Wii: Failure Is Not An Option

Nintendo was once the name synonymous with videogames, little Johnny wasn't playing videogames, he was playing Nintendo. But thanks to the introduction of consoles from both Sony and Microsoft to the market, Nintendo's main machine is now number two, and perhaps even slipping to number three in some territories. Sticking to the cartridge format for too long, not doing enough to court third-party developers, deciding that online-gaming wasn't ready for the masses, an increasing reputation for being a system for kids - they're no stranger to making mistakes. But despite all that, they're still not averse to taking risks, and stand on the brink of moving the entire industry forward.

"being able to push more polygons than the other guy [is not a solution to] a lack of innovation"I am of course talking about the Wii (pronounced as we), which while perhaps being the strangest name ever chosen for a videogame console, is also Nintendo's answer to Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's Playstation 3. But rather than compete with them head-on in what can only be described as a graphical arms race, Nintendo are going to win the war by not taking part, planning instead on innovating themselves to success. They're going to do this by changing the one part of the system that's been with us since the days of the NES, the joypad, replacing it with a motion and position sensitive controller known as the "Wii-mote" thanks to its similarities to a television remote control. They're also going to do this by releasing a system which is noticeably less powerful than its next-generation cousins, with no HD support and no next-generation disc format. They've made the decision that being able to push more polygons than the other guy is not a solution to the videogame industry's problem of constant sequels and a lack of innovation, but that instead simplicity and price (they're coming to market far cheaper than their competitors, especially Sony) are the way to go.

By pinning their hopes on a controller which isn't attached to the system by a wire and covered in buttons, all of which are required to take part, Nintendo hopes to lower the barrier to entry for those not currently videogame players, broadening the market by getting the whole family involved. In the Wii Sports Tennis game for example, to be included with the system in both the Americas and Europe, you hit the ball by holding the Wii-mote and actually swinging it like a tennis racquet. The bowling game is much the same; you play it as if you really were bowling, with the position of your wrist and time of release making all the difference between gutter and strike. By tying gaming control to real world motions, you can't deny how much easier it's going to be for non-gamers to take part.

"it was seen as potentially gimmicky, like so many failed alternative control schemes before it"Nintendo are hardly strangers to the alternative control scheme, their portable console, the dual screened and touch sensitive Nintendo DS, is easily outselling Sony's Playstation Portable (PSP) and in Japan is often the top selling system, portable or otherwise. But after its announcement people were naturally sceptical, it was seen as potentially gimmicky, like so many failed alternative control schemes before it. And next to the PSP, it looked childish, underpowered and nowhere near as flashy as Sony's large screened multimedia wonder. It took over a year for developers to understand what they could do with it, and for those that were early adopters to appreciate it, but now it's not uncommon for those with both to favour their DS over their PSP. But is that more to do with its longer battery life, ease of portability and more original catalogue of games (rather than reduced versions of Playstation 2 titles that weren't originally designed to be played for 10 minutes on the bus), or its unique form of interactivity? I suspect it's the former.

The problem with alternative input methods is that while you are potentially opening up new avenues for creativity, you've got to be careful not to shut the door on other ones. Dropping the use of a standard controller is fine, but not every game lends itself to being controlled in a motion sensitive way. Platform games for example will need developers willing to work far harder to come up with creative ways to make using the wii-mote worthwhile, or you may just not see those kinds of game on the system at all. Players with a particular love of football titles (the non American kind) may become irritated by having to constantly shake the controller just to kick the ball, but may feel equally cheated if they have to go spend extra money on the more traditional controller that is also going to be available. Should someone buying the Wii therefore expect to never see their favourite genre on there unless it easily conforms to the in-the-box controller?

"they have to produce software that demonstrates exactly why it was a worthwhile road to go down"The worst thing that can happen to Nintendo is if players and developers start to see the system as nothing more than a one trick pony. From day one, they have to produce software that demonstrates exactly why it was a worthwhile road to go down, especially when sitting next to the visually stunning high-definition titles Microsoft and Sony will no doubt be churning out. Graphics may not be an indicator of gaming quality, but you can't deny their ability to turn heads in the other direction. The DS has already seen titles like Super Mario 64 of Mario Kart fail to take advantage of the dual or touch screen factors of the system, simply because neither feature would have added anything to the core experience. If developers find themselves heading back towards the classic controller, or gamers find all the titles are nothing more than graphically weaker versions of 360 titles with Wii-mote support bolted on, then Nintendo will very quickly find their beloved system relegated to the back corner of the games store, just as the GameCube is today.

As a player for over twenty years, I welcome Nintendo's approach at bringing back some originality and fun back into gaming. I've found myself increasingly disinterested in what the competition has to offer, with an ever increasing slew of World War 2 themed first person shooters or Grand Theft Auto knock-offs. If it works as promised, then the Wii actually stands a chance at making me as interested in games as I was back in the days of the Amiga, before everything became about cut-scenes and huge budgets. But I'm worried that they're fighting a losing battle with those that want nothing more than flashier higher definition graphics, or those that are still going to buy a Playstation 3 despite Sony's lies, sequel driven announcements and $600 price tag. There are so many people out there that love to buy the new Madden release or the latest Final Fantasy sequel that it's difficult to believe that Nintendo can change their mind or be a success without them. I'm also afraid all they'll be able to offer is the same games as you'll be able to get elsewhere, but with lower quality graphics and a weird control scheme, and not actually be able to give us anything original at all. Witness launch titles like Call Of Duty 3 or the latest Tony Hawk game to see this starting already.

"a landscape already filled with the carcasses of those that dared to try something new"But most of all I'm worried what this might do to the industry if it's a failure. In a landscape already filled with the carcasses of those that dared to try something new, and publishers more afraid than ever to try something a little different, the high-profile failure of a system that tried to put innovation and fun before graphics could be the final nail in the coffin of creativity. Why should a publisher put funds into something which isn't a recognisable genre with photographic quality graphics when Nintendo has already proven the market doesn't want it? And since I have no interest in playing Gran Turismo 7 on Playstation 4, failure is not an option.

Nintendo's Wii launches November 19th in the US for $250, December 2nd in Japan for 25,000 Yen and December 8th in Europe for £179 or 240 Euros. My order has already been placed.