Poll - Is Wii living up to your expectations?
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 10:19am by David
Possibly one of the most hyped console launches ever, Wii became a cultural phenomenon. Between bizarre claims for Perrin Kaplan and other rumors, the Wii was going to be able to do more than any Nintendo system ever. This week, we want to know:
Is Wii living up to your expectations?
If not, what has let you down? Tell us in comments.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am
There just is not the interest of games.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:47 am
For my gaming habits it’s been great. I don’t have nearly as much time t play games as I did 3 years ago. Even when I do have time it still takes me 2 months to finish a 40 hour game, that’s if I’m really into it. It has it’s problems for sure, but for me it’s the best choice based on games/price/time.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:48 am
I think this is a bit tooooo subjective. I voted yes, because I got more than what I wanted. I am a newlywed with a toddler and a full time job so I don’t have the time to invest 3-4 hours a day to gaming. Wii allows me to pick up, beat a level or 2 and put it down, without feeling like I NEED to pick it up, but it’s there when I need it. Get togethers are great because women love it and if my friends and I can get some gaming in and our wives/ girlfriends are into it, even better.
I think those who game a lot will say it is not living to their expectations. THe question is then, were those expectations a bit far-fetched knowing what Nintendo’s vision was?
April 1st, 2008 at 10:57 am
i like the games for the Wii but i hate the friend codes as well as the unavailable dlod (download on demand). Hopefully with the new dlc channel it will provide the dlod functions that xbox and ps3 have or at least something like it.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:58 am
Aside from Nintendo’s maddening neglect for online gaming, I’m very happy with my Wii. Super Mario Galaxy was fantastic. Smash Brothers is a blast. And Wii Sports continues to entertain.
Can’t wait for a high-def version someday.
And since launch, I’ve seen Wiis available for purchase at a store ONCE. Last week at Costco. They had about 5 units left on a pallet at the front of the store. They were gone within minutes. Glad I waited in the cold outside Costco back on launch day (well, a couple of days after launch day, when Costco got their first shipment). Who would have guessed you still wouldn’t be able to find one to purchase 16 months later.
Note to Nintendo: BUILD MORE FACTORIES!
April 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am
I just don’t think the games are that great. Not to say MP3, Galaxy, and Smash Bros aren’t amazing, but they are all basically the same as their GCN brethren. Yeah, the controls in MP3 are different, but it’s still the same game. Wii was pitched to us as a “Revolution.” It was supposed to give us a new kind of game to play. No wonder third parties can’t think of anything fun to do with the Wiimote–Nintendo itself is starting to let you play with Gamecube controllers! I appreciate options, I really do, but N needs to spend less time polishing GCN games and more time coming up with some original content that can ONLY exist on Wii.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:10 am
The Wii = good for me
April 1st, 2008 at 11:29 am
I said yes, and I can understand how not everyone has the same console needs as I, but really, the Wii has already done so much more than the Gamecube did that you can’t really be too disappointed with the progress. I realize I’m a bit biased, though. I’m a big fan of the Nintendo universe in general, so to walk into the video game department and actually see Nintendo getting the same amount of sale space as Xbox 360 and PS3/PSP is refreshing (and I’m also a bit complacent). I mean, of course Nintendo has dropped the ball in a FEW categories, but doesn’t every company sometimes? The PS3 has had its’ share of problems, I’m to understand, and I’m sure the XBOX360 has plenty of problems, too. Either way, I’m more than willing to put up with Nintendo’s first attempt at online play, even if it’s rather inconvenient, for example, to be able to play some top-notch games that make use of the console. I’m also very fortunate to not be one who focuses excessively on graphics, and focuses more on gameplay, storyline, etc. Just like some people can’t watch black and white films- that’s okay, that’s just not what Ii’m concerned about.
Basically, as long as Nintendo keeps cranking out some winning games, MP3, Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros Brawl… they’ll keep me happy.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I voted in the ‘undecided’ category. Because some of my expectations were outrageous, yet I still wanted them to be realized as soon as possible (who wasn’t hoping for 1:1 sword control in Zelda or Red Steel…I know I was..). I also thought that the online interface would be amazing…but again, given Nintendo’s history…I shouldn’t have expected that much.
Whereas other expectations of mine were way too low, or non-existent. I wanted the Wii to be the Gamecube all over again, this time with motion controls. I wanted a handful of quality Nintendo mainstays over the course of lifetime of the Wii, and for the Wii to go largely unnoticed, maybe some dynamite 3rd party titles for good measure…but not too many.
When I bought the Wii, I had no idea that it would become a cultural phenomenon and be the best thing to bring out at a party since Guitar Hero.
I did not expect some of the games that came out of the woodwork. Elebits has become one of my favorite games, even when compared with my top games of all time list, it shines. Same with Zack and Wiki…I had no idea the adventure game would make sense again, the unknown titles really blew me away. And let’s not forget the ever-bizzare and epic boss-battled No More Heroes (I don’t think anybody expected that).
I was also shocked to see that the titles that I expected to take about 6 years to come out, are all already available (save for Mariokart). And not only are they available, the vast majority of them are incredible.
Even though my vote seems to sound like a yes, I still chose undecided…because my expectations were so far from what actually happened, and the ones that were on base have either been a let down, or a resounding victory.
(Oh, I also wasn’t expecting to only want to own a Wii at this point in this generation…though I won’t be able to refuse a PS3 once LittleBigPlanet comes out)
April 1st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I spend almost all my game time online. and playing fps games. so no, it doesn’t deliver for me. Add that I got bored of twighlight princess pretty quick, and wii has missed my gaming habits.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I’ve spent a ton of time playing it and it has been plenty fun (especially now with Brawl) so I give it a yes. Still, I’m somewhat bummed out by the way online has worked (or rather HASN’T) and the lack of more good VC games.
Overall though, I’m happy with the machine and just hope the support keeps piling up.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I guess I’m pretty happy with what we’ve seen so far…but no, as of now Wii has definitely not lived up to expectations. Crappy online play, Friend Code implementation that is far worse than I could have even imagined, total lack of voice chat, utter denial in terms of the lack of storage space, disappointing VC selection on a near-weekly basis, barely any use of internet/weather/news/channels, very little commitment to older gamers, it’s just been a bevy of missed opportunities up until now.
Overall I’m still happy with my purchase (if only to have the ability to play Brawl, Galaxy, MP3, Zack and Wiki, RE4, Paper Mario, No More Heroes, WarioWare, Elebits) but it’s tough not to be disappointed with alot of the choices that have been made in the last 1.5 years.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Kizzle, you said pretty much exactly what I would say. I LOVE the games I own for it, and I own quite a few of them. They’re great, and Nintendo’s game design hasn’t faltered at all - and in the cases of games like No More Heroes, Godfather: Blackhand, SSX Blur, Zack and Wiki, and others, 3rd parties are starting to pick up speed in an impressive way as well.
But I just can’t give this a “yes” when Nintendo’s dropped the ball so hard on things that should be standard now, like well-integrated online functionality and suitable storage for their downloadable content. It’s great that you give me so many things to buy and download Nintendo, but already, before even the launch of the Wiiware service, I’m out of space, have needed to delete things like the Weather channel that I don’t use, never downloaded the Check Mii Out channel, and pass up virtual console games I would otherwise buy because I don’t feel like playing the SD card shuffle. It would be so easy to fix - there’s a USB port right there doing nothing - but you just won’t fix it. Same thing with the online play - I have DS games with voice chat, but to chat with my friends while we Brawl, I need a laptop open next to me. And if I want to play Brawl with friends in the first place, we need to set it up ahead of time, because the game won’t tell me - either in single player or even when I’m online in random matches - when my friends are online and want to play. We have to be sitting there doing nothing, waiting for each other.
So many things that would have been easy to get right but were gotten wrong anyhow. I really hope some software updates to the system address some of these issues; it sounds like Mario Kart Wii will have some friend list functionality from the Wii “dashboard” without going in-game, and that sounds like a good start. But things are far from where they ought to be, and Nintendo doesn’t have a good track record with this sort of thing. We’ll see.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
This is obviously just my opinion, but I think that if the Wii isn’t living up to your expectations, then your expectations were too high. Sure, a lot of things could be better, but I really didn’t expect them to be.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I voted yes — please make note of this. The first mainstream console to provide a “true” pointer, that’s not optional, is a big plus for me.
Now if only these lazy developers would stop gimping our games for the thumb-generation, and putting sophistication back in play, I’ll be one happy gamer.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I voted no, because the console’s potential still hasn’t fully been realized and it’s 2008.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
wow there were some long post for a simple question of whether or not it meets your expectations. like most things in life less is more. yes it meets mine very well. also i don’t think any other system’s controllers are being used to defuse bombs on the battle field as well. look it up…
April 1st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I say yes, but please Nintendo, leave friend codes with the current generation of hardware. I won’t buy your next console if it doesn’t have an online community like Live or Steam.
April 1st, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I voted undecided: while I was expecting to be able to map the controls of every GameCube game to the Wii-mote, the new versions of games like Battalion Wars, Metroid Prime, and Smash Bros have exceeded expectations.
Also, I’m still not sure if the online play is bearable or not… I still don’t have any friends in Brawl!!
April 1st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I voted Yes! Even if you don’t feel like playing, you can sit your ass on the couch and watch youtube on your TV!
April 1st, 2008 at 9:45 pm
“One of the most hyped console launches ever”? Have you ever seen a Sony launch?
The Wii isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly exceeded my expectations… moreso than any of the other consoles, which had higher expectations and lower actual results over the same time period.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Wii is very good.
But NOT as good as it could have been. But, there still is time for it to reach its potential, i guess.
SO I voted ” No”
I EXPECT more. But I enjoy most of what it has to offer.
You can enjoy something while still being disappointed that it never reaches its full potential, and this is a PRIME example of that.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I’m really happy with my Wii so far. And it can only get better, as with every other Nintendo system.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 am
@ Pnut:
Not necessarily, I consider myself a pretty core gamer. I am a high school sudent, and own only a Wii, and though i’ve had the chance to buy a 360, i’ve tend to spend that gaming money on Wii games, as i think to myself that there are plenty of good games out there, and that if i get a 360, i will just buy another bunch of games and will spend a lot, when i have enough as of this point.
For example, im overwhelmed with brawl, and i dont think i have played it enough, even tho i love it. Then i still want to play MOH:H2 online, but brawl has been taking my little gaming time. I still feel like playing guitar hero, and at the same time, i’d like to go thru metroid prime 3 and twilight princess for a second time. Not to mention, I am planning to get all 120 stars in Galaxy (which my friend borrowed).
Appart from that, i want to go over MP1 and MP2, i still play FIFA on the cube, and i NEED PES 08 for the Wii. Also, im going through RE4 again (or at least i was).
I also want games like no more heroes, and zack and wiki because they deserve to be supported (and they’re great games DUH)!
So, there is more than enough on Wii itslef to satisfy gamers… I am happy with my Wii, and wouldnt trade it for anything. (Now that’s not to say i dont like the 360, cuz i love that machine too)
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 am
PS: While im satisfied with the Wii, im not with the quality of the 3rd party “supporters”
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Depends. I expected the Wii to be so-so, and that’s what I think it is overall, so I would have to vote yes to that question.
Now from the standpoint of IF I had high expectations, I’d have to say no. To me the Wii is incredibly overhyped and most of it is still based on “potential”. By far it’s strong selling point has been the so called revolutionary controls, but Wii Sports STILL is the game that best uses the controls and other than MP3, I’ve yet to see a game that has controls that couldn’t be done by done on another machine or the GameCube. SMG certainly didn’t, heck Brawl it’s better to use the GC controller. I’m beginning to wonder if Nintendo even knows what to do with them. The 3rd party support has sucked; maybe it will get better but too many see the machine as a kiddie machine. The online still sucks horribly, even on Brawl.
I can see why they changed the name from Revolution, because to me it hasn’t come close to one.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Well, I don’t have anything new to add to the conversation, so here’s a quick list that explains why I voted no:
Expectation: Nintendo would introduce a brand new control scheme that would effectively make everyone take a step back and rethink how they design games.
Reality: Most third party games simply map a button press to “shake remote”, and even Nintendo is guilty of this. Expectation not met.
Expectation: Nintendo would finally jump into the online arena, offering downloads of old classics, and online functionality that takes the complication out of it, making it easy for even grandma to play online.
Reality: Grandma doesn’t want to enter a 12 digit friend code for every game she plays online, and the wrong TYPES of games are online. Yeah, it’s nice that SSBB is online, but what about Wii Sports, Wii Play, and all the other games that cater to the expanded audience? If Nintendo wants to make online gaming work for the masses, they should implement online play in games that cater to the masses. If they want to make online play work for the hardcore, they should implement online play PROPERLY. Expectation not met.
Expectation: Although visuals will not compete with the Xbox 360 or PS3, games should range from high-end Gamecube visuals to slightly-above Gamecube visuals.
Reality: Far too many games (3rd party, primarily) look like they were developed in 1998. Expectation not met.
Sorry guys. I waited in line for hours just like everyone else, but aside from the first party biggies, Wii has been a bust for me.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Andrew, you nailed some major points.
I would somewhat disagree with your conclusion, though. For me, Wii as a platform hasn’t been the main problem, aside from storage issues. The lackluster software effort publishers have taken toward the platform is the obstacle preventing Wii from being a “revolution.”
But all in all…Elebits, Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Corruption, Brawl, Geometry Wars, Trauma Center, and more. I’ve been pleased overall.
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I agree with Andrew-MG, except in the graphics area… Many Wii games do look fine, unless you compare them to a 360 or a PS3 game. Which would be unfair.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Yes I like Wii the way it is and I do not want a Wii 1.5, leave the upgrades for the next system. The only things missing is a Hard Drive and Blu-ray player, (which Nintendo was smart to wait out on, unlike Microsoft lol.) What is the point of having a few MB of storage when there are SO many games out, not to mention the arrival of WiiWare! I wouldn’t mind better graphics but those are not essential, and can wait for the next system. If every game uses the Wii graphics to full potential then they would all look as great as Mario Galaxy and that’s alright by me. I guess I just really want the hard drive for all those downloadable games. Otherwise Wii baby…”you’re all that I want, you’re all that I need, you’re everything to me.” “Ill never buy a PS3 or an Xbox tee hee hee.”
“If it don’t say Nintendo I don’t care.” Just because I only play Nintendo does not mean I am not a hard core gamer, says who? Says me. Like Grandma says “you kids and your damn Intendo!” Boo ya grandma…boo ya!
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:06 pm
To Eric and Kizzle
I can’t say more, bravo guys.
I already have RE4,MP3,WarioWare,RE chronicles, Blazing angels,wii play, wii sports,DDR and my last purchase was soul calibur legends and I’m affraid that it might be the last, if i didn’t go and buy no more heroes. I just can’t something on the wii to beat my addiction to games like warriors orochi/dynasty warriors or god of war on PS2. I heard there’s a planned one for wii, is it true?
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
“I agree with Andrew-MG, except in the graphics area… Many Wii games do look fine, unless you compare them to a 360 or a PS3 game. Which would be unfair.”
I’d have to really disagree with this one, because when I talk about the Wii having overall subpar visuals, I’m not even attempting to compare them to the 360/PS3, I’m comparing them to GameCube/PS2/Xbox. Overall the graphics on the Wii (like Andrew-MG said, mostly 3rd party) haven’t even been as good as high end GameCube games, and I think that’s inexcusable. To make matters worse even some have looked like Dreamcast games, which is extremely inexcusable.
We all knew the Wii wouldn’t be a graphics horse but come on…there’s no excuse for anything less than probably high end last gen Xbox graphics. I chalk it up to the laziness put into the overall effort by these third parties. Nintendo has already proven the Wii can have outstanding graphics even for this gen’s standards (MP3, SMG, SSBB, heck I even think Twilight Princess looks great). Try a little harder people.
And I didn’t even mention the storage issue, something Nintendo has dropped the ball on big time.