Take a Wii November 19th

[brianjedi]

Nintendo announced the launch specs for the Wii today:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/285027_nintendo14.html

$250, November 19 in North America. The big surprise: a real pack-in game, Wii Sports, which includes bowling, baseball, tennis and golf. 25-30 games should be available this year, including Zelda, but no Mario until next year.

Nintendo may end up winning this round of the console war. Sony's priced themselves out of the market with the PS3 and Microsoft is targeting a different market with the Xbox 360.

[zoid]

I know what I'm getting for Christmas!


OK, technically I'll be getting it for my oldest daughter.
But that's just a ruse, technically :D

[FlyingRamenMonster]

I heard about this earlier today and am very happy with the news. I was crossing my fingers for a $200 launch but $250 isn't bad, especially with Wii Sports included. It's plenty affordable now and should be even more so by maybe mid-2007, when I'll probably be finished fawing over my new PS2 and many anticipated games will have come out. Huzzah!

Now we just have to see how badly Australia gets screwed by the currency conversion.

[Cluricaun]

That's so cool. I want to play with one first and see if I like the controller scheme, but $250 gives a new system a lot of leeway for me. A $250 intro price makes a $199 after hype price totally realistic, and then maybe even a $149 move after that.

[c_goat]

I find the GameFAQs polls of the day pretty interesting, on this subject:

Yesterday (http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2568)
Today (http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2569)

I may even take a Wii, myself, and accept the fact that I'll never play FF XIII and MGS4.

[borschevsky]

Wii Sports, which includes bowling, baseball, tennis and golf.Boxing too.

Looks like I'll be picking one up at launch, probably with Zelda and an extra controller. I work that out to be $360 US, which is actually a fair bit, but nowhere near a PS3 obviously.

Also I was reading today on IGN that they have the controls right on Metroid. First person controls on consoles have always felt like a hack to me, so it'll be great if the new control works like they're saying.

[Antinor01]

I haven't had a nintendo product since the super nintendo and even then only a handful of games I rarely played. Looks like there's been a lot of fun games out, mario series and the like. I may look back into them with this new one.

[iamthewalrus(:3=]

Was planning on getting one when the rumored price was $200 and I'm still planning on it. Assuming that the included game is any good, I'm happy to pay $50 for a golf/bowling/tennis/baseball game.

What I really want to know is how expensive the extra controllers are going to be. That's probably going to set me back another $100 by itself.

[rjung]

I heard about this earlier today and am very happy with the news. I was crossing my fingers for a $200 launch but $250 isn't bad, especially with Wii Sports included.
For me, it went from "Must by this holiday season" to "Maybe buy this holiday season." I still like it, but factoring in the cost of an additional controller pair and another game puts it up to $360 or thereabouts. I might just wait until next year and the inevitable price drop, especially since I'm slightly iffy on some of the launch titles right now.

(On the other hand, playing SNES StarFox for $8 is a steal, IMO :D)

[mobo85]

We want Wii! We want Wii!

[Asylum]

I find the GameFAQs polls of the day pretty interesting, on this subject:

Yesterday (http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2568)
Today (http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=2569)

I may even take a Wii, myself, and accept the fact that I'll never play FF XIII and MGS4.This is just anecdotal, but I've noticed that the poll responses on Gamefaqs usually have a pro-Nintendo response, so the results may just be the result of a unrepresentative sample. Specifically, I recall a poll asking which consoles people owned and the Gamecube was by far the favorite, which is not in line with console sales.

I'm a Nintendo fanboy, BTW.

[drm]

there is no need to master the complicated combinations of buttons and triggers that make many video games so intimidating to the reflex-challenged.

This right here just sold me.

[Heckxx]

Ive been anticipating the Wii for so long. Usually my brothers and friends buy all the gaming systems around my household, but for once, I feel like i want to buy Wii right when it comes out. Wii has all the features I want (super innovative, classic gaming capabilities, mario games) and none of the features I dont want (HD support, dvd, expensiveness)

I hope the controllers don't cost that much. Being thats its the whole wireless business, it may be more pricey then many of us might expect.

[Cyberhwk]

Am I the only one worried that swinging the controller around might start to get a little old after a couple of hours? I mean I'm sure it's light and everything, but still swinging your arm to return every single volley while playing tennis is going to have to get a little tiring after a while?

Also, how is it going to work. If you slash right, you're going to need to bring your "wiimote" back to center. Is this going to register as a slash left?

By all accounts it's a fantastic system (and I put my name on the call list at EBGames) but I still have unanswered questions.

[BraheSilver]

Am I the only one worried that swinging the controller around might start to get a little old after a couple of hours? I mean I'm sure it's light and everything, but still swinging your arm to return every single volley while playing tennis is going to have to get a little tiring after a while?

Also, how is it going to work. If you slash right, you're going to need to bring your "wiimote" back to center. Is this going to register as a slash left?

By all accounts it's a fantastic system (and I put my name on the call list at EBGames) but I still have unanswered questions.

You don't need to swing your whole arm around like a maniac. You can flick it in the direction you'd like to point it, but then it's not really like playing baseball!

There's a sensor bar that you place near the TV. It registers the movement of the remote, so moving "back to center" isn't the same as "swing left" because it knows that the remote was facing to the right after you slashed right.

[Red Barchetta]

I still like it, but factoring in the cost of an additional controller pair and another game puts it up to $360 or thereabouts.

Until you factor in the cost of an additional 360 controller as well, then we're back at square one. In addition, the Wii comes with built-in internal memory, whereas the $299 Xbox 360 does not, which one would require to save games. And finally, if reports are to be believed, the Wii will ship with component cables, unlike the $299 Xbox.

Plus it comes with that free packin game. Wii is still significantly cheaper than the other systems.

[c_goat]

This is just anecdotal, but I've noticed that the poll responses on Gamefaqs usually have a pro-Nintendo response, so the results may just be the result of a unrepresentative sample. Specifically, I recall a poll asking which consoles people owned and the Gamecube was by far the favorite, which is not in line with console sales.

I'm a Nintendo fanboy, BTW.

Yeah, you're probably right. I haven't read enough polls to notice a pattern. I still find it interesting though, because I would have expected the Sony fanboys to show up as well.

[Max Carnage]

Was planning on getting one when the rumored price was $200 and I'm still planning on it. Assuming that the included game is any good, I'm happy to pay $50 for a golf/bowling/tennis/baseball game.

What I really want to know is how expensive the extra controllers are going to be. That's probably going to set me back another $100 by itself.

From IGN.com (http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732669p1.html):
Nintendo revealed that Wii's various controllers would be available to buy separately at launch. The Wii remote will cost $39.99; the nunchuck $19.99 and the classic controller about $20.

[FlyingRamenMonster]

Nintendo of Australia has announced the Wii will be released on December 9, for $399.95 AUD. [link] (http://palgn.com.au/article.php?title=Australian+Wii+launch+details+revealed&id=5327&sid=0cd9adfd65aaff5fce83d8305bbea1a8)

For Europe, I've heard both November 24 and December 8. Could someone else confirm?

($400 for a Wii? Damn, that bites.)

[Raygun99]

Until you factor in the cost of an additional 360 controller as well, then we're back at square one. In addition, the Wii comes with built-in internal memory, whereas the $299 Xbox 360 does not, which one would require to save games. And finally, if reports are to be believed, the Wii will ship with component cables, unlike the $299 Xbox.

Plus it comes with that free packin game. Wii is still significantly cheaper than the other systems.

And if I'm reading it right, takes SD memory cards in addition to Nintendo memory cards, and accepts GC controllers and games.

[borschevsky]

From here (http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732712p1.html):

Speaking at its European Wii press conference today, Nintendo has finally revealed that its forthcoming console will hit shelves across the territory on 8 December, priced at £179 in the UK and 249 Euros in Europe. Games will cost between £34-£39 (49-50 Euros).

[Theobroma]

Think we'll be able to buy one at the release, or will they be sold to geeks who wait overnight in line?

My kid is saving his birthday money, several months' worth of allowance, and Best Buy gift certs for a Wii. (We're helping too.) If he can't get one at Best Buy, he'll just have to wait until he can.

I'm looking forward to maybe a game system I can actually play with my kid. Or, better yet, have it all to myself when I'm off work and he's in school! :cool:

[garygnu]

I'll get one. And I'll be very pissed if they don't make a new MarioKart for it.

[mobo85]

I'm a Nintendo fanboy, BTW.

So am I. And there's a lot of things to like about the Wii, at least for mii...er, me...

-Affordable! For the price of one PlayStation 3, you could buy two Wiis if you were so inclined.
-Backwards-compatible with GameCube- a Nintendo first! Parents have been complaining ever since the release of the Super NES about having to buy a new system that doesn't play the old games. I'm glad to see Nintendo realizes now that backwards-compatability is a plus as Microsoft and Sony have.
-Comes with a game! That isn't much, but Nintendo systems haven't come with a game packed in with them for 10 years, and I'm glad to see that this tradition has been brought back.
-Internet-connectability-thingies featuring Virtual Console! I like the idea of being able to get news and weather from the Wii, and I love the Xboxesque idea of purchasing points which can be used to buy not only an Internet browser for the Wii, but classic Nintendo, Sega, and Hudson Soft games! I'm hoping Nintendo is able to sign on other licensees- there were many great third-party games for the NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and TurboGrafx and it would be nice to download them, too. (Shame that Rare's owned by Microsoft now...)

[Mahaloth]

If you want to, can you play the games the traditional way instead of moving the remote around?

[FlyingRamenMonster]

If the games are designed around moving the remote, no, unless the individual games include an option not to use it (but I don't see why they would). There may well be a bunch of third-party games that don't use it, though, plus there's the Virtual Console which Nintendo would like you to buy a whole new gamepad for (with traditional controls).

[Meeko]

Figured sooner or later SD would get a Wii thread.

I'm so glad to talk to people who are

1.Spending their own money on a console (and aren't spoiled brats using their parent's).

2.Are reasonable to talk to.


Frankly, I think the Entire Bluray (PS3) and HD DVD (XBOX 360) battle will end with both of the consoles near death. Wii is doing things that appeal to games, not to visuals.

It's an idological battle. In the world of the blind, he with one eye is king. Nintendo will not die with Wii. I would like to think that Wii beats both 360 and PS3 in a tortise and hare senario.

The price, and on top of that, the mere fact that parents won't get confused over 'core' and 'premium' models, and a Controller that is more "futuristic" than eye candy are all features that will put Nintendo ahead. The legacy and virtual console only add to it. Not to mention that PS3 copied the controller setup.

Once you realize that we are fast approaching our visual threshold (and therefore throw the graphics out of the equation), it becomes clear that, In the context what Nintendo is doing, what Nintendo stands for, and what has always driven them, Nintendo is superior in every way.

[Meeko]

Just to add, that I too am glad to call my self a Nintendo fan boy (Yes, I still own a Virtual Boy). I also Have my 250 already set aside. Plus the 50 for Zelda.

[Just Some Guy]

For twenty years now my rule has been to wait until a console costs close to $100, then buy it. That's usually pretty far into their life span so the quality games have all shaken out and are available cheaply.

The Wii is the first console I'm pre-ordering.

Frankly, I think the Entire Bluray (PS3) and HD DVD (XBOX 360) battle will end with both of the consoles near death. Wii is doing things that appeal to games, not to visuals.

Getting to the meat of this, the Wii's hook is brilliant on so many levels I'm shocked Nintendo came up it it. When the concept of the Wiimote was announced I knew it was going to come down to one thing: would the idea intrigue developers enough that they would want to play with it. Nintendo was obviously pushing it, but if the third party developers didn't see the Wiimote and go "Oh my God! That's given me the greatest idea for a game!" then Nintendo was going to have another Gamecube on their hands. The Gamecube wasn't an outright failure worldwide but third-party support was, to put it mildly, weak.

And the responses I've seen to the Wiimote from game developers has been exactly what Nintendo has hoped for. There's tons of excitement about it and people are developing specifically for the Wii.

There's the killer for Sony and Microsoft. The X-Box is a dead brand in Japan and I can't see any way at this moment for the PS3 to make a break through in the US (even in Japan it's going to be pushing it). But everyone is chasing the Wii now and those games aren't going to be as nice if they get ported to the other two consoles. All Nintendo has to do now is deliver on the promise of the Wiimote and the console world is theirs once more.

The really sad part of that is monumental failures of the kind we're gearing up for could kill Sony and Microsoft's console divisions. Microsoft's shareholders haven't been happy with the X-Box being a money pit and Sony appears have castrated their hardware developers between the mess they've made of the PSP and the PS3. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end of the console road for Microsoft (with perhaps some concepts migrating over to other devices in their product line). Sony could cut their losses from a disastrous PS3, but I think it's more likely that they'll put together something respectable but not revolutionary for the next go around.

[Talon Karrde]

I am definitely looking forward to it, and have been since I heard about it. The one thing I'm worried about with the controller is the possibility of after playing for awhile getting sweaty hands and losing my grip while swinging it around, causing it to go flying through the window. They should have some kind of strap.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

I am definitely looking forward to it, and have been since I heard about it. The one thing I'm worried about with the controller is the possibility of after playing for awhile getting sweaty hands and losing my grip while swinging it around, causing it to go flying through the window. They should have some kind of strap.
Either that or they should just implant the motherfucker right to my wrist.



Um, my dad's going to want to know if there are any role playing games coming out for the Wii. He's upset that strategy and role playing games have essentially died a quick death. We don't do the MMORPG (is there an "O" in it?) stuff because we find it mighty gay to pay top dollar for a game, and then to pay a monthly fee (I understand why the fee is there, but it doesn't mean I like it). Bleh. That sucks. I wish the good games would make a return.

[Meeko]

They should have some kind of strap.


There is going to be a strap as shown at www.wii.com


Nintendo has great coverage of what it is doing for Wii on its website.

[bubastis]

The thing I'm worried about most is being trounced in multiplayer by novices... Aparently, people who've never played games take to the wii-mote quicker than hardened gamers, who presumably will find years of quarter-turn-forward, a,a,b button mashing hard to shake off, whereas instinct kicks in when a novice is handed the controller. Give a child a PS2 controller and ask then to play a driving game; watch them swerve and move, as if it affects the handling. Give them a platform game, and they'll "skip" the joypad into the air as they make a jumo, as if their character will jump higher if they do this. With the wii, this kind of instinct will give novices the edge, while long-time gamers will be left searching for R1 or L2. Besides this, I cant wait to learn again.

[Gerome]

The thing I'm worried about most is being trounced in multiplayer by novices... Aparently, people who've never played games take to the wii-mote quicker than hardened gamers, who presumably will find years of quarter-turn-forward, a,a,b button mashing hard to shake off, whereas instinct kicks in when a novice is handed the controller. Give a child a PS2 controller and ask then to play a driving game; watch them swerve and move, as if it affects the handling. Give them a platform game, and they'll "skip" the joypad into the air as they make a jumo, as if their character will jump higher if they do this. With the wii, this kind of instinct will give novices the edge, while long-time gamers will be left searching for R1 or L2. Besides this, I cant wait to learn again.

Actually, I'm looking forward to a more level online playing field, mainly for these reasons.

[rjung]

Until you factor in the cost of an additional 360 controller as well, then we're back at square one.
Well, I wasn't planning on getting an XBox anyway. The Wii is the only system that everyone in my family will be able to play, instead of scaring off the non-gamers with a control pad that's chock-a-bloc with a dozen buttons and analog sticks. If someone can't learn Wii Bowling or Wii Tennis inside of ten seconds, they're not trying.

And not to hijack the thread, but I really like Nintendo's new corporate directions these days. Between CEO Iwata's focus on fun over technology (he used to be a game developer geek, so he knows why fun is important) and Mr. Miyamoto's continued streak of quality game design, Nintendo is the only video-gaming console company that actually wants to sell me a fun game machine instead of a tricked-out uberbox. If the Wii and the Nintendo DS are the future of gaming, I'm jumping in with both feet...

[dbuzman]

<snip> I may even take a Wii, myself, and accept the fact that I'll never play FF XIII and MGS4.

Well, FF series was with Nintendo before and the Wii may cause the FF makers to come back.

[Bosstone]

Well, FF series was with Nintendo before and the Wii may cause the FF makers to come back.
Doubtful, unless they change FF's combat system to something real-time that can incorporate the controller. The Wii is able to handle menu-style RPG systems, but that's pretty much the complete opposite of the kind of games the Wii is focusing on. Combine that with Squeenix's apparent desire to turn each game into more of a jaw-dropping, stunningly beautiful cinematic experience with no gameplay whatsoever, and it's vastly more likely they'll concentrate on the PS3, for which the major (and maybe only) selling point is that it's HD-capable.

Graphics-wise, the 360 and the PS3 are going to have a leg up on the Wii due to its lack of HD. Gameplay-wise, however, I'm betting the Wii is going to destroy the other two, and that's why it's the only system of the three I'm at all interested in.

[Just Some Guy]

Doubtful, unless they change FF's combat system to something real-time that can incorporate the controller. The Wii is able to handle menu-style RPG systems, but that's pretty much the complete opposite of the kind of games the Wii is focusing on.

While something that effectively uses the strengths of the system would be better, you can pretty much play any Square-Enix RPG with a control pad and two buttons which the Wiimote has incorperated into it. So there's no problem with porting the system straight over. And just because the system's selling point is the unique control scheme allowing for more distinctive games doesn't mean that every game for the system will have to use it.

It's going to come down to if the money is in making games for the Wii or making games for the PS3. For whatever reason Square-Enix have been a one system for each game developer so support for multiple platforms is unlikely. Graphics aren't going to be a factor, they supported the heavily PS2 despite it being by far the weakest of the three systems graphically last generation and the Wii isn't really that far behind only lacking the HD support. The money was in the PS2 last gen so they made for the PS2.

There's no money in X-Box 360 games in their core market of Japan so they're out. Sony has cut their own throat as much as they could dropping the price of the PS3 even lower in Japan for the launch presumably with the intention of trying to appease those third party developers. If they think the PS3 is a non-starter then they're going to start dropping development for the platform from their schedules. The price is still extremely high but Sony is gambling on it being low enough to get the platform moving in Japan. If that happens then Square-Enix sticks with Sony. Otherwise they, and just about every other Japanese developer, moves to the Wii.

[Bosstone]

While something that effectively uses the strengths of the system would be better, you can pretty much play any Square-Enix RPG with a control pad and two buttons which the Wiimote has incorperated into it. So there's no problem with porting the system straight over. And just because the system's selling point is the unique control scheme allowing for more distinctive games doesn't mean that every game for the system will have to use it.Oh, definitely not. Like I said, the Wii's capable of playing conventional games. It's certainly possible for there for be a Final Fantasy game for it. I just don't see it as likely unless Microsoft and Sony really shoot themselves in the foot. But then, Squaresoft has put out a few games for the Nintendo DS, so anything's possible.