Do we need a Revolution?
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 at 7:20am by Blake
Author’s note: The below article was first published on August 1, 2005, a full year before the Wii was officially named, detailed, and released on November 19, 2006. Looking back, would you agree or disagree with my below concerns?
Do we need a “Revolution”?
The short answer, yes. The long one: depends on how you define we. If you think we as an industry need a gaming revolution in the form of new input devices and hardware types, then yes. (Think of all the non-creative profit driven publishers that are turning the gaming industry into Hollywood) If you think we as a collective body of individual gamers always need a hardware revolution, maybe not. Here’s why.
Nintendo practically invented the modern console system; a box that connects to controllers that have a few buttons and a directional pad or stick. Ever since the NES, Nintendo and its competitors have merely upgraded the hardware. Faster processors, better graphics. A formula that worked for over 20 years because it has been the games that were revolutionary with Nintendo at the forefront. Do we want to completely dismiss that formula?
I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m anticipating new ways of playing video games on the Revolution [now known as Wii] just as much as the next guy. But I’m also hoping to play new games in traditional ways like I’ve always done before with past Zeldas, Metroids, and Marios. The point is that on an a personal level, I’m still rooting for the Wii to be part “GameCube 2″ and part revolution.
I’m confident Nintendo will embrace this idea given the huge success of its franchise games, the GameBoy handheld, and the announced download offering of their entire games library on Virtual Console. In the end, I can’t wait to see these fancy new controllers and the new ways I will be enjoying Nintendo games via the Wii. I just hope Nintendo will still support games that use 2 buttons and a directionally pad with the game being more revolutionary than the hardware.
July 31st, 2005 at 10:55 pm
Nintendo invented the current console system. A box that connects to controllers that have a few buttons and a directional pad or stick.
Just to be fair, give the creation of Consoles to the REAL person that did it.
http://www.pong-story.com/sanders.htm
August 1st, 2005 at 1:16 am
I thought about that one too, but no one has used a joystick since atari, therefore i credit Nintendo with the “current” console system.
August 1st, 2005 at 1:21 am
We absolutely need a revolution in the video game industry. games have stopped feeling new and fresh, infact i’d say the current console design is completely tedious. the biggest innovation thus far was the analog, but that was only due to necessity for 3d gaming. who better to pave the path than nintendo? people may be a little apprehensive at the thought of a significant innovation, but it will also open more opportunities. this could be the greatest landmark video games have seen, at least nintendo is taking the change.
August 1st, 2005 at 3:08 am
where did u get that controller pic? I haven’t seen it in a while…
August 1st, 2005 at 7:15 am
I don’t think Nintendo invented consoles, but they are the only company that was around during the creation and still is around.
On topic:
I absolutely agree with you.
Of yourse I want innovation. Of course I want to have a new and different gaming experience.
But of course, from time to time, I want to play a traditional game.
And as you said Nintendo is probably going this way too….
They say the Rev’s controller will allow us to play the old games, so they can make “traditional” games for the Rev itself too.
Or look at New Super Mario Bros.
It’ll not use the DS’s features a lot, but it’s a new and innovative game…
August 1st, 2005 at 8:40 am
Since Revolution will play all past games, it can’t NOT support traditional gameplay.
I suspect the console will support past, present and future gaming – Past being games from Gamecube and back; present (our near future) “Gamecube 2″ type games; future the Revolution.
The Revolution will be something completely different – a HUGE gamble – so wisely Nintendo is not putting all its eggs in that basket. But it believes that is where the future lies, and it may well be right!
December 30th, 2006 at 6:07 am
Are you guys living under rocks? Everyone knows it’s called the Wii and supports Gamecube controllers. Jeez.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:30 am
MacUser fails at sarcasm or didn’t even bother to read the first paragraph of the article before commenting.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:32 am
oh, the previous comment was from the old article. I fail at reading too.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:33 am
@LinuxUser – MacUser commented on the article over a year after it was written, so I think it’s a joke.
We’ve seen some decent games that can be considered revolutionary, but those seem to be few and far between. There are a lot of interesting games out there that I have yet to try (DeBlob comes to mind) but nothing that makes people run out to buy a Wii the way that Wii Sports did and still does!
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 am
I agree with david.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
But MacUser kinda’ has a point. It’s been 2-3 years since this article was posted. Sure it kind-of has relevance to today, but it would have been better to just have re-written it.
Old news is old news. I have been seeing a lot of re-posting here on Infendo and it makes me a bit sad. I’d like to see fresh ideas and articles. More reviews from Infendo-ites.
Even if they’re on old Nintendo games, it’d be better than old news like this. It’s a decent article, but was posted several years ago and would have been better re-written.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Au contraire, JewWario.
I appreciate seeing some of the things that were written in the past in order to compare them to the present and give me an insight to the future.
The article addressed a vaild fear from Nintendo faithful; and as most fears tend to be, I believe it was unfounded.
I wasn’t a ‘gamer’ before the Wii so it is nice to see the occasional look back at an industry before my time.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Funny how the sentence was formulated!
« Do we need a “Revolution”?
The short answer, yes. The long one: depends on how you define ‘we’. »
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
nintendo did create the console in its present form. atari was a mismash of developers all putting out low quality games that nearly killed the industry by making it a passing fad. if it wasn’t for the timing of the nes i believe we’d be playing video games in a very different way. perhaps it would have all been pc based. i also don’t consider controllers with joysticks or telephone numbers on them the modern control pad.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
The irony of this article is that, in the end, the industry did embrace this “revolution” in the form of independently produced games that can be downloaded via Wi-Fi. There’s still a long way to go, but you can see great ideas not only on the Wii but on the 360 as well. And they rarely depend on the use of the motion-sensing wii-mote!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Blake, I think you got your wish that Nintendo stick to traditional gaming–in fact, I would think moreso than most people anticipated and more than some people want. Few games have truely made use of the revolution of the Wiimote (and Nunchuck), and most of those have been first-party titles.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
You were 100% correct. But pointing that out just makes it look like this post’s purpose was to stroke your ego. :-/
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I agree but it’s hard for games like that to survive on the Wii. Why play a traditional game on the Wii using, say, a classic controller if it would only be better if played on a 360 or PS3? What other features does the Wii have that justify a traditional game on it as opposed to any other system. Now, not saying I don’t love Smash Bros as it is on Wii (partly because the GC controller is a god among controllers) but it’s hard to expect traditional games on a system that will only detract from the experience.
The only advantages that are Wii-specific and non-waggle that I see are:
-With simple controls, up to 12 people can play simultaneously on one system (requires four GC and four Classic controllers)
-With more complex controls, 8 (four classic and four GC without sharing wii-motes)
-Faster loading times than any other system
How often can you get 8-12 people to sit down and game at once and how much would load times affect a quality game concept?
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 am
@ Blue: Understood. Well said.
@ Lord Toker: But the Famicom in Japan did the exact same thing as the Atari did and it suffered none of the loss. That’s why Akumajo Densetsu (Castlevania III) has such incredible sound in the Japanese cart while here in the US they got bup-kiss. It was because companies were allowed to be innovative. Then again, it might be an American thing: control.
@ gojiguy: Had a discussion about this very thing last night with a friend. Older games NEED to be played on something close to what the controls were like. It wouldn’t be played better on a 360 controller. NOTHING older is better on a 360 controller. Simple is the key. Just remember the 10 best controllers article.
As far as saying “how often do you have x amount of people over…” well, some people do. Not every day, but some do. I often pull out both sets of BUZZ controllers for an 8-person quiz game. It’s not every day, but it is often.
One of the Nintendo club prizes in Japan was a Super Fam controller for the GameCube so you could play your SFAM games on the Wii. It’s the most sought after peripheral for the system now. Says a lot about people who want the older-simpler controllers.
Maybe that’s why so many people are going back to old-school games: because of the simplicity and the ability to use your imaginations again and have fun.
New games are a challenge and the graphics are realistic, but people gripe all the time. Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, & 3 has similar graphics, similar gameplay, and are considered some of the best games in Nintendo history.
And they can easily be played on a sideways Wii controller.
December 7th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
DUDE. No one realizes this article came out before the Wii was called the Wii. If they do, they’re acting like they’re not.