Nintendo Wii

[Pangloss62]

Pangloss do you really think this will turn away from real sport in favour of this?

They already have. Studies prove it. Our children are fat and getting fatter for all the time they spend in front of any number of "tubes."

There will always be sports, but a lot more people watching than actually playing.

[Sundae]

Sorry, I wasn't really clear. I meant would people who play sports now (in a world where there are already console games, PC games, internet etc) stop playing in order to Wii.

I accept your answer may be the same.

[Pangloss62]

would people who play sports now (in a world where there are already console games, PC games, internet etc) stop playing in order to Wii.

Probably not.

I have nothing against Wii in general. But it is a little scary to see the kids not doing all the stuff I used to do as a kid, like just goofing around outside, throwing rocks at cars (other kids), building homemade bombs, riding bikes to your friend's house to look at his Playboy collection in the tree house, crawling into the abandoned building, making a jump for your bikes and getting injured from the same, skateboarding inside the halls of the local college, whacking chestnuts with a tennis racket over the neighborhood...things like that.

[lumberjim]

i did ALL of that stuff. but we used acorns, and aimed at aluminum sided houses.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

...people are now "doing" all these sports in their livingrooms rather than actually going out, let's say, bowling...

I see your point, regarding people sitting in front of the TV, or playing video games, and then suffering from "health" problems which amount to get-off-your-ass-itis. I don't have a TV signal going into my home, nor have I actually owned a video game console since Turbo Grafx 16 (16 bit), although I do play occasionally on friend's systems. Where you're wrong, in my opinion, to point this out in regards to the Wii.

Consider a few hypothetical groups of people:

#1
Active tennis players. Will they stop playing tennis in favor of a video game?

#2
People who don't currently play tennis, and very unlikely to ever take it up. Does the Wii have any effect on them?

#3
People who don't currently play tennis, but intend to add it to their workout regimen. Will they play a video game instead?

#4
Avid video game players. Up until now, they were on the couch, inactive. Now they are up on their feet, getting a workout.

I call this a net positive effect. A video game console that gets you physically involved in the game. This is a step in the right direction, not a sign of impending doom. Active sports players are not going to stop playing sports, and video gamers are going to start getting a workout. That's all good.

Personal anecdote: My nephew's birthday party was at Putt-Putt, I had a cup of free tokens. After playing the Wii recently, I was disappointed in almost all of the available games, and passed them by. I ended up spending my time on a game that detects real-life motion of a plastic samurai sword, and I worked up a good sweat playing that one. Afterwards, I went to the batting cages and hit some balls. I was reminded of how fun that is, after doing some batting practice on the Wii. That's right: I played baseball on the Wii, and then, because of the Wii, I went out and played baseball in real life. How is that bad?

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

I saw the demo/promo thing at a Target yesterday and have to admit that it made me depressed. Not the design of the games, just that people are now "doing" all these sports in their livingrooms rather than actually going out, let's say, bowling. Virtual this and virtual that. When they perfect the virtual sex thing, nobody will go outside and actually "do" shit.

I've never owned any video game; but I was really good at that Track & Field game in the arcades...

Uh-huh.

And since the introduction of internet discussion boards, people have stopped "going outside" to talk to each other face to face. Riiiight.

Dear Chicken Little,

The sky is not falling.

Sincerely,

Your friends in reality.

[freshnesschronic]

The Wii is dope. I just wish when I swung my sword or racket it would follow it with precision, so I could slice and dice my enemy accurately, unlike the New Zelda. That's all the complaints! Tennis and bowling are disgustingly fun!

[Scazrelet]

I don't play sports. I <3 my Wii, and it certainly gets me more active than any other game system. Flint made a comment (though I guess it was about TVs?) that one shouldn't waste their money on new shit if it doesn't do anything the old version didn't. Well, thats what makes the Wii awesome, because it does. It really is unique as a household system (as opposed to say, an arcade machine).

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Scazrelet

Flint made a comment (though I guess it was about TVs?) that one shouldn't waste their money on new shit if it doesn't do anything the old version didn't. Well, thats what makes the Wii awesome, because it does. It really is unique as a household system (as opposed to say, an arcade machine).

That's right, I was talking about TVs, as in: if my current TV displayed visible images yesterday, it still does so today, regardless of whatever "better" TVs are available today. Sure, the "new" ones may look much better, or be much bigger, but if I wasn't complaining about the old one, then...uhhh... why shouldn't I just keep my money?

Regarding the Wii, you're right, nothing like it has ever been available before, it's "apples/oranges" to other consoles. The other games systems may have made slight improvements to hardware, but they still do essentially the same thing as they ever did, the same thing an Atari 2600 did. The Wii, however, is a whole new thing, and the fact that it gets you up off the couch is definitely a positive development.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by freshnesschronic

I just wish when I swung my sword or racket it would follow it with precision, so I could slice and dice my enemy accurately, unlike the New Zelda.

I'm wondering how many degrees of distintion the Wii remote can communicate, or if ithe limitation exists in how the software developers wrote the game. Is there an upper limit to expression with the device? I'm curious to know. I hope that the games will continue to improve in playability as the new platform becomes more familiar.

[barefoot serpent]

just be careful where you swing that thing!

[Kitsune]

God dammit. Now that the system is out and has been out, it is impossible to place any pre-orders, place deposits, and no stores will drop any hints as to when they expect shipment. There are no waiting lists and no notifications. No one will hold on for you. When they do magically appear at 8am during the week they're gone well before noon.

Any hints on how to locate a Wii? Do I need to start bribing insiders in the Target electronics department or something?

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

...Any hints on how to locate a Wii?

Look in my family room. :p

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Do I need to start bribing insiders in the Target electronics department or something?

Try mall security. That was our "in".

[Sundae]

Dangerous things, Wiis. From here:

A preliminary autopsy states that a woman died of "water intoxication" following a water drinking contest for a Nintendo Wii. News10 in Sacramento reports Station 107.9 The End's "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest had contestants doing exactly what the title says. The winner was the person who didn't release their bladder the longest. According to the woman's co-worker, after the contest, "She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad ... she was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her." The co-workers contacted the woman's mother later on to check up how she was doing and she discovered the body. No word yet on how much water the woman consumed.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

Dangerous things, Wiis human stupidity. From here:

Corrected. Agreed.