The Wii is King
February 5th, 2010
Much to my dismay.
Well, it's finally happened. The NES, arguably the single most important device in video game history, is no longer the biggest selling console of all time. This past week, the Wii sold enough units to pass up Nintendo's original console, which sold 67.45 million units in its lifetime in the 80's and 90's.
One the one hand, I'm glad that Nintendo is such a powerhouse in the industry again. I fell in love with many of Nintendo's characters as a youngster, and spent many hours during my childhood playing all kinds of NES games. Nintendo was synonymous with video games to me, and it took me a long time break away from that. However, eventually Nintendo began to be overshadowed by other competitors, notably Sony, and by the time Microsoft took a crack at it, Nintendo seemed to be a shadow of its former self. It wasn't until the Wii came along (ignoring the handheld market) that Nintendo's market dominance once again returned.
On the other side, though, it's a real disappointment to see such a beloved and fondly remembered system be outsold by a device that is in such contradiction to the original NES. Nintendo may be back in big business with the Wii, but the company today is a drastically different beast. I feel largely abandoned by Nintendo, as a gamer. It's a company that was built on people like me who really enjoy playing many different kinds of games, but has now abandoned the core fan base to cater to the lowest common denominator. To add insult to injury, Nintendo PR harps on this fact. Not only is Nintendo no longer creating devices and games I want to play, but it proclaims this direction based on the fact that a lot of stinkin' people have purchased a Wii.
I think that the Wii has been an enormous business success. Nintendo has found a way to tap into the casual mass markets in a way that no other company probably suspected was possible. It has generated tons of revenue, moved massive numbers of systems, and is generally a hot topic. Yet, it has completely abandoned the people and fans who made them a notable company in the first place in order to do so. Strangely enough, though, I'm not as bitter about this as I could be, because the Wii is so far removed from anything I care about as a gamer.
I recently installed NESoid on my G1, which is a fully functional NES emulator. I'm playing through Castlevania 3 on my phone, in brief moments where I can pick up a play a quick game. It's been a lot of fun to walk down memory lane and rediscover the beginning of this now billion dollar industry. I'll always remember those days with fondness, and am glad there are methods through which this rich history can be preserved today.
I'd be lying, though, if I said I didn't wish for a more worthy successor to such a legacy.
Video Games, Wii
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PMasta says...
Dude, Phil, you gotta look into some video game remixes. There's a ton out there, and some of them are pretty cool, taking video game music themes and songs and placing them over modern instruments and technologies. Slick stuff. 
Posted February 26th, 2010 @ 10:23 AM
Phil Steller says...
I still like the harmless, cartoony, classic games. Being that Nintendo is generally still making these, I still like them. I ignore most of the novelty, movement based games. I don't like all the photo-realistic, bloody, death and military style games. Give me Mario, Zelda, Castlevania, Metroid, Sonic, and the like... and I'll be happy. But being that these games by and large aren't being made anymore, I don't really play games. Too serious of stuff for my mind to handle/appreciate.I don't really like the "novelty" (because we can) actions of the Wii... where you have to shake the controller just to jump in a game, where a button push would do. It's pointless and irritating.
I recently discovered vgmusic.com, a site with thousands of video game MIDIs. Video game music remains one of my favorite "styles" of music (though it encompasses many genres). Other than music that makes me think of spiritual things, nothing makes me happier. I know, MIDIs kind of suck, but it's all about what player and sound samples you use to play them. They can sound pretty awesome. Besides, they can be fed into programs that allow you to learn/play them on your keyboard, for example... which is pretty cool.
Posted February 25th, 2010 @ 11:49 AM
Brian says...
I totally get what you are saying. As a casual gamer I like the Wii because anyone can play it. Even my dad has enjoyed the Wii. But for serious games it is not good. I even understand that. Some of the games on the PS3 have blown my mind. I played some war game over at a friends house that was amazing (sorry can't remember the name). But the problem I had with it was that it takes hours to complete. I just don't have that kind of interest or time to invest. But man the sound and the graphics were awesome. Posted February 6th, 2010 @ 11:17 AM
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