thoughthead

I’m finding it difficult to really like the Wii. Maybe I’m too much of a video game snob or maybe I’m spoiled by the extra year I spent with my Xbox 360 but beyond the initial excitement I’m bored to tears with the console right now. Heck since purchasing the Wii I’ve actually played more of my Dreamcast then the Wii. The console just doesn’t have the substance yet. It seems that most games either offer a really well built control mechanism but fall short in terms of Substance or they have the necessary substance but fall short in terms of a well built control mechanism.

Wii Sports for instance can be a fun game but it gets monotonous after about 20 minutes (your mileage may vary). My attention span seems to grow even shorter with each additional play. This was punctuated mid afternoon last Sunday when some friends wanted to play and I literally nodded off between turns out of sheer boredom. I was reminded of so many college lectures. Putting you to sleep should not be part of a new console launch. My repurchase of Mario64 in the Virtual Console has delivered more play time then most of the Wii titles I’ve purchased.

The exception is of course Zelda which seems to be the only title available that delivers both the substance and depth you’d expect from a modern game as well as the well built control mechanism that shows off what the Wii Remote can do. But even this leaves much to be desired. Playing in 480p widescreen disables the surround sound, and the graphics lack the detail I’ve come to expect from even low budget titles on the alternative next gen platforms. 3D elements are markedly low polygon and boxy, textures are small and muddy, and being a port of the Gamecube version leaves the beautifully composed music cold and lifeless as a midi; it’s a shame we can’t hear it through the instruments of a proper orchestra.

Most remarkably when playing games on the Wii I feel disconnected from the gaming community. Even in a single player experience I’ve come accustomed to being able to see what I’m friends are playing, or having them see what I’m playing, see my recent play list of games and old friends contacting me out of the blue sparking conversations about their own experiences etc. And while I do enjoy local multiplayer far more then online it’s not all too often that everyone is able to meet at the same location to play. Even still, there arn’t yet any games to play online with the Wii if I were so inclined.

I’ve heard comments from other Wii60 owners talking about how they feel that the lack of an achievement system makes them feel like playing games on other consoles is not worth as much because it’s game time spent not working towards more points. And while that sort of thing doesn’t cross my mind while playing it certainly does factor into my decision of which game to play while perusing my collection.

I feel spoiled by what my 360 has added to my gaming experience, the profile system, the standardized online features that track my gaming habits and achievements contrasting against and connecting me to my friends and the rest of the community,the Xbox guide that grants me instant access to that whenever I please, HD resolutions and digital surround sound, etc.

HD resolutions aren’t requisite but there isn’t a game on the planet that wouldn’t look better in a higher resolution. And while higher resolutions might just be icing on the cake surround sound is not. The more I play the more I rely on surround sound to locate elements not on the screen. Visually games are bound to tunnel-vision but Audibly they are not. This is also part of why widescreen is so important as well, every little bit helps with the immersion. Even still, out of the gate the Wii’s graphics are dated and decidedly “last gen”. Maybe it’s not that big of a deal to someone who is purchasing this as a first next gen console, coming from the GameCube or the PS2 but it’s definitely a draw back to someone who’s owned a 360 for nearly a year.

The Wii relies almost entirely on it’s remote for it’s next gen appeal And while Zelda might use it well it doesn’t actually rely on it, as the game plays just as well with the Gamecube controller. I’ve actually found myself wishing I could play it with a Gamecube controller on occasion. Moving about is always good for the gaming experience, I’ve always been a big fan of games like DDR, or light gun games but that experience isn’t what I want all the time. On many an occasion I really wanted to continue my game on the Wii but passed it up because I was exhausted from the day and just wanted to lay down and relax for a while. I can easily avoid DDR or Guitar Hero in lieu of something else, but I’m forced to neglect nearly all of the Wii games in these situations.

Nintendo is doing a fantastic job marketing their new toy to the masses though. While games like Wii sports might only hold my attention for a fleeting moment they’re also the kind of games that are drawing attention to the console from those demographics that rarely participate in gaming. I’m reminded of the old NES advertisements that showed their console as something the whole family would play together. They seemed to have lost that somewhere along the way but it’s definitely back and in full force with the DS and the Wii.

Nintendo has always been the brand that built their user base not just from strong first party IP but by pushing the industry forward in new ways, usually by means of their controller innovations. In the past they’ve lost much to their competitors by neglecting certain directions the market is moving; like staying with cartages with the N64 while the rest of the market went disc based. With the GameCube they seemed to go whole hog following market trends an neglected the innovations that make Nintendo who they are. It’s a fine balance and I fear that while the Wii Remote is the right kind of market leadership they’re neglecting the core direction of the market, which is the community aspect and interactivity between gamers.

Social networking is the stuff revolutions are made of; online communities from MySpace, to YouTube, to WoW and Second Life, Cellphones and notebook computers all exemplify that the real driving force in todays market is connecting people to people. The Wii’s got the hardware it just needs to the software to fill it out. Microsoft is easily leading the way in this regard but Sony isn’t far behind and I think Nintendo has a lot of catching up to do if they want the Wii to be more then just a cheap toy for playing virtual Sport. I’m sure Nintendo will do well to attract many new people to the gaming world but it needs the substance to keep them there once they arrive. As it is now the Wii is producing the sweet sweet smell of cinnamon buns but upon arrival all we find is a smoking stick of incense. You might stick around and enjoy the smell for awhile but it’s missing the stuff required to fill you up and keep you coming back.