that you do not need to do 270degree with you arms to fully enjoy a certain game. Its been said over and over here, but I guess those who don't get it are those sony fanboys (you know who you are) who are angry that they can't have their coveted console come launch day. If I am to be flamed, fine so be it, I don't care. Heck, you could even use the fact that I am cheap for playing videogames on a 13 inch TV. :)
STILL WAITING FOR GOLDEN SUN 3 DAMMIT!
broseph @ Nov 16th 2006 12:05PM
Yeah, you dummies! Just get a new projector or a bigger living room. What? Ever heard of dorm rooms(Nintendo would never want to penetrate that market, right?), or tiny cramped apartments in cities like NY or Boston? Ever had a roomate that has different tastes in TV or movies, or even worse doesn't play vid. games? If you don't want to compete of the TV with them you may just have to put it in your bedroom. But how well is it going to work in this situation? Early indications would be not too well.
Taffer @ Nov 16th 2006 1:04PM
gman, try reading the news post for that day's PA strip. Gecko is correct.
rob @ Nov 16th 2006 1:09PM
at 21
I'm not sure what you are talking about, his point was valid. The comic says "small movements are sufficient" and "you can play that way, but you'd look like a toolbox," perhaps ironically, but the article above is suggesting that the large movements DO make you look like a toolbox, which does contradict the comic.
The comic is narrated by one voice, and the last frame is not a response to the other frames, but a continuation.
rob @ Nov 16th 2006 1:14PM
I'll probably be playing by myself on my small tv in my room for the most part, so that I don't tie up the main TV from my roommate, (he does own it, after all) but for multiplayer I'm going to bring the Wii out into the living room, where there is more space.
The picture in the article above is obviously an extreme example, but when I lived in dorms I all too often saw people trying to shoehorn rediculously huge TV's into their tiny rooms. In these cases, it's really just too bad if you can't play Wii.
In any case, hopefully there will be enough wi-fi multiplayer titles in the future so that people with only room for themselves can have some multiplayer fun.
jaybleezy @ Nov 16th 2006 1:45PM
This would suck for people with the lack of space. For me I'll have it set up in my basement down in the rec room where there's plenty of space for four people to enjoy.
James @ Nov 16th 2006 1:52PM
@#1: Don't forget that the sensor bar has a short-ish cable, and the video-out is even shorter. So unless your projector is like 5 feet from the wall, you're going to need a lot of RCA-connector extension cables...
AzaMcWazza @ Nov 16th 2006 2:37PM
For the target demographic I think they'll be fine. Old folks like me own our houses and have room for it in the lounge. Young kids use their parents lounge. The 18-30ish demographic just want to play FPS anyway in their smelly rooms so they can just sit on their bed like normal; don't need lots of room to play shooter #23432456
rowd149 @ Nov 17th 2006 10:52PM
My high school is packed full with 3000 kids, and we still manage to have room to do the stupid shit we teens are known for. :P Don't worry, if anyone can figure out how to make due with a Wii in a 6*6 foot room, it's us.
placebo @ Nov 16th 2006 2:29PM
@25 The article was commenting on that it takes space to get 4 people playing on the Wii. It's saying most people won't be able to game wherever they want- such as back-room (and office antics).
So the author is saying- Either we play in areas with more space- or we find a way to play without looking like a toolbox using minimalist movements.
rob @ Nov 16th 2006 3:08PM
@30 I agree with your point "It's saying most people won't be able to game wherever they want- such as back-room (and office antics)." but that's aside from my point about the way the author referred to the comic.
The way I read, at first anyways, is the article says "Either that, or we're going to have to learn to play without looking like a toolbox." Which in the context of the comic would learning to play with large motions, which is the opposite of the point of the article (playing with smaller motions in order to accomodate not having enough space.)
I suppose you also could take it to mean what you said: learning to play with smaller movements but not at the same time looking like you are entirely self conscious and too-cool to play 'right' or something like that. Which is what I gathered the point of the comic kind of was.
In any case if it can be taken both ways the attack on the original guy that said it was still not warranted.
Siraris @ Nov 16th 2006 8:35PM
I've been saying this since it's inception. Many people, especially in Japan, don't have 10 feet to play games in, they have 2 or 3 feet. Many of my friends don't have the room either. It will definitely be a problem.
James @ Nov 19th 2006 9:26PM
YOU ONLY NEED LITTLE MOVEMENT TO MOVE WHATEVER YOUR MOVING WITH THE WII.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/13
james124 @ Dec 10th 2006 7:57AM
now the wii has been out for a while and i have played it in a few friends houses and at my own i thought id just make this point.
It is not a humungous problem like i first thought. im sure nintendo anticipated this as once you start playing the motions used are much less than thatof the adverts
however, this is not to say that its not at all a problem. I found the wii with multiple friends far more enjoyable in certain places over others, and although space isn't vital, here are a few things that help
mounted tv on wall/projected screen
enough space for at least a couch and a 3-4 people standing
it is also quite useful to have a larger screen as splitting it into four makes it significantly harder
all in all, not enough space doesn't ruin the wii, but included it and the things above makes it a more enjoyable multiplayer console