Info on 2 Wii Mod chips emerges...

[schmosef]

There's the Cyclowiz Wii Mod Chip and the something else by a group calling themselves The Ninja Team.

It's hard to predict the outcome of this. The very wide availability of pirated games was surely part of what killed the Dreamcast. Yet that same wide availability didn't seem to have hurt the PS2.

I just hope that game developers don't abandone the Wii platform.

[Gurm]

There's the Cyclowiz Wii Mod Chip and the something else by a group calling themselves The Ninja Team.

It's hard to predict the outcome of this. The very wide availability of pirated games was surely part of what killed the Dreamcast. Yet that same wide availability didn't seem to have hurt the PS2.

I just hope that game developers don't abandone the Wii platform.

Sega of America killed both the Saturn and the Dreamcast all by themselves. They didn't need any help from pirates.

[Claymonkey]

I'm still interested to see how long before someone figures out how to use NES/SNES/N64/MAME/GENESIS/ETC. roms on the wii... either through the virtual console or an installable app.

[Jessterw]

I just hope that game developers don't abandone the Wii platform.

I have no doubts there are going to be game developers that either abandon the Wii as a platform or never even entertain the thought of developing for it. The latter group is already starting to emerge with a few developers being less than thrilled with the lack of any real graphical advances with the Wii (opposed to those made by the Xbox 360 and PS3).

The former group is likely to emerge as developers find it hard to create genuinely engaging games that make worthwhile use of the Wii's remote and nunchuk. This is already a problem with some of the first generation Wii games, some of which are simply rehashes of pre-existing games with new control schemes tacked on.

So to that end, I don't think pirated games are going to be the problem in the overall lifetime of the Wii.

[Technoid]

I have no doubts there are going to be game developers that either abandon the Wii as a platform or never even entertain the thought of developing for it. The latter group is already starting to emerge with a few developers being less than thrilled with the lack of any real graphical advances with the Wii (opposed to those made by the Xbox 360 and PS3).

Those developers that only cares about "uber 1337" graphics are THE reason we don't see any advancement in games.

and any platform are better of without them

[Gurm]

Some of the BEST games I've played in the past few years have been ... marginal ... in their graphical improvements.

I really liked... I mean REALLY liked... the Sony platformers. Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter... those games were really quite well done, and let's face it - the graphics didn't change from one to the next. The GAMEPLAY, however, was awesome.

There are a few games which have BOTH gameplay improvements AND graphics improvements. Square/Enix makes such games. The "Metal Gear" games, while ridiculous in their overall plot, were quite good both graphically and in terms of gameplay. But for the most part it is, in fact, the case that you are looking at EITHER groundbreaking "fun gaming" OR "eye candy" and not both.

And I concur - any developer that ditches the Wii (which is selling like HOTCAKES and would get their game in front of MILLIONS of people) in favor of the PS3 (which they can't seem to give away) or the XBOX360 (which has sold perhaps 10 units since last year) is a developer that nobody wants making games, because they'll be sad rehashes of old games with shiny new graphics.

[Jessterw]

Couldn't agree more. I still want to get a 360 for a few games that are on there, but the Wii is first in line.

I do believe that the developers who stick with the Wii are going to be putting out some awesome games. The reason is simple: developers could scrape by putting out mediocre crap for the GC because it still used the normal concept of a controller. The Wii has changed that in such a way that gamers are not going to tolerate lackluster control schemes and implementations that don't take full advantage of the new controllers. At least not much past this first generation of games.

As an aside, I'm looking forward to what Nintendo and third-parties can came up with in the way of alternative controllers that still use the sensor bar.

[Mehen]

My friend ordered some stuff to allow him to play roms on the wii, I'll probably start a thread when it all comes in and he has it figured out.

[Kooldino]

And I concur - any developer that ditches the Wii (which is selling like HOTCAKES and would get their game in front of MILLIONS of people) in favor of the PS3 (which they can't seem to give away) or the XBOX360 (which has sold perhaps 10 units since last year) is a developer that nobody wants making games, because they'll be sad rehashes of old games with shiny new graphics.

Actually, the 360 has sold over 10 million units since launch. They're the force to be reckoned with right now.

[Gurm]

Actually, the 360 has sold over 10 million units since launch. They're the force to be reckoned with right now.

Hmm... but, there aren't any good games. And... I haven't met anyone who owns one. No, wait - my friend got one for Christmas from his sister in Cleveland. He traded it in for a Wii and a bunch of games.

[Jessterw]

I think that depends on the sort of game you're interested in, but to a degree you're right, there are far too few games out of the 360 that would drive anyone to purchase the system just for that game. The current one that is appears to be Gears of War.

Of course, there aren't any stellar games for the Wii either. There are fun ones and good ones, but there are no games available yet that make me want to run out and buy a system just for that game. I doubt there will be more than a few in a year's time.

Honestly, that's not a knock to either system. The 360 excels at what it does, and the Wii - while still at too early a stage to say for sure - looks to change gameplay mechanics and interaction in a fundamental way. Whether many developers will be able to take advantage of that is uncertain. Nintendo is obviously the exception.

[Claymonkey]

While i love my Wii and I have gotten people into it that wouldn't generally be into gaming i have to agree with Jessterw. I have Zelda, Warioware and Wii Sports. The two games I've bought are basically variations on games that were already available for the GC. However, Wii Sports IS what made my family get into it. You have people like me that basically buy a system because it has Zelda and then you have my family who fell in love with all aspects of the interaction of Wii Sports. I'm intrigued by what will come to make it more than it is now. Right now there is the promise... with the taste of delivery but no real delivery yet.

[borat]

Hmm... but, there aren't any good games. And... I haven't met anyone who owns one. No, wait - my friend got one for Christmas from his sister in Cleveland. He traded it in for a Wii and a bunch of games.

Dont get me worng here as I'm with you on pretty much all you have said up till this. It does not matter how many good games are out there or who you know who has one, the fact is that 10 million of them are sat under TV's somewhere and the one certainty is that those 10 million units are not going to be fed Wii software. I know tons of people who bought Dreamcasts but in the wider world joe average did not buy the console making it go the way of the dodo, I hope Wii does not go the same way but its not going to be anywhere near the same league as the PS3/360 when it comes to sales of software 3 years down the line. It's too much of a gimmick for the mainstream 14-18 year old who will be laughed at if he said he went out and bought a Wii, Sony and msft know this which is why they are keeping their prices higher than Wii - otherwise they devalue their brand.

[Sasq]

Dont get me worng here as I'm with you on pretty much all you have said up till this. It does not matter how many good games are out there or who you know who has one, the fact is that 10 million of them are sat under TV's somewhere and the one certainty is that those 10 million units are not going to be fed Wii software. I know tons of people who bought Dreamcasts but in the wider world joe average did not buy the console making it go the way of the dodo, I hope Wii does not go the same way but its not going to be anywhere near the same league as the PS3/360 when it comes to sales of software 3 years down the line. It's too much of a gimmick for the mainstream 14-18 year old who will be laughed at if he said he went out and bought a Wii, Sony and msft know this which is why they are keeping their prices higher than Wii - otherwise they devalue their brand.

the Wii isn't aimed at the 14~18 yo's

The name for the original Nintendo here was 'famicon' - Family computer (console).
Nintendo are aiming for the whole family. Who buys the DS here? women.
Who have the most disposable income here - women.
Nintendo have also been doing lots of 'brain' games particulary for older people on the DS.

I look at the Wii and think motor skills.

Nintendo is aiming for a very very different market to the ps3/360

[borat]

the Wii isn't aimed at the 14~18 yo's

The name for the original Nintendo here was 'famicon' - Family computer (console).
Nintendo are aiming for the whole family. Who buys the DS here? women.
Who have the most disposable income here - women.
Nintendo have also been doing lots of 'brain' games particulary for older people on the DS.

I look at the Wii and think motor skills.

Nintendo is aiming for a very very different market to the ps3/360

Correct, I dont think that its realistic to think it will sell like 360's/ps3 though.