Wii

[EricMM 0]

That's a good point, the graphics in Oblivion was obviously english due to the game being developed a few miles down the road from me.

 

However, if you're going to be making raised letters as graphics, translating would be a bitch and a half.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Im more and more taking every post over at Joystiq with a grain of salt and considering them trying to start a flame war from some side.

[Downhome 0]

Forbes reviews the Wii

 

Nintendo's Wii Is A Revolution

David M. Ewalt, 11.13.06, 9:15 AM ET

 

In 2005, when Nintendo unveiled its next-generation gaming console, the company revealed that the project's internal code name was "Revolution." Now that it's set to hit U.S stores on Nov. 19, the box will sell, oddly, as the Wii--pronounced "we." But Revolution remains a better fit.

 

To compete with Sony's (nyse: SNE - news - people ) PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Xbox 360, Nintendo (other-otc: NTDOY - news - people ) has re-invented videogaming, making it more social, more intuitive and surprisingly physically engaging. The Wii is indeed revolutionary, and it's potentially the device that will make videogaming as widely enjoyed as board or card games.

 

The feature that sets the Wii apart from both its competitors and its ancestors is the Wii remote, the device's control pad. Instead of a bulky, button-studded joystick, Nintendo has produced a slim wand that looks like a television remote control. It's connected to the console wirelessly, and more important, it's equipped with an innovative motion sensor that detects movement and rotation in three dimensions.

Read More From David M. Ewalt's Digital Download

 

In other words, the Wii remote allows users to get up, move around the room and become part of the game. If you want your character on the screen to swing his sword, you wield the remote and make the thrusts and parries yourself. In a game of baseball, you hold the remote like a bat, and swing for the stands when you want your virtual player to do the same.

 

By giving players the ability to physically interact with a virtual world, Nintendo has significantly changed the experience of videogaming. It's suddenly more immersive, more compelling and potentially more appealing to consumers who have never considered buying a videogame console before.

 

Last week, shortly after a Wii review unit arrived at Forbes.com's office, I set it up in a conference room to test it out. A colleague and I booted up Wii Sports, a collection of simple sports games that comes bundled with every console. It wasn't long before we were completely immersed in Wii Tennis. The simple mini-game replicates an actual tennis match as well as any I've ever seen: Since you're actually swinging the remote like you would a racket, you can hit with varying force or apply spin to the ball, depending on how you move your body.

 

Within minutes, we'd drawn a crowd, and only a short while after that, most of the editorial staff was packed into the conference room, laughing, enjoying the show and pushing for their turn at the remote. It was the first time since the original Nintendo Entertainment System came out in 1985 that videogaming felt like a party experience--not just because it was new, and worth gawking at, but because the experience is so much more physical, like Charades or Twister, and spectators can enjoy as much as the players.

 

After the hard-core gamers got their turns, less videogame-savvy editors took a shot, too. And it was here where the intuitive motion control system really proved its worth. There's no sequence of arcane button combinations required to throw a baseball: You just wind up and mime an actual throw. Suddenly, videogames are fun for everyone--old or young, male or female, regardless of prior gaming experience. I lost count of how many times I heard non-gamers say, "Wow, I want to get this."

 

The other phrase I heard a lot was something to the effect of, "There's no way I'm shelling out all that cash for a PlayStation 3." Sony's new game console, which debuts Nov. 17 in the U.S., will retail for $500 or $600, depending on whether you buy a basic setup or the premium version, which comes with a bigger hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi and a flash memory card reader. Similarly, Microsoft's Xbox 360, which debuted in November 2005, now retails at $300 or $400.

 

Compare that to the Wii's $250 price tag, and Nintendo's already got a leg up in the upcoming console war. By concentrating on innovating through game play, and ignoring its competitors' most high-tech features--super-powered processors, support for high-definition televisions and DVD formats--Nintendo has not only been able to keep its costs down, but it's hit upon the single thing that sets apart an entertainment device most: It's fun.

 

It's too early in the console war to tell if the Wii's upstart strategy will help Nintendo gain ground against Microsoft and Sony, both 800-pound gorillas of the gaming world. But if my early experience with the console--and the smiles on the faces of friends and colleagues--are any measure, Nintendo's got a huge hit on its hands.

[Guest Hotbutter Spoontoaster]

Sonic Solutions announced that Nintendo has chosen Sonic CinePlayer CE DVD Navigator as the Wii DVD playback solution. Nintendo plans to release a software based DVD Playback engine in 2nd half of 2007 to enable Wii to playback DVD videos.

[razazteca 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwIIVSJENGQ wii remote review

[Downhome 0]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/save...endo-214202.php

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I dont get the point of the DVD playback for the W!! really.

[Downhome 0]

IGN Reviews:

 

Trauma Center - 8.0

 

Wii Sports - 7.5

[Craig Th 0]

I dont get the point of the DVD playback for the W!! really.

Some people might want to play DVDs on them? I wouldn't, but plenty will.

 

Just about everyone used their PS2 as a DVD player.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I dont get the point of the DVD playback for the W!! really.

Some people might want to play DVDs on them? I wouldn't, but plenty will.

 

Just about everyone used their PS2 as a DVD player.

 

Nintendo should have launched it with the software to make it a DVD player instead of charging extra. But seriously, I doubt anyone is dying to use their W!! as a DVD player since I imagine it will be about as good of a dvd player as the ones that Wal Mart sells for $20.

[MrRant 0]

They did it so it would cost less without it.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

hell I use my PS2 now as a secondary DVD player for my room, for when my roommate is watching something on the main DVD.

[Guest Smues]

Apparantly Walmart.com had another Wii bundle up for a little bit before it sold out. A wii + EIGHT games for $650 I think it was. The way these ridiculous bundles still manage to sell out makes me think I won't be seeing a Wii for a long time.

[Craig Th 0]

Yeah, I was just about to do it then I realized how much of a rip off it is.

 

The PS3 bundle was $1500. I would have bought that, but it was sold out.

[AndrewTS 0]

A few Wii games are out already: Happy Feet, Spongebob, and Trauma Center 2nd Opinion.

 

I bought Trauma Center.

 

I would rate the box 8/10: very pretty and white, but shame it isn't smaller than a DVD case like the PS3 cases are.

 

Now I just need a Wii system, Zelda, and maybe Elebits.

[Craig Th 0]

Take a pic.

[AndrewTS 0]

I don't own a digital camera, sorry. Nor a scanner.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz got an 8.4 on IGN. I'll be picking it up on Sunday.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Come on... come on... come on...

 

Sorry, I had to.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

Come on... come on... come on...

 

Sorry, I had to.

 

When I'm waiting in line to get the Wii I might not be able to resist pacing back and forth going "come on....come on.....come on...."

 

lol

[AndrewTS 0]

The case is almost exactly the same as a 360 case except for the color. The disc holder, the areas where it snaps together, the weight--all the same. However, there's a Wii logo just above the disc.

 

On the back of the box, in the upper right corner are icons indicating the recommended weapons for taking on the game. In this case, it's the Wii Remote and Nunchuck attachment.

 

When you open it, there are two hinges at the far end of the spine--which is rather weird for a one-disc game. The Wii logo is right above the DVD holder.

[Craig Th 0]

Wait, you wish it was smaller like the PS3 case? Weren't you ripping on the HDDVD cases when they are the same size as the PS3 cases?

 

Yeah, that makes sense.

[AndrewTS 0]

Wait, you wish it was smaller like the PS3 case? Weren't you ripping on the HDDVD cases when they are the same size as the PS3 cases?

 

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

 

No, it appeared that the tops of them were bulging out to a larger area than the rest of the case, which would make them difficult to organize/stack. My perceptions were incorrect, though.

 

If I had my way they'd be CD jewel-case sized.

[Guest Hotbutter Spoontoaster]

Now I just need a Wii system, Zelda, and maybe Elebits.

Elebits doesn't come out until December.

[BUTT 0]

Gamespot reviews Excite Truck! And it kind of sucks!

 

http://www.gamespot.com/events/wiilaunch/s...p;click=topslot

[LJSexay 0]

wii getting pimped by CNN:

 

http://money.cnn.com/2006/11/15/commentary...sion=2006111511

 

Nintendo Wii: Funny name, fun system

Nintendo gambles with its new video game system -- and the rewards could be big.

Game Over is a regular column by Chris Morris

November 15 2006: 11:59 AM EST

 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- If nothing else, you have to give Nintendo points for courage. When competitors decided to zig as the next generation of video game systems came along, Nintendo zagged -- and that gutsy decision may well give it an enormous market share boost in the coming years.

 

The Wii, which goes on sale Sunday, Nov. 19 for $250, is not a graphical tour de force. It doesn't support high-definition graphics. And forget about HD-DVD or Blu-Ray; this thing doesn't even play current generation DVDs (for now at least - a second version will be released next year). But it does make the gaming industry more accessible to those it unintentionally excluded before. Briefly put: The Wii is one of those rare video game machines that's worth trying to pick up during its first holiday season.

 

The Nintendo Wii launches Sunday Nov 19 for $250.

 

Want more video game news and commentary? Click Mario Morris

That, of course, will be easier said than done. Hardcore gamers will be fighting hard to get one early. But if you do manage to find one, grab it. The price is considerably lower than what Sony (Charts) and Microsoft (Charts) are charging for their new offerings -- and the system is one the entire family will enjoy.

 

By now, you probably know the Wii's big hook: the controller. Instead of having to struggle with dual thumbsticks and a myriad of buttons, the Wii controls games with a simple device that resembles a remote control. The wireless unit, using internal sensors, translates your wrist and hand movements into onscreen actions. For example, if you're playing a baseball game, you'll swing the control like a bat. Tennis? Wave it like a racket. A shooter? Aim it at the onscreen target and pull the trigger. (A sensor bar subtly sits atop or below your TV to capture your movements.)

While it's easier for gaming neophytes to grasp conceptually, don't make the mistake of thinking the controller is something you can instantly master. Your first instinct when you start playing Wii games is to make big, broad movements. Doing so might feel satisfying, but will lose you the game fast. The trick is to teach yourself to move a bit more subtly.

 

Physically, the controller's smaller than you might expect. It's also lighter. But most importantly, it's extremely comfortable. Maybe it's because we're all used to holding remote controls at this point - but the hand cramps that can accompany traditional controllers aren't an issue with the 'Wiimote'. And since you'll be holding and waving this thing for potentially long periods, it's particularly welcome.

The controller also houses a small speaker, which can either offer audio clues to players or deepen the immersion factor (by simulating the crack of the bat in a baseball game, for instance).

 

One thing to keep in mind, though: You only get one controller with the system - and to really enjoy the Wii, you need to play with someone else. To pick up an extra controller (and Nunchuck attachment, which is required in many games), be prepared to shell out an extra $65.

It's all about the games. Of course, technology only reaches so far. If the games aren't fun, then the system isn't either.

 

Nintendo and its publishing partners are casting a wide net in their effort to bring in new customers, putting out a broad range of games during the launch window (defined as the period up to the end of 2006). Nintendo's own "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" is the crown jewel - and will likely command the most sales, but there are plenty of options.

Electronic Arts (Charts) offers a new way to play "Madden" (along with other sports franchises). Activision (Charts) will bring its latest "Call of Duty" and "Tony Hawk" games to the system. THQ (Charts) keeps its focus squarely on children with "Sponge Bob Square Pants" and "Cars" titles. And Atlus Software will let you use your Wii controller as a virtual forceps, defibrillator and more in "Trauma Center: Second Opinion".

On top of all of this, the Wii comes with a game ("Wii Sports") included in its retail package, something that has become a rarity in the industry. It's a title that ties in well with the Wii's mission of luring new players. Its mix of short baseball, bowling, tennis, boxing and golf games are simple to grasp and fun to play. (For more thoughts on the Wii launch games, read our review.)

 

You'll also be able to download and purchase games for older Nintendo systems with the Wii via what's called the "Virtual Console". However, we were unable to test this feature, as the service will not be enabled until the 19th.

 

One important note: Graphics aren't great on Wii games. In fact, they're generally on par with current generation systems, but Nintendo's betting that won't be a factor. If anything comes back to haunt them as we move later into this cycle in the industry, it will be graphical quality. For now, though, the innovative controls more than make up for the difference.

 

Beyond gaming, the Wii is Nintendo's first push to become a multimedia device, though it's going about this differently than the competition as well. Rather than acting as a DVD player, the Wii utilizes a broadband connection to let readers keep up with the latest news headlines and local forecast. Users will also be able to type out notes to each other in a rough approximation of email (though typing is a rather clunky process). (As with the Virtual Console, we were unable to test these features.)

Additionally, the Wii has a slot for SD memory cards, allowing you to display pictures from your digital camera or cell phone. Beyond the typical slideshow capabilities, you're also able to doctor photos, adding text and pre-set images (such as sunglasses, snowflakes, etc.) and playing with image type. No changes are saved to your actual photos, so you don't need to worry about permanently altering the shots of Aunt Sally's 50th birthday. You're also able to make puzzles out of your photos, which is a fun twist.

 

The biggest frustration is the Wii doesn't let you play games against your friends online out of the box. Nintendo is still working on the development software to offer what it feels is the optimal experience, but says the functionality is on the way. (It has not given any sort of timeline for this, however.)

 

It's a minor quibble - one that will bother hardcore gamers a lot more than the casual and new players that are Nintendo's chief focus this generation.

 

With the Wii, a new type of gaming system has hit the industry. If the Xbox 360 and PS3 are Lamborghinis, the Wii is a Mini Cooper. It will never win a speed race. It will never be the flashiest. But it's something that appeals to people who might not take notice otherwise - and it's a heck of a lot of fun.

 

alllright.. soon we will finally know just how much the wii is underpowered compared to the PS360. It will obviously be a notable difference - will it really make a difference, though?

[BUTT 0]

Well IGN gave Excite Truck an 8.0.

 

And they gave Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam a 7.0.

[Black Lushus 0]

okay...so what's the scoop on this thing? Is this a case where if you didn't reserve one, you're going to be screwed or is Nintendo planning to ship out enough between now and Christmas?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Dumb question...why couldn't they make this thing Hi-Def compatible? I have an HDTV, and I have playing Gamecube on it.

[devo 0]

okay...so what's the scoop on this thing? Is this a case where if you didn't reserve one, you're going to be screwed or is Nintendo planning to ship out enough between now and Christmas?

 

More than likely the latter. I've heard that nearly every major retailer of video games in the country is going to be getting a significant amount of consoles.