Wee Wii Woos

After a quick go with the Nintendo Wii my nephew somehow got hold of (I’m assured no rival shoppers were trampled over), it’s clear it’s not only going to dominate the ‘family console’ market, but could also attract large numbers of older, more experienced gamers. Yeah, the graphics are simple and the controller can be frustratingly imprecise, but it’s great fun and can only improve as programmers refine the controls and networking features are introduced. I’m seriously tempted to buy one in the new year.

Microsoft has the lead when it comes to more conventional gaming, with the Xbox 360 being a must-have for anyone with a nice HD telly, so it seems Sony will be left to pick up the crumbs this time around.

Sun 17th Dec 2006, 2:22pm GMT

Filed under: Games and Multimedia, Hardware, Offline

Comments

I hear that. I've been a gamer for a long time but have long since given up getting family to play. Well, when I brought my Wii to my family, they were the ones harassing me to play pane after pane of bowling, and further, they were trying to get grampa to give it a try.
I also found the imprecision of the controller to be an interesting concern. It seemed utterly woeful when I started, but I think my brain started compensating and I don't notice it anymore.

— Greg, 17th Dec, 3:52pm

Being blessed (cursed) with an analytical (cynical) mind, I couldn't avoid the slow realisation that clever programming had conned me into thinking this device was doing much more than registering when I moved my hand! Still it feels great to play, and I'll probably be buying one.

— morcs, 21st Dec, 7:00pm

It's funny, everyone who's into games says the same thing: that it feels too 'dumbed down' at the moment, but they want one anyway. That's why I reckon it could go beyond the family market, they just needs to prove that the controller can be used in more subtle ways.

— Matt Round, 21st Dec, 7:51pm

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