Wii controller -- second thoughts

g35er

Newcomer
When news of the Wii controller first appeared, I was really excited about the prospect of this "more real" way of gameplay and was one of the ones defending it against the skeptics. But after seeing it in use, I have second thoughts about it. As someone who isn't a big fan of the dance dance games and other games which require a lot of movement, I'm now seeing that this is what the Wii, and to some extent, the PS3 controller are really just an extension of this. I watched many demonstrations from E3 and Nintendo's promotional material and was really turned off by it. After thinking about why that was the case, I've come to the realization that what I want in a game is a lot of control without a lot of movement. The Wii and other motion controllers are doing the opposite. The virtual tennis and virtual fishing just didn't look like something I want to do. I was emabarassed to see the people looking like fools playing it. What are they doing? And the guy doing the PS3 motion demonstration looked like those people who lean during driving games. In one of the (yes I know, exaggerated) commercials, a player who was playing Metroid dived off the couch to simulate a similar move in the game. Errrr, no. Not doing that (Yes, I realize it was just done for dramatic effect). Either way, I'm not excited about doing charades in my own living room to play a game. Perhaps if I actually sit down to play it, I might change my mind, but at this point, I've reversed course about my excitment. I know everyone will feel different about this since people have different comfort levels in regard to controllers, and I don't want to single out the Wii because it seems like the whole industry is moving this way. So how about it? How do others feel about this "more real, more movement" type of gameplay that we may all have to get used to?
 
Well if you acknowledge you were defending it against 'skeptics,' then you already know you're not the first to come to this realization. ;)

Anyway I think it's a 'cool' idea; like many GameCube games at the moment, I think it's greatest utility will be in party/group settings though.

Beyond that, frankly I just think motion-induced gameplay will grow tiring into the second... third... fourth hour of gaming...

I don't know - I'm sure a lot of Nintendo games, if not all, will give an 'out' to motion control. But it's definitely a 'two parts novelty, one part practicality' type situation.

That said, for it's part I'm glad the DS3 is incorporating similar technology, since I think it will allow for some interesting gameplay; but by the same token I'm glad Nintendo is offering more traditional gamepad alternatives to the Wii-mote.

I guess my position is best summarized by saying that two years from now, I still expect traditional analog/gamepad configurations to be making up the majority of my interface experience. Like voice-to-text, I feel it's a novel idea that best serves a niche rather than the mainstream.
 
I do hope Nintendo does have non-motion options for many of their games. Seriously, I don't want to "hike" a Wii controller or pretend to pass it like a football. I probably won't enjoy using it as a virtual tennis racket either. The way those people were demonstrating the tennis game, I can tell you that it's not the same as how you would play tennis. You have to angle the racket downward and sweep upward hit a forehand.

I enjoy playing sports, but I'd rather let real sports be real sports and games be games. I want to sit down and relax when I play a game.

xbdestroya, I hope you're right that the industry won't move in such a way that they make do virtual gymnastics to play games. It just seems like the "hot new thing" that the media is latching on to though.
 
I think it won't really use too much movement in most of the games that use it. Maybe the nunchuck attactment since it uses a gyro and doesn't have any face buttons, but there is no reason to use the remote to do the exact motions that the game is supposed to be simulating. Eh?
 
valioso said:
i feel like it will get repetitive quick.


As opposed to the hand held controller scheme we've been using for the last 20ish years? Analog sticks, rumble, and more buttons can only go so far. If people dislike it cause they're lazy thats their problem.
 
SugarCoat said:
As opposed to the hand held controller scheme we've been using for the last 20ish years? Analog sticks, rumble, and more buttons can only go so far. If people dislike it cause they're lazy thats their problem.
But you have to design new games that can make you get better and better the more you play the game. That's probably going to make a lot developers get lazy and just paste a control scheme onto it that would somehow make their game work right on Wii (look at all the people dissatisfied with the sword fighting in Red Steel). Can you imagine how straightforward and repetetive most sports games would get?
 
Wasn't Nintendo suppose to introduce us with a shell controller where you place the nunchucks in the shell so it can be shape like a standard controller for games to be played conventionally?
 
Archgamer said:
Wasn't Nintendo suppose to introduce us with a shell controller where you place the nunchucks in the shell so it can be shape like a standard controller for games to be played conventionally?
That's what I thought, but they didn't. That cord on the classical controller attaches to the remote but I don't see how you can possibly use both. I think that the remote is used to communicate wirelessly with the Wii and that you have to buy a remote for every classical controller. Would suck if it's true.
 
hmmmm, awfully premature to speculate wihtout having touched one, but hey, it's all in fun... I think the revmote demos further solidify nintendo's gradual transition into more casual gaming -- actually,you might say they've never changed, but gaming has changed around them. regardless, it seems that this control scheme will lead to plenty of titles that might be more fun than their traditional counterparts, but no, mario tennis wii edition or whatever isn't going to be as complete and balanced a game as virtua tennis or shit i dunno about tennis games, but i supose there's a more simulation-bsed tennis game out there. ;)

that said, it's a nice change. those of us with girlfriends (not to diss female gamers, there are definitely some leet ones but you know the trends) will appreciate being able to enjoy a game with the fairer sex, and hey, that can now include moms, grandkids, whatever. will it replace your QW:ET clan? no... but it doesn't have to. that's my take. it's painful to watch some of my favorite frachises get dumbed down as the market expands, but that's really not what's happening here. it's more like a way for nintendo to hold onto its core market!
 
I totally agree.

Before E3, I was totally psyched for the Revolution. I thought the controller would be great fun, like the DS touch screens, and I was really excited to be able to download all the Nintendo classics.

After E3, all my enthusiasm had died. The Wiimote demonstrations seemed clumsy... Red Steel looked totally awkward to play, and the setup is just not feasible for a living room videogame console, let alone one that you can play for any significant amount of time. Almost nothing was said about the virtual console, which leads me to believe that it won't be nearly as significant as they originally stated.

Maybe things will change at TGS, but as of now I'm not longer buying the Wii.
 
From the impression I read, I am not that impress with what they're doing with Wii remote at the demo.

Take Mario for example, the Wii remote is map to an onscreen cursor. I am not too thrill about controlling a cursor in action games. I just don't find it fun. Cursor base game should be on the DS. The touch screen of DS is far superior for something like that.
 
This thread doesn't sound very meaningful to me. Without having tried what we're talking about, what's the point?

I was convinced a FPS metroid couldn't be anything but a complete disaster. See how right I was about that...! :)

That doesn't mean I'm convinced the wiimote will be a super idea, far from it. I'm worrying I will find the setup inprecise and lacking in buttons once I get my hands on it; I just have to take on good faith that Nintendo will be able to pull through and deliver. That isn't always a good strategy, because sometimes things simply don't work out as well in reality as they do on paper.


...And consecutively, things that look boring or dull when reading about it, might work very well in reality. That's the problem with speculation threads; we can only discuss our own preconcieved notions, and the discussion hence becomes useless.

Bad thread.
 
I think the demos shown so far appeal to a wider audience, not established gamers. Which is Ninty's gameplan after all. But I expect (maybe hope) that more judicious use of the controls will be found. The idea of using motion is a good one if implemented well. I'm not sure how well the Wiimote combines motion with conventional stcik and button controls though, and I think it's focus on more 'party game' style controlling will reduce what was possible with adding motion control to 'normal' games. At the end of the day, it's a different type of console for different types of games I think.

Certainly I'm not keen on large motions. Something like wrist-motion for FPS targetting is good. Arm waving for a sports sim, you may as wel just play the game proper!
 
Personaly many games on E3 didnt impresse me, in fact they did disapoint me but I think that it is specially becase many games are far from what they should (will?) be (RS) or are games that could be played on others consoles (Z:TP, MP3) or are just made so simple intentionality (Wii sports) when they could be really good bringing "full" eg tennis that made me second thoughts.

On the other hand they did this with a purpose and we already heard about a lot of other names and control schemes that would be really good IMO bringing new gameplay, for the first time I think that Spider-Man can be a interesting game or sports and a lot more sounds good for me.

But I agree that one must try it before and see if those potential becames actual.

Yet some things will go down to taste as nothingh will change the fact that you/one dont like play this way.
 
on one side i think this controller will be terrific for some games.

one the other side i'm afraid to see some kind of extremely simplified gameplay which could be too limited. some sort of interactivity which doesn't require any real skill, you think you are an actor but you're only a puppet.

and some regression: games which would have been better on a classic gamepad that will instead play with the magic wand..

all in all i guess i think if i choose to go the wii route i'll just have to avoid some games..
 
Gholbine said:
Red Steel looked totally awkward to play, and the setup is just not feasible for a living room videogame console, let alone one that you can play for any significant amount of time.

In what way?? Could you explain what you mean there?
 
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Shifty Geezer said:
Certainly I'm not keen on large motions. Something like wrist-motion for FPS targetting is good. Arm waving for a sports sim, you may as wel just play the game proper!

This is percisely my point. Wrist motion is fine with me too. But I don't want to have to stand up and run around to play games. The people doing the demos looked ridiculous frankly.

Do people really want to "hike" a Wiimote as if it's an American football? Do people really want to pretend to throw it? Or pretend to swing a tennis racket or a baseball bat when you're actually not hitting anything?

Look again at the "Nintendo Wii Trailer E3 2006 Part 1". Is this something you want to do? I realize it's an exaggerated commercial but it is what Nintendo is trying to sell to you.

http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/supermario128/media.html?autoplay=6149689
 
g35er said:
Look again at the "Nintendo Wii Trailer E3 2006 Part 1". Is this something you want to do? I realize it's an exaggerated commercial but it is what Nintendo is trying to sell to you.
Are they trying to sell it to us though, or a totally new market? If a new market, is there one? The energetic gameplay is very akin to EyeToy. That's sold several million units, but only several million. Not the tens of millions needed for a full console. It does seem quite a gamble. Once again it's the software more than the hardware that will make or break the platform.
 
E^3 reports show that you can play with small moves only, that you need to be at a good distance from the TV to have better precision and that some people tend to naturaly "role play" the game...

ie. the longer they play the more they play the videogame like the real game (thinking about the Tennis game here)

I'm interested in the Wii and I really want to try it out ASAP in a good setup.
(ie a shop most likely won't do)
 
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