The Wii's Future

Do you think Nintendo's decision to focus on innovative gameplay instead of graphical power will hurt them in the long run? The Wii is a novelty right now but when gamers get use to the new control shceme how long will they be content with the last-gen graphics?

Because let's face it there are a lot of people out there who are only impressed by a console's graphical power...even though gameplay is what makes a game fun. Like my brother for example he doesn't want to play classic games like Super Mario World or Super Mario Kart on the Super NES because of the outdated graphics.

It also doesn't help that the Wii doesn't have a hard drive and DVD playback. The lack of a hard drive might limit developers in the future. I understand that Nintendo excluded DVD playback to keep the price low...But most gamers who bought the X-Box and the PS2 in the last generation are probaby used to DVD playback by now.

But don't get me wrong I don't hate the Wii...I just hope that the Wii doesn't become a failed system like the Sega Dreamcast.

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Originally Posted by John_912

I just hope that the Wii doesn't become a failed system like the Sega Dreamcast.

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It already isn't. And I don't think it will hurt it. Nintendo has been upfront about the graphical power from the beginning. People know what they're buying when they buy it, and they all still bought it. It seems more than pretty enough to me *shrug* :jess:

Haven't you noticed? the wii is doing pretty good right now, although the DS is doing the best out selling ALL other games systems this holiday season.

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Originally Posted by TrowaBartonIV ^_^

Haven't you noticed? the wii is doing pretty good right now, although the DS is doing the best out selling ALL other games systems this holiday season.

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Yeah I noticed. But there are some people out there who doubt that the Wii have long term success like Andy from Gameinformer magazine for example.

"When Nintendo launched the DS, I was quick to poke fun at it's less than impressive graphics and handful of games that were nothing more than parlor tricks. A year later, the DS is my favorite handheld and the games have really come into their own.

The tale of the Nintendo Wii is certainly similar, but I'm not sure that the two follow the same story arc. The Nintendo DS works because it relies predominantly on 2D graphics, while the Wii has to support a number of 3D games, which we all know aren't quite as timeless. So in the short term, I see a lot of success for the Wii, since it offers a different experience than the other consoles on the market.

Zelda is simply amazing, and really show off the Wii remote and capabilities. However, many of the other launch games aren't quite as original, and I fear that many third party-titles will continue down this path of mediocrity.

The Wii's graphical capabilities (which I would put on par with the original xbox) will, in my opinion, hurt the system in the long run. The success of the system ultimately rests squarely on Nintendo's ability to continue to deliver innovative games that are outstanding, regardless of graphics in a video game climate where, whether you like it or not, visuals are extremely important.

The system setup is easy and very user-friendly, but the sensor bar isn't as perfect as I would have liked. If you place the sensor bar on the bottom of the TV, things like your propped-up feet or other objects will annoyingly interfere with the signal. Avoid this one hiccup and you'll thoroughly enjoy the Wii controller, save the occasional case of tennis elbow."----Andy GAMEINFORMER Magazine

let's see here....

http://nexgenwars.com/images/ps3_forum2.jpg
http://nexgenwars.com/images/wii_forum2.jpg
http://nexgenwars.com/images/x360_forum2.jpg

keep in mind the 360 has been out a year longer, and in fact on the main page it says that over half... 54.7% believe the Wii will be the best seller, followed by 28.3% with 360, and a measly 17% for PS3...

If you sell the systems you're a success and nintendo has little trouble doing so...

Will graphics be a problem? NO, and I know this because people love Wii sports and that's hardly a graphical super power

THE JACKEL

This is something I've been wondering about, but not so much about the graphics, I'm talking about the games. After Nintendo releases it's big name games (Mario, Zelda, Metroid) will there be anything on the system to play? Will 3rd party publishers finally support a Nintendo system the same way they support Sony/Microsoft? That's what worries me the most.

My PS2 is still getting played right and probably will be played many times in the future. I can't exactly say the same thing about my GC. Honestly, I don't think I've purchased a game for my Game Cube for over a year now. Not because I didn't want to, but simply because there are no games for the system. It seems like right when the Wii was announced, Nintendo just pretty much said "screw it" and totally abandoned their purple little cube.

Agreed. The lack of games other than the usual Zelda, Mario bore is the main reason I'm not buying one of these things.

I think it'll suffer a bit from having lesser raw power in a few years.
Clearly, it would sell better if it had more power and the innovative controller.

I'm also with Mold and Rise about the game issue. I haven't bought a GC game in well over a year either. I only have 5 games, and 1 of them were bundled with my GC, and that's really bad.

I think it will get quite a few good third party games this time around. The new FF CC looks promising, and Red Steal also looks quite fun. SSB Brawl Also is coming, though its not really third party.

I don't think they are going to fall behind this time around. IF any system will win this console race, I think it may just be the Wii.

Resident Evil 5, Final Fanasy Chronicles, Mario Kart, Mario Party (imagine how innovative this game will be), etc....

Nintendo has a decent lineup ahead of them, I think they have a good chance but being how close-minded people are....

The PS2 won the last console cycle and it was weaker than the Gamecube and Xbox. So graphics aren't going to hurt them incredibly, the Wii is already doing well. It has decent games coming up as well as a very attractive bunch of launch titles. That and Nintendo has a huge fanbase, so there are tons of people who will get it/have gotten it. While if it had better graphics, it would help. However, they'll make out just fine with what they have. The graphics are likely to improve, all systems start out a little underwhelming in the graphics area.

It won't look as good as it's competitor's but it is bound to improve. Also, to my knowledge, you don't need a hi-def television to fully enjoy the Wii like you do with the PS3 and 360. So maybe it's lesser graphics will help it since it will attract more people. I don't think most average everyday people can afford a (more expensive) game system and a new hi-def TV. :p

If it affects sales, it'll only be to a minor degree.

There is alot of games in the future for Wii, infact, I heard possible future Final Fantasys, which doesn't surprise me since they're starting to join with Nintendo lately alot more than often. Wii will give them more options on their future games.

Let's see, I believe theres an online Pokemon game coming out in 07, yes, its pokemon, but online? That's something new, childish, but still, we all know pokemon was once fun, and joining it with online players makes it fun again, to me atleast.

Elebits is definately not your average game, its quite popular right now. Ranked in with Zelda, noless.

Sadness, not much is known about this game right now, however, I have high expectations for it.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles -- The Chrystal Bearers, Duckhunt, Sonic, Cooking Mama: Cook Off(looks very interesting to me, a good way to learn more cooking) -- supposedly they use "real time recipes".


Oh, and don't forget, Wii has the advantage of all the older games available when the time comes.

Fire Emblem -- Resident Evil:Umbrella Chronicals -- Super Smash Bros: Brawl


I mean come on, this is just games that are known to be released in 07', this is only a few, I have no complaints for this setup thus far.

actually there is an interesting trend. As the DS has gained massive popularity, many companies have decided to make exclusive games for it. If the Wii sales continue, 3rd parties will undoubtedly flock to it. 3rd part companies already love the innovative controller, and as it does well it'll grow and gain a bunch of parties.

THE JACKEL

Nah. I have talked to at least 5 or 6 people that have the Wii and they say it is simply fantastic and easy to use. And these are not gamers. These are actual parents at my work that bought them for their kids. I think that's saying something.
And I've read a couple of threads in this forum from people what got a Wii and they like it too. And not everybody has a HD TV.
And it's only $250 on top of that too.

I'm in the worry about games camp. I can play an average looking game. I see very little on the Wii that interests me, especially considering that most of Nintendo's big-ticket names don't appeal to me.

Now IF they figure out how to use the Wiimote originally and intelligently, the Wii will do amazingly well. If they don't... it'll be just like the GC. And in fact a lot of Nintendo stuff of recent years. Big selling because it's Ninty, and worth having for about as many games as you can count on your hands.

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Originally Posted by - - - TAURUS - - -

Resident Evil 5, Final Fanasy Chronicles, Mario Kart, Mario Party (imagine how innovative this game will be), etc....

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Just wanted to point out that R.E. 5 isn't a Wii game, I believe the game will only appear on the PS3 and 360.

Wii is getting Resident Evil:Umbrella Chronicles, a game I know nothing about.

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Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF

I'm in the worry about games camp. I can play an average looking game. I see very little on the Wii that interests me, especially considering that most of Nintendo's big-ticket names don't appeal to me.

Now IF they figure out how to use the Wiimote originally and intelligently, the Wii will do amazingly well. If they don't... it'll be just like the GC. And in fact a lot of Nintendo stuff of recent years. Big selling because it's Ninty, and worth having for about as many games as you can count on your hands.

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I'd say Elebits uses the controller quite intelligently.

No because the games will be hella fun. So fun people will ignore it :P

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Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF

I'm in the worry about games camp. I can play an average looking game. I see very little on the Wii that interests me, especially considering that most of Nintendo's big-ticket names don't appeal to me.

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Im in the same boat as MILF.

Sonic and the Secret Rings, Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, Battalion Wars 2, Project H.A.M.M.E.R., Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn, Blitz: The League, Super Paper Mario, Disaster: Day of Crisis, TNA iMPACT!, Super Swing Golf, Warioware Smooth Moves, No More Heroes, and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon are all in development for the Wii.

Not to mention yet another Zelda game and a Donkey Kong game are on the way...But what I really want to see on the Wii is a Bioware RPG preferably Jade Empire 2. Because I love the original Jade Empire and I think it deserves a sequel, plus a swordplay RPG on the Wii would be awesome.

Admittedly, the system doesn't have many "Gamer Games" on the system at the current time besides Metal Slug: Anthology and Zelda: Twilight Princess. In fact, I've mostly been playing my DS as of late.

While the system definitely has a strong launch, it seems to have too many games designed specifically fun for it at this time, even if my family loves it. Anyone can agree that video games have gotten to a point that they can be respected beyond just how fun they are, and these types of games seem to be scarce on the Wii. The only future releases I can think of off the top of my head that fit into that category are:

-Metroid Prime 3,
-Super Mario Galaxy,
-Super Smash Bros. Brawl,
-Super Mario Strikers 2 (or w/e the name is),
-Poke'mon Battle Revolution,
-Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, the Crystal Bearers,
-Dragon Quest Swords,
-and the games the above person mentioned.

Now, while that is somewhat of a large list, it's not like all of them are coming out at the same time, and it may end up being the few and far between pattern that happened with the GCN, in terms of games that can be considered good. And it's not like ALL gamers will like these games, even if they are designed with gamers in mind.

Now, of course, this is about if the graphical capabilities will hold it back. Personally, I doubt the graphics will hurt it much. If anything, the games will, but that is not to imply that I dislike the games.

Trauma Center: Second Opinion looks like fun albeit it's a remake and there's not much new content if you already played Trauma Center on the DS. Also Second Opinion would be better if it had voice acting but considering how bad VO usually is in video games maybe it's better without the voice acting.

Excite Truck looks like fun and it's pretty cool that you can listen to tracks you downloaded onto the SD card while you're racing but...It would be better if it had multiplayer online support a la X-Box Live.

By the way there's a few other games I forgot to mention in my previous post. The Wii version of Spider-Man 3 will come out the same time the movie does. Also a James Bond game and a Shrek 3 game are coming out too. But these games aren't really note worthy because licensed games almost always suck.

Licensed games suck because 50% of the budget was used on buying the license :p

Here's some more Wii games that are currently in the works; Darkness, Devil Kings, Cooking Mama: Cook Off, Harvest Moon, Kirby, Naruto, Rampage: Total Destruction, Sea Monsters, Wing Island, Snoop vs. the Red Baron, Lost: The Video Game, Sword of Legendia, Big Brain Academy, Time Crisis, Transformers, and 100 Bullets.

This is another sad example of how a discusion on a video game people are being far more respectful and say many more useful things that any discustion you'll find in EoEO.

I think it's rather amusing that people are saying that a lack of good graphics will kill the system. I know people who still own the Genesis and SNES (and, even more often, emulators), which can hardly compare with even the Wii in a graphics war. Why? It's all about the games. How many of us love and still play Chrono Trigger? No matter how poorly graphics may compare to some of the other features of a game, they are among the least important features in a game. The classics of gaming have pitiful graphics compared to the games of today, yet they are no less fun to play. That is what will determine the future of the Wii: How fun it is to play, not how impressive its graphics are. And people of all ages and from all backgrounds, gamers and non, seem to agree that the Wii is fun, no matter what its graphics look like.

Although Nintendo seem to have appealed to the general public very well with the Wii, I'm going to wait until the dust settles before making any more predictions. Who knows, after Christmas, the Wii might start going completely downhill. Remember the launches of the Dreamcast and the Sega Saturn? Those launches did very, very well, and look what happened to those poor little boxes when the dust settled...

I don't want Ninty to fail with the Wii, but I can't see them beating Sony and Microsoft, as some Nintendo-obsessed fanboys have blindly stated will happen. Although the WiiMote is awesome, many gamers will be crying out for more, graphics-wise. I own an XBox360 and a Wii, and I was incredibly disappointed with the graphical capabilities of Ninty's console when I first whacked Twilight Princess into it. Yeah, I've heard all the "Oh, but it's fun to play, and graphics don't matter" statements over and over again, but I still love my high definition graphics, and I still love my amazing high definition textures and super fast framerates. Nintendo just can't provide me with these things at the moment, so they'd better hurry up and create some damn good games to make up for the terrible graphics.

The Wii may end up being just another Gamecube, albeit with cool WiiMote features and whatnot.

As for the graphics doesn't matter point. Ehh? I know many many many many many(enough manys yet?) people who don't play the earlier final fantasies(In particular 1 and 2 originals) because the graphics and music are bad. Heck one of my freinds refused to play FFVII because of the graphics.

Basically the fun point only counts if the graphics are "good enough". This will differ from person to person. I can handle SNES graphics because to me they are 'good enough'. But some of my freinds can't stand anything ealier than Playstation games. And some can easily handle old school atari systems as 'good enough'.

Me. I think the Wii's graphics will make good enough for enough people that it won't go down to the bottom of the hill. However, the more powerful systems may come on top of it.

Against the 360 I think it will be just fine[because from screenshots I haven't seen anything that warrants the 360 over the Wii in either graphics(yes it has better graphics but not enough that I think it will be a game breaker) or games]. The PS3 is still fresh enough that I am not sure about. If it goes along the lines of traditional Sony PS than it will have a great library of games as well as strong Graphical department. Which could be enough to put it on top. Another factor will be how well blueray catches on in the next year or two. If it becomes the new god of disc's than the PS3 would have a distinct advantage. However, The PS3 is harder to program for and has a high cost. This may lower the size of its game library which could really spank it hard.

But, no matter what happens I am fairly certian the Wii isn't going to go dreamcast on us.

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Originally Posted by ShunNakamura

As for the graphics doesn't matter point. Ehh? I know many many many many many(enough manys yet?) people who don't play the earlier final fantasies(In particular 1 and 2 originals) because the graphics and music are bad. Heck one of my freinds refused to play FFVII because of the graphics.

Basically the fun point only counts if the graphics are "good enough". This will differ from person to person. I can handle SNES graphics because to me they are 'good enough'. But some of my freinds can't stand anything ealier than Playstation games. And some can easily handle old school atari systems as 'good enough'.

Me. I think the Wii's graphics will make good enough for enough people that it won't go down to the bottom of the hill. However, the more powerful systems may come on top of it.

Against the 360 I think it will be just fine[because from screenshots I haven't seen anything that warrants the 360 over the Wii in either graphics(yes it has better graphics but not enough that I think it will be a game breaker) or games]. The PS3 is still fresh enough that I am not sure about. If it goes along the lines of traditional Sony PS than it will have a great library of games as well as strong Graphical department. Which could be enough to put it on top. Another factor will be how well blueray catches on in the next year or two. If it becomes the new god of disc's than the PS3 would have a distinct advantage. However, The PS3 is harder to program for and has a high cost. This may lower the size of its game library which could really spank it hard.

But, no matter what happens I am fairly certian the Wii isn't going to go dreamcast on us.

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Wow I didn't know there were that many graphics whores out there!:jess:

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Originally Posted by Rainecloud

Remember the launches of the Dreamcast and the Sega Saturn? Those launches did very, very well, and look what happened to those poor little boxes when the dust settled...

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Yes, but they were massacred because of their launches being close with both the PS1 and PS2's. The Wii has a clear road ahead of it.

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Originally Posted by John_912

. Wow I didn't know there were that many graphics whores out there!:jess:

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I have 2 graphic whore friends. both can't play early Ps2/Xbox/GC games because "The bad graphics hurt their eyes"

yea.

Also, you have to think a little about commericals. If a game is out for all 3 systems, will a company show the Wii verson? No. They will show the Ps3/Xbox360 verson due to the better graphics. They show their game, so they show their logo (And the other realy small in a corner). Seeing the big logo, people will go "O look. that must be a Ps3/Xbox360 exclusive." so more Ps3/Xbox360 versons will sell.

I'd like to note to anyone complaining about the graphics of Twilight Princess... it is just a Gamecube game, with gamecube graphics that they suddenly decided to put on the Wii with the new controller. The graphics of most games will be above that level.

most games won't be on PS3/360 and Wii. There will be many just on the PS3/360 and many just on the Wii. IF you read basically any gaming magazine, they push the Wii60, ie getting both the Wii and 360 for only 50$ more than a PS3. That way you get the graphical games and multi platform ones, and the innovation of the Wii. Look, if you take a poll of people in the country, the most want the Wii, therefore that would lead the Wii to sell more. It's not that hard to figure out. I know plenty of people that were like, I think I'll get a Wii, and other people were like... why? Well it's only 250 bucks, much cheaper than the other two, and it looks like so much fun. They get/got it, and love it. Simple really.

THE JACKEL

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Originally Posted by ljkkjlcm9

I'd like to note to anyone complaining about the graphics of Twilight Princess... it is just a Gamecube game, with gamecube graphics that they suddenly decided to put on the Wii with the new controller. The graphics of most games will be above that level.

most games won't be on PS3/360 and Wii. There will be many just on the PS3/360 and many just on the Wii. IF you read basically any gaming magazine, they push the Wii60, ie getting both the Wii and 360 for only 50$ more than a PS3. That way you get the graphical games and multi platform ones, and the innovation of the Wii. Look, if you take a poll of people in the country, the most want the Wii, therefore that would lead the Wii to sell more. It's not that hard to figure out. I know plenty of people that were like, I think I'll get a Wii, and other people were like... why? Well it's only 250 bucks, much cheaper than the other two, and it looks like so much fun. They get/got it, and love it. Simple really.

THE JACKAL

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That Wii60 is actually a pretty good idea, but then when you count in the fees of xbox live, it'll get alittle more expensive.

People nowadays expect graphics. As its been said many times before, people nowadays won't play games with bad graphics. This obviously gives Microsoft and Sony the upper hand. The population seems pretty split, whether the graphics will kill the Wii. At the time of posting this, the poll is pretty much 60/40, in favour of no. There goes half of the world (assuming the poll is accurate) Nintendo can't win. The thing is, if the console has the graphics, its gonna win with both the people who care about grpahics, and the people who don't. Microsoft and Sony have a much broader audience now.

I believe the graphics to be only a small contributing factor to the Wii's future success. There are many other ideas which Nintendo base their games on: Innovation, gameplay etc, which is what they have done with the Wii, made it innovative and fun. As Ryth said, Nintendo already has a massive fanbase. In the first 4 days of the Wii hitting Aussie shores, 32,901 Wii consoles were sold. That makes it the fastest selling console in Australia ever. This has got to give Nintendo some advantage - with all those consoles out there, people are going to have to buy the games for it, if they don't want to waste their money.

That's another thing. The Xbox 360 and (especially) the PS3 cost alot of money. I believe, at the moment, the Xbox 360 still costs about AU$500 (after being out for a year already), the PS3, when released, will cost AU$800-1000. The Wii released with an RRP of AU$400. By keeping the graphics to a standard which is slightly below the rest, they have made the price much more appealing to the public. The PS3 is going to be hindered greatly by its massive cost. So that is another reason with I think the Wii will stand the test of time: Money.

Because the Wii is different and innovative, it has resulted in removing much of the multi-platform games available for the Wii, thus taking a big chunk of games away from the Wii. This is sure to hurt. And because Nintendo doesn't have many third-party titles, they pretty much only have their first-party titles to keep them going, and a few third-party titles. That isn't going to help, especially since over here, Nintendo are known for being so limited in the game-department because of the Gamecube. The Gamecube was an absolute floozy over here, so Nintendo built up a bad name for themselves, and stores barely sold any games. Luckily, Nintendo have redeemed themself with the Wii. I believe if the Gamecube was not so looked down upon in Australia, the Wii would have sold many more consoles.

Regarding the Third-party titles, Nintendo has never been big on them anyway. They have always heavily relied on titles such as Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Donkey Kong, all of which are first-party titles, for their success. Why should the Wii be any different? You think of all the best games from Nintendo consoles, they are all first-party. That is one of the reasons why Nintendo has that massive fanbase - they keep on making great sequels to their biggest selling titles. On the other hand, I believe that the Wii's innovative ideas will entice many more third-party companies so they can do something they've always thought about, something that used to be impossible, or something different and unique for a change. Nintendo are already increasing their thrid-party companies, too. Just look at Square Enix - they are going Nintendo crazy! They have remade every game up to Final Fantasy V (or is it VI?) so far on a Nintendo console, plus are making sequels to Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles on Nintendo consoles. I believe the remakes is just Square Enix trying to create a foothold in the Nintendo franchise so they can release some bigger games later. It is entirely possible that many third-party companies may follow in Square-Enix's footsteps, and give Nintendo a try.

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Originally Posted by ljkkjlcm9

IF you read basically any gaming magazine, they push the Wii60, ie getting both the Wii and 360 for only 50$ more than a PS3. That way you get the graphical games and multi platform ones, and the innovation of the Wii.

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I've never heard of this Wii60. Its a great idea, which I may even have to take up. If alot of people here about this, it will really give Microsoft and Nintendo the upper hand over Sony. The only people who will be buying a Playstation 3 will be the die-hard Sony fans, which I guess is kinda the case anyway, due to its price.

Personally, I think the graphics have very little to do with determining the Wii's fate, when you look at everything else. But you can make up your own mind.

Woow, that was long. Sorry :p If someone is ever doing an essay on the Wii console, feel free to take it xD.


EDIT: Sorry to make this even longer, but I have just found an article on the very topic of "Will the Wii's graphics hinder it?" I found it in Issue 19 of Australian Gamepro Magazine, page 8. Yes, I am typing this up -_-".

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Originally Posted by Australian Gamepro, Issue 19, Dec/Jan 07, Page 8.

Evolve or Die

So here we are with the Wii about to launch and its decidedly unique approach to what constitutes a 'next-generation console' raises some pretty interesting questions, the most obvious of which is 'do gamers really want high-definition games?' It's a good question. Microsoft and Sony have staked their claims to next-gen superiority almost soley on graphics and all we've seen from either camp is the same old games with prettier visuals. There's no doubt that the games look fantastic in hi-def, but it's not hard to sympathise with Nintendo's claim that chasing graphical realism is an evolutionary dead end.

Good game design and good art design will trump sheer graphical horsepower every time. The Sims and Grand Theft Auto don't even come close to having cutting-edge graphics, but they've outsold every other franchise they've come into competition with. So let's be frank: no, we don't need hi-def games (want -- maybe, need -- no).

The key question is -- can Nintendo deliver something better? Will the Wii be to the X360 and PS3 what the DS has been to the PSP? Will the less powerful machine with the intuitive input mechanism and innovative games kick the others to the curb?

It's an interesting notion. Hi-def TV sets have a relatively low penetration (though it's climbing all the time, of course) and the 'hardcore' gamer audience is, if anything, shrinking. The industry really only grows when products reach out to new audiences with accessible products like SingStar, Guitar Hero, Nintendogs and The Sims.

Sounds like a good perscription for Nintendo. Sony's the next best placed, franchise-wise, until or unless Microsoft leverages its price and install-base advantage. It'll be a fascinating battle: let's preay it's not fought out solely on the basis of hi-def visuals.
Michael Butler

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