I have to say that my opinion of the Wii (as previously discussed here, but mostly on Dan’s blog) has only been solidified after playing it tonight. Dan and Sara brought their fresh new console over tonight and we all had a blast, adults and kids alike. The relatively simple game that comes with it (Wii Sports) is made so much more fun just because of the new controller. Jason and Brooke had a similar first experience with it.
I think that once people (especially non-”gamers”) get into this and see how fun it can be, the hype will skyrocket the Wii to the top of the charts. It’s already bypassed the PS3 in sales (according to this site – thanks to Dan for the link) and I only see that increasing as the undoubtedly rave reviews of the Wii are spread by word of mouth.
It seems like it’s the kind of thing that will really bridge the gap to people who aren’t heavily into games, which I don’t see the PS3 doing, and even the X-Box to a very great degree even though they both tried some stuff to extend beyond “just gaming”. The problem is, MS and Sony both went the “additional tech” route (with HD / DVD and other fancy media integration features), while Nintendo just pretty much stuck to gaming, and made something that more people will want to play. I think it will be the winning strategy in the end.
I also think that the lackluster PS3 launch / flop will really hurt Sony even worse than it normally would have, as now all the many people with $600 burning a hole in their pocket who couldn’t buy a PS3 will realize that they’re much more likely to find a Wii available first, and get it (and an extra controller) for still under half the cost, which they can spend on more games or just save.
Cute title, honey. Yeah…it was really fun. It is was so funny to watch and participate because you have to actually imitate the real action for the sport – bowling, tennis – etc. Definitly worth it. Thanks, Camerons for sharing your new toy with us!
No problem. Just you wait only a few weeks for you guys.