Let's Put The 'Wii Novelty' Argument To Rest

There are people out there who believe that the Wii is a novelty that it will 'wear off' in the near future. Sounds to me like the same kind of people who thought the DS novelty will wear off. The Wii has changed the way we interact with games and there is no going back.

Let's compare the points between the portable race and the console race.

Benefits of the PSP:

• Superior graphics
• Multimedia capable (music, movies, etc)
• Faster processors

Hmm...sounds like the benefits of some console systems (PS3, Xbox 360).

Benefits of the DS:

• New input mechanic
• Focus on gameplay instead of 'bigger, faster, prettier'
• Games end up being fun instead of complicated

Hmm...sounds like the benefits of a console also (Wii).

Now, don't get me wrong, graphics are great. However, if graphics over gameplay mattered that much, the PSP would be beating the DS. I would hardly call the new input mechanic of the DS a 'novelty' (which was widely claimed at its launch) after still being a sell-out 2.5 years later. It has now been six months since the Wii launched and people still can't get their hands on a system. I wouldn't call that a 'novelty', I would call it an innovative system repeating DS's successful history.

Sorry, but only video-philes are complaining about the graphics on the Wii (and they are a small fraction of the population). We have been playing the same games, with the same input devices, with prettier visuals for far too long. We needed a change. A change that would disrupt the industry, and bring gaming back to the masses.

Will the Wii interface last forever? Of course not, but things need to change. Will there still be a need for traditional controllers? Yes. Will Nintendo bring the next great interface innovation? Who knows, but the Wii is the next step in the evolution of gaming.

Let's put it this way, there were people who thought the d-pad was a novelty, the analog stick was a novelty, heck, people even said video games were a novelty. Innovation has driven this industry forward and the Wii is the latest successful evolution, and there is no looking back.

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Posted by Wiiviews

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