Wii

by Casey Clay

Created on: August 03, 2007

Last winter video gamers around the world anticipated the release of two new video gaming systems. The hype that led up to the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii was incredible. Yet, it was not until the release of these two platforms that the competition had actually begun. There were many hard core gamers who claimed supremacy for the PlayStation 3; but, if majority rule has any say the Wii was, and is, the clear winner.

The first obvious thing of course is the price tag. Nintendo's Wii costs less than half of what you would spend on a new PS3. The PS3, I would say, is out of the price range for the very young gamers and even for a lot of older gamers. Granted, Sony had to spend a lot of money on developing this machine and the hardware itself is akin to some of the best gaming computers on the market; but, in comparison to the Wii, with Nintendo you get more for your money. Why is this?

Yes, the PlayStation 3 has insane graphics capabilities. Yet the audience that can take advantage of these capabilities is fairly limited. To take full advantage of the graphics capabilities you need to have a top-of-the-line HDTV in your home. I know that there are quite a few consumers today that do not have an HDTV in their home. I'm sure the hard core gamer is going to have the best equipment available for their gaming experience. What about the casual gamer, such as myself? If I were to purchase a PS3 I wouldn't be able to use it on my ancient television set. This is a clear draw back of the system itself. Sony tried so hard to create the ultimate gaming experience; they forgot that many of the consumers of their product wouldn't be able to use it. The Wii, while less sophisticated in terms of graphics capabilities, is able to connect to less technologically advanced televisions. This creates for Nintendo a much larger audience to sell their product to. Now grandma and grandpa and little Billy can play games without having to fork out thousands of dollars for a new TV set.

Now we get into the obvious advantage that the Wii presents- the revolutionary motion sensor controllers. This is what makes the Wii so fun to play. Mom and dad will be less likely to be upset that little Billy wants to play Nintendo for 2 hours because while he's playing he's getting a workout. I played Wii boxing for an hour one day and had sore arms for the next two. If you put on some wrist weights for an extra challenge you computer geeks won't get beat up for your lunch money any more. I've never seen my parents even attempt to play video games before. When the Wii was released, I witnessed both of my parents playing video games! I thought the world was going to end. This revolutionary new playing style appeals to a wider audience. It makes gaming more fun and a lot more interactive. This new technology will lead to new types of games that will continue to change the way we play video games for some time to come.

In terms of reverse compatibility it is great that Sony created a platform that allows you to continue to play your PS2 games. If I understand correctly, you can still play some of your PS1 games as well. I think that Nintendo wins here as well, however. Previously, Nintendo did not allow their machines to be reverse compatible. This time, with the Wii, Nintendo created its first reverse compatible machine. All those who own game cube games, fear not, for you will still be able to play them on your Wii. "What about all of those classic Nintendo games," you say? Nintendo has come to the rescue again. With the Wii, you are able to download Classic Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and other games to memory cards. Now old school gamers like me can be reintroduced to our small pixilated heroes. I say: "bravo Nintendo."

If I haven't proven my point thus far, you can always look to the much more limited supply of PS3s or all of the bug problems and overheating issues that the PS3 seems to be riddled with. Wii is a solid machine that Nintendo stands firmly behind. Just as they do with all of their products. Did you know they will still repair your old classic Nintendo system? This is just food for thought.

Let's recap: The Wii provides a huge selection of games with creation dates from 1985 to 2007. The Wii also is available to a wide audience of consumers. Even consumers with a limited home theater section can add the Wii to their collection. The Wii is fairly affordable with a price tag of $250.00. When compared to the other machines of its generation, this is very reasonable. The Wii offers a revolutionary new way to interact with your games. It provides a gaming experience that is one of a kind. While you may not be able to see every freckle on princess peach's face from 100 yards away, you do get great graphics. Graphics that some would call cartoonish; but, gaming is meant as an escape from reality, why would you want your characters to look real? Nintendo has created a solid system with little bugs to fix. I think that this competition is no competition. Wii wins with a solid one-two Wii boxing knock out.

While Sony decided to stick to the previous line of thought in relation to video game platform development, Wii decided to go out on a tangent. They hit a home run. Nintendo was the first pioneer of video gaming. With the release of the Wii, they have proven that they continue to be so today. While others were trying to make their machines bigger, faster, and stronger, Nintendo was bravely going where no machine had gone before. Nintendo has been able to bring more people into the fold and has been able to introduce gaming to a wider audience. I am proud to say that I am a Nintendo fan. The Wii does not disappoint.

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