Why im waiting on the WiiU

Since E3 2011 the WiiU has become very much of an enigma. Not much is known other than what Nintendo wishes to tell us all. This is of course not unfamiliar for the sort of secrecy surrounding such a large product launch. The level of secrecy is for many reasons least of all to stop the competition getting a heads up about their upcoming competition.

However as is the case with todays modern unsleeping media the reports and rumours already swirling are running rampant. This is not even a problem for just Nintendo with both Microsoft and Sony both having many "details" regarding their upcoming next gen consoles released to the press. These have gained a large following from many online sources (mostly gaming websites) who choose to release them not under the cloud of "beware all who read these as they are completely unverified" but under a much vaguer mantle of "from a source close to the matter". Of course once out into the general ether of the internet it is practically impossible to tell who said what and what is from an original source and what parts have been embellished but the lack of understanding from many corners can be detrimental to both the fans and the company producing the product.

Shortly after the E3 announcement of the WiiU back almost a year ago the stock for Nintendo began to fall and many so called "Industry Experts" began to lower their ratings on the company. When asked why the general response was that Nintendo had in their view not put enough (if any) emphasis on how the new console was going to interact with social networks such as Facebook and in their view this would cause less people to buy the console itself. This was however not a view shared by the crowds of people who actually got to see the console and by and large the gaming community itself. The biggest problem for Nintendo in terms of gamers was a misunderstanding about what the WiiU actually was, was it a new console or just a new controller as many at the time believed. Gamers however did not seem to care about a lack of Facebook integration into their latest mario kart game or the fact that every space pirate killed in a new metroid was unlikely to then tweet of its demise. The reason, the people buying the console are not looking to buy yet another social networking device but a new "gaming" console. The media however did not see it that way as all of their "Experts" were following their own script.

Todays problems for Nintendo come in the form of "reports" regarding the performance of the new console. Some say that it is several times more powerful than the current gen consoles but then there are other reports claiming it to barely be capable of the same graphical fidelity and power of an Xbox 360. Clearly both reports can not be correct and I daresay that until Nintendo decide to come out and definitively confirm the exact specs we will continue to get such reports.Then there is the question surrounding the quality of products being made for the machine. The Wii floundered in a sea of sub-standard games which put many gamers off what is a very good "gaming" machine supported by some tremendous first/second party games. So which is the most important? That the console has brilliant components or that it has brilliant games.

So i for one will be holding back any decision on whether to love it or hate it until i see some finished games and get a look at what the box can do because while it might seem like great fun to speculate and wonder about what might be inside that little white box, speculation without acknowledging the difference between speculation and truth can cause some "real" problems. Dont get me wrong though, im not asking for a complete lack of reporting on such matters and im not asking for gaming websites to stop reporting news as im wholly for a free media (sat here as a blogger spouting my opinion, a free media is exactly what i need). But these websites that choose to promote news as facts need to make sure that their audience gets that somethings are facts and some are not. This is the responsibility of the writer and not the reader.

Thanks for reading,
Ed

PS Vita, The core gamers portable console?

In recent years social gaming has exploded into a huge market, helped by the popularity of platforms such as the Nintendo DS/IPhone/Facebook and tablet computers have propelled social gaming into every part of lives. No matter where we are be it on the bus, train car, in the office or line for a coffe social gaming has used the most popular portable tech platforms to become one of the most important gaming sectors.

This it has to be said has lead to a huge increase in the popularity and money involved in video games in general and has helped boost the sector into its spot as the biggest global entertainment industry. Social gaming is for everyone no matter your age, gender or race. The nature of social gaming (sometimes reffered to as casual gaming) as generally being smaller, cheaper and easier to play has allowed the market to boom with games allowing you to do anything from build a mafia empire one click at a time to guiding a "doodle" ever further into the sky.

The great breadth in terms of gaming opportunities and tiny cost of producing these small games has lead to huge numbers of games being created with varying degrees of success and quality. For every "Doodle Jump" there is a million "Marshmallow Cookie Maker"s. This has sadly lead to many great games being completely ignored in the quagmire of mediochre-at-best rubbish.

The Nintendo DS (Nintendo's all conquering handheld) started promisingly enough for core gamers with games like Super Mario 64 DS and Metroid Hunters pleasing core gamers along with many others. These not only delivered great gaming experiences but utilised the nature of the technology. However a few years later and you take a look at the sales charts and its a different view entirely. As the Chart for the week ending 18th Feb shows, a large number of the top selling games are part of the casual genre. Art Academy at 10, Barbie at 14, Loving life with Hello Kitty and Friends in the top 30. Its also interesting to note that apart from a smattering of professor Layton games (which is very much on the border between core and casual gaming) there are very few Core games in the top selling charts. Most if not all of these are split between Pokemon and other Nintendo published games, with the now 8 year old Super Mario 64 DS coming in 19th. This loss of core gaming products from these lists can be attributed directly to the rise in social gaming, the boom of game releases flooding out the core games from the shop shelves.

The PS Vita however with its HD graphics and dual thumbsticks has levelled itself as the core gamers portable console and it has shown with a stellar lineup including a portable version of its console brothers best series. This alongside FIFA, Rayman and Marvel vs Capcom (among others) is bringing confindence back into portable gaming for thos ewho would rather lead an assault in Battlfield than plough up a field in Farmville.

Whether or not the PS Vita will continue down its current route as a core gaming device is unknown but with continued support with games such as Resistance: Burning Skies and (planned) releases for Bioshock and Assassins Creed games the future is looking bright once more for core gamers who need a real gaming fix while on the move.


Let me know what you guys think, are you more of a core or social gamer (any Zynga addicts?). Do you see the need for a greater emphasis on core gaming in the portable market or is it more of a sideshow for you. Let me know about any of the topics in this article or any ideas you have for my next piece.

Thanks for reading.