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Wii Entertainment Games

Game Devs Warming Up To More Mature-Rated Games On the Wii 129

With the success of the Grand Theft Auto franchise responsible for the majority of publisher Take Two Interactive's earnings in the past year, the company's executives are looking more and more at expanding their M-rated products onto the typically family-friendly Wii. Take Two's CEO said, "Even though we think M-rated content is much more appropriate for the PS3 or 360, we have to look at the Wii as a viable platform across all our labels. We have to, because we can't ignore the installed base. You just can't." They're already planning to release GTA: Chinatown Wars for the DS to test the waters on a Nintendo platform, hoping for a better result than the controversy over Manhunt 2 last year.
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Game Devs Warming Up To More Mature-Rated Games On the Wii

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  • Wiimote? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Atti K. ( 1169503 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @05:52AM (#26170983)
    Well, I could think of some interesting use cases for the Wiimote in an adult game...
  • Crossplatform (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Crumplecorn ( 904797 )

    So in the future the lowest-common denominator for cross platform games, which for now is decided only by PS3/XBox360/PC for these games, will be dropped even further so the Wii can get in on the action.

    Stunning also that the people who publish GTA of all things believe they "can't ignore" an installed base which was created by games diametrically opposed to the likes of GTA.

    • Re:Crossplatform (Score:5, Insightful)

      by N1AK ( 864906 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @06:22AM (#26171111) Homepage
      Who says they have to make the same game cover 3 consoles?

      Wii's are currently outselling both the 360 and PS3 by a massive margin, and although that is undoubtedly down to casual gamers the quantity of mature gamers with Wiis is still going to be sizeable. As a developer, ignoring an oppurtunity to put a title on a high selling console which has lower developement costs (peoples expectations regarding graphics are much lower) and with less competition (most Wii games are crap, especially none Nintendo ones) than on other consoles is an opportunity they shouldn't miss.

      Hell considering Sony are still selling 200,000 PS2s a month I'd probably have teams working on titles for 360/PS3, and other teams working on Wii/PS2.
      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Crumplecorn ( 904797 )

        Who says they have to make the same game cover 3 consoles?

        The realist in me. The Wii will either get a rubbish cut down version of the 'real' game, or all three will get a lowest-common denominator version.

        Hell considering Sony are still selling 200,000 PS2s a month I'd probably have teams working on titles for 360/PS3, and other teams working on Wii/PS2.

        If you are going to dedicate an entire team to doing a Wii specific game which, for instance, actually takes proper advantage of the controller, it would make more sense to aim for the Wii's primary demographic, than to aim for a small subset which is better covered by any other platform.

        • Re:Crossplatform (Score:5, Interesting)

          by LoverOfJoy ( 820058 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @08:07AM (#26171583) Homepage
          If developers really try to fine tune their wii games well so the game-play rocks and the reviews come back awesome I imagine that could sway quite a few people. Heck, all I'd need to read is, "this plays like a game made by Nintendo" and I'd perk up my ears. Where are the third party Metroid style games? If a game review came out that said, "Wow, this is along the lines of Metroid (or Zelda)" it would sell like hotcakes even if it weren't ported to the PS3 or 360 (perhaps especially if it weren't). A third party developer could pull it off. Obviously it would take a bit of a marketing as Nintendo has developed a reputation for solid games on its platform and people go wild for their big titles while a third party would have a bit of an uphill battle getting that sort of a frenzy but if the game is well-made and the genre is one the install base is known to love (similar to zelda, metroid?) then it's hard for me to see the game being a flop. Putting it solely on the wii could actually be a smart marketing move to get quite a bit of attention (and perhaps comparison to Nintendo made games).

          The problem has been that developers have too often felt the ONLY safe game on the wii was the party game (are they really that scared of Nintendo?). When other games are put on the wii, it seems their weakest programmers are put on the job and the controls are weak and not fine tuned properly. Well, the weak controls come out in reviews and of course that ends up reflecting in sales.

          Don't get me wrong. I recognize that people who have all systems are going to TEND to buy the game for the system it looks the prettiest on. However, I think a lot of games could potentially be more fun to play on finely tuned wii controls. I recognize that Nintendo has had the advantage in creating games with great control on their own system...I just think that third parties ought to be able to catch up by now (or soon).

          I don't think it's smart to assume that the subset of the wii's demographics that likes Metroid and Zelda type games is small.
      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        Yes, but the concern is that a game publisher will not use 2 different teams to write the same game at the same time.
        Instead we may end up getting PS3/360 games that have been dumbed down, or made to be more chield friendly in order to make the game available on all platforms at the same time.

        I also own and use all three systems but I have a very clear expectations as to what each system is for. The Wii is used for family entertainment, or for playing with a larger group of adults as light entertainment. Th

        • Re:Crossplatform (Score:4, Insightful)

          by Janthkin ( 32289 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @09:14AM (#26172139)

          Did you ever play Eternal Darkness? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_darkness) Gamecube exclusive, M-rated, and an absolutely lovely entry into the Horror genre. And it's MUCH more disturbing than the casual violence & theft beloved of the GTA franchise.

          Nintendo does not have to equal kid-friendly. I'm glad developers remember this from time to time.

      • Re:Crossplatform (Score:4, Interesting)

        by scubamage ( 727538 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @09:02AM (#26172015)
        Not only that, but licensing for the wii is markedly cheaper. Both X360 and Ps3 lose money on every console purchased, with an expectation that the money will be earned back in licensing fees. The wii, using commodity hardware, actually earns a profit on every console sold. This translates to cheaper licensing fees for developers. It costs a fraction of the price to release something on Wii. Even more, there are avenues such as the virtual console and wiiware to release on which will give Take-Two a chance to release some smaller things, or older games as well. To not to sell to the wii would be idiotic considering its outsold the other two consoles by a vast margin.
        • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

          by radish ( 98371 )

          Both X360 and Ps3 lose money on every console purchased
          I don't believe that's true any more for the 360, although I haven't dug up a link to cite. However, you're right that the Wii is more profitable and has been so for longer.

          This translates to cheaper licensing fees for developers
          Does it? I haven't seen any comparisons on licensing/dev kit costs, but I'd be interested to read them if you know of any.

          Even more, there are avenues such as the virtual console and wiiware to release on which will give Take-Tw

      • I admire the Wii's success. But, let's face it, it's really the console for casual gamers and kids (they kind of console parents feel is safe for both little Johnny and grandma at the home). I suspect that, no matter how many consoles they've sold, a hardcore adult title will just not sell nearly as well on the Wii as it would on the 360 or PS3. For example, the most popular shooter on the Wii so far has been Metroid Prime. And, despite the astronomically great Wii hardware sales, that game has only sold ab
        • Actually Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition has sold 1.6 million which kinda destroys your point with it being an 'adult game' and all. I believe Capcom consider it a commercial success. Plus it is a kick ass game. http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=6163&region=All [vgchartz.com] Also check out the forthcoming 'The Conduit' Due Q1 09
          • It does not necessarily destroy his argument. Take a look at the Home section of VG Chartz, from your own link. Based on that site, the Wii has sold 42 million world wide. So that game sold to just under 4% of the install base, and is considered one of Capcom's primary franchises. The game cube total sales were about the same, and the Gamecube had a much smaller install base than the Wii.

            That game is a financial success on the Wii because the dev costs were minimal. The game already existed, and the Wi

        • metriod prime is the most popular because the popular PS3/360 FPS games (Halo 3, Metal Gear Sold 4, and Gears of War.) *aren't* on the Wii so you cant do a real comparison ther of who would buy those games.

          RE4 was very much an 'M' game and sold well, the controls were awesome. the Wii lags in "hardcore" areas due to its weak graphical performance, particularly in FPS games which are usually bleeding edge in the graphical department.

          360/PS3 gamers would be upset if you toned the graphics down on a big title

    • Re:Crossplatform (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Nursie ( 632944 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @06:23AM (#26171121)

      Oh bullshit.

      I bought a Wii because of the innovative controls and Wii sports being fun to play with friends. I *know* I'm not the only one that has left the damn thing mostly idle since then because most of the games are very child oriented and have rather shallow gameplay.

      Get the big, grown-up names on Wii, please.

      I wonder what the rate of game-buying for Wii is once bought?

      Yes, I do own a 360 and a PS3 as well. I use both more than the Wii, which suffers even more than the PS3 in a lack of engaging games. That doesn't seem to be changing either, more "Big Brain Academy" and similar nonsense. I do complex algebra all day for money, my brain's fine, besides which those things look like someone wrote them in Flash.

      Bah /ok, rant over now

      • Get the big, grown-up names on Wii, please.

        Yes, I do own a 360 and a PS3 as well.

        I rest my case.

      • I pretty much only play the Wii for party games. Ravid Rabbits and similar games are quite fun.

        For actual gaming (by which I mean playing games by myself, like a true gamer), or with 2 player coop, it's PS3 or PC time.

      • Re:Crossplatform (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Xest ( 935314 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @07:42AM (#26171475)

        Nope, you're not alone. I'm in the same position, my Wii sits unused to make room for my 360, about the only entertaining game I found on the Wii that I go back to was ghost squad, because arcade style shooters can be a bit of a laugh for 5minutes now and again, but for me that sums up the Wii- 5minutes now and again, with now and again being defined roughly as every 3months.

        The 360 was shifting twice as many retail games per console as the Wii and PS3 last time I saw stats for it (earlier this year). I'd imagine this has changed now though as the 360 has many more family titles and is cheaper than the Wii to buy now - I bet with the 360 selling for under £120 in the UK (vs. £170 for the Wii) now at it's cheapest version there are people who'd buy it + rock band or scene it or whatever for the family, and nothing else, but I digress, that only exagerates the point that casual gaming is not a path for high software sales per console, you can at best hope you shift enough consoles so that three games or whatever per console is enough to make up software sales numbers.

        The point is when the 360 was limited to hardcore games the attach rate was much higher than that of the Wii and you're right- this is because hardcore gamers are the ones that spend money on games, whilst Nintendo has captured a larger audience it's not an audience that for the most part will buy more than one or two games a year at christmas time and nothing else. There are exceptions to every rule, but the point is that back when those last stats were released, even though Nintendo had double the installed user base, it still had sold less games than Microsoft had with the 360.

        I certainly welcome more mature games on the Wii and less party games, I might actually have reason to use it more then. Most stuff so far feels little more than fancy demos of what can be done with the Wiimote- well sorry, but we're past this point now, we know what it can do, we no longer want to pay to see what it can do, we want to pay to actually play through games with decent story lines, interesting themes and characters.

        I felt the Wii when it was first unveiled had so much potential to immerse gamers simply because the control system put you in the action, but the amount of games that took that and ran with it have been few and the rest have just been games you can't ever become immersed in. We want games with real content, with real substance, with worlds that we can be part of and interact with using the Wii mote.

        I'd say Nintendo's biggest threat now is the next generation, if Microsoft and Sony take their idea and couple it with their usual state of the art systems and a plethora of games with deep and interesting story lines whilst Nintendo continues to push the same party games then they're going to lose the momentum the Wii gave them, they really missed a trick already by not cashing in on the depth of games they could have developed for the Wii. The Wii uses the same disc format as the 360 and doesn't require development of ultra-high detail models and textures so why aren't we seeing a plethora of games with deep and impressive, ultra-interactive worlds to explore?

        • Re:Crossplatform (Score:5, Insightful)

          by vux984 ( 928602 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @01:25PM (#26175141)

          The point is when the 360 was limited to hardcore games the attach rate was much higher than that of the Wii and you're right- this is because hardcore gamers are the ones that spend money on games, whilst Nintendo has captured a larger audience it's not an audience that for the most part will buy more than one or two games a year at christmas time and nothing else.

          Look, its a great theory, I'd give you a +5 insightful for the hypothesis, but the reality just doesn't line up.

          According to NPD, The current attach rate for Xbox360 is 7.0; Nintendo's is 4.64. Putting the Wii attach rate around around 2/3rds what the 360 is at. [Note I beleive NPD reports on american sales so Wii sports would not be counted towards the attach.]

          However the Wii has sold ~42M units worldwide while the Xbox360 has moved ~25M units. That means 195M (42 * 4.64) games have sold for the Wii vs 175M (25 * 7) games for xbox 360.

          The Wii has outstripped the xbox 360 by enough that its overcome the attach rate. If the libraries for both games was the same, and the titles sold in the same proportion, a given title would have sold more copies on the Wii than on the 360. Now, of course the libraries are different, and on the Wii you have to compete with Nintendo's own first party blockbusters.

          but the point is that back when those last stats were released, even though Nintendo had double the installed user base, it still had sold less games than Microsoft had with the 360.

          This as you can see is no longer true. Your hypothesis is wrong. The Xbox had a 1 year head start and a higher attach rate, but the Wii has still surpassed its software sales. Further, the Wii attach rate is actually steadily -increasing-. While not there yet, the Wii is becoming the new PS2, where the massive install base ensures any title released on it outsells the other platforms.

          I'd say Nintendo's biggest threat now is the next generation, if Microsoft and Sony take their idea and couple it with their usual state of the art systems and a plethora of games with deep and interesting story lines whilst Nintendo continues...

          No offense, but take your blinders off. Nintendo is selling in droves to gamers who don't want that. My 4 year old son plays BoomBlox, MarioKart, WiiSports, MarioParty8, Zack&Wiki with his grandmother on the Wii. They have so much fun my parents bought a Wii for their place. Sony / Microsoft will NEVER EVER capture them with 'deep and interesting story lines'. Neither my 4 year old nor my mother would EVER play them.

          If the Sony and MS do what you suggest, they'll be EXACTLY where they are today next generation: fighting over the 'male tween' crowd, that wants to play 100+ hour 'deep' games and cares about texture resolution.

          The Wii uses the same disc format as the 360 and doesn't require development of ultra-high detail models and textures so why aren't we seeing a plethora of games with deep and impressive, ultra-interactive worlds to explore?

          2 reasons:

          1) Because people like you, who want deep impressive ultra-interactive worlds to explore, already have a 360, and would bitch about the lack of ultra-high detail models and textures on the Wii version. Developers know this. That's why the Wii has a dearth of that kind of title. They know everyone who is interested in that kind of title already ALSO has a 360 and wouldn't buy the wii version if both were available.

          2) Because developers didnt think the Wii had a shot in hell of dominating sales the way it did. So they've mostly only had time to scramble quick and dirty titles to try and cash in. Only in the last year have they begun ramping up to release the 'big' titles on the Wii.

          Because the Wii, with its continued growth, will soon reach the point where the developer can sell YOU the game on the Xbox, and still release it profitably on the Wii, even though all the review sites will jerk off about the xbox's superior graphics and and rate the Wii version the worst of the 3 due to its lack of HD, lack of dolby dts, and lack of xbox live "achievements".

          • by iabervon ( 1971 )

            I think you're missing the fact that the Wiimote is sufficiently different from other systems' controllers that most games released for both of them will be terrible on one or the other. Trying to sell to the massive Wii install base isn't going to be easy if you're trying to compete with games that are less awkward and more fun on the Wii.

            On the other hand, there's no reason there couldn't be a good Wii GTA, except that it would be much more disturbing than other console versions. In ordinary GTA games, yo

            • On the other hand, there's no reason there couldn't be a good Wii GTA, except that it would be much more disturbing than other console versions. In ordinary GTA games, your character does all sorts of bad things while you sit around pushing buttons on a controller. In a proper Wii version, you'd be miming doing the bad things yourself, which will seem a whole lot worse.

              Well, there's a version of Bully for Wii - the main "immersive" aspect is fighting (motion controls for throwing punches) - other than that the controls don't make a significant difference. I had a lot of fun with it, personally.

          • by Xest ( 935314 )

            "However the Wii has sold ~42M units worldwide while the Xbox360 has moved ~25M units. That means 195M (42 * 4.64) games have sold for the Wii vs 175M (25 * 7) games for xbox 360."

            Another point to note though is the average Wii game sells for 25% less than the average 360 game, so there's still more more money being spent on Xbox 360 games.

            Also, I'm not sure how true the 25m units is. Vgchartz.com has always been incorrect on XBox 360 sales figures. Originally they even used a completely different metric fo

            • by vux984 ( 928602 )

              Another point to note though is the average Wii game sells for 25% less than the average 360 game, so there's still more more money being spent on Xbox 360 games.

              You might be right. But if the wii's trend lines continue, it won't be true for long.

              That said, Dev's don't really care about "money spent". They care about money in their pocket, after expenses.

              The average xbox game costs more to make. And they pay a lot more in licensing fees to MS too. So the higher sticker price on an xbox game doesn't remotely

          • by brkello ( 642429 )
            Your 4 year old doesn't buy games. I don't really see anything where you actually counter the guy. You are just a Nintendo fanboy that can't hear that everyone doesn't love your console. People with a 360 buy more games. Also, the Wii comes with a game which is generally counted in these surveys which artificially inflate the Wii's numbers. Fact is, everyone I know who has a Wii (with the exception one who has small children) don't touch their Wii anymore. I don't know everyone, but I think it is fair
            • by vux984 ( 928602 )

              Your 4 year old doesn't buy games.

              What? He Pirates them? Maybe someone buys games for him.

              I don't really see anything where you actually counter the guy. You are just a Nintendo fanboy that can't hear that everyone doesn't love your console.

              Not remotely. I've got a more than just the Wii myself.

              People with a 360 buy more games.

              I agreed with that "per xbox360". However, its practically irrelevant. 40million Wii owners buying 4.5 games is more games than 25 million Xbox360 owners buying 7.

              Also, the Wii comes

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        Well, the Wii is pretty much exactly like the last two Nintendo consoles. There will be 15 or 20 absolutely great games, 75% of which are first or second party. Probably 6 or 7 of those games have already hit.

        If you take a look in the reviews, there are some spectacular games out there, but you'll have to look past the shovelware to find them. Much like how the installed base of the GameCube or the cartridge format of the N64 made them substantially "different" enough from the competition to discourage s

        • by mark-t ( 151149 )
          Why is it unfortunate that it would be months between each worthwhile purchase? Unless cash burns a hole in one's wallet, I'd think that buying only a very small number of new games in a year would be a _good_ thing. And 15 to 20 absolutely great games in total on a platform in its day seems pretty respectable to me.
          • by Nursie ( 632944 )

            "Why is it unfortunate that it would be months between each worthwhile purchase?"

            Because, sadly, we've all come to expect that the content of a game will only last you a week or so of casual gaming in the evenings.

            Obviously stuff like Wii Sports keep on giving, but most games with a story and such? You play them in a couple of weeks and never touch 'em again.

            • by tepples ( 727027 )

              Because, sadly, we've all come to expect that the content of a game will only last you a week or so of casual gaming in the evenings.

              Then perhaps we need more games synchronized to a calendar, so that players have to either wait 24 hours for more stuff to appear or play with the system clock. The Animal Crossing series is like this, with trees spawning fruit once every three days and mail taking time to reach the player's virtual neighbors. So are Wii Sports and the Brain Age games that allow only one test per player per day. I seem to remember that some of the Pokemon games also respawned berries based on the real-time clock. In any cas

        • by grumbel ( 592662 )

          Well, the Wii is pretty much exactly like the last two Nintendo consoles.

          The difference is that the N64 and Gamecube could keep up with the competition and thus got plenty of third party support and multiplatform titles, the Wii on the other side can't keep up and is largely ignored by third party companies, except for those mini/party-games. Also the N64 had Rare, while the Gamecube had Capcom and Silicon Knights, those mature second party companies are what is mostly missing on the Wii.

          • Can't keep up in what respect? Graphical power? That's definitely not the main factor anymore in the success of games.

            The Wii has been outpacing the competition in console sales, which should be enough for third party software makers. They're not in business to make the most powerful games, they're in this business to sell games and the Wii would allow them to do just that.

            • by grumbel ( 592662 )

              Can't keep up in what respect? Graphical power?

              Yes and thats exactly why the third party support is less then stunning. If a console wants multiplatform titles it has to be able to keep up with the others, the Wii can't, so he sees only a tiny few of those and most the time it will be PS2 ports, not Xbox360/PS3 ports.

              The Wii has been outpacing the competition in console sales,

              Yeah, it also taught us that great sales don't mean a great many of good games. As a Nintendo stockholder you can celebrate the Wii all day long, as a gamer there really isn't all that much to cheer about.

              • by AuMatar ( 183847 )

                As a gamer for the past 25 years, the Wii has a lot to cheer about. It's actually creating new, interesting gameplay. I haven't seen a single game on the 360 or PS3 that I can say that about. Hell, I can only think of 1 or 2 games for each of those consoles that I'd consider dropping 50 bucks for the disc, much less the $400 for the system. I can think of a dozen Wii games I wish I had. The Wii is just plain fun. The other consoles- not so much. All more of the same, which is why my game playing has

                • I can think of exactly one on the Wii: Wii Sports. None for the other systems, true, but Nintendo's offering isn't pushing the bounds of gameplay or something. It's taking existing gameplay and just putting a new spin on it. It's just like the DS. I have yet to play the DS game that uses the touchscreen in some awesome, revolutionary way (despite the "innovation" people praise). All the Wii has, besides the pack-in, is stuff like Metroid Prime 3, which has some really nice touches with the new controls, but
                  • I can think of exactly one on the Wii: Wii Sports. None for the other systems, true, but Nintendo's offering isn't pushing the bounds of gameplay or something. It's taking existing gameplay and just putting a new spin on it. It's just like the DS. I have yet to play the DS game that uses the touchscreen in some awesome, revolutionary way (despite the "innovation" people praise). All the Wii has, besides the pack-in, is stuff like Metroid Prime 3, which has some really nice touches with the new controls, but the fundamentals are all old hat.

                    Well, here's my take on how things went down on the DS...

                    On the one hand, there's always been a fair deal of "innovative controls" games - titles that have you constantly drawing things or whatever - to me, it's fun to experiment with these titles sometimes, to see what people can come up with to effectively use those controls...

                    On the other hand, there's titles that are basically just regular games like you might see on any other platform - they may not use the touchscreen at all, or they may use it in a s

        • Re:Crossplatform (Score:5, Insightful)

          by trdrstv ( 986999 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @02:52PM (#26176329)

          If you take a look in the reviews, there are some spectacular games out there, but you'll have to look past the shovelware to find them. Much like how the installed base of the...

          PS2. No seriously, last generation the PS2 had the lowest rated games (in aggregate) due to all the shovelware (Dreamcast had the highest). This is a product of being the market leader.

          People see the vast amount of money to be made, and though some make a "Shadow of the Colosus" or "God of War", most are content to shovel out a "Ninja Bread-man".

          • by brkello ( 642429 )
            It is nice to try to simplify everything like that, but that isn't realistic. The Wii has the new dynamic of a totally different control scheme than consoles of the past. People don't know how to use it well so there are more crap games. Plus, the controller lends itself to smaller, mini-game type games. A lot of these are just horribly done on every level. The PS2 has a lot of bad games. But the proportion of good to awful isn't as bad as the Wii's.
        • by seebs ( 15766 )

          That's what people said about the DS -- and it turned out to be wrong, because the market leader attracts a ton of games.

          The Wii won't get the traditional "big" cross-platform games -- but then, the PS360 won't get the big-name Wii games, and the Wii games will sell better. All it takes is a couple of cases, like GH World Tour selling much better on Wii than on 360, and a few more franchises deciding that they'd rather spend $5M to develop for Wii and make a fortune, than spend $15M to develop for PS3+360

      • I bought the Wii for the same reasons, and as much as I want to stick with it there is a good lack of game variety. Mind you checking with PS3 catalogue doesn't yield much of a better selection, though there are slightly more teen-adult oriented titles. I am subscribed to Nintendo Power and when I open it I hope I will see an RPG. Often I do, but it turns out that it is for the DS. Seeing that Tales of Symphonia was released for the Wii I jumped at the opportunity to buy it. There is one or two things they

      • I would say Wii games are not child oriented at all, just simple and fun. I'll admit that there aren't a TON of games I want to play for Wii, but there are more than enough. Metriod, Super Mario Galaxy, Megaman 9, Excite Truck, Mario Kart, all are great games. Plus it's a great console when friends come over. I have a number of titles for 360, but the only game I play on a regular basis is halo.
      • by seebs ( 15766 )

        You're not the only one.

        But... "Most" of the games are shallow? Maybe so. But what about the couple dozen solid, well-made games which are a ton of fun?

        The Wii's got no shortage of great games. It has a ton of junk, but who cares? Don't buy that. There's plenty left to keep you interested, if you look around, keep an eye on reviews, and look for experiences that aren't the same stuff we've been doing ever since the N64.

        • by grumbel ( 592662 )

          The Wii's got no shortage of great games.

          Relative to other consoles it has, a look at Metacritic shows that:

          Wii has 66 games above 75%
          PS3 has 125 games above 75%
          Xbox360 has 212 games above 75%

          Now given, there are still a few cool games for the Wii, but hardly enough to satisfy a seasoned gamer.

          • by AuMatar ( 183847 )

            You act like metacritic means a god damn thing. It doesn't. First off, metacritic is biased for FPS games. Look at the percentage of FPS games with high rank vs others. Secondly, it's based off the gaming press which is biased towards high graphics blockbusters, because they buy enough advertising to pay for the magazines their published in. Aggregating multiple pieces of shit doesn't make a valid result, it just gives you a bigger pile.

            Want to see what games are actually good? Look at sales. Or even

            • You act like metacritic means a god damn thing. It doesn't.

              Then we need a better metric. At the moment, metacritic is the most fair one we have. Suggest a better one if you have it, because I sure don't.

              • by AuMatar ( 183847 )

                How about realising that quality is too subjective to be measurable and not trying?

                • I agree, but we need some sort of metric to use here. Review scores help me to look for games which are going to appeal to me, even though they're not absolute. And if we're going to get into a discussion (pissing contest, really) about which platform has the most good games, then the need for a metric we can use becomes even more apparent.

                  We're in perfect agreement that quality is subjective. I'm usually the one trying to argue this. However, not only do tools like metacritic have their place outside this

            • by grumbel ( 592662 )

              I want something new, and only Wii has that.

              Seriously, where exactly are all those new games on the Wii? Wii Sport, sure, that has some new and innovative gameplay (if you ignore Gametrak which was released on PS2 a few years earlier...), but other then that? Galaxy could work with a standard controller just fine, Metroid Prime 3 is a standard FPS with Wiimote controls, nice, but nothing special, Zelda:TP worked on the Gamecube just fine, so did RE4, Okami on the PS2 was fine as well, PaperMario doesn't make much Wiimote use and so on. Whats left? Za

    • by Shihar ( 153932 )

      I am an adult with a job and a pile of disposable income. I like the idea of the Wii, but find the games to be mostly insipid and uninspiring. Cartoons are cute and all, but I like blood, gore, and adult themes. It is about damn time someone took the Wii, which has a very novel interface, and made a game for people who are over 18 and under 60.

      If you don't want your kids playing violent video games, be a fucking parent and prevent them. The rest of the grown ups don't want to suffer because someone els

      • Rated H (Score:3, Insightful)

        by tepples ( 727027 )

        Cartoons are cute and all, but I like blood, gore, and adult themes.

        Cartoonish art styles and adult themes aren't mutually exclusive. Have you investigated the world of R- and H-rated anime yet?

      • Uh...there are plenty of violent games on Wii, check this thread if you had any doubts. Madworld might be right up your alley.

        Personally, I don't think "blood and guts" equates to "mature," it sounds more like angsty teenagers trying to act mature, but whatever.

        • Uh...there are plenty of violent games on Wii, check this thread if you had any doubts. Madworld might be right up your alley.

          Personally, I don't think "blood and guts" equates to "mature," it sounds more like angsty teenagers trying to act mature, but whatever.

          But, on the other hand, a game that goes out of its way to avoid those themes gives the impression that the designers have no confidence in the audience being mature enough to handle it. Likewise for sex.

  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 19, 2008 @06:13AM (#26171065)

    Manhunt 2 failed not as the platform was not up for M-rated game, but as it is rather paints. The Manhunt IP is just no that good anyway, add on to that the fact that R* is doing nothing with it other than scream "it has lots of blood and shit" and you have a rubbish, over hyped game.

  • by frenchbedroom ( 936100 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @07:35AM (#26171431)

    It's funny how most "mature-rated games" actually sound *immature* to me. I mean, stealing fancy cars and shooting big guns ? Wow, count me in, NOT.

    I actually think a game like Animal Crossing is way more mature. YES, Animal friggin' Crossing, people! Just look at the plot : you move in a new city, all by yourself, you have to pay your mortgage with money that you earn by _working_, you learn to participate in the cultural life of the town by donating to the museum, you have to take care of public space, plant trees and flowers to make a great place for everybody. You meet a lot of people, some are okay, some are unbearable but you have to learn to live with them, and some will become your friends. Sometimes you'll have to help them out by buying their stuff, or finding the keys they lost. Some of them will eventually move out to other towns and you'll never see them AGAIN.

    Now THOSE are some major life lessons, folks.

    • by xtracto ( 837672 )

      You move in a new city, all by yourself, you have to pay your mortgage with money that you earn by _working_, you learn to participate in the cultural life of the town by donating to the museum, you have to take care of public space, plant trees and flowers to make a great place for everybody.

      Yay! a game in which I have to get in a job and have good society skills in order to win??

      Thanks for the review... I will absolutely avoid it. You know, as they say... I prefer to get a first life.

      • Oh, and this is also the game where everybody in town rags on you if you don't play for a while - and you have to do a bunch of chores like pulling weeds and stuff...

        I found it fun for a while, actually - but eventually I found I didn't like feeling obligated to play frequently, particularly according to a particular schedule, in order to get ahead.

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I think it says a lot about society when maturity and violence are assumed to go hand in hand.

      • I think it says a lot about society when maturity and violence are assumed to go hand in hand.

        This is more about the opposite situation - feeling like we're being shielded from these themes because it's assumed we're not mature enough to handle them. I hate that.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      It's also got a fantasy component: you can actually pay off all your mortgages. Now there's a desirable fantasy for millions of us!

    • To say nothing of the talking to animals... most people I know are at least into their sixties before they start talking to animals!
    • I learned to drive by playing GTA, you insensitive clod. Why, just this morning I bailed out of my car in front of my office and then stood in front of the door until someone appeared and told me what to do next. The only thing that sucks is that there are no good cars in this part of town, so I'll have to use some old beater after work until I can get over to the nicer areas. Once I find a Lamborghini or Ferrari, I'll use that, but I won't bother to put it in my garage because even if it makes it home w

  • by WillAdams ( 45638 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @08:49AM (#26171905) Homepage

    Resident Evil
    Call of Duty
    No More Heroes

    Whether or no a game succeeds isn't about the rating, it's about the content and game play and story line (or lack thereof) and unfortunately, it's all too often about the lack.

    On the Wii one adds in a need for supporting the Wii motion controls in a natural (Resident Evil Wii edition --- what's up w/ requiring pressing _2_ buttons to fire a pistol?!?) and reliable way (DragonQuest Swords I'm looking at you on that last), and even if the game is okay on other platforms, then it fails as a Wii game if it only involves mashing buttons (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, please re-write the UI to support more than just buttons!).

    Yes, I know, only one of the games that I'm criticizing has an M rating.

    William

  • Although the ability to lock out games rated above or below a certain threshold is useful as a general policy and provides a decent starting ground, as a parent, I still wish that the parental controls on the wii had the additional ability to whitelist or blacklist certain programs, which might otherwise be denied or accepted based on the game rating.
    • by Hatta ( 162192 )

      Or you could just relax, and realize that your precious snowflake is not going to be harmed by a bunch of polygons on a screen.

  • This game rocks on the Wii. Much like many other games once you play with the Wii remote, you wonder why its even released on other consoles. (Golf games are great for that.) Patrick
  • That game wasn't controversial, it just sucked.

    • While I'm not a fan of the Manhunt series (IMO, interesting concept executed very poorly), you could debate all day about Manhunt 2 sucking due to the modifications forced by the original AO rating, or just because Rockstar can't make a good Manhunt game.

      Either way, I patiently wait for Madworld (and hope it doesn't suffer the same AO-based censorship that Manhunt 2 did).
  • I really enjoyed the first Manhunt for Playstation. When I heard Manhunt 2 was coming out for the Wii, I was psyched. Then, after all the controversy, they decided to censor the game by blurring out a major portion of the game - the violent cut scenes. I decided not to buy the game since I am an adult and should be able to buy the game uncensored.

    My question is, why can't game devs release 2 versions of a game with different ratings - one being censored and one going all out?

    • by Shados ( 741919 )

      Because retailers will not sell an A rated game. The original version of Manhunt 2 got an A rating, so stores like Walmart wouldn't carry it. Kindda hard to justify the expenses on a game you can't sell in most places.

      • by k_187 ( 61692 )
        More than that, I believe all three console makers(well, I know Nintendo and MS did, not sure about Sony) said they will not license an AO rated game. So even if R* wanted to sell an uncensored version direct, they would not have been able to.
  • So they're going to make some games suitable for 10 year olds? I keed, I keed!
  • Great (Score:3, Funny)

    by Locke2005 ( 849178 ) on Friday December 19, 2008 @11:52AM (#26174007)
    So it's just a matter of time before we see Custer's Revenge [wikipedia.org] for the Wii? I can't wait!
  • So are they going to have more innovative mature peripherals [megatokyo.com]?

  • Finally,

    I am so glad to see that over-rated, stupid, childish piece of plastic rubbish out of my house.
    I got it for FREE and I was still ripped off, that's how useless the fucking thing is.

    If you are a single player or hardcore gamer the thing is absoloutely of no use to you (ok, I exagerrate there's about 4 good games, maybe)
    The system is a monopoly replacement, in a few days time the same old family members will go over to someones house and realise it's been a year, what did we do last christmas when the

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