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October 29, 2008 4:00 PM | Simon Carless
[Following his ebullient first installment praising Nintendo's Wii, designer Brice Morrison looks at the flip side - discussing just how the console "has failed to deliver on the magic it promised."]
Released in November, 2006, the Nintendo Wii is revolutionary to say the least. With its innovative user interface, it has completely taken the world by storm by reinventing what video games are and who they are made for.
With nearly 30 million sold worldwide and over 160 million lifetime sales predicted (more than twice that of the Xbox 360 or PS3), Nintendo has clearly hit the ball out of the park.
Critics are raving, the crowds are cheering, it seems as though the once sagging console industry has been rejuvenated and ready to run at a blistering pace for years to come.
To this day, two years after launch, you still have a hard time finding a Wii in stores. But what consumers are lining up to buy isn’t the Wii, what they are buying is the idea and the dream of the Wii.
Consumers, many of whom have never played games before, have been picking up a Wii, enjoying it for a few weeks, and then watching it collect dust by their TV. They can’t explain why, but for some reason they just don’t play it anymore.
This is because the Wii has failed to deliver on the magic it promised.
A License to Dream
When I first heard about the Wii, I was completely ecstatic. Though the idea of movement-based controls are now obvious, at the time it was completely and utterly original. Such an idea had never even crossed the average gamer’s mind.
All we saw for the future was a jump from button-mashing to VR Headsets, with nothing in between. This first step off of the classic game controller was nothing short of mind blowing.
Everyone who watched in awe at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006 also watched their minds begin spinning with ideas. This is a godsend, we thought. We can do everything!
We can make fitness games that work your body, shooting games with actual movement, puzzle games with tactile interface, and much more. Truly, the Wii seemed like a license to dream anything.
But the ceiling was bound to appear.
Waggle: The Empty Promise
The principle failure of the Wii and its Wii remote is in its promise of immersion through movement. When many people imagine what playing the Wii would be like after seeing the commercials and experiences of other players, they imagine an incredibly immersive experience.
The movement based controls of the Wii hearken to a completely visceral play session, becoming one with the virtual world in front of them. We all drooled at the opportunity to dive behind couches in our living room to escape gunfire, being able to replicate a real tennis match without leaving the house, or having a sword fight that was even more real and tactile than the ones we had as children with wooden sticks.
It has been a disappointment, therefore, to see our promised virtual experience reduced to shaking the controller.
The problem is that waggling the Wii remote does not, in itself, add to a gameplay experience. If I want to open a virtual door and am asked to turn the Wii remote instead of pressing a button, that doesn’t make the experience more immersive.
While it may be novel once or twice, the simple movement itself does not enrich the game. In fact, it can become tedious and frustrating. Developers are just as guilty as players in this regard.
Creating one game after another that is essentially a recycled last-generation title, but with new Wii remote action, does not make it any different than the title was before.
The sad truth is that substituting Wii remote movement for a button press is nothing more than an empty promise. Upgrading to a new technology only to have the freshly minted fun evaporate after one run through is not technology well spent.
Looking Behind the Curtain
I remember teaching my cousin how to play Wii Tennis, and when he went to serve the ball, he lifted his left hand, the one not holding the Wii remote, to toss. At that moment, he didn’t understand how the Wii worked.
All he knew was that it was some sort of magical machine that mimicked your real life movements. It was a joyous occasion and a incredible exploratory experience.
But the innocence did not last long. Upon further experimentation, he learned how the controller worked, discovering that a quick snap of the wrist gave the same forehand as a loopy swing of his whole upper body. As the initial amazement wore off, Wii Tennis became simply another video game.
When the public imagined what was possible with the Wii, we imagined complete, full-on physical experiences akin to backyard football. Perhaps, we thought, you may even get a little bruised up in a game on the Wii, playing with competitive friends.
Many of the early press responses to the Wii held this view, with parents saying that they enjoy it because it gets them and their kids off the couch. But to say that you think the Wii gets you off the couch is to reveal a naive understanding of its fundamental gameplay.
Sure, it may get kids off the couch, but when they’ll be doing off the couch is flicking their wrists, not playing basketball.
The limitations of the Wii remote’s accelerometer (even with Wii Motion Plus) reveal it to be far short of the dream machine that players were pining over. The necessary later release of Wii Fit shows that Nintendo developers have come to terms with the limitations of the Wii remote by itself.
Wii Fit may be fantastic for those who want exercise, but it’s too specialized of a peripheral to do much for those who want to explore the virtual worlds present in other games, but in a more immersive way. We wanted the Wii remote to satisfy our needs outside of exercise, too.
What We Bought Vs. What We Have
The Nintendo Wii is an elegant symphony of hardware, software, marketing, and imagination. At first glance, it appears that it can do everything you could think of, an experience full of promise.
Everyone loves the idea of the Wii. The idea of a totally immersive experience. The idea of games that are more like kickball and less like Tetris. The idea of entering a brand new world. But after some time, we learn that we have purchased nothing more than a shakable A-button.
Without doubt, future console releases and peripherals will attempt to satisfy us further. The Wii has made a great leap forward, but those who think we have already arrived are mistaken.
[Brice Morrison is a game designer who has been developing quirky titles since he was in middle school. Before taking a job at Electronic Arts, he developed several successful independent games such as Jelly Wars, an action adventure franchise, and QuickQuests, a casual MMORPG.
While at the University of Virginia, Brice founded Student Game Developers, an organization which continues to produce games every semester and open the doors to the games industry for students. His blog at BriceMorrison.com discusses games in a broader context and how they can be more than simply entertainment.]
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16 Comments
Millions of customers _can_ be wrong?
When I bought the Wii, I thought it was a well designed system and a great value. Now... I think it's a well-designed system and a great value. I'm glad that it's not my only this-gen system, but the same goes for my 360. I bought the Wii first, and if that was the only this-gen console I could buy, I wouldn't regret my decision to make it that one.
On the other hand, perhaps my expectations were not as unrealistic as Mr. Morrison's.
L33tminion | October 29, 2008 8:22 PM
to be fair, dreams of 1:1 VR-like experiences grew only in the horrible hype echo chamber of message boards. nintendo never presented it as anything other than more intuitive and visceral than a normal controller, which it is at best.
Brandon Edmark | October 30, 2008 3:56 AM
"...at the time it was completely and utterly original. Such an idea had never even crossed the average gamer’s mind."
Think back to the promise of the U-Force and Power Glove. As a rabid, Nintendo-obsessed 9-year old, the idea of controlling a game with only hand/body motion seemed too good to be true. Naturally, it was too good to be true.
I wonder how I would feel if I were still that rabid 9-year-old and presented with a Wii. I mean, it actually has functional motion control and games that actually use it.
As a kid, I believe I would have loved this system, even if it were up against the 360 or PS3.
I'm not insinuating that it's a kids system by any means and I have had fun with the machine even now. Just reflecting on how my own personal tastes in gaming have changed.
Or I might just be rambling. It's still pretty early...
Jason P | October 30, 2008 6:47 AM
So far, I can only think of three games that have actually delivered on the Wii Promise. Metroid Prime 3, Zack & Wiki, and Kororinpa:Marble Mania.
EEBRIAC | October 30, 2008 8:30 AM
How about the fact that two of the systems "heavy hitters" (Super Smash Bros: Brawl and Mario Kart Wii) practically require you to use the old Gamecube controller. Well... No, you're not actually required to use it, but if you're an experienced gamer playing with other experienced gamers, you'll find yourself at a major disadvantage when using the Wiimote or any of its accessories.
Then there are games like Zelda: Twilight Princess and Okami that make you wish you could use a Game Cube control rather than choking down the "Waggle" function. I can see how the idea use the thrusting, twisting, and flailing of your arms as a way to attack and block would seem great, but it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes of play testing to realize that the motion sensing just isn't good enough to make it work.
In the Wii's defense, developers are mostly to blame for my complaints. I don't think it would kill them or Nintendo to think things through a little bit before squeezing another bargain bin special out of their cash cow.
Adfest | October 30, 2008 11:40 AM
I think your article is pretty much spot on, but I also realized that I'm over being down on the Wii. When I first got my Wii on launch day, I had a lot of negative feelings about it because I felt like it wasn't living up to its promise. Those feelings have faded. Why? Because the bottom line is that when all things are considered, I've simply had fun playing all the games I like on the Wii. I kind of don't care about whether or not a console lives up to its hype and promises... I just want to have a good time playing it. If I like the games, that's all that matters to me.
Mister Raroo | October 30, 2008 1:58 PM
"But after some time, we learn that we have purchased nothing more than a shakable A-button."
Ummmm well Duh, anyone could have told you that ahead of time, & I didn't buy one because I knew what was going on.
Look, this is nothing new- Nintendo did this from the 8-bit days (Light gun, Powerglove, GyroBot, Running pad) and has kept the tradition of goofy, single-use controllers.
The Wii version of this marketing scheme is simple-don't give them a useful standard controller, then they HAVE to use the screwball ones.
The only thing the Wii controlers have done is fool a bunch of idiot parents into thinking their kids are actually doing some kind of exercise.
skeptikal | October 30, 2008 5:42 PM
My kids love the Wii, My wife and also really enjoy playing the Wii although I admit to not playing it in a long time but thats partly because Im an avid PC gamer and have kids so gaming hours are precious.
I understand what you are saying re ... flick the wrist, I realised you could operate it this way not long after I bought it. BUT if you do just flick your wrist instead of actually performing the action as intended ... well not really Nintendos fault and makes you pretty sad in my book.
Use it properly and I'm sure it will continue to be fun.
Reaper | October 30, 2008 6:52 PM
I have to echo Reaper. My kids play the Wii as much as they watch TV (about an hour a day of each) and they still throw themselves into the games. So do I. Playing Wii Fit, you can pretty easily "cheat" and score well on the exercises, but you have to ask yourself, who are you cheating?
Samwyse | October 30, 2008 7:26 PM
who are you cheating? WiiFit is a poor exercise modality AT BEST. I'll have to agree, it's just gimmick after gimmick.
harry carry | October 30, 2008 11:45 PM
The Wii is a revolutionary step in gaming. You guys are acting like waggle is the only thing the Wii can do.
There's plenty of possibilities(many of which are utilized all the time) in the motion-sensing itself, not to mention the pointer control. The Wii is the best console for shooters around, for example.
Sure, there have been alot of screwy shooter ports, but even those have been surprisingly enjoyable. Why? The control scheme. In terms of consoles, it has the potential to be the best shooter platform around. In some cases, it already is.
Remember Mario Galaxy? Remember all the variety in the gameplay, thanks to motion controls? And remember the Wii edition of Resident Evil 4? The control scheme was pretty freaking perfect. Ask most any core gamer and they'll tell you that.
The Wii has seen some superb games, and unfortunately a lot of screwy ones. But it hasn't "failed".
bloodsteam | October 31, 2008 9:43 AM
I have to agree with the original article. I had a wii for about 3 weeks before trading it in towards a couple of 360 games. sure you can get tennis elbow with repetitive motion of tennis, or blast some zombies with some decent accuracy but after the initial awe I just wished I had bought a couple of 360 games...
Nixxer | October 31, 2008 6:05 PM
The Wii has taken a positive step forward, but they just aren't there yet. Like most I bought the Wii because of the idea it represented; but after the initial awe I still enjoy the games I play. Nintendo just has more work to do with development.
hylianprophet | November 7, 2008 6:30 PM
"we learn that we have purchased nothing more than a shakable A-button."
Just like the most simple shovelware, only the most simplistic analysis of Wii's appeal would focus solely on the remote's accelerometers. 'Waggle' isn't the fault of the system.
"The idea of games that are more like kickball and less like Tetris. "
This article appears to me to be based on a significant misunderstanding of Wii's core concepts. Wii was designed with fun and the opportunity to try new things at the forefront. Not total immersion. Total immersion would surely be more complex and offputting for the inexperienced gamer - in direct contrast with the goals of the system.
'Waggle' is but one component of the controller's advances. Split into two parts. Featuring a highly responsive digital pointing device and independent analogue stick. The Wii Remote is far more than accelerometers. It has a scaleable complexity making it suitable to a vast array of genres which have barely been touched upon by developers.
The reasons for western publisher caution are many and varied, and likely some are exercising quite justifiable caution. Those that invest heavily in 'next gen' tech will also have little interest in Wii development.
But it's a crying shame that more developers haven't been able to release games exploiting the controller. Where's C&C and the fresh console RTS games that are such a natural fit? The big budget adventure games? The action flight games? Taito's 'Space Invaders Get Even' is the first game to have truly capitalised on the pointer+analogue stick for a new type of game.
The reasons that the 'revolution' has not delivered for the 'hard-core' gamer (*shudder*) is down to publishers either not taking risks, or having conflicting priorities. And perhaps lamentably simplistic assessments of the marketplace.
But it's definitely not down to any 'limitations' of the remote control, which has as yet barely been explored by anyone outside of Nintendo.
Repost | November 8, 2008 2:41 AM
@ adfest:
I have to disagree with your comment about the use of classic/gamecube controllers to keep up with experienced gamers. As an avid MK player I have found the wheel to be better and more precise with small movements then the joystick on the controllers. The problem I see with the wheel is that players haven't given the effort to learn the wheel. Yes it's extremely awkward at first and takes about 20 races to fine tune, but after that keeping up with other experienced gamers is easy peasy.
Thats just my experience though, to each their own.
amnos | November 9, 2008 8:58 AM
What really bugs me is that now another wii's coming out thats gonna have everything the first wii should have have had in the bloody first place such as, HD support with 1080dp not fucking 480dp, choppy graphics in some games, and of course who's bright freakin idea was it to put only 512mb of memory into it? hm??? When the 360 and ps3 had 60gig HDs what is this 1995? 512 mb of memory? thats not worth shit, it pissed me off. i like some of the games but you're right the whole shaking the wii remote to do things is freaking retarded.
/ek | January 6, 2009 11:30 AM