Topic: Give Me Wii Or Give Me Death!

[nickclone]

In a interview with CNBC today, analyst Evan Wilson declares Wii the early next-gen console victor. But the report appears more concerned with the possible implications for publisher stocks rather than just Nintendo's.

Wilson believes game makers who have formed early partnerships with Nintendo via Wii can look forward to a banner year, one he says will be the fastest growing in a long time. He predicts THQ and Activision as big winners for their early commitment to the motion-sensing platform with no mention of Ubisoft.

So what about EA, the world's largest games publisher with 25% of the market? The analyst thinks the company will get left behind in 2007 for not scheduling more upcoming Wii games and because their hardcore games don't appeal as much to Wii's desired non-gamer audience. Also, after calling the PS3 a "disappointment" to an investor audience, he's wary on both EA and Take 2 stock for their strong support of the PS3. Not only is Sony getting some bad press now, so are any publishers aligned with its console, at least from one analyst.

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/analyst-publishers-not-supporting-wii-to-get-left-behind/

I find this interesting mostly because Ubisoft isn't on the list and next to Nintendo, they're the biggest supporters of the Wii so far. Even though Red Steel was panned by some "critics" its the second best selling game for the console and the crowd seems to love it.

However, analysts are also full of shit.

[scottws]

Isn't Rayman an Ubisoft game too?  I hear that's pretty popular on the Wii now.

I have been impressed with the Wii's success... lines at stores every time a shipment arrived and sold out quickly thereafter - everywhere.  Quite in contrast to the Gamecube, for which I stood outside a closed Wal-Mart for 10 minutes with five other people to get.

I don't know if I'd call it the victor just yet, unless they aren't even talking about the Xbox 360 in that article.

[Cobra951]

. . . hardcore games don't appeal as much to Wii's desired non-gamer audience

I find that statement very disturbing.

I'm glad the Wii is getting accolades while the PS3 is getting booed.  That's as it should be, at least so far.

[Antares]

Nintendo ertainly did try to attract a non-gamer audience for the Wii, but I think that statement assumes that "hardcore" gamers aren't interested in playing more simple arcadeish type games which just isn't true.

I will confess that I'm still not lining up to buy one, but I'm always a late adopter when it comes to consoles.

[gpw11]

I'm on the fence about it.  On one hand I think the concept is awesome and I know that Nintendo will come out with sweet games.  On the other, all I know is Nintendo will come out with sweet games.  I had an N64 and waiting 6 months or more between good games was just a bitch.  As cheap as they are, I'm still going to wait on it to see if anyone else can really take advantage of it.

[Cobra951]

Well, I made my choice.  The Wii may be equally appealing to me once it too has a year of history and game releases behind it.  Then again, there's been consoles that came and went without any desire on my part to get them, like the first Xbox.  I didn't get a PS2 for years, and still grumbled about the price when the size and quality of the game library finally pushed me into it.  I used to be an early adopter too.