Comments on: Nintendo tries to regain the momentum

At E3, on the heels of Microsoft's attention-getting announcement of Project Natal, Nintendo uses its press conference Tuesday to try to show the world why it has been on top.

[tatewatkins]

They need A LOT more games for the Wii, fun hardware but seriously it is about time Nin focused more on games!

[homercles82]

I agree. It is a fun system but to be honest I don't play anything but Wii Sports and SM Galaxy on it. A lot of the games just are not fun.

[Rod Roddy]

If Nintendo doesn't change it's "bubblegum" image, there next offering will surely fail. Microsoft is busy doing to the video game world what Apple did to the portable music world. Sony is also leaps and bounds ahead of Nintendo when it comes to quality games and features.

[kaibelf]

Agreed. As always, a console is only as good as the library. I want sirloin on my plate, not mini-burgers. GOOD GAMES PLZ.

[aMUSICsite]

"Nintendo, says that last year, more third-party games were sold for the Wii and Nintendo DS than any other platform."

And people still want more games!

[Ted Miller]

Actually I said I would never buy another gaming console after the intellivision, but Nintendo Wii is a great piece of work and their software is well thought out before it is released. Take golf for instance I liked the golf on Wii Sports it is easly simple and fun to play at same time offering a challange to better your self with reacable goals. I played also the EA Tiger Woods Golf 7.0 and although it was quite playable it was mor about Tiger Woods the golf and found my self losing interest fast. I really believe EA as well as other software companies never seem to think out their products long enough to really come out with something good. I am looking forward to the new Wii Sports and will be picking up the new Wii fit program without researching them because I know that Nintendo will never release a product untill it fully tested. I cannot really say that about the others. Also if I am fortunate enough to have someone from Nintendo read this... Can you make a golf game JUST like that in Wii Sports, but add more clubs and courses? especially some 18 hole courses. Also on the issue of jogging around the island could we have a time limit and more fredom to jog where we want. Thanks in advance.

Wii Fit? Lost 30 plus pounds! Now here is something that works! That is why Nintendo is still quite seccesful.

[Ted Miller]

I apoligize that I did not (as usual) spell check this thing. A have a lot of work to do and just wanted to get my thought out. Please forgive and thanks!

[myles taylor]

The whole reason the Wii doesn't appeal to me is the reason is appeals to other people. It's the gaming console for everyone else. I don't really see how hardcore gamers would be able to get on with playing the silly games that come with the Wii, but I could be wrong. I had a lot of fun at a friend's house playing around with it, but I didn't really consider it "gaming". Of course, I'm arguing semantics here.

[kaibelf]

I think it's less a game console and more of an electronic board game. People play for party fun, but no one rushes home to hop on the Wii alone.

[drmatt87]

I really think that the wii is fun but is it next gen gaming? No no its not because no matter how you try and repackage it, It is still only a GameCube with motion controls, Its only 480p and that would be great in 1998 but come on Nintendo I am an old school Nintendo fan boy (NES SNES N64) Nintendo really lost me with the Game Cube and sure enough the Wii has sold like hot cakes but how many people have a wii just gathering dust.... Step it up Nintendo I want to see what you can do with all this money that the wii has made.... PS... Project Natal looks like crap!

[beat_elite]

@ drmatt87

i have to disagree with you on project natal. It reminds me of the eye toy which i loved 4 years ago, but the only thing that I'm not sure of is the price tag and how many games will take advantage of it.

[CreativeMalcolm]

I've never understood how people can be SERIOUS gamers. I mean... games are meant to be relaxing, enjoyable and recreational... not serious... if you're taking them seriously you're doing it wrong.

[kaibelf]

It's for the exhilaration of beating something unusually difficult. Can be a long game, figuring out a difficult puzzle, or outwitting a live person. Those are the more serious gamers. Casual gamers often lack the patience and dedication (and attention span) that those kinds of things require.

[kev7773]

"Casual gamers often lack the patience and dedication (and attention span) that those kinds of things require."

You left out a key piece there - TIME. Many of us casual gamers would love to just spend hours trying to beat the next big boss or run through an online campaign, but with jobs, kids, household projects, etc - to do that would be bordering on neglect of real world responsibilities. That's what I love about the Wii, and games like Little Big Planet. I can play for a 30 minute stretch if that's all the time I have, or I can play for several hours if its a rainy day and there is nothing else that needs to be done.

To say casual gamers lack the attention span or the patience is just incorrect. Its that we have lives outside of our living rooms that don't involve a controller.

[ArsFragica]

I really hope the Xbox gets to outsell the Wii with Project Natal. The Wii is nothing but a cheap GameCube 2.5 undergoed surgery. It has absolutely no innovation except swinging ur hand or kicking with ur foot.

[beat_elite]

i wouldn't count on it unless the camera is less than 100 dollars or came in a bundle. Nintendo has been branded as being family friendly and I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes completely ignored. however, I can still hope that nintendo's WII will be dethroned in the future.

[Zoobie]

Using your logic, Xbox has absolutely no innovation except updated PC parts. Project Natal didn't impress me. If you want the ultimate reality experience in kicking a ball, how about actually going out and kicking a ball! It offers real life physics and the ball reacts perfectly to the angle of your foot, and even better, it's in actual 3D! Besides, don't Xbox owners pride themselves on the fact that the shovelware was directed to the less-serious Wii? Now you want a goofy toy that will generate shovelware and nothing serious.

[homercles82]

you said undergoed. omg

[MadLyb]

Nothing earth shattering here.

If Nintendo wants to get back on track, they have got to focus on games that actually truly take advantage of the system like Sports, Fit, and even Mario Cart.

They also need to bring their online presence to a new level.

[myles taylor]

When did they get off track?

[ewsachse]

Yawn. Mario Brothers redux. BFD. Not to mention that that particular series of games has been a slur on Italian Americans for decades.

[pc2macandluvinit]

Forget the damage it has done to the Italian plumber named Mario.

WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS AND IMAGE OF THE TURTLES?!

[myles taylor]

Interesting developments. Mainly fine-tuning they're already great product line. Nothing that would convince me to purchase a Wii though.

[DannyMD]

WEAK very WEAK as always Nintendo tastes a little success and falls asleep to be eaten by the wolves.

[Mergatroid Mania]

And that's why the Wii has outsold the other "next gen" gaming consoles, right? If they're sleeping, then they must be dreaming of all the money their making.

[DannyMD]

You have a very short memory. If i recall correctly it was not long ago (post Gamecube launch) that Nintendo was close to close it's doors. Let's talk in 2 years and see if the Wii is still number one.

A pulse reader are you f* serious!!! Hey if you want to buy it go for it, it's suckers like you that buy a 120 electronic scale and let Nintendo continue to produce the same games for the past 15 years.

No wonder the 360 sells almost twice as many games per console as the Wii. There are no good games to buy for the wii except the same old Ninty remakes.

But hey they made VI rocky movies and people watched them ;)

[Mergatroid Mania]

You have an even shorter memory. I've been paying attention to the console scene since the days of Pong. The cycle has been up and down for all the companier involved.

Here's a question for you, which gaming company was around in the early days is still around today? Sony, nope they wern't early days. MS? Nope again. Sega and Atari and Coleco and Intellivision are all gone. Only Nintendo is left.

You can "wait a few years" if you want, I already have. And Nintendo is not only still here, but they're #1 AGAIN.

That's staying power.

[anythingwill]

How was that weak!?
3 Mario games, one of those another full 3d
Metroid
Zelda for ds
golden sun
other awesome "non hardcore" games
and some awesome 3rd party announcments like final fantasy and kingdom hearts!

What more are people looking for!!!

[homercles82]

the wii motion plus is a great fine tuning of the system but there was no game that wowed me. Nintendo blew it.

[Sardonik]

Consoles suck, PC gaming supremacy.

[Mergatroid Mania]

Agreed. I remember the folks at PC Gamer were having a little competition with staff that wrote a first person shooter (can't remember which shooter). They had the game available on both consoles and PC. The PC Gamer staff used PCs with keyboard and mouse, while the game authors used a console with their crappy little game controllers. Needless to say, the PC Gamer staff kicked butt with their superior control system (keyboard and mouse). Those little joysticks really suck.
I still like my PS3, but I can get way better scores on any game using my PC.

[onebluephish]

Better than last year only they left a lot of hard core gamers in the dust. Granted they are releasing SMG2; however, titles Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Zelda, etc twist in the wind. I wonder if they will ever care enough to publish the games people have wanted for the past 10 years instead of Runway for DSi, C.O.P.S., and other garbage shown at the press conference?

[Zoobie]

Did you even pay attention? SMG2 was a rumor floating around prior to the show, but no one really believed it was highly likely. Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is playable at the convention (although no release date). Not to mention the Conduit, Metroid M (I hope it's platformer style...), Resident Evil, Dead Space. Geez--what were you hoping for? They are in this to make money, not cater to your opinion.

On a side note, did anyone who cries for Earthbound ever play the original? I did--and although it was fun at the time, I still have nightmares about the awful music. When I finished that game, I vowed never to touch it again and I'm not real anxious to play it again. I don't even like to play that character in SSBB.

[Mergatroid Mania]

So, what, you think you're Tom Cruse from Mission Impossible? What's with all the times before your paragraphs? I know it was a live feed, but I'm sure if anyone is reading it as it's coming in (which I doubt) , if they want to see the time they can look at their cell or watch.
I would much prefer to read an article in the format of an article. As it is, the times are just annoying.

[elmont82]

Wow I watched the whole conference so boring, I have all three systems but 2 games for the whole year wow. I will take a pass on Nintendo Wii hair styling and Wii Bingo night vitality sensor...It seems that Nintendo is fine with making shelve cluttering 480p games and making heaps of money and leaving hardcore nintendo gamers in cold.