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Does the unique control method for the Nintendo Wii make it a niche gaming system?
Results so far:
| No | 46% | 164 votes | Total: 356 votes | |
| Yes | 54% | 192 votes |
No
by Troy Gardner
Created on: June 22, 2009
The unique control system of the Nintendo Wii does not make it a 'niche' gaming system. In fact, it does the opposite, shattering the existing 'niche' of video games and cracking the hobby wide open to everybody.
We all know the stereotypes of gamers. Drunken frat boys playing Halo, fat men playing with their fingers covered in Cheeto's dust, children jabbering about some kind of Nonsensomon they gotta catch, video games had become a small niche of the entertainment industry. Then along came a console with a funny name and a funnier control scheme.
We all know how popular its been. We've seen it outsell its competition for 3 years. I remember the year it came out. I had a friend wait in line for 8 hours, buy two Wiis, sell one on eBay and come out ahead. The pack in game, Wii Sports, has become the best-selling video game of all time. How could a niche console achieve such wide spread success?
The truth of it is that it breaks down the niches. Its control method attempts to bridge all niches. No longer are video games the province of nerd boys without girlfriends. No longer do you need 'twitch' reflexes in order to be successful. Thanks to Nintendo, if you can move your hand, you can play a game. Grandmas can play along with grandkids, parents with children, the frat boy with the Cheeto's eater. Our common niches are all bridged by the Wii. It has even broken into the physical therapy realm, being used by retirement homes as a way of keeping its residents active. Truly, there is not a niche that can contain it.
Perhaps the most telling evidence, to me, lies in who owns Wiis. Each member of my family owns a Wii. No two of them for the same reason. Two brothers have it to complement their X-boxes. One has it for his kids. I have it because, well, it has games I enjoy. Most interestingly, my Dad owns one. Of course, he claims its so he can play with his grandkids, but he uses it himself. I've seen him grow involved in the games, swinging the controller wildly and having a great time. This console crosses enough niches to appeal to four generations, all at the same time.
In creating the Wii, Nintendo has done something truly unique. Rather then catering to the existing market and competing for the hearts of gamers everywhere, they chose to redefine who was a gamer. Rather then consigning themselves to a niche market in entertainment, they shattered the niches and appealed to everyone.
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Yes
by James W. McKinley
Created on: July 29, 2009
Just because something is popular, doesn't mean it is good or the next big thing. Fads come and go, people jump on and off the band wagon at will. What really matters is what does it add to an experience? I'm not convinced that the Wii's motion controls are the huge deal that some claim.
I am in a rather unique situation, being a disabled gamer without full use of a leg perhaps makes me a bit bitter at my inability to fully utilize a control system such as the Wii's. With other companies quick to follow suit, I have to admit that I feel a bit forgotten. I do not think that there will be a day where there will be no gaming options for me at all, yet I do feel a bit worried that I will be more limited in my choices in the near future. They are so busy hopping on the bandwagon, that they forget that not everyone will have the ability to play these games. While my situation isn't as extreme as it could be, it does leave me to wonder what someone thinks that has no use of their legs. A lot of the Wii's game play isn't conducive to a sitting position.
My own bitterness not withstanding, I do feel that motion control is still more of a gimmick than anything. I maintain that game play is king, while for some games having the option to have motion control can add to the immersion. But, not every game needs such an option and I don't think an entire console needed to be built around the idea. With the lack of any real physical feedback, motion controls are a dodgy deal for most games at best. The one area I do see where they shine are sports games, such as golf and baseball. Something where making contact is only a momentary action and does not have a lasting effect on the action.
With the Wii's huge success, Sony and Microsoft are playing catch up in developing their own forms of motion control. Adding it as an after thought this far into a console's life span I feel is even worse than developing an entire console around such a gimmick. I do hope that Nintendo's next effort will be something I would be able to play a bit easier. Instead of flailing around, and waggling a white remote control at the screen like I'm sixty and angry that the evening news was preempted by a basketball game.
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