Re: EA to support Wii...For Sony, the floodgates are creaking!


"Mantorok" <none@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:cbb45a8282168c877bdbfbf804a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That's exactly what I was going to point out, obviously he didn't grasp
that
aspect of it.

The fact that they are taking the time to update their control-schemes on
the Wii controller is actually quite a big thing, it creates that
"exclusiveness"
that you can't get with the other consoles, apart from graphical niceties.

Kev

I do grasp that fact. I just disagree about the probable impact.

You guys seem to think that adding a new way of controlling things will
completely revolutionize games and make old franchises "reborn." I've seen
a lot of innovative controllers in my life time--from the Mindlink, to the
U-Force, to the Activator, to the Eye Toy. All of them promised a unique
experience, and also promised that developers would use them to create
brand-new games that were never possible before. That never happened. They
were all gimmicks that were fun for a short time.

Don't get me wrong--I think the Wii will sell well, but that is mostly due
to the lower price and AAA Nintendo titles such as Zelda. Having played the
Wii at E3, I don't think it is intuitive for every game. Indeed, the
upcoming Super Smash Brothers Brawl doesn't even use the new controller
features but stays with the standard control. When EA dusts off its old
game engines for the Wii, and adds the ability to flick the controller as a
wand in Harry Potter, or swing a club in Tiger Woods, but the rest of the
gameplay remains the same, is that revolutionary, or is that a gimmick that
will be enjoyable the first few times you play the game, only to quickly
fade?

That is the big question, and obviously we predict two different outcomes.

As for developers not "wishing their own demise by supporting a technology
that will hinder their artistic muse," I think you overestimate the artistic
side and underestimate the business side. Developers will support the
consoles that they can make money on. End of story. They have shown that
they are more interested in releasing sequels, uninspired copies of hits
from other developers, and licenses trying to cash in on popular movies or
television shows. It isn't that they can't be artistic, it is that most of
them don't want to take the risk.

Just look at how many DS games don't use the touchscreen/stylus/sound input
cababilities of the system to any great effect. Heck, even in the New Super
Mario game, the touchscreen isn't really necessary. That should give you an
idea of how many developers will put out games for the Wii that don't fully
take advantage of the unique controller. That doesn't mean the games won't
still be fun, only that the Wii controller isn't going to autmoatically
create new gameplay experiences. I expect that we'll see the same type of
games on the Wii that we've seen in the past 10 years--racing, sports,
first-person shooters, real-time strategy, third-person shooters,
action/adventure, and platformers.


EA's failure to support the Dreamcast may have helped lead to its
early demise, I'll give you that. But EA was one of the few steady
third-party supporters of the GameCube, and they supported all three
of the current generation systems, so the fact that they are going to
support Wii isn't major news.

It is mayor news. EA is one of the biggest third-party companies
whether you like them or not. Their biggest guns will be ported to a
console which will play completely different.

You are acting like it is some sort of "coup."

It is a coup in disguise. Only on the Wii will their franchises play
like new. But you did not figured that part out yet.

Now if Nintendo

snagged exclusive rights to Gran Turismo, Grand Theft Auto, or Halo,
*that* would be a major coup worth talking about. You are grasping
at straws.

Um Nintendo snagging Halo? Uh, no, it will never happen. But hey
that'll be great. But what are the chances of Sony snagging Mario?
yeah, nill.

At best, this isn't bad news for Nintendo, as EA's failure to support
Wii would have been catastrophic. The announcement that they are
bringing six franchises (five of which are six to ten years old) is
not going to send "shockwaves" to Sony, Microsoft, or anyone else.
Get a grip! EA supporting the Xbox 360 right out of the gate didn't
"jump start" sales of that console--in fact, EA's launch titles
weren't even the best-selling 360 games. Call of Duty 2 (US) and
Perfect Dark (UK) had those honors.

You're forgeting one important factor in your thinking. EA's Xbox360
games are basically blown-up graphic extensions of current consoles.
The six to ten years old franchises you speak of will be born again on
the Wii, thanks due to its newer play-mechanics. This is the coup you
do not understand, because neither Sony nor microsoft cannot offer
this even though Madden will be distributed to all three consoles. Do
you understand the advantage now? This is Nintendo all dressed up in
sheep's clothing, because only their brand will play the least
conventional, and solidify newer gameplay through a medium that's
revolutionary. The Wii is a simple marvel of technology & innovation,
and coupled with strong first-party franchises, Nintendo all dressed
up in sheep's clothing will deliver a coup right under Microsoft and
Sony's noses. Old franchises will be born again, like Madden. Newer
one's will emerge due to the use of innovation. The DS is a perfect
example of an emerging medium accepting newer technology and opening
the door wide open to a mass market. Train your Brain, and Brain
Academy is one example. Do not understimate innovation. Innovation is
the key element to a healthy industry, and can often create a
monopoly. Nintendo once had a exclusive possession or control with the
release of the Nes. Sony regained that possession through a sheer
blend of technologies that made the PSX brand popular. Their CD-Rom
unit, with a healthy 3D chip was a winning combination. AGAIN,
Nintendo is recycling the winning formula in any business venture.
Innovate, dictate the business model, and lastly exploit it.

EA is just the beginning. Other companies will jump ship simply
because they cannot escape their own craving for moving forward, and
no developer wishes their own demise by supporting a technology that
will hinder their artistic muse. Case in point, Square. They release
FFVII for the PSX, and Sony gained Square not through sheer Gold, but
through technology. The rest is history....

Leo







.

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