27 Playable Wii Games At E3 426
The Nintendo conference seemed to be the perfect opposite of Sony's conference yesterday. It was polished, the presenters were poised, and the demos conveyed exactly the message they were aiming for. Notable info includes 27 playable Wii titles on the E3 floor, a speaker in the Wii controller, a StarFox title for the DS, and a confirmation of motion sensor in the nunchuck attachment. There will be two versions of Twilight Princess (one for Wii, one for GC) and they'll both be out on Wii launch day. Launch is slated for Q4 of this year. The presenters kept the launch price and date under wraps as the tone of the event was inspiration, not information. The number of playable games available this week confirms their commitment to a launch date this year, and the hilarious tennis game played onstage by the Nintendo honchos and the contest winner made their 'playing = believing' slogan really hit home. More flash than substance, but a solid presentation overall
Slight disappointment (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Slight disappointment (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Slight disappointment (Score:3)
Then why'd you ask? Or was it just an ill-conceived attempt at humor?
I think I speak for us all when I say... (Score:5, Funny)
I hate you so much
Re:I think I speak for us all when I say... (Score:3, Insightful)
he played doubles tennis against Reggie & Iwata, but had Miyamoto on his side... not a lot of people can say that...
i think the important question is, who won?
B.
Re:I think I speak for us all when I say... (Score:2, Funny)
Do you have to ask? I'm sure Scott's name was officially taken as well.
Re:I think I speak for us all when I say... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I think I speak for us all when I say... (Score:3, Informative)
Q4 2006 (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:5, Interesting)
Not to mention Mario and Zelda on the same day?! That Tennis game is going to be rather uber as well.
So yeah I agree, Nintendo is really taken advantage of the fact XBox and PS have nothing new but amazing graphics with a super high premium. They can come in from behind with a truly innovative game play system and a cheap price tag. The graphics won't dazzle everyone but they'll be fine.
I'm actually excited about a video game system again.
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:4, Insightful)
I think that the wii will definitely have a boost from being cheaper to develop for than the other 2 systems. Less time spent on polygons and and high textures means more time to innovate. I'm also of the opinion that artists tend to produce far more intersting output when they're working under practical constraints - give someone the freedom to do everything, and it becomes hard to do anything.
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:2)
Looks like the EU won't see the PS3 until 2007, and Nintendo havent been forthcoming in their approach to the EU market, but with the painful price point on the PS3, I'm not looking forward to what they'll put it at in Europe before the 21% VAT sales tax...
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:2)
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:3, Informative)
Unless the November 17 everybody-outside-Japan launch is written in stone and signed in blood, I wouldn't put much stock in it.
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Q4 2006 (Score:4, Insightful)
Decision made (Score:3, Interesting)
Interesting that Nintendo have finally conceeded to having two different versions of Twilight Princess, rather than a Gamecube game that would have added Wii functionality.
Re:Decision made (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Decision made (Score:2)
Re:Decision made (Score:2)
it all depends on the clerk but if you are nice and explain the situation they should help you out.
Nevermind those engadget idiots :) (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Nevermind those engadget idiots :) (Score:3, Funny)
Banning the "cheap goal" in SNES NHL '94 under penalty of an ass kicking.
The screams of "Mom! JOE KEEPS BREATHING THROUGH HIS NOSE!" when I was winning. Those were the days.
Re:Nevermind those engadget idiots :) (Score:3, Insightful)
indeed. halo...how i love halo. but i have to admit -- silly little sidescroller Super Smash Brothers and all the various MarioKart/MarioTennis etc got gamecubes in lots and lots of dorms, and unlike halo, the girls would play, and unlike halo, there would be laughter and side-conversations during play. x-box is great for immersion...but as much as i've smacked on the puny power of the gamecube...Nintendo
Re:Nevermind those engadget idiots :) (Score:3, Informative)
Great, great conference (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, I'm very happy that there's going to be a Fire Emblem game for Wii
Re:Great, great conference (Score:2)
Coming to a theater near you! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Coming to a theater near you! (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Wiizard (Score:3, Funny)
Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:4, Informative)
Highs: Lots of games. Zelda looked awesome, and "Red Steel" is up there on my must try. Even the "Wii Sports" game they showed off towards the end looks interesting - I can see my son and I playing with the baseball game, and my daughter will like the tennis stuff. And golf? Well, that's for my wife so I can get behind her and help her with her strokes.
Low: They kept showing a Mario game (Mario Galaxies or something), but I either missed the details or they didn't talk about it. Where's Mario 128? Where's the Kojima new IP?
High: Showing the new guy playing with the Wii controller. "Easy to use, difficult to master" seems about right. The sweepstakes winner seemed able to play around with it without too many problems - with a few more minutes he would have been better I'm sure.
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:5, Funny)
Well, that's for my wife so I can get behind her and help her with her strokes.
Too.... many.... punchlines.....
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2)
Of course, I could be completely wrong, but it makes sense.
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:4, Funny)
Which Xcast360 price point, and which launch date? (Score:3, Insightful)
MS has already revealed their launch date and price point
Price point for first year != price point after the round of price cuts intended to attract people who would otherwise buy a Wii. Price point for first year != price point as a loss leader to establish a foothold in Eastasia. Launch date for console != launch date for Halo 3: Head Like a Hole.
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2)
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:3, Interesting)
Nintendo's probably rethinking their pricing now that Sony has high price of $499 & $599. Some Nintendo analyst is problably figuring out if they add another $50 to the cost of the system.
My gut feeling was that it was going to be $249 but now Nintendo might try for $299.
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:3, Insightful)
If they pull that, I hope they put more RAM into the machine.
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2, Interesting)
I expect you'll hear about it when it's on the show floor tomorrow?
Personally I thought the Mario Galaxy trailer was the best part of the entire press conference, especially when you got the sense that you could actually see how the controller movements were translating into mario's movements. It just made me really h
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2)
I am hoping against hope that Sonic Team manages the same thing with Sonic on Wii. We've been waiting soooo long for a good Sonic 3D game.
(The worst part is that they haven't sucked completely. The Sonic (and Shadow in SA2) sections are actually pretty good; if they actually focused (damn it!) on speedy 3D platforming instead of weighing it down with other s
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2)
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2)
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:2)
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:3, Interesting)
Nintendo arn't pulling punchs this time round. They got MAJOR press the week before E3 (hence stealing all the "WTF will they do at E3!?" press in 1 switch sweep), then they came out the corner swinging like a drunk hobo with the games list. They really are in an awesome position to dominate E3 from the week before
Re:Highs, lows, and missing data (Score:5, Funny)
No, they just don't want Sony to steal it.
Zelda, sports games (Score:3, Interesting)
The presentation also showed that almost every sports game will make big use of the controller.... from Madden to tennis to running (which the Wii sees as the controller being shaken up and down as you make a jogging motion) to driving (as a simulated wheel that should have more resolution than a 1/4" stick can have) to obviously sword fighting.
Also, the Wii controller will have a rumble feature, but the PS3 controller won't? Is that right?
Re:Zelda, sports games (Score:2, Funny)
A sucsessful presentation in spite of themselves. (Score:2)
If the games are as fun as they looked this is going to be a pretty good few years for Nintendo.
Joystiq (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Joystiq (Score:2)
Wii-markable (Score:3, Insightful)
I can't wait to read the reviews tomorrow after everyone has got to play the games!
When Nintendo anounced the virtual console last year, I starting thinking about buying my first console since my SNES (which I still have and play occationally).
Everything they've done since then has shown me they are serious about closing that deal.
Bringing lapsed gamers like me back into the market is just half their plan though, if they can get my mother gaming, or my grandma (that Joy of Painting game might be something she'd really enjoy - if it gets released) then they're going to blow Sony and MS out of the water. I don't even think the so-called "industry experts" have thought about the impact the addtion of lapsed, PC-only, and new gamers will have on the market. Sony may well keep 40-60% of the current market base, but if that market grows, I think it will all go to Nintendo
Could've been better (Score:5, Insightful)
1. 3rd party add-ons for the Wii controller. Lets get an idea of what developers are doing and show us that they're serious about supporting the Wii.
2. Give us a glimpse at how the older NES, SNES, Genesis, etc games will be played (the Wii controller flat-out lacks the proper number of buttons).
3. Wheres the multiplayer? Yes there was that tennis multiplayer match near the end but it seems like they didn't talk about it much overall.
4. Three words : Super Smash Bros. Where was it?
5. Less pre-made pre-arranged (gameplay?) videos, more on-stage demonstrations. (We don't want another 'was the Killzone video real time?' debate.)
Re:Could've been better (Score:2)
Re:Could've been better (Score:2)
Super Smash Bros. not a release title... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Super Smash Bros. not a release title... (Score:2)
Classic controller for Wii (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2006/wii/img_con
http://files.nintendev.com/E3/Wii_classic_0501.jp
It might not have been revealed during the press conference, but I imagine we'll hear more about it tomorrow when people can play with it (I assume there will be games that to utilize it from the Virtual Console).
Text coverage of the conference (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Text coverage of the conference (Score:2)
Best console launch ever (Score:4, Informative)
Conducting the orchestra in real time as the opening was sheer brilliance.
Definitely more compelling to me than the Dreamcast, which in my (highly-debatable, of course) opinion held the previous best launch lineup, at least in the US.
Re:Best console launch ever (Score:2)
Nintendo, I applaud you (Score:5, Insightful)
While the other two are busy trying to out do each other with hardware oneupmanship Nintendo is bringing us a console that is shock horror, fun to play and has games people want to play.
I don't own a console. I'm an electronics engineer, I spend all day on my ass in front of a computer thinking. When I come home I want to switch off, play a quick 30 mins of computer games that are fun. I DON'T want to play a game that takes hours to get into and that I must devote my life to.
I want a game like chess.... anyone can learn to play in a short while, but it takes ages to master.
Altogether now, Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
Wiiiiiiiiii!!! (Score:2)
In this post-joke age of the Wii name, I gotta admit, it sure can be fun to say.
(Unfortunately, slashdot lameness filter dislikes more than 10 consecutive is.)
Re:Nintendo, I applaud you (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Nintendo, I applaud you (Score:3)
Some pictures of the Wii (Score:2)
http://www.wiicentre.com/gdc-2006-revolution-imag
Not bad... (Score:5, Insightful)
From the sections of the thing that I saw (Zelda, and Red Thingy the FPS) it looks like the Weemote works fairly well. One of the big worries I had, that it wasn't gonna be precise enough for decent lightgun-style control, wasn't an issue. Some of the gesture-based stuff also looked cool, like Link's shield-block in the Zelda fight.
One of the things I thought might be a problem did crop up in Red Thingy - using the "mouse-look" style of aiming to also rotate the viewpoint. It seemed like the character was fairly slow to turn around, throughout the demo it was all fairly gently turns rather than how I know I play fps games (twitching round corners like a caffeine bomb just went off).
I think a great deal of the success of the new control-style will be how well it maps onto what gamers expect it to do. We've had pads and sticks for a long time, and we've mostly grown accustomed to the quirks of how we map them to solutions - when these fail, like FPS y-axis inversion and left-right camera rotation in 3rd person games (my own personal bugbear), it really kills the enjoyment of the game for some players. If the blend of interaction is right, these things will fly off the shelves.
Re:Not bad... (Score:2)
sony employee aside, did you even see the WarHawk demo form Sony? I talk about lag! Jeebus! It took 0,5 seconds from movement of the Dual...
Maybe I'm oversimplifying... (Score:5, Interesting)
The Mini Cooper is very very fun. Totally unrefined ride, doesn't present itself as well as a more elaborate or expensive sports car, but it's quick, nimble, and fun. Just fun.
The Mitsubishi Endeavor is a generic SUV. It's got leather and a loud stereo. You can do a lot with it, and it serves many purposes. Generic and useful.
The Dodge Viper is neurotic, takes it's design and engineering queues from many sources, but when the stars align and you find a situation to use it nothing is better.
In case you haven't caught on I'm making a very VERY poor attempt at generalizing that these 3 consoles are as far apart as you can get within the same arena of "nextGen Consoles". Mini = Wii. SUV = 360. PS3 = hypothetical viper.
Seems to me instead of arguing which is better (makes about as much sense as arguing if Starbucks makes a better cup of coffee than Burger King makes weird commercials) we should be revelling in the fact these billion dollar companies are competing fo fiercly to create a product we'll buy. Dance, monkeys! Also I will be buying PS3 and Wii. The 360 seems to fade out somewhere...
And no, I don't drive a viper, but I hear they're not slow.
Enter the "off-topic" mod...
Web Browser included? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Web Browser included? (Score:2)
Fourth Quarter Not Confirmed (Score:5, Insightful)
Integrated Web Browser = Opera (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Integrated Web Browser = Opera (Score:3, Informative)
Wii Will Wii Will ROCK YOU (Score:5, Funny)
These are the games ... (Score:5, Informative)
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Wario Ware
Zelda: Twilight Princess
Dragon Quest Swords
Disaster: Day of Crisis
Fire Emblem
Sponge Bob Square Pants
Cars
Super Mario Galaxy
SD Gundamn G Breaker
Tony Hawk Downhill Jam
Sengoku Action
Excite Truck
Elebits
Red Steel
Rayman 4
Super Swing Gold Pangya
Hyper Sonic
Project H.A.M.M.E.R.
Finalfurlong Revolution
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
Madden 07
WiiSports
Maybe they missed some, there are only 23 there. If not, there are a few more games not mentioned that will be on the floor tomorrow.
Re:These are the games ... (Score:2)
Re:These are the games ... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:These are the games ... (Score:3, Funny)
Shameless Liveblogging Plug (Score:2)
</shameless plug>
Huh? (Score:2)
Seriously, after Sony's lackluster presentation and collection of FMVs yesterday, Nintendo's presentation was like a breath of fresh air, and was all substance where Son
New slashdot poll (Score:5, Funny)
Who will win the next generation console wars:
Wii
xBox 360
or PS Thwii
All I want to know is... (Score:5, Funny)
E3 Movie (Score:5, Informative)
My family's thoughts (Score:3, Insightful)
I think the 3 in 1 sports game at launch is gonna be a great title for wii. Spastic sports fun that could make mediocre sports titles fun, and a must buy, if they are packaged together, and their individual simulation value is overlooked.
The family will definitely drool over zelda. And I expect a good mario-party like title with fun mini-games.
So even if the controller response is going to underwhelm the hype, I'm pretty sure the wii will be fun enough to buy, and the family will enjoy it.
Re:umm (Score:5, Funny)
That's how their Virtual Console works, too!
Re:Pricing (Score:5, Insightful)
We can speculate all we want, but the only thing we can say is that it's probably to allow Nintendo as much flexibility in pricing as possible.
Re:Pricing (Score:5, Insightful)
1) So when MS announces their 360 price drop they can't factor in the price of the Wii
2) So that they can get more PR later on--maybe counter MS's price drop announcement with their launch price announcement (which will be at least $50 or less than the 360 core pack price)
Re:Pricing (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Might be great games, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Might be great games, but... (Score:5, Informative)
with all the press info one can chew.
Re:Might be great games, but... (Score:2)
Oh wow... I never saw it that way. Thanks for mentioning that, I think I'm going to spend $600 on a Playstation 3. It's a lot cooler cos they use the Spider Man font.
Re:Wii controller--speaker built-in? (Score:2)
Re:Wii controller--speaker built-in? (Score:2)
The game score will still play through your hifi system.
Re:playing = believing? (Score:2)
Re:Underwhelming (Score:5, Insightful)
So... yer not even going to try it?
"Besides I heard there's some secret in Wii but it turned out it's a speaker in the wiimote, which I don't think will be better utilized by game developers."
Huh? Why not? We've got developers going out of their way to do surround sound on games, but an extra audio stream into the controller would be neglected? Audio's easy. If Nintendo had shown some R2D2'esque holographic projector, well then yeah, I'd believe you.
"As for games, there were nothing that appealed to me in the lineup of 27 Wii games shown today. I don't play games to appreciate the "revolutionary" gameplay of wii, I just would like to play interactive contents."
So why hasn't Red Steel impressed you?
"If you've watched the Sony conference it has Warhawk demo, which looks 100x beautiful and fun."
Okay. A higher-detailed game sequel appealed to you. Nothing wrong with that, but I do wonder if you're unimpressed because you won't let yourself be impressed. Mind you, I cannot cast any stones here. Sony hasn't impressed me, but I haven't stepped forward to try to be impressed. Hehe.
Re:It doesn't matter what it plays... (Score:3, Interesting)