Wii60
Latest
Counting Rupees: Will the real Wii60 please stand up
Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming: With the Wii's apparent runaway success this generation, there's no doubt that both Sony and Microsoft are trying to figure out just what they can do – either in this generation or the next – to tap into the formula that's worked so well for Nintendo. Sony, in a seemingly obvious attempt to blunt the impact of Nintendo's newly styled controller, added motion sensitivity to their controllers before the PS3 launched. More recently, there have even been rumors that Microsoft may be prepping their own version of the Wii Remote to launch later this year for the 360. Is this really the answer Microsoft is looking for to combat the Wii?There are a lot of problems with this, although the common "doomed console peripheral" theory actually may be the least of them. The success of Guitar Hero and Rock Band has proven that, at least when bundled with an attractive game, console owners are just fine with buying new controller peripherals for their systems. No, the biggest problem for Microsoft here is simply a matter of audience. Microsoft has been working hard on wooing the "casual" audience, and has only rarely succeeded. Even a "hardcore" game like Halo 3 probably wouldn't sell 7.5 million copies without some "casual" players. But a quick look at the top-selling software for each system makes it extremely obvious how different the audiences already are for the two systems.
Wii60 and more: $50,000
SE2 Labs isn't afraid to toot its own horn with the ITC One, introducing this monster of a home entertainment system on its site with, "ITC One. Hello, awesomeness." The AV company has no problem attaching a luxury price to the all-in-one theatre box, either, suggesting a $50,000 tag for a full-featured model.In addition to the Wii and Xbox 360 packed right next to each other (that can't be great for heat management), the ITC One has an iPod with a universal dock, a 4.3" touch screen, Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, an ICEpower D-Class amp, a DirecTV HD DVR, a Brystron DSP, and enough inputs and outputs in the back to plug in every single device in your home. With all that and more, it's easy to see why SE2 Labs feels it can confidently claim that they've jammed in "every high-end component you need."Interestingly, the current design doesn't allow users to access the Wii's GameCube ports, so you can cross GameCube compatibility from the ITC One's long list of features. Siliconera had a chance to speak with SE2 at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show, and asked CEO Michael Pyle why the low-end Wii was included with the high-end system. Pyle responded, "It fit in there, so we figured, why not?"SE2 Labs plans to offer a base model of the ITC One without the Wii and other components for the low price of $19,900. Sounds like a steal to us! Bring your moneybags past the break for a couple more photos of the ITC One.
Wii60 in action: Wiimote Halo 2
Wii60 aficionado OBsIV had a dream, a dream of consoles living and working together under one flag, sharing games and controls without any problems or hitches. Today, friends (actually, yesterday), that dream is a reality. After months of hard work, OBsIV was able to cruise around Lockout in Halo 2, battle rifle in tow ... and it was all powered by his trusty Wii remote and nunchuk combo. For the record, we approve of his taste in both weapons and control schemes. You can see it all for yourself in the video we've helpfully embedded after the break, but if you want to do this yourself, you'll need to head over and read the very detailed explanation. We hope you also happen to have a few chunks of spare time lying around, as welI as a lot of random equipment. This was a project, but after watching the video, we're sure you'll agree that it was well worth it.
Wii60 survey: Wii owners less likely to buy Xbox 360
Data compiled for the MI6 game marketing conference shows off some interesting numbers concerning Wii and Xbox 360 owners and their likelihood to pick up a second console. Taken between March 20th and the 28th, the online survey questioned just under 1,900 gamers. The results are mostly unsurprising with mid-range percentages across the board.However, a large number of Xbox 360 owners (66%) admitted they might buy a Wii as a second console. This is especially interesting when compared to the number of Wii owners who would consider picking up an Xbox 360: 44%. Are Wii owners more content with their purchase, or do Xbox 360 owners just have the extra cash to throw around?Results for PS3 owners were left mysteriously undisclosed. We'll let the anti-Sony pundits handle the flame wars for that one.
'Wii60 effect' real?
It's not quite hard numbers showing combined Wii/360 ownership, and it's not quite ZOMG WII60 CONFIRMED TOTAL, but we'll take anything that suggests that the Wii may be awesome. According to a survey conducted by Magid Media from March 20th to the 27th, Xbox 360 owners are somewhat more likely to be interested in buying a Wii because of their 360 ownership. 66% of surveyed 360 owners indicated that they were "neutral or more likely to buy a Wii because they now own an Xbox 360." Compare that to the 52% who were "neutral or more likely to buy a PlayStation 3." 19% of 360 owners were "somewhat or much more likely" to buy a Wii.Wii owners, strangely, were slightly more positive about Sony's system than Microsoft's: 53% were "neutral or more likely to buy a PlayStation 3 because they now own a Wii", versus 44% of Wii owners who felt the same way about the 360.We think we may have spotted a subtle troll in Gamasutra's writeup: "Results for PlayStation 3 owners buying other consoles were not disclosed in the survey results, presumably because the sample size was below Magid's acceptable levels." Either that's a joke at the PS3's expense, or reality is a joke at the PS3's expense.
Today's montageist video: Wii60 BFF
Sure, we've covered the Wii60 meme before, but this is too good to pass up; our video pick shows a quirky Wii60 commercial where the consoles -- and their games -- are acted out in a musical montage. Anthony Barrera, Brian Camacho, and Rudolph Rosado, we salute your YouTube prowess.See the video after the break.[Thanks, Ant]
Everybody wants to be like Wii
Looks like Peter Moore's homage to the Wii has started the wheels of speculation in motion. Our comrades over at 360 Fanboy are considering the possibilities for Microsoft outside of the realm of casual games. Moore did make the point about the Wii being about an experience, after all, so the idea that Microsoft might go the motion route isn't too far-fetched. And it's not like Microsoft never "borrowed" anything before (wink, wink). But like many, we're uncertain that we'll see motion-sensitive controls on the 360. Likely, Microsoft will try something entirely new, but the possibilities there are so widespread that we're not even sure how to start. Let's just hope any extras are cheaper than some we've seen in the past. We know many of you are proudly sporting the Wii60 badge, so we wanted to ask you what you thought. Can anyone do what the Wii does, and should anyone even try?[Via Joystiq]
Wii Warm Up: Wii60
Spawned as the gamer's answer to the price of the PS3, or out of spite and anger toward Sony fanboys (depending on who you ask), the Wii60 "movement" isn't something we've much discussed around here, though sometimes it's a good excuse to talk about the mountain of awesome that is Reggie Fils-Aime. Regardless of how you feel about the neologism created to define those who own both a 360 and a Wii in favor of a PS3, we are curious about how many of our readers are living the definition. What's hooked into your television, and why have you chosen the consoles that you own? Let us know in the comments.[Thanks to Christopher for supplying his Wii60 image!]
MS gift guide suggests Wii controller
Ever since Peter Moore made his famous statement ostensibly encouraging people to buy a Nintendo Wii, the Wii60 ideal of Nintendo/Microsoft solidarity has become something of a phenomenon. The idea of the the two companies cooperating against Sony has persisted despite few public signs of any sort of alliance. Well, throw another log on the fire, because Microsoft Developer Network site Coding4Fun has posted a gift guide recommending a Wii remote for "your favorite engineer or technology elitist."Granted, the site recommends the Wii controller for use as a hackable, motion-sensitive Bluetooth controller for the PC and not for its console gaming capabilities. For the most part, though, the rest of the guide seems to opt for Microsoft-branded products like Visual Studio C++ and Flight Simulator X over competing products in the same categories. Then again, we suppose it would have looked a little out of touch to recommend the eight-year-old Microsoft Sidewinder Freestyle Pro for the motion-sensitive hacker on you list.[Thanks Wil]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XV - Europeans "don't mind" waiting for Sony products
Alright Sony, this is just getting ridiculous. It's not like you guys haven't been a featured guest in this series before, but we had no idea it was such an honor. The third "CE-Oh no" moment for Sony this week came out of the mouth of SCE World Europe VP, Jamie MacDonald, who was asked: "What would you say to consumers who like Sony and want to buy your products, but perhaps feel that because they're in Europe they're always last in line?" Apparently Jamie feels little love for his whiny constituency, since his clueless response was thus: "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind that, because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan. In Europe, it doesn't seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan - in the long run - affects how consumers feel." We're not even sure how to respond to that, so we'll continue with more "CE-Oh no" sound bite gold from our pal Jamie. In response to a query about Sony's UMD failure, he stated: "I think you'll find in general the market for movies on discs of any type is not particularly great at the moment." Again, we really have nothing to add, so we'll just hit up one more sound bite for good time's sake. When asked about the Wii60 concept, where prospective next-gen buyers compare the price of purchasing an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii to the cost of the PS3 alone, Jamie further demonstrated his ignorance: "To be honest, I haven't heard that." Not a banner day for Sony PR by a long shot, but at least they're not trying to hide their seeming disdain for consumers and plain logic.[Thanks, Xavier G.]
Wii60 combo no longer "officially" supported
Back at E3, it seemed as though Microsoft and Nintendo united against the big dog, Sony. Peter Moore, one of the big faces in the Xbox world, had lovely heaping praise for Nintendo's machine, recommending that players could get the high power of the 360 and the originality of the Wii for the same cost as a single PS3 (note: this is no longer true, unless you use the $300 core 360 and the $600 PS3 model). Nintendo also commented on the bundle, saying that it was a great idea.Did anyone really expect it to last? Recent comments by both Peter Moore and Reggie indicate that the companies have returned to their icy status-quo relationship. In a recent interview, Moore stated that he was worried that the Wii would only be fun for "a few minutes"...that punk! Reggie, when asked about the Wii60 combo, admitted that he thought that if gamers want to have another system to complement their Wii, it should be a Nintendo DS Lite. He then explained this comment with a very simple statement: "I'm greedy."Honest to a fault! We love ya, Reggie. Who here is going to let this travesty of public relations deter them from their beloved Wii60 combo?
Friday night fluff: the video edition
In honor of certain events and just 'cause it's Friday (aw yeah), we thought we'd cap off the week with a little something that turned up on YouTube. We never felt so close to Microsoft before.Now, this doesn't mean we condone the Sony haters -- but we totally approve of console fusion with a dash of Blur, and anything that ends on Solid Snake's cardboard box is okay in our book. Classic.
Reggie: Wii no sidekick to 360
Numerous fanboys (not to mention Peter Moore) have predicted that the Nintendo Wii find success as "second console," tucked safely on the shelf next to an Xbox 360. An agile Robin, if you will, to Microsoft's burly Batman. Afterall, you can buy both a 360 and a cute, cuddly Wii console for the cost of a PS3. Unfortunately, Mario master Reggie Fils-Aime told USA Today that his Wii refuses to don the green underwear."I'd much rather have the consumer buy a Wii, some accessories, and a ton of games, vs. buying any of my competitor's products."So for Fils-Aime it's my Wii or the high-Wii. Hey, nobody expects Reggie to embrace the role of yellow-caped man-bitch...er...Boy Wonder. The economics just work out that way.
The Big M's Matt Lee dishes on 360 vs. PS3 [UPDATE]
Major Nelson points 360 Fanboy to an Ars Technica (comically misspelled as Art Technica by Nelson) interview with Xbox 360 developer Matt Lee. The interview covers a wide range of topics but doesn't get truly interesting until Lee starts discussing the differences between Xbox 360 and the upcoming PS3. To wit: "In terms of performance, I think that the PS3 and the Xbox 360 will essentially be a wash. We ran the numbers a while back and the two systems come up surprisingly close in theoretical peak performance, despite the one year difference in release dates." Despite the one year difference? Oh, snap. The article has lots and lots of techno-babble that I won't pretend to understand, but it's sure to be a good read for the technically oriented. Oh, and it sounds like Matt Lee is all about Wii60. The best quote in the piece: "When we announced 512MB of unified memory on Xbox 360, I think all of our game developers (and the artists too) did a little happy dance." Hey Matt, put that on YouTube and we'll blog it. [Via Major Nelson] [Update 2: Fixed a rather grievous typing error. Added category.]
