It's that time of year again. The time of year where SK sits on his fancy pedestal and ponders about the video game industry and what he likes, doesn't like, and shoves it down your throat whether you like it or not...
You see, it's been a full year since I've been excited over the Wii... mainly because I wanted to give the other consoles a chance.
And a fair chance I did give them, I bought more games on them combined to beat my Wii collection.
...I've played more hours on them than any single Wii game other than the "legendary" DBZBT3.
I've switched between my 360, PC, and PS3 back and forth - rarely even touching my Nintendo Wii this year.
I've given so much to these systems that I even bought a 2nd PS3... just for my girlfriend to play with me online!
I've put up with online-only games for so long that I even forgot the existence of split-screen games...
I would desperately try to fill that split-screen void by trying to purchase random Wii multiplayer games, only to realize they only pleased one of us / were missing subtle things in them to make them perfect. ... I would then move back to the PS3, 360, or PC just to keep my brain occupied.
During this time, Abu's DS broke... making me have even LESS interaction with Nintendo-products.
At this point, I've been cut off from the casual gamers and fully immersed with the jerks, asses, and snobs of the "ultra gamer" category.
I never became one of them, but I sure looked like one of them... my love of casual games hides my rather plausible skills in other games, often surprising "hardcore gamers" and "ultra gamers" that a happy player can actually beat their ass.
I spent so long on these "hardcore islands", I almost forgot what it was like to have full-on fun. The excitement I always had when I purchased a new Wii game, the endless fun in the simple WiiWare games, and the silly competitions with the DS games.
... but as E3 knocked on every gamer's door, I was forced to watch it... just like everyone else.
Though Nintendo wasn't embarrassing like they were last year for many, many still were disappointed this year.
But... for some reason, I wasn't disappointed.
360 showed off their new "Project Natal", and PS3 showed their..... er......... motion control.......... that looks......... rather......... ahem.....
People exclaimed "Wii killer" all around.
Many people believed that these proved that the Wii's a complete joke, and it's time that it fell...
But here's two odd things:
1) Without the Wii, these creations would never have come into creation so soon. The gaming industry has shown through the years that analog controls are preferred, no matter how good other controls got.
...this became the dividing point for many gamers when the Wii was released. Many mocked and laughed at the idea of motion controls. Others embraced it and became excited for the future of gaming. I was part of that latter.
...and now this is really odd: Now people are exclaiming that this is the best thing to come to gaming now that they've reached the other systems? ...was it fandom? ...or was it their hatred towards Nintendo for not going HD/powerful like the rest?
Either way, these people have become hypocrites.
2) As much as I see these new technologies...
As much as people claim that these make Nintendo technologies look prehistoric....
As much as people claim that they'll sell their Wii now and support the real gaming consoles...
............. I think it's nothing.
These technologies are great, but they're just as great as the EyeToy.
The EyeToy, as limited as it was, brought a lot of possibilities into the gaming genre. But because no one used it well enough, it never became huge enough to become game-industry-breaking.
It was because Nintendo based everything on their new console around it... forced it to become the main reason the games existed... did everyone try to do something with it.
The motion controller is nothing new. Motion controlling and touch screens have never been anything new. But Nintendo did something with it. Truly did something with it.
They made it... fun.
Hell, it feels like the only one who could make something that ridiculous possible is SEGA. ...no one cared for voice-controls other than for the ability to talk to each other... but the instant you had the ability to talk to a manfish, it suddenly became cool. :laugh:
... hell, I keep thinking if SEGA were still around, these console wars would be something totally different... it just kinda' feels like Nintendo's all alone here. Even PS3 and 360 fanboys talk to each other, Nintendo fanboys only have themselves.
Anyways......
These new technologies are... kinda'..... boring looking........
I see the ideas they're going with... but... it's still nothing...
And then what? What happens if they succeed in every manner that Nintendo couldn't with their Wii?
People pretend that when that happens, the Wii dies, and Nintendo with it.
... but Nintendo feels so confident... like they're waiting for that to happen... they said it themselves that the new Nintendo system won't appear until they have a new idea. And if the boys up in Nintendo still seem as confident with those technologies in their competitor's hands, it just seems like they're fairly confident that their new idea's strong enough to at least keep their head above the water.
Anyways...
Those technologies are cool. But for now, they're just as cool as the EyeToy. Even if big game names start coming from those things, the Wii's lightyears ahead of it in experience of marketing these things.
And they'd have had enough experience with the Motion+ in order to make the other peripherals still seem like a prototype.
Video games aren't just about who has bigger and better machines... it's about the games... it's about what you do with the games... it's about the fun...
People can claim the greatness of God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII and etc... but it's like claiming the greatness of Unreal Tournament and Timesplitters and Crash Bandicoot and Rayman and Devil May Cry and Dynasty Warriors and Grand Theft Auto and and...
*sigh* You can shed your tears with joy if you loved those games...
But do you know what I remember?
Do you know what I think were great games?
Do you know what games I can't forget because of the amazing fun I had in them?
...Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, GoldenEye 007, WarioWare, Street Fighter II, Super Smash Bros., Tetris vs Dr. Mario, Kirby Super Star, Snowboard Kids, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Killer Instincts, Star Fox 64, Power Stone, Rocket Slime, DBZBT3, and etc...
Do you know why? You can't claim nostalgia since Rocket Slime and DBZBT3 aren't old enough to cause such (and especially not since I actually still play them from time to time).
....... notice the pattern in them? : Multiplayer was THE MAIN REASON you should have played those games.
All those other games I can easily forget... I still remember my favorite RPGs, but only I remember them. My cousin doesn't remember it since she's never played it. I still remember my favorite adventure platformers, but only I remember them. My gf doesn't remember it since she's never played it. And etc.
The best memories I had about video games... is when everyone was in the same room... playing all at once... all that screaming and shouting and laughing... all the "calling turns" and the "time outs"...
All that was so fun... and it still is.
Don't you gamers get it yet?
Games are supposed to be fun.
Games can be cool. Games can be theatrical. But if you doubt the idea of "just for fun" games/consoles, you're doubting what it means to be gamer. Gamers were never about being the best... the gaming industry is turning exactly like the sports industry: Turning things that are supposed to be about fun and socializing -- into a tedious competitive job.
...gamers stood for those who favored controlling a screen instead of just watching it. To control the story, and most of all: Having fun while doing it. Now all of a sudden, we're all hiding behind virtual masks and claiming we're kings of these virtual worlds? My God, just accept that you freaks want a .hack world already.
Gamers didn't become gamers just because things were addicting.
If that were the case, being an alcoholic should be a hobby.
...doing things in these virtual worlds don't change who you are in real life...
...if that were the case, then movie plots should be written in our history books.
Gamers have turned into such crap now...
They think the bigger the better...
They think the more powerful the more fun...
God... these kids and "adults" need to get a grip...
Gaming has never been about upgrades and graphics! If that's the case, then f***ing get rid of Tetris already!
I'm glad these creations have come, but they're practically heartless!
Created only to beat the Wii, and nothing more!
There's no soul behind these beasts! No amazing ideas or inspirations are behind these things! They just expect to beat the Wii, and that's it!
My God, at least the Wii promised fun when they made them - not like these promises "to get you to sell your Wii".
