A year ago at E3, Microsoft and Sony both professed their dedication to the hardware/software “user” (consumer).
They continued their straightforward outlook on the way the industry has progressed to this point, and how they predicted it would move forward.
It’s obvious, a year later that both companies have focused on improving on what works, making good products better, and expanding fucntionality both online and off in terms of hardware, firmware, and software.
Microsoft made an impressive showing of 1st party software, and they proved that they can entice some of the industry’s best to look to them for developing “exclusive” content.
Sony did everything they could to save face over a year of press, critical, and public bashing over everything from price points to catch phrases “Riiiiidge Racer”…
…now, here’s the rub.
Nintendo didn’t say “we’re going to keep doing what the industry wants us to do they way the industry wants us to do it”.
Nintendo did something unique … outrageous even … they showed us a new way to play, and I along with millions, bought into it.
Nintendo asked us not only to play the Wii and enjoy that “new way” … but they also asked us to IMAGINE the POTENTIAL, they asked us to LOOK TO THE FUTURE, and they all but promised IMMERSIVE gameplay experiences.
After playing games like Wii Sports and Zelda Twilight Princess, I was along for the ride …
… however, if the “future” is what we’ve just seen, if what I was supposed to “imagine” was the same 5-10 “franchise character” titles that we’ve played on NES, SNES, N64, GAMECUBE …
… well, the honeymoon that the Wii has been having with my imagination is all but over.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to sell my Wii. I’m not throwing in the proverbial towel … that’s not my style. I’ll stick with Nintendo till the Wii’s end of days …
… it’s just that, I’m dissapointed in Nintendo after seeing what Microsoft and Sony have put on the table for 2007-8 in terms of new games and original properties vs. Nintendo’s franchises with Wii-mote control features … it’s apparent to me that a majority of my time will be spent with new characters and games featuring traditional control-pads.