Tag Archives: Wii

Where id he Wii go!

Posted on by
Reply

Written by: Suleman Sultan

When the Wii was released in 2006 it blew away the gaming world. With its innovative Wii-mote it marked a turning point for console gaming. Since then Nintendo has sold nearly 96 million units as well as the numerous accessories.

The Wii was designed by Nintendo’s engineers because Nintendo wanted to develop a system that would draw in a demographic other than young adults and children. Nintendo’s chief game designer Shigeru Miyamato stated that, “The consensus was that power isn’t everything for a console.”

He was right, at first, Nintendo blew away the competition. It seemed like Nintendo was going on a never ending climb with its Wii sales. The console was marketed for all ages and as it turned out everyone wanted one. With its games mainly aimed at children and its technology marketed for social events it became the must have system. The Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 were forced to stay on the side lines.

So why then has the Wii practically disappeared from the spot light? Nowadays you barely hear about it, sometimes I wonder if anyone even makes games for it anymore.

Since 2006 not only did Nintendo consistently create the same type of games for the Wii, but they also kept marketing it for its innovative technology.

What so bad about that you say?

Well it’s ok if you’re the only console on the market with an innovative technology but Nintendo seemed to have forgotten that it had enemies lurking behind the bushes. Blinded by success maybe? The giants known as Microsoft and Sony within about 4-5 years after the release of their consoles developed their own motion technologies for their consoles. The Xbox 360 eventually gained the Kinect and the PlayStation 3 gained the Move.


With the Xbox and PlayStation 3 entering the competition, Nintendo became as it has now been labeled in the gaming world, “a children’s console.”
So once again why has the Wii disappeared?

Nintendo, after being thrown a curve ball by Microsoft and Sony decided it would start on a new console. They unveiled the Wii U on June 2011. Since then the Wii has become an aged console that you can buy at a second hand store. In fact selling you Wii will probably get you less money than one Xbox or PS3 game.

Hopefully Nintendo learnt from the mistakes of the Wii because the the gaming world has mostly forgotten Nintendo. Unless Nintendo creates something truly unique then it could be the end of Nintendo’s console gaming system, ending up like Atari and Sega.

“Hyrule Historia” Reveals Zelda Timeline

Posted on by
Reply

 

An image of Skyword Sword art from "Hyrule Historia"

A new Zelda art book is putting an end to timeline debate.

Written by Vanessa Formato

“The Legend of Zelda” video game franchise has always had its share of secrets. Nintendo has long kept information regarding the series’ timeline under wraps, but it looks as if all of that is about to change with the upcoming art book, “Hyrule Historia.”

The announcement of “Hyrule Historia” came with news that delighted Zelda fans, many of whom have spent considerable amounts of time speculating about the games’ chronology on online forums and fan-sites. A Nintendo World Report article touted a “second chapter [that] is a compendium of Hyrule’s history across the series.” The piece was accompanied by several scans, including one of the table of contents, which listed sections for what appeared to be periods of time in Zelda history. The Internet went wild.

Even just over one year ago, a project like this one seemed inconceivable to fans of the well-loved and critically-acclaimed adventure games. In a July 2010 interview with Nintendo Magazine, Zelda Director Eiji Aonuma confirmed for the first time in the series’ history that developers had their own definitive timeline.

“Yes, there is a master timeline, but it is a confidential document,” Aonuma said. “The only people that have access to that document are myself, [Head of Nintendo] Mr. [Shigeru] Miyamoto and the director of the title. We can’t share it with anyone else!”

Not long after enthusiasts began analyzing the table of contents, a video of the book hit the web that showed a page with a chronology chart. A fan translated the chart and put it online. Aonuma is the editor for “Hyrule Historia,” so it is relatively safe to assume that this is the formerly “confidential” official timeline.

The official timeline begins with “Skyward Sword,” the most recent Zelda release and splits multiple ways following “Ocarina of Time.” The concept of a two separate timelines following “Ocarina of Time” has long been discussed by Zelda theorists, but Nintendo also introduced a third possible reality. If Link were to die in the course of “Ocarina of Time,” the story would diverge into the earlier two-dimensional games, while the “Child” and “Adult” timelines include more recent three-dimensional adventures “The Wind Waker” and “Twilight Princess,” respectively.

So far, “Hyrule Historia” has only hit stores in Japan with no word yet whether there are official plans to release the comprehensive book in other countries. American fans are clamoring to be able to purchase this important collector’s piece, but they have had to settle for scans and translations provided by fellow Zelda enthusiasts.

Nintendo released “Hyrule Historia” as part of “The Legend of Zelda’s” 25th anniversary celebration in December 2011.

Nintendo Continues to Evolve with Gamers

Posted on by
Reply
Duck Hunt Dog

The Annoying Dog from Duck Hunt

 

Nintendo, the revolutionary organization whose first console system hit the shelves in 1985, has evolved tremendously over the years.  The company’s first game console, the Nintendo Entertainment System brought loveable characters such as Mario, Link, and that annoying dog from Duck Hunt into our homes for the first time.  While the system’s graphics and controls may seem primative by today’s standards, 25 years ago they transformed the gaming world. 

The Nintendo Entertainment System was replaced in 1991 by the Super Nintendo (SNES).  Its release excited the gaming community because of its promise of superior graphics and a more complex gaming experience.  These capabilities were brought about by the transition to 16-bit technology.  The video game world moved from what was effectively a pixelated 2D universe into one which, while still mainly 2-Dimensional, featured smooth lines and a more cartoon-like image.  In 1996, Nintendo released the N64 which promised a new level of realism with its 3-Dimensional imagery and superior graphics.  Many Nintendo loyalists who remember the release of this particular system will fondly recall the 3D graphics featured in the game, Goldeneye. 

In 2001, Nintendo introduced the GameCube.  While its release was perhaps not quite as successful as that of previous Nintendo consoles, the systems use of discs rather than game cartridges brought the GameCube one step closer to the Nintendo of today that we all know and love – the Wii.

The Nintendo Wii is the latest generation in gaming systems from this innovative organization.  This console features video games that get players moving and transport them into the game with the use of gyroscopic controllers.  These allow Wii players to combine interactive video games and sharp graphics with something we can all feel good about – exercise (or at least a little movement)!