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I'm a long time collector and game player with an extensive game collection ranging from the Magnavox Odyssey to the Wii and XBOX360. Being able to have systems side by side and put them through tests can be entertaining and educational but can also produce very opinionated and picky players.
For the new buyer of a single game system household it's a good idea to pick a system that suites the game play style of the players. Often it's a good idea to stick with a system that is owned and played by other family and friends as long as the general consensus a positive experience. Having like systems allows for good communication regarding game progress/successes, game exchanges, perhaps a bit of good hearted competition, multi-player (in the house and external over the internet) gaming which is a large factor, and more. Also, constant negative feedback regarding system differences can have a negative impact on the gaming experience as these systems have partially become a status symbol.
Unless you a system collector or have plenty of money to spend on whatever you desire I'd stay far away from getting a game system from the two, what I would call different generation systems, Wii and the XBOX360/PS3. Placing these systems in the same household will cause a shift from the Wii to the XBOX360/PS3 platform if games of similar style are available on both. In the end you may find as I've experienced that the Wii is only used for a brief moment when a good new game comes out and then sits powered off the rest of the time.
In the case of a pro-Wii family/friends gaming network the Wii can be alot of fun for playing together with a group with a wide spread in age. Certain Nintendo game styles are well known throughout all ages making it easier for all to relate. Games like Zelda, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, simple sports games and more have always been enjoyable to me as well.
Back to the nature of the almost discontinued use of the Wii in my family... it seems this is a result of many factors for which I will list but a few.
- too much selection...
This household has too much of a selection of games causing only the cream of the games to get the majority of the game play time. Having a wide selection of games to choose from doesn't make a good game system. The Wii gaming platform has been swamped by butchered ported games and new but very poor games. At best a 1 in 10 good to very poor ratio. On the upside game prices on the Wii are less then on the XBOX360/PS3. There must be a drive to lure us to play the less attractive games which brings me to the next point.
- a gauge of progress…
XBOX360 managed to implement an interesting way to keep track of game progress and game goals by way of Achievements. Similarly the PS3 is offering Trophies? These achievements offer an incentive to continue playing or replaying a game and in some sense a way to know when to stop playing them. I've seen old games brought out that are not up to the standards of latest release games but never-the-less they are played from beginning to end. These achievements are viewed by friends and family and both for curiosity and as an extra competitive incentive to go back and continue. It's not enough to just play for the sake of playing any more!
- graphic resolution and clarity...
Having HD TVs without HD resolutions is not advisable. Exact same games played side by side on the Wii and the XBOX360 show how poor a low-rez image is from the wii and how crystal clear an HD image is from the XBOX360. The reduced image quality and landscape on the Wii from any prolonged play can be one source of eye strain, headaches, and even resulting players frustration. On the flip side don't run an XBOX360 on a non HD TV.
- controllers...
Although the use of the Wii controllers enhances certain game play its use is overrated and over implemented. Most games do not need and should never be adapted to use the Wii style of controllers. Nintendo and the Wii game manufacturers have attempted to adapt all game styles to use these controllers causing good games to be very poor and some not worth attempting to play as a result. The typical controller style that has proven itself over time is in use by XBOX/PS3 and countless other gaming systems. In addition from experience I've found continued use of the Wii controllers to be tiring and even causing repetitive strains.
- the Cutesy feel can be too much...
Although the cute Nintendo feel with constant background music can start out being calming I've found that too much of that childish environment can annoy users of all ages. A neutral environment for all ages seems to work much better not alienating kids nor driving away the adults.
To sum it up...As my now 7 year old son states with such emotion, "The Wii Sucks Dad!", as he makes his way to the XBOX360…my 11 year old plays with the NDS more than the Wii…my 13 year old went and bought his own XBOX360 as he wasn't able to get enough play time and his network of school friends all have one…my wife prefers to play Party Poker even though I originally got the Wii for her…and I prefer the XBOX360 for all the above reasons.
With all that said I truly believe that fun can come from any game and game system and we should look to the players to create fun no matter what they are doing and not to the game writers and game system manufacturers to try and tell us we are having fun.
Sincerely,
Lorn (Gamertag: Holesome)
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