2009: The Wii finally comes of age

[Spindel]

2009: The Wii finally comes of age at That VideoGame Blog

This holiday season will see the Wii celebrate its second birthday. While Nintendo’s software for the console has been outstanding, the support from other developers has not been as forthcoming. But just like the DS, it looks like it will be the third year of the Wii’s life when it will really find its feet. The combination of improved software and peripherals means that Wii gamers have a lot to look forward to in the coming year.
Peripheral vision

Whether you believe that MotionPlus is an admission by Nintendo that the Wiimote is deeply flawed, or that it is the next logical step in Motion Control, it’s hard not to be excited. By using accelerometers exclusively, Nintendo has limited the Wii to tilt and gesture interfaces in most titles. 1:1 has only really been possible in games where motion is tightly controlled and straightforward - Tiger Woods ‘09 being a prime example. Developers will be getting access to the device this month, so it’s likely we will begin to see games incorporate the technology shortly after Wii Sports Resort in the spring. Other than Resort and Red Steel 2, nothing has been confirmed to use MotionPlus as yet, so the potential of being able to directly wield a Lightsaber/Master Sword will have to be enough for now. What is certain though is that MotionPlus, in conjunction with the balance board and even Wii Speak, will be a giant leap forward in interface technology.
Japanese third-party support

While the second half of ‘08 still looks short of true AAA titles, new games are being announced for a western ‘09 release on a regular basis. Japanese developers in particular have jumped on the Wii bandwagon with some genuinely exciting titles like Rune Factory, Fatal Frame 4, Tenchu 4 and Arc Rise Fantasia. Encouragingly, the support is made up of traditional/hardcore titles. Namco-Bandai have also committed the next mothership installment of their Tales of series to the Wii rather than the HD consoles - the decision mirrors Capcom’s choice of the Wii for Monster Hunter 3. Sadly Square Enix’s support remains minimal, with Crystal Chronicles being as elusive as ever.
Western third-party support

The west also has some interesting games lined up for ‘09, the obvious highlight being The Conduit. EA’s increased understanding of the platform was demonstrated with the all-round excellence of their All-play sports games this year. With the addition of MotionPlus, it’ll be interesting to see where the giant will take its most bankable properties. Ubisoft will also finally be delivering the second installment of Red Steel, which in addition to using MotionPlus, will have had enough time in development to be thoroughly polished. Overlord Dark Legend and House of the Dead: Overkill also deserve honorable mentions.
New wave

By far the most exciting development over the last few months is the rise in innovative and unique games being announced for the Wii. The vanguard of this movement is of course PlatinumGames’ MadWorld, but there are many others of note. Kizuna may end up being the Wii’s Shadow of Colossus, while Fragile and Deadly Creatures look superbly atmospheric. Spyborgs may have had a controversial debut, but newcomers Bionic Games’ talent should ensure the quality of the final game. Renegade Kid, who made a name for themselves on the DS, are also working on their first Wii game rumored to feature Count Dracula as the main character. Vanillawares’s Oboro Muramasa Youtouden also appears to be progressing well, and will be on display at this years TGS.
Nintendo

The first year and a half saw Nintendo churn out their most popular franchises quicker than any had imagined. The flip side of this is that the second half of ‘08 will see very little from Nintendo that excites the traditional gamer. Despite this, there are a number of projects in the works to look forward to in ‘09. Factor 5’s take on Kid Icarus will definitely push the graphics envelope, and Retro Studios will be sure to do the same with their as yet unrevealed title. Nintendo has confirmed the development of Pikmin and Zelda, and now Nintendo’s teams will also have the option of using any of the peripherals they have released for the system to enhance the experience. Will Pikmin 3 use Wii Speak for co-op play? MotionPlus seems like a no-brainer for the next Zelda. There are even reasons to be excited for Wii Sports Resort - being a sequel, the game will be pitched at gamers who have already played the original; ones who have graduated from non-gamer status. Miyamoto echoed this by stating he intended the jetski section to be comparable to the Wave Race series.

Looking forward to this, I just wonder how much will end up in PAL land

[boffo]

Very little fact presented here and just a whole lot of speculation. As of now Motion Plus is just another mid gen peripheral and those rarely have success. Look at the Balance Board. It's been out for nearly half a year and has what, two games that support it? There is no reason to believe at this point that Motion Plus will be any different.

As far as the games, they do list many but at this point in time no one really knows what to expect from most of them. Promise and potential does not mean they will be good games once they get released, so it's safe to say that some of these games will end up not being as good as they sound on paper. And to say that Kid Icarus will push the graphic envelope is premature at best.

I'm not saying that the Wii doesn't have anything to look forward to and isn't ready to turn a corner in it's maturity and growth, just that this article really proves nothing.

[Junkie13]

Nearly 2 years to late for most Nintendo die hard fans..

[tr1p1ea]

Originally Posted by boffo

Very little fact presented here and just a whole lot of speculation. As of now Motion Plus is just another mid gen peripheral and those rarely have success. Look at the Balance Board. It's been out for nearly half a year and has what, two games that support it? There is no reason to believe at this point that Motion Plus will be any different.

As far as the games, they do list many but at this point in time no one really knows what to expect from most of them. Promise and potential does not mean they will be good games once they get released, so it's safe to say that some of these games will end up not being as good as they sound on paper. And to say that Kid Icarus will push the graphic envelope is premature at best.

I'm not saying that the Wii doesn't have anything to look forward to and isn't ready to turn a corner in it's maturity and growth, just that this article really proves nothing.

Err, you checked the sales numbers for Wii Fit lately? There are also probably over 15 games in dev for it ...

[boffo]

Originally Posted by tr1p1ea

Err, you checked the sales numbers for Wii Fit lately? There are also probably over 15 games in dev for it ...

15 games in development for Wii Fit?

[tr1p1ea]

Pertaining to the Balance Board of course ...

According to the ever credible wikipedia, there are 18 games listed as being compatible with the BB peripheral. 3 have been released, with 11 slated for 08 releases and the rest for next year.

[boffo]

Originally Posted by tr1p1ea

Pertaining to the Balance Board of course ...

According to the ever credible wikipedia, there are 18 games listed as being compatible with the BB peripheral. 3 have been released, with 11 slated for 08 releases and the rest for next year.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'll believe that stuff like the balance board and Motion Plus are significant when I see it.

[Molish]

So you have to buy motion-plus, right? So what happens to the people who buy a motion-plus game and don't have motion-plus to back it up? Do they have to wait till they have motion-plus or can they play the game the old boring Wii way?

[boffo]

Originally Posted by Molish

So you have to buy motion-plus, right? So what happens to the people who buy a motion-plus game and don't have motion-plus to back it up? Do they have to wait till they have motion-plus or can they play the game the old boring Wii way?

Which is why I don't believe Motion Plus won't make a real difference. It comes with Wii Sports Resort but you have to purchase it if you want it.

That makes it a game changing peripheral that only some people will have and those are never successful. Developers will either have to make the game for Motion Plus and limit the audience that can play the game(which traditionally doesn't happen very frequently), or they'll have to make the game support the Wiimote both with and without Motion Plus which for a lot of games will likely make the non Motion Plus controls almost non playable since that won't be the way the game was made to be played.

[Molish]

I guess they are going the Sega route. Keep adding peripherals/plugins until it works.