Does Wii need better games?

Cool, first! Anyway, I've been an avid gamer since the days of the Atari 2600. Now I am a father with a 6 year old son, who is also into gaming. He prefers the games from the 360 we have to the Wii we have. The Wii is an amazing little piece of hardware, but I agree that it needs some better quality games quickly.

The Wii is terribly lacking in quality games, Id say there are not more than 5 games that are worth purchasing for the Wii. After 2+ years of being on the market this is an extremely poor showing for any console. Nintendo needs to do better.

My husband and I have been long time gamers. We started out with Pong :D No idea how that kept our interest for more than 30 seconds.

For me, the Wii is a blast. I know the hardware is nowhere near as powerful as the 360 or PS3. But the games are just plain fun. They focused on the fun vs who can push the most pixels the fastest. If you want simpler party-type games, the Wii is your machine.

My husband prefers the 360 though; he likes the bigger, "more involved" games, which the Wii has a shortage of. He thoroughly enjoyed Twilight Princess (as did I) but there's not enough "big" games like that available yet. The 360 has that in spades. Fallout, Dead Space and the like on the Wii? Just would be a poor conversion at best. Tomb Raider Underworld is a good example of this. The Wii version is fun, but nowhere near as involved as the 360's version.

The Wii just can't compete on that level, but it wasn't meant to. It's filling a niche that the 360 and PS3 doesn't really fill, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to do it. Nintendo should focus on what they're already doing extremely well. If they want to take on the 360 and PS3 on the big games, they should come up with a new console that can compete on that level.

*Note, this is being written by a male "hard-core gamer", in the 18-24 bracket.
The current games that I play on the Wii, when I play, mirror most of the ones mentioned by the msnbc.com article (Wii Sports, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess).
A game I would recommend to RPG fans, is Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, which was made by Namco, as a followup to the Tales of Symphonia game for Gamecube. (With the exception of Soul Caliber Legends, a game that should be shunned, most Namco games that I've played have been very enjoyable.)

If I were able to purchase a 360 right now, I would do so in a heartbeat, if only so I would be able to play Fable 2 (a graphic intensive Microsoft product), Grand Theft Auto 4 (also graphic intensive, as well as violent, with interesting crash physics), and Madden NFL 2009 (360 version is graphic intensive at least). While there is a version, and I use the term version very loosely, of Madden for the Wii, as mentioned by the article, it was designed to be playable by both veterans and rookies at the same time. This amounts to taking a lot of the complexity that made games like Madden NFL 2007 for the Gamecube enjoyable, a game I'm going to have to hunt down now that I've lost faith in EA Sports to taking the Wii seriously (Mascot mode, anyone?).

Unless things change, one can bet that the next console I purchase will not be a Nintendo product.

I agree, more quality wii games are needed.

However, I do recomend Shawn White (if you have the balance board)

It is the only balance board game (other than WiiFit) worth having.

Yes... my son traded his in to Game Stop because there are no real challenging games

for the true gamer. They only play Xbox 360 and PS3 or computer.... Wii needs to step up and get some of the more popular games produced to fit the Wii or say goodbye.

In this bad economically market the one with the most toys... Wins and that will be

XBox and PS3... Wii Want to Play Those !!!!  :)

Yep! I bought my kids the Wii, and all I hear is: "We want an Xbox. Look at all the games for the Xbox. Wii sucks except for Zelda. When you gonna get an Xbox". It's Xasperating!

My parents decided to buy each of us "kids" (even though we are adults with our own families) Wii's for christmas a few years ago. I wasn't particularly interested because at the time I didn't take much stock in it or believe in all the hype. However, once we hooked it up and started playing, I don't think we turned it off for 4 months!

It was fun, but I never personally found that game that would bring me back time and time again. Games like GTA: San Andreas on the PS2 or even Zelda: Ocarina of Time from the N64. The lack of a good sports game, such as EA's NHL franchise was also a let down. Not to mention a good FPS (first person shooter) like Brother's in Arms, which I thought would have excelled on the Wii with the pointing device, especially with a wii-mote style firearm such as the zapper or piranha.

I think that there was a lot of hype between the PS3 and Xbox360, especially with one using the HD-DVD and the other a BlueRay that the Wii went largely unnoticed by developers. Prior to the PS3 and Wii being released I never would have considered buying a Wii just based on their processing speed and graphic abilities, which everyone and their dog where writing about.

For the Wii to survive I think it needs three things.

1) the third party developers that made the PS2 so popular need to get onboard and develop GOOD games for the Wii, not just games where the Wii interface seems tacked on.

2) a hardware upgrade to allow things like the 360 and PS3 online experiences in addition to being able to store many more downloaded games; as well as some better graphics. The Wii looks fine on a regular Tv, but only looks so/so on an HDTV (even with the "HD" cables), especially the downloaded games. The way the Wii works online with console codes and friend codes is harder than it needs to be. Set up an easy interface, even something simple like what pogo uses with game rooms and tables, and I bet you'd see more users flocking to the online games (I gave up trying to coordinate races against my friends in Mario Kart).

3) In respect to downloaded games, I have nearly as many purchases from the Wii store than I do physical Wii games. Classic titles Like Mario 3, Donkey Kong Country and even Pac Man! (to name a few). My kids spend more time playing DKC than Mario Galaxy for nearly a $35 price difference. But there are still many classic titles that I would buy that are not available.

For entertainment vs $$$, it was still a good value. My kids don't mind playing the less stellar games like "rescue heros", etc, but for me as a gamer there isn't much that has grabbed my attention for more than a week or before it gets boring, and I am not interesting in the hit and miss of buying a game every time I am bored with an old one!

My parents decided to buy each of us "kids" (even though we are adults with our own families) Wii's for christmas a few years ago. I wasn't particularly interested because at the time I didn't take much stock in it or believe in all the hype. However, once we hooked it up and started playing, I don't think we turned it off for 4 months!

It was fun, but I never personally found that game that would bring me back time and time again. Games like GTA: San Andreas on the PS2 or even Zelda: Ocarina of Time from the N64. The lack of a good sports game, such as EA's NHL franchise was also a let down. Not to mention a good FPS (first person shooter) like Brother's in Arms, which I thought would have excelled on the Wii with the pointing device, especially with a wii-mote style firearm such as the zapper or piranha.

I think that there was a lot of hype between the PS3 and Xbox360, especially with one using the HD-DVD and the other a BlueRay that the Wii went largely unnoticed by developers. Prior to the PS3 and Wii being released I never would have considered buying a Wii just based on their processing speed and graphic abilities, which everyone and their dog where writing about.

For the Wii to survive I think it needs three things.

1) the third party developers that made the PS2 so popular need to get onboard and develop GOOD games for the Wii, not just games where the Wii interface seems tacked on.

2) a hardware upgrade to allow things like the 360 and PS3 online experiences in addition to being able to store many more downloaded games; as well as some better graphics. The Wii looks fine on a regular Tv, but only looks so/so on an HDTV (even with the "HD" cables), especially the downloaded games. The way the Wii works online with console codes and friend codes is harder than it needs to be. Set up an easy interface, even something simple like what pogo uses with game rooms and tables, and I bet you'd see more users flocking to the online games (I gave up trying to coordinate races against my friends in Mario Kart).

3) In respect to downloaded games, I have nearly as many purchases from the Wii store than I do physical Wii games. Classic titles Like Mario 3, Donkey Kong Country and even Pac Man! (to name a few). My kids spend more time playing DKC than Mario Galaxy for nearly a $35 price difference. But there are still many classic titles that I would buy that are not available.

For entertainment vs $$$, it was still a good value. My kids don't mind playing the less stellar games like "rescue heros", etc, but for me as a gamer there isn't much that has grabbed my attention for more than a week or before it gets boring, and I am not interesting in the hit and miss of buying a game every time I am bored with an old one!

Sure wii could use some better games, the problem is most of the people who want to see wii go away because it is so bad are "gamers" but it's not for you, it's for people like me and my friends. I wouldn't let my kid sit down for hours on end pushing buttons, we like the wii because you get up and actually do something, you can work up a sweat boxing and the fit is better than any exercise machine I've ever owned. you couldn't pay me to take an xbox so the only way nintendo could get my money was to come up with something that I would buy. What people don't seem to understand is that there are now two classes of game machines, hard core gamer machines, and the next best thing to a board game machines, I prefer the latter myself, after all, it is my money.

As with most consoles there is a huge gap between the sports/gore enthusiasts and preschoolers. Hey, there is a whole world out here missing out on gaming because there are very few good titles. I am one of the "grandmas" refered to in this article and I play PC, DS and Wii games daily. Usually the PC and DS-because only there can I find hidden object mysteries, good "old fashioned" role playing games like the wonderful King's Quest series and Toonstruck, Mystery Case Files games like Ravenhearst and Millionheir, logic and puzzle games, good board games ( the Classic Board Games really stinks. Really.) Games for the Wii that I thought would be great- Sonic, Anubis, etc - were all much too difficult to figure out how to move characters through the screens. Animal Crossing is fun (if also rude-not the best role model) and made to appeal to a very young crowd. Come on, developers! My pocketbook is ready if you are.

I got a WII for my birthday and a WII Fit for Christmas. My husband said this was one of the best holiday seasons in a long time. Our kids (all in their 20's) live out of state and come home at the holiday season. This year, you could find all 5 of us bowling at one time or another. Granted they may not be that involved, but it does bring families together and having fun.

My husband and I love our Wii. We think it is fun, interactive, and we have a blast when people come to visit. Neither of us even want the Xbox, nothing on there appeals to me personally, I'm not exactly sure why he doesn't want one. DH says he may get a PS3 when the price comes back to earth.

Yes! and better dual player games right now! Two active characters would be great in all games - maybe I just don't have the right games.

My husband and I have had a PS2 and haven't played any of the games for a couple of years. In fact I was surprised that PS2 is still on the shelves - not to mention the hundreds of games behind it's title.

We just got a Wii for Christmas 2008, and maybe the novelty hasn't worn off yet, but we play that more than we ever played the PS2. We went all out, bought just about every accessory possible - from 4 complete sets of controllers to the dance pad, outdoor pad, Fit, Guitar...yes we spent a lot of money - but we also play it a lot, so I consider it an investment. We have about 12 games right now, and the ones we keep going back to are Raving Rabbids, and Endless Ocean. Raving Rabbids is just twisted and funny, but Endless Ocean has captivated my 5 year old daughter..it is a slow moving game with little to no danger, but we have logged over 25 hours on it, and she can identify more fish/sea creatures than I ever knew existed. I love it when she says "thats a frogfish mom!" or "we found 6 Ray fish - the stingray, whipray, manta ray, fantail ray, ribbontail ray, and cowtail ray"

What other game on the market can not only entertain a 5 year old - but educate as well?? We have explored underwater caves, ancient ruins, coral reefs, and even a sunken pirate ship. She loves this "game". And I love it even more because it has absolutely NO violence in it at all. The fish are very realistic visually, but their fierceness is absent - so it's not scary at all. We swam right up to a Great White shark and the Giant Squid....which makes this a perfect game for kids.

It needs more games bad. Nintendo is getting lazy. They could take the time to develop games a lot better, but nooooo.

Example: AC:CF WAS advertised as an exciting ''new'' game. Problems? PLENTY

1] release date was 14 days b4 december, sure good for an x=mas gift, but anyone else catch the problem? Anyone who knows the AC series knows that dec, jan, and feb are ''dead'' zones [a.ka. bad fishing and bug catching]

2] the city has very little to do. gracie grace has 4 sets of furni. THAT"S IT. The gyroid place is worthless unless u have wifi.

3] the little things that made the game fun ARE NOW GONE. What things? well there's the turnip table glitch, FREE STUFF from visitors, the basic shovel gets u the max bells, and the fact that neighbors don't get 'stuck' on one subject is handy.

4] the houses should of been bigger (at least 6 rooms). If u share a game w/ anyone in your family u'll know what i mean.

I have a hard time accepting the assertion that the Wii "doesn't cost an arm and a leg" to own. Once all the "necessary" accessories have been accounted for, it is barely cheaper than the other "hardcore" alternatives out there. But Nintendo surely did a good job creating the illusion that it was drastically cheaper than the 360/PS3 (mainly Sony's fault for introducing the PS3 at $599, really)

That said, I think it's taken 2 years for even the average consumers to begin to see what the "hardcore" pundits were saying since the Wii's introduction; it's a fad.

Yes, the Wii needs better games. But the Wii simply isn't powerful enough to support the creative visions of the best videogame developers. Plainly put, if you love games and want to create something new, you probably won't pick the Wii to do it, because it probably CAN'T do what you want it to do. And anything you CAN do on the Wii was probably done already, years ago. The fact that the Wii's best games are basically re-makes of Gamecube and N64 games (Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros, Mario Kart) only strengthens this argument.

Yes, the Wii needs better games. And I'm sure they still have 2-3 more unique and great games to come in the next few years. But that's definitely not enough to compete with the competition, even outside the "hardcore" gaming market.

I just sold my Wii. Sure, as the article on MSNBC.com said, the Nintendo games were pretty awesome. But Zelda is really a one time only type of game, and the others lose their charm after about the 100th time you play them due to how utterly lacking the other third party games are. I really had hope for the Wii, but it was a huge let down for me. The games I liked, again, were amazing. But I Super Mario Galaxy honestly didn't last more than a week for me in terms of interest. Boom Blox was really cool, but it didn't keep me wanting for more. I own a 360, and with Fallout 3, GTA IV, Fable 2, and XBLA, Nintendo can't really compete. Who knows , I'll probably have to start banging my head against a wall when Nintendo some how turns it all around and the Wii becomes the greatest system ever. But as for right now, I REALLY am not sorry at all I sold my Wii (except I let it go for WAY too cheap. $350 for Console 4 games (all Nintendo) 4 WiiMotes, and tons more, WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!)

Honestly think someone said it best. The Wii is NOT for hardcore gamers. It's for the casual gamer that likes to jump in and spend 30 or so mins playing. And it's great for the younger players. I for one have a very good computer for all my intensive games and endless hours grinding away. The Wii was meant to bring fun to those less worried over newest graphics, longest storylined games and more to short session games.

We have ~20 games for the Wii and Wii Sports and Wii Fit are the only games with any staying power for us kids/friends/family 4+ through adults.

You gotta get the Wii for bowling of course, but we use 360s for casual and hard core gaming across all age groups more consistently.

We bought a couple titles for Wii for Christmas, but haven't touched them really, and are preferring the new avatars on the 360 as something new, and the consistent entertainment of the 360 games.

oh i forgot, the xbox 360 and PS3 dont have any crappy games. The Wii is awesome and has awesome games. 360 and PS3 are awesome and also have awesome games.

Every system has bad games. I mean seriously. I guess those bad Wii games arent hurting Nintendo too bad.

Boomblox, MarioKart Wii, Zack and Wicki, Smash Bros, WiiSports, Galaxy, Zelda, RE4, Guitar Hero, Rockband, WiiFit, all the lego games, No More Heroes...how can anyone say the Wii doesnt have software that competes with the 360 and PS3

There are plenty of quality Wii games out there. The problem is the average person has difficulty sorting through the endless shovelware fly-by-night companies have produced to make a quick buck. A consumer who researches can find lots of good stuff. Off the top of my head:

Mario Galaxy
Twlight Princess
Smash Brothers
Metroid Prime 3
Boom Blox
Zack and Wiki
No More Heroes
Super Paper Mario
Mario Kart
de Blob
Okami
Call of Duty: World at War
Rock Band 2
Resident Evil 4

Plus some quality downloadable games...
World of Goo
Bomberman Blast
Tetris Party
Many Virtual Console games

The shovelware problem for the Wii really masks the many good games for the system. Since the system is targeted towards an average consumer rather than hardcore gamers, the problem is exacerbated.

The average Wii-"gamer" who goes into Toys R' Us to buy games won't research them ahead of time knowing what they want to buy. And lacking research, the odds are far better you end up with a poor quality title since so many exist.

I love my Wii and my 360. The thing that really frusrates me right now is that the Wii Sports games are incredible. But other Wii games do not have similar setups and are severely lacking in quality. I was an avid tennis player, but with the cold weather I decided to give the Tennis on Wii Sports a try, and I love it; but after a couple of weeks it starts to get boring. So I went a bought the Sonic Tennis and Top Spin 3; hoping to put a new spin on the tennis game. However much to my displeasure both games involve alot more controls than Wii sports which plays just like a tennis racket. Top Spin 3 is horrible; you have to use the numchuck which when your trying to swing a tennnis racket around is horrible; on top of the fact that for any tennis swings to register you have to turn your main Wii cotroller sideways.

Nintendo was strong out of the gate with the Wii; but it needds some good games and fast to keep intrest. And please force your game developers to make the sports games play with the simplicity and class that the Wii Sports games play with; don't try to overcomplicate things.

K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple, Stupid.

I am the target demographic male in a family of women.  I am always trying to find ways to get the girls to play with me, and the Wii was one of those attempts.  As soon as the novelty wore off, the thing just turned into a paperweight.  WiiSports is the only title that uses the motion control in a really impressive way.  One good use of their only unique selling point in 2 years.  Ouch.

Something I havent seen mentioned is that the other consoles also offer plenty of family and kid friendly games in addition to the great games for the hardcore crowd. 

  I keep looking at the Wii games in the stores, but its about 99% garbage.  Yes you can call me a hardcore gamer, but to be fair, I am also an older gamer(the type that still enjoys pacman, dig dug, and megaman) so push the envelope graphics and cutting edge hardware in my opinion don't automatically make a better game.  I would spend money on my nintendo if they would only give me a reason.  Fun is fun, and there is nothing fun about the Wii.  The console is well on its way to an early grave and a nice what went wrong piece in the news.   If nintendo doesn't turn this around, they will soon join the ranks of sega(former hardware/software giant, now just sells software on other consoles) and I'll be downloading old Wii games on Xbox live.