if (preg_match('/ I like the small controller. I like the backward compatibility. I even like the concept and active movement by the player. But I don’t buy it. Let me say for the record, I hope it does well. I hope it’s a success. I even hope it is the new revolution in video gaming. But there is no way Nintendo Wii will be a mega-hit in the United States. Nintendo has a whole iPod-looking website up right now dedicated to their new, small form factor game console. They have gone back to their roots with signature franchises like Super Mario, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda. This is no surprise — Nintendo always phones home when it’s taking a risk. Two Italian guys, some swords, and Excite Bike (Excite Truck in Wii’s case) didn’t save Gamecube, and nothing is going to make Wii an American hit on the scale of Xbox, Xbox 360, and all the numerical Sony platforms. The Public Relations Guys and Girls on all sides are trying to chip away at public opinion as we speak. Wii has had plenty of publicity. Most video game consoles tend to generate a fair amount of buzz. Nintendo clearly beat Sony in public relations efforts at The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). E3 is often the soapbox that media corporations use to unleash their latest and greatest onto the world. For all intents and purposes, Nintendo swept the hype awards. Here are a few peeks at what E3 looked like if you weren’t there: They should have gotten the English-speaking actors for E3. But here is the reaction some people are giving Sony’s E3 showing. Sony gave a release date, November 17, 2006. They gave a price, which is expensively $499-$599 depending on the hard drive configuration. They’re even offering their complete online gaming experience for free.
I don’t buy it.'; }
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - American Public
Well, thanks so much for making my choices for me. I am after all, only a feeble, simple-minded American, with only the capacity for pick up trucks and guns. I could never hope to understand, or enjoy anything that is even the slightest bit unique.
No sir, no crazy controllers or non-PFS-shooter games for me. And English speaking actors? Yes please! Who wants to listen to some Japanese mumbo-jumbo ( i.e., the original dialogue ) What do those people know about video games anyway?
...Are you actually serious with all these presumptions, based on American stupidity? What a sad, out of touch world view you have.
2 - Jed Merrill
Ha ha ha ha ha! Reasoned, but also smells paid for. The chances of Nintendo getting less sales than Sony this holiday season are zero. They may even sell out before PS3 releases, the way people are talking. Never underestimate the power of small simple things to take out giants.
Nintendo's formula is already hitting the mass market sweet spot, and believe me, if Nintendo released it for $350 there would still be grumbling, but they would buy it and it would still sell out.
What Nintendo is offering is new on an entirely different scale than graphics and sound, and people will bite. Not just some people, but 85% of people who play games. Nintendo may say they are after casual gamers, but it is hardcore gamers that are salivating at the mouth.
Nice to find an opposing voice in a sea of Wii, but I completely disagree. Wii (you, me, and Nintendo) will change everything. Certainly in gaming.
3 - EDY
Omg what are you talking about wii si gonna beat the hell outta PS3 and the thing is who cares if it doesn't have DVD . I have vcr dvd combo ,a regular one ,the computer and a Xbox360 the last thing i would need is another dvd player...
4 - OGY
Your main argument is the Wii will have to use a dongle to play DVDs. Then you follow that with praise for the success of the Xbox. Are you forgetting the Xbox required a dongle aswell to play DVDs....
5 - Matt Paprocki
"The Playstation 3 has what gamers want, great graphics and great sound."
Exactly. The Wii has what both gamers and non-gamers want. Non-gaming fans are not the tech type and couldn't care less about HD and 5.1. It's not needed, because the chances of those people owning the needed equipment is nil. I would love to have it, but I'm not their key demographic this time because they know I'll buy one regardless.
They want to play games in a way they can understand. 16 button controllers, analog sticks, and triggers don't seem complicated to us, but most people don't grasp all of that.
Sony's marketing to gamers. Nintendo's marketing to a market 90% bigger: everyone.
6 - chris3116
IS this a joke or what? I completely disagree what you said. You don't buy it because of the controller is diffrerent. I won't attack you. But all this opinion is flawness. The D-Pad from Nintendo on NES was considered to be a failure. The PS3 controller is nothing about a PS2 controller without a rumble and has motion sensor and a tilt with 6 movements.
As for the price, remember the 3D0 and Neo-Geo. Both they have new technology and and have price over $600. Both failed. Reasonable people won't buy a $600 console.
As far I can see, Wii is clearly the winner everywhere and I can see you are a Playstation fanboy. I play video games for the games not from a brand. And PS3 is not on my Christmas wishlist.
7 - chris3116
I forgot. Hardcore gamers will play on Wii. The autor is just a casual.
8 - John Guilfoil
This is certainly not paid for. If you want an example, I'm not even a Sony fan. I only owned a PS2 to review it and I thought it always suffered from poor graphics for its generation.
As for the DVD--that was merely a side argument and not any sort of main argument.
I'm not rooting for either side--if anything I hope the Wii wins the battle over the PS3, but when you have people who pay $600-$800 for a PC video card alone, you simple can not underestimate graphics and sound. I think the Playstation 3 price will drop slightly as they realize their public relations blunder and the titles and specs will win out.
Finally, YES this is an opinion--it's even filed under "opinion" on this site. All previews and predictions are opinions. I welcome disagreement and I made it clear that Nintendo is winning the public relations war, but I'm not sold on the American gamers' willingness to completely change their style of play for yet another Super Mario title.
9 - ggnoob
An X-Box 260!?!??!?!?!
What the hell is that? AHAHHAHAHAHA
Great journalism there buddy.
10 - Matt Paprocki
"As for the price, remember the 3D0 and Neo-Geo. Both they have new technology and and have price over $600. Both failed."
The Neo Geo had its final release in 2004. It came out in 1992. That's not a failure.
11 - John Guilfoil
I'll take disagreement but I take offense to the "casual gamer" comment. I've been gaming seriously for many years. Do not question me for my opinion, question the opinion for what it is. Just that.
12 - Takhar
Ah, I see, so the american public prefers several expensive add-ons to play $50+ Blu-ray discs on a $600 console for the ultimate gaming experience? I guess that definetly explains the PSP selling millions more than the DS (sarcasm).
"Sony is marketing to gamers, and gamers want digital audio and high definition video right now."
Actually, I'm a gamer, and I don't want digital audio and high definition audio if it means I won't have any money to spend on actual -games-.
"American gamers are simply not ready"
Of course, cause changing something is a horrible thing to do, in fact, changing the way games are played is such a bad idea that the NES should've never been invented, new platformers like Super Mario Bros. won't be bought enjoyed by the masses. In fact we should be playing the next E.T. on the Atari 1 200 000 because of the high quality visuals and audio. As long as it looks and sounds better, who cares if it's new? (more sarcasm)
13 - Andy146
I just have one thing to say.
Xbox 360 - $399
Playstation 3 - $599
Watching Nintendo steal the show at E3 - Priceless!
14 - phinehas
I disagree with what you have to say.
15 - John Guilfoil
Well sarcasm isn't making your argument here.
And for you historians out there, the Sega Master came just before the NES and it had that controller technology first.
Look, progress is a good thing and I made it clear that I like the Wii's concept, but if you don't want oposing viewpoints, just stay on nintendopower.com because that's all you're going to get.
I don't agree with the hype that E3 (which WILL fade) generated. You don't have to agree with it, but I've been around long enough to make a respectable prediction.
16 - Ray
Well yo are all wrong look at the Ds, it beated the PSP with less graphics, I really think that you're a ps freak and dont want to see that ps3 will not be the winner in this generation, so dont say bull...
17 - John Guilfoil
You couldn't be farther from the truth. I have never paid money for a Sony gaming system in my life. I--even though I predicted it's failure too--was a Dreamcast fan because of my nostalgic love for Phantasy Star back in those days and I always liked Xbox better than PS2 because I like the Xbox graphics and titles better. So don't make assumptions.
18 - Obinna
Your a PS3 fanboys aren't you and you probably hang around a bunch lame hardcore gamers don't you. Your probably a poser who always me too aren't you.
19 - Obinna
"The Playstation 3 has what gamers want, great graphics and great sound."
No one is going to by a system just to look and listen to it, you idiot.
20 - Richard
You know those pics you have "An Xbox 360 and a Wii screenshot of EA Sports' Madden NFL 2007." ...those are actually gamecube pics of Madden NFL 07,there on ign...wow your stupid....and it seems like your like a sony fan boy or something....and who cares if the wii doesn't have built in dvd support...if you live in america you'd think by now you'd have a dvd player...if you don't then your poor...but i think your wrong about americans "wanting" a ps3...actually if you look around the internet and talk to people you'd see that most people don't actually want the ps3 they'd rather have a wii and xbox 360...which would equal the same price as a ps3
21 - socketlube
I read through your article and you have a very closed mind throughout your point. I think you need to open your mind and take into account America's curiosty for new things. Also, I strongly agree with the previous comments which point out that spending 600 bucks on a system leaves no money for games. :/
22 - John Guilfoil
NO, that is wrong. the screenshots were released by Electronic Arts, and the second one is for Wii.
http://media.wii.ign.com/media/825/825443/imgs_1.html
23 - Obinna
To
Richard
Your mostly wrong because the people on the internet are mostly hardcore gamers ( well Im not) but if you ask people who don't play games much but own a PS2 whether the would by a PS3 for 500-600$ the probably say yes (I personally think the ones who say yes are either posers or rich posers cause come on a system for 500+ dollars).
24 - Old School Gamer
"Well sarcasm isn't making your argument here.
And for you historians out there, the Sega Master came just before the NES and it had that controller technology first."
This is factually innacurate. The famicom had the D-pad before the master system. There were a couple of older Sega systems but they didn't have D-pads.
Please do your research.
Also, the innacurate assumptions and flawed logic trains in your argument are too many to mention. Suffice it to say that I am american and a gamers and none of your generalizations are accurate in describing me.
25 - Casual Gamer
I do agree that the smart people will see the potential to get the Wii, and the satisfaction of also seeing quality graphics for Xbox 360 but trust me there are many hill billys and dumbass americans who will purchase that PS3. This is why we have the term American "CONSUMER". There job is is to CONSUME and many dumbass americans are going to do it. Also unlike us many casual ppl dont read internet blogs so much. They probably go to Gamespt or Ign and read the fastest article and make up a mind.
I'm telling you, you can sell the cheapiest and wierdest of all things in America, and ppl will buy it. Maybe not all(there are smart ppl) but many dumbasses will.
Sony is a brand name, and many ppl will fall prey to it just because its Sony but after awhile they might just see their mistake. Just look at the PSP. Beats DS in everyway yet DS sold more because of better marketing technique and clever use innovation. When PSP came out I thought Nintendo's monopoly on handheld is done, but it seems somehow it flipped upside down.