A Wiik in Review.

6:20pm, November 28th, 9 days after Wii release.

My name is Jason, and I am a gamer. I could go into further detail about what gaming history I have experienced, but I feel you will relate regardless of background. Whether your left hand fingers fall on w-s-a-d without thought, or your hands fall limp to the shape of a controller; you are a gamer.

Now that we are past the training level of my article, lets take a look at my initial thoughts of the Nintendo Wii after 9 days of ownership. I will admit now that I was hyped for the Wii, it's something new in the face of gaming. No two-sticked, ergonomic controllers; no relying on hot release titles; no cross-platform bashing; just Nintendo; how it has been for years, and how it always will be.

In an industry where technology is constantly changing, how do you trump the competitor. In the end the answer, I feel, is quite simple. Don't rely so heavily on being technically better, and bring to the table something nobody has tried before. The Nintendo Wii has taken this approach with its controller setup, and overall focus of the system. It was never built to bring you the utmost in technological breakthroughs, it was meant to bring you pleasure. Is that not what gaming is really all about. I won't lie to you, I've been playing Wii Sports more than any other title I own. It's not graphically euphoric nor is it incredibly intense, it's just fun. Don't get me wrong here, I have logged over 30 hours on Zelda and probably equally as much on Red Steel. Thats not even counting virtual console games that we have all come to love. Fun is perhaps an adolescent term for it, but it's quite possibly the best way to describe it.

The gaming industry for the last few years has been a battle of hardware. Who outperforms who? Which system can handle the most realistic looking games on the market at a reasonable cost? What is a reasonable cost? My question to you is who cares? Games have always been about fun. I can play my Wii for hours on end, without even glancing at a clock. It's enthralling. The way the game play itself has changed with motion sensing to the point of no return. Do I still love playing my 360? Of course. Would I choose to play it over my Wii? At times. Would I recommend anything over the Wii when used in a group atmosphere? Nope.

One might say that PS3 too has motion sensing capabilities. You'd be correct. Recently a buddy of mine took his Wii to a reunion of friends, a PS3 showed up as well. Take a wild guess what never got shut off. The Wii. You simply can't beat a party setting with a bunch of friends and interactive gaming. Nintendo has found, copied, and mass produced the 'trump card' of the next generation of gaming. Of course I have no doubt in my mind PS3 will be just as successful, but personally I believe them to be different kinds of gaming. If I want to sit down and play an RPG and get immersed in a story and lose myself in a fantasy world, I'd probably sprawl onto the couch in front of my PS3. However, if I wanted to kick off a party or small gathering of people with a little action, the Wii would dominate the dance floor.

If you haven't already noticed, I'm trying to stay as far away from technical as I can. The PS3 blows Wii hardware away, hands down. Everybody knows that though, so why do we need to talk about it? The simple answer is, we don't. Although it is an exceptional way of comparing systems pre-launch, I personally feel its a poor way of comparing post-launch. I also think if you are looking to compare by sales, you need to wait a year before taking your sample data.

Currently, perhaps you agree and perhaps you do not, I feel that the best way to judge a system is by playing it. Nintendo revolutionized this gaming era with the creativity they possess that we have all come to know and love. It's hard to imagine a company more willing to take a leap off a cliff for gamers than Nintendo, and for that I thank them. The Wii has been one of the more worthwhile investments I have purchased, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. It has brought friends closer (even if they are just here for the games :P ) and a lightened mood to my household. Perhaps you yourself, being a gamer and reading this article, will be disappointed at the lack of gaming content. Or perhaps you will understand what I'm saying, and realize that perhaps a better way to judge the system is how much pleasure you get from it.

For those of you seeking more game content, give me another 5 days to finish Zelda: Twilight Princess and post a lengthy review with my impressions of the game. For the rest of you, whether you own a Wii or not, remember that at one time a gamer was someone who simply played games. They did it for the sheer joy of participating in what they felt to be a really good waste of a lot of their time. I feel this way about the Wii. It is most definitely one of the most time consuming monstrosities in my life, and I love it to bits for it. (:

Jason out.