Posted on Monday 10th of December 2007 at 13:02 in Gaming

Why the Nintendo Wii succeeds where the other consoles fail

I was amazed by the Nintendo Wii when it came out and I continue to be amazed by it. It was around this time last year when I realised that Nintendo had done what the others had failed to do.

When the console was launched my collegue (and friend) Adam was an early adopter and bought a console at midnight on release day. However it wasn't until he brought it into work that the power of this device was realised. Sure it's just a games console that has motion sensors - hell we've had light guns (a-la Time Crisis) for years so the technology isn't anything astonishing.


The true power of the Wii
However when Adam brought the console into work and we hooked it up to the projector in the development office, it did something that the other "next generation" consoles would not have done. It drew a genuine crowd of employees - those who couldn't be possibly labelled gamers let alone gushing fanboys. Such was the lure of the Wii that almost every member of the company was stood watching the two players box each other into oblivion.

After a while there was a decent queue of people waiting for their go, such was the attraction of playing tennis on a projector. It wasn't just the notion of playing tennis itself, but the fact that the motion sensing controllers offered a more immersive experience. It was also clear that the very minor learning curve wasn't a barrier for anyone. When one of the girls stepped up for a go she asked:

Question: How do I hit the ball?
Answer: Just swing the controller as if it were a racket. That's it.

Therein lies the appeal of the Wii (especially the original Wii Sports offering). Games like Tennis required no gaming ability to hit the ball and have fun. Sure being good requires skill, but to just make contact and enjoy yourself is as simple as having limbs and that was something everyone qualified for.

Would a PS3 have done this?
Well the PS3 wasn't even out at the time (as this was December 2006) but even if it was the situation would have been different. People walking through our development office would have stopped to see what the geeks were up to and maybe comment on the clever use of the projector, maybe even the graphics, but most would have then kept on walking to their original desintation. The PS3 is a great console; it's graphical prowess isn't to be argued with but it would only have kept us techies happy, challenging each other for bouts on Tekken or something.

The Wii however kept everyone entertained from around 10.30am - 4.30pm. An amazing feat considering the only game on offer was Wii Sports which is essentially 5 mini-games that showcase the functionality of the Wii-motes. If you'd have bought a PS3 for £300 and then spent £35 on Assassin's Creed - sure you'd have an impressive technical demonstration but the raw fun wouldn't be matched.

Therefore it was at this time that I realised Nintendo had done something amazing. This was before I'd even had a go on the console (as I didn't have the time to play on this particular day) so it wasn't my swooning that won the Wii a place in my living room, it was the raw fun it was able to generate. Nintendo just know what fun is, plain and simple enjoyment doesn't have to cost the world.

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