The monopoly system worked in the gaming market! Back when the original Nintendo Entertainment System had a monopoly, I remember the huge library of creative games. The same could be said for the Atari preceding that. Now, with multiple consoles and high development costs, games are released exclusively on certain platforms. This ensures that there are at least few games I wish I could play, but that are not available to me (such as Okami). Further, to release games on multiple platforms drives up to cost of development, which is ultimately passed on to consumers. Now the systems are diverging further, and designers sometimes need to decide on which platform to develop their game for months and years in advance of their release. There is also less space for indy game designers that are getting priced out of the market. Only rarely is there an Alien Hominid to display what independents might offer, but the development costs are too high.
Monopolies are bad, didn't you take economics? Conversely, the Sega Genesis put pressure on Nintendo to improve their console and lower their prices for hardware. Competition has not stifled creativity, it has encouraged it. Some might argue that products like the Power Glove and the Robot that were released for the NES no longer exist, but the Wii attests to innovation to differentiate one console from another. Further, the console war breeds more powerful machinery capable of more impressive feats, visually and audibly, such as the case of the XBox 360 and PS3. Developers will pick the system that best matches their creative ideas, whether they are inspired by the systems capabilities or internally. More powerful hardware allows developers to better express that creativity, otherwise we might still be stuck playing 2D games with nary a Wolfenstein or Mario 64.
[QUOTE="Bozanimal"]More technology is put into the WiiMotes, so they cost more. You're getting a lot of technology built-in that jacks up the price. Think about it, the WiiMote as the following unique features:
1) Has two acceleration/velocity sensors on two axis 2) A speaker 3) Memory (to store your Wii people?) 4) More motion sensors if you add the nunchuk
You're paying a premium over controllers for the other systems because the controller does more. If you really want to complain, why not ask why the Wii itself isn't just an add-on for the Gamecube? They should've just added a sensor bar and internet connection to the Gamecube and been done with it! SirSpudly
Congrats sir, the Wiimote originally was a Gamecube perhiphial until someone noticed the marketability that such a product could bring. At least we aren't all playing games with bongos or guitar picks right now. If the wii had something like that, I'd be a Lemming right now!
I've never heard of the controllers being an accessory for the Gamecube. Where did you see or hear that? Do you have a link?
Thanks to all the responses. Warcraft III is the last game my computer was able to run (the demo). I think I'll go back and buy the full version, per everyone's suggestions.
UT 2004 runs, but only at 640*480 and then at a framerate that dips below 28fps.
This thread is pointless......the age group that posts on GameSpot is going to decide the fate of the poll, not the actual age of most Wii owners.hamstergeddon
Good point. I think you're right and the Gamespot demographic distorts these results. Maybe it's a survey best left to the Nintendo forums.
My computer is ancient, and basically plays Starcraft, UT 2004, and Red Alert 2. Any recommendations for games that might actually play on an old machine (we're talking Athlon Thunderbird 1Ghz, here). The last great game I got to run (barely) was Freespace 2.
Looking for something new. RTS or Space Sim preferred.
For the record: The "Are Wii owners babies?" in the title was just to grab attention. I'm just trying to find out the average age of Wii owners. Babies cannot afford a Wii, let alone swing a controller. I should've broken it down a bit finer in the teenage and college years, but I think it still gives us a good representation of who owns these systems.
It's important to establish the fact that Wii owners include an older audience that will buy mature titles if they are good enough (GTA, Resident Evil, etc.) because it takes time to develop these games, meaning some game designers need to start planning today for Wii games coming out in one- to two-years.
the 10-20 gap is very big...... should be 0-12 12-15 16-21 21-30 30-....
or something amtentori
The demographics that manufacturers care about are in the 20-30 range. This is the group that has the highest disposable income, making it the most profitable. Players above 30 have proven to be casual gamers, and below 20 have a lower disposable income (though the age could probably be safely reduced to 18 to cover college-age individuals). So far it looks like more than half of Wii owners are over 25, making a pretty good argument that Mature games would have minimally a modest audience, if the game were good enough. Granted, only 100 people have responded so far this morning. We'll see what it's like into the evening. Really, I just don't want to miss another Grand Theft Auto!
Kotaku just posted an entry stating that Capcom believes Wii players are a younger base of players, indicating that they might not be interested in developing mature titles for the Wii.
"By and large, I don't see the Wii being home to a sizeable mature playerbase outside of some of the early adopters. I see it as being very, very broad with a family focus."
No Resident Evil? Devil May Cry? What about Okami? I love Mega Man, but Capcom has some great games that I wouldn't want to miss out on just because I picked the Wii over the PS3 or XBox 360.
More technology is put into the WiiMotes, so they cost more. You're getting a lot of technology built-in that jacks up the price. Think about it, the WiiMote as the following unique features:
1) Has two acceleration/velocity sensors on two axis 2) A speaker 3) Memory (to store your Wii people?) 4) More motion sensors if you add the nunchuk
You're paying a premium over controllers for the other systems because the controller does more. If you really want to complain, why not ask why the Wii itself isn't just an add-on for the Gamecube? They should've just added a sensor bar and internet connection to the Gamecube and been done with it!
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