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[A_Gorilla]

How are you using controversial here? The Wii never garnered the level of vitriol that the Xbox One did early on.

"Controversial" means that you had some people that loved it while others absolutely hated it, which accurately describes the Wii.

I can't think of a single person (outside of MS management I guess) that actually LIKED the XB1's original DRM plan. It had its (insane) defenders, of course, but they were all of the "Sony Too!" variety, and promptly either shut up and/or jumped ship after Sony's E3 2013 conference.

 

[rjc571]

Then i can safely state that you are nuts if you think that software quality from Nintendo on the Wii is superior or even on par with what they have released on SNES or N64

And I can safely state that you're nuts if you say it was inferior. Funny how opinions work.

 

[thenewjeva]

Controversial is the wrong word to explain the Wii. A better term is "polarizing" as people's perception of the Wii comes down to whether or not you like motion controls or casual gaming. People like the Wii because it created new ways to play games while others didn't like it because very few developers used motion controls properly and the overabundance of shovelware released for the system.

However, the Wii will be remembered as the system that opened the floodgates to the casual market and helped to make gaming a mainstream form of entertainment.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Then i can safely state that you are nuts if you think that software quality from Nintendo on the Wii is superior or even on par with what they have released on SNES or N64

And I can safely state that you're nuts if you say it was inferior. Funny how opinions work.

I'm just glad we're all safe.

 

[AniHawk]

Controversial?
Huh?
Did it try to invade a country or something?

it killed gaming

 

[IvorB]

What's controversial about it? It was just sh*t.

 

[Gaiaknight]

it killed gaming

how the hell did it kill gaming?

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

how the hell did it kill gaming?

waggle

 

[darthvargi]

waggle

Gaming still exists but I don't think outside of mobile devices, waggle pretty much doesn't exist now.

 

[Interceptor]

how the hell did it kill gaming?

It saved it. And i brought many people back to gaming that were about to abandon it entirely. But at the same time it made a lot of people angry for reasons you cant grasp if you reach a certain age.

 

[Gaiaknight]

waggle

Still dont see how that killed gaming seems like a reach to me.

 

[Teriaaaaa!]

quantity ≠ quality



Then i can safely state that you are nuts if you think that software quality from Nintendo on the Wii is superior or even on par with what they have released on SNES or N64

Then I must be nuts because I think the N64 was the weakest time for Nintendo's software.
Nothing that they made back then ever came close to SMG.

 

[darthvargi]

Obviously, yeah.



This thread isn't "was the wii you a good console."

I think the problem is there isn't anything controversial about the console. It didn't really change console gaming in the long run so those that love "status quo" still have the same gaming options they had in previous generations and if anything it showed publishers and hardware manufacturers that there is a different demographic to find business in and it kickstarted the current mobile gaming trend.

Those that hated it purely didn't like it because of motion controls and fear that it would change gaming. Even though motion gaming is fun in my opinion, it really didn't change console gaming (all three consoles after it do not rely on motion gaming, instead it is a side show or lesser advertised feature).

 

[Barkley's Justice]

People would need to care first for it to be controversial. Nahmeen?

 

[Dryk]

This thread is a fun reminder of everyones' reactions to the Wii remote, lol.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63251

My first thoughts were "That looks cool, but how the fuck am I supposed to play Smash with that thing?". Turns out the answer is "Not well".

Oh man all the people saying "Yeah sure Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are gonna steal that".

 

[Sayter]

Gaming still exists but I don't think outside of mobile devices, waggle pretty much doesn't exist now.

Kinect.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Wii was certainly a system that always invited extreme opinions on almost all sides for years, back when I was younger, I was a avid defender of it.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

It created quite a bit of controversy in my home. We still can't decide if Punch-Out!!, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor or Rhythm Heaven Fever is the system's best game.

 

[foxuzamaki]

It created quite a bit of controversy in my home. We still can't decide if Punch-Out!!, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor or Rhythm Heaven Fever is the system's best game.

I think I feel extremely good that I have all 3 of those games mentioned.

 

[entremet]

Come on, that's not really accurate. They might not be "bleeding edge" but they are significantly more powerful than the previous consoles. The Wii was basically a rebranded Gamecube.

I do think the Wii is the most controversial console ever. I've never seen anything quite like the reaction to the Wii mote.

I'm just saying that both took a more conservative approach than before. Both also want to make money quick from hardware. This was unheard off back in the PS3/360 launch days.

 

[A_Gorilla]

Kinect.

...is dead now that MS unbundled it from the XB1.

 

[……forgetit]

The biggest issue with the Wii was how shirt sighted it was. I think looking back we can all agree it was a fad.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

The biggest issue with the Wii was how shirt sighted it was. I think looking back we can all agree it was a fad.

I wish more fads would give me things like Little King's Story, Xenoblade Chronicles and Excite Truck.

 

[AlfonzoPalutena]

it killed gaming

If anything it became the swan song of traditional gaming.

The PS4 may be selling like hotcakes, but no console will ever reach the levels of the Wii again. The larger untapped Nintendogs / Wii Sports audience that Nintendo utilized has moved on to Smartphones and tablets. They won't be coming back.

It's not like the Wii was responsible for the explosion of mobile gaming either. Apple was already developing the iPhone. Andy Rubin had already formed Android inc. Blackberries, Windows Mobile, Palm, the Danger Hiptop, these thing were already selling. Mobile gaming was already an eventuality and Nintendo just managed to slip in and grab the audience for a relative moment.

Good for them, reading the industry and taking a pre-emptive strike.

History will regard the Wii as the point where mainstream and traditional gaming truly converged, if only for 5 years.

 

[Dryk]

I wish more fads would give me things like Little King's Story, Xenoblade Chronicles and Excite Truck.

I picked up Disaster, Little King's Story and Deadly Creatures for $30 at one point. Good times.

 

[axisofweevils]

Yep. There's still a lot of bitterness about it in some quarters. For example, I still see people saying "People only bought it for Wii Sports then hid it in a cupboard" even though the Wii's attach rate was in the same ballpark as PS360.

 

[A_Gorilla]

If anything it became the swan song of traditional gaming.

The PS4 may be selling like hotcakes, but no console will ever reach the levels of the Wii again. The larger untapped Nintendogs / Wii Sports audience that Nintendo utilized has moved on to Smartphones and tablets. They won't be coming back.

It's not like the Wii was responsible for the explosion of mobile gaming either. Apple was already developing the iPhone. Andy Rubin had already formed Android inc. Blackberries, Windows Mobile, Palm, the Danger Hiptop, these thing were already selling. Mobile gaming was already an eventuality and Nintendo just managed to slip in and grab the audience for a relative moment.

Good for them, reading the industry and taking a pre-emptive strike.

History will regard the Wii as the point where mainstream and traditional gaming truly converged, if only for 5 years.

So we're just forgetting the PS2 now?

 

[FZZ]

quantity ≠ quality

By output I meant the quality of the software they were releasing. First Party wise it was better than any other Nintendo home console, with the addition of Virtual Console it's untouchable.

 

[TSM]

The biggest issue with the Wii was how shirt sighted it was. I think looking back we can all agree it was a fad.

I don't know about all agreeing, but I think when in the future we look at a chart detailing Nintendo's home console sales year by year from the NES on it will look very much like a fad. Looking back, there was a short stretch of time when people really wanted alternative game controls (Wii Remote, plastic instruments, Kinect), but that time appears long past now.

 

[Neo Dark]

This thread is a fun reminder of everyones' reactions to the Wii remote, lol.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63251

I did not know about Gaf's existence back in those days but wow to the posts. As the years go by it feels like the stories change a bit and the Wii's success is downplayed. I've seen people say that they knew the Wii was going to be a success and Nintendo was playing it safe so I guess it is controversial in one way but as others stated it really does depend on how that word is used.

 

[Polioliolio]

The controversy is that is boasted motion controls, but the motion controls barely functioned as intended. Not as advertised. The kinect, despite its failures, became more of what the Wii was going for, than the Wii did.

Notice how the best games used motion controls for a button press. It was depressing that the reality of it was that the motion controls were so awful, the best thing to do with them was to have a shake equal a binary press of a button.


Now.. if they had Wii Motion + out at the time, it would be a different story.
That was fun and functional. It's a shame they didn't have that prepared until years and years later.

 

[Plinko]

By output I meant the quality of the software they were releasing. First Party wise it was better than any other Nintendo home console, with the addition of Virtual Console it's untouchable.

I totally agree with this. It has, by far, the most underrated gaming library of any system. So many people ignored some fantastic games merely because of "LOL dem grafx" or "waggle." It's sad.

 

[Meffer]

The One ended up not releasing in that state though. Wonder if that takes it down a bit.

Hm.
In 7 years will the DRM pre launch be talked about as much as the casual-approach of the Wii and its consequences of that? I'm actually not sure tbh. The Wii U situation probably elevates how much the Wii is still talked about though.

Sure the XBone released as it is now. But before, what they wanted was far more horrible and in general a bad idea.

 

[Mory Dunz]

The biggest issue with the Wii was how shirt sighted it was. I think looking back we can all agree it was a fad.

Guys, he's being sarcastic....I think.


Unless he's missed the numerous 20+ page threads that have debated this since 2011.
He's not a junior...so I'll stick with sarcasm.

 

[GamerJM]

HOLY SHIT THIS THREAD IS AMAZING. WOW. Some major crow from over half of the people responding, damn.

A topic like that one on another site was my introduction to internet forums back in the day. I was always a believer.

 

[legend166]

Yeah, people in here really aren't remembering things correctly.

There was an incredible amount of hatred towards the Wii from the traditional gaming press and your standard forum-goer.

Do people not remember the 'non-game' narrative? Or how the Wii's sales didn't count (this one still continues)? EGM refused to review Endless Ocean as a piece of video game software. It's not that they just didn't review it (a lot of games don't get reviewed), they said this:

Why isn’t it a game?

Endless Ocean gives you a sailboat and a stretch of the South Pacific to explore at 10 fathoms. What it doesn’t give you is danger, conflict, enemies, a story, obstacles a health bar, bosses… you know, game stuff. You don’t even have to worry about your air supply. Ever tried diving without an air gauge? Diving’s a supersafe sport, but if you don’t follow a few simple rules, you could rupture your lungs or catch agonizing decompression sickness or just drift into a happy warm funk until you run out of air. I’m not saying EO needs to give players the bends, but it’d be nice if the occasional fish at least tried to eat you.

Wait, you mean the fish don’t bite?

Nope, not even when you chum the water and then reach out to pet them with your Wii remote. EO’s fauna - both the fish below and the birds above the water - exist solely to satisfy your critter-molestation desires. It’s be like Mario going to the Mushroom Kingdom just to grope all the Goombas and the Koopas. At least the manta ray in Super Mario Galaxy will kill ya if you ride him wrong, for cryin’ out loud. Your goal here ultimately is to catalog as many fish as you can get in petting distance, stopping along the way to give dive tours to tourists who want in on the hot fin-petting action. And if that sounds more like work than a game, then bingo - That’s why EO kicks off our inaugural installment of Electronic Nongaming Monthly.

If I were to rate Endless Ocean on a scale between Biology Class and a night dive in the actual ocean, I’d give it ‘trip to Walmart’s aquarium isle’. - Crispin Boyer

If I could be bothered I'd go back and search for even more hilariously tone deaf comments.

There was genuine hatred and vitriol spewed at the Wii and Nintendo for daring to target people outside the 18-34 male demographic because they thought it was going to ruin gaming forever. It was embarrassing then, and in hindsight it's even more embarrassing. If only they knew they were fighting for the right for publishers to strip their games of content and change design concepts so they could force people into paying them more money.

 

[Origami Superman]

This thread is a fun reminder of everyones' reactions to the Wii remote, lol.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63251

That thread is incredible.

 

[publicpwnerer]

I think polarizing is the more apt term.

 

[Phil S.]

Yep. There's still a lot of bitterness about it in some quarters. For example, I still see people saying "People only bought it for Wii Sports then hid it in a cupboard" even though the Wii's attach rate was in the same ballpark as PS360.

That argument, "people bought it for Wii Sports then hid it in a cupboard", is all too common. I don't understand how with Sales GAF being prevalent, it so easy to find real numbers and statistics (i.e. NOT ********), and such that so many people still use that argument. Is it willful ignorance?

EDIT:

I think polarizing is the more apt term.

Yeah, that's a better word than controversial!

 

[Cynn]

There's debate between the Wii's surprising success vs the Xbox One's launch pains for the most controversial award but really the Wii's success created Kinect and by extension the design failures of the X1.

Make it a dual award.

 

[taps]

I totally agree with this. It has, by far, the most underrated gaming library of any system. So many people ignored some fantastic games merely because of "LOL dem grafx" or "waggle." It's sad.

Or "It killed gaming." Some bitter haters will just never let go of that misplaced resentment. They may miss out on games that's fine but the repetitive condemnations are super weak. Misery loves company.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

No, that cannot be said.

 

[SegaShack]

It killed my respect/love for the Nintendo brand.

This. I am someone who supported the Gamecube during its lifetime too and loved it, but the Wii was a disappointment in many ways. We did get some great games though like Mario Galaxy, Sin and Punishment 2, and Punch-Out.

 

[itchyass86]

I saw a really old racist couple playing on the wii console while I was visiting a friend's extended family up in Oregon once. Controversial? I think so. The wii was fine though.

If anything mobile gaming with only the touch interface should be controversial. The wii was rad along with the ps3 and the xbox. These machines brought families closer together, at least from what I've witnessed.

 

[LeleSocho]

And I can safely state that you're nuts if you say it was inferior. Funny how opinions work.

By output I meant the quality of the software they were releasing. First Party wise it was better than any other Nintendo home console, with the addition of Virtual Console it's untouchable.

If we are speaking about home consoles i'm pretty sure the vast majority of people prefer SNES/N64 to Wii, the only game that really holds up is SMG which is probably a timeless classic.

Then I must be nuts because I think the N64 was the weakest time for Nintendo's software.
Nothing that they made back then ever came close to SMG.

Probably since with N64 they have released two of the games that always stay in all time top tens and one of these most of the time it's on Top Threes (obviously i'm talking about SM64 and Zelda OOT) and essentially brought the cardinal shift for the future of their franchises.

 

[rjc571]

If we are speaking about home consoles i'm pretty sure the vast majority of people prefer SNES/N64 to Wii, the only game that really holds up is SMG which is probably a timeless classic.

Oh, so you're completely insane. Carry on then.

 

[Benzychenz]

I think it was possibly the best Nintendo system ever as far as software goes.

Galaxy, Galaxy 2, Xenoblade, Skyward Sword, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Punch-Out!!, Excite Truck, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports...

Plus third party stuff like Monster Hunter Tri, Little King's Story, Zack & Wiki...

sogood.gif

 

[JaseMath]

lolwut? financially golden age ≠ gaming golden age.

The Wii was easily my favorite console since the SNES. So many great, unique games.

 

[Phil S.]

If we are speaking about home consoles i'm pretty sure the vast majority of people prefer SNES/N64 to Wii, the only game that really holds up is SMG which is probably a timeless classic.

Do you mean holds up as a fun game to play, because I don't agree whatsoever, then! That said, I don't know how I could argue against that without going into a list. Maybe a list with some elaboration on each title?

Though I remember you thinking your time with Nintendo is up after the 3DS. Not that that makes your opinion invalid. It just helps me to understand why you'd say only SMG is the game that holds up on Wii.

 

[Yagharek]

Yeah, people in here really aren't remembering things correctly.

There was an incredible amount of hatred towards the Wii from the traditional gaming press and your standard forum-goer.

Do people not remember the 'non-game' narrative? Or how the Wii's sales didn't count (this one still continues)? EGM refused to review Endless Ocean as a piece of video game software. It's not that they just didn't review it (a lot of games don't get reviewed), they said this:



If I could be bothered I'd go back and search for even more hilariously tone deaf comments.

There was genuine hatred and vitriol spewed at the Wii and Nintendo for daring to target people outside the 18-34 male demographic because they thought it was going to ruin gaming forever. It was embarrassing then, and in hindsight it's even more embarrassing. If only they knew they were fighting for the right for publishers to strip their games of content and change design concepts so they could force people into paying them more money.

This post is bang on.