The set-up: I was not satisfied with the E3 demo Nintendo prepared for the press to demonstrate “Wii Fit.” It appeared to hide a damaging flaw.
The mini-games Nintendo showed for the exercise program mainly involved standing on the board and doing activities that seemed to require a bit of the honors system. How would the board know, for example, that a “Fit” player was moving his or her arms in the proper aerobic swings demonstrated on screen? One of the primary habits of the gamer is to find shortcuts: skip the instruction manual; use the same guaranteed-touchdown plays in “Madden,” not really read out loud in the reading-out-loud part of “Brain Age,” run “Sim City” overnight to build up tax revenue, etc. So I started to wonder how short-cut-proof “Wii Fit” is.
Could someone buy “Wii Fit” with all the best intentions but be seduced into using easier methods to cheat the system? I asked my E3 Nintendo rep if I could conduct an experiment:
When I told N’Gai Croal at Newsweek about my experiment, he said it’s proof that Nintendo could make a good luge game. He had some other comments too, but, really, make your own jokes.
July 30th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I love Nintendo, but I hope all these Wii-pherals (Wii + peripherals. Get it? :P) don’t backfire on them.
Wiigun, Wii-Fit and soon Wii-steering wheel.
Reminds me of the NES days with the Zapper, ROB and the dance mat. We all know they never really did anything special after their novelty wore off.
But, who knows… Nintendo must have some pretty intelligent monkeys chained down in their basements because no company would EVER (not ever) take a BLIND plunge and drastically change their philosophy like Nintendo did by releasing a console with the same horsepower as the last generation (It doesn’t even have a real noticeable minimal jump in graphics like the Dreamcast did) and a remarkably different control scheme that could have surely alienated everyone away from the console.
I’m pretty sure Sony or Microsoft would never have the balls to do it anyway.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Excuse me ReyVGM, but Nintendo DEFINATLY didn’t release a console with the same horsepower as last generation. The wii is more powerful than twice the original xbox, and while not as powerful as the PS3 or the Xbos360, the Wii is still way more powerful than the last gen consoles. I feel that many developers use the fact that the wii is less powerful as an excuse to not use the system to its fullest. Also, the control scheme definatly didn’t alienate everyone, and they probably realized that after the DS. Please try researching what you’re talking about a bit before saying statements like that.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:46 am
I can’t believe that you left out my Toilet Training joke. But I will admit that my WiiSitty name for your video was best left on the cutting room floor.
Cheers,
N.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Jared, wtf are you talking about?
The Wii is roughly on the same power level as the GC (or Xbox is you prefer).
If it was twice as powerful as the Xbox then we would be seeing Wii-graphics above the Xbox and lower than the 360.
Something like the Dreamcast that was above the N64 (in terms of graphic power) but below the PS2 (not at first though).
If you want to talk about RAM, then yes, the Wii is twice as powerful as an Xbox.
Let’s not start a pissing match now about what is more powerful and what is not. You’ll lose.
And I didn’t say the control scheme alienated people. Please read my post more carefully before typing vomit in Totilo’s comments.
I’m a mega Nintendo fanboy and there’s nothing more than to see Nintendo be the best at everything (graphics included), but I am also realistic (something most Internet fanboys lack) about the graphics part and I don’t preach that whole Wii-is-two-Gamecubes #%?~~@#@. Grow a pair and face the fact that Wii games will not look _TWICE_ as better as an Xbox/GC game.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Oh by the way N’Gai, your Ebert’s “VG are not Art” dissection was extremely awesome!
I sure wish Ebert cared enough to actually read it with an open mind and accept the fact that his old age, cancer sickness and uneducated nature with the medium might just be contributing to his prejudice.
I don’t know why people even get upset about it. He once replaced those old people that thought Movies were trash for the people and soon we will replace those old people that think VG are only for kids and/or not art.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Hey guys, I love the debate, but please let’s skip any more ad hominem attacks, especially regarding things like cancer.
-Stephen
July 31st, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I really wasn’t attacking him, I was just pointing out that his old age, cancer and un-education with the medium might be contributing to his prejudice towards VG.
If you were his age and with cancer I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t care enough about something as trivial as VG to actually change your mind about it.
His old age makes him difficult to accept new things, the cancer operation (hopefully removed) makes him tired and his un-education with the medium makes him miss the point about if VG are art or not.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:27 pm
ReyVGM, I didn’t mean to say that you said that the control scheme alienated anyone, I said that based on the DS’s success, Nintendo, would’ve realized that there was almost no risk with a new control scheme. Also, the games right now have extremely crappy graphics, but the wii is capable of much more.
http://www.wiisworld.com/wii-specs.html
July 31st, 2007 at 9:51 pm
i hope you smeared some cream down after you left, cause really, there is a reason they made everyone wear booties at e3. wait, do booties come with the retail version, cause if so im in, also did you try playing with your hands? cause that would be an interesting position!
Stephen Totillo is funny!
the poop jokes made the camera guy laugh! take that kadus and lala. ha wait, they were fired right?
b
August 1st, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Hey ReyVGM… you’re awfully concerned about graphical power for someone with a website like yours. Talk about an eyesore, have you ever even HEARD of CSS? And who the hell still uses frames?
Maybe you should spend your time making your website less ugly, and stop trying to crap on a console you’re jealous of.
All the horsepower in the world doesnt make a lick of difference. The 3DO was a graphical beast, and look how successful it was. I hope the fact that your 360 is more powerful will comfort you when you get the red ring of death, and all you have left are expensive coasters of crappy re-hashed FPS’es.
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:40 pm
“you’re awfully concerned about graphical power ”
I am not concerned about that, when did I say that?
“have you ever even HEARD of CSS”
Nope I haven’t. What is it?
“And who the hell still uses frames”
What are frames?
“making your website less ugly”
Yours would be much prettier right?
“stop trying to crap on a console you’re jealous of.”
Jealous of a console I own? That’s funny, stop being an idiot.
“All the horsepower in the world doesnt make a lick of difference”
It does make a difference. Not in game play though. Even so, who said anything about that? Stop being an idiot.
“the fact that your 360 is more powerful will comfort you ”
I don’t have a 360. Again, stop being an idiot. Re-read my post again and try to grasp what I was clearly saying.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Popular Science…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
October 18th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
video games…
Sounds very good for me. You got any more links regarding this?…
November 5th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
How To Start A Blog…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…
November 14th, 2007 at 3:15 am
Jack…
This post got to the point, check it out….
March 20th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Rey, the console really does have great specs, i don’t know where you were told that the wii is of equal power to a gamecube. It has amazing potential that it can use, but nobody wants to use them because they have lazyass syndrome. I.e. twilight princess rocked out loud. Whilst it seems to be the same as the gamecube, the wii also had to run an acceleration and dimention program to calculate a swing attack and its directions. Then it had to re-do that for the nunchuk.
Dear jesus, i wrote all that!? My good sir, this is proof i am a nerd. ^.^