I believe my Nintendo Wii came with an invisible contract. Up front, I agreed to spend an exorbitant amount of money on two controllers (three, if you include the classic), and, in return, Nintendo would never require I buy another peripheral. The Wii-mote provides plenty of innovation, making silly things like light-guns, racing wheels, and the Sega Activator obsolete. Sadly, two major upcoming Wii releases, WiiFit and Mario Kart Wii, took this contract, rubbed it in dirt, and thrre it to the dogs
This spring, Nintendo will package two new controller SKUs with popular games. Mario Kart Wii will arrive with an aesthetically pleasing, but ultimately useless plastic driver’s wheel. If you’re into $150 balance boards, WiiFit’s your perfect game, but you better run to your Gamestop and pre-order—don’t underestimate Nintendo’s inability to keep products on the shelf.
Last year, Nintendo tested the stagnant peripheral waters with the Wii Zapper, a plastic attachment that latches onto a Wii-mote and transforms it into a gun, and you into a moron. Nintendo sells it as a novelty item. Fine by me, as long as the Zapper isn’t necessary to enjoy any games. Mario Kart Wii’s Wii Wheel peripheral a different beast. Recently, Kotaku confirmed the classic and GameCube control schemes for Mario Kart Wii are crippled, a move that handicaps traditional and hardcore players, while subtly benefiting those with the Wii Wheel accessory. While one Wii Wheel comes with the game, more are $20 a pop. Across the Pacific, the WiiFit has taken mandatory peripherals a step further, winning over a handful of Japanese publisher–one of their releases, WiiSki, is the first game to require the WiiFit balance board.
Unlike Sony and Microsoft who have other motivations (i.e. digital media delivery), Nintendo has pursued a profit from the get-go, and these peripherals show no signs of Nintendo letting up. But, with that in mind, is it possible for the Wii peripheral market to super-saturate? Just as the Sega Genesis’ 32X and Sega CD created a detrimental hierarchy of players, could the same happen with pricey peripherals like the WiiFit?
It’s silly to rant about Nintendo’s innovation, and no one’s forcing my hand to pick up every piece of Nintendo gear, but it disappoints me that the device than can do it all, the Wii-mote, needs a lot of help from friends.
-ctp
4 responses so far ↓
ODLdragonjoe // 5 April 2008 at 4:26 pm
You’re absolutely right…this type of sales tactic is one of a few reasons why I just sold my Wii and everything I owned for it in order to buy a PS3 (a move that I’m extremely pleased with…granted, I wouldn’t be so pleased if I was a PS3 adopter from the get-go and suddenly had to go out and buy new Dualshock 3’s).
I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with the console if the games were more tailored to my tastes (and less to the soccer mom/grandparent demographic). But, alas, they are not. Metal Gear Solid 4 ftw!
mblankier // 6 April 2008 at 6:36 pm
first of all, the picture you chose is probably incredible.
second of all, http://www.mblankier.com/?p=19
ctplante // 6 April 2008 at 7:44 pm
Metal Gear Solid AND Echocrome ftw!
I agree, though, about Wii needing more games that have substance. Yes, SSBB has a near-infinite amount of bonus junk, but I would trade a WarioWare bonus song for a truly innovated game that exploited the Wii-mote’s ability.
And Blankier, anytime I can fit in Dr. Faustus I’m gonna. Just the way I roll. Thanks for the shout-out.
Early to the Party: Space Invaders Extreme « Hardcasual // 17 April 2008 at 4:54 pm
[...] Walk, don’t run, as soon as the game drops. Or, join me in importing, for the gimmicky (don’t count on the people who say it’s essential - those people are the worst kind of game importers) paddle controller - infinitely important if you love throwing your money away on gimmicky controllers. [...]
Leave a Comment