Nintendo Wii

[Unstable Hamster]

I'd agree with ya on the delay, I'm ok with it, it just allows them to make sure the game will be a smash hit. So I can take a delay or two on games. Its just when they keep delaying till it gets canned (Starcraft Ghost) is when I get mad.

On another note, anyone wanting Super Paper Mario? I think I'll go pre-order it just to make sure I get this game.

[SilverStar]

I'd agree with ya on the delay, I'm ok with it, it just allows them to make sure the game will be a smash hit. So I can take a delay or two on games. Its just when they keep delaying till it gets canned (Starcraft Ghost) is when I get mad.

On another note, anyone wanting Super Paper Mario? I think I'll go pre-order it just to make sure I get this game.

Planning on picking it up on monday or tuesday.

[JoeFu]

I can't wait any longer for SPM. The game looks amazing.

[Fire in the Hole]

I paid it off at EB with the reserve I had for Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (won't come out before I move anyway, and iirc reserves are locked in to the store they're made at) plus a few trades that a friend of mine never got around to scrounging up cash to take from me. It's too bad Spring Break is this week.

[SilverStar]

You know, this is interesting.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/charticle-the-first-four-months-249629.php

Judging by that, Dreamcast, Xbox(original), N64 and Gamecube have all outsold the comparable Sony systems, for the generation, in their first 4 months.

And at the same time, the Sony systems were the weakest of the bunch. Yet they still won out, somehow.

N64 was more powerful than PS1. Dreamcast, Gamecube and Xbox, all more powerful than PS2. And yet, somehow Sony came out on top, both times.

I hope it doesn't come out the same way.. but with Nintendo selling 2-3 times more than Sony, that's more than just a tiny lead they're scraping together.

But, 2 killer apps(even if they're just ports that were originally aimed for Gamecube) in the first 6 months, certainly looks promising. Then more killer apps by the end of the year, before Sony gets their first real killer app.

[i heart robots]

You know, this is interesting.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/charticle-the-first-four-months-249629.php

The Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube are still selling well. With the Wii selling crazily. It's got the best buzz currently of the new-gen. I think though most people are still waiting for the killer apps for the newer machines to arrive then we'll see a real battle of the consoles.

[Bahamut]

The Xbox' date=' PS2 and Gamecube are still selling well. With the Wii selling crazily. It's got the best buzz currently of the new-gen. I think though most people are still waiting for the killer apps for the newer machines to arrive then we'll see a real battle of the consoles.[/quote']

The 360 already has quite a bunch of amazing games...I just think awareness of them might be more towards the hardcore though. The Wii has its own killer app with Wii Sports so far too, as well as the early Zelda.

[i heart robots]

The 360 already has quite a bunch of amazing games...I just think awareness of them might be more towards the hardcore though. The Wii has its own killer app with Wii Sports so far too, as well as the early Zelda.

Well, as for the Wii, yes it has those great games, but Wii Sports is a pack in. I don't know a lot of people who are buying a Wii for Wii Sports. Zelda as good as it is, is also available for the Gamecube so not really exclusive. Mainly I think the Wii is so popular because of it's uniqueness, price, and simplicity. The X360, I was probably leaning towards Halo 3 as its killer app. PS3 will have MGS4 and/or FF13 whenever they come out. Most of the software will be coming out this year so we'll see what happens.

[Bahamut]

Well' date=' as for the Wii, yes it has those great games, but Wii Sports is a pack in. I don't know a lot of people who are buying a Wii for Wii Sports. Zelda as good as it is, is also available for the Gamecube so not really exclusive. Mainly I think the Wii is so popular because of it's uniqueness, price, and simplicity. The X360, I was probably leaning towards Halo 3 as its killer app. PS3 will have MGS4 and/or FF13 whenever they come out. Most of the software will be coming out this year so we'll see what happens.[/quote']

I've heard all too much of friends' parents loving Wii Sports so much after playing it that they went out and bought a Wii for themselves...it's a much bigger phenomenon than you might realize. Old people also love games like Wii Sports since most of them can't really go outside and play those sports safely.

As for the 360 (as much of a tangent as that is), Gears of War drew me to buying it, as well as the massive discount I got on my 360 Premium.

[I-n-j-i-n]

You have to be living under a rock not to at least see one or two truly great games the 360 has so far. I agree the Wii Sports is a very attractive option for gaming newbies, but I think something like Warioware uses the whole thing so much better and it still is somewhat newbie friendly.

Also, the current generation of games haven't faded completely yet, but they will soon. I really haven't heard of any exciting game releases beyond 2007. Maybe except for a Nippon Ichi game or two for the PS2. Other than that, it's entirely next gen.

You know, this is interesting.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/charticle-the-first-four-months-249629.php

Judging by that, Dreamcast, Xbox(original), N64 and Gamecube have all outsold the comparable Sony systems, for the generation, in their first 4 months.

And at the same time, the Sony systems were the weakest of the bunch. Yet they still won out, somehow.

N64 was more powerful than PS1. Dreamcast, Gamecube and Xbox, all more powerful than PS2. And yet, somehow Sony came out on top, both times.

I hope it doesn't come out the same way.. but with Nintendo selling 2-3 times more than Sony, that's more than just a tiny lead they're scraping together.

But, 2 killer apps(even if they're just ports that were originally aimed for Gamecube) in the first 6 months, certainly looks promising. Then more killer apps by the end of the year, before Sony gets their first real killer app.

The thing with both generations of Sony consoles were that they just had a mob of third parties backing them a year or two into their lifespans. PSX especially so, since the 3rd parties left what they perceived as a parent-complex Nintendo had for 3rd parties in that time (some would argue they still have a bit of that mentality today).

But I don't think it is entirely attributable to only the Wii's early success either. The 360 pretty much snap up more and more token 3rd party Sony exclusives by the day, and Sony is playing a major catch-up to the Xbox Live online service and even that software revamp won't come until around a year from now. I would have thought people crazy if back in 2006, people actually thought Microsoft would be leading Sony around by its nose like this.

[i heart robots]

Ok maybe I should say that the big guns haven't been drawn yet. It's just too early too tell what's gonna happen. I know I'm holding off on buying any new-gen system at all until a price drop happens or more titles (that I'm interested in) are available. Got too many PS2 and DS games to beat right now anyway....

[Bahamut]

Well, owning all 3 systems, it's really looking like at least for the short-term, the 360 is going to dominate - the 360 lineup is pretty killer this year for only its second year out, and has something for almost everyone.

[SilverStar]

You have to be living under a rock not to at least see one or two truly great games the 360 has so far. I agree the Wii Sports is a very attractive option for gaming newbies, but I think something like Warioware uses the whole thing so much better and it still is somewhat newbie friendly.

Also, the current generation of games haven't faded completely yet, but they will soon. I really haven't heard of any exciting game releases beyond 2007. Maybe except for a Nippon Ichi game or two for the PS2. Other than that, it's entirely next gen.

The thing with both generations of Sony consoles were that they just had a mob of third parties backing them a year or two into their lifespans. PSX especially so, since the 3rd parties left what they perceived as a parent-complex Nintendo had for 3rd parties in that time (some would argue they still have a bit of that mentality today).

But I don't think it is entirely attributable to only the Wii's early success either. The 360 pretty much snap up more and more token 3rd party Sony exclusives by the day, and Sony is playing a major catch-up to the Xbox Live online service and even that software revamp won't come until around a year from now. I would have thought people crazy if back in 2006, people actually thought Microsoft would be leading Sony around by its nose like this.

Even for being as much a fan of Nintendo as I am, I would have been hard pressed to believe that Nintendo has been able to almost catch up with MS for number of hardware sold(1/2 to 2/3, depending on which numbers you go by), in half the time. I mean.. according to VGCharts, for example, X360 hasn't passed 10 million yet. It would seem that the sales of the 360 have slowed down to the point where they've been hovering in the 9 million range for the past 6 months, almost like they stalled as soon as the other boys entered the playground.

And, frankly, I didn't think Nintendo would be able to hold its own against Sony, yet alone come ahead with amazingly dominating numbers. I hope they at least come in with a heavy second place, with a good 10-20M more units than gamecube had, globally. I also hope that we don't see -all- of Sony's big titles hit this year. Would suck for those who actually did buy it, to have it go the way of the Dreamcast(with the same kind of cult-like loyal following).

On the other hand, it looks like Nintendo is firing all guns, trying to hit the market with -everything- they have, in the first 12-18 months. Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, Metroid.. even other, surprisingly popular franchises are being pulled out of retirement. Will Nintendo have anything left, come spring '09? Or is that when we'll see Nintendo start pumping out original IPs, like they attempted with Pikmin?

[I-n-j-i-n]

Even for being as much a fan of Nintendo as I am, I would have been hard pressed to believe that Nintendo has been able to almost catch up with MS for number of hardware sold(1/2 to 2/3, depending on which numbers you go by), in half the time. I mean.. according to VGCharts, for example, X360 hasn't passed 10 million yet. It would seem that the sales of the 360 have slowed down to the point where they've been hovering in the 9 million range for the past 6 months, almost like they stalled as soon as the other boys entered the playground.

Um. According to many charts, it apparently has passed 10 million and is closing in on 11 million. "past 6 months" is a gross miscalculation since even according to VGCharts, the 360 had at least 1 million sales in December. So it's impossible it 'hovered' in that range. Also, the sales have peaked in December, but the monthly sales for the 360 hasn't gone too far down. It's still in the 250,000 range and it's still edging on even in the slower gaming months as of late. The PS3 still is a new console and still has some buzz about it so it's selling roughly on a similar level for now. The Wii obviously, still has the shortage and it's still selling very well as of now. The numbers speak for themselves. The numbers for Wii is that it's still riding the early wave (surely it can't stay that level forever. The Gamecube actually sold very well early on until it leveled down. We don't know what really can happen with the Wii, though I think it won't do as bad obviously). The 360 numbers can best be described as consistent. Look at every months' sales and it's almost always more than 250,000 a month. Pretty respectable overall sales numbers.

And, frankly, I didn't think Nintendo would be able to hold its own against Sony, yet alone come ahead with amazingly dominating numbers. I hope they at least come in with a heavy second place, with a good 10-20M more units than gamecube had, globally. I also hope that we don't see -all- of Sony's big titles hit this year. Would suck for those who actually did buy it, to have it go the way of the Dreamcast(with the same kind of cult-like loyal following).

Considering the long term goals and the money Sony still has, I seriously doubt it. Even if they trail both MS and Nintendo, Sony will have content for years. Hell, they already have some very good games on the PS3, even if they aren't all going to be exclusive.

On the other hand, it looks like Nintendo is firing all guns, trying to hit the market with -everything- they have, in the first 12-18 months. Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, Metroid.. even other, surprisingly popular franchises are being pulled out of retirement. Will Nintendo have anything left, come spring '09? Or is that when we'll see Nintendo start pumping out original IPs, like they attempted with Pikmin?

I don't really see what's so big a difference about the release schedule for those games as the Gamecube had a similar launch plan if you can remember (except for Wind Waker which came around two years in).

Well, owning all 3 systems, it's really looking like at least for the short-term, the 360 is going to dominate - the 360 lineup is pretty killer this year for only its second year out, and has something for almost everyone.

I think the question is the next year as those stuff are more prospective sequels that have only been rumored or hinted at. Also consider that Halo 3 WILL sell new consoles and GTA4 coming this fall is going to make a huge impact for 360 as well as possibly the PS3. With the consistent lineup of 1st party stuff, I believe most Nintendo fanatics will have gotten the Wii around the first few years of its life. And the rest probably being the catch-up sales and the casual sales. The 360, as long as it can keep the unique titles coming along, could still remain consistent and possibly at the top even through the years. I think it'll still be a "Wii60" kind of thing in the end. They both do seem to complement eachother a bit better than the PS3 as of now, including all the variety of games the 360 has that the PS3 is supposed to deliver.

[Penfold]

Well, owning all 3 systems, it's really looking like at least for the short-term, the 360 is going to dominate - the 360 lineup is pretty killer this year for only its second year out, and has something for almost everyone.

Yeah, this far in the 360 is definitely the leader. I think it all depends on how well Nintendo can manage their sales momentum. I think they're doing a good job of it so far, slowly releasing their big titles (I'm guessing at most one every 3 months). I wouldn't be suprised if it's another full year before Prime 3, SSBB, and Mario Galaxy have all hit market. It'll be interesting to see how the Wii does after a full year on market, but so far it's off to a nice start.

[chrono26]

i'm for nintendo all the way but i'm still gonna get a 360 when the price drop rolls along. but have any of you guys noticed that new games and franchise can come out on PS and XBOX and everyone eats it up but if nintendo tries something new then everyone is like "eh, where's mario and zelda?" not even realizing that not all games on nintendo systems are made by nintnedo. i'm not saying that it's the whole gaming community, but there seems to be that mentality there and i dont know why. and it's really hurting nintendo in the long run i believe.

[Wipomatic]

Nintendo are really starting to annoy me now. http://kotaku.com/gaming/super-paper-mario/super-paper-mario-gets-pal-delay-249810.php

[JoeFu]

Nintendo are really starting to annoy me now. http://kotaku.com/gaming/super-paper-mario/super-paper-mario-gets-pal-delay-249810.php

Doesn't like NOE suck? Oh well, you guys get Mario Strikers first and it is an online game.

[PuRe-eViL]

Well, being in Australia and all, I've learned to expect many-a-delay from Nintendo =/ which is why I've started to import my DS games.

... And cry about Wii game release dates ;_;

[Ray Falling]

i'm for nintendo all the way but i'm still gonna get a 360 when the price drop rolls along. but have any of you guys noticed that new games and franchise can come out on PS and XBOX and everyone eats it up but if nintendo tries something new then everyone is like "eh, where's mario and zelda?" not even realizing that not all games on nintendo systems are made by nintnedo. i'm not saying that it's the whole gaming community, but there seems to be that mentality there and i dont know why. and it's really hurting nintendo in the long run i believe.

It's probably because of the association people still have with the brands.

It's like...me making a video of me diving in a pool of jello. Which is of course, an awesome idea.

Now, what happens if in this awesome idea, we replace me for "sexy naked super model"?

Ya know where I'm going with this

Nintendo is usually very careful with new games too, and I don't get the feeling they're really 100% behind them all the time.

While with other consoles, I get the feeling that developers are really behind their idea and are not afraid to use all means necesary, despite knowing the risk.

Not sure if that's true of course, but that's the feeling I get sometimes.

I must admit, I'm always wondering when the Nintendo-only games come out myself...I dunno, it's just garantueed quality.

Everytime I try to be open to new things I end up disappointed and wanting my money back T__T

EDIT:

Nintendo are really starting to annoy me now. http://kotaku.com/gaming/super-paper-mario/super-paper-mario-gets-pal-delay-249810.php

For the love of Mike T__T; I'm so sick of this treatment!

Why don't they just make game systems region free and make them all in Japanese, English, French and maybe some other crappy language of a country that won't conform to these languages and give us all the same release date. My God!

[The Mutericator]

It's probably because of the association people still have with the brands.

It's like...me making a video of me diving in a pool of jello. Which is of course, an awesome idea.

Now, what happens if in this awesome idea, we replace me for "sexy naked super model"?

Ya know where I'm going with this

Oh, God, stop talking. xD

[Bigfoot]

I have this theory, and it's kind of funny because at work when I was thinking about it my friend mentioned it as well.

I think Nintendo is going to come out with their "powerful system" a few years down the road. Their making such good sales/profit already with the Wii, so they could easily afford to make a system to compete with the 360/PS3 graphically wise. Since it's a few years ahead of the PS3 and 360, it'll probably be better(graphics wise).

*shrug* I know this won't happen, but it would be kind of cool. I mean, as soon as the Gamecube was released they were working on the Wii, so who knows?

[chrono26]

i think nintendo most definitely has the resources and ability to make their own "power system" and that they eventually will. but for right not they're focused on gameplay. when they do finally show us some out of this world graphics and sound and such, i think its going to be in a way that we've never experienced or imagined. it's not gonna be realistic graphics just because it looks cool, its going to somehow have a huge impact on the whole gaming experience. and we're going to wonder why games wernt like that from the start. thats what nintendo is all about.

[SilverStar]

Considering Nintendo's global profit for last year was north of 8 Billion dollars, I'd say.. yeah, Nintendo has the money to fund such a project.

Would it have graphics superior to X360 or PS3? Not if you want to pay a reasonable price.

I do, however, think Nintendo is working to pump out some heavy numbers of units, to get the price down even more so they can start issuing more price drops, sooner(Wal-mart in Canada apparently has dropped the price of the Wii by $50CAD).

What I wouldn't mind seeing, as strange and wonderful as it may be, is some sort of.. add-on unit for the system itself, sort of like a larger bay that the Wii can slip into, to extend the functionality of the system by leaps and bounds.. unfortunately, this is just one system that wasn't designed with any useful ports, unless those USB ports are really ultra high bandwidth ports in disguise.

[Bigfoot]

But if you think about, in a couple years, to match the graphics of the PS3 or 360 will probably be cheaper to achieve. I mean, I bought myself an X800 XL video card maybe a year and a half ago for $150. I just recently purchased a Radeon X1950 Pro for the same price, and it very much more powerful than my previous card.

Then again, this is the gaming console industry where stuff sometimes tends to be somewhat inflated. Like Microsoft seems to think their 120gig Hard Drive costs $180 and claims that "a 120 gig self-powered external PC drive and in that case we are seeing those retail at anywhere from $160 to $200 for comparable laptop sized external hard drives."

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5119&Itemid=2