Will Wii be disappointed again? -editorial on the Wii by gamer informer

[lars573]

Spoiler

intendo finally dropped the bomb on most of the remaining details on their upcoming console launch – Wii. Nintendo fans everywhere cheered over the low price point of $249.99, Wii Sports packed in, an easy to use interface, low priced virtual console games, and the fact that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will finally see the light of day at launch on November 19. While all this sounds great on paper, I’m still extremely skeptical. Even though I can’t wait to get my hands on my own Wii and take Link through his latest adventure, Nintendo has a poor track record that still makes me nervous.

Lets face it, Nintendo came out of E3 looking like a complete winner. Many were unconvinced that the company’s decision to go with a freehand remote controller and nunchuk control scheme would be a fun way to play games, but even the biggest skeptics changed their stance when they got their hands on it. Developers praised the console for ease of development, and innovative controls. Gamers loved Mario, Metroid, and Zelda. Even the Game Critics Awards gave Wii Best Of Show. How could Nintendo blow this?

A Link To The Past
Let’s look to the past with the Nintendo 64 and GameCube. Even though the Nintendo 64 had such sales juggernauts and critical successes as Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the N64 still got its butt handed to it by Sony’s PlayStation. The launch of the N64 was a complete sell out, even though the system launched with only two games, Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64. Due to the high cost of the cartridge format, launch games retailed at a whopping $79.99.

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Even though the cartridge format allowed for the lack of loading times, it caused third party titles to be $10 more on average – even when first party titles dropped to $59.99 months after launch. Sure, Nintendo innovated quite a bit with their 64-bit system with such notables as introducing the analog stick and the Rumble Pak, but the console struggled throughout its lifespan. Regardless of the dream team Nintendo brought together for software releases, games trickled out sparsely. Every year Nintendo promised a slew of games, but many learned quickly that each of these games would be delayed months and years, cancelled outright, or pushed to the next console. Even though the N64 was my sole gaming console at that time, I eventually picked up a PlayStation because I wanted new games to play.

Nintendo promised even more innovations, and (gasp) online with the release of the 64DD, yet the hardware arrived late to market in Japan, fizzled, and never was released in North America. At the end of the Nintendo 64’s life span, few games remained on to actually be released – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, and finally the first Paper Mario. By then however, I had already moved on to the Dreamcast, and was planning for the PlayStation 2.

No Really, We'll Fix It
Nintendo then announced their next console move, codenamed Project Dolphin. Revealed at one of their last Space World shows in Japan, on August 24, 2000 Nintendo finally unwrapped the NINTENDO GAMECUBE (this was actually how Nintendo wanted people to write the system’s name). Many promises were made including online via modem and broadband adaptors, SD card support, wireless controllers, and innovative gameplay with connectivity via the Game Boy Advance. I was beyond excited.

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Nintendo also promised major third party support due to ease of development. The GameCube had a proprietary disc format to help deter piracy. However, due to the fact that the company opted not to use DVDs, this limited storage capacity and didn’t allow for movie playback which Sony made standard with their PlayStation 2, and Microsoft’s upcoming console adopted as well. However, games were not playable until the following year at E3 2001.

Nintendo came out strong with a line-up of Luigi’s Mansion, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Rogue Squadron, Eternal Darkness (pushed from N64), Super Monkey Ball, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, Star Fox Adventures, Kameo: Elements of Power, Wave Race: Blue Storm, and Pikmin. Nintendo’s President Saturo Iwata cracked jokes about other companies focusing on sequels while Nintendo would have new titles. Nintendo fans applauded, and the Game Critics gave GameCube best of show.

Many other elements looked favorable up to the GameCube launch, including Capcom’s announcement of the exclusive “Capcom 5” and the Resident Evil series moving over to GameCube, Sega’s Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II being the first online GameCube game, and Namco’s hit fighter Soul Calibur II confirmed to hit Nintendo’s console. While Super Mario Sunshine and The Legend of Zelda titles weren’t going to make launch, the company debuted both titles weeks before the GameCube launched in Japan. As a Nintendo fan, I believed that things finally began looking promising for Nintendo, and couldn’t wait for the GameCube to be released. So much in fact that I camped out in Japan to be the first to get my hands on the new system.

On September 14th, the GameCube was launched in Japan with only Luigi’s Mansion, Wave Race: Blue Storm, and Super Monkey Ball as notable titles. The GameCube only sold 300,000 units in the first three days after the system launched, and it never sold out. Some attributed the poor sales to the fact that Mario wasn’t ready for launch, and others blamed the September 11th attacks on North America. Once again, titles slowly trickled out.

Finally, on November 18th, the GameCube officially launched in North America with more third party titles than any other video game launch. Shortages of consoles, controllers, and Memory Card 51s are reported across the country. Nintendo netted $100 million in revenue on the first day, and Nintendo of America’s Vice President George Harrison said the GameCube is a “Virtual Sell Out.”

Even though the following year and beyond saw releases of Nintendo stars such as Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Metroid Prime, the GameCube ended up being a failure. Sony’s PlayStation 2 completely dominated, and Microsoft’s Xbox gained momentum and established itself as a contender in the videogame industry. It made me ill. While I still love many of the games that were released for the GameCube, it’s collected dust for over a year.

Why did the GameCube fail? The industry witnessed Nintendo fans only really purchasing Nintendo titles for the system, and third party titles rarely selling as well as they would on PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Third parties stopped supporting the GameCube as quickly as two years after the system was released, and almost every exclusive title for the GameCube quickly was ported to either the PlayStation 2 or Xbox.

Nintendo returned to sparse releases and continuously delaying titles. Eternal Darkness, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess were pushed back, and while Twilight Princess will also appear on Wii, the GameCube version is coming out of December of this year. Nintendo’s last hit holiday title was Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and even that game didn’t outsell its predecessor. In the GameCube’s final year, Nintendo didn’t show one GameCube game on the show floor, yet announced a few including Super Paper Mario and DK Bongo Blast which both have officially made the transition to Wii according to the Japanese release list revealed yesterday.

Online gaming was more or less complete ignored by Nintendo, and only two online titles were released – surprisingly from old rival Sega – Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II and Phantasy Star Online III C.A.R.D Revolution. While hundreds of thousands of gamers, including myself, could easily play games with their friends online with a PlayStation 2 or Xbox, Nintendo console gamers we left with split screen gaming, or LAN for multiplayer. LAN? Are you kidding me? I personally thought this was a sick joke, and even sadder I have both a GameCube modem and broadband adapters to actually play these pathetic attempts.

Other elements like not having movie playback, disc storage size, memory card size also attributed to the systems demise. After the initial surge of Metroid, Zelda, Smash Bros, and Mario, most gamers let their GameCubes gather dust. Even though Super Smash Bros. Melee was the console’s best seller, it surprisingly never saw a sequel on the GameCube. The system’s final hit was Resident Evil 4 which was released in January 2005. Originally GameCube exclusive, the game landed on the PlayStation 2 months later with exclusive features. Since then, little for the system has made a splash.

Wii Believe!

Yet everyone is ready to hop on board with Wii. Nintendo fans are calling it the second coming, and most are ready to forget about the past. There are many things going for the system right now – low price point, the promise of online gaming, Wii Sports pack-in, Virtual Console downloads, a completely different gaming experience, plenty of third party launch titles, and more. But are we setting ourselves up for a fall once again?​

Reggie Fils-Aime acknowledged the sparse GameCube releases yesterday, and promises that won’t happen with Wii. That alone right there could help the Wii become a huge success. But there are a number of things already working against the system.


The system is under powered in comparison to both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Technically it’s a beefed up GameCube. The unit will only support up to 480p resolution and widescreen games where the competition is heavily focused on high definition gaming. Even though Nintendo says they’re focused solely on gameplay, regardless of what Nintendo wants to believe, people do care about graphics. Visuals we’ve seen with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess prove the system can output some quality eye candy, but whether or not developers will be able to devote the same amount of time as Nintendo to achieve that is doubtful. If you’re hoping to have that same high-def experience with your Wii, it’s not going to happen. Especially out of the box, considering Nintendo is only including standard AV cables in the box.

Finally, while Nintendo is touting one of the largest and most diverse launch line ups in the history of video games, the company will only have two first party games available at launch - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Excite Truck. Another launch with a new Mario title absent already makes me nervous. Seriously? Is this the N64 and GameCube all over again? Twilight Princess is beyond being a hardcore game, and while Wii Sports and the Virtual Console may suck in casual gamers, the depth and complexity of a Zelda title will terrify someone who just wants a little Wii Tennis or Donkey Kong. While I enjoyed Excite Truck at E3, I don’t see that becoming a monster hit any larger than Pilotwings 64 or Wave Race: Blue Storm was. With Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Super Smash Bros. Brawl all moving into the 2007 space, you can pretty much see all four of those games getting spread out to fill the entire 2007 year. If history repeats itself, that’s exactly what Nintendo will do. Mark my words.

The Virtual Console is brilliant, and if Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade is proof enough, people love classic and casual games. Sure, Nintendo has proved they have no problem re-releasing their classic games time and time again, but hell, people love them and still are eager to buy them. I personally have no problem with finally unplugging my old consoles and seeing these classic relived on my big screen television. With the arsenal of 20 years of Nintendo titles, and the addition of Sega, Turbo Grafix, Hudson, and more waiting in the wings, the Virtual Console could be one of the Wii’s greatest assets. But we should expect these games to be playable online with friends and upgraded with progressive scan visuals. That would at least take the sting out of re-hashing the same games over again. Microsoft does it and I expect Nintendo to make the effort as well.

Also, there are a number of third party titles that could show some promise including Madden NFL 07, Red Steel, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, and Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam. Although there are a number of third party titles slated for launch, if developers take the same port approach they did with the Nintendo DS launch, those games will become the exact same quality the DS third party titles were – crap. Just like the Nintendo DS had an original control scheme, the Wii is just as different and developers need to realize that immediately or their games will flop.​

Developers have touted how easy it is to get their games running on Wii, yet very few exclusive titles are being made for it. Developers are mostly porting current-gen games over to Wii and adding Wii specific controls to games. For original titles, third party developers, have to devote complete development teams for making games specifically for the Wii, which is costly. For third party developers the size of Electronic Arts and Ubisoft who have the funding to be able to devote to that sort of gamble it’s a bit easier. It’ll be extremely interesting to see how long third party developers will take that chance, especially if their initial Wii launch titles don’t sell as well as they hope. Because if that happens, third party developers will be out just as fast as they were with the GameCube. Why should I buy a game that doesn’t look as good, controls strangely, and doesn’t have the online capabilities as the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version? My gaming dollars are limited just as yours are, and I’m putting my money on the best experience. At this point, I’m not sold that Wii will have that, especially for third party games.

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Nintendo has seen some success with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection with the Nintendo DS, and even though there are a number of Wii multiplayer titles announced including Battalion Wars 2, Mario Strikers Charged, and Pokemon Battle Revolution, none of those games are announced for launch in North America. Every third party developer I’ve spoken with about supporting online with their Wii titles say that Nintendo still has yet to talk to them about online gaming. I’m not holding our breath for online Wii gaming this year, and I expect to see Wii online titles in 2007. If Nintendo doesn’t support their franchises like Mario Kart, F-Zero, Metroid Prime, and Zelda with online gaming, you can guarantee there will be some pissed off Nintendo faithful. It was inexcusable with GameCube, and it would be just plain stupid with Wii.​

Obviously with such games as Zelda, Red Steel, and the Virtual Console titles tugging at our inner gamer’s heart strings I will most definitely be there on day one – mainly for Twilight Princess alone. The launch price is low enough (outside of the $60 for controller costs) to avoid damaging my wallet the same way the purchase of a Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 will, and the possibilities and promises from Nintendo somehow still keep me hoping for a bright future. But for now, the future is made up of many of the same promises and hopes I had when the N64 and GameCube were announced. I just hope I don’t end up being disappointed once again.


-Billy Berghammer

Interesting read, sums up what I feel about Nintendo's history. Except I still won't use the Wiimote. I won't say much more as you should be reading it.

 

[TheGrayGhost]

Well, if you plan on buying a Wii, you will have to use the Wiimote. But if you aren't planning on buying one, I wish you best of the times with your Xbox 360 then. Or if you prefer, PS3.

But it's an interesting article. Reading it recalls to me how Nintendo gamers have a different mindset than other gamers.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I think he completely ignored that the Wii will be using Gamecube controllers for games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If developers are too lazy, then can just use the Gamecube control scheme instead of finding new ways make the same damn game (yo Capcom, if you really don't want to put the time into using the Wiimote, just use the Gamecube control scheme for Resident Evil 5!).

 

[War Party]

I loved Nintendo 64 and I'm in love with the Gamecube. Nintendo never disappoints me. I don't see the Wii being any different.

 

[Mr. Credible]

good read... it seems that everyone is so quick to point out sony's mistakes in the past and then kiss nintendo and microsoft's ass, but all three companies have made mistakes.

 

[lars573]

Well, if you plan on buying a Wii, you will have to use the Wiimote. But if you aren't planning on buying one, I wish you best of the times with your Xbox 360 then. Or if you prefer, PS3.

But it's an interesting article. Reading it recalls to me how Nintendo gamers have a different mindset than other gamers.

I'll be getting one, SSB TWP and a $279 price tag* means I'll get one. But the Wiimote is a mistake and will bite Nintendo. I won't use one unless the devs don't put in GC button map.

good read... it seems that everyone is so quick to point out sony's mistakes in the past and then kiss nintendo and microsoft's ass, but all three companies have made mistakes.

Truth. But to be fair Nintendo and M$ aren't talking the same kind of s--t that Sony is.

*Read my location and that number makes more sense.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'll be getting one, SSB TWP and a $279 price tag* means I'll get one. But the Wiimote is a mistake and will bite Nintendo. I won't use one unless the devs don't put in GC button map.

1. Asides from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, no other game for the Wii has been announced using the Gamecube controller. The Wii version of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess won't even be using the Gamecube controller. If you buy a Wii and not use the Wiimote, you'll be just wasting your money.

2. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Super Mario Galaxy, and more to come.

3. Virtual Console can download games from not only the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo 64 systems but also from the Genesis and Turbo-Graphix 16 systems and Nintendo has said that original games will be made through the system (I am really hoping that Nintendo will remake Metroid II: Return of Samus, the Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening with the Virtual Console)

4. The Wiimote offers innovative gameplay. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 just offer the same damn thing but with better gameplay. While inspiring innovation, the Wii also respects tradition with the Virtual Console and for allowing games to be developed with the Gamecube controller in mind (Super Smash Bros. Brawl and hopefully Resident Evil 5 someday)

 

[TheGrayGhost]

I respect his opinion, but yeah, buying a Wii and choosing not to use the Wiimote is not only a little pre-mature, but a waste of money. If you haven't noticed, Nintendo's entire strategy IS the Wiimote, and gamers will buy the Wii because of it. And who knows, you actually might like it.

 

[lars573]

1. Asides from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, no other game for the Wii has been announced using the Gamecube controller. The Wii version of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess won't even be using the Gamecube controller. If you buy a Wii and not use the Wiimote, you'll be just wasting your money.

Your talking to someone who spent $478 on a second from the top of the line video card for his PC. Also I have about 30 Xbox games and have beaten maybe 25% of them.

2. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Super Mario Galaxy, and more to come.

Those won't be out till '07. And they are all that Nintendo has lined up for '07.

3. Virtual Console can download games from not only the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo 64 systems but also from the Genesis and Turbo-Graphix 16 systems and Nintendo has said that original games will be made through the system (I am really hoping that Nintendo will remake Metroid II: Return of Samus, the Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening with the Virtual Console)

Try running ethernet cable between two seperate buildings 20m apart with a drive way in between. Or getting a wireless router to beam signal upwards past a PC monitor fridge, and microwave/stove.

4. The Wiimote offers innovative gameplay. The Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 just offer the same damn thing but with better gameplay. While inspiring innovation, the Wii also respects tradition with the Virtual Console and for allowing games to be developed with the Gamecube controller in mind (Super Smash Bros. Brawl and hopefully Resident Evil 5 someday)

The only thing for sure the Wiimmote offers is a sore left arm. Take your remote and tape 2 AA batteries to it and hold your arm in the best way to wave it around. See how long you can before you get tired.

I respect his opinion, but yeah, buying a Wii and choosing not to use the Wiimote is not only a little pre-mature, but a waste of money. If you haven't noticed, Nintendo's entire strategy IS the Wiimote, and gamers will buy the Wii because of it. And who knows, you actually might like it.

And the N64 entire startegy was carts for fast loading. Look how well that turned out. The GC gimmick was being cube like. Look how well that turned out for it. No the Wiimote is a bad idea. I'll never accept it as controller. For me it's Nintendo's stupid-ass gimmick no.7. The real Wii controller will come out after the Wiimote fails.

 

[The Riddler]

honestly, nintendo's launch isn't very good.

i want it for zelda, but outside of that, the launch isn't enticing.

where's the huge lineup?

 

[lars573]

Wiisports is theoritically 10 games in one. But the launch period games are what HH listed. A total of like 10 tops.

 

[The Riddler]

i hope it doesn't go the way of nintendo's last 2 consoles, but i won't be surprised if it does.

just not enough 3rd party support.

 

[Mentok]

The only thing for sure the Wiimmote offers is a sore left arm. Take your remote and tape 2 AA batteries to it and hold your arm in the best way to wave it around. See how long you can before you get tired.

WOW... another person that thinks you have to wave it around like the ******s in the Nintendo advertising

 

[hippie_hunter]

Your talking to someone who spent $478 on a second from the top of the line video card for his PC. Also I have about 30 Xbox games and have beaten maybe 25% of them.

But at the moment all Wii games, with the exclusion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, will be soley using the Wiimote. So unless you want to play just Gamecube games on your Wii go right ahead and waste $250.00 on the Wii.

Those won't be out till '07. And they are all that Nintendo has lined up for '07.

Nintendo also has Super Paper Mario and Donkey Kong Bongo Blast lined up for 2007 and more will certainly be announced. Don't forget that there will be other games will be made for the Wii. Another Legend of Zelda game is a certainty. Another Donkey Kong game has also been confirmed.

Try running ethernet cable between two seperate buildings 20m apart with a drive way in between. Or getting a wireless router to beam signal upwards past a PC monitor fridge, and microwave/stove.

That's got to be a pain in the ass

The only thing for sure the Wiimmote offers is a sore left arm. Take your remote and tape 2 AA batteries to it and hold your arm in the best way to wave it around. See how long you can before you get tired.

So, I'll take a break then. I'm going to have fun being active while playing my games just like I had fun with Eye Toy (though I hated Dance Dance Revolution)

And the N64 entire startegy was carts for fast loading. Look how well that turned out. The GC gimmick was being cube like. Look how well that turned out for it. No the Wiimote is a bad idea. I'll never accept it as controller. For me it's Nintendo's stupid-ass gimmick no.7. The real Wii controller will come out after the Wiimote fails.

The Nintendo 64 "failed" because Nintendo lost most of it's third party support to Sony. The Gamecube "failed" because Nintendo barely tried to regain the third party support and barely supported online play while the Playstation 2 and Xbox promoted it quite heavily to the point where it is now standard. However, Nintendo has learned from such mistakes and is regaining the third party support and is supporting online gameplay.

If you'll never accept the Wiimote as the Wii's controller then you are wasting your money for the Wii. However I do think that Nintendo allowed the Wii to support the Gamecube controller for Wii games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a back-up plan just in case the Wiimote is a failure.

 

[hippie_hunter]

i hope it doesn't go the way of nintendo's last 2 consoles, but i won't be surprised if it does.

just not enough 3rd party support.

Ubi Soft is in full support of the Wii. Nintendo has restored its relations with Square Enix. Electronic Arts and Activision will support all consoles like they always do. Nintendo owns a shares in Namco so they won't abandon Nintendo. Nintendo has a good relationship with Capcom despite Capcom screwing them over with the Resident Evil series. Nintendo also has a good relationship with Sega. Konami has pledged support for the Wii.

 

[dumbdumduccan]

I purchased the GC. It was Ok. The BEST game by far was Eternal Darkness, followed by Super smash & the RE series.

I am looking forward to the Wii. I will prob get it at launch. I already have a 360.

 

[Mentok]

Regarding the Wiimote...

http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732877p1.html

Nintendo's new controller is, of course, a perfect fit for the fishing option in the game. Gamers merely hold down the Wii-mote's A button, pull the pointer back and then cast it forward as they would if they were really out there doing it. Wide, exaggerated gestures will work just fine, but players who would prefer minimal movements can choose simple flicks of the wrist to do the same thing. The Wii-mote is indiscriminate in the way that it processes motion. The controller rumbles to let players know that they've cast a line. Bigger and faster motions will cause the line to travel farther and vice versa.

 

[lars573]

WOW... another person that thinks you have to wave it around like the ******s in the Nintendo advertising

I don't think that. But considering what the Wiimote is supposed to do it will need to be level with the input sensor strip thing that goes on the bottom of the TV. Even if you don't wave it around like a gomer you will have to point it at the TV to use it right. Which mean you will have to hold your arm extended for long periods.

 

[Brainiac 8]

I get pulled in by gimicks.


This is the first Nintendo I feel I must have since the SNES, and my feeling that way says alot for what Nintendo is doing this generation. I think they hit the nail on the head with their improving gameplay.

They probably should have focused on a more powerful machine a little more than they did, but just by the videos we've seen, the Wii can throw out some great visuals.

 

[TheGrayGhost]

I don't think that. But considering what the Wiimote is supposed to do it will need to be level with the input sensor strip thing that goes on the bottom of the TV. Even if you don't wave it around like a gomer you will have to point it at the TV to use it right. Which mean you will have to hold your arm extended for long periods.

Actually, that's not true either.

 

[Future Prez]

I believe that because the SENSOR BAR uses all three axes (x,y,z) that you don't need to be pointing the Wiimote towards it for it to pick up movement. You, my friend, need to do your homework.

 

[Axid]

Ubi Soft is in full support of the Wii. Nintendo has restored its relations with Square Enix. Electronic Arts and Activision will support all consoles like they always do. Nintendo owns a shares in Namco so they won't abandon Nintendo. Nintendo has a good relationship with Capcom despite Capcom screwing them over with the Resident Evil series. Nintendo also has a good relationship with Sega. Konami has pledged support for the Wii.

Tecmo, Lucas Arts, Majesco, SNK, THQ, Atlus, and some others as well.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

honestly, nintendo's launch isn't very good.

i want it for zelda, but outside of that, the launch isn't enticing.

where's the huge lineup?

Call of Duty 3
Elebits
Excite Truck
Far Cry: Vengeance
Godfather
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Madden 07
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Rayman: Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Wii Sports

 

[Axid]

FIRST-PARTY US WII TITLES AT LAUNCH AND DUE BEFORE Q2 2007

Battalion Wars II
Big Brain Academy (temporary name)
Excite Truck
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Mario Strikers Charged
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxy (temporary name)
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Wii Sports (bundled with the Wii console)


THIRD-PARTY US WII TITLES AT LAUNCH AND DUE BY MARCH 2007


Activision
Call of Duty 3
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Rapala Tournament Fishing
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
World Series of Poker

Atari
Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 2

Atlus
Trauma Center: Second Opinion

Buena Vista Games
Chicken Little: Ace in Action
Disney's Meet the Robinsons

Codemasters
Dance Factory
Sidewinder

EA
The Godfather
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed: Carbon
SSX
Tiger Woods PGA Tour

Konami
Elebits

Majesco
Bust-A-Move Revolution

Midway
The Ant Bully
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Happy Feet
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Rampage: Total Destruction
[Missing and presumed canceled--Blitz: The League]

Sega
Sonic and the Secret Rings
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

SNK
Metal Slug Anthology

THQ
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Barnyard
Cars
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab

Ubisoft
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
Far Cry: Vengeance
GT Pro Series
Monster 4x4: World Circuit
Open Season
Prince of Persia (working title)
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent

Vivendi Games
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

 

[lars573]

Actually, that's not true either.

It is actually. It has to be. For the Wiimote to work it has to be in constant RF communication with the base station thing that goes on the TV bottom. Also to detect motion the console and 'mote have to set up a base, zero point, what ever you want to call it. Now this will most likely be configured when the console it turned on. So what ever position the 'mote is in when you turn the Wii on is 0 for the motion sensor. Now the null space band (the amount of movement you can put on the Wiimote before it says "I'm moving") can only be so wide. So nintendo will probably recomend that at all times the Wiimote is pointed at the screen to best detect movement.