Scott Steinberg, the vice president of marketing in the Stateside branch of Sega Sammy has told Reuters that he doesn't believe Nintendo's Wii has the staying power required to keep them at the top of the mountain and predicts the machine's runaway success may falter as early as this year. Furthermore, he showed confidence in Sony reclaiming its position of authority and believes the PlayStation 3 will see its company reign supreme once more while Nintendo flounders with a product that's too shallow to live forever:
"I am a little concerned about the creative depth of the Wii pool. I'm not sure if they will top out in 2008 or 2007. The Wii will start to look really dated in a couple years when developers get more value from the 360 and learn more and more about the PlayStation 3”.
Steinberg does make some good points. It's no secret that the Wii appears to have very little on the system worth buying. Even if there were, Nintendo seems to increasingly shy away from deep, involving gameplay in favor of pursuing the abstract 'casual' market and if Nintendo wish to alienate the true gamer and turn its system into a glorified toy, exactly how many minigame compilations and golf simulators can it sustain before even the mainstream market gets bored? The Wii, despite strong initial sales, is treading into 'disposable' territory right now.
"But how much value can developers and creative folks get out of this wrist motion two years from now, or 5 years from now, or 10 years from now? How can they design products that aren't too derivative of what's already out there?"
Hey, that's exactly what I said. Scott and I, we're on the same page. Brothers from the hood, yo. Nintendo is doing a dangerous thing in catering predominantly to what's called the 'casual' market. Mainstream audiences are, by nature, fickle, easily bored and possessed of a fad mentality. Also, who's to say that Wii Sports isn't enough for most of these people? Why would they want to buy more sports games when they have everything they need for a party on one DVD? Mainstream customers aren't gamers, they don't require the latest software and they won't have the inclination to amass huge collections. One game that lets them play tennis indoors is all they could need.
Nintendo may be laughing now, but it's stopped dating dependable, loyal nerds and is now courting high school jocks. Those jocks will drop the Wii as soon as a hotter, younger cheerleader wiggles her ass in his direction. Meanwhile, the PS3 may very well, as Steinberg predicts, become the dominant machine once again. Only time will tell, but Steinberg says nothing that's implausible.
[Via Gamasutra]
Contest:
9:52 AM on 06.15.2007
| 
And it's totally cool that people can keep making these same stagnant arguments about Wii's IMPENDING-DOOMISH lack of "hardcore" content even when a significant mass of these titles are building up in the fall and readying themselves to spill over into the entirety of next year.
I don't worry, though, because soon, once we humans evolve to a level capable of comprehending the PS3's extreme complexity, all other gaming will be absolete. I mean, I think that's what I heard. Somewhere.
It's like when your dog dies (Summa leaving) and your dad buys you a new puppy (Sterling). You don't want a new dog, you want god to give you back your old dog. Even though the Puppy is cute and can do some of the same tricks your old dog did (Wii bashing), It's just not the same. So when your dad isn't looking, you abuse the puppy(who the fuck is Jim Sterling?). But eventually you'll grow to love him, but it will never really be the same.
I say never.
He does have good points though. I think the Wii will peek in 2008 and enjoy a decent year in 2009. By then Nintendo better be ready to release the Wii:2 or whatever cause the 360 or PS3 will begin to dominate with price drops. HDTV adoption should be much higher in a few years and many "casual" gamers will catch on to the graphical differences and demand more. Then again, how many copies of hunting games have been sold in Wal-Mart?
Classy.
And I never called you a Hater. I love Wii bashing/critisizing. It fills my heart with joy. The new Puppy is getting a little defensive. It's okay though, ritious indignation is so cute.
Though, the semi-traditional/deeper titles that get lower/moderate scores keep me coming back for more and more, Excite Truck (2player, still trying to beat Super Excite), Blazing Angels (Competitive Co-op is awesome), Elebits, MK:Armegeddon(multi-player or record setting on easy, Harder modes are impossible with waggle), and even Red Steel (splitscreen).
I am looking forward to Alien Syndome (a SEGA game), Manhunt 2, Harry "F'n use the Wii-mote like a Wand" Potter, Mercury Meltdown, Boogie and Metroid Prime 3 all in the Next 65 days. I really like games on the Wii, that I previously would've hated. I still don't like Mini-games. Nevermind the end-all be all SSB and SMG by the end of the year (? still confirmed but getting worried).
I now may be a N-fanboy, but I am not a hater.)
Basically instead of porting controls change the whole format. I hope that Disaster: Day of Crisis does some thing for the action genre. And Zak and Wiki (What ever it's called) and Dewy do something for adventure games.
It's sort of amazing that so many gamers can't see past their $20 a week allowance long enough to figure out that it's in everybody's (gamers, game companies, game journalists) best interest for all consoles to succeed. Maybe having an opinion about a video game console doesn't automatically mean you want to have children with a different video game console, or that you have it out for Company Z. Just maybe.
And If it makes you feel any better Sterling, I don't think you're like summa. Your point's are more, well, eduacated than his.
I swear to god whenever he posted something it sounded like it was coming out of the mouth of a sarcastic 12 year old.
You're right about that. Graphical power has never been the key to success. The Dreamcast was more powerful than the PlayStation and the PS2 was technically weaker last gen too, but which consoles were better?
The Wii proves that graphics aren't the key to making a sale. Keeping a sale, however, needs to be done with the gameplay, and we need a lot more of that from Nintendo to keep gamers happy long after the mainstreamers have gotten bored.
I agree with Sterling on his views on the Wii, I don't see it having the staying power of other consoles regardless of "hardcore" content or not.
Oh and Jim, its not that you can't say one bad thing about a console and be labeled a fanboy, you can't say anything bad about Nintendo, Nintendo is our savior, they are the great angelic company amid the evil corporations, Nintendo just wants us to have, Sony and MS just want our money.
Oh and nothing is original till Nintendo does it, can't forget that one.
http://wii.ign. com/articles/796/796612p1.html
just back up the 'com'
I love sarcasm. Even if you deliver a good point, it makes you look like an ass in the process.
But seriously, good point. Sarcasm or not.
Good job Mr. Sterling. Its really my hope that quality, non casual, new games are coming. Year 2 can't come soon enough
I know you're not trolling, and I respect your opinion, but you're also not giving the system time to mature. You're saying we're going to get tired of the wiimote within 10 years? If we're not tired of the joystick and buttons yet, why would we get tired of a wiimote.
And the opinions I have of courting the casual market are justified by looking at how faddy the people are. The Wii runs the risk of being the next Pog of Yo-Yo resurgence, and it's a huge risk to abandon the true gamer market to appeal to a fickle mainstream.
And I'm yet to see other people bring the point of the 'casual' market's fad mentality before.
I used the term "bashing" as a blanket statement covering all critisism of the Wii (critisism which I fully support and enjoy). I didn't intend to engage in somantic quagmire here. I just wanted to point out that I missed the Summa, and that Sterling has taken his place as a very avid poster, but my first love will always be Summa.
You know, these "Death of the Wii" commentators sound like Bible bashers claiming the world is going to end. They claimed it right at the start and they're still claiming it now, yet they can't back up their claims with a single piece of evidence "The Wii is a crappy name, it won't sell" " The Wii isn't powerful it won't sell" "The Wii will stop selling because it's er...not powerful"
None of these claims are based on evidence, what is happening in reality is very different to these doom laden claims. In fact, I'm sure there is a mathematical formula which can predict how many dooms dayers will pop up around a product which is very successful.
If the Wii was in PS3's position & vice versa, then you know that the same people predicting Wii death would be saying that "The Wii has enormous creative potential, if only developers would take it seriously."
This "Wii death" backlash is so fucking predictable and lame, it's just so boring. I don't listen to people within the games industry anymore, they talk ancient bollocks based on an old unsustainable business model, they sound old and off the pace.
That's like, sooo hardcore.
Why do you think the console was created with an emphasis on idea over muscle? So when the system loses steam, Nintendo will come again with a new machine for the masses to purchase, this time with ALL the bells and whistles that we expect from 'next-gen'.
It doesn't seem that far-fetched to me.
The same can't be said for people who are deemed "casual". That very term denotes a loyalty that cannot be depended on.
I think this Project HAMMER rumor is being blown out of proportion. Nintendo is not abandoning "real" gamers for "expanded audience." Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. are not "expanded auidence" titles. They will be awesome. You all know that.
Plus, No More Heros is going to kick ass!!!
Mini-game collections are quick and easy to make, and right now, they are pure profit. There is room in the Wii library for both.
I still have my NES, SNES, PS1, n64, gamegear. they still not dead, still alive and kicking. that I use them as much, nope. A system is not dead until its dead (i.e. "red ring of death")
People need to define death better in this thread, lol. Dont think the Wii is ever going to die anytime soon, it was very well made to last.
Regardless if this game was going to be utter crap.. I could have dealt with it. I played Red Steel for goodness sake. If I can play that I know I can handle a botched job from Nintendo. Because that hardly happens but i am sure they fucked up on games once in a while..
Rumor = undeniable fact?
I don't doubt its cancellation, but you'd think everyone here was reading from a press release.
Sterling, I don't think casual gaming is as fleeting as you suggest. With the casual services of Cell phone video games, Pogo for the 7-year-old with a PC in his room, handhelds, and others I think there is room for the Wii. New games will keep people playing and some games will fuel continued console purchases (It's not like it's a big financial commitment).
I believe there will be a cooling-off for the Wii and a catching-up for Sony whether this console or next.
Though there is the idea that the Wii may be a fad, that's not bad for the market in general, is it? If even 10% of those "fad" buyers become core gamers then the Wii has done its job and the market has grown permanently. And the most important thing is that they have made money doing it so that nintendo can continue to make what they always have. I think it's a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Anyways, if no Wii games come out for 8 months... that's enough cash saved for a 360. So they have 8 months to end the drought. Problem solved.
I will say that in a way I agree with you... but it's going to take a lot more than this to convince me that nintendo is abandoning us.
What you have though is a problem whereby your website is News AND Opinion. As all articles are difficult to differentiate between, often any negative opinion will be seen as bashing.
You also have a problem whereby on slow news days, Summa would deliberately incite people with his comments. Most of his articles were written in an inflamatory fashion and frankly his journalistic credibility is now rock bottom; I would compare him to a Sun Reporter.
I don't doubt your sincerity in your opinions on the Wii, and even as a long time fan of Nintendo, I know it has it's weaknesses, but you might want to split any opinion well away from News stories. Stories that start with truths and then try to force an agenda on the back of them just smell of Tabloid journalism.
Thats my 2p worth on the subject anyhow.
does the movie industry rely on critically acclaimed films? or critically panned films that make a lot of dough?
that said, there are still people who loathe summer blockbusters and prefer the art house type stuff.
there's a market for both casual games and hardcore games. neither of them are going away. get a wii and 360 and be done with it.