Engadget & Joystiq's live coverage of Nintendo's Wii E3 event
By Ryan Block 
posted May 9th 2006 12:34PM
posted May 9th 2006 12:34PM
12:15 am - We're all seated and situated. The theater is huge with three mezzanines and 3,400 seat capacity.
12:17 am - We're sitting in the Kodak theater waiting for the press corps, VIPs, and assorted industry folk to file in, ever so slowly. Pictochat sessions are starting to fill up as people take their seats and whip out their portables. The announcer just told us to turn off all wireless and bluetooth devices before the presentation begins -- could that be so that our bluetooth doesn't interfere with the Wii's wireless capabilities? Sounds like a hint to us.
12:23 pm - We've been informed that the program will start promptly at 9.30 am PST, right on time.
12:28 pm - Here's the layout -- yellow and blue ticket holders were sent to the third and fourth floors of the theater. Green tickets are on the second level. On the ground floor, those with red tickets (Mushroom Kingdom) are holding court.
12:37 pm - And it has started: symphonic music : Miyamoto takes the stage and directs a puppet symphony with the Wii controller. He's looking dapper in a tux. As he waves his hands, the symphony adjusts its pace to keep up with him. The music swells when his arms wave wildly, the tempo adjusts with his tempo.
12:38 pm - The crowd goes wild -- that many symphony geeks? Who knew. First Guitar Hero, now Symphony Hero (not the actual title). We're being shown a driving game, a sword fighting game, and more conducting from Miyamoto. It's worth taking a pause right now to remark that these gamers are, in fact, waving their arms rather wildly. This system is going to be a workout, but we're cool with that.
12:41 pm - Reggie takes the stage: "You came to LA this week to peek into the future, but if all you want is next generation you're in the wrong place. What we're unveiling is the next leap in gaming. It's no longer confined to just a few, it's about everyone. It's not about what you see because what you see isn't always what you get. The next leap is about playing because playing is believing"
12:42 pm - Reggie's wearing the game executive's corporate uniform: suit and no tie. After a short intro, the Regginator steps off the stage and we're treated to a brand-spanking new trailer. Hipsters drumming, clean youth playing tennis, a middle-aged couple golfing, an entire Japanese family conducting a symphony, an earringed, pony-tailed fellow steering an off-road vehicle. CONFIRMED: Speaker in the Wiimote.
12:44 pm - Now we're being shown a flight sim, then Metroid Prime 3. The Prime demo looks hot in terms of playstyle -- with the gamer ducking and rolling in order to dodge enironment obstacles. We're shown an updated Wario Ware with a variety of mini games that involve the controller. Depending on the game, the controller is held in a different fashion.
12:46 pm - A note on graphics: these graphics aren't all that impressive, but the gameplay looks super fun. Zelda demo demonstrates the Wii controller's use to shoot a grappling hook, shoot arrows, fish, sword fight. Reggie: "Two years ago we pulled the curtain back on DS and many said, 'huh?' Then nine months ago we revealed how Wii for Nintendo will change gaming forever, and a lot of people said, 'we'll see'"
12:47 pm - "Our purpose this week is not to feel your left brain with informationm but to jolt your left brain with inspiration." The Wii logo appears again, and the two little "i" characters take a deep bow. Very Japanese, but universally understood. After the trailer is over, there's genuine applause. The audience is certainly more into this conference than Sony's audience was into their conference yesterday. "Let me ask you ... 'do you know someone who's never played a videogame? I bet you do. How can this be? If we want to grow as an industry this has to change. And today, change begins today."
12:50 pm - "As many of you know, Nintendo's way is to challenge conventional thinking." Reggie spins a metaphor: "The graveyard of the industry is filled with the headstones of companies who tried to keep doing things the same way. Over the years our industry has come to gauge progress simply by what's displayed on screen ... In the same way that Super Mario 64 changed everything, we asked how do we make games that will entirely new. We will give you more fun for less money, and you will be playing we in Q4 in 2006."
12:51 pm - "Okay, the name ... we want to thank everyone that had good things to say about it ... both of you." Reggie's pronunciation of Wii is different. He says "Wii" in a clipped way, flattening the "i" a little bit, and driving it from the diaphram. "Every distincitive name sounds strange at first. Cahnge is good. [Wii is] a giant leap of gaming, for everyone around the world. It's the sound for the future."
12:54 pm - List of games: Metroid Prime 3, Dragon Quest Swords, Disaster: Day of Crisis, Fire Emblem, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Cars, Super Mario Galaxy, SD Gundamn G Breaker, Tony Hawk Downhill Jam, Sengoku Action, Excite Truck, Elebits, Red Steel, Rayman 4, Super Swing Gold Pangya, Sonic, Project H.A.M.M.E.R., Finalfurlong Revolution, Madden, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Twilight Princess
12:56 pm - "This is by far the best Zelda we have every made, and also the most beautiful game Nintendo has every made. But this is breaking precedent because this is the first time a Zelda game will be along side a Nintendo console on launch day." Nate & Bill of Nintendo to host world premiere of Zelda on Wii.
12:57 pm - Bill: Very basic control ... your movement is handles with the analogue stick. Zelda's targeting system with be handled using the Z button. The Wii control adds the presence of a fairy, which indicates where you will be pointing using the Wii controller. Forward swing is handled using the B button. Link's bow is aimed using the pointer on the Wii remote. The series of trailers went by quickly, but here's the impression we got from it: there's real variety in gameplay, and lots of variety in graphics. Some of the graphics look decidedly Xbox/GameCube/PS2, and some look incredible. It was unclear which were pre-rendered and which were footage of actual gameplay. The best-looking trailers were graphically impressive. Overall, sound was disappointing. We're hoping that's just an issue with the theater.
12:58 pm - "With the bow, the Wii remote adds depth of sound. Built-in to the Wii remote is a speaker. You'll hear the bowstring draw taught and you'll hear the bow sound draw to the screen as the arrow is shot. A quick jab with the Wii remote and shield shove. You'll feel the impact with the built-in rumble." Using pointer to launch boomerang. Classic Zelda chime heard on Wii remote speaker. You can pick up crates with the A button and then chuck them with a quick motion
1:01 pm - You have two different controllers and two different motion sensors. Link's iron boots also make a return. This time they lift you up [Link is hanging upside-down from the ceiling]. A quick rotation for spin attack, stab down with controller to do down thrust.
1:02 pm - The Zelda demo focuses almost exclusively on gameplay. Though the narrator tells that it's intuitive, the control scheme is actually fairly complex. It's certainly not dumbed down, but we wouldn't say that it's as intuitive that they're making it out to be either. Then again, few games these days are, and Zelda's one of those games that appeals to the core gamer audience. It won't be one of the titles that Nintendo uses to break into the mainstream market.
1:04 pm - Reggie: "This Zelda is the first ever to feature unique freehand control. Here in the America's Nintendo will launch two different versions: one for GameCube and one for Wii -- on the same day Wii launches ... Mario is back too!" Game list again. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is "most intuitive first-person shooter ever," says Reggie. Super Mario Galaxy: With freehand control Mario has new moves. Swing hand to grab objects ... swim threw space (and more).
1:06 pm - Excite Truck: "Now you're holding the steering wheel of a big damn truck! This feels like driving ... What happens if the bad guy is mother nature? Come feel the panic and bring the catastrophe uner your control"
1:08 pm - "Square Enix is offering exclusive iteration of Final Fantasy Chronicles." Excite Truck is one of 3 new franchises, the others being Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and Disaster: Day of Crisis. More third party titles:
1. Hyper Sonic. "Finally the speedster is totally under your control."
2. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.
3. Madden 07
4. Activision's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
5. Ubisoft's Rayman
6. THQ's Spongebob Squarepants
Reggie: "We are not gonna specify a launch number this morning, you'll be playing 27 titles on the show title tomorrow. That 27 does not include Virtual Console [games]."
1:10 pm - Now showing Red Steel demo: "Red Steel is a first-person action game set in US and Japan. Player must master both firearms and katana." Taking the stage, Xavier Poix (studio director) and Roman Campos (lead game designer), both from Ubisoft Paris, where Ubisoft is developing the Wii-exclusive title Red Steel. Destuctible environments, soft bodies, realtime physics. Technical difficulties: The screen is blanked out with just a "Wii" logo, the Red Steel demo isn't being shown for the first minute of the presentation. When it comes back, there's a bit of applause.
1:12 pm - More still on Red Steel: enemies will care for themselves. They will hide, go for cover, and flank. Unique wepaons like the shotgun -- the shotgun is unique? AI uses 'clan system' where one enemy is the leader; if he is killed, the others become confused. Free shots mode: by holding button, player can freestyle, and target points on an enemy. You choose between killing or making them submit.
1:15 pm - Sword fight: the moves you make are intricate. You can block with left, and slash with right in any direction. That means there are dozens of combinations. This is easy to learn, but hard to master (sounds like the Tetris catchphrase). Playable tomorrow at E3 booth. Hate to inject a little bit of reality into the conversation, but Red Steel's visual quality lacks the sex and sparkle of the Sony demos yesterday -- take away the controller, and the game could run on an original Xbox or PlayStation 2. Nintendo would of course remind us that judging a game by what's displayed on screen is a mistake, but the game industry has tended to judge games visually for many years. Nintendo can't change the critical criteria overnight. They're going to have their work cut out for them on this front if gamers prove intractable in their lust for next-gen graphics.
1:16 pm - Reggie: "We want to switch gears now to what's hot right now: Nintendo DS." George Harrison enters: "What we've given you today is a promise: 'Wii' will make things better." The conference has moved on to talk about the Nintendo DS. 16 million Nintendo DSs have sold worldwide (that's sold, not shipped). "Wi-Fi service is easy and free. 1.3 million discreet wi-fi connection users totalling over 40 million gameplay sessions."
1:18 pm - Brain Age launched three weeks ago in North America. In Japan, 5 million purchasers. The first few weeks here have sold better than during the Japanese launch of Brain Age -- but does it have the same staying power?
1:19 pm - "Nintendo DS Lite is smaller, lighter, and brighter than the original. In only a week you'll be playing a new Mario game, which is the very picture of 'old school.' But this is a brand new Mario game, which will appeal to brand new players. Pokemon is coming too. You don't play with the Pokemon, you are the Pokemon."
1:22 pm - "Final Fantasy III ... be prepared to be fulfilled. The legendary title will have improved graphics." We're being taken on a tour through DS titles and sales. Tony Hawk Downhill Jam announced. Exlcusive Zelda ... The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Features sailing, sworday play, and the boomerang. All in all, 100 new games for DS from now until end of calendar year 2006, including Mario Hoops 3 on 3, Starfox DS, Diddy Kong Racing, Final Fantasy III, Yoshi 2, Elite Beat Agents (multiplayer multi-rhythm, Pokemon Myster Dungeon, Diddy Kong Racing, Big Brain Academy, Mario vs. DK: March of the Minis.
1:25 pm - Iwata takes the stage: "In order to [expand the total number of players who play games] we needed to target ... those who once played and who lost interest and those who never played before. How do we do this? The logical solution is to reinvent the relationship between player and game. The game controller interface. We believe this approach can appeal to a much broader audience. Our first implementation [of this imprvement] was Nintendo DS. At first it confused some people, but these people started to understand when they started to pet their puppies with their stylus."
1:27 pm - Iwata nonchalantly tucks the remote into his pocket. Why, hello sir, is that Wii in your pants, or are you just happy to be here? The Virtual Console will bring gamers together and act as the leading laboratory for simple games.
1:28 pm - "The startup time before gameplay begins is growing longer and longer. These days I am busier and busier and ever. Even if I have to wait 30 seconds or 40 seconds or more for a game to load, often I get frustrated. Sometimes I just cannot wait. And now that I know I can instantly stop or start playing my DS by just opening or closing the top, I think I am spoiled. Maybe this has happened to you too? If seriees gamers find the delays frustrating, how can we ever expect the mass market to show more patience than we do. Unless we change we can never increase the game population."
1:30 pm - Audience chuckles as disgruntled gamers are flashed on the screen. "The Wii console will also help solve this problem ... [it will be] almost as fast as the television or telephone. One more hardware feature -- we've designed our machine to provide owners with a variety of services when it is turned off. Wii Connect 24: the Wii console can be constantly connected to the internet. This means that developers can push a new weapon or vehicle to you even while you sleep. Anytime the console is in standby, players may return to find that their friends have left a message or a gift."
1:32 pm - Networking software is included in the hardware. In other words, developers don't have to write code to utilize this. "What we are aiming for is a system that is new everyday." WiiSports ... this is a combination which will include tennis, golf, and baseball in one package. It will be available on launch day.
1:33 pm - "Today, there are people who play and people who do not. Wii will help destroy that wall between them. Anyone can instantly understand Wii. Everyday there is something new for everyone, eveywhere. This is our answer." The "playing = believing" slide has been shown for the -- what -- sixth time now? In repeating this phrase, Nintendo's driving home the point that the typical version of this aphorism ("seeing is believing") no longer applies to their console. This is a key message for the audience here to believe, because without that belief, gamers will compare Nintendo's console to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on a purely graphical level. This console simply cannot hold its own on a purely graphical level. Nintendo knows that, so the company *must* insist that playing is believing.
1:34 pm - Back to Reggie: "We'd like nothing better than to invite you all up on stage to play. While we can do that for everyone, we can do that for one person ... We have three grand prize finalists. Mr. Miyamoto has randomly selected the winner ...
1:37 pm - Miyamoto: "The winner is ... Scott Dyer. [To Scott] May I ask you to be my partner in the next game?" He agrees, of course. It's Iwata and Reggie vs. Miyamoto and Scott in tennis. Miyamoto demonstrates how the remote is used for a variety of shots in tennis, from serve to lob to to smash. It looks fun and responsive.
1:38 pm - Team Miyamoto wins! Huzzah! Scott aces Iwata on the serve! Team Miyamoto wins again!
1:41 pm - The game will clearly take some practice to master, which is as it should be. Most impressive is that a clumsy return will send the ball wide of the court. In many tennis-type games, it's far too easy to keep the ball in bounds. Reggie: "Bottom line of every E3 is what's hot and what's not. What's hot is the next step ... What's hot is if it's disruptive ... We know that the future is right here. Wii and the DS represent that same thing: risk. Change is good. We were the disrupter 20 years ago ... Wii will come next. Playing is believing. Thank you all, we look forward to seeing you on our show floor tomorrow."
1:45 pm - Reggie's talking a big game about how the company doesn't run from risk, but runs to it. An obvious counterpoint jumps quickly to mind: Nintendo is a very conservative company. Though the company has taken some risks with DS and Wii hardware, its also meticulous about controlling hardware costs, managing contracts and quality control, and in general ensuring that the margins are there to make a console profitable. Nintendo supporters routinely brag about the comapny's ability to make money, even on the GameCube. Their ability to do this is directly reliant upon keeping investment (in hardware, in marketing) low relative to sales projections. That is the very definition of risk averse. To put it another way, these aren't bet-the-farm risks. Touchscreen aside, the DS is still a solid gaming handheld supported by a very standard ecosystem of software developers and a solid portfolio of original IP. The Wii strategy takes a small risk on the HCI (human-computer interface), but everything else is rather similar to any other console's strategy, sans insane spending.
Sony's taking more risks this generation. Blu-Ray's success is critical to multiple lines of business that keep Sony afloat. It's huge investment in complex technology that will make or break the company in the decade to come. That's risk. Even if the Wii were to end up in third place again (as several analysts we talked to yesterday predicted it would), Nintendo will still survive. If Sony were to fail to capture dominant marketshare this generation, the results would be catastrophic. That's risk, and we just wanted to set the record straight on it.
That's it for the Nintendo press conferece! Thank you all for joining us, and be sure to check out the Microsoft press conference, which we will be covering shortly.
ok the wiimote is made for ambidexterous people :)
Red Steel is definately not the type of thing one is used to seeing on Nintendo hardware! Excellent!
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Anyone else notice that all the controllers shown on stage today are wired?
I REALLY hope that've they've only done that to support the media event some how....
It'll make it VERY difficult to play these games with a wired controller...
I would love to see the video footage of Miyamoto coming onto the stage conducting. That just sounds soo cool.
The spelling here is amazingly bad. I mean, words are spelled correctly, but the wrong words are used (discreet for discrete, etc.).
Thanks though !
I'm no pokemon fan (I hate 'em with a passion) but it's pretty sad when the nintendo rep can't even pronounce it right....
the average person in that room has a Ds, cellphone, and laptop. i cannot think of a more hostile enviorment to put a wireless controller in. it probably doesnt work in that room..
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Opera Web Broswer??
Quoting 7:"Matt, I think what you meant to say was you 'can't wait to Sii the coverage'."
Oh god, don't start that.... XD
Also, they wanted you to turn off all bluetooth? =D Sounds real damn fun. Any guesses what Nintendo's final ace in the hole is?
PIc update:
http://www.yourmediahost.com/Download.php?file=1147195895-full1147195973.jpg
btw, do people still need me to repost like this? and its getting annoying how many times they say 'wii' xD
wii can not understand what he is saying, let alone how to play
XD
Wow. I'm actually excited about Nintendo this console generation... suprising. Zelda seriously looks awesome, as does just anout every other game simply because of the controller. Nintendo, if you can pull this off, you've got the next console generation under wraps.
As for Xbox 360 vs. PS3, I know for sure I won't be getting a PS3 soon and I hardly play my 360, still waiting on GoW and Halo 3, not to mention other games. They've got an awesome thing going, and I believe that the consoles of choice for most people will be Wii/360.
Yes, pictures are still needed for a few of us that are using school computers. Please keep posting! Thanks for what you have posted! ^^'
omg *squirt* i love this man
GAH! I lost my feed and there isn't a spot available any more!!!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
No release date or price point??? What a jip! We found out when the PS3 was dropping, but not the Wii...
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Pocky Over and Out!
Thanks for your help, Pocky.
As for my response on the actual content of the Wii: It was okay... no real information, just some footage of how it will be played. It was what people expected it would be, or at least what I expected it to be like. I must say that I am excited to see how that Red Steel turns out though. The only thing we really learned was that Twilight Princess will come out on both GCN and Wii, being released at the same time as the Wii. Very cool.
As for poster 112, Kewlrats: Pricepoint is $250 and it is coming out in Q4.
Engadget's comments re: risk are off base. Risk is choosing to deviate from the pack - NOT choosing to max. hardware specs and create a machine that is expected to compete directly with PS3 and 360 IS risk. Nintendo is a better operating company than Sony - their margins prove this - as do the comments re: being able to make money EVEN on the Gamecube. Ensuring that they earn a profit from hardware in addition to software does not automatically mean they assume no risk.
The commentator has clearly never run a business. One would hesitate to even assume he/she has ever even been a manager.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...Sony's presentation seems a lot better after watching that. Cool concept and all, but more of the same game wise. How many Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games can we endure? This is definitely a niche console aimed at the fanboys. Whom I am sure will overrun engadget with how much nintendo rocks and Sony sucks.
I was really hyped for this E3 but Sony and Nintendo have underwhelmed me to this point. Maybe I got my hopes to high for both.
Low budget console that doesn't look like it plays DVDs, CDs, BR or any other external 3rd party media.
I guess it'll be really good for new gamers and party games with company.
If the price on this is under $300, they have a goldmine. Anything over $300 and you might as well pay the extra for the PS3.
More content, an actual entertainment and media station, purchasable media (Music, Movies, Games), Free online services and there are still innovative controller movement options. Oh, and the PS3 has all the best flashy graphics and solid titles.
The Wii and PS3 are now in different markets for different types of gamers. Nintendo has separeted themselves from the rest of the industry.
#102, the controllers aren't wired, its a wrist tether. I'm guessing to help you from throwing the remote across the room. You could clearly see that the remotes were all wireless when that dude went up on stage to play tennis with Reggie, Iwata, and Miyamoto.
Bullcrap.. So whats all the specs on the Wii? Will it have bluetooth? Wifi? An online chatting setup thing? How about a hard drive? Well man i sware im starting to loose a lil bit of faith in nintendo now....
"116. Engadget's comments re: risk are off base. Risk is choosing to deviate from the pack - NOT choosing to max. hardware specs and create a machine that is expected to compete directly with PS3 and 360 IS risk. Nintendo is a better operating company than Sony - their margins prove this - as do the comments re: being able to make money EVEN on the Gamecube. Ensuring that they earn a profit from hardware in addition to software does not automatically mean they assume no risk.
The commentator has clearly never run a business. One would hesitate to even assume he/she has ever even been a manager."
Apparently someone has never heard of "Ruin Theory". The commentators post stands correct; Sony is taking MUCH more of a financial risk than Nintendo is.
I'm sorry, but thats just wrong. Since when has Sony cared about which formats stick or not? Look at all the different kinds of memory sticks, or the UMD.
From a gaming perspective, there's no way that anyone is taking more risks this generation than Nintendo. They're saying that they're going to go a different way than the xbox and ps3 entirely. that remote is an incredible risk. it might put gamers off because its different from the traditional controller we've seen from 10 years. it might put developers off because they won't be able to port their games to the wii. the ds was a risk because it looked so potentially stupid, and they placed the success of their platform in the hands of developers and their usage second touch screen.
To the point, from a gaming perspective, I don't see how sony using one format over another justifies the statement that they are taking more risks than nintendo. he who is most different is taking the most risk, and nintendo is clearly the most different.
Note to all: PCs (real, whole PCs) can cost as little as $400CAD. 512 ram, Sempron 2800+, motherboard with onboard graphics, a cheap case with a power supply, and a cheap CRT monitor. The only thing is, to match the graphical power of a Xbox360/PS3, I'd think you'd need a 7900GTX512 (AKA $800CAD graphics card). This is only, though, because the graphics engine is made specificly for the system, and don't have as much power as you might think, they are just optimized.
Also, per specs, the PS3 is more powerful, yet the Xbox360 is more efficent, and, in the end, it near equals. (The PS3 being the winner, but not by much.)
Now, I really can't wait for the Wii. I really hate the name, but I guess wii will just have to bare it. Then again, it's not the name that counts, nor the graphics. It's the quality of game, and it's own capabilities. I see few people mentioning a major selling point of the Wii, the Virtual Machine engine. Being able to emulate older machines, hopefully even offering older controllers, is pure genius. Maybe other companies should pay more attention to the emulation community.
Grr. No Price! No Launch Date!
Sony did it! Why didn't Nintendo!
Grr...
A little disappointed that Nintendo didn't give us more info regarding the online content. What of the classic catalogue? Will there be network compatability with the old games? Gauntlet tournament, anyone? Can I log on and play Contra with my brother like we used to in the old days? This aspect of the system is what's going to sell it for a lot of people (though much dap to the N for breaking the mold on this one. Everything looks so much more fun to play).
Hey, the Wii is the most original console ever. Here is a breakdown in terms of price, power, and originality.
Price: PC#1, PS3#2, Xbox360#3, Wii#4
Power: PS3#1, Xbox360#2, PC#3, Wii#4
Originality: Wii#1, PS3#2, Xbox360#3, PC#4
And by a PC I do NOT mean one of those cheap word processesing setups. I think all smart people should get a Wii first, despite the name, wait to see what happens with PS3 before dumping a whole bunch of cash on one, and play on your comps/Xboxs while you wait. But I definitely can't wait to get my hands on a Revolution(you all know what I mean), because they are basically offering a completely 3-dimensional experience, like with laser tag, except that you can do more than play FPS.
I wonder if this has anything with sony copying nintendo saying that it has a tilt sensitive cotroller. Did Nintendo or sony do there presentation first????
Soo many questions oo little time
??????????????????????????????????????
"Apparently someone has never heard of "Ruin Theory". The commentators post stands correct; Sony is taking MUCH more of a financial risk than Nintendo is."
You're as off-base as the commentator, Isurus.
Although their cash "war-chest" isn't on par with Microsoft, nor is it as strong as it once was following the decline of their other business lines (walkmans, personal audio), Sony has more funding to draw from as they're a substantially larger company with multiple lines of business. Because of those other lines of business (TVs, etc.) that can better support a loss in their gaming segment and therefore have less at risk as a company. Nintendo is a gaming company solely - if they lose with Wii - their status as a viable entity is threatened. Try reading the Japanese equivalent of a 10-k for both companies, do the currency conversion and you'll see reality.
Nintendo is going in an entirely new direction - Sony on the other hand is doing more of what they've always done. Frankly I hope they're both successful. The end result is that gamers benefit from having choice.
Nevertheless, to say that Nintendo is risking less with Wii than Sony is with PS3 is a blantant display of business ignorance.
Gameplay can make or break games, but so can graphics. Right now, its Wii for me, just because I was so let down by the PS3 show. Seriously, tho, i know I'm not alone. don't get me wrong, i love "interacting" but i also love chilling after daily stress and shit... which is why i was inclined toward ps3.
But Twilight Princess and Metroid look hot...true. Nintendo also seems to be riding this resurgence in "old school" with--um--all of the DS games (ha) and mentioning it so prominently in the Wii show just now. That's cool, i personally love old school. And nintendo's gotten mad popular putting a "new face" on that old school play. But for me, that's not reason enough for a new console. so what is it, you ask?
Maybe its mario/zelda/dk...everyone loves that shit form the snes days. Maybe its being able to hold a controller in each hand (def more comfy). Maybe its the crazy "interactive" gameplay...it could be really sick. But really. I'll lay it out: wii is the best bang for the buck. Assuing the sub-$300 price, it'll outsell ps3 by shittonnes. Its the same thing responsible for holding gcube, with otherwise inferior graphics and games, in the market with ps2/xbox. Neither me, nor anyone I know, is going to buy a $5-600 console... PLUS GAMES! common, its too much. People who would do that are either a small % of the population or already spent shittonnes on 360. I'm guessing many people are going to be happy to settle for "2/3 the product," at less than 1/2 the price. I mean, that's generally the feeling i get.
I want so badly to support sony's push toward the cutting edge of graphics and improved gameplay in the ps3, but I just can't do that for $5-600, plus games. Sony, i hope you hear me. I just don't have the cash, and neither does a large segment of the gaming population in the states. Its true, too, sony's existence could be in trouble if ps3 doesn't hit big.
Too bad they couldn't spell Scott Dier correctly.
It seems that all the sites out there are missing a very huge detail. Wii is going to include it's own version of one of th ebest web browsers out there, Opera!!!
After watching this concept video Nintendo has put together for Wii, I'm sold! Can't wait to get my hands on one...Finally, a game system that I can perhaps even interest my wife in (and in the process, get her to stop complaining about the fact that I like games).
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2006/wii/movie_concept.html
Why does the Nintendo Wii have a controler that looks like a remote though? They could have made it look so much cooler. ;)
well, the wii despite its horrible name actually will probably be the best selling next gen system, mainly because of its gameplay, not its graphis even though they are good, ps3 looked good on the videos but when i saw the actual gameplay it sucked, one more thing is i think nintendo should make some more fps's, and ww2 games.
WiI
I have heard so many people say nintendo wii and xbox 360 is the best combo of gaming consoles you can get.......... I couldn't agree more!
Very solid review of Nintendo's Wii revelation at E3 this year. In fact, you guys at Joystiq and Engadget did a great job at spending equally approripate time to each company's press event. This might be old now, but I just thought I'd let you know that I respect your team's coverage.
Paul Gale
1up.com
"The problem i've always worried about is more apparent than ever now. Games will be incredible for the first 20 minutes but after an hour they'll be annoying.
Do you really want to physically swing for every batter or literally pass every football for 2 hours? Are you going to have a 6 hour FPS session while being forced to physically aim and strafe? And Zelda's bow looks awesome since it isn't used much but swing the sword to kill every single enemy?
People have to consider that we honestly wont be into doing these things for sessions longer than an hour. Games like golf and warioware will thrive but most traditional games will still be better on a lazy old controller."
i doubt any1's fat enuf to wave around a controller,and even if they r this is good excersise. nintendo also sed u can hook up gamecube controllers to some games,like super smash bros. wii is also gonna hav 3 new nintendo franchises,and the 3rd party support is gonna make a lot of new games for the wii. and nintendos probably gonna make the most money again,jus like they made more money than sony and M$ last year. i really think sony is gonna lose billions with the ps3. i hear it every week. with the ps3 being overpriced,ppl are turning to the wii and 360,and no1 wants to pay 600$ for a gaming console jus because it has blu-ray,and its expensive for developement for games on the ps3. heres my prediction of the market.
1.wii
2.360
3.ps3
all i hav to say is bye sony,and say hi to sega for me!
gosh the Nintendo is looking pretty hot, ill be getting it on launch consider me the first :P Now now im not going to even start on sony this being about nintendo an all, i watched the video looks good but i dont like the idea of you being in a shop with a big tv and dont you notice they always have the embarrasing stuff in front of big window so everybody can see you busting out your moves :P like the eye toy (another one of sonys junk) putting it on a big tv in front of a big window and theres always the goon or the village idiot at the back of you 'gives a go matee!!' 'woah looking good' just wanna shout twat! lol :P anyway loving the 360 and wii, ciao hehe xx