The Year That Was: Revisited

[Thespis721]

Guys! Guys! Look... let's take a deep breath. Here, I'll help out. Look to the left and enjoy the picture of Ben Zobrist's wife. Okay. Is the tight conservative grey dress that still shows off her form doing you all right? Relaxed?

Great. Now I think you all are overlooking that this has been the banner year for the Dreamcast.
Seaman rocked!

[Professor S]

I think the reason why the Wii compared to the other consoles always causes so much controversy, well, is because it's not really to be compared to the other consoles. Nintendo decided to stop playing the "console war" game...

While MS and Sony decided to keep pushing the traditional limits of size, scope and detail, Nintendo decided to push the limits of interactivity, and even took several steps "backward" in traditional console themes to do so. The 360 and PS3 are a feast for the eyes and mind, the Wii tends to be a joy for the body and soul.

Does the Wii have the list of epic titles and dazzling graphics that gamers have come to expect? No, but then again they don't care and neither do their fans. Their games (the far too few good ones) are a great time and demand to be played as a family/group. The Wii has successfully replaced the board game for family game night and is even used to help with occupational therapy. To date, the Wii is the only console that has proven accessible to EVERY generation from the youngest to geriatrics.

That said, it is not my cup of tea. It is far too sugary and obvious for my tastes. I prefer nuance and delicate flavors, robust in every aspect. I like whole leaf loose Earl Grey (PS3 and 360) and tend to avoid Diet Nestea (Wii). That said, when was the last time you saw the Earl of G outsell Nestea? It doesn't happen because one is market to a smaller market while another is marketed to all markets, and is therefore made more accessible, for good or ill. But that's just my opinion and I'm sure there are many that differ.

Also, the Wii is a system of great achievements and disappointments. Tiger Woods and Resident Evil 4 are great examples of each. Resident Evil looks and honestly plays like vomit on the Wii, while Tiger Woods 10 is great fun and you tend to ignore the sub par look because the feel is just so wonderful. It is the perfect title for the Wii. In the end it's all about execution when a console depends so much on integrating it's unique controls. It is inevitable there will be great heights of achievement and terrible lows of failure.

For the reasons listed above, I have excluded the Wii from comparison.

[Dylflon]

When people get upset over console arguments, it makes me feel like we're all 14 again.

[BlueFire]

Originally Posted by Dylflon

When people get upset over console arguments, it makes me feel like we're all 14 again.

It's so refreshing.

[Dyne]

Originally Posted by Professor S

That said, it is not my cup of tea. It is far too sugary and obvious for my tastes. I prefer nuance and delicate flavors, robust in every aspect. I like whole leaf loose Earl Grey (PS3 and 360) and tend to avoid Diet Nestea (Wii). That said, when was the last time you saw the Earl of G outsell Nestea? It doesn't happen because one is market to a smaller market while another is marketed to all markets, and is therefore made more accessible, for good or ill. But that's just my opinion and I'm sure there are many that differ.

We should probably avoid metaphors, hahaha. Where do Madworld and House of the Dead: Overkill (both of which very adult Wii games, both of which were released in 2009) fit in to this diet iced tea? Are they the razors sitting below the ice?

Neither of them sold very well but I enjoyed them more than the likes of the Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 this year, both admittedly (wank wank) epic 360 and PS3-type games.

HOTD: Overkill and Madworld are interesting cases for the Wii. Over-the-top western and over-the-top eastern style games, respectively. Neither sold well but were rated mid-80s. However, their common relationship is that they were both published by Sega and got next to no marketing.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by Dyne

We should probably avoid metaphors, hahaha. Where do Madworld and House of the Dead: Overkill (both of which very adult Wii games, both of which were released in 2009) fit in to this diet iced tea? Are they the razors sitting below the ice?

Neither of them sold very well but I enjoyed them more than the likes of the Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 this year, both admittedly (wank wank) epic 360 and PS3-type games.

HOTD: Overkill and Madworld are interesting cases for the Wii. Over-the-top western and over-the-top eastern style games, respectively. Neither sold well but were rated mid-80s. However, their common relationship is that they were both published by Sega and got next to no marketing.

My comments weren't about whether or not Wii has "adult" games, but more the fact that Wii elected to push the control aspect of their console over graphics and other hardware (that allow greater achievements in "epic" games), and also that execution of those unique controls in a game GREATLY impact the enjoyment of a game. I like the Wii a lot for certain games, especially Wiisports and Tiger 10, but I also recognize the nature of the console and it's controls are it's greatest asset and greatest limitation. Overall, I spend far less time with my 360 than with the Wii for the reasons I've illustrated. What the Wii does, it does very well. In general, I simply don't like what it does.

As for the sales of Madworld and HOTD, well, I think that goes to show that the Wii is a family console more than anything else. Wii owners on the whole likely don't look for games like that for the console. Personally, I think Madworld would have sold very well of the 360 and PS3.

[Dylflon]

off the top of my head I believe Avatar is holding in the mid-80s on RT, but I wasn't a huge fan of the movie, while GI Joe which is probably sitting at 30 something was a much more enjoyable movie to me.

Just noticed this.


Opinion fail.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Professor S

That's because it was subjective opinion. If you don't agree, that's ok.

No, I literally meant I didn't understand it.
Just explain/expand.

Originally Posted by Dylflon

Just noticed this.


Opinion fail.

I know this is def a case of expectations and results, I expected nothing from GI Joe so it had a very low level to cross.

Where as I expected something special from Avatar. And it is and it isn't.

[Dylflon]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

No, I literally meant I didn't understand it.
Just explain/expand.



I know this is def a case of expectations and results, I expected nothing from GI Joe so it had a very low level to cross.

Where as I expected something special from Avatar. And it is and it isn't.

So I had this ice cream the other day and I was expecting it to taste great but it only tasted okay.

And then there was this dog turd that i was expecting would stink really bad. But guess what!? It didn't smell quite as bad as I expected.

Therefore the dog shit is better than the ice cream.



This is essentially your line of reasoning, yes?

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Dylflon

So I had this ice cream the other day and I was expecting it to taste great but it only tasted okay.

And then there was this dog turd that i was expecting would stink really bad. But guess what!? It didn't smell quite as bad as I expected.

Therefore the dog shit is better than the ice cream.



This is essentially your line of reasoning, yes?

Pretty much.
I don't see the problem with it. Though wouldn't have used such an example.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

No, I literally meant I didn't understand it.
Just explain/expand.

Ok, my 360 has provided me with games that have literally expanded the idea of what I thougth video games could accomplish as an artform, from graphics and sound to expansive storytelling (I only leave out the PS3 because I do not own one). The Wii simply could not recreate games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, etc in all their splendor. Compared to the Wii, the 360 is simply a broader canvass that gives the author access to better tools to create the most beautiful art possible.

Meanwhile, the Wii doesn't supply that broad canvass, but what it does provide are active games that get you up and moving, most of the time with people (real live people in person!) and actually helps build and maintain interpersonal relationships. And even if for the most part I haven't found the experience "mind expanding" it has been really fun as a social gaming system.

Does that help clarify?

[Fox 6]

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/105/1058513p1.html

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/...sheet-2010.pdf

Nielsen says Wii least used console in the amount of minutes played.