Serious Gamer - What Would Make Me Buy and Play More Wii Games

"One of the few untapped market segments for the Wii is the serious or hardcore gamer. How could the Wii attract this type of gamer?

The Wii has been a tremendous success with casual, women, younger, and older gamers. These are three markets that the console industry had left largely untapped. But what about serious gamers?

Hardcore gamers are not completely ignored by the Wii, but they are certainly the one market that does not seem to receive a lot of attention. This definitely has not hurt the Wii's bottom line, but it does mean this is an area where the Wii has the most to gain at this point."

This article examines a few ways the Wii could recapture some of this market.

[Glamis]

My sentiments are similar. I love my Wii, but I wish I had some more great, non-party games for it.

I love the party games. Don't get me wrong. But I'd like some more hardcore games as well. If not in challenge, at least in the type of people they were designed for.

[mikeslemonade]

The reason why I haven't bought anything for the Wii since early 2007 is indicative to how the console is built. Not HD, poor online, and funky controllers that are hard to get use to. I will probably never play the Wii again unless people come over and we decide to fool around with the Wii a little bit.

Right now I hope Nintendo fails somehow because I feel cheated that I bought a system that I don't like. I hope bad things happen to everyone that works at Nintendo.

[Muckbeast]

Don't bother hoping for it to fail. It already won this entire generation of the console war. It has such a big lead, there is no catching it this generation.

[jpymai]

I initially bought my Wii because all the party games had such a cutesy appeal. My console is now currently sitting in the corner somewhere collecting dust, because there's only so much partying I can handle.

[SpoonyRedMage]

Some of the points are kind of moot. The one about RPGs will only be relevant for a short while more with Crystal Bearers, Tales of Graces and Monado on the way. Plus Dragon Quest X at some point.

Mature games? It depends how you classify them, stuff like Madworld and HOTD: Overkill aren't really mature so I guess I could agree there but the upcoming Silent Hill is kind of trying to fill that gap.

Great shooters? Oooh, that's a weird thing to talk about. Metroid Prime Trilogy is awesome but it's not really like Perfect Dark and whilst The Conduit is, the campaign is completely average.

The other points are much better though, a full blown Pokémon on the Wii would be awesome, especially if it was online. The online could be improved or just implemented more often in games, I'd also like more publishers to use dedicated servers, which allows them to bypass friend codes.

The thing about advertising sports games though I don't really care about, not a big sports fan...

Those are my thoughts and I have a lot of games to look forward to in the future.

[Muckbeast]

Glad to hear about some of the games coming up. But honestly, "Crystal Bearers" and "Tales of Graces and Monado" sound like kinda squishy RPGs to me. But that's a snap judgement. And Dragon Quest X... Man, how about something new? :)

Silent Hill... same thing. We've been there and done that how many times now?

A full blown online Pokemon would be awesome. How can they not have given us that? Its such a no brainer.

Great comment.

[SpoonyRedMage]

Squishy RPGs? how so?

I think you have to re-evaluate your expectations if you dismiss all four, especially considering the pedigree of the developers involved. Dragon Quest is the epitome of JRPG as well, it's the original and it's the most popular in Japan. But if you want something completely new there's Arc Rise Fantasia from Marvelous.

Silent Hill, yer, I suppose so but there's also stuff like Fragile, which as far as I know is a Horror JRPG so you've killed two birds with one stone if you go with that.

I think the reason they've avoided a full blown online Pokémon is how big the scale would be, it would cost a lot to make and possibly take a long time, especially if everyone wanted every Pokémon available at some point. It's also not guaranteed to sell as the past Pokémon console games haven't sold as well, but that's because they haven't been what we wanted.

[Muckbeast]

You said the key thing right there about the Pokemon games. They release all kinda of random Pokemon themed garbage, and then marvel at it not selling well.

They could take their EXACT DS/gameboy game, give it better graphics, and it would be a good full console game. Heck, just add a few features along with the greater memory and system capability, and you'd have a huge winner. And to be able to play it multiplayer online? Man, that would be insane.

By squishy I just meant the pansy sounding name "Crystal" and "Grace". Heh, yeah, I was being lame judging it by its cover. But why nothing like Jade Empire or Mass Effect for the Wii?

[SpoonyRedMage]

The problem would actually be the graphics I think, people would want a full 3D game(people complain about the lack of 3D Pokémon on the DS) and one that looked something akin to Super Mario Galaxy or Super Smash Bros Brawl, now imagine how long it would take to model and animation at least 493 characters for the game as well as having hundreds of separate attacks animations and the rich, big environments that would be needed.

Ahh, the name, well Crystal Bearers and Tales of Graces are far from pansy but you seem to be talking more about Western RPGs which actually highlights a problem Nintendo has. They have pretty decent support from Japanese publishers but Western publishers aren't interested. I would love a few WRPGs for the Wii as well.

[N4g_null]

Have you guys seen Zombie Panic in Wonderland or Chaotic : Shadow Warriors or Sengoku Musou 3 and please tell me why is has way more people on screen than dead rising for the Wii?

Pokemon Rumble WiiWare is pertty much what you guys where asking for.
look up Lost In Shadow also... very ico like.

[cyguration]

The Wii has some good games coming out but they rarely ever get any coverage, like Sin and Punishment 2.

[Muckbeast]

They need to market that stuff.

Does that size up against things like Perfect Dark for the N64?

[Mahr]

"Does that size up against things like Perfect Dark for the N64?"

Apples to oranges. Really *good* tasting apples, as we are talking about Treasure, which is one of the top one games studios ever.

Sin and Punishment's in third-person, not particularly high on the realism scale, and designed more in line with arcade shooters a la Starfox 64 than modern first-person shooters. The emphasis is more about chaining together combos for high-score leaderboard domination than fragging each other in multiplayer.

If you're a PC-shooter fan, then I suspect it might not appeal as much to you. For the sake of reference, this is how the Sin and Punishment games play.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[EvilTwin]

Thanks for that clip, Mahr. Man, I can't wait for S&P2.

[Graffin]

Personally, I find the motion controls kind of limiting. I wish they'd come out with games with the option to use more traditional controls, like the classic controller, for example. I get tired of flailing about every time I want Mario to attack or do a spin move.

Also, how about some kind of achievement system? Achievements are insanely addicting (xbox, wow) and even the PS3 has trophies.

[Muckbeast]

I'm glad someone mentioned that. The motion controls are a great concept, but sometimes it seems like they use them simply because they feel like they have to.

I was never able to finish Zelda because I got tired of swiping my wrist 1000 times per hour.

There are times where the motions controls are awesome, and times where they are not. Overusing them makes them feel gimicky - like 3D in movies or something.

[Ron_Burgundy]

HD and hardcore games, but the PSwand will provide that so I won't need the wii

[KeenanTheSavage]

</ps wand argument>

[EvilTwin]

Online is the one point I really agree with. Some games are certainly meant to be single player (Zelda, Metroid), but outside of Conduit, there aren't a lot of really good online experiences on Wii. Hopefully MH3 changes that. As much as I really wanna play NSMB, it seems like a HUGE waste that you can't play it online.

As for core games...NMH, MadWorld, HotD, RE, Extraction...I'd call those types of games "mature."
Core to me means a great, challenging game, and Zelda, Muramasa, Prime Trilogy, TW10, LKS, Galaxy, WoG, Brawl, ProEvo, Fire Emblem, Batallion Wars, etc. fit that bill.

If the COD4 port is done well, Wii will have a great shooter. RS2 looks promising, too.

Above all, Metroid: Other M. I'm looking to that as THE core/mature game for Wii.

[Highatus]

I feel that Nintendo just hasn't marketed enough to most hardcore gamers, and mainly neglected them as a whole.

The only games i own for my Wii are Zelda and Mario Cart. Aside from the WiiWare titles I've purchased due to not already owning them for my cartridge consoles.

It seems they just want the casual crowd... Just the feeling i get from them. I work hard and don't need the Wiifits, I play sports so I don't need the Wiisports, And i play guitar so i don't need the Wiimusics. I need games that i can enjoy and get immersed into from a hard days work... not something that requires more physical work.

No offense to anyone either but the cute sprites in my RPG's just don't do it for me anymore, No matter how serious the story may be it just can't be taken seriously.

I'll also add Silent Hill can be bought on HD platforms, i didn't shell out that much dough on my T.V or my consoles so i can look at sub HD graphics on it. Intuitive controls or not i'm not buying in.

Metroid, Conduit, Madworld... were attempts, but with much better and newer Ip's out on other systems, that's where i'm putting my cash.

I do enjoy some party games from time to time but that's for when company may be over, then would never get touched again, hence why i don't buy them.

If Nintendo wants my attention, then compete for it like Sony and Microsoft has and are. Other than that i'll just keep browsing the WiiWare every now and then for my spike of nostalgia.

[Mahr]

"The only games i own for my Wii are Zelda and Mario Cart"

Kart. Mario Kart. That's how they've spelled the title for, uh, the past eight games and seventeen years.

"Aside from the WiiWare titles I've purchased due to not already owning them for my cartridge consoles."

You mean the Virtual Console; that's the one with all the older stuff like the games from the NES and SNES and the like. Wiiware is the section comprised of all the newly-developed games like Lost Winds or Bit.trip.

"I'll also add Silent Hill can be bought on HD platforms"

Uh, if you're talking about Homecoming, then yes, although that wouldn't make much in the way of sense, since that game was awful. You're definitely not talking about Shattered Memories or Origins, unless by 'HD platforms', you mean 'the PS2 and PSP'.

"Other than that i'll just keep browsing the WiiWare"

Virtual Console. If you go on to the Wii Shop Channel and pick Wiiware when you're given the choice in big letters between Wiiware and Virtual Console, it'll, uh, take you to the wrong place.

[Highatus]

WiiWare - Virtual Console... Whatever that's how much i go on it.

And Silent Hill was just an example. The series hasn't been good since 1 and 2.

And wow i'm very sorry for misspelling Kart with Cart, does it even matter? Should i maybe send you something for such a travesty?

Are you trying to prove something here? Indirectly saying that maybe i don't own my dust collecting Wii?

Would you like a few pics of my dust collector? I could even fire it up maybe and take a couple screens of my channels?

What a waste of time...

However if you want them i'll post them.

[Rmagnus]

You only own two wii games? Well I just got my wii about a month ago and I am loving it. I got SMG, SSBB, Mario Kart, Super paper Mario, Boom Blox Bash Party (its quite good if you got someone to play with you), Wii Resort is awesome too when my cousins come over. Try out Muramasa Demon Blade (its one of the most beautiful games on the wii I love the art style)and Little King's story if you like some RTS.

Besides the VC which has many gems as I was play psx and ps2 back than hence I missed N64 & Gamecube. Currently I am on the hunt for a cheap copy of NMH and HOTD overkill.

Upcoming purchase when I get funds will be Boy & his blob as well as the New Super Mario Bros Wii

SO I got very few complains for my Wii, whenever I get sick of my wii i switch to my ps3 and vice versa.

PS you complains about RPG, there's hardly a good RPG out this gen so far, Valkyria Chronicles is more of a rts & Demon Soul is more of a Diablo styled game. So its not only the Wii that's suffering from a lack of RPG although next year should be better with FF13, WKC etc. Than again unlike you I got no issues with cute sprites in my RPG, Disgaea 3 was pretty awesome in my book.

[Highatus]

Thanks for the sensible post.

Please don't get me wrong i don't 'hate' my Wii much to like i sound. I enjoy it on occasion. especially when i bought it. But in all honesty i haven't turned it on in a long time.

Too many other games are taking away my attention on other platforms making it easy for me to overlook what the Wii has. That was all i was really trying to say in my initial post, was that Nintendo needs to grab my attention much like Sony and Microsoft has.

Kinda funny you mention Disgaea. It's the last sprite style rpg i've bought in a long time, and i enjoyed it. Not for character design or depth though but for gameplay.

I also have VC and just finished my first run through of Demon's Souls :) I was a little unclear on the style of RPG and was meaning more along the lines of Lost Odyssey(which is great) for JRPG styling. It does seem that you are right however that i'll have to wait till next year for that type of game.

[Mahr]

"And Silent Hill was just an example. The series hasn't been good since 1 and 2."

If the series hasn't been good since the PS2 days, why bring up the terrible HD iteration?

"And wow i'm very sorry for misspelling Kart with Cart, does it even matter?"

If you're trying to make a point, it usually behooves you to make a point correctly. If, for example, you make a point in the manner of an illiterate, then you come off as rather silly.

"Should i maybe send you something for such a travesty?"

If I had known a little constructive criticism was going to affect you so much, I would have refrained. My apologies.

"Are you trying to prove something here? Indirectly saying that maybe i don't own my dust collecting Wii?"

Not at all. I'm merely offering some friendly advice: if you don't have the faintest clue what you are talking about, it's difficult for anyone to take you particularly seriously.

[Rmagnus]

At times it does appear that Nintendo seems to cater more to the casual gaming folks but than again they have a huge market share there so it make sense i suppose.

Its really easy to over look what games are out for Wii because lets face it most of the people online just want to argue about ps3 and 360 lol. Its always PS3 has AAA exclusive or Halo sold 2million in a day or something. No one seems to care about Wii so its really hard to generate hype for the games. I mean if I don't own a wii I would most likely not know about Muramasa or Little King's story.. Thats just how things are, you can't compare graphics with the Wii, you can't compare sale(damn thing trashes everything) you can't compare fun (what's fun to you may be rubbish for others) There's just not much things you can talk about Wii. Its just a simple yet very fun machine (if you pick the right games)

Time for you to get more games for the wii next year with sin and punishment 2, NMH2, MH3, other M just to name a few =)

[Highatus]

It was obviously above your grasp and comprehension of the point that i was trying to get across. It seems Rmagnus hit it spot on.

You on the other hand feel the need to bullet point my comments and derive meaningless arguments from them.

Anyone can do the same without respite to end up with no discourse.

"If the series hasn't been good since the PS2 days, why bring up the terrible HD iteration? "

Maybe i brought it up because others already have? Refer to the above posts.

"If you're trying to make a point, it usually behooves you to make a point correctly. If, for example, you make a point in the manner of an illiterate, then you come off as rather silly."

Oh! Your right silly me. I must be illiterate because i confused the 'C' with a 'K'; Last time i checked they were both in the dictionary. Next time i'll be try to be politically correct next time with the word (C)Kart. Just for you okay?

"If I had known a little constructive criticism was going to affect you so much, I would have refrained. My apologies."

There is a difference between constructive criticism and arrogance. Your whole reply came across just as that. Exercise the criticism without the arrogance and you won't get a quip in return.

"Not at all. I'm merely offering some friendly advice: if you don't have the faintest clue what you are talking about, it's difficult for anyone to take you particularly seriously."

Again if you were offering 'friendly advice' with such disdain it hardly makes it so. It is also you without the faintest clue because you missed the point of my initial post. Which was Nintendo doesn't have my attention, hence why i haven't been on it in a long time, hence why i referred to the 'Virtual Console' as 'WiiWare' and the like.

Here's the title of the article and the first paragraph.

"What Would Make Me Buy and Play More Wii Games"

"One of the few untapped market segments for the Wii is the serious or hardcore gamer. How could the Wii attract this type of gamer?"

Therefore my point ('Nintendo needs to get my attention') holding true to the articles question. Are you sure that i'm the one that looks silly? By the way what is your point in regards to this article other than posting arrogant demeaning replies in such a miserable fashion?

[Mahr]

'It was obviously above your grasp and comprehension of the point that i was trying to get across"

As I said above, I was simply offering some friendly advice, which you for some reason are getting strangely defensive over.

"You on the other hand feel the need to bullet point my comments and derive meaningless arguments from them."

Argument? Hardly. Arguing would imply that I was trying to convince you of anything. I was merely pointing out that you made a number of factual errors.

"Maybe i brought it up because others already have? Refer to the above posts."

I don't believe anyone else brought up Homecoming; justly so, because it was terrible.

"Oh! Your right silly me. I must be illiterate because i confused the 'C' with a 'K'"

Uh, see, this is what I what I mean when I say you're being defensive. I didn't say you were illiterate. I said *if*, for example, one expressed themselves in an illiterate manner, then it would be difficult to take what they say at face value. Which it would be.

I'm sorry if that's how you read things.

"Last time i checked they were both in the dictionary. Next time i'll be try to be politically correct next time with the word (C)Kart. Just for you okay?"

It's not a matter of being politically correct; it's a matter of talking about the correct thing. They race in motorized vehicles called karts, hence why the activity is called kart racing.

If it were cart racing, that would imply that one was racing in shopping carts.

"There is a difference between constructive criticism and arrogance. Your whole reply came across just as that. Exercise the criticism without the arrogance and you won't get a quip in return."

Arrogance? I apologize, but looking over my post, I believe you're reading something bizarre into my words that simply isn't there. I was merely saying that you were in factual error over a couple of points. No need for you to get hostile over something like that.

"Again if you were offering 'friendly advice' with such disdain it hardly makes it so."

I genuinely have no idea where you're getting this 'disdain' from.

"It is also you without the faintest clue because you missed the point of my initial post."

I didn't miss it; it's simply irrelevant to my own point, which is that one cannot take seriously any point that appeals to factual inaccuracies. You could be talking about how you played Flower on XBLA, or how you only bought Uncharted for the PS2, or made any number of mistakes in regards to another console, and I would still have made roughly the same comment.

"Which was Nintendo doesn't have my attention, hence why i haven't been on it in a long time, hence why i referred to the 'Virtual Console' as 'WiiWare' and the like."

So you make mistakes about these things because you're ignorant of the system? Fair enough.

[Highatus]

After skimming through your comment history one can come to the assertion that I may have referred to Nintendo or the Wii in a manner you particularly did not like. Therefore replying to it in defence. If I am wrong in that respect then it was the way that I portrayed your motives.

"So you make mistakes about these things because you're ignorant of the system? Fair enough"

That's absolutely correct and how I chose to help make my point come across.

If Nintendo had my attention I wouldn't come across as ignorant towards the system case in point.

[hard joe]

mature/hardcore games won't sell on wii

[Muckbeast]

I disagree. Perfect Dark was one of the top sellers on the N64. Eternal Darkness was one of the top sellers on the Gamecube.

If they make them, people will buy.

[ambientFLIER]

Hardcore games that aren't ports.

[ZombieAutopsy]

Things that would make me buy and play more wii games, hmmm i guess something that could sell me is...well i guess if it was 100$ i would go buy it. I dont think their is anything they could do that would make me want to go and buy another console, that being said i think the Wii is a decent console but not for me. Now if their was a WiiHD with a decent controller that isnt for motion controls it might get my attention but then it would still need some decent games, as of right now the only Wii games id really be interested in are House of the Dead Games (liked the motion controlls for this game though), Paper Mario, Metriod, Zelda, Monster Hunter 3 and thats pretty much it. The main reason for me not buying it isnt the fact that its not HD but it just doesnt have enough games that interest me, even if they did bring out a bunch of new games that id like to play chances are i wouldnt buy a Wii unless it dropped to $150 and even then they would have to be some pretty kick arse games.

[kaveti6616]

I think the Wii already has a good assortment of games that aren't exactly kiddy games. One of the things that Nintendo needs to do is to bring Mario Party back into high quality status.

Also, Nintendo should be thinking about developing new IPs. They have plenty of money, and therefore they can risk making some unique games.

[Muckbeast]

Developing some new IPs would be a good idea.

I don't know about Mario Party. Those games always had a huge luck factor in them, and serious and hardcore gamers don't really like games decided largely on luck.

[na-no-nai]

developing new ips, well some have been developed; while others are in progress of being worked on

disaster day of crisis, tact of magic, cosmic walker, line attack hero, kensakusu, dynamic slash, span smasher, and manado: beginning of the world, and a game from project sora. plus many more they probably be hiding

if these arent new ips then i dont know what they are