I keep forgetting to give a little bit of explanation for my Wii evangelism. A couple people have mentioned that they’ve been reading the references to it on my site and they just don’t get what the big fuss is about. I mean, “it’s just a video game, right?” Here’s the thing: I’m not a video gamer. I loved Atari and NES back in the day, but I haven’t really been into video games in, like, the last ten years. Why? Because all the games suck. They all seem to be first person shooters or real-time strategy… and I’m just not into those. (My all-time favorite games NES games were Tetris and Dr. Mario and Super Spike V Ball.) I don’t care that Sony and Microsoft keep pumping out more polygons so I can shoot ever more realistic looking people. That’s not fun. So then I read this article about the Nintendo Wii, and here’s the bit that really got me: “The classic controller was something we had become fond of and gamers had become comfortable with. It had many important elements. But it also had come to dictate a lot of what went into games—the way graphics were made, the way battles were fought in role-playing games, the arc of in-game stories. They were all being made to fit one standard. Creativity was being stifled, and the range of games was narrowing.” Exactly, dude. So the idea was to go in a completely different direction, to step back and see if maybe the way we interact with technology could change the types of game being created. And that’s what sucked me in. I feel cheesy for saying it, but buying the Wii was almost political for me. I wanted to let the industry know that there’s a market beyond 15-30 year old males. And the best part is – it’s actually pretty fun! So now I’m a gamer.
6 responses
You might like the Blue Sky in Games campaign. 🙂
Unfort, the political thing gets a little lost on the big boys. Sony and MS have a target of 18-30 yo Males, but Nintendo doesn’t, and never have or will. So the industry just pats you on the head for doing exactly what they expect.
I had a fight in Best Buy yesterday with a salesman; just because I have boobs and enjoyed Viva Pinata, doesn’t mean I’m not a gamer. I used to manage an EB, please don’t assume I’m an idiot. Grrrr.
::le sigh:: I want a Wii. Not since the Super Nintendo have I wanted a system to play with. Tres cool.
I’m gonna get a Wii for a lot of the same reasons, Kris. I’m hoping my wife (who is a mean Dr. Mario player, but not much else) will get into Wii too.
Yes – Dr. Mario! We were gifted my parents’ old school Nintendo and before we had kids, we had a couple sweet all-night Dr. Mario tournaments with our friends. So addictive…
Did you see this Kris, http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36239
Glad you’re enjoying your Wii. I’ll be getting one sometime.