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NPD Hardware Sales Results for February 2007

TDG

Banned
dfi said:
I know it's just me being a positive whiner, but as someone who plays sports, I really like Wii Sports.

I think it replicates the feel of real sports better than any other game to date despite its simplistic nature. I think the wii remote is capable of much more than wii sports offered, but nintendo purposely simplified things because if they made it even more realistic, people would have a hard time with it and complain.

Looks at all the complaints about ssx blur and tiger woods and how hard it is. People are complaining that they can't hit the ball straight in tiger woods when in real life, 90% of people can't hit a golf ball straight. Ssx blur has fantastic ontrols once people practice and get use to it.

People want realism but they don't want it to be too realistic, because in general most people suck at sports.
It's not so much realism I want as much as depth. I just wish they had added to the experience.
 

ylvis_

Banned
I think why some sites gave a game like SSX Blur a low score was becasue they didn't give it enough time. There's a lot of Wii games out there were you just have to play and put more effort into to truly enjoy, compare to games on the 360 and PS3. Because of the simple reason that they plays differently than we're used to.

1up's review of SSX Blur is maybe the worst review, coming from a big gaming site, in the history of gaming in my opinion.
 

ethelred

Member
ylvis_ said:
I think why some sites gave a game like SSX Blur a low score was becasue they didn't give it enough time. There's a lot of Wii games out there were you just have to play and put more effort into to truly enjoy, compare to games on the 360 and PS3. Because of the simple reason that they plays differently than we're used to.

1up's review of SSX Blur is maybe the worst review, coming from a big gaming site, in the history of gaming in my opinion.

Good lord, the hyperbole, it burns.

Nope, not GameSpot's 6.8 review of Yu Suzuki's Shenmue. Not IGN's 3/10 review for Godhand. You've latched onto SSX Blur's as the worst review in the history of gaming. Wow. Come on -- I know it must feel very new to you, but you people are actually winning for a change. Can you drop the persecution complex for a little while?
 

Jirotrom

Member
dfi said:
I know it's just me being a positive whiner, but as someone who plays sports, I really like Wii Sports.

I think it replicates the feel of real sports better than any other game to date despite its simplistic nature. I think the wii remote is capable of much more than wii sports offered, but nintendo purposely simplified things because if they made it even more realistic, people would have a hard time with it and complain.

Looks at all the complaints about ssx blur and tiger woods and how hard it is. People are complaining that they can't hit the ball straight in tiger woods when in real life, 90% of people can't hit a golf ball straight. Ssx blur has fantastic ontrols once people practice and get use to it.

People want realism but they don't want it to be too realistic, because in general most people suck at sports.


Words right out of my mouth

The Disgruntled gamer

It's not so much realism I want as much as depth. I just wish they had added to the experience.

I definitely see where you coming from but I'm sure you understand nintendo's idea when they stated they wanted it very simple on purpose. The idea was to appeal to the mass market...passed all the madden, Halo, and GTA fans. Those games are mass market but they arent mass market in that my mom would play. Wii sports is the first game I ever got my mother to play, no joke.
 

Joe Molotov

Member
KeithFranklin said:
The first quote sure looks like it is true. Over 400K in January and over 300K in February with only 1 AAA game (And it is a GCN game to boot).

The second quote is still to be determined. If the Wii does 300-400K each month than my hats off to Nintendo, but if it does it with nothing but mediocre titles congratulations to the Nintendo fans for getting what they want.

The bitter tears just make Nintendo victory all the more sweet.
 

Evlar

Banned
the disgruntled gamer said:
It's not so much realism I want as much as depth. I just wish they had added to the experience.
I don't think they ever intended Wii Sports Tennis to be the ultimate tennis game, for instance. What they're probably hoping is that some third party will come along, rip off the swing mechanics whole-sale, add in nunchuck character movement and all the bells and whistles expected in a realistic tennis sim (different types of courts, full length matches, character growth, career mode, etc.) and release a fantastic complete tennis package for the Wii. That makes Wii Sports Tennis (and the other Sports games) an advertisement for other full-fledged $50 games.

And if third parties don't take advantage then Nintendo will eventually release Mario Tennis Wii that does all those things anyway.
 
The Sphinx said:
I don't think they ever intended Wii Sports Tennis to be the ultimate tennis game, for instance. What they're probably hoping is that some third party will come along, rip off the swing mechanics whole-sale, add in nunchuck character movement and all the bells and whistles expected in a realistic tennis sim (different types of courts, full length matches, character growth, career mode, etc.) and release a fantastic complete tennis package for the Wii. That makes Wii Sports Tennis (and the other Sports games) an advertisement for other full-fledged $50 games.

And if third parties don't take advantage then Nintendo will eventually release Mario Tennis Wii that does all those things anyway.

I think Tiger Woods 07, though flawed in its own way, is the perfect example of your point here. Madden 07 also got pretty strong reviews for its use of the Wiimote to shake up a traditionally controlled simulation game.

Wii Sports is just a suggestion of the Wii's potential, that will be fully realized in later titles. It is, after all, a launch game. When devs start releasing the usual pro-bowling, pool, bass fishing, tennis, cricket, lacrosse, hockey, and soccer games, people will look back on WiiSports as a primer, not the non-game that 'killed gaming'.
 
The Sphinx said:
I don't think they ever intended Wii Sports Tennis to be the ultimate tennis game, for instance. What they're probably hoping is that some third party will come along, rip off the swing mechanics whole-sale, add in nunchuck character movement and all the bells and whistles expected in a realistic tennis sim (different types of courts, full length matches, character growth, career mode, etc.) and release a fantastic complete tennis package for the Wii. That makes Wii Sports Tennis (and the other Sports games) an advertisement for other full-fledged $50 games.

And if third parties don't take advantage then Nintendo will eventually release Mario Tennis Wii that does all those things anyway.

I would think (or hope) that Nintendo learned from the last generation to not overwhelm their console with their first party offerings. By focusing their efforts on these WiiSports kinds of games, they can introduce new gameplay mechanics with the Wiimote and leave it to third parties to have more focused, complexed efforts.

I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't still see deep games from them it's just that if they start getting into Mario-this and Mario-that they're going to quickly drown out all other voices on the system.
 

kkg1701

Member
the disgruntled gamer said:
It's not so much realism I want as much as depth. I just wish they had added to the experience.

I don't think you described depth in you previous posts though. That was realism.


KK
 

Jirotrom

Member
Saint Gregory said:
I would think (or hope) that Nintendo learned from the last generation to not overwhelm their console with their first party offerings. By focusing their efforts on these WiiSports kinds of games, they can introduce new gameplay mechanics with the Wiimote and leave it to third parties to have more focused, complexed efforts.

I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't still see deep games from them it's just that if they start getting into Mario-this and Mario-that they're going to quickly drown out all other voices on the system.
You make a good point mainly because personally I got tired of seeing mario this and that.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
SovanJedi said:
Whoa, reading comprehension for the lose. My bad.


ylvis_ said:
1up's review of SSX Blur is maybe the worst review, coming from a big gaming site, in the history of gaming in my opinion.
"in the history of gaming" is a far cry from "in the history of SSX Blur reviews".
 
the disgruntled gamer said:
No, no, I completely agree. I had my 70-year-old neighbor come over, and she could get right into Wii Sports. I think it's mostly about multi-taking. She would likely get confused and overwhelmed if she had to fucus on using the D-Pad to move the character and swing the Wiimote. It's cool for her, but for people like me it's a game that I can't have much fun with unless there is more depth.

I'm the same; I like Wii Sports but the thing I like most about it is that I can play it with my girlfriend, sister or anybody. It's nice to have a title you know anybody can play.

Masklinn said:
Using the D-pad to move in Wii Tennis would such though, nunchuck FTW

Swinging the Wiimote while it's attached to a nunchuk = broken equipment FTL.
 

TDG

Banned
Yikes. I leave for a while and I get a ton of responses. Let me try to clear things up.
I know that Wii Sports is supposed to be a game that has mass-market appeal, and it does. I also understand that Wii Sports isn't meant to be a ultra-realistic sports game. I'm just saying, Wii Sports does what it's supposed to do, but I would love to see it expanded upon. I want a fully fleshed-out Wii Sports, and while my family can really pick up and enjoy Wii Sports as it is, I can't.

As for realism/depth, I outlined this a bit in a earlier posts, but just little things like being able to position your player in Tennis would add a lot of depth in that there would be strategy, not just mindless swinging.
 

KevinRo

Member
You don't understand.

After a while of destroying your friends in Halo, a majority of them tend not to want to play anymore. If there happens to be that one person who stays and continues to get destroyed welcome him/her into the .01 percent of humans who play Halo competativley.

With Wii Sports ANYONE, and when I say anyone I mean ANYONE, can pick it up instantly and have that genuine fun without having to learn the complicated backback realods or double melee's like in Halo.

That's why Wii Sports succeeds. It appeals to everyone not only just the hardcore gamers.
 

ethelred

Member
KevinRo said:
You don't understand.

After a while of destroying your friends in Halo, a majority of them tend not to want to play anymore. If there happens to be that one person who stays and continues to get destroyed welcome him/her into the .01 percent of humans who play Halo competativley.

With Wii Sports ANYONE, and when I say anyone I mean ANYONE, can pick it up instantly and have that genuine fun without having to learn the complicated backback realods or double melee's like in Halo.

He does understand:

the disgruntled gamer said:
I know that Wii Sports is supposed to be a game that has mass-market appeal, and it does. [...] I'm just saying, Wii Sports does what it's supposed to do, but I would love to see it expanded upon.

Believe it or not, it's very possible for some people to recognize and appreciate the role Wii Sports plays while still wanting something more for themselves and for other gamers.
 
Okay, just so we're clear everyone. Nobody is seriously doubting Wii Sports as a bonafide, true to the apple core and orange pulp system seller, right? If we use Zelda's attach ratio worldwide and Wii Sport's ratio in Japan, we can at least assume that Wii Sports moved at least 2 million Wiis worldwide to date with sellouts everywhere and no signs of stopping any time soon.
 
ylvis_ said:
Yeah, I know, but I heard someone said that this March would also be a 5 weeks month. But you're 100% sure it's a 4 weeks month.
Usually each quarter has a 4/4/5 pattern. This year was an exception in that January had a fifth week, but that shouldn't change anything for the other months this year.

KeithFranklin said:
How is controlling a vehicle more intuitive with a WiiMote than it is with a steering wheel?
Most people don't make such a comparison, but compare between the default controllers. In the specific case of Excite Truck, though, when in a large jump one can change the orientation of the truck by not only left/right, but forward/backward tilt, which is probably more intuitive than any alternate method that would need be used with a wheel.
 

TDG

Banned
chibcicylist said:
Okay, just so we're clear everyone. Nobody is seriously doubting Wii Sports as a bonafide, true to the apple core and orange pulp system seller, right? If we use Zelda's attach ratio worldwide and Wii Sport's ratio in Japan, we can at least assume that Wii Sports moved at least 2 million Wiis worldwide to date with sellouts everywhere and no signs of stopping any time soon.
Sure, it's certainly selling some systems. It's a well put together demonstration of what the Wii can do, and people have reacted to it really well.
 
There should be no doubt about it.

Wiisports is Wii in the minds of the mainstream.

I think it will go down as one of the most important pack-in games for any system, a close second to Super Mario Bros.
 
civilstrife said:
There should be no doubt about it.

Wiisports is Wii in the minds of the mainstream.

I think it will go down as one of the most important pack-in games for any system, a close second to Super Mario Bros.

This is how it will be remembered. One of the most important, and one of the absolute BEST, in terms of communicating what the device is all about. Not since Super Mario Bros has a launch title been more important to a system's initial success.
 

TDG

Banned
aztrex said:
This is how it will be remembered. One of the most important, and one of the absolute BEST, in terms of communicating what the device is all about. Not since Super Mario Bros has a launch title been more important to a system's initial success.
Yeah, even though I don't like the game very much, it's easy to see why Nintendo put this game front and center. Nothing demonstrates the unique abilities of the Wii better.
 
Anyone know who thought of the idea of packing it in in the first place? I'm still amazed at the thought that Wii sports was nothing more than a tech demo, yet it is in the same battelfield as Gears of War, Lost Planet(40 million dollahs!) and Resistance. I have this perverted picture in my head of Miis spanking bald space marines and giant enemy crabs with tennis rackets.
 

TDG

Banned
chibcicylist said:
Anyone know who thought of the idea of packing it in in the first place? I'm still amazed at the thought that Wii sports was nothing more than a tech demo, yet it is in the same battelfield as Gears of War, Lost Planet(40 million dollahs!) and Resistance. I have this perverted picture in my head of Miis spanking bald space marines and giant enemy crabs with tennis rackets.
Wait. Wii Sports is in what battlefield with Gears of War?
 

dfi

Member
ylvis_ said:
I think why some sites gave a game like SSX Blur a low score was becasue they didn't give it enough time. There's a lot of Wii games out there were you just have to play and put more effort into to truly enjoy, compare to games on the 360 and PS3. Because of the simple reason that they plays differently than we're used to.

1up's review of SSX Blur is maybe the worst review, coming from a big gaming site, in the history of gaming in my opinion.

AMEN!

Edit: Skip, aka Andrew Pfister, needs to be barred from ever reviewing another Wii game for the rest of his life.

If the controls are so broken then I wouldn't be able to get 2.6 mill on the halfpipe, 2:44 on ruthless, and gold in every slalom event with the default controls.

Hard and different does not equal broken. Is the game hard, yes. Is the controls different, yes. Is it broken, absolutely not. Broken means that no matter how hard u try, u won't be able to master it, but as I've shown, the game can be mastered. And not only that, I've thoroughly enjoyed the process of mastering the game. IMO, its more fun than zelda tp, which I loved as well.
 

Fuzzy

I would bang a hot farmer!
Eteric Rice said:
MrRogers2.jpg
 

Vinnk

Member
I finally got to the end!

I have been reding this thread during my free time since it went up. I would read a few pages, do so work, come back and there would be 5 or 10 new pages. But I finally got caught up. So much drama, so many emotions. Now that I am kind of sorry it is over. I can only hope next month will be as good.

As much as Sony took a beating this montha dn Wii came out on top, this war is far from over. And that's great. Lately I spend more time reading about the console war than actually playing the games themselves.

And this generation will continue tgo provide some great entertainment.
 
SuomiDude said:
You just described about 99% of GAF :lol

I buy games for my nerdy collection and pretend to have played them for trolling rights on GAF while paying chinese workers to increase my gamerscore on XBLA.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
civilstrife said:
I think it will go down as one of the most important pack-in games for any system, a close second to Super Mario Bros.
it will definitely go down as one of the most important pack-ins of all time (though you forgot the game that sold a million gameboys.. tetris, which also perfectly defined portable gaming.), and I think the only other launch title that even comes close to it is Super Mario 64. Mind you I'm not saying Wii Sports is as good as SM64.. just that as has been said, it perfectly conveys what the system is about. When you first controlled Mario with the analog stick, you were pretty much "Screw digital controls". The most mainstream common consumer could instantly understand WHY analog controls were so awesome. Same thing here. The most mainstream consumer instantly understands what sets apart the Wii from everyone else.

Kudos to Nintendo. First the laughter at the under-specced machine. Followed by the laughter of the wiimote, and capped by the laughter of the name. Yet it has been the number one selling game system for how many months straight now? It's 1989 all over again (NES/GB)
 

KINGMOKU

Member
tahrikmili said:
I buy games for my nerdy collection and pretend to have played them for trolling rights on GAF while paying chinese workers to increase my gamerscore on XBLA.
This sounds like a plan...
 
Eteric Rice said:
Yeah, I find the fanboy tug of war more interesting than the games on any of the consoles right now.

Until Paper Mario, anyway.

In between surfing the net, I play handhelds or Warcraft III, so it works out for me.
 

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
GhaleonEB said:
I think next month will look a lot like this month, with an extra week added.

I shudder to think about the backlash from the Sony fans if PS3 makes it past 200k next month.
 
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