Is the Wii Consider a "Next Gen" System?

[Creepa907]

Over the years, the Wii is one of the best selling systems up to date. Unfortunately, many people believe that the Wii was build on hype rahter than technology. Lack of graphics, constant catch up with PS3 and Xbox and lack of games for mature audience, some say that its more a second gen+ rathen than a next gen. However, Nintendo has made a technological break through by putting motion controls in games. So is the Wii really a next gen system or is it just one step back? Discuss.

[Wiiwillrockyou]

Good topic of discussion.

I'd say its half-way there. It's no entertainment giant as far as media aside from games goes, and it certainly isn't a powerhouse in graphics or hardcore gameplay.

What it is an invention. The fact that it brought motion control into the gaming world plays a role in making it into a console of next-gen proportions, if only somewhat.

[LemonManX]

It is next generation, there is too much of a general opinion that high definition visuals are what makes up this generation. However, now that both Sony and Microsoft are lazily jumping on the motion control train one would imagine differently.

I'm not saying that high definition isn't next generation, it is purely the road that the other two companies went down. All three chose different methods to implement their "next generation" concepts.

Nintendo chose motion. Sony chose horse-power. Microsoft chose community.

All three are winners in a way.

[BlackSabbath370]

Yes, the Wii is considered next gen, LemonManx and Wiiwillrockyou's reasons state why it is next gen, Nintendo does what it usually does, make the successor innovative and different

[Creepa907]

I could agree with many of those reason but if you look over from the time of the PS and the N64 (not too far back) and the period when PS2 and Gamecube and Xbox came out, you see that many critics based nex gen quality on graphics. Your reason are valid but you can go to any review website and whenever a game graphics look like its previous predecessor, they always considered it to be last gen. Maybe its cause we just got into new innovations that we are still stuck in the mindset that graphics make the gen. It may take a while but Wii will get our ass kicked about graphics.

[Wiiwillrockyou]

I could deal with non-HD graphics any day; I just dislike the fact that it has the same graphical power as the gamecube, and that its power wasn't stepped up in any way. I have no disrespect for that type of graphics, but are you going to tell me that they can't slap in just one new graphics card (or even some sort of small update) in a time span of 5 years?

The good news, however, is that Nintendo makes the perfect graphics for their system. Every Mario and Zelda game? Couldn't see them looking any other way. It's the third parties we need to worry about, except for the rare ones who can make a hand drawn masterpiece (I'm looking at you, Boy and Blob).

[Creepa907]

Nintendo should make it sysem good so that thrid party companies can make a great game with clear visuals. I mean Zelda and Metriod Prime are one of those few games that look next gen. Conduit and dead space look almost next gen with some popups. And the rest are PS2 and gamecube. Nintendo need to worry about these thrid party companies make a game with excellent gameplay and (no offense) in depth visual because they are the one who are making the bulk of their games. and its good to make a game feel like a blu ray movie.

[LemonManX]

Conduit didn't look next gen to me at all. If anything, its not Nintendo's fault. Other companies should be able to grasp at the Wii's graphical capabilities by now, but their laziness is what blocks them.

[Creepa907]

Even Nintendo said that it wasnt going to have graphic quality as good bas PS3 and Xbox. I do say that graphics does have a big factor on how you think of a game but I'm not saying that Nintendo needs to come out with a game that looks like MW2 of Killzone 2 everytime. My point is that Nintendo should have gave thrid party companies a better layout to work with. Its like someone giving you a feather pen to write with when you know they could give you a pen.

[Rooster]

LemonManX Wrote:Conduit didn't look next gen to me at all. If anything, its not Nintendo's fault. Other companies should be able to grasp at the Wii's graphical capabilities by now, but their laziness is what blocks them.

Especially when Nintendo releases titles like Super Mario Galaxy and Corruption. The other companies have no excuse at this point.

And technically, doesn't next generation just mean the next iteration of something?

[Red]

Super Mario Galaxy's graphics > Various PS3 And Xbox 360 games.

[wiiwiimanz]

I think the Wii should be considered the first of a "New Gen". Until now games have just been building on the same controllers and game play for years. I was around for the Atari 1600 and I can still pick up a ps3 or xbox game and play them with out very much of a learning curve. But the Wii that takes some time. I will love to see what the real Next Gen for the Wii is.

[Creepa907]

True. If you consider it. Wii has brung it the next gen with its motion controllers. Unfortunately since it couldnt do the motion controls very smoothly and precise (plus the fact it still had gamecube graphics) its been placed as last gen. You make a goopdpoint especially sinced PS3 and Xbox are copying the wii motion controls. They justimproving on what Wii didnt do.

[Irony]

I'm a bit of a graphics whore.

For example, I love Half Life 1, but it's such a shame to play it these days when I've been spoilt by 1080p Crysis on full settings. Graphics are important for immersion and immersion is the most important thing about any kind of non-casual game.

For this reason I think the Wii is more 6.5th gen as opposed to 7th gen. Just in the same way the the Dreamcast was more 5.5th gen than 6th gen.

[Cubroso]

The Wii isn't next generation because it's already out.

[Rawrmander]

I think we're deep enough into this generation of consoles to stop calling them "next" gen.
We're easily in the "current" now.

With the addition of motion controls of their own for the 360 and PS3, the Wii is showing it's age.
Its just not up to par with the other consoles at all.
Not so much as to say that it's last gen; the 360 and PS3 are just so much more powerful.

I'd be happy with the PS3 for another 5 years I bet. (I mean, games get better the longer the console's around anyway because devs get familiar with the dev tools; why make them start from square one again?)
Meanwhile the 360 is starting to suffer in the visuals, but it's still good enough; some extra RAM would help it.
The Wii, as previously stated, is no where near the competition. I don't even mean graphics. You need a good CPU to handle AI, case in point: Dead Rising.

[BlackSabbath370]

Cubroso Wrote:The Wii isn't next generation because it's already out.

smartass

[Creepa907]

[Cubroso]
The Wii isn't next generation because it's already out.
Now that Mr. Smartass has made a point, we have to considered what part of next gen we are talking about. Think of something good if you dont want Mr.Smartass to destroy you (Thats BlackSabbath's Job)