MadonnasManOne

I believe Nintendo is the company that makes the best game for their systems. If anything, it's the third party developers that have failed. Not all of them, but, a quite a few of them. I believe people need to have a bit more patience. Every console goes through the first year baby steps. Let the games coming up be the true testament of what the developers can do. Aside from Nintendo, who has quite a few great games coming up, the third party developers will finally start getting titles out that are worth playing. Especially those who have spent the time making sure everything is right, instead of just rushing games out to cash in on the craze.

dvdsteve2000

That's speculation. I do hope you're right, but until I see it, I don't believe it. Let's look at GH3 since we're talking 3rd party support. Who in the Hell will buy this game for the Wii if they own a 360? Watered down graphics and NO DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT. Yeah, the Wiimote has a speaker in it to hear a missed note, but I'd rather have some new songs and a leaderboard.

Dammit, I just want to justify my 300 bones I spend on this thing last year.

MadonnasManOne

I agree about GH3. It will certainly be a better experience on the XBOX 360, because of the downloadable content. I think Nintendo really needs to get their online system opened up, and start making that a big part of their gaming plan. They have to know how well it does for Microsoft. Having said that, I bet people will be surprised by how many copies of GH3 will sell on Wii. I'm not saying that it will surpass the sales of the XBOX 360 version, but, I am saying that I feel it will do well. This is the type of casual game that will appeal to people who already own the Wii, and do not own the other systems.

At any rate, if you have patience, I believe you'll find something to justify your "300 bones" spent on the system. I really do believe that. I hope you'll come to enjoy playing the Wii, as much as I have.

msdmoney

I know you have the system, but I get the impression from your posts Nintendo will never satisfy you.

I don't think anyone expected Nintendo to change graphical styles from "PeeWee's Playhouse meets Ross the Intern." I think most people aren't as dissapointed in the graphics as they never expected much. The general feeling I get from people is the Wii might not have met the expectations that came with the new control style.

Michael T Hudson

I still at this point have seen it in stock only once at a store. That is amazing.

Gromit

I bought one at launch but I never use it now. I started Zelda, Paper Mario and Metroid but didn't make it too far with any of them before I got distracted by another game (360).

I don't really have any regrets. For the first time, my mom was playing video games (bowling). Maybe I should take it to my parents' house and leave it there so we can bowl when we visit.

darkside

Not having downloadable content is a major problem because they wanted to do it and tried to work with Nintendo to do it. Nintendo not making that happen on a game this big is very disappointing. That said I went with the Wii version over the PS3 version because it was $10 cheaper, the graphic differences are meaningless and I really dig the Wiimote with the guitar.

Also, I seriously doubt I would have bought any of the extra songs. $6 for 3 songs is highway robbery.

jediwicz

My Guitar Hero II on the 360 is sitting right next to me. I'd buy the Wii Guitar Hero III over the 360's anyday. Wireless without a lame dongle, more sensitve tilt and the speaker twang. Missing out on downloadable content? Who cares?

GreenMonkey

I still play Super Mario Brothers 3 or Super Mario World more frequently than any other platformer (admittedly not a big platforming fan). Does that mean they are bad?

If you haven't had a game in 12 months you either only like 'adult' style typical gaming, or you haven't been looking. Super Paper Mario, Rayman, Metroid Prime 3...IMO the Wii has had the best first-year of any system to date.

I spent most of the first year with the PS2 playing Tekken Tag and Dragon Quest 7 for PS1.

And the DLC? No way. Maybe hardcore GH folks are paying for the songs, but my wife does most of the GH playing and I don't think we play enough GH to need more songs. We're gonna be on GH2 for a long time. The only reason we'd buy GH3 on the 360 would be because we already have a wired 360 guitar from GH2.

Michael Corvin

Yep. If I had at least one friend with a Wii to do co-op with, I'd go with it over the 360 as well. Getting raped on DLC is not a feature.

superdeluxe

At LAUNCH DATE, they are working on ways of adding downloadble content down the road.

DarthPrime

I picked up a Wii in May. I currently have Wii Sports (of course), Zelda, and Super Paper Mario.

I just couldn't get into Zelda at all. I've tried playing it again recently and still can not get "into" the game. Wii Sports was a blast at first, but got boring single player. Its still great as a multiplayer/party game. Super Paper Mario probably got the most play. I really enjoyed the game, although there were moments during the game that were just not that great.

I rented Prime 3 and enjoyed it. The controls were a huge improvement over the Gamecube Primes in my opinion. I will probably eventually pick this one up. I still haven't downloaded any Virtual Console titles.

Sometimes I feel I wasted money on the Wii. As much as I like Nintendo, and as much fun as I have had playing the Wii it sits there the majority of the time collecting dust. Then I look at future titles like Galaxy, Brawl, and Kart and I'm glad that I made the purchase. I just wished there were "better" 3rd party titles on the Wii.

REL77

I got a system and Zelda on launch day. Sold both 20 days later and baught a PS3 instead (Yeah, as a gaming console it sucks, but as a BRD player, its great, and thats what i mostly wanted)

cerial442

There is a reason, currently a lack of games that I'm interested in. The last Wii game I bought was back in July (RE4). Some better games are coming out later, it is pretty slim for me. I will eventually get Z&W and Mario but I don't see anything else this year that interests me (still on the fence about Manhunt).

I'm going to get Metroid after I finish the first two.

For the 360 and DS (I haven't checked the PSP release list), there is too many games that coming out in the next couple of months that I want to play. That is why my 360 and DS get more play than the Wii.

namja

Bought mine in May for $300 (taking tax into account, I paid a $30 premium).
Wii Sports gets the most play because it is the easiest to play for new players.
Whenever friends come over, we bowl or play tennis. I also enjoy Big Brain Academy, Rayman and Wii Play. Also bought Mama Cook-off and Mario Strikers Charged, but haven't had time to play them much.

Overall, I like it much. I also have a 360, but I haven't turned it on the last 5 months (bought Halo3 on the day it came out, but it's still in the shrink-wrap).

CreatureX

Found this interview with 'The Sims' creator Will Wright talking about the Wii:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology.../26/willwright

actyper

I feel exactly the same way, even though I wanted a Wii more than I wanted my 360. My wii has been nothing more than a multi player party machine as all the solo player games seem to get tedius. Zelda is cool, but swinging my arm is not as fun after a while compared with pressing a button. I love my 360 though, so many more options. Hopefully Galaxy and bash changes things around.

argh923

My thoughts? Utter disappointment. The gaming selection, for my tastes, is very subpar. I'd simply rather play games on the 360. Zelda is the only game I've really enjoyed, I hate that it's becoming a gimmick system (see the minigame collections for proof), and if it weren't for Mario Galaxy coming out in a few weeks, I would've already sold it.

DodgingCars

Maybe it's because I'm not a "typical" gamer, but I don't get the disappointment in the game selection (for being the 1st year). So far I've loved or liked: Wii Sports, Zelda, RE4, MP3, Excite Truck, Super Paper Mario, Warioware, & Godfather. I've enjoyed some others as well. I'm looking forward to Zack, Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros, GH3, and several others this year.

I don't have a lot of disposable income (actually almost none since the baby's came), so these are more than enough games for me (in fact, I still haven't finished any of the games I own).

When the Wii adds original downloadable content and downloadable DS demos I think I'd have no reason to want another system (unless Blu Ray wins, then I might buy a PS3 in a couple years).

Spiderbite

I posted this question in another thread and it fits more in here:

Not threadcrapping but just curious: Is the Wii just a hot product because people can't find it and there is just so much buzz/publicity out there?

Everyone I know who struggled to buy a Wii last year for X-mas (this includes adults as well as kids) say they don't even play it today and (if they have kids) their kids barely touch it now. Yet it keeps selling like hotcakes? I know my contacts are just a tiny slice of the population that own Wiis but I see the same things posted in here and over-hearing nerds talk in Gamestops.

I see people tout the controls as the great selling point yet those who have had it for the last year says that the controls were cool at first but got old after awhile when the novelty wore off yet the item still generates crazy buzz this day.

So is it just the hot thing to own and a status grabber for kids? Is it today's Pet Rock and tomorrow's PS2? I guess I just don't understand why this remains such a hot hot seller after everything I have read and heard. I get the appeal of the DS (and I love mine) but the Wii popularity baffles me.

DodgingCars

For me? No I've had it since Feb. I still love it and still love the controls (better for some games than others).

darkside

In Japan people are worried that it may be a fad as sales have dropped to 80-100k a month. However, in the US it is still selling 500k a month and is still very desired.

The issue is software. For having 13 million consoles on the market the software sales are pretty tepid especially in the US and really most of those sales are Nintendo titles. However, I think this can be blamed mostly on the fact most of the software is awful. I think a lot of early adopters got burned by garbage like Red Steel and are hesitant plus a lot of Wii owners are super casuals that only want Wii Sports and will rarely buy more software unless it is a major AAA title.

The answer to all the questions will happen this holiday season through probably the release of Smash Bros. Japan's console sales should jump when Mario and other desired titles hit and most importantly software sales should be way up as more and more good titles hit the market.

Whether or not the Wii has legs will probably be answered pretty clearly over the next few months. Personally I think it will have legs and will be successful for the next couple of years. I don't see it having the legs of the PS2 though and selling 100+ million. The technology is very dated and they will probably have a new version of the Wii ready by 2010 at the latest.

drmoze

I've had a Wii since last Nov. When friends (20's/30's) come over to hang (medium-to-large parties), a Wii game almost always breaks out, generally from a request to load a game. People kep playing for quite a while, taking turns, etc. Most common games are Wii Sports tennis, bowling (#1) and baseball, sometimes TW Golf.

Personally, I don't spend a lot of times playing games (alas--too much other stuff!) but I pick up certain games that appeal to me and still spend time playing sporadically. The motion control is key for me in the games I buy: Godfather, RE4, TW Golf, Warioware, etc. And I just pickd up Victorious Boxers to get some exercise and sparring practice. As nice as the XBox boxing games look, I would not want one just to have another button-and-joypad control game.

Yancey

Bought it on release date, played Wii Sports almost exclusively for the first month or so. Bought Zelda (couldn't get into), Excite Truck (okay) and Trauma Center. Didn't play it once after Christmas. Sold it all on craigslist in April, and managed to get my money back. Haven't regretted it at all. I'm much more of a sports game/solo gamer, and the Wii was very obviously not the right system for me.

chess

It's more than just hype. It's something new, and it's a brilliant differentiation strategy from Nintendo...executed just as well as with the DS. Sony and MS are marketing to your circle and the nerds at gamestop, while Nintendo has its eyes on the real prize...the majority of folks who couldn't care less about HDMI or the latest first person shooter blech.

The controls can be brilliant in the right hands. Wii Sports, RE4, Prime 3 and Zelda have shown definitively that the Wii is capable of doing new things within traditional genres. I personally have no interest whatsoever in playing games on a dual analog stick anymore. If I'm going to shoot, I'm going to point at the screen...and if I'm going to swing a golf club, I want to stand up and swing it (also applies to baseball, football, tennis...)

I think that plenty of folks really enjoy the system...myself included. I've personally sold at least three with friends coming over for beers and Wii Sports.

I'm not sure how you could get the success of the DS and not the Wii. The relationship between the DS and PSP is pretty much identical to that of the Wii and the PS3/360. It's a nonconventional/innovative but underpowered machine with a new interface against machines that are powerful, but don't really do anything different from last generation.