Comparing Platforms (aka How Does the Wii Stack Up?)

[Mercule]

Forked from: Any games to get excited about in 2009?

And yes, for the record, we have a Wii as well. The 360 (and eventually the PS3) are in the living room - hooked up to a 1080p. The Wii is in the basement hooked up to an old standard Def TV. My three year old plays on it but the rest of the family does not bother with it. Despite its strong sales among casual gamers, that would not describe my family. The Wii has simply been exiled off of our island. The games - and the interest - just isn't there. If there is a cool driving game or other title pitched at a very young player and my youngest son might enjoy it? We'll pick up one or two games for it over the course of the year, but otherwise, the Wii has lost the battle for console dominance in our home.

Then here's a question for you (or others):

How is the Wii for the "casual gamer"?

That's how I'd describe myself. I like video games, but I pick one up every few months, play it through, and let things collect dust for a while. I got my PS when they were making room for the PS2, my PS2 the month the PS3 hit the stores, and my Game Cube second hand when my sister got her PS3.

I like God of War, Soul Reaver, and the like, but I also like Lego Star Wars, Spyro, and Mario. My oldest is 8, so I'm seeing more in the latter group than the former -- we're playing through Lego Star Wars on the PS2 this month. I've been thinking about getting a Wii because it looks like the controls for "platform" games might be more intuitive and there could be some that my wife (lukewarm to video games) and I would be play reasonably well with my 8 and 5 year olds without feeling too handicapped.

Is that accurate? Would I be able to find enough games in the vein of God of War to entertain me for a couple hours a week, after the kids are in bed? Or is the Wii entirely a gimmick?

 

[fba827]

Just so you know my perspective, a bit about my console gaming habits: I have had a Ps3 and a Wii (at one point I had an XBox but never got the Xbox360); I would define myself as a semi-casual gamer when it comes to console games (I might obsess over a game every few months but then i put the thing down and hardly touch the system for weeks or months until i find another game to obsess over for a while). And I also play some games with family.

The Wii with family:
I play my wii with family (little kids as well as my older brother who has never touched video games before). It's great for that -- a good equilizer in skill because the controls are simple _for the family style games_
(Mario Kart Wii is a great example of a family style game that has huge replay value and everyone in the house enjoys playing it -- even my mother _wanted_ to try after seeing us play and was actually enjoying it). And to compare, my mother who can't work anything on her cell phone or the computer, my brother who can work technology but has never touched video games before, myself, and little kids who way too much energy.. we're all able to play and enjoy ourselves with it.

The Wii played alone: I am under impressed by it when I play this alone. The current game library feels lacking for the types of things that I like. And the current games that I do like are actually _too complicated_ in control scheme for me to play (i.e. I LOVE Metroid Prime Corruption 3 and can't say enough good things about the "feel" of the game, but about 40% through the game you need to do this complicated set of moves at a miniboss battle to make him vulnerable to your attack and I just can't do it fast enough/coordinated enough despite months of practicing so I'm frustrated and haven't touched the game since). So I mostly am just playing Virtual Console games on download (Super Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda, Shining Force, etc) -- which are fun games but you have to swallow the fact that you're playing games with 80s graphics on a console you just paid a couple hundred dollars for.

With family, sure, it is great. Alone the motion controlls just get old fast. The graphics on the Wii (for any of their current games) look about as good as they did on gameCube so if you're really in to graphics and are already are used to PS3 or XBox 360 then you're going to be disapointed.

 

[Steel_Wind]

The "casual gamer"?

I think that term is misused - and overused. Often, so called hardcore gamers use it in a pejorative or dismissive manner, by which they mean to say "retarded games".

As a buzzword, it is also being used to describe a Blue Ocean of previously untapped customers over which there has been no competition until very recently. The phenomena of selling a Wii and a Wii Fit mat to people who heard of it in Yoga class, or selling Wii sports to seniors for Wii bowling and Wii golf -describes this latest buzzword use for "casual games".

If you are buying and playing the games you describe, in the numbers you describe, you would not be a casual gamer as that term is currently used by marketers in the video game industry. You would fall into the middle ground of "regular gamer", leaning to the hardcore edge of the spectrum, given the frequency of your game purchases.

Is that accurate? Would I be able to find enough games in the vein of God of War to entertain me for a couple hours a week, after the kids are in bed? Or is the Wii entirely a gimmick?

I think it would be far easier to go 360 (or PS3) and find platformer style games for your kids and wife, than the reverse for yourself on the Wii. I don't say that it's impossble, but it is a challenge to find good adult aimed titles on that platform. Most modern adult titles are peing pitched for 360/PS3/PC. Few in dev go the extra step for a multi-sku release to the Wii as the hardware downgrade is so critical that the game must be redesigned and rewritten from the ground up. It does seem to be changing a bit, given the overall sales numbers for the Wii, but the climb is an uphill one to port a "traditional/modern" styled game to the Wii.

I would think that either the 360 or PS3 would suit your overall game tastes and frequency of game purchases far better than the Wii. Since that's what you seemed to be getting at, that's my view.

You have not mentioned if you have a Hi Def TV or plan to buy one in the next few years. If you do, that seals the deal. Do not get a Wii under those circumstances.

 

[DMFTodd]

I find the Wii to be a lot of fun for the family. Everybody can play, everybody can enjoy it. We've spent lots and lots of hours together playing Mario Karts and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. The Lego games are fun, goofy, light-hearted entertainment. It's fun when people come over: Anybody can bowl and play Raving Rabbits. When the kids are gone though, I don't find myself wanting to play anything on the Wii alone.

When they are gone, I find myself sneaking upstairs to play on the Xbox (though not a lot, so maybe I'm casual). Mass Effect, Lost Odyssey. Find myself wanting to pick up Left for Dead.

I don't find that there is one console that meets both needs.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

If you want a Wii but aren't totally enamored with the wierd controls....get a Gamecube.

The same sorts of games are available on both and the Gamecube can be had from a used games store for peanuts.

DS

 

[Arnwyn]

I like God of War, Soul Reaver, and the like,

Then you will hate the Wii.

but I also like Lego Star Wars, Spyro, and Mario

Then you will love the Wii!

Would I be able to find enough games in the vein of God of War to entertain me for a couple hours a week, after the kids are in bed?

Absolutely not. And it is a gimmick when it comes to single-player games for those... above a certain age. There are a couple, of course, but only a couple.

I think it would be far easier to go 360 (or PS3) and find platformer style games for your kids and wife, than the reverse for yourself on the Wii. I don't say that it's impossble, but it is a challenge to find good adult aimed titles on that platform. Most modern adult titles are peing pitched for 360/PS3/PC. Few in dev go the extra step for a multi-sku release to the Wii as the hardware downgrade is so critical that the game must be redesigned and rewritten from the ground up. It does seem to be changing a bit, given the overall sales numbers for the Wii, but the climb is an uphill one to port a "traditional/modern" styled game to the Wii.

This. All of it.

 

[Mercule]

So, which is better: PS3 or 360? I've always been a PS guy, but I'm a bit jealous that the 360 has Oblivion. I'm also not fond of anime/manga graphics. On the other hand, I don't really care for FPS or RTS (Halo is diverting, but not for me and I loathe Warcraft/Starcraft with the fury of 1,000 suns). That seems to take out the defining games for the two platforms.

I'm tempted by the PS3 because it has blu-ray (even though I'm still on standard def, I'll eventually upgrade), but the X-Box looks like it has a lot more in the way of networkable games and profiles for multiple players. Even though I don't really like playing games on-line, I still like the idea of quickie downloads.

Also, what are some kid-friendly platformers for PS3 or 360? Is it basically the LEGO games or is there something comparable to Spyro/Mario/etc?

 

[Rackhir]

So, which is better: PS3 or 360? I've always been a PS guy, but I'm a bit jealous that the 360 has Oblivion. I'm also not fond of anime/manga graphics. On the other hand, I don't really care for FPS or RTS (Halo is diverting, but not for me and I loathe Warcraft/Starcraft with the fury of 1,000 suns). That seems to take out the defining games for the two platforms.

Er, Oblivion (and at least one expansion pack) are available for the PS3. So is Fallout 3 (oblivion derived) though the 360 is getting DLC for it and the PS3 isn't (at least not yet). Bioshock is out as well and it is looking like Bioshock 2 will be a crossplatform release.

You might want to check out Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3), it's not quite a FPS or 3rd person shooter, but is sort of kinda. It might appeal to you. It is considered one of the best games for the PS3 and the graphics are amazing.

The 360 does definitely have an edge on platform specific games this time around, so far.

I'm tempted by the PS3 because it has blu-ray (even though I'm still on standard def, I'll eventually upgrade), but the X-Box looks like it has a lot more in the way of networkable games and profiles for multiple players. Even though I don't really like playing games on-line, I still like the idea of quickie downloads.

Don't forget you need to pay for Xbox Live gold (or live with some irritating restrictions) and the 360 wifi adaptor is like $70. But the XBL does have an edge on the PS3, IF you're willing to pay for the gold.

Also, what are some kid-friendly platformers for PS3 or 360? Is it basically the LEGO games or is there something comparable to Spyro/Mario/etc?

Several of the Lego games are available for the PS3. Their best family friendly platformer is probably Ratchet & Clank.

Little Big Planet is probably Sony's biggest gun in this field though. It's ADORABLE, you have to have no soul to not be charmed by this game. It is the one game I've seen for the PS3 that has that Wii's ability to draw in people of all types and ages, even those who don't normally play video games. Stephen Fry doing the narration for the game doesn't hurt either.

Try checking out some LBP game play videos on youtube. The level editor for the game lets you do some amazing things and people have produced some amazing content for it.

 

[Deset Gled]

I tend to use my PS3 more than my 360, simply because 1) I still occasionally play PS2 games on it, while Halo 1 and 2 are the only Xbox games that still get time, 2) I made sure to get Rockband for it instead of the 360 so I can still play my old Guitar Hero stuff on it, 3) both my inlaws and sisters have either PS3 or PS2, so when they buy me games for Xmas or birthday, they tend to default to it for multi-platform games, and 4) since it's also my DVD and blu-ray player, it just gets used more often, and seems to have become the default device for my entertainment center. Both have excellent gameplay, graphics, and specific titles, so I honestly can't say any of those make a huge difference. I also don't have either connected to the internet; I like my console system to only be a console system.

My Wii is really only used as a party system.

 

[Rackhir]

I still occasionally play PS2 games on it,

It is worth noting that AFAIK neither of the current two models of the PS3 have backward compatibility with the PS2.