Nintendo

How Long Can the Wii Keep Winning?

Analysts say that it's a matter of time before the Wii's charm wares off

By Filip Truta, Games Editor

1st of June 2007, 10:13 GMT

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The question is difficult to answer from just one point of view. For one thing, the Wii is so much fun for the majority of people that even those who hated games before trying Wii Sports out, are now hooked. However, the console lacks horsepower, thus displaying simple stuff, with simple gameplay and a simple control scheme.

Some may say that I'm overreacting here (having written at least two more articles on the fact that the Wii is too simple), but I

have some quotes this time to back up my beliefs. Geoff Allen, a 36-year-old technology entrepreneur from Potomac Falls, states the following, referring to the Wii (Wii Sports): "Within minutes, I can have fun. I don't have to spend hours crawling through dungeons and learning all the complex button combos to become proficient. I love the Wii. It makes me happy", the LaTimes.com reports.

But some people want complexity. They like beating a hard level in order to feel the satisfaction that they've actually solved a puzzle or outsmarted the boss at the end of a level. Am I telling lies here...? You don't even have to be a true gamer to know that.

Allen further explained that the controller makes games such as the Wii version of tennis much more intuitive to play. "If I want a cross court shot, I start low and rotate my forearm, and I get a nice cross-court spinning shot, just like real tennis," he said. "I don't have to learn anything new." And there is learning to be done even with Wii Sports. I personally still can't hit that tennis ball 5 times in a row.

The fact that the Wiimote's functionality makes gameplay intuitive is quite correct, no objections here. BUT! How is it a good thing that players "don't have to learn anything new?" However, the same site reports that some analysts think the novelty may wear off and when it does, consumers will stop buying new games for the Wii. Hum... It takes analysts to know that, huh? It appears that they too think the issue is with the Wii's horsepower.

"Its appeal is primarily to casual gamers, and there's a serious question about how long casual gamers will stay engaged with the platform," said Van Baker, a consumer technologies analyst with Gartner Inc., which is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. "It wouldn't be surprising to see them lose interest after a relatively short amount of time."

I hope I haven't hurt anyone's feelings with what I've said so far. I'm not implying that I'm right with the Wii being too simple and all; by all means, if you feel different, write your opinions in the comments column.

TAGS:

Wii | Sports | Wiimote | Geoff Allen

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