Group Wii play
When the 12th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo kicked off this year, the sponsors tried something a little different. The first two hours of the show were set aside for the media to get on the floor and see some of the goodies gaming companies had to offer for 2006. I felt the best use of that time would be to see Nintendo’s newest console and find out if it really could deliver on their strategy to keep games simple and approachable by new gamers while still making them fun for all gamers. I did not think it possible, but I am now a believer.
Even with only members of the media on the floor, it took almost an hour to get into the Wii demonstration area. Seems a lot of other journalists had the same idea I had. Once in the demonstration area, it was utter chaos.
Unlike last year’s E3 showing of the soon-to-be-released Xbox 360 with few games to play, the Wii demonstration area had over 20 games to play with hands-on. Each in some way used the unique wireless, motion-sensing Wii controller. And every member of the press wanted to try as many as they could.
Wii play with a friend
I case you’ve missed all the pre-E3 news about the Wii (formally known by its development name “Revolution”), the standard controller for the system is a radical departure from previous systems. The Wii controller looks most like a simple TV remote. On top is a directional pad and a couple of action buttons. Underneath is a single trigger button. At the heart of the controller is motion sensing technology that allows the controller to be moved in a manner natural to what is taking place in the game. For example, in a tennis game the Wii controller becomes the handle of your racquet and you swing it as you would a real racquet to hit the ball. The only drawback to this control scheme is that to sense the movement within three dimensional space a thin sensor bar has to be located either above or below the TV screen – and this bar must be wired to the console.
By adding accessories to the standard controller new functions become available. An analog stick connected to the standard controller allows the player to move while firing in first-person shooters. A prototype pistol grip shown in the booth turns the controller into a light gun.
Back on the subject of games, there was something for almost every taste in the games shown. Of course it would not be a Nintendo system without a Mario game and the Wii has Super Mario Galaxy to fill the requirement. (I’m betting this game will launch with the system. I don’t think Nintendo will repeat its mistake with the GameCube.) Also from Nintendo’s stable of great franchises is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the long awaited adventure game that will now have its own Wii version, in addition to the GameCube version previously announced.
Wii controller - retro style!
Fulfilling the promise of sports games that will use natural movements to accomplish athletic feats, Nintendo has announced the Wii Sports line of games. Shown were versions of tennis, baseball, golf and an early demo of ping pong. Oddly a title called Wii Sports: Airplane was also shown, but rather than being a true sports game the Wii controller was held like a toy glider might be and the on-screen plane was maneuvered through rings much like in Pilot Wings.
Nintendo also had a game in their Wii Music line that used the controller to conduct an orchestra. Another game combined elements of Point Blank with Duck Hunt to demonstrate the Wii’s shooting capability. Rounding out the Nintendo offerings are Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, a new WarioWare title called Smooth Moves and a racing game called Excite Truck.
The third party support is already strong. Titles ranged from Madden Football to SpongeBob Squarepants and classic franchises like Bomberman and Sonic. Especially intriguing was Ubisoft’s Red Steel, a game that combined first-person shooting with swordplay – giving the Wii controller a sore workout. But the game controlled well and was an apparent hit with everyone who gave it a spin.
Third-party developers are also saying that the development costs are lower and the development cycle itself is shorter for the Wii – a welcome benefit in this age of spiraling development budgets.
