digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

Warning: The Content in this Article May be Inaccurate

Readers have reported that this story contains information that may not be accurate.

Wii Owners Do Not Want New Games

nytimes.com — These new gamers are content with the games they have, often going no further than the Wii Sports game that comes with the machine. They don ’t buy new games with the fervor of a traditional gamer who is constantly seeking new stimulation.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • RMDTech, on 04/21/2008, -18/+85I really don't think this is true. I think that there has just been some much shovelware for the system that it's been inundated with. The few good pieces of software are just harder to find. For me I have always been a mostly picky gamer but I used to be able to buy five or six games a year per system. So far it's about only Nintendo and Capcom that have really made anything that I have bought for my Wii.
    • mbraynard, on 04/21/2008, -28/+9Do you always doubt uncontested statistical evidence when it doesn't comport to your preferred world-view?

      Maybe this has something to do with it: "Toys “R” Us has instructed its sales staff to warn customers that some Wiis cannot read the Smash Bros. disc, and to refuse to exchange the game if customers later claim it is defective. "
      • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -1/+14Nothing in that article comes close to "uncontested statistical evidence" because they didn't do any kind of study. They took observational data and explained that they thought explained it. The phrase "statistical data" implies some sort of statistical analysis to test a hypothesis, which isn't present here.

        For example, 2.7 million copies of SSBB were sold in March (with the 2nd place game for that month selling 750,000 copies on XBox 360). They say that sales dropped off 90%, a sign that people don't want the game anymore or something like that. Well guess what? 10% of 2.7 million is 270,000, which is STILL enough to be in the top 10 for the month (about enough to get place #5 actually).
      • EtherGnat, on 04/21/2008, -3/+3"Do you always doubt uncontested statistical evidence when it doesn't comport to your preferred world-view?"

        Do you? How about this for statistical evidence: The Wii has sold over 180,000 games per day on average since it was launched. The Xbox 360 has sold just under 150,000 games per day since launch. The Wii has a slightly better attach rate than the PS3, and its games are outselling the PS3 over 2-to-1. Even third party games--often criticized as not selling at all--have nearly outsold the entire PS3 catalog (44.04m to 46.64m).
        • EtherGnat, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Hmm, three people digging down basic statistics so far. Who are you? Show yourself!
    • Jwoey, on 04/21/2008, -2/+20Its true atleast for me. I loved wii sports, I still play it occasionally. Every other game I've tried hasn't been very fun, so I just stopped buying/renting wii games.
      Just like yours is the story of just one person, so is mine. But I wouldn't say this article is entirely inaccurate just because it doesn't match one person's experience.
      • boombye, on 04/21/2008, -1/+10Well I'm sure you want new games, you just don't get any new games because from what you've seen from other developers, they aren't "very fun". So to say that Wii owners don't want new games is false, we do want new games, but we know there isn't much out there to waste money on.
    • mem2, on 04/21/2008, -3/+13I agree, I really enjoyed wiisports, and only briefly found enjoyment in the rest of the games. Excite truck was excellent fun for about 1 month (not enough maps). After that yes, it was just a flood of crapware - I sampled the better part of it having a modchip and a decent net connection but nothing held my intrest. I spent more time coding wiicr in the end than playing wii games, imho its not a gamers console, "party consoles" are better suited to the light hearted gamer who will play occasionally.
    • TypeEE, on 04/21/2008, -1/+7I know a couple non gamers, who had their wii as dust collectors. I don't think they have the mentality to try a different game, it was trendy to buy at the time they made their purchase.
    • Vorsuc, on 04/21/2008, -1/+10Agreed. Most of the wii games are ports of games from other consoles with some 'wiimote' enabled action, as if that's enough to justify putting it on the wii (I'm looking at you, Call of Duty).

      The REASON Raving Rabbids did so well is because it used the console well and was a fun game. Rabbids 2 just sucked the life from the original and repeated many of the games just with a different settings.

      The sooner Game Developers and their companies learn that the Wii isn't just about throwing out whatever kind of **** with the occasional 'wiggle the wiimote' section and actually use Nintendo's innovation and vision to spark their own, the sooner we'll all buy lots of games. Until then, I'm happy with Wii Sports.
      • Kral, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3The attempt to force use of the Wiimote's features even when they don't make sense ruins so many games. The Wii version of Okami was ruined this way.
    • macweirdo42, on 04/21/2008, -0/+14I disagree - I'm getting too damn old to keep up with the constant "new game frenzy" rat race. I mean, I don't devote nearly enough time to the games I already own - I don't feel the compulsion to run out and buy a new one every week.

      It's something I've never really understood, in terms of criticisms of the Wii. Let's face it, you get a couple of really good games, you don't really need much else, do you? I mean, I'm still playing TF2 on a daily basis. A good game should last.
      • Sairgem, on 04/21/2008, -11/+9Nintendo defense force in full effect! "We don't need more than 3 games! Good games last!"
        • macweirdo42, on 04/21/2008, -1/+9How is that "Nintendo defense force?" I just fail to see how that's a major problem. I mean, you don't like it, go buy an Xbox or something. God I hate fanboys. Heaven forbid anyone just simply have an opinion... Oh no, everything is always about who's got the bigger dick with you lot.
          • nicko68, on 04/21/2008, -0/+5I know where you're coming from. For those of us who are older, with careers and families, it's not like we have hours every day to play like we may have been able to when we were younger. :) Super Mario Galaxy alone is keeping me busy for awhile since I have time to play just a couple of levels at a time. And Guitar Hero (1, 2, 80s, 3) has kept me entertained for the past year.

            The hardcore gamers seem to wait anxiously for a game, spend days finishing it, then move on to the next.
        • mustbepatient, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Sairgem, most people get to the point in life where there's just too much they want to do other than just play games. At that point, you have to be very selective about what you do play.
      • grumbel, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1If I wanted games that I already know I would get another XBox, PS2 or Gamecube, or for that matter a SNES, NES, C64, Amiga or whatever. I don't need new hardware when it doesn't provide anything new.
    • LordRedSnake, on 04/21/2008, -4/+3It's pretty hard to dispute. The attach rates are much lower for the Wii than for PS3 or the 360. The average Wii owner is buying fewer games. It's pretty simple to see when you consider how many casual gamers make up the Wii owner base relative to the other two systems which are comprised of more hardcore gamers who put gaming as a higher priority in their lives. Of course they're going to buy more games.
    • MWeather, on 04/21/2008, -4/+4The ps2 has WAY more shovelware, yet it has a very good attach rate.
      • Kral, on 04/21/2008, -3/+6The PS2 had more shovelware, but it also had way more AWESOME games. The Wii has like what, 4 really good games? I own a Wii and I've been absolutely amazed that there continues to be so few games worth getting.
      • grumbel, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Lets define shovelware as games with a rating below 50% then we get amount of shovelware:

        PS2: 8%
        Wii: 18%

        You can check the numbers at metacritic if you like.
    • jcavaliere, on 04/21/2008, -1/+3 I know my opinion is not the popular one on this site, but I think the Wii is like a board game, everyone will buy it, play it a few times and then it will collect dust after 6 months or so. I think Xbox360 / PS3 are much more what people want in a gaming system. I don't hold preference to either, in fact I'll probably buy a 360 once I get confirmation that they're not failing like crazy any more - but I just don’t see the Wii staying in there for the long haul. I've got a PS3 and I HAD a Wii, but I gave it to my grandparents because they were playing it more then I was. I just got burned out after a while. I think that ultimately the Wii will end up a test bed for future technology, but will fizzle out. I think Nintendo knew this all along and they're going to roll out a new system in 2 years or so that's much more powerful - if they do that and it's just as innovative, I will be a happy man, but I don’t’ see myself buying another Wii any time soon.
      • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2I had a 360 and only ever bought about 5 games for it - only 2 of which I kept, and one of those would have been on it's way out had I not sold the whole system. The Wii on the other hand, which I bought recently with the 360 proceeds, I've already bought 3 games for (plus WiiSports), and there's 3 more that I know are going to be good and I'll buy as soon as I get around to it/they're released... I think it's just a matter of personal preference.

        For the record, Gears of War was the only 360 I kept... I cycled through Lego Star Wars, Oblivion, LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth, and one that I can't remember off hand. Only Gow2 and Fable 2 looked remotely interesting, but it wasn't enough to get me to keep the console.

        On the Wii, I've got Zelda, Zack and Wiki, and MLB Power Pros. Zack and Wiki is the best game I've played in years. MLB PP is OK, Zelda seems like it will be a good one once I can settle into it, and I'm extremely excited for Mario Kart and Sam and Max to come out. I'll pick up Mario Galaxy once I beat Zack and Wiki and maybe play through MLB PP enough to either get hooked or bored with it. Rayman Rabbids in on my list of games to grab as well, when I get a minute to find a good deal.

        Point is, 360 = maybe 10 games that I was interested in and only one that I thought was excellent over the course of 1+ year. Wii = 2 excellent games in the first week I had it, with 2 more that I am at the least entertained by, and another 3 that I'm excited about. It's surely just gaming genre preference, and nothing more.
    • Jerim, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2I have had my Wii for about a month now, and have made a point of renting every game at the local rental place over that time. While I had a blast with Mario Galaxy, the rest of what is out there is just generic video game filler. I will be happy to buy games on the level of Mass Effect or Halo 3 when they become available for the Wii. Until then, I just don't have any insintive. I wasn't suprised when games of the quality of online flash games were put out for the Wii, but I am amazed that companies aren't putting out serious games for the system. And of course, since no one is buying the crappy games, then companies are scared to put out any games for Wii, even the good ones.
      • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Check out Zack and Wiki, it's a really fun title.
  • ELCad, on 04/21/2008, -21/+45So no one bought Smash Bros after all?
    • P373Y, on 04/21/2008, -1/+282.7 million
      • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -2/+17Which is only 4 times as much as the 2nd place game for the month. Clearly, gamers just don't want SSBB, right NYTimes?
      • DarknessGP, on 04/21/2008, -6/+7yes, 2.7 Million out of the ~20 million Wii owners. They got less than 15% of all Wii owners to buy the game... That's a bad percentage.
        • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -2/+6Find me a single XBox 360 game that sold 2.5 million copies in its first month, or a single PS3 game that sold 1.3 million copies in its first month.
          • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -1/+9I saved you the trouble and looked it up myself - Halo 3 is the only XBox 360 game that has sold as quickly as SSBB and there are only two PS3 games that have sold 1.3 million copies to date, let alone in the first month.

            Yeah, SSBB is a bomb, you're right.
          • bgrah449, on 04/21/2008, -3/+8An attachment rate of

            Xbox 360 (8,805,238 systems sold)
            1. Halo 3 (47.4%)
            2. Gears of War (34.4%)
            3. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (15.9%)
            4. Guitar Hero II (15.4%)
            5. Forza Motorsport 2 (15.0%)

            I'm not sure about the date of those statistics, but either way, it shows that the NYTimes article was correct - achieving high attachment rates on Wii games is harder than it is on other consoles. I mean, my mom has a Wii. She plays Golf and Bowling. Is she really going to get into Zelda? That's who owns Wiis, unlike XBox 360 and PS3.
          • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -5/+3bgrah449 - XBox 360 has sold over 18 million units worldwide. You can't mix-and-match statistics like that by choosing only the US sales figures, because then the Wii has only sold about 10 million units and all the sudden its "attachment rate" is about 30%.

            Also, SSBB has been out for ONE MONTH and its worldwide attachment rate is higher than all but 2 XBox 360 games.
          • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -1/+4Alright, here's the corresponding Wii table, bgrah (but using worldwide figures). I won't include Wii Sports for obvious reasons.

            Wii Play (46%)
            Super Mario Galaxy (26%)
            Super Smash Bros. Brawl (22%)

            High attachment rates on Wii is no harder than on XBox 360 or PS3.
          • SSCrow, on 04/21/2008, -2/+3I like how you manipulate your statement to make it sound like SSBB sold faster than Halo 3. Which is entirely inaccurate.
          • BabyWookie, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2Hey, Ignoramus, Halo 3 sold like 3 million copies in one day. Try again.
          • NathanielJ, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Are you people for real? Halo 3 was the one game that I said DID do as well as SSBB. My point was simply that it's ridiculous to call a game a failture when it's the 2nd fastest-selling game of ANY console of the entire generation. Get the fanboy sticks out of your asses.
        • SkippyDoorknob, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1...
      • JohnsonUT, on 04/21/2008, -1/+5That is 2.7 millions out of 9 million Wii owners in America. The game has sold an additional 1.6 million in Japan. When it finally comes out in Europe, it will do similar sales. This game will be one of the top 5 best selling of the entire generation.
    • teamr, on 04/21/2008, -3/+3methinks u missed the point
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -4/+18Did you bother to read the article??

      They didn't say no one bought Smash Bros. They said they sold "1.4 million copies during the first week of its release, in early March" "But sales dropped more than 90 percent over the first four weeks"

      That isn't that great considering there are 20 million Wii's out there.
      • sponeil, on 04/21/2008, -1/+7Almost all games see their sales crash after the first 4 weeks, and it is very rare for a game to reach 1.4 million copies. Now it may be true that Wii owners tend to buy fewer games than other console owners on average, but the Wii reaches a lot of non-traditional gamers, so you have to expect some differences.
      • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -1/+4"They... sold "1.4 million copies during the first week of its release, in early March"

        That would be the North American Total.

        "That isn't that great considering there are 20 million Wii's out there."

        That would be the world wide total. Do you realize Smash Bros hasn't debuted in Europe or Austrailia yet?

        Also the 1.4 million doesn't count the other 1.3 million it sold in Japan in the first 2 weeks. I think they'll do alright with this one.
        • dustinjr1993, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1numbers can be tricky my friend, you made a good point
    • JohnsonUT, on 04/21/2008, -1/+6Well, the stats they are using are wrong. According to the NPD numbers from March, it sold 2.7 million in America. 9 million Wiis have been sold in America. That is an amazing number. Also consider that Super Smash Bros Melee continued to sell incredibly well throughout the Gamecube's life cycle and you can see that Brawl is doing fantasitc.

      • Cl1mh4224rd, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2> "[...] it sold 2.7 million in America."

        A number of people up above say that's the worldwide total.

        This is why people need to cite their ***** sources. I know this isn't some college dissertation, but information is information, and it needs to be easily verifiable for the reader.
    • PhineasPoe, on 04/21/2008, -2/+2I agree with JohnsonUT, the Wii sales figure is world wide while the SSBB sales figure was just in America. The game has sold more than 4 million world wide. Also, there have been a lot of games sold for the Wii. The Wii has 25 million+ titles. It's been out for a year less than the 360 but the Wii's top 10 selling titles account for 5 million more units than the 360's top ten sellers (Wii - 42.63 million units / 360 - 37.72). Top 20: Wii - 58.26 million units / 360 - 56.22. According to the numbers people are buying Wii games.
    • daridave, on 04/21/2008, -2/+5Nope. According to some source, only one man bought over 2.7 million just to make Nintendo look good. All other Wii owners are still creating Miis, spinning the weather globe around and playing Wii Sports. He's also the same guy who bought all those Super Mario Galaxy copies and is anxiously awaiting the return of Donkey Kong, Link, Pit and Ness. Nobody else. Riiiiiiiight. /sarcasm to prove a simple point, this article is full of sh*t.
    • exomni, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Did you even read the article? The article was about SSBB specifically. Why are you being dugg-up for posting a comment obviously well before reading the article?

      The article was all about how only the hard-core gamer audience went out and bought Smash-Bros, and they were all depleted within the first couple weeks of sales, leaving tons of unsold copies of Brawl in retailers' hands.
  • McSploogins, on 04/21/2008, -14/+50FTA: "The Wii’s innovative motion-sensitive controller and a price lower than the rival machines appeal to a broader audience than the traditional market of young male hard-core gamers."

    So is this implying that only "young males" are "hard-core gamers?" I had to know quite a fewer girls young and old who are hard-core gamers. And I've always heard that the average age of gamers is in early 30's...

    So not that I take offense to their stereotypical outlook upon "young males," But then the article says that :“The kind of person that buys a Wii is not the same kind of person that buys a PS3 or an Xbox,” ... Yea, so I guess this means I'm the only guy in the world who will end up playing Soul Calibur IV and GTA4 then turn around and play Cooking Mama and Trauma Center BUT NOT ENJOY IT because it's not part of my demographic or some *****... Bottom line, I enjoy my Wii as much as my other systems.

    Nintendos problem isn't their marketing strategy, it is the lack of third party developers making good games, which is in my opinion, the same thing that happened to the Gamecube. N64 had amazing third party games.
    • ThugThrasher, on 04/21/2008, -1/+24I remember seeing people like you in classes that dealt with statistical trends ALL the time in college.
      They are NOT speaking in absolutes in the article. They are talking about what MOST Wii owners do. And just because you and I will play a wide variety of games and go back and forth between the systems does NOT mean that MOST people who own a Wii will do the same.

      And as for young males & hard-core gamers, it's the same thing. While there ARE many girls and not-so-young males who aren't hard-core gamers, most that we would consider hard-core gamers fit into the categories of young & male. Just because the average age of gamers is in the early 30s, it doesn't mean that those gamers are willing to spend 8 hours a day playing games...most people in the early 30s have jobs they work 8 or more hours a day and have to sleep, eat, and have a family in ADDITION to playing games in the other 16.
    • billizm, on 04/21/2008, -1/+11Young males aren't the only hard core gamers, but they do make up the VAST majority.
    • Eezyville, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Dude they got rid of the seal of approval. We need that back. Without it people get away with porting flash games with motion controls.
      • Cl1mh4224rd, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2> "Dude they got rid of the seal of approval."

        You're being nostalgic, which automatically means you're wearing rose-colored classes. That seal didn't help. There were some really ***** old-school Nintendo games with that seal of approval...
    • itsmattgw, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2when they say young males are the hardcore gamers they're talking generalities. everyone has story of "oh well that's not true because I have a friend who is 45 and plays games 8 hours a day..." but that one instance doesn't make their statement invalid...or even a hundred instances like that. it's whatever has the vast majority is
    • DarknessGP, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4Hardcore gamers generally are young males... Just because you know 2 people that don't fit it doesn't mean that the millions of others who do fit it don't get counted.
    • exomni, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1What the ***** are you inferring? By your logic you could as easily complain that New York Times is implying all "gamers" are "young male hardcore gamers".

      Young male hardcore gamers is a subset of male hardcore gamers which is a subset of hardcore gamers which is a subset of gamers. Expounding on a subset does not limit the super-set it belongs to in anyway.


      Teacher: "Billy, please pick up all the blue balls"
      Billy: "WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING? ALL BALLS ARE BLUE? WELL I KNOW SOME RED BALLS THAT ARE JUST AS ROUND AS THE BLUE ONES!!"
      Teacher: "You're a ***** idiot, Billy, I'm digging you down."
  • Sarki, on 04/21/2008, -16/+118***** this fanboy noise. I don't know a single Wii owner who doesn't want to see a stream of new and good games.
    • zengonzo, on 04/21/2008, -2/+15I think this really refers to the average person who bought the Wii - because they loved Wii Sports - and not the rather niche gamer group. That niche group wants new games, but the broader consumer base that the Wii expanded into is just happy to turn it on every so often.

      I would love to see more third-person action games on the Wii, myself. Godfather and Scarface worked really well on it.
    • Jwoey, on 04/21/2008, -8/+3Then you don't know me.
      • dullnation, on 04/21/2008, -0/+5Yea man, take a stand against good games. Nice.
        • Jwoey, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3My edit time expired before I finished, and I decided to just leave it at that. But I'll try and rewrite it.
          It's not that I don't enjoy playing good games, its just that I've had such a low success rate when it comes to Wii games. I've spent so much money buying and renting Wii games that turned out awful (including 2-3 games that were the biggest reason I bought the Wii in the first place), and I've decided to just stop spending any more money on it. I'll play some of the big titles, like Smash and Mario Galaxy, but other than that I've been very disappointed. I can't justify buying or even renting a Wii game, because the chances are so high that I won't enjoy it.
          Like vypergts said below, its not that I don't want them, its that I don't want to buy them.
    • vypergts, on 04/21/2008, -8/+3The article doesn't say that gamers don't want new games, it says they don't want to BUY them. WiiKey FTW.
      • fotbr, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Most of the Wii's market has no clue what WiiKey is, and wouldn't be competent enough to figure it out.
      • Mootabolife, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Wasabi man, that's where it's at.
      • nicko68, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Yeah, that's the way to ensure good titles coming to the Wii, steal them.
    • PhoenixAvatar2, on 04/21/2008, -2/+17Oh yeah, because the New York Times are just a bunch of fanboys.
    • PhineasPoe, on 04/21/2008, -7/+13I completely agree with you, I will buy a good game whatever system it's on. And there are a lot of other Wii owners that feel the same way:

      •The 360 has has 26 titles sell at least 1 million units. The Wii has had 21. The PS3 has had only 4.

      •The 360 has had only 6 games that sold 2 million units while the Wii has had 10. The PS3 has had 2.

      •The 360 has had 3 titles sell 3 million or more units while the Wii has had 7. PS3 has had 1.

      •The 360 has has 2 titles sell 4 million or more: Assassin's Creed and Halo 3. The Wii has had 6: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mario Party 8, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Play, Wii Sports. The PS3 has had none.

      •The 360 has been out for a year longer than the Wii but when you add it's top 10 selling games you get 30 million units sold. Add the Wii's top 10 (not counting WiiSports since it comes packed in with the system) and you get 39 million units sold - and that is counting Wii Fit which hasn't sold in the US yet.

      It sounds to me like there is a market for Wii games.
      • Reylas, on 04/21/2008, -2/+6OK, where are you getting these numbers. It is no way close to correct. Gears of War has sold way more than Assassin's Creed on X360 for instance, and you show only AC and Halo3 over 4 million. Now granted, when I checked the lists, I was surprised to see a lot of Wii games had been sold, but your list is no where near accurate. Where did your list come from so that we can compare? VGchartz worldwide million sellers are no where close to what you have.

        • EtherGnat, on 04/21/2008, -1/+3"VGchartz worldwide million sellers are no where close to what you have."

          Huh? Current data according to VGChartz:

          Wii: 25 million+ sellers http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&console= ...
          360: 36 million+ sellers http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&console= ...
          PS3: 12 million+ sellers http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&console= ...
        • PhineasPoe, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2Ok, here are the numbers according to VGChartz:

          •1 million sellers: Wii - 25 / 360 - 36 / PS3 - 12

          •2 million sellers: Wii - 11 / 360 - 14 / PS3 - 4

          •3 million sellers: Wii - 7 / 360 - 5 / PS3 - 1

          •4 million sellers: Wii - 6 / 360 - 3 / PS3 - 0

          •5 million sellers: Wii - 4 / 360 - 3 / PS3 - 0

          Add up the sales of the top 10 sellers from each (still not including WiiSports): Wii - 42.63 million units / 360 - 37.72 / PS3 - 18.72

          Top 20: Wii - 58.26 million units / 360 - 56.22 / PS3 - 26.6

          So, the numbers I had initially are different (and apparently wrong) but my main point still holds up even with the numbers from VGChartz. The Wii has been out for a year less than the 360 but has only 11 less million selling games. They have more 3 million + selling games and their top ten selling games have outsold the top ten 360 games by 5 million units. I still say there is a market for Wii games.




      • SSCrow, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4Umm, what about CoD4, Vegas 1 & 2, Bioshock, Mass Effect? I'm sure each of those hit at least 1 million.
      • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -1/+3I agree with your sentiments but as noted there's some glaring omissions from your list...Plus, I don't think it is fair to count the pack in game (WiiSports) or Wii Play which was practically given away ($10) with an extra controller purchase, which is pretty much a mandatory accessory for the Wii. When you knock those two off the list, the Wii is still out in front but it does close the gap a bit.
        • PhineasPoe, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2Ok, here are the numbers according to VGChartz:
          •1 million sellers: Wii - 25 / 360 - 36 / PS3 - 12
          •2 million sellers: Wii - 11 / 360 - 14 / PS3 - 4
          •3 million sellers: Wii - 7 / 360 - 5 / PS3 - 1
          •4 million sellers: Wii - 6 / 360 - 3 / PS3 - 0
          •5 million sellers: Wii - 4 / 360 - 3 / PS3 - 0

          Add up the sales of the top 10 sellers from each (still not including WiiSports): Wii - 42.63 million units / 360 - 37.72 / PS3 - 18.72

          Top 20: Wii - 58.26 million units / 360 - 56.22 / PS3 - 26.6

          So, the numbers I had initially are different (and apparently wrong) but my main point still holds up even with the numbers from VGChartz. The Wii has been out for a year less than the 360 but has only 11 less million selling games. They have more 3 million + selling games and their top ten selling games have outsold the top ten 360 games by 5 million units. I still say there is a market for Wii games.

          Also, you'll note that I don't count WiiSports in my top 10/20 sales numbers. There are a lot of Wii games that have strong sales numbers.
      • estvir, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1Where the hell did you get your source? Your post is incredibly incorrect.
      • PhineasPoe, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2I admitted my numbers were wrong in response to Reylas' question about my numbers. The numbers from VGChartz still prove my point:

        Ok, here are the numbers according to VGChartz:
        •1 million sellers: Wii - 25 / 360 - 36 / PS3 - 12
        •2 million sellers: Wii - 11 / 360 - 14 / PS3 - 4
        •3 million sellers: Wii - 7 / 360 - 5 / PS3 - 1
        •4 million sellers: Wii - 6 / 360 - 3 / PS3 - 0
        •5 million sellers: Wii - 4 / 360 - 3 / PS3 - 0

        Add up the sales of the top 10 sellers from each (still not including WiiSports): Wii - 42.63 million units / 360 - 37.72 / PS3 - 18.72

        Top 20: Wii - 58.26 million units / 360 - 56.22 / PS3 - 26.6
    • exomni, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Well there are 17.53 million Wii owners who apparently didn't want Super Mario Galaxy, and there are 19.11 million Wii owners who didn't want SSBB. Just because you don't know any of those over 19.11 million people doesn't mean they don't exist.
      • PhineasPoe, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1The Wii sales figure is world wide while the SSBB sales figure was just in America. The game has sold more than 4 million world wide.
        • exomni, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1I think I was using worldwide numbers, otherwise the 19.11 million figure number would be even higher. Regardless, I highly doubt it's sold 24 million units, so my point would still stand.
    • Philbert, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1That's probably because most, if not all, of the people you know who own one are gamers.
  • AzMegladon, on 04/21/2008, -25/+3As someone who has an 8 and 5 year old, they burn through games fast, so ***** story, i have 26 ***** Wii games, wtf. Oh yah, macuser are stupid ***** : )
    • noahhoward, on 04/21/2008, -0/+15I fear for your 8 and 5 year old, I really do. You're not trying to teach them or anything are you?
    • Aazlain, on 04/21/2008, -4/+1The hate… it hurts :_(
    • Borgcube, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1Maybe you shouldn't:
      a) Buy them new game each time they get bored with one
      b) Buy them all the shovelware games and try to find good ones
      c) Buy them games suitable for their age (like the ones with
      I mean, I had a N64 when I was about 8 and I only had 3-4 games for it BUT by the time I got a computer, I nearly finished each game 100% (considering Pokemon Stadium 2 is INSANELY HARD to beat, especially for a 8-year old who doesn't really speak german)
  • stevenexp, on 04/21/2008, -17/+8buried as inaccurate
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -3/+6More likely is that your buried it because you are a Wii fanboy. Is it really that hard to believe that the majority of Wii owners aren't like the hardcore gamer and don't feel the need to buy every game that comes out?
      • Borgcube, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0Its not hard to accept it even for Nintendo fans...
  • ogisdan, on 04/21/2008, -7/+20I want new games. Heres my to buy list: Okami, Mario Kart, Galaxy, Brawl, Wario Ware
    • Skahara, on 04/21/2008, -0/+5You love Mario, don't you?
      • estvir, on 04/21/2008, -1/+6He has a Nintendo console.

        There's not too much else to love.
    • DryMaltExtract, on 04/21/2008, -8/+5He's trying to say is all he buys are rehashes and that none of those are actually new.
    • PhineasPoe, on 04/21/2008, -2/+4I own a Wii and a 360. I have 14 games for my Wii and 15 for my 360, and I've had the 360 for a year longer.
    • Kral, on 04/21/2008, -5/+4I hate to say it, but if you have a PS2, get Okami for PS2 rather than the Wii. They butchered the Wii version by forcing use of the Wiimote despite a terrible implementation of the controls.
      • Lososaurus, on 04/21/2008, -4/+4Amen, Okami for the PS2 is up there on my list, but if you want to talk about butchering a game for novelty, look no further than Okami on the Wii.
      • R3Dirkulous, on 04/21/2008, -4/+4Okami wii is much better than on the ps2..
        Read the hundreds of reviews out there and you will see most other agree with me.
        • Lososaurus, on 04/21/2008, -3/+3Have you played both games? Because I have and I know a bad implementation when I see it.
          • EtherGnat, on 04/21/2008, -3/+3Both versions scored within a few points of each other on Metacritic (89 vs 93). Some like the controls, some don't--most that don't seem to not be a fan of the Wiimote anyway. 9 of 13 reviews of the Wii version gave it at least a 90, and it's currently the sixth best rated game on the Wii. I'm sure the PS2 version is great as well, but claiming the Wii version doesn't cut it is myopic.
        • Kral, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1IGN: "There's a definite deficiency to the new Wii controls"
          GameSpy: "Cons: Motion-sensing controls make using the Celestial Brush painfully frustrating"
          Gamespot: "The Bad: Some of the motion controls aren't responsive"
          • R3Dirkulous, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1ummm way to take words out of their context.....

            IGN: "Now, you can play the game in 480p and 16:9 widescreen, and you can do so using the Wii remote, which controls Amaterasu's celestial brush with a level of speed and accuracy never before possible. It's implemented so triumphantly that it actually changes the pace of the game, effectively speeding everything up." ..."I feel that Okami for Wii is the better of the two versions"

            Dominated much? Way to try to skew things.
    • ThaDRD, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Skip Wario Ware unless you have the most extreme form of ADHD around.
    • exomni, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Okami - PS2 remake. Mario Kart - another sequel in a long line of mario-kart games. Galaxy - another Mario platformer. Brawl - third sequel in the SSB series. Wario Ware - sequel to a series of gameboy games.

      Yeah... so where are the NEW games you said you wanted, again?
  • smacksaw, on 04/21/2008, -10/+3I really want Unreal Tournament 4. When is it coming out?

    Seriously...what does the article say? It's registration crap. Better link or post the contents?
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Basically it says that so far the majority of 20 million Wii owners are happy with the game that came with the system and aren't buying many games for it.
    • iamnobody8614, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1If you can't see it then you need to clear out your cache, because you no longer need an account to view premium content on nytimes.com.
  • JordanAustin, on 04/21/2008, -6/+9I didn't realize I didn't want new games! Thanks
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -4/+2If you bothered to read the article they aren't talking about YOU, they are talking about the majority of Wii owners who are not hardcore gamers. Damn Wii fanboys are touchy.
    • estvir, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1RTFA.
  • TheBSG, on 04/21/2008, -4/+5It's less that they're content with their current choices, and more that there have been 3 decent titles released in the last year. We bought all of them.
    • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2way more than 3. TheBSG liking a game is not a prereq for it to be considered decent
  • glxyjones, on 04/21/2008, -1/+11by this rational, wii sports 2.0 will be the best selling game of all time.
    • MWeather, on 04/21/2008, -0/+5And what are they going to improve? Add some legs?
    • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Actually it probably would if they released it. As for things to "improve":

      - add a couple new sports. Dunno what, but there's plenty to choose from (just to toss out some ideas: volleyball, badmitten, disc golf, croquet, racketball, lawn darts, regular darts, fencing, equestrian riding, bull riding, surfing, skiing... I'm sure there's dozens more. Most of these would suck, but a few would likely work well)
      - add (optional) control of player movement to Tennis and Baseball
      - add more holes/courses to golf
      - add a driving range to golf
      - add a randomized practice putting green to golf
      - add more challenge modes to bowling, like the Super Monkey Ball 2 on GameCubes bowling minigame
      - add an online component to all the games (online matches for tennis, baseball, boxing, online leagues for bowling, golf, baseball)
      - optional integration with the Wii Fit balance board

      Assuming it was inexpensive, like a $19.99 or maybe $29.99 title or came with a useful accessory it would probably be the best selling game of the year, on any console.
  • turbovince, on 04/21/2008, -4/+16"analysts say"

    Humph..
    • lolinyerface, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1Exactly. "Analysts say..." /end_article
    • estvir, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Go look at real world sales than, attach rates, etc.
  • dullnation, on 04/21/2008, -12/+2Sure the wii sports games are fun but I can't imagine anyone paying out £180 for a wii and then ONLY ever playing wii sports! This is just *****, buried as inaccurate.
    • sagat, on 04/21/2008, -3/+3You are buried for being a dumbass.
      • dullnation, on 04/21/2008, -3/+0Woah there big man, calm down. Someone might mistake you for an "internet tough guy"!
        • Nidy1, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Can both of you go die please and leave here forever? The internet is full, but you can come back later, don't worry.
    • estvir, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2I know quite a few people who have done so, or they've maybe bought 1 other game.
  • nickcozy, on 04/21/2008, -10/+1sitelme wytrjhak wii timentrist.
  • daygo140, on 04/21/2008, -14/+6BS. I have at least 20. Not to mention I did not own a Gamecube so I bought two Nintendo Gamecube controllers and about 5 or so of those games in addition. Oh and the old console games on the virtual console.....a ton.

    Buried as inaccurate!
    • ThugThrasher, on 04/21/2008, -6/+5you are not the average Wii gamer then.
      AVERAGE != ALL
      • sagat, on 04/21/2008, -5/+1Including mothers, grandmothers and men in their 40's who don't find cartoony graphics very appealing unless they are the type of men who like to molest young boys like you. daygo
  • willk281, on 04/21/2008, -2/+3lol who doesn't want games?
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -0/+6Ummm.. apparently the majority of Wii owners aren't interested. At least they aren't buying them. Or do you think all 20 million Wii owners are like most hardcore gamers? They aren't, that is why Nintendo has sold so many. The Wii has appealed a lot to non-gamers.
  • PiratedTVPro, on 04/21/2008, -5/+10Yeah, great... except Nintendo's own attachment rate numbers say that in Japan the average Wii owner has 3.2, the Americas 6.1 and every place else has 5, with an average of 5 games bought for every console. (as of January http://www.techvat.com/details-on-nintendos-attach ...
    • sagat, on 04/21/2008, -4/+3Nice independent research right there, that's like backing up Hillary Clinton by producing statistics provided by her campaign advisor.
    • ross., on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Most systems come with 2 or 3 games already. I know mine had 3 incl wii sports, wii play.
      • nicko68, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4Or 14 games if you buy off eBay (5 in Wii Sports, 9 in Wii Play) :)
    • edcrosay, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1I, for one, have 21 disc-based games and over thirty VC games. Gamefly's Keep It feature is too damn addictive.
  • toastmonster, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3Seriously, could there be a policy against linking to sites that immediately assault you with full-page flash ads? Or a browser extension to save my fingers the trouble and close them automatically, that would be cool.

    I have a modchip, but want to buy mario cart.
    • zanthrax, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2The policy is that you can digg them down.
      If everybody did that instead of complain in the comment we wouldn't have blogspam or other crap like this hitting the frontpage.
      And even more inportant, not every dailymail, consumerist, xkcd and cracked article would end up on the FP.

      IMO when viewing upcoming stories the poster should be anonymous, but that is beyond the scope of this comment.
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Adblock plus?
    • Narcowski, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1NoScript?
  • Pic0, on 04/21/2008, -5/+1Everyone I know with a Wii has more than Wii Sports and has at least 4 games.
    • thomr, on 04/21/2008, -0/+5Everybody I know voted for John Kerry
    • MWeather, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1Everyone I know voted for Al Gore. Wait, that doesn't work.
  • evillawngnome, on 04/21/2008, -9/+28Maybe if developers weren't chained to a ***** controller some better games would come out.
    Not every game needs to be motion sensitive.
    • MasterPain, on 04/21/2008, -3/+1I agree I hope developers ee all the different ways SSBB uses the wii mote & decide to go with one of those instead of some wanaky control scheme.
    • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -4/+4Developers aren't "chained" to anything. The Wiimote is an option. There are games that use the Gamecube controller.
      • bigbadgoat, on 04/21/2008, -2/+3you see how well a game does when buyers find out they *HAVE* to purchase a game cube controller in order to play it.
        • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -1/+3Yeah, except 90% of control schemes on the Gamecube controller can be emulated via the classic controller and/or the Nunchuk/Wiimote with no motion controls. Ever heard of Smash Bros. Brawl?
          • MWeather, on 04/21/2008, -2/+1Which brings us back to the issue at hand: developers being chained to using the Wiimote.
    • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -2/+13"chained" to a ***** controller? the Wii has a myriad of control schemes. wiimote/nunchuck , wiimote only(motion/ir), wiimote on it's side, classic controller, gamecube controller, custom controller(guitar hero, rock band)
      so, yes, a lot of developers took the first year doing all the waggle stuff, but they seem to be getting better with their motion controls(and knowing when to offer alternatives).
      • FoxOrian, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3I think one of the things that needs to be fixed are those problems that we don't feel like the motion controls are really doing anything. The motion controls work in most of the games, but they feel detached from the character or action. Corruption was good, intelligent use of the Wii's aiming mode, where the screen would pan along with the position of the cursor. Okami also makes sense since you're controlling a paint brush with a little more finesse this time than with a control stick. But other games that try to implement attacking with shacking the wii remote usually seems like it could be done better [and less annoyingly] if the action were just assigned to a button than a quick shake back-and-forth.
        • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2Even in Okami, there are some tacked-on motion controls that I don't really understand. The paint brush stuff of course makes sense, but why do I have to shake the Wiimote to do a dash/headbutt? I swear devs just like to show off and say "look, the hardware lets us do it so we did it!!"
        • evillawngnome, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Exactly what i was referring to, gentlemen.
          • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2It's the devs' fault though, not the controller's. They're not "chained" to anything, they just decide to use it in places that they have no reason to use it for some reason. The Wiimote doesn't restrict devs in any way, it just gives them new options.
    • FoxOrian, on 04/21/2008, -0/+11People need to be more creative. Sometimes I wonder how some game studios can design games with such little imagination toward the hardware. Control schemes aren't just something a studio should design at the end of the process because there was only one concrete way to do it. Designing tight controls is an art form that when done correctly, can completely make a game worth while.
      The PSP lacks some creative controls sometimes because of its lack of a second control stick. You look at the N64 however, and many games had some of the best controls on any platform at the time -- and it only had one control stick.

      If they just take some extra time instead of making everything a goddamn rush job...
      • FoxOrian, on 04/21/2008, -0/+6* Afterthought: I mean to say "Control schemes aren't just something a studio should design at the start of the process because there was only one plausible way to do it, then not bother to change or tweak it at all before the game is released"

        I still remember Ocarina of Time being one of the more original and interesting control schemes I played through my gaming history. I thought it was the strangest thing when I was younger than Link would automatically jump when running toward a ledge, and the "Do-everything-A-button" would change depending on my current position/action. But, when the action in the game really picked up, the controls all came together in ways that allowed me to play quick and smoothly.
    • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2With the wiimote+nunchuck (which comes in the box with the system, so everyone has it) you have easy access to a good analog stick, a 4 way d-pad, and 4 buttons (C, Z, A, B). You have limited access to two more buttons (- and +) and more limited access to two more (1 and 2). Plus you have two sets of 3 dimensional motion sensors, plus a pointer that is about 75% as accurate as a mouse.

      If you can't figure out how to make your game work with this set of input options you should stop making games. Just to compare, on the 360 controller (which is a really nice traditional gamepad imo) you have easy access to 8 buttons, and one analog stick. You can get another stick or d-pad, but you lose quick access to 4 of your buttons.
    • skipdog172, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1I don't understand what is wrong with the wiimote + nunchuck. It functions in every way any other kind of controller would. You don't need to use the motion sensing part of it. After playing super mario galaxy I cannot imagine how just about ANY previous game could not be made to work well with the wiimote+nunchuck.
  • racco, on 04/21/2008, -2/+3well, maybe the "oh look, a new gadget that everyones talking about, everyone wants, can't find anywhere" crowd that panic bought a Wii for Xmas just because it was the new "must have Xmas toy"

    but thats because they arn't gamers at all and they never have been.
    The "real" gamer Wii owners want games, games, and more new games!
    • deaftly, on 04/21/2008, -0/+6Real gamers will always love Nintendo games.
  • RobotLeAwesome, on 04/21/2008, -2/+18Why would I want new games on my Super Smash Bros box?
    • Jsmuli2, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1So true, I can't help but think that Super Smash Brothers is the last game I'll ever want, considering I beat it but I only completed 81% of it. And with all those mini-games...

      All in all I would have to say Mario Kart, Wii fit and Force Unleashed are the only other games I care about getting.
  • ravage86, on 04/21/2008, -3/+5I only bought my Wii for the ease of access of all the classic NES/SNES games. Honestly, most Nintendo games went downhill when they threw 3D down our throats (especially Mario and Zelda). I mean, come on, what's better than A Link to The Past?
    • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -1/+3nothing is better than A Link To The Past
      ...but Ocarina is very very good.
    • dynelol, on 04/21/2008, -2/+1Get a PSP. Didn't you know that PSP stands for Portable SNES Player? That's how it sells.
      • ravage86, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1And miss out on the NES games, not be able to play on my TV, and have no access to the 1 or 2 enjoyable Wii games? No thanks.
        • LogitechG15, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2For your information the PSP can emulate all of them perfectly, and the PSP slim has TV output.
      • DryMaltExtract, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1The new PSP can connect to a TV. Also a softmodded XBOX has been playing NES, SNES, Genesis etc. for years.
    • MWeather, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2"mean, come on, what's better than A Link to The Past?"

      Rygar.
    • MEGAgatchaman, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0Better than A Link to the Past? Nothing ... except Okami, It's the best Zelda game ever!
    • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0"what's better than A Link to The Past?"

      I'll give you aLttp over OoT, that's a personal preference thing, but come on... show some love for Super Metroid.
    • skipdog172, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Final Fantasy 3 !
  • heybobzmuda, on 04/21/2008, -1/+7I don't think the story is referring to Diggers. It's probably referring to the new class of casual gamers like nursing home residents. I don't think they were standing in line for smash brothers. They're probably content with just bowling.
  • boombye, on 04/21/2008, -6/+15IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING TO BUY! Of course the trends show that nobody is buying much new games beyond WiiSports because there isn't much choice for great games beyond Nintendo's exclusives.
    • DarkprinceArmon, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0I disagree with that statement. I would put it another way. There is nothing that core gamers will try on the Wii, that is different from the norm. It would seem that old game with tacked on controls sell better than new games with different controls. Just look at how IGN and the other sites review Wii games to get a picture of the core gamer. Most of them give out high score to those core games favorites with the tacked on controls while shoving over the newer game with the same or different control method.

      Cooking Mama sold incredible on the Wii, yet it got horrible scores. Wii Play continues to sell well, despite its pan scoring. I'm not saying that Mario Kart, and Resident Evil are not good games with a Wii mote. I'm saying that giving a game that's new and tries something new a low score for doing that is not acknowledging some of it outer core gamer appeal. Myamoto said it best when he stated that maybe reviewers should take a look at how they review games for the Wii because the games that are continuing to sell well, are not the core games, but the non games.
  • SketchaMPM, on 04/21/2008, -6/+15Dumb. I own a ton of Wii games and I plan on buying a ton more. So far I have: Zack and Wiki, No More Heroes, Mario Galaxy, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, Okami, Metroid Prime 3, Super Paper Mario and others.
    • deaftly, on 04/21/2008, -2/+29 = ton?
      • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3well, that's about 1 every other month if you bought it at launch, which is a lot by many people's estimation.
    • Pinkshisno, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3I agree. Just those Wii games make the purchase worth it. People complain that they are rehashes of the same tired old franchises, but until they stop being fun, I'll keep on buying them.
  • LooterMcBeer, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2I believe it because the majority of Wii owners arent gamers and none of them want super smash bros. or super paper mario or mario cart or mario etc..... They want more interactive sports games like the 5 that come with the system. They want family styled party games
  • prleet, on 04/21/2008, -10/+3Not being a fanboy but last Friday i was walking through the mall while passing by gamestop, i stopped to ask if they had a wii, to my amazement they did so got it and bought mario galaxy along too. Went home and tried it out, I have played wii before at the mall but now I had the privacy of my home but to my amazement it disappoint me. As a older gamer in early 20's, this system is not appealing. I quote you what my sister said after she saw the graphic difference between ps3 and wii,"what the hell kinda of a graphic is that, whats wrong with their head?" When I play COD4 or Oblivion they would just watch it in amazement. But I did notice which crowd the audience is when it comes to wii...yea i got bunch of little nieces and nephews.......its heroin for them!
    • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -1/+4Are you joking? Mario Galaxy was beautiful. Were you expecting Mario to look more realistic or something?
      • prleet, on 04/21/2008, -4/+2beautiful in cartoonish ways..and got tired of collecting starbits, how many of those damn things do i need to collect, now you see the whole point of the game is...its like nothing has changed from mario 1, before it was coins i believe now its starbits. If there is a good cartoonish game that I have played and I have liked was Ratchet for PS3, thats one I can deal with.... its also funny.
        • psibladeZX, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0shut up, jesus, you whiny ass bratty 20 something
    • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2graphics aren't everything(and i HOPE you arent playing the wii on an HDTV with composite cables)
      • prleet, on 04/21/2008, -2/+0yes I was disappointed to find out that there were no HDMI plugings on the wii and All I have are LCD's. Wish there was an antialiasing thing for the wii. It was one of the those things that kept bugging the hell out of me...those things are eye killers.
  • alloystudios, on 04/21/2008, -2/+7The Wii outsold the other consoles because the gameplay with the remotes was a revolutionary idea. And the audience they were able to reach isn't the normal video game buyer or even the daily video game player. I have a Wii and a few games but I only play Wii Sports because it's easy for other people to pick up. I played with my mom the other day, I doubt that would happen with an Xbox 360. If they come out with more games that use the Mii characters, I think they will sell more games. And can we get Mario Kart PLEASE!
    • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2During the holidays we had 3 generations of our family (grandma, parents and Me and siblings trading off) playing the Wii. I guarantee you that would not of happened on any other system ever made.
  • snoop101, on 04/21/2008, -0/+6I dunno about you but im getting Mario Kart the morning it comes out. Other then the Mario action games, I think the mario kart series is one of the most played. On a side note there forgeting the a lot of nintendo hardcore people are playing all the VC games and spending money to buy them.
  • aspec, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3Maybe the article is attempting to make some roundabout connection to the fact that so many different people own wiis, but proportionally, those people are less interested in Smash Brothers and Galaxy than xbox owners are in Halo, or PS3 owners are in MGS4... or something.

    Just the same, I can't wait for Wii fit to come out. I didn't by the machine to play games where I drag a cursor across the screen or wave my hands in the air to get the character to do something that has no relation to my moments. I wanted a more tactile experience with my games. Something you couldn't get from the other two. Get that 1to1 lightsaber game or sword fighting game out there, you'll have an easy million seller.
    • rkthoadan, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1I was looking forward to wii fit, but the reveiws I've read aren't terribly positive. I'm going to wait until some 3rd party games come out for the balance board and make my decision then.
    • bjs3171, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1they've blown it with the light saber game. that should have been a lunch title, but now i'm ***** sick of this Wii and i'm selling it for PS3 so I can play GTA.
  • ybotoby, on 04/21/2008, -1/+6My Pet Horse and Hannah Montana wont get me to the store
  • dakong27, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1I want new games, but don't want any of the Mario stuff. I was never much of a fan of that series, even when the original arcade Donkey Kong came out and there were only three other games in the World. Call of Duty 3, Blazing Angels, and Twilight Princess were all fun, though, and I want more. Recommendations?
    • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Okami, the sega light gun shooters(if you like those type of games), No More Heroes.. there's really a bunch out there. CoD3 got pretty horrible reviews so you prob. aren't too picky.. should be a lot out there for you
    • Ph34rb0t, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2Despite Mario's presence SSBB is a winner by all counts.
    • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0Medal of Honor Heroes 2 or Metroid Prime 3, for the best damn FPS controls available (and both are tons of fun). Also I spend an inordinate amount of time with Tiger Woods 08. It actually helped straiten out my real life golf swing.
    • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Lumping all Mario games together and calling them a series is a little naive. Mario Galaxy is part of the "proper" Mario platformer series, but Mario Kart, Mario Party, Paper Mario (well, the non platforming Super Paper Mario ones), the Mario sports games (golf, tennis, baseball, soccer), and probably some I'm missing are all very different games despite having Mario in them... all having Mario in a game usually means is that it will have really high production standards.
  • Grooblle, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4I have a feeling the DIGG users aren't representative for the people they're talking about in the article... In some way I actually believe its true, I know people who just bought Wii for the hype and havent really played anything more than the Wii sports that came with it. Stupid but true.
    • DarkprinceArmon, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0I know all kinds of people too.
  • CaptEnder, on 04/21/2008, -0/+3FTA: "I bet they sell a million units a week for every pound that Oprah says she lost on it.” Too bad for Nintendo it's not the old Oprah right now. That could've worked out to near 50 million!
  • utzig, on 04/21/2008, -1/+4no, they just don't want to pay $50 a pop for a freakin video game. Im a Wii owner and my game collection is small as well; you really have to ask yourself if you are going to get $50 worth of entertainment out of whatever you buy.
    • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4except for the fact that the Wii has many many quality games priced from $30-$40(Zack/WIki,Resident Evil 4, House of The Dead 2/3, Ghost Squad, Okami) and even some mediocre ones @ $20 - such as Octomania). Plus the article states that the attach rate is lower than the 360, with their arbitrary $10 premium so that doesn't make sense in light of the article.
      • staticneuron, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1it's not a question, its a fact. The attach rate of the 360 is higher. Just because a product is cheaper doesn't mean that it is going to sell "just because". It helps, but there are alot of other factors.
      • ELCad, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Doesn't the 360 have a budget line of greatest hits?
    • NathanielJ, on 04/21/2008, -0/+11. That doesn't only apply to Wii.
      2. It actually applies less to Wii than PS3 or XBox 360, because Wii has quite a few games for $40 (Okami, Zack and Wiki) and then the shovelware for $20 (not all of which is horrible, like Mercury Meltdown Revolution).
    • kiddcode, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1The only problem with Wii games I have is that I also own a DS. DS games are half the price, the selection is huge, and they're more to my old-school 2d gamer taste. I still like the Wii and if they made more games where I didn't have to point at the TV for hours on end, I'd probably play it more.
    • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2$50, assuming you pay full retail price for a AAA game (which as noted, there's plenty of lower priced titles that are really good, and you can always buy used to save 10-20% or more), usually works out to be a decent buy on a game. Figure a game should get you anywhere from 20 to 100 hours of playtime and you are probably paying about a $1 per hour, much cheaper than going to the movies or something like that. And when you are done with the game you can sell it and recoup some of your costs, dropping the cost per hour of entertainment even lower.
    • DarkprinceArmon, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0That's a bunch of crap. I just bought a game that just came out for the Wii for 39.99. There are plenty of budget titles on Wii, you just have to move out of the core way of purchasing games.
  • drm7, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1They obviously didn't ask my kids!
  • dyreschlock, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2wrong.. i want more games, because my Wii hasn't gotten any attention since Mario Galaxy
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -1/+2They aren't talking about YOU, they are talking about the majority of Wii owners who are not hardcore gamers.
      • kmoed, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4Wii owners are hard core gamers. PS3 and Xbox360 owners are gamers without girlfriends.
      • dyreschlock, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1i'll take that as a complement ^_^
  • jakobrowning, on 04/21/2008, -0/+2did anyone else thing this was going to be another onion post before reading where the story came from?
    • cifrancgx, on 04/21/2008, -2/+2No, because it isn't hard to believe AT ALL. The Wii is so hot because it is cheap and it has a very unusual and innovative way to control it that appeals to non-gamers. Why is it that hard to understand that non-gamers would be happy with the game that comes with the Wii and aren't going to run out and buy every other game that comes out? Especially considering how expensive games are.
  • 1gunners4, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Causal Connection: ur doin it wrong!!!!
  • sagat, on 04/21/2008, -2/+3I know a bunch of people who got Wii's and never ventured beyond Wii Sports, like a board game they only bring it out on rare occassions. Granted I know a bunch of people who are the opposite and have loads of Wii releases. Where i can see the difference is age, those who rarely use their Wii's are in their mid to late 30's married, kids and non-traditional gamers. This was the new market Nintendo was looking to exploit but you can imagine why it hasn't been such an after sale success, when you are older married with kids and trying to juggle a career and a mortgage, it's hard to free up enough hours into gaming, especially when the wife wants to watch some reality tv.
    • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0The ironic thing is the Wii has been selling to casual gamers despite the lack of casual games available.
  • throwingks, on 04/21/2008, -1/+6How is 1 less game per console sold, with twice as many consoles sold, a bad thing? That is more games than Sony and Microsoft combined.
    • nicko68, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Yeah exactly, I couldn't figure out why an average of 3.6 was so much worse than 4.6.
      • dustinjr1993, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1how is that possible? wii games are usually cheaper than xbox and ps3 so wouldnt wii owners have alot more money in their pockets then xbox?
      • ZenMojo, on 04/22/2008, -0/+13.6 = 78% of 4.6. Not bad, but not close.
  • gusc, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Actually I'd prefer to buy NHL'08 if it ever comes out on Wii, but for now Zelda and FIFA'08 is good enough :)
    • ELCad, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Yes, where are the hockey games? Come on EA and 2K!
  • Tyrghast, on 04/21/2008, -0/+4No matter what console it's on, everyone I know who has purchased Rock Band has yet to buy any new games, much less try the demos. It's basically kickawesome.
    • dynelol, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1I'd be giddy if they released super-sturdy drums.
    • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0Agreed. I have about 40 downloaded tracks, and haven't purchased or played many other 360 games since I got it. Same thing happened for a while with Oblivion...
    • nicko68, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Well, Rock Band on the Wii is gonna suck big time so that won't be a problem there. No DLC, it won't take long to get bored playing the same 58 songs over and over.
  • pigfister, on 04/21/2008, -2/+12sony and m$ FUD, its all sour grapes that nintendo is wiping the floor with their "more of the same" offerings!
    • DryMaltExtract, on 04/21/2008, -3/+1.. Smash Brothes, Wario Ware, Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Mario Soccer, Mario Baseball, Okami, Resident Evil 4.... INNOVATION.
      • frygar, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1Echochrome, Patapon, Shadow of the Colossus (I know it's last gen, but c'mon, Team ICO delivers) , those games aren't innovative? Don't get me wrong, I love Nintendo as much as the next guy, and I'm calling this article out for being ***** (I want new games on my Wii, too!), but Sony's got some pretty fantastic and creative titles out, as well.
  • digitizit, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1I own a Wii, and my wife had one of her own while we were just dating. Both of us LONG for new games to come out for the Wii. I'm really disappointed in the lack of good games. All of the cool games, I already have. I've even pre-ordered some of the new ones.
  • smoger, on 04/21/2008, -1/+12the problem with the Wii attach rate is easy to understand..
    the Wii appeals to gamers as well as an entirely NEW demographic of non-gamers(same with the DS). it's very possible that the non-gamers outnumber the gamers since there is a misconception among younger people that Nintendo games "aren't violent enough"(as if violence makes a game good).
    now, considering the base of non-gamers.. it's a miracle that NIntendo was able to sell them a game console to begin with. the success of mediocre games like carnival games , mario party 8, and mario and sonic at the olympic games is a testament to this.
    there's just not a lot of market for hardcore games on the Wii.. but that's a chicken and the egg thing. developers keep excluding the Wii from their serious titles, which fuels this. lack of hardcore games = lack of hardcore gamers. hopefully upcoming games like The Force Unleashed will start to turn this trend around.
    now me personally,.. i own about 12 Wii games(not counting about 10-12 virtual console games) and about 4 xbox-360 games(the 360 is has proven more useful to me as a media center.. $60 games are hard to swallow for me for some reason). this trend continues for me as i look forward to Mario Kart and Wii Fit(plus WiiWare in May). On the 360 horizon.. I'd like to pick up grand theft auto 4,.. just not sure I want to do that for $60.
    • nobelief, on 04/21/2008, -4/+5Umm... Wii Fit costs $90 and Wii games cost $50

      Why are you whining about the price when the difference is so minimal? Especially when 360 games are easily better than Wii games
      • Narcowski, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1Prime 3 was far better than Halo 3, at least in campaign...
        • Gregsaw, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1not with the 4 player coop.
          not to mention the replay value of the multiplayer
        • nobelief, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Halo has:

          HD graphics
          online multiplayer
          local multiplayer

          and a bunch of extra stuff. Prime 3 is just one single campaign. you throw it out after you're done with it
          • smoger, on 04/23/2008, -0/+2//begin enlightened pc gamer comment
            you could eat gold flakes to get shiny poop,.. but at the end of the day.. it's still poop.
            //end enlightened pc gamer comment
      • smoger, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1i'm actually not whining about the $10, just stating that for whatever reason(that i can't even pinpoint in my *own* head), that my "border" is somewhere between $50 and $60. that being said,.. I don't often spend $50 on games either. Mario Galaxy.. $50 w/ $25 gift card, Smash Brothers boughtt a second game to get $10 off, Super Paper Mario saved a few bucks preordering. Got HoTD and Ghost Squad for $30(for both). Only game I recall spending $50 on in the past few years was No More Heroes, and that was only because I had a couple days with nothing to do so figured I'd pick it up.

        also, what 360 games are "better" than Wii games? the only 360 games I own don't have counterparts on the Wii.
    • trdrstv, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1I hear you. I easily own more Wii games than 360 pr PS3 Titles. In fact I'd be good with keeping RockBand and Oblivion GOTY and the XBLA titles. The PS3 gets most of it's use from Netflix. The Wii on the other hand has taken over for what I played on the Gamecube (Platformers, and puzzlers) and also (thanks to the motion controls) it has taken over for what I mostly played on the 360 (Sports games and FPS's).

      People tend to turn a blind eye to the 3rd party Wii games that are on other systems because they don't look as good. Screw that; Madden and Tiger Woods are more fun on the Wii. Period. They may look PS2-arific, but the controls make them the best version of the game.
    • mrgreen4242, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1I also used my 360 primarily as a media center, but after six months of that I dumped it. It's a pretty ***** media center imo. I replaced it with a Wii, and I'm waiting/hoping that some WiiWare developer makes a media center channel application. If they don't I'll grab a cheap refurb/used Apple TV eventually.
      • Gregsaw, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1try xbmc
        (xbmc.org)
      • smoger, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1Orb is pretty cool too, but obviously/unfortunately there will never be an HD solution for Wii media. Best thing about the Xbox for me is that I can plug my Zune into it to watch my podcasts.
  • b04155, on 04/21/2008, -3/+2"Toys “R” Us has instructed its sales staff to warn customers that some Wiis cannot read the Smash Bros. disc, and to refuse to exchange the game if customers later claim it is defective. Some parents who receive that warning are just as happy to buy a different game instead. But Nintendo claims few Wiis are subject to the malfunction, and Toys “R” Us sales staff said few customers have been dissuaded from buying or keeping the game."

    And people are okay with this tactic why exactly?
  • teamr, on 04/21/2008, -6/+6If you read Digg daily, the article obviously doesn't apply to you. They are talking about the casual gamers who bought a wii for wii sports and brain age, and trust me, it's alot of people. Why do you think multiplatform games like guitar hero sell more on ps3 and 360 when the wii has twice their userbase?
    • kmoed, on 04/21/2008, -0/+7Guitar hero III sold more(and continues to sell more) on the Wii then any other system.
    • DryMaltExtract, on 04/21/2008, -4/+1That's because old people want to get back to their roots with that awesome MONO sound.
    • nickert0n, on 04/21/2008, -1/+3If they dont want to play games, why would they buy one? Oh thats right cause your comment is *****.
    • Gregsaw, on 04/21/2008, -1/+1dlc?
    • Shanobi, on 04/21/2008, -0/+0LOL@multiplatform games selling better on other systems.

      I guess it's true for the first couple of months, but Nintendo games sell over a much longer period of time than their competitors. Or maybe you didn't notice GH3 Wii is still in the top 10 sales charts and about to whip past the 360.

      And exclusives? Last year they had 14 in the top 100 game sales for the year, the 360 had 4.

  • LAZZOR, on 04/21/2008, -0/+1Let see I've got Brawl, Guitar Hero III, No More Heroes, Twilight Princess, RE4:Wii Edition, buying Corruption and will eventually pick up Okami. Wow I guess I do have most good games for the system. Doesn't really matter Halo 3 take sup all my free time anyways.
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 100 of 117 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.