Wii turns two as industry dominance continues
- November 19, 2008 10:21 AM PST
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Nintendo's birthday gift for the Wii was the same this year as it was in 2007: Incredible sales, hardware shortages and more top 10 first party IP.
As the Wii enters its second year of life, the sales continue, the dust settles (on the console, some would say incorrectly), and new possibilities lay on the horizon.
Indeed, the past two years were a whirlwind for the console, billed over and over again by its handlers in Kyoto as the everyman, woman and child's system, thanks to its low buy in cost, motion controls and easy accessibility.
Consumers have rewarded Nintendo in droves for this approach, even as the most passionate of gamers have cried foul over a perceived lack of serious titles and a smothering online presence whose Friend Codes are a nuisance, to say the least.
The complaints have fallen on deaf ears for the most part, however, as Nintendo to date has sold 15 million Wii consoles to a formerly hardcore-dominated U.S. audience. For you number crunchers, that's about 2 million more than second place Xbox 360, which had a full year head start.
With shortages predicted to strike retailers again this holdiday--recession be damned--it's looking more and more like Nintendo could sell another 15 million by this time next year.
And, for once, on this milestone moment the success goes beyond hardware. Nintendo consoles, previously lambasted by critics and financial types because of a lack of software, now boast a wide range of titles. From mounds of shovelware to chart-topping first party IP, the Wii has surprised, for better or worse.
Since 2006, the Wii has hosted major 1rst party releases that not only managed to take top honors on the sales charts, they did it for far longer than competing mega-titles with multimillion dollar budgets and equally marketing campaigns. Case in point: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii Fit, and Wii Play, as eclectic a mix of software as there ever was, are currently the top selling games of 2008. Only one "hardcore" title, the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto IV, managed to crack the top 5 with a third place finish. Metal Gear Solid 4? A distant memory in #2 seller Mario Kart Wii's rear view mirror.
Other titles, such as Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and a spate of Wario titles, have proven that the past two years have not seen the typical first party "Nintendo Drought" made infamous on the GameCube.
Third parties have seen successes both large and small too, although you might not think it when reading popular Internet opinion. Resident Evil 4 sold well, as did the Wii version of Guitar Hero 3. Ubisoft is in the ascendancy thanks, largely, to the early bet it made in 2006 on the Wii's chances. Even games that didn't sell well out of the gate, like Steven Spielberg's Boom Blox, found legs over the long run as an evergreen title. In fact, it did so well EA confirmed today that Boom Blox 2 was in development.
However, it's not all puppies and rainbows. Just as LittleBigPlanet has struggled to meet expectations on the PS3, so too have other great games floundered on the Wii. Zack and Wiki, No More Heroes and de Blob were also met with much love from the reviewers, while enjoying only modest sales. And the storage issue, ever an elephant in the room for a Nintendo, remains woefully under addressed. A spring time fix could help, but details are scarce as to what this magical SD card fix might entail.
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- Nov 19 2008 at 10:51:42:AM PST
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I still think that the Wii gets no credit for whats its done. I mean it is an amazing system, granted for you graphic whores its not powerful enough, but for gamers like me that depend mostly on game play entertainment and not just on graphics, its a great syste.
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Wii haters havent played MP3, SMG, TP, bloomblox, fire emblem, SSBB, RE4 wii, and more.
These games are awesom. Yes the wii has crap, but so does every console ever made.
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trackrunner89 wrote:
Wii haters havent played MP3, SMG, TP, bloomblox, fire emblem, SSBB, RE4 wii, and more.
These games are awesom. Yes the wii has crap, but so does every console ever made.
Well toilet paper has been around for years and no one makes a big deal about it. They both used for the same purpose : clean up shit! The Wii has toilet paper beat, it absorbs shit and sells it. Happy B-Day Little Wii.
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What I liked about the Wii haters was that just as it came out there were people complaining that they will never play it because the graphics were just absolutely horrible. It just made me laugh because they were talking at the time as if they were used to 360 and PS3 graphics for years, rather than PS2 graphics. It was just obvious that they had a bigger problem with the name Nintendo. I doubt many of them had played 360 at the time.
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I wonder where the rest of the trolls are? Before the day ends I guarantee that we will have at least four comment pages of Wii bashing.
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It doesn't need credit anyway, its making sales numbers, and that's always better :)
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It took 10 years for Nintendo to sell 61 million NES systems, and only 2 to sell 35 million Wiis. It looks like it will surpass its great-great-great grandfather half the time. The Wii is a great system for people who are into more than first person shooters. Sure, it's got loads of garbage games, but it also has a lot of gems. For someone who like a wide variety of games, they system is fantastic, and the fact that a must have title doesn't come out every two weeks is also good, because I wouldn't have the time or money to play each game.
Regardless of what the idiots say, the graphics are excellent on the Wii, even if they aren't overkill like on the other consoles. But then again, I am more concerned about gameplay rather than graphics.
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why do ppl bash the wii. When sms came out in 1986, did ppl hate the nes. When the jaguar and sega add ons in (1993-94) came out did ppl bitch at the snes. Like the ps3 and 360 are any better. One has good online, but u could just stare at it and it will break. the other is a system that doesnt really have any good exclusives and its too complex to develop for (reminds me of the sega saturn, although saturn had good games, but the developing games for that system was a bitch).
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Mine just stopped working two weeks ago!!! Does anyone know what can I do? I live in Mexico, and there are no Nintendo offices in here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to buy more games, but not another Wii, since they sell it (here) for $450 US dlls!!!!!
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Yup it still dominates the Dust Bunnies
Dust Bunny King all hail the Wii!!
I see mine now as nothing but annoying as something extra to dust that I have no use for
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