• 31Aug 07

  So, Wii Sceptics...

  What say you now? Fanboyism aside, surely you can see that Nintendo are dominating the market.
  
  How is it a fad, considering the level of sales and customer satisfaction? How is it a gimmick if Sony and Microsoft are looking into developing the same technology? This is the new standard for gaming. A control system that can match the speed and accuracy of a computer mouse. Games that may not look as visually impressive as other titles, yet still end up being played more often. A technology that people enjoy.
  
  The PS3 is the only console I have ever witnessed a store having more pre-owned stock of than new. And I don't mean new stock being sold out. I mean there being 13 pre-owned vs the store's allocation of 10. As for the Wii, the store were selling their only pre-owned unit while I was there... to the guy who sold it to them! Oh, and just watch the sales levels when the popular first-party games starting coming out in a month or two. On top of the awesome third-party games, of course.
  
  Just imagine what the next generation of gaming will be like!
  • Posted Aug 31, 2007 11:56 am GMT
  • Category: Games
  • 0 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 22Dec 06

  One Month On

  It's one month on since the launch of the PlayStation 3 and its sales figures have just past the 500,000 mark. A milestone if ever there was one, since that's the number of copies a games developer needs to sell in order to make a profit on a game. So, now that enough units are available, I wonder how long it will be before a studio reports a profit for their games.
  
  With the pace of PS3 sales being so slow, the success of the console for Sony and games developers alike may depend on its release in Europe and the rest of the world. I'm expecting to hear the word "delayed" quite a lot in the next few months.
  • Posted Dec 22, 2006 4:06 am GMT
  • Category: Games
  • 0 Comments
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg
• 13Dec 06

  Don't Knock it Until You've Tried it

  You know that old adage, "don't knock it 'til you've tried it"? There's no better way of describing the Wii than with that. Since Friday, a whole bunch of people have played on my new console - some were Nintendo fans and easily taken in but others were sceptical. Gimmicky being the most common pre-judgement. Post-play, however, all were impressed and thoroughly enjoyed playing. Their opinions changed in tow.
  
  The biggest surprise for me, though, was Wii Sports. It's been played more often on my console than Zelda and I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I have (I've never really liked sports games). Even with a single wiimote, bowling and golf were enjoyable as a multiplayer. The boxing is great anger management, especially if your unfortunate opponent is someone who caused the anger. The enjoyment in Wii Sports is its simplicity. Through simple looks and ease of use, it allows gamers to get straight into playing the game and is the perfect introduction to the console.
  
  The combination of Wii Sports and Zelda rinsed the batteries a couple of times (gotta love rechargeables) over the weekend. Twilight Princess is everything I expected it to be and a little bit more. I love how it encompasses past Zelda games yet takes them to a new level, expanding it and making it wonderfully immersive. I found myself being continuously amazed at the amount of detail the game has gone into. And I haven't even completed it yet! The only downside to the game I've come across so far is the limit of three save slots. Without an SD card, my friends couldn't create or play their own file. Easily rectified, though, I guess.
  
  I know what it's like to be a fanboy. Nothing can beat your chosen favourite, even in the face of facts and popular belief. I will say this to other fanboys or sceptics, though. Don't knock the Wii until you've played it. If you still don't like it afterwards, then fair enough. But I reckon that's a pretty formidable challenge.
  • Posted Dec 13, 2006 6:47 am GMT
  • Category: Games
  • 1 Comment
  • Tag
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Digg

See Previous Blog Posts