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Time says Wii Sports greatest game ever made
time.com — "Wii Sports, a collection of cartoonish tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing scenarios, comes with the system. I had presumed that it was merely an elaborate demonstration of the Wii Remote, which responds to natural motions rather than arcane button combinations. I discovered quickly that it might be the greatest videogame ever made."
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- kkaabboomm, on 10/12/2007, -4/+38good non-gamer mainstream press 'review', but i guess he hadn't figured out by writeup time that it need not be physical, as the last line suggests. as he continues to explore, i'd hope he'd realize this. large motions are good for the beginning, etc, but small motions seem to be the way to go long-term.
PA sums it up best, though:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/13- 1021, on 10/12/2007, -16/+107Yeah, TIME... that's where I get my video game reviews...
- Yashar, on 10/12/2007, -50/+12Time just lost all their gamer credibility.
- saska, on 10/12/2007, -10/+34Iwata is laughing all the way to the bank.
- Microdot, on 10/12/2007, -32/+10what 1021 said.
getting past all of the hangups on the console itself... ive played wii-sports. its entertaining at best (in short spurts)... at worst, annoying. but for free, you cant really bitch. but "best game ever"??????? who the ***** do they think they're kidding? - byrdy, on 10/12/2007, -9/+41It's actually a enjoyable game for anyone to pick up and play. If my mom and dad enjoyed playing it with me everyday, that would make it the greatest game of all time. =)
- dr00, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6well to be fair, it is a summation from a non-gamer perspective and is mostly intended to be read by non-gamers.
in those terms, it could quite possibly be a very great game (even then, i doubt its "greatest ever" title). i'm really excited to see if my parents and other non-gaming relatives will play it though. - Diggemz, on 10/12/2007, -24/+5Obviously the folks at time never played Halo or GoW.
On another note, how much do you think Time got paid by Nintendo to say that? - byrdy, on 10/12/2007, -13/+7Diggemz, obviously your a young'n
On another note, how long before you flunk out of school for playing too much Halo or GoW? - ZenMojo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6"Might be..." the operative words.
- vbsurfer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28FYI: To most people, the greatest game ever was Tetris. This could possibly be the greatest game ever.
- devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -8/+31021 - you may not get your reviews there, but that's why the review is there isn't it? For the people who don't get their game reviews /anywhere/.
- darryl242, on 10/12/2007, -15/+1"Time says Wii Sports greatest game ever made"
Ah, try again:
"Time says Wii Sports MIGHT BE THE greatest game ever made (IF YOU SMOKE THE CRACK)" - 23r17i05o42n, on 10/12/2007, -19/+1That's pretty much the nail in the coffin for the Wii. Obviously Wii is for kids and moms and dads....not real gamers. Excuse me while I go play Gears of War, a real video game.
- ministewy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12"Obviously the folks at time never played Halo or GoW."
Can you honestly see people of that age group spending to time to first off learn how to play a game like Halo or Gears, and then actually play it through??
Yes those are amazing games but thats not the point, the point is that this is someone who has never played video games before and now for the first time is intrigued by it and wants to share the experience with other non-gamers.
I'm pretty sure this is exactly what games like Wii Sports were made for... - mrRB, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7@23r17i05o42n: Wait, so if the majority of people like Wii Sports, how exactly, is that fatal for Nintendo? I look forward to your dazzling insights.
- thomasprebble, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Somebody sounds like a Microsoft fanwhore.
- rmones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Obviously the folks at time never played Halo or GoW."
Does GoW really deserve to be up there with Halo at this point? From what i see it has a single player that is actually worth playing (which should be expected) and a crummy multiplayer that needs work to say the least. Lets not forget that Halo2 is one of the best uses of console multiplayer, plus a flawless single player campaign.
sorry, im just sick of people instantly calling something a classic. - devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1let's all just block the guy with the name starting with 2... I've seen too many annoying posts by the bastard, he's clearly just a troll. [push the button]
- thund3rstruck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Does GoW really deserve to be up there with Halo at this point?"
Quite frankly, yes it does. I enjoyed Halo but I really love GOW. I'm not into the multiplayer (or online) aspects of gaming so for me GOW destroys Halo.
- coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -8/+21I think that Wii Sports might be the greatest game in the same way Eyetoy and Eyetoy 2 were. They were new. They were fun to play with drunk people. But you still won't end up playing the whole thing for more than a few weeks on and off and maybe when you have people over for a party.
- Angostura, on 10/12/2007, -4/+37Sounds like it is an ideal choice for bundling with the machine, through.
- coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Of course it is. It's a fun game for families to get together and play and it exemplifies the various motions that the wiimote can pick up. It's a great game for packaging with the system.
- bking, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6You can't compare eyetoy to Wii. Eyetoy was a $60 peripheral, which worked properly about half the time. The gameplay options were limited, and there really weren't many directions developers could go with it. It could sense sudden movement in 2d space, and that's about it.
The Wiimote is not a gimmick, as the entire system is designed around it. Between the pointer, the buttons, and the accelerometers, Wii has enough flexibility to cater to a variety of gameplay styles and control mechanics. True, Wii Sports may make use of a player's movements, but that's where the similarities end. As long as the player has friends and gatherings, or needs a break from more in-depth games, Wii Sports will have plenty of replay value. - coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6Wow...what planet are you from? For $50 you could get Eyetoy and the game and although the first one was a bit rough (although fun) the second one was surprisingly accurate and incredibly fun. Not only were the games more in-depth, the demos showed exactly what the eyetoy could do. With shape and color recognition, eyetoy could turn any brightly colored distinct object (i.e. a banana) into a very accurate "magic wand" or control device. Depending on how big or small it got in relation to what it already was or what position it was moved to on screen it could track and translate those movements very well.
Don't pretend the wiimote is some leap into the future. They're both very alike. Anyways, I'm not saying that the wiimote in itself is a short-lived device, I'm just saying you're not going to get hours and hours of gameplay out of Wii Sports...it's more of a party game. - fauxXenophanes, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3The Wiimote can't be all bad if Sony tried ( in vain ) to rip it off.
- bking, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3coheed, do you live in a TV studio with lights and a greenscreen? Because that seems to be the only place anybody could get that thing working properly. You're comparing a magna-doodle to Adobe Illustrator. Stop.
- coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Haha, yeah because motion sensing in controllers is the most complex and ingenious form of control ever. Sure it's new, but it's not the ***** messiah of gaming that you seem to believe it is.
Also, I live in a small apartment and the Eyetoy I use faces a corner. The only time I've ever had problems with the system is when the bulb was out in the main lamp and the only light we had was coming in from the kitchen. Otherwise, it works great.
- tddk, on 10/12/2007, -56/+11LOL what a joke, Wii fans stop spamming digg with all this information about wii...we are sick of seeing 10 topics a day saying how Wii is a Godly System....Just leave digg alone for one day. Thats all I ask!
You don't see me running around posting how much the 360 kicks PS3, do you?- mywhitenoise, on 10/12/2007, -37/+5the 360 sucks.
- ace277, on 10/12/2007, -21/+3@tddk
no because that's not true - GeneralFailure0, on 10/12/2007, -24/+8@mywhitenoise
Your mom sucks.
*Plays Gears of War* - TheMikey, on 10/12/2007, -19/+5She swallows too ;)
- devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7It's no use complaining in a democratic system like this.. obviously this is what the digg community wants in general - you happen to be an exception. Deal with it.
- magical1492, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8User moderation doesn't work.
- bagboyrebel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7but the 360 doesn't come out in 6 days.
- techpimp, on 10/12/2007, -17/+9"A model deomonstrates Nintendo's new interactive video-game console, Wii, by swinging it's remote, which has a built-in motion sensor, to simulate the motion of a tennis raquet. ."
Should be submitted to engrish.com- Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -9/+24It was a sophisticated sentence no doubt. It was, however, perfectly correct in grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
Please don't hate just because someone writes better English than you do. I'm sure it happens all the time. - tmarcV2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Except that if she swung at that distance she'd end up with a broken TV
- MattyLite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The only thing I see wrong with that sentence is the incorrect use of the word "it's"
- cinemaniac1979, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Hey buelldozer:
Actually, it's not correct. You shouldn't be so quick to dish out the tongue lashings when you yourself didn't catch the errors in the sentence. The editors of time.com should hang their heads in shame.
Look closely:
"A model deomonstrates Nintendo's new interactive video-game console, Wii, by swinging it's remote, which has a built-in motion sensor, to simulate the motion of a tennis raquet."
When was the last time you "deomonstrated" something to someone? Also, who taught you the difference between "its" and "it's" (in case looking it up is too taxing for you, the sentence literally translates to "swinging it is remote"-- the possessive form of "it" takes no apostrophe.
Oh, and you have fun playing with your "raquet". I'll opt for a "racquet" or "racket" like normal people instead. :) - ElectricGrandpa, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8How the hell is buelldozer getting dugg up so much? Are there really that many digg users who can't bother to read the sentence for themselves to see whether it's actually?
To summarize:
- "deomonstrates" is wrong, and should be "demonstrates".
- "it's" is wrong, and should be "its".
- "raquet" is wrong, and should be "racquet"
- Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -9/+24It was a sophisticated sentence no doubt. It was, however, perfectly correct in grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
- HOTM, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5Seems like more of a good experience then greatest game ever made. Something new. But hey, I still have yet to play it.
- bunnymanjp, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5okay how much they payed them
- HOTM, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5The Wii is made by Nintendo, not Sony.
- totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -3/+35Actually, the Time magazine reviewer (and his readers) are probably Nintendo's target audience for Wii Sports-so looks like they nailed it in this case.
- paulgreber, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Totally agree with you there. Nintendo wants to make the Wii into a family machine and target other markets besides the hardcore gamers. This review is really good publicity because it focuses on those markets.
Wii Sports is a game like Mario Party in that you don't have to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy it. All you need are a few friends to play it with and you can have a great time.
- paulgreber, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Totally agree with you there. Nintendo wants to make the Wii into a family machine and target other markets besides the hardcore gamers. This review is really good publicity because it focuses on those markets.
- fallenone05, on 10/12/2007, -8/+17I like it when my dad comes over and says to me "I don't understand why you like those video games" and walks off and leaves me alone. Which is why I am not getting a Wii because it will encourage my family to want to play with it.
yes, I have issues- gikeymarcia, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8You've made the best point of anyone in this article. I don't want non-gamers touching my new shiny system and pissing me off with their surely bad taste in games.
- vvvv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Your dad goes over to your house, disses your chosen hobby, and then just leaves? What a jerk. No wonder you have issues.
- bash, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Elitism: It's the new black.
- Moopy, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4The writer was quite obviously using rhetoric when he said Wii Sports is the best game ever.
- Genesee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10have to hand it to nintendo's marketing agency, though -- it's near impossible to escape the wii hype bombardment lately....
- carlwalton, on 06/02/2008, -5/+18"Finally, all this physical activity has a downside. As thrilled as I am that I now can play videogames in lieu of other aerobic exercise, I am sore. It may be the good soreness of muscles in need of a long-overdue workout"
Good! This is exactly what games need. Too many people are sitting around playing games all day and getting unhealthy. At least now they get to play evidently fun games and stay a little bit more athletic. Fair enough, I own an Xbox360, but I also have time to play football (soccer), go for a run, or generally keep myself fit. It really annoys me that lots of other people my age (18), and even more so a little younger than myself aren't getting much, if any, physical activity in their lives. Bring on the Wii!- gikeymarcia, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4It annoys you that I don't exercise? It annoys me that you don't stfu and keep out of others lifestyle choices.
- imcompa, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9I'm starting a pro wii sports league if anyone wants to join. It's going to be like pro Dance Dance Revolution!
- wallyson, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6Same thing with my family. They just dont understand, I want to get them into the "digital" age. Something is always more fun when you can do it with your family.
- airstrike, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11it reminds me of good old 'california games', which was possibly the greatest game at that time. i remember EIGHT people could play it (that was back in 1990, guys) and we would never get tired. maybe gamers nowadays ask more from the systems they purchase, but i'm sure all of those looking for casual videogaming will have a great time. and that is the main purpose of this console: to attract those people who haven't played any games in the past years because it either has a steep learning curve (winning eleven, anyone?) or because you need to dedicate so much of yourself (or of your time) to finish the game.
- natonzor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1strangely enough.. i was playing Spyro on an ageing PS1... with the craptacular graphics to boot. But a strange thing happened - i was playing, and playing, then BOOM - i stopped noticing the graphics. I was having too much fun.
Hopefully the Wii repeats this.
- natonzor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1strangely enough.. i was playing Spyro on an ageing PS1... with the craptacular graphics to boot. But a strange thing happened - i was playing, and playing, then BOOM - i stopped noticing the graphics. I was having too much fun.
- merdiesel, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1USA today, TIME... Man we get all the premiere insider news for the next gen wars here on Digg...
::sarcasm:: - Brewdaddy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5The author says widescreen isn't possible. Isn't that incorrect?
I'm pretty sure I saw widescreen Zelda shots.- tmarcV2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Nintendo obviously didn't send him the component (HD) cables. they don't come in the box you have to buy them
- gridbread, on 10/12/2007, -9/+5Yeah TIME, I'm sure it is.
- xerus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10I think you guys are taking this the wrong way. Wii Sports is going to be the gateway game for a lot of non-gamers, just like Brain Age on the DS. In that sense it very well could be the "greatest game ever." But greatest game ever as in competing with the likes of Zelda, Metroid, or whatever else, I dont think so.
- matrage, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Still waiting for....
"Yea but insert ps3 fanboy comment here" so "hateful comment about Nintendo or you mother"
- o0joshua0o, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9This reviewer is most definitely NOT a harcore gamer, or even a gamer at all. I cringed when he said that the new Zelda game "looks okay".
That said, it sounds like Nintendo accomplished exactly what they wanted to with this game: to expand the market.- Aupajo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Well I consider myself a serious gamer and Zelda doesn't look that great, especially for next-gen. This is a topic that game reviews have brought up about it.
From the latest Penny Arcade blog:
"The game doesn't look very good. I don’t just mean it doesn’t look like Gears of War either, I mean it doesn’t even look good for a GC game and let’s be honest here that’s what we’re talking about. I’ve seen beautiful games on the Cube. Crystal Chronicles, Wind Waker and Resident Evil 4 were all incredible looking games. Twilight Princess can’t really compare to any of them."
And if you can't trust Gabe, who can you trust?
That's not discrediting your comment, I agree with what you're saying bar that one point. - Prophet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2o0joshua0o: "That said, it sounds like Nintendo accomplished exactly what they wanted to with this game: to expand the market."
Yep, that's the whole point. The Wii isn't just for gamers. You try telling a non-gamer why Xbox (whatever version) or PlayStation (again, any version) is a great console, they'll just stare at you blankly. Those machines were built for you, for gamers, but for everyone else, they just seem silly.
Incidentally, this is one more reason Nintendo is going to sell more of these than the other two combined. There are millions of gamers, and these are the people who post online, and are generally the most visible. But there are billions of non-gamers. If you can make a system that just a small percentage of them will buy, you're already doing better than if you just limited yourself to gamers. But no one will notice, cause it's the gamers that post reviews, that point out all the flaws, point out how they compare to other consoles, point out that the graphics aren't the best, that you look like an idiot waving your arms around. And all the while, Nintendo just keeps on raking in the cash...
...They need to add "Wii" and "Xbox" to the spell checker.
- Aupajo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Well I consider myself a serious gamer and Zelda doesn't look that great, especially for next-gen. This is a topic that game reviews have brought up about it.
- Diggemz, on 10/12/2007, -13/+2Nintendo paid Time to say that, its part of their $200 million ad campaign that they are doing.
- cwcentral, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Should have included more games to review than the default purchase game.
- felyduw, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They did. He said that Zelda and Excite Truck were ok but didn't hook him.
- ZenMojo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3The Wii is a $250 entry to a $60 control scheme. At least Sony and Xbox have the decency to just give you the damn eyetoy/dancepad/bongos/maracas/guitar/lightgun with the game.
- zebov, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Um, at an additional cost?
- bagboyrebel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1huh?
- BabyWookie, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3That's wii-tarded!
- vroom171, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8"Yet I fear that some people might get real tennis elbow from Wii's virtual Tennis, or even tear a rotator cuff when pitching in Wii's Baseball."
Are you kidding me?- bking, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Wow, I respect the way that you're far too sophisticated to notice stupid jokes. It's like your mind can't even comprehend something so outlandish. You, sir, must be some sort of scholar.
(golf clap.) - SushiK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It would be impossible to get tennis elbow from the Wiimote.
Tennis elbow is from the vibration of the ball hitting the racket traveling up the arm and damaging the elbow. So as long as you never strike anything with the remote you're fine.
Just FYI if anyone cared.
- bking, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Wow, I respect the way that you're far too sophisticated to notice stupid jokes. It's like your mind can't even comprehend something so outlandish. You, sir, must be some sort of scholar.
- Linkster47, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1"Legend of Zelda title looked okay but didn't hook me"
This guy has obviously never played any games besides Wii Sports. I mean, come on. Zelda is one of the best games of all time on nearly every list of the best games. - Broccoli, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3This goes to show you how the non gamer crowd see's stuff, which there is nothing wrong with it at all. Im sure wii sports is a blast and i will enjoy it. But no way is it the greatest game ever made.
- mrRB, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I see. When did you play it?
- vvvv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It's good to have Time magazine's opinion of the Wii, but I'm still waiting to see what Foreign Policy and the Paris Review have to say before I make up my mind whether to buy one.
- lansuggs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't believe that most gamers' first choice for a great game would be Wii Sports, and granted, to gamers, it will never compare to games like GoW, Zelda, etc. But, to casual and non-gamers this is most likely THE game that will hook them.
Gamers sometimes will forget (and I'm one of them) how difficult it is to begin with playing games with complex controls. We may see them as basic, or with a small learning curve, but to people who are not used to that, will never see real great games or "hardcore" games as good games at all.
Time will not be a gamers source for reviews, so the comments thusfar make sense, but you must realize that Wii Sports could very well be the greatest game to the general public because of its ease of use and accessibility. Most can see that this game will come to be the first non-arcade game played by the masses. While the majority of games for 360 and PS3 (perhaps exept GH) will never be the life of the party, Wii sports is the first game of this new generation that can appeal to an audience who would freak out playing an ordinary game.
The natural progression of gaming is becoming where the games are more immersive. Wii is the next step. - m00nstone, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3It can't be said enough; gaming is in a serious rut. I was a big first person shooter fan, I was a big 3rd person shooter fan. I like Gears of War, but I'm basically finished with these genres. It looks good, it plays well, but it just feels stale.
Remember near the end of the side scroller era... there were a ton of side scrollers, and then suddenly they just got old.
We're at a crossroads. Either Nintendo is about to make things better and breath life into gaming, or I'm checking out for a while.
Most long time gamers, if they take a good long look in the mirror, are about to do the same...- pollo71, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I totally agree moonstone. I've been playing games for a long time and welcome anything fresh. It doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a good round of Halo 2. It just means that I have an open mind about new possibilities.
Granted, game reviews in Time are not usually where I get my gaming news but I like that people other than hardcore gamers can have a good time. I also think that my wife will actually be able to play Wii games.
- pollo71, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I totally agree moonstone. I've been playing games for a long time and welcome anything fresh. It doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a good round of Halo 2. It just means that I have an open mind about new possibilities.
- SomeJerk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I hear the story is ***** epic.
- RedViper1999, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Wait, wait, wait. An admitted non-gamer has declared Wii sports the greatest game ever made? Does anyone else see something wrong with this?
- becknell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"I discovered quickly that it might be the greatest videogame ever made."
Rather than declaring that it is the greatest game ever he expressed the possibility that it could be. There is a difference. Like everyone else is saying also, you have to think about the context here. Greatness is in the eye of the beholder so to non-gamers this will most likely be a great game. I know my parents wouldn't mind playing it and I can't wait to try that out in ohhh, a year and a half when I'm back from JAPAN!!! ARG!
- becknell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"I discovered quickly that it might be the greatest videogame ever made."
- thushan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3i guess its Time to get a second opinion...
- OAKsider, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Oooh, clever! How about:
"I guess this is why Time is so cheap. Lame, unprofessional articles!"
Wait, that didn't work ...
- OAKsider, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Oooh, clever! How about:
- whiskerlickins, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Time says Wii Sports greatest game ever made"
That's a bit of an exaggeration, but the game is really fun to play (admittedly I've only played Tennis and Baseball so far). I can see how non-gamers normally apprehensive by the ever growing number of buttons on standard controllers will really latch onto Wii Sports for the intuitive Wiimote controls. - keikun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1doubt they've played half the other games that mainstream gamers deem as the greatest games ever made.
- bigwheels103, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I am new to dig. I signed up today. I loved PaulGreber's comparison to Mario Party. I think he's completely right. I can't wait to get my wii for xmas and play wii sports.
Another thing. It depends on who's point of view whether or not wii sports is the best game ever. If your talking in terms of appealing to non gamers then I would have to say so. But if your talking about a hardcore gamer then definitely not. I guess it depends on who it is. - Linkster47, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0http://duhduhduhduh.phantomhourglass.org/main.php?id=42956
- noerenic, on 08/27/2008, -0/+1http://homedecorfreecatalogs.aclay.dyndns.org Congratulations mate for this good written article
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