We’ve all witnessed the incredible success that is the Wii. It’s been almost a year and a half since it was released and people are still having problems hunting one down. We’ve seen countless news stories about the Wii bridging generational gaps and bringing gaming to the masses. We’ve heard of the Wii being used in nursing homes, personal therapy sessions and community centers. For the record, I waited over fourteen hours in line on launch day and absolutely love my Wii. However, is the Wii really as simple as it appears?
Nintendo has touted the Wii as a family machine, one that brings people of all ages together, one that will introduce gaming to people who have hitherto never laid a finger on a controller. Nintendo has also cashed in (literally) on the Wii’s price point, which is significantly lower than the other major competitors’ consoles. However, is the Wii’s price point simply a facade? What if you want to play Virtual Console games, such as those from the SNES? Sorry, that’ll cost an extra $20, that is, unless you already own a Gamecube controller, which you most likely don’t if you’re just getting into gaming. What if you want to be able to play something like Wii Boxing with a friend. Sorry, but that will be $20 for a Nunchuck and $40 for a Wii Remote. Want a more visceral shooting experience? That will be another $20 for a Wii Zapper. Come later this year, Nintendo will be introducing Wii Fit, a peripheral that resembles a bathroom scale and that will let you do a variety of exercise-oriented activities, as well as play games by using your body. While a price point has yet to be announced, Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America, has stated that it will retail for under $100. How much under still remains to be seen, but if the Wii is any indication (Nintendo stated it would be under $250 and it currently retails for $249.99) it may not be too far off from $100.
So far we are already close to spending $200, in addition to the cost of the console itself and without purchasing any additional games. This isn’t even taking into consideration the purchase of an SD card for save games and Virtual Console titles. Considering all of this, it may seem like the Wii isn’t too friendly when it comes to your checkbook. However, I failed to mention that the Wii comes with both a Wii Remote and a Nunchuck, as well as a full-fledged game, Wii Sports, the first Nintendo pack-in title since Super Mario World in the days of the SNES. Taking into account that many non-traditional gamers are still hooked on Wii Sports and therefore probably don’t have a need to satisfy an itchy trigger finger with the Wii Zapper, nor are they probably interested in reliving video history, the Wii actually does turn out to be quite a deal. For many, it is a self-contained entertainment unit. It has everything and more that many “gamers” would want, a copy of Wii Sports and a Wii Remote and Nunchuck.
While we may be experiencing an onslaught of Wii peripherals, most are simply conveniences rather than necessary parts of a game experience. However, for families, the Wii may indeed become a bit of money hog, especially for those who have games that require both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. However, all of this needs to be taken within context. Wii games are inherently cheaper than their 360 and PS3 counterparts, with many even dipping below the $30 mark. Furthermore, although the Wii Remote and Nunchuck may cost $60 together, many Wii games only require the Wii Remote, which is $40, the same price as a 360 or PS3 controller.
So is the Wii a good value? Is it as simple as Nintendo has made it out to be? The answer, on the whole, is a resounding yes. The Wii may have a variety of peripherals available, but most of these aren’t paramount to the core gaming experience. With the Wii, Nintendo is offering consumers the only stand-alone video game console on the market. Sure you could download demos or games off of Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network, but the Wii is the only system to offer a game out of the box, without having to go online or drop an extra cent. Furthermore, the Wii Zapper comes bundled with Link’s Crossbow Training and consumers also have the option of buying Wii Play with a bundled Wii Remote (or perhaps more accurately, a Wii Remote with a bundled copy of Wii Play). Yes, the Wii Remote may gobble up batteries like nobody’s business, yes, you may want to purchase an SD card, yes, a Wii Remote and Nunchuck together may cost more than a 360 or PS3 controller, but, in reality, none of this really matters. The reason that the Wii is succeeding is because it’s offering consumers new experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. For the vast majority of nontraditional gamers, everything they’ll need is contained within the Wii retail box. For everyone else, the Wii still represents a great value. The games are cheaper, if you have one, you can use your Gamecube controller to play Virtual Console titles and select Wii titles and the peripherals and controllers available are just about equal to the offerings from Microsoft and Sony.
So, when you pick up your Wii, rest assured, you’re getting your money’s worth. Now, if only there were some Wiis to buy…
Filed under: Nintendo, Video Games, Wii Tagged: | 360, Link's Crossbow Training, Microsoft, Nintendo, PlayStation Network, PS3, Reggie Fils-Aime, SNES, Sony, Super Mario World, Virtual Console, Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Wii Sports, Wii Zapper, Xbox Live
